by Jenni Wilder
I didn’t know if she had more to say, because at that point I couldn’t take it anymore. I vaulted up out of my chair and hugged her tight, not caring if I messed up my hair or spilled her drink.
My mother and siblings surrounded us, their faces just as tear-stained as mine, and we formed a giant hug with me in the middle. Even Frankie and Elliot, who were normally so stoic and serious, looked completely overtaken by their emotions.
Eventually I was shuffled into Lincoln’s arms. He held me against his chest, and I breathed in his delicious scent, allowing it to calm me.
“Are you okay?” Lincoln whispered in my ear while gently rubbing my back.
I sniffled and nodded as I pulled away from him. He immediately cupped my face and wiped my tears with his thumbs.
“Are you happy?”
A smile broke out on my face. “It probably doesn’t look like it, but I am.”
“You look beautiful.”
I laughed, knowing that probably wasn’t true. “Are you ready?”
He nodded. “You first.”
Lincoln handed me the microphone, and I took a deep breath and slowly pushed it out. I had never been a fan of public speaking, even if the crowd was only a small group of our loved ones.
“Okay,” I said into the microphone. “I guess it’s our turn now. I’m going to do my best to try to not make anyone cry.” Our friends and family laughed. “Although some of you are still crying, so that doesn’t count.” My mother smiled and waved her tear-soaked napkin at me.
“There are so many people I need to thank. I don’t want this to sound like an Oscar speech, but we wouldn’t be here today if it wasn’t for all of you. So I think first, of course, we have to thank our parents.” I looked at my mom and then at Elizabeth and the senator who now insisted I call him Ron since we were family. “We wouldn’t know what love is without your example, so thank you for raising us in households filled with love. I think I speak for both of us when I say I know we didn’t always agree on everything, and there were times we made your lives difficult, but we know everything you did for us you did out of love, and we want to thank you for that.”
Both Lincoln’s parents and my mom looked as if they were going to cry again, so I moved on. “To our siblings. Lincoln and I both want to say thank you all for your friendship. I know not everyone can count their siblings among their friends, but we do, and I couldn’t imagine our lives without your friendship. You have all been there for us, and we’re so thankful to have you all in our lives.”
Since it was such a small reception, that just about covered all the wedding guests except Lincoln’s teammates.
I took a deep breath. “And finally to my husband.” My voice broke as my throat got tight. “I will never be able to express”—I cleared my throat—“how much you’ve changed my life. I think back to what my life was like eight months ago, and I can’t even believe I thought that was living. It seems obvious now that I was just a piece of something bigger. I wasn’t complete until I met you. So thank you for not giving up on me. Thank you for everything. I love you eternally.”
Emotion overtook me, and I couldn’t continue my speech without breaking out into tears again. It wasn’t all I wanted to say to Lincoln, but I knew he knew what I meant, how I felt.
I handed him the microphone, and he pulled me into his embrace. He studied my face, maybe looking for signs that I was upset, but when I smiled, he smiled back before kissing me lightly.
He held me close to him as he cleared his throat to begin his speech. “Well, I think my wife covered just about everything, so good night folks!” Lincoln grabbed my hand and acted like he was about to drag me away from our reception. I laughed and pulled back against him, squawking my objection.
He held the microphone up to his mouth. “What? Seriously? We can’t leave yet?”
I shook my head as the crowd laughed.
“All right. Fine,” Lincoln said in fake disappointment. “But can you really blame me, folks? I mean, have you seen how hot my wife is?”
I gasped and covered my face. My mom was in the crowd! I could feel the blush rise up under my skin, and I heard people laughing, hollering, and applauding. Deacon shouted something from the back of the crowd, and I peeked out from under my hand. I blushed again as I looked at my mom and brothers. I thought they would be uncomfortable, or at least feeling slightly awkward at Lincoln’s not-so-subtle sexual insinuation, but the three of them simply laughed at my embarrassment.
“Okay, well, since we’re not allowed to leave yet, there are a few things I would like to add.” He draped an arm over my shoulder and pulled me against his side. I wrapped an arm around his waist and rested my head against him.
“For a long time, my life consisted of hockey and my family and not much else. Like Carter said, I didn’t think anything was missing until I met Jillian, and then nothing was right without her. She was like a breath of fresh air in my stagnant life.”
He turned to look at me.
“You never cease to amaze me with your generosity and kindness. You have a heart of gold, and I’m honored to have you share it with me. You are the other half to my whole, and I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with you. So thank you, Princess. Thank you for letting me love you and for loving me in return.”
He set down the microphone, and immediately I stretched up on my toes and grabbed the back of his head, pulling him down to me. We locked lips, and I kissed him with all the love I had in my heart. I wanted to climb inside him and never leave. I’m not sure how long we stood in front of our friends and family wrapped around each other, locked in our kiss, but eventually Lincoln pulled away from me.
I looked up at him and licked my lips. “Okay. Now we can leave,” I said quietly so no one else would hear.
Lincoln laughed, and I realized everyone around us was cheering and applauding. “As tempting as that is, I think we’re required to stay a little longer.”
Tabitha ran up to me and jumped into my arms. I propped her up on my hip and straightened the skirt of her Hawaiian sundress that looked adorable.
“Mommy said I’m supposed to say congrad-relations.”
Her mispronunciation made me smile. “It’s con-grad-U-lations.”
She scrunched her nose up and looked at me funny. “Con-grad-me-lations? What did I do?”
Lincoln laughed loudly, and I couldn’t help but join in.
“No, sweetie. Congratulations. It means you are happy for someone when something special happens.”
Tabitha absentmindedly ran her small hand over my hair. “Special like a wedding to Mr. Lincoln?”
I smiled and nodded. “That’s right. Remember how we said I wasn’t going to live with you anymore, but that I would visit you all the time?”
“Yeah,” she replied without any sadness in her voice. “Do I have to call him Uncle Lincoln now?”
Lincoln stepped forward and put his hand on Tabitha’s shoulder. “Do you want to call me that?”
“Well, you’re my aunt… ” she said and poked my chest with her finger. “So now he’s my uncle, right?”
My heart felt like it was going to burst. “Yes, that’s right, Tabby Cat.”
“Can I have a sleepover with Ben?” She looked up at Lincoln with pleading eyes.
Lincoln chuckled at Tabitha’s rapid change of subject. “You can if your mom and Ben’s mom are okay with it.”
She squirmed in my arms, wanting to be set down. The minute her feet hit the ground she ran up to Rebecca. “Mommy! Uncle Lincoln said I could have a sleepover.”
My sister glared at Lincoln, and I burst out laughing as Lincoln groaned. “Kid’s already getting me in trouble.”
“That’s all right. It’s good for you.”
Lincoln smiled and took me in his arms. “Dance with me,” he requested as he led me out on the dance floor and twirled me around. Our first dance as husband and wife was in a tropical paradise, and I never wanted to let go of him.
Chapte
r Twenty-Eight
Unfortunately, we were informed Lincoln couldn’t monopolize my attention all evening. Hours later, my feet were killing me, and I had danced with everyone. By the time I was back in Lincoln’s arms, stars were glittering in the Hawaiian sky above us. In the distance, the sound of the ocean waves breaking against the beach lulled me deeper into relaxation. I nuzzled against Lincoln’s chest as he held me close, singing along to Ed Sheeran’s “Tenerife Sea” quietly just to me.
The song ended and flowed into a new one, but Lincoln didn’t let go of me. “Do you think we can leave yet?” he asked.
I smiled up at him, bit my lip and nodded.
His eyebrows rose up. “Yeah?”
“Yeah. I want to be alone with my husband.”
“Thank God,” he said with exaggerated relief, making me smile. Both of us were well healed from our injuries by now. Lincoln’s cast had come off a few weeks ago, and the Hawks’ medical team thought that with some work, he’d be as good as new when the season started. But by the time he was healed enough for… physical activity… I was bruised and battered. Believe me, it had been a long two and a half months. To be honest, we probably could have been intimate a few weeks ago, but it seemed appropriate to wait a little longer until our wedding night.
Kennedy hugged me tightly as Lincoln and I tried to escape to our waiting vehicle. It wasn’t much of an escape. Of course, everyone saw us trying to leave and wanted to offer their congratulations one more time. Normally I would have been fine with that, but I was anxious to start our honeymoon.
Most of our friends and family were returning to the mainland the next day, but Lincoln and I were spending one more week here. And after that? We weren’t sure. We had a few more weeks before Lincoln had to report to training camp, so as long as he had access to a gym to keep him in shape, we could do whatever we wanted. For the first time in my life, I wasn’t going to worry about schedules, deadlines, or anything other than making my husband happy.
Kennedy clung to me as Lincoln tried to pull me toward our rented convertible. “You need to call me at least twice before you come home. I can’t go that long without talking to my new sister.”
I pulled my hand out of Lincoln’s and wrapped my arms around Kennedy. “I will! I love you, Kenny. Thank you for everything.”
She squeezed me tight before letting go and held me at arm’s length. She smiled through the few tears in her eyes. “Thank you, Jillian. Thank you for being such an amazing person. I was always secretly worried that my two idiot brothers would end up marrying women I hated, and we’d all be miserable. Thank God Lincoln ended up smarter than that.”
I laughed and hugged her again until Lincoln had had enough and scooped me up into his arms. Happiness bubbled out of me as he carried me to the car. I laughed and waved good-bye to our family and friends as they threw flower petals at us while my mother and Tabitha blew us kisses.
We drove for a little while in our rented convertible along the coast until we reached a secluded resort. Lincoln parked the car and took my hand as we walked along the beach toward our private bungalow. The moon was so bright, and I could see whales spouting in the ocean in the distance.
“God, you’re so beautiful,” Lincoln said as he turned to stand in front of me. The ocean water felt so warm as it lapped around our feet. He brought his face down close to mine. “I’m going to kiss every single inch of your beautiful body.”
“Maybe start with my lips?”
“Mm… It would be my pleasure, wife.”
His lips met mine, gently at first, but becoming more intense the longer we stood on the beach, bathed in the moonlight. We had kept our hands off each other for too many long weeks, and now that we were allowing ourselves to indulge it was like a floodgate had been opened. I moaned when his hands moved over my dress, down the small of my back to my butt, and I arched into him, pressing against him until no space was allowed between us.
Our mouths moved in sync, our tongues colliding, and I clutched at the buttons on his vest, desperately trying to undo them. I wound my arms around his waist and pulled on his dress shirt, untucking it from the back of his pants. Needing to feel his warm skin against mine, I ran my hands up his muscular back under his shirt and whimpered with desire.
Lincoln pulled his mouth away and rested his forehead against mine. Both of us were breathing hard. He slowly ran the tip of his finger across the sweetheart neckline of my dress. “Let’s take this inside, hmm? Before we end up naked on the beach?”
The next thing I knew, I was in his arms again as he carried me the short distance from the shore to our little hut. It was meant to look rustic and tropical, but it was still ultra modern and comfortable on the inside.
I fished the key card out of Lincoln’s breast pocket and swiped it in the door lock while he cradled me in his arms. The door beeped, and we were inside and in the bedroom in a matter of seconds.
Lincoln laid me down on the satin sheets of the king-sized bed. He stood over me and watched as I pointed my toes, bent one knee, and rolled one hip, trying to look sexy. I swooped one hand up against my neck and flipped my hair out so it fanned out against the bed and across one shoulder. My other hand slowly traced down the thin shoulder strap of my dress and across the top edge by my breast.
I watched Lincoln’s eyes follow the path my hand took until he reached out and ran his hands up my thighs, bunching my dress up. He crawled on top of me, hovering over me, and kissed me sweetly.
“You’re so beautiful,” he whispered as he slowly started his descent. His lips moved over my cheek to the edge of my jaw. Tingles spread out across my skin as he kissed down my neck to my collarbone. He slipped two fingers under the small strap of my dress and pushed it off my shoulder before repeating the action on the other side with the other strap.
I moaned as his hands smoothly moved up my body, over my hips and stomach, until he cupped my breasts and began pulling down on the top of my dress. He took his time undressing me, kissing all over my body. I arched my back and lifted my hips to help him remove my gown as he kissed lower and lower down my body. He kissed the tips of my toes before completely removing my dress and throwing it on the floor next to the bed.
His eyes flared as they roamed over my wedding lingerie. The simple white lace teddy was nothing fancy, but his reaction made me feel like I was wearing a priceless gown. He reached out and caressed the sheer material at my hip in an adoring way.
The night air had gotten colder, and as I lay on the bed, a slight chill ran through my body, causing my nipples to pebble under my nightie. Or maybe the look of love and lust in Lincoln’s eyes had caused that. His gaze was fixed on my body as I watched him discard his vest and slowly peel out of his dress shirt. His muscles bulged and rippled as he discarded his pants and climbed on top of me, kissing his way back up my body.
By the time he reached my breasts, I was a ball of need. I loved his kisses, but I needed more. “Lincoln,” I whimpered and threaded my fingers through his short hair.
“So beautiful,” he whispered as he pulled my negligee over my head in one easy move and threw it on top of the pile of clothes on the floor.
He immediately placed a light kiss on my firm nipple before swirling his tongue around it. I groaned so loudly, and I was grateful not to have to worry about our neighbors. If that one small move could make me react that intensely, it was probably a good thing no one was anywhere near us.
I ran my hands over every inch of his skin I could reach. I loved feeling his warm skin against mine. His biceps were hard as he held himself over my body, licking and sucking at my breast. When he rolled his hips against mine, I could feel he was just as impatient as I was.
Normally I loved our foreplay. I loved how gentle and considerate he was. He always made sure I enjoyed myself before things really got intense. But since we had both waited so long, at that moment, all I wanted was to feel him inside me and know that we were one. Tonight would be the release of almost three months’
worth of sexual tension, and I couldn’t wait.
“Lincoln,” I whimpered again and wrapped my legs around his hips, opening to him, letting him know I needed him.
Pausing for a moment, he lifted his head and looked into my eyes. I think he wanted to object. He wanted to make this last, but I knew we had all night. This first time didn’t need to be long and intense. I just needed to be complete with him.
He must have seen the desperation in my eyes, because he shifted forward, captured my lips with his and slowly sank into me. I clutched at his shoulders as his hardness filled me completely, and I cried out with overwhelming pleasure.
Lincoln’s eyes locked on mine as he began moving his hips. “My. Beautiful. Wife.” Each word was staccatoed and emphasized with each thrust of his hips.
“I love you,” I whispered back to him. “My husband.”
He moaned and sped up his pace. His control broke, instinct took over, and he began pushing into me harder and faster. Over and over, he hit the sweet spot inside me until I couldn’t contain it any longer. My eyes rolled back and my hands clutched at the bedsheet underneath us.
“Look at me,” he pleaded.
Pleasure built inside me, but I opened my eyes and peered up at him as he moved above me. The look of absolute adoration in his eyes tipped me over the edge. My back arched and my thighs shook as the nerves deep inside me exploded, but I never broke our connection as we stared into each other’s eyes. Pleasure surged through me, and I cried out and clutched at my husband as I came.
Lincoln’s cries drowned out my own as he thrust one last time, and I felt him erupt inside me. He trembled for a few seconds before his arms gave out, and he collapsed on top of me.
His weight was heavy, but I didn’t mind. This was what I loved. This was what I wanted. In that moment, I felt like we were one soul, and nothing would ever separate us.