Always & Forever

by Scarlett Avery

  “I’m not complaining, but maybe we should wait a bit.”

  Nikolaj’s eyes dance with the thrill of what we’re about to do. “You’re right. Let’s get married first then I’ll kiss the heck out of you.”

  Every guest in the garden claps joyously as Nikolaj escorts me to the podium where Martin and Sofia are staring at us, baffled.

  “At least we didn’t make out before we said ‘I do.’”

  My sister giggles beside me. I hand her my bouquet of blush-pink calla lilies, which match her spectacular floor-length bridesmaid dress, and turn to face Nikolaj as he takes hold of my hands.

  Father Frederic clears his throat one more time and starts reading through his opening. He talks about love in our modern world and how precious the sanctity of marriage is nowadays since it’s no longer an obligation for two people to enter such a blessed union anymore. I take in every word, every breath and every pause. It’s quite the accomplishment, considering how lost I am in Nikolaj’s intense gaze. Even the weeping besides me and in the front row doesn’t deter me. I’m totally fixated on the man I love. I don’t have to turn around to know that my sister and my mother are bawling their eyes out.

  When it comes time to exchange our vows, I go first.

  “Nikolaj, when I met you, I learned what it was to believe again. You walked into my life like a force of nature. I wasn’t expecting you’d turn out to be so determined.” I laugh nervously. “Your unwillingness to give up on us broke down my walls and gave me the courage to take a chance on romance. Until today, the day you told me you loved me, the day that I knew you were my everything, was the most unbelievable day of my life. What did I do right to deserve someone like you? I don’t know, but every day I thank my lucky stars. I promise to be a true and loyal friend and lover to you and I promise to be the arms you seek refuge in when life throws us a curve ball. In my heart, I’ll always love you with every fiber of my being. This is my sacred vow to you, the love of my life.”

  I’ve practiced this speech a million times and each time I’ve broken down. Although I choke on the last sentence, I manage to recite my vows without shedding a tear, but I suspect things might change when I hear his. I bite the inside of my mouth in a desperate attempt to avoid sobbing before he opens his mouth.

  Keep it together.

  Nikolaj’s piercing, electric gaze is on me the entire time. I inhale deeply, preparing myself for his turn.

  His eyes twinkle. “Do you remember that third box I sent you this morning?” I nod. There was another box inside the one that hid the provocative lingerie, but the note attached to it prevented me from opening it. It simply read, Sweetness, please only open this one once we’re married. The note piqued my curiosity, but knowing Nik, I suspected it was best to wait because whatever is inside that box is sure to be enchanting. “It contains a framed copy of my handwritten vows. I never want you to forget what I’m about to say to you, love.”

  Holy Jesus.

  “Oh,” I gasp, squeezing his hands tighter. There he goes taking me by surprise again. I bring both our hands to my chest, holding them there for a beat as my heart races. I mentally count to ten, composing myself before meeting his gaze again.

  His eyes darken and I know then and there that I don’t have a chance in hell of getting through this without crying. “Ciara, you stole my heart without warning. I fell so fast and yet there isn’t a thing I would change. You know me better than anyone else in this world and somehow, you unconditionally accept every part of me. Every day since you said yes to my proposal, I get to laugh with you and share epic and mundane moments with you, care for you and protect you at any cost. Your needs are my only priority. You’ll never have to walk alone again as long as I walk by your side. I’ll never let you fall. I’ll always be there to catch you. I promise to be faithful, loyal and totally yours. There’s still a part of me that can’t believe you’re willing to take this journey with me… especially since I promise to love you for the next hundred years and the next hundred after that. Sweetness, you’re the only one capable of making my heart beat out of my chest. You are my one true love.”

  Oh. My. God.

  Suddenly my dress feels cinched way too tight and I can no longer breathe. I can’t contain it. I lose it and so does every other woman sitting in the garden. I’m so overwhelmed that it takes me a few seconds to notice the tear trickling down Nikolaj’s face. I let go of his hand and reach up to wipe it away. He grabs hold of my hand again and presses it against his lips before dropping a soft kiss inside my palm.

  Although it seems like it’s only the two of us in this garden and we’ve shut everything out, Father Frederic continues. “It’s time to exchange the rings.”

  Nikolaj and I each turn, he to Martin and I to my weeping sister, to retrieve our wedding rings. Father Frederic turns to me and asks, “Ciara Isabella Echevarria Herrera, do you take this man to be your husband, your partner in life, your love and your husband? Will you be faithful through good times and bad, in sickness and in health as long as you both shall live?”

  I open my mouth to respond, but nothing comes out. I swallow, trying to find my voice, but I’m too choked up. My words get stuck at the back of my throat, weighed down by too many delirious emotions.

  Nikolaj leans towards me. “This is the part where you’re supposed to say yes, love,” he whispers teasingly.

  Laughing through my tears, I finally manage, “Yes, I do.”

  The priest turns and asks Nikolaj the same thing. Nikolaj readies himself to answer, but pauses. He flashes me a slanted smile and mouths, I love you so much. As I stand there a total emotional mess, he utters, “I do take you, Ciara, as my wife.”

  Father Frederic instructs us to slip the ring on each other’s finger. Nikolaj interlaces our left hands together and we both stare down at our platinum bands. Wow, this is it.

  “And by the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife. Ciara, you may finally kiss the eager groom.”

  “We did it, baby,” I whisper.

  Nikolaj’s eyes spark at my words. “Damn right, we did. You’re all mine now, Mrs. von Henningsen.”

  “Mr. von Henningsen, you had me at hello at that bar in Toronto and you know it.”

  We burst out laughing.

  “And you made me work this hard for this long when I had you under my spell a year ago?”

  I roll my eyes. “Are you going to kiss me or do I have to beg?” I plead.

  Nikolaj leans into me as I yank myself up on my toes and pull my husband down to me. He crushes my lips in a deep, long, amorous kiss. We might have continued for a little while longer had it not been for an interruption in the crowd.

  What the fuck?

  I was fully expecting my aunt to scream out “congratulations” in Yiddish, since that seems to be her trademark, but Carmelita launches in an ululation that catches everyone by surprise. I mean if this were a Muslim wedding, I’d totally understand, but seriously? She’s way too international for her own good.

  Once our guests get over Carmelita’s cries of joy, everyone erupts into applause. I look around and it’s the first time in the last thirty minutes that I realize we’re surrounded by people.

  Grinning like lovesick fools, we turn and face a garden of guests. We nod at each other before Nikolaj wraps his arm around mine and pulls me with him down the aisle. We walk at first, but quickly my husband’s step quickens into a jog. When my high heels won’t allow me to follow his pace, he stops, folds and sweeps me up into his arms. I drop my head against his face and his lips flirt with the shell of my ear. “My gorgeous wife, I told you I’d never let you fall.”

  All words escape me. I circle my arms around his shoulders and pull him closer to me, the man I love.

  * * *

  After dinner I change into my party dress, accompanied by my sister and my mother. We spend way too much time reminiscing all about the ceremony and of course we spend a lot of time crying. Finally, once we’ve switched into dancing
shoes, we join the festivities.

  It’s always been easy for me to buy a party dress for other people’s weddings, but it’s different when it’s my own. My sister didn’t have to agonize over hers on the day of her wedding like I did because Bryce begged not to have any dancing since he’d sooner have a root canal than be forced to wiggle his body on the dance floor.

  I found my dress in Barcelona the weekend I went to ask Diego to walk me down the aisle. It’s a stunning white one-shoulder dress that hits me right below the knee. The slit on the left leg and my bare shoulders are sure to get me a reaction when my husband drinks me in. As luck would have it, the color matches perfectly with the naughty lingerie Nik gave me and the sleek design brings out my stunning drop sapphire and diamond earrings.

  Dinner was so spectacular words wouldn’t do such a sumptuous feast justice. Chef Maurice and his team of talented sous-chefs outdid themselves. Just like the family dinner, the menu consisted of a copious selection of succulent braised meats rubbed and seasoned with local flavorful herbs, a variety of seasonal vegetables and more cheese than it’s legally acceptable to ingest in one sitting. I think it’s safe to say every one of my guests indulged a little too much. The champagne has been flowing since we arrived and I’m pretty sure I’m not going to be the only one to end this evening a little tipsy. The atmosphere is so vibrant and electrifying, I could get high just from watching everybody enjoying themselves.

  Once I traded my long dress for a shorter one and I could walk with ease in the garden, Nikolaj and I made the rounds and spent a couple of hours greeting everyone. We jumped from one table to another and invariably we’d get lost in introductions, hellos and people wanting to share their most memorable moment of the ceremony with us. Although it’s the same number of people who attended our dinner a few days ago, tonight I seem to be overwhelmed. There’s such an outpouring of joy and best wishes. As thrilling as it is, it’s still a lot to take in.

  Nikolaj and I are back sitting at the bride and groom’s table for two that’s propped on a little podium and we’re enjoying the last few bites of our wedding cake. From the eyes rolling as our guests bite into morsel after morsel of moist deliciousness, it’s safe to say this sugary confection is a winner.

  “Holy shit, this is insanely delicious.” Nikolaj is scraping his plate, unwilling to leave any crumbs behind.

  “This is my second slice and someone needs to stop me,” I say as I lick my lips.

  Jacques-Henri exceeded all of our expectations with his creation. My three-tier champagne-flavored white cake coated with a vanilla buttercream frosting and decorated with an ethereal cascade of ice fondant flowers in the shape of bloomed blush-pink peonies is a showstopper. It was almost too beautiful to cut.

  “Honey, why deny yourself? Have a third slice.”

  “Are you mad? I’ve been eating everything in sight as is. If I keep this up, I’ll burst out of this dress,” I lament.

  “Burst away.” Nikolaj flashes me a side grin. “I’ll grasp at any excuse to catch an early sneak peek of that sexy lingerie I got you.”

  “Thank you for those. They’re gorgeous,” I say. “And so are these. I can’t stop looking at them every time I pass by a mirror.” I touch my dazzling earrings.

  “I’m glad you like them. They’re for your enjoyment as much as they are for mine.” He leans in and drops a soft kiss against my lips. “So how many hours until I rip the garter belt and thong to shreds to have full access to your pussy?” he whispers in my ear.

  Shit. I bite down hard on my lower lip to suppress a moan and avoid drawing attention to us. Nikolaj’s dirty question catches me off guard. My cheeks flush and I find myself squeezing my knees together to stifle the ache his forwardness has stirred up. He’s behaved all night and this is the first sign of impatience on his part.

  “Nik,” I start, placing a hand against his chest and pushing him slightly away from me. “We can’t possibly leave now, we haven’t even shared our first dance as a couple. Not to mention you know we have to party our faces off when the salsa music kicks off before we call it a night. It’s tradition.”

  “I thought you had to break from tradition.”

  “Not when it comes to dancing,” I respond with a pretend stern look. “Certain things are sacred.”

  “Darn. Just when I thought I had a good repartee,” he says, snapping his middle finger and thumb together.

  “Not a chance. I’m dying to—”

  The MC’s loud voice interrupts me. “Ladies and gentlemen, this is the most exciting moment of the night. Please bring your hands together as Mr. and Mrs. von Henningsen take their first dance as a couple.”

  “It’s showtime, baby,” Nikolaj cheers, jumping up to his feet and grabbing my hands.

  “Of course you’d be excited. I’m still in the dark.”

  Nik ignores my complaint and keeps marching forward. We descend the podium and walk to the center of the dance floor amid a whistling crowd. Once we stand facing each other again, the clamor drops to a hushed silence.

  Nikolaj lifts his index finger at the MC, asking him to wait a few seconds before starting the song.

  “Ready?” he asks in a raspy voice.

  “I don’t know yet. It all depends on your selection.”

  “Do you not trust me?”

  “Implicitly.”

  “You have nothing to worry about in that case.”

  “True. But you could give your wife a hint or two.”

  “You’ll find out soon enough, sweetness.”

  Darn.

  I lost yet another bet. You’d think I’d learn my lesson now, but no. I keep doing this to myself as a sweet punishment.

  The night Nikolaj returned from Copenhagen after announcing the change of plans to his parents, after he had ravished me once, we sat in our Paris living room and listened to all six songs I had selected as potential contenders for our first dance. Unfortunately, I got a little too cocky that night. I nearly laughed when he said that he intended on making me come four more times to make up for the five nights we had slept apart. I mean, I would have been with him had he said three more times, but four? Come on.

  My husband isn’t a man to lose a bet, not even to his wife. Since he made me come three times before we fell asleep at around two o’clock in the morning, I figured I’d won this one with my eyes closed. There was no way he was going to have the time or energy to make me come again before dawn. Boy, was I ever wrong. He woke me up with his lips against my pussy just as the sun was rising. Bastard. I’m sure he set the alarm on his iPhone. He was playing dirty and he knows it.

  By losing the bet, I gave him carte blanche to select one of the tear-jerking songs. That was the deal. I had narrowed it down to my top favorites for our first song. He promised me he wouldn’t deviate from the list. Right now, as I wait for the music to start, I haven’t got a clue which one he selected. Don’t get me wrong, I’ll be thrilled with any of them, but not knowing makes me feel very vulnerable. After all this is a very important part of the wedding ceremony.

  “I hope you like it.” That’s all he says before nodding at the MC.

  The first few chords of the song began and Nikolaj’s blue eyes turn dark and intense. He slides his hands to my waist and pulls me so close to him it’s as if we’re glued together.

  I gaze up to my husband, fascinated by his ability to read me so well. “How did you know?” I immediately recognize Ed Sheeran’s Thinking Out Loud. After John Legend’s All of Me, this is the other song sure to melt my heart.

  He smiles. “It didn’t take much to coax Sofia to divulge which was your favorite of the songs on your list. Your sister is an easy target. When it comes to her little sister, she’s willing to spill her guts at the drop of a hat. Anything as long as you’re happy.”

  I turn around and meet Sofia’s eyes. Her lower lip is already trembling and her husband Bryce is consoling her. “What a sappy romantic, that one,” I say, shaking my head at her. “But, my God, do I ev
er love her.”

  “So she did good?”

  “She did more than good. You nailed it. The lyrics of this song are so poignant. This is absolutely my favorite on the list.”

  “I selected this song because even when I’m away from you, my mouth always remembers the taste of your love. That’s what kept me fighting to win you back last year and that’s what makes me so impatient to get back to you when I have to be away on business. You and I are proof that the most unlikely people on this planet do fall in love in mysterious ways. I don’t know how you do it, but I fall in love with you all over again every single day. I want our souls to grow old together. That’s how much I love you.”

  “Oh, my God. How the hell do you expect me to respond to this, von Henningsen?” I say, punching his arm. I’m laughing and crying at the same time at his sweet revelation.

  “You don’t have to. What I read in your deep brown eyes is the only response I need.”

  I don’t even have to concern myself with the fact that eighty people must be staring at us right now because Nikolaj barely takes time to finish his sentence before his lips crush mine and brand me one more time. I can taste his intoxicating desire and his heady impatience. It’s an aphrodisiac that’s more inebriating than the best champagne. I’m so drunk with love, I’m willing to reconsider my need to stick around until the salsa music kicks in.

  Our lips part only for Nikolaj to whisper saucy promises of things to come. “I’m warning you right now. I intend on consummating the heck out of you tonight. Brace yourself, love, because by the time I’m done fucking you, you won’t remember which time zone you’re in.”

  I’m sure they can see me blush all the way back in New York.

  BOOK 6—ALWAYS & FOREVER

  Chapter Thirteen

  Holding each other so close while dancing to Ed Sheeran’s melodious song awakens our appetite for each other. Nikolaj pulls me so close to him it’s impossible to ignore the bulge against my stomach. He lifts my chin so our eyes meet. He doesn’t have to say a word. I know exactly what he wants.