Winter

by Michelle Love

  “We won’t,” Fancy echoes.

  “Speak for yourselves,” Mom says then takes a big drink of her wine.

  “Mom!” the twins shout at her.

  Nancy runs her arm around me. “Don’t worry about her, Gia. We’ve got your back.”

  A knock comes at the door. “You ladies decent?” my father’s voice comes from the other side of the door.

  “Yes, Daddy,” Fancy answers him.

  He opens the door and comes in with a twinkle in his eye. “How’s my baby girl doing?”

  With a wobble of my hand, I say, “So-so.”

  “Mom’s giving her the guilt treatment over going away to Mars with any grandkids she might have. Help her out, Dad,” Nancy tells him.

  “I will. It’s time for you three to skedaddle, anyway. Ryker and his best man are already standing in their places, waiting on this pretty young lady.”

  Heat flushes my body and I find my breath ceasing. “Already?”

  Mom kisses my cheek. “It’s going to be fine. He is the right man for you, sweetie. I’m sorry for being so selfish. Everything will be fine. You’ll see.”

  With a wave from my sisters, they all leave me alone with my father. I get up and he pulls the veil over my face. “You ready, baby girl?”

  I nod and feel a lump in my throat. “Did my sisters cry when it came to this part too?”

  “Like babies,” he assures me as he takes my hand and places it in the crook of his arm. “And here’s what I told them to be sure I left a smiling bride for my new sons-in-law.”

  We start our walk to my future as I swallow the lump. “Okay, Dad. Get rid of these tears and the freaking lump in my throat, please.”

  “A long time ago, I met a woman who I loved more than life itself. She could kiss like an angel and cook like a master chef. But my goodness that woman couldn’t carry a tune in a bucket. And Lord have mercy did she love to sing. And not quietly, either. No, she sang loud and proud, as if her singing was any good at all. I swear the cats scattered when she’d start up.”

  I smile as I know what he’s talking about. “Mom does do that.”

  “And that’s what love does to you. It helps you keep on loving someone, even through their faults. If I never got to hear her caterwauling again, it would devastate me. Crazy, huh?”

  We get to the back of the large main church and I find a smile is covering my face. The lump is gone and I can see Ryker from here. “Oh, God, he’s one handsome man, isn’t he, Dad?”

  “I’d say so. And he’s getting himself a gorgeous bride.”

  “You might be biased, Dad.”

  “Not me,” he says with a chuckle.

  The wedding march starts up, filling me with chills. “I’m really doing this, aren’t I?”

  “You really are. I’m going to miss this. You’re my last kid I get to walk down the aisle. The end of an era.”

  “You’re making me mist up, Dad.”

  “Oh, hell. Sorry baby girl,” he whispers as we go down the aisle, one slow step at a time. “Just remember these words. Marriage is a compromise. Laughter cures most things. Men can be bigger babies than actual babies. Especially after they get married. Don’t ask me why. It just happens that way.”

  My smile has returned and we’re at the place where my father kisses my cheek and passes me off to my soon to be husband. “Take good care of her, Ryker,” Dad says then looks at me. “I love you, Gia.”

  “I love you, Daddy.”

  When Ryker takes my hand, the calmness fills me again. I have no worries where he’s concerned. And I doubt I ever will.

  RYKER

  Falling onto my back, I try to catch my breath. “I’ve never danced so much.”

  Gia falls sideways onto the bed, just like I have. “Me, neither.”

  Our hands meet between us, our fingers lace and my eyes close. “What do you say to a little nap?”

  She giggles. “I’m almost there. I never knew how exhausting weddings and the receptions that follow were.”

  Even though I am thoroughly exhausted, I feel compelled to do the husbandly thing and make sure my wife is comfortable. Lifting my body off the bed, I pull my tux off and take her hands, pulling her up too. “I need to get this off you.”

  “But I’m tired,” she mumbles.

  Standing her up, I turn her around, so I can unlace the back of the blue dress she put on for the reception. “You’ll be comfier with this off.”

  When I push the dress off her shoulders, it falls in a puddle at her feet. Turning her around, she finally opens her eyes when I pull her bra off. “Hey, you don’t have any clothes on.”

  With a laugh, I say, “What did you think I was doing when I got off the bed?”

  “I think I was asleep.” Her eyes roam up and down my body. “But I’m kind of getting hot for you. You’re my husband now, Ryker. Mine. All mine!”

  Taking her by the waist, I pull her closer and wrap my arms around her. “I’m kind of getting hot for you too, Mrs. Crawford.”

  “Show me.”

  The exhausted feelings begin to fade into the background as our bodies touch and adrenaline starts pumping. Lying her on the bed, I rip her panties off, making her smile.

  “I’m not about to let our first night as man and wife be sex-free.”

  “Good.” She licks her lips as I move my body over hers. Her legs spread apart as I settle between them. I watch her beautiful face as I push my cock into her. Her heated depths caress me as I move, stroking her.

  “We’re married, Gia.”

  Her eyes sparkle as she looks into mine. “We are.”

  Grinding into her, I watch her eyes close as she moans. “I’m going to make you so happy, you won’t believe it.”

  Her eyes open. “You already are.”

  “Even more.” I kiss her, twirling my tongue around her mouth. My wife’s mouth!

  When our mouths part, I look back into her eyes as I continue my slow movements. “For better or worse.”

  She smiles. “For richer or poorer.”

  “As long as I have you, I will never feel poor.”

  She runs one foot up the side of my leg, making me go deeper into her. “Through sickness and in health.”

  “Until death do us part,” I finish the vows we recited to one another hours ago. “I hope you meant all that.”

  “Of course, I did,” she says with a frown. “Why would you say something like that?”

  Moving a little faster, I realize I said something very stupid. “I don’t know why I said that. I’m kind of loopy, I guess. Ignore me. Let’s not talk.”

  “Divorce isn’t even in my vocabulary, Ryker.” Her hands move to my shoulders as her eyes narrow at me.

  “I said I was sorry. Come on, no more talking.” I kiss her to try to end the stupid conversation I started.

  Moving faster and harder, I keep going until she’s breathing hard. Then I move my mouth to suck on her neck. She loves when I do that. “No marks, Ryker. Tomorrow we’re going to Bali. I want to wear a bathing suit all the time. Without your marks all over me.”

  Easing the sucking, I kiss and nip her neck, gently. “Sorry, boss.”

  Hooking my hands under her knees, I pull them up high, so I can go deeper. The sound she makes lets me know she’s through thinking at all. Plunging into her with hard thrusts, I pull her hair. “Ryker! Yes!”

  “You’re mine now, Gia. No one can ever take you away from me!” I pound into her, cementing our union.

  “Nor you from me,” she says as her eyes open. “We are one.”

  My heart pounds as we look at one another. It’s as if our souls are actually connecting. The words we said were a start but this act is the real glue. My body goes into hers, making a connection that was intended to make two people into one magnificent creature.

  “My God, you’re gorgeous.”

  Her hand moves over my cheek. “I get to look at this handsome face from now on. I get to kiss this face whenever I want to.”
/>   With a smile, I make a very hard thrust, knocking the air from her. “Whenever I want, I can make you scream my name.”

  “Make me scream it now.”

  “You asked for it.” I pull out and flip her over, pulling her back to me and ram into her from behind as I hold her waist.

  She moans but doesn’t scream. I push her shoulders to the bed, making her ass lift higher into the air. When I make harder thrusts, I can feel her getting wetter. Her moans continue as I pump away. When her walls start contracting, her moans get louder and when I don’t stop as she climaxes, she screams, “Yes! God, yes! Ryker! Ryker!”

  “Damn you sound sexy as hell when you scream my name, baby. You like it when I fuck you, don’t you?”

  “Yes!” Her body quivers as I don’t relent. I watch her hands fist the sheets as she bears down with the orgasm. “Fuck!”

  She’s shaking like crazy now and I decide it’s time to finish her, so we can get some rest. I pull out and flip her onto her back. Getting off the bed, I yank her until her ass is at the end of the bed, then I thrust into her again.

  “I love to watch you cum.”

  She moans as I look at her. She’s glowing with perspiration and passion. Her orgasm is waning, I can feel it. So, I give my finger a lick and run it over her swollen clit.

  Her eyes spring open and she pants like an animal. “Ryker!”

  “I want you to give me one more before I end this. Tell me you’ll give it to me, Gia.” I run my hand over my cock when I pull it nearly all the way out, wetting it and using our combined juices to lubricate my fingers that I use on her clit.

  “I’ll come all over your cock, baby. Keep fucking me hard and I’ll come all over you.”

  I watch my finger as it moves in circles over her sex. My cock moves in and out of her, making me very close to meeting my end. With a glance at her, I see she’s watching me touch her too. Her legs begin to quiver as they’re hung over the end of the bed. “Ohhh!”

  The contractions of another orgasm, ripple all over my cock and I can’t take it any longer. I blow my wad as she screams my name. My head goes light with the action and I have to lean over to steady myself. My face is lying on her stomach as I jerk all I have into her.

  Her hands move through my hair. “I love you,” I mumble then press my lips to her flat belly. “I really do love you, Gia.”

  “I know you do. I love you too. Can we sleep now that we’ve consummated this marriage?”

  With a silent nod, I pull my body off hers and we both climb under the blankets and cuddle up together. “Sweet dreams,” I tell her as I’m nearly asleep already.

  I’m met with her soft snore and can fall asleep, knowing I’ve got my wife by my side.

  Gia is my wife!

  GIA

  A shaft of bright light hits me directly in my right eye. Rolling over to avoid it, I find the bed empty in the hotel room Ryker and I spent our first night as a married couple in. “Baby,” I mutter.

  No answer comes and I have to actually raise my head to see where my brand new hubby is. I see no one around. With a huff, I move my, still tired body, out of the bed, the soft, comfy, cozy bed, to get up and find my missing half.

  As I get up on my feet, I realize that was a mistake. The night of dancing more than I’ve ever done in my entire life combined, has left my legs in a noodle-like state. When the door opens, I shriek as I see a maid coming in and I’m naked, “No!”

  “Oh, sorry, ma’am. I thought the room was empty. The register says it is.”

  Blinking at her, I find it odd she hasn’t left the room yet. I am sitting here naked after all!

  “Well, I didn’t break in here! Do you mind?”

  “I have to report this.” She picks up a walkie talkie and I climb back under the blankets.

  “Report away!”

  “There’s someone in the bridal suite.”

  “Excuse me.” I hear Ryker say from the hallway. “May I help you?”

  “That room is supposed to be empty,” the voice on the walkie talkie tells her.

  “It is not,” Ryker corrects the voice.

  The maid looks at him with a frown. “Who are you?”

  “Ryker Crawford. The man who rented this room for the night.”

  “You checked out,” she tells him.

  “No. As you can see, I’m right here and my wife is inside. Pretty pissed I bet.”

  “She does look unhappy,” she says. “But you did check out.”

  “Let me leave these things with my wife and I will be happy to go down to the front desk and fix this.” She steps aside and he comes in. A bag from my favorite café is in his hand. “Bagels with cream cheese from your favorite breakfast spot, my esteemed wife.”

  My mouth begins to water, instantly. “My hero!” I hold out my arms to take the delicious breakfast he’s provided for me. “Could I get any luckier?”

  “No,” he says with a grin. “Eat this.” He pulls the pink tissue paper wrapped goodie out of the bag, along with a tall coffee cup. “I’ll be right back. Once I clear this up.”

  After a chaste kiss on top of my head, he and the maid leave the room. And I find my cell ringing. I look across the large room. The phone is on the dresser. The walk seems so far and my hot coffee and warm bagel are looking at me with soulful eyes, begging me to ignore the call and devour them.

  My curiosity gets the best of me and I drag my body out of the bed and go to get the phone. I stop as my eyes catch the name on my screen. Damien Markov!

  Taking the phone with me, I don’t answer it. I let it go to voicemail and slip back under the blankets. He can suck it!

  Curiosity gets the best of me, yet again, as the phone dings telling me he’s left a message. I tap the screen to listen as his voice comes over my phone for the first time in over a year, “Gia, I know you weren’t expecting this call from me. I wanted you to be the first to know this. We’ve planned our first mission to Mars. It will be in three months. I will be gone from here in three months and I wanted to let you know that Ryker will too. He and I talked and he said he wasn’t going to tell you. I thought you should know.”

  I sit in complete silence and feel kind of numb. Why would Ryker not tell me this?

  Will this not be public information? Is there some reason he doesn’t want me to know? And what is this shit that he’s going too? Is it on the Russian mission?

  The door opens and Ryker comes in. “It was a weird mistake. Someone actually called in and said he was me. He told them I forgot to stop by the front desk and check out but that you and I had left. Crazy, huh?”

  “Yep.” That’s all I can say. I’m stunned.

  “Hey, I expected that bagel to be crumbs by now. What’s up?” He runs his finger over the bagel that I’m not hungry for at all anymore.

  “I feel sick.”

  “Hung over?” He grins.

  “More like, run over.” I give him a blatant stare.

  He walks away from me, looking pretty guilty. “You seem kind of mad.”

  “I wouldn’t call it that.”

  Sitting at the table, I notice he’s staying away from me. “What would you call it?”

  I toss my cell at him. Well, toss is an understatement. I throw it directly at his head.

  “What the…” He catches the phone. “Gia, what the hell are you doing?”

  “Press the voicemail.”

  He does and he hears the call I just got. I watch him go a bit pale. “That bastard!”

  “What the hell happened? Why the hell didn’t you want to tell me?” I pull the blanket up, even more, to cover myself, feeling naked and even violated for some damn reason.

  “Gia, I wanted to. I was going to do it in my own time. And he knew that.”

  “Ryker, what’s going on? Are you not going to take me?”

  When he shakes his head, I pull the pillow over my face, so he doesn’t see me crying. I feel lied to! I feel betrayed! I feel stupid!

  His hands run up my arms,
then he pulls the pillow away. “Baby, the World Space Exploration Center has made a mandatory decision. A group made up of only six men will be the first mission to Mars. Upon our arrival, if we can make a go of things, then others can come.”

  “No,” I say with a soft voice. “You can’t go.”

  “The men were hand-picked.”

  “Ryker, you can say, no.”

  “I don’t want to.”

  I can only stare at him. My heart has stopped. “I’m asking you not to go.”

  “Don’t.”

  “Damn it, Ryker! You’ll be gone for eight months, just on travel time if everything goes right! Then you’ll have a tiny team to get things going. No! No, you can’t go! You can’t!”

  “It may take a year or more to make sure it’s safe there. You see, a research craft came back with evidence of water. It also came back with evidence of what might be life. There may be life forms there. Hiding beneath the surface.”

  “And what would you do about that?” I ask as more tears are threatening me but I keep them at bay. “Ryker, if there are people or other creatures hiding under the surface, they may see your team as a threat and kill you all.”

  He nods and I can’t hold the tears back any longer. “No! A thousand times, no!”

  “I was born to do this.”

  “I was born to tell you not to.” I hold his dark eyes with my stony glare. “You are my husband!”

  “You are my wife. You will stand by me as I do what I feel is my duty to do. This isn’t about you or me. This is about the expansion of our race. The human race. Women and children have no place in a frontier that may have inhabitants that could kill them all. It’s our duty, not only as men, but men who know a thing or two about the planet and how to make a life on it. Only men, who’ve been at the forefront of this mission to get to Mars, have been chosen. It’s an honor and a privilege, Gia.”