Mistletoe & Kisses

by Anthology

  The trembling in my hands was getting worse. I linked my hands together in front of me to hide it from her.

  “Is everyone ready?”

  Marissa walked up to me, taking my hands in hers and giving them a squeeze. “They are. Are you ready?” she asked, studying my face.

  “I’m fine,” I said, attempting to plaster a fake smile on my face. An attempt that clearly failed when she scoffed.

  “Please. I’ve been your best friend for way too long for you to try and pull that shit with me. I know you way better than that. Now, tell me what’s wrong.”

  “I don’t know. I can’t explain it. I’m just really nervous.”

  She didn’t laugh, or tell me it was no big deal. Instead, she took a hold of my shoulders, looked directly into my eyes and said, “Tanner loves you with all of his heart, just like you love him. Yeah, it sucks we can’t predict the future and his job is dangerous, but you can’t let the fear of the unknown hold you back from this amazing man. I know it’s scary, but you never would have let fear control you before everything with Nate—you finally got over it—don’t let it come back now.

  Smiling, I nodded. There was a reason Marissa and I had been friends for so long. We were always there for each other, and knew exactly what to say and when to say it. Everything she said was what I’d been feeling leading up to that moment. It was exactly what I needed to hear. Even when I couldn’t find the words to explain my nerves in the first place, she had a way of knowing. Wrapping my arms around her, I pulled her into a hug.

  “Thank you for always being there for me. I love you.”

  “Always, sweetie. Love you too.”

  We stood there for a moment or two before Marissa took a step back. “Now let’s go make you Mrs. Danielle Marano.”

  She held her hand out to me and led me into the hall, where my dad was waiting for me. “You look beautiful. I’m so proud to be walking down that aisle with you on my arm,” he said, pulling me into a hug and placing a kiss on my forehead.

  It was such a simple gesture, but it reminded me of all the things that were missing the last time around. The dam broke, the tears sliding, unchecked, down my face.

  “Thanks, Dad,” I said, squeezing him tighter, emotion clogging my voice.

  “No crying. You’ll ruin your makeup,” Marissa reprimanded. Her mouth was still going a hundred miles an hour when, out of nowhere, she produced a handkerchief for me to wipe my eyes.

  “Everything okay?” Dad asked, his eyes wide, searching between me and Marissa.

  I tried to reassure him. “Everything is fine, Dad. Just some nerves.”

  “Everything is going to be fine, you’ll see.”

  “Thanks, Dad. I’m glad you’re here.”

  “Nowhere I’d rather be.”

  * * *

  The time had come for Marissa to leave us and make her way to the front of the chapel, where Tanner, Greg, and Chaplain Hayes were waiting for us.

  She turned and smiled at me. “I’ll see you at the end. Just remember, you look beautiful.”

  “Thank you. So do you.”

  Marissa turned and slowly walked down the aisle, all eyes on her as the light blue silk of her dress swayed with every step she took. The closer she got to the front, the more I could feel my heart racing in my chest. It was almost time, and I was beginning to have a mental meltdown. Maybe it was the thought of getting married, or because of everything I’d been through. Either way, Marissa had finally reached the front and it was my turn. The music changed, heralding the entrance of the bride. While it is customary for brides to walked down the aisle to Here Comes the Bride, I wanted something different—something unique that would represent our relationship.

  Pachelbel’s Cannon seemed the perfect choice.

  When the introduction to the music began, I took a step out into the doorway, watching all eyes turn to look at me. Except there was only one set of eyes I was concerned with.

  Tanner’s.

  There he stood, at the front, in his dress uniform, looking handsome as ever, his eyes instantly connecting with mine, giving me the strength to make it down the aisle without my legs collapsing out from underneath me. Tina, my friend from work, Marissa, Colin and Greg were probably staring at me as well, but I only had eyes for Tanner.

  I swallowed past the lump in my throat. The smile on his face said it all. Each step down the aisle was another step closer to a future I couldn’t wait to begin. There was one small misstep for me when I saw Nate’s parents sitting in the same pew as my mom. I almost lost it. What a bittersweet moment. The thought that they had come to support me meant more than they could ever know.

  Taking a deep breath, I continued my walk. It seemed to take forever for me to reach him, but once I did and my Dad gave him my arm, it all seemed worth the wait.

  “You’re breathtaking,” he whispered, causing me to blush. It seemed like he always put me in that predicament.

  “Should we get started?” asked Chaplain Hayes.

  “Yes,” we said in unison.

  The Chaplain nodded. “Dear friends and family, we are gathered here today in the sight of God to witness the joining of Tanner and Danielle as husband and wife. Before we do the exchanging of rings, they’ve written their own vows to express their love. Tanner?”

  Tanner took my hand in his and began. “Danielle, every day I look at you and thank my lucky stars that you came into my life. I know life with me may not always be easy, but life is what we make of it. You are my life, my love, my best friend. There will be times that I have to leave, but I promise that I will hurry back to you as soon as I can. And know that hurts me just as much to walk away from you as it does for you to watch me walk away. I promise that every time I return, I will hold you in my arms and dry your tears. You have made me the happiest man alive today, and I’m so glad I’ll be able to call you my wife.” The words were familiar to me. They were the exact same ones he’d posted on the pinwheels the day he asked me to marry him.

  My vision blurred, yet I knew the smile I bestowed on him let him know that they were tears of joy.

  “Danielle?” the Chaplain said, turning to face me.

  “Tanner, today I am the luckiest woman in the world. I get to marry my best friend. My rock when life gets hard, the moment you walked into my life I knew there was something different about you—even if I wasn’t ready to face it. Your patience and love are the reasons we are standing here today. I know that being an army wife is not an easy job, but I promise to do it the best I can. I know there will be tears, but I also know that when you’re here, you’ll wipe them away. All I am is yours. I love you, and can’t wait to be your wife.”

  I’d given him all of me. Everything in my heart and soul, and to see the tears forming at the corner of his eyes reminded me of the love we shared.

  “Your vows were beautiful,” the Chaplain said and turned to Tanner. “Tanner, do you take Danielle Renton to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, so long as you both shall live?”

  He looked at me. “I do.”

  It was my turn. The moment when I would officially connect my life with his. The butterflies went crazy in my stomach, but as Chaplain Hayes looked in my direction, I knew I was more than ready for it.

  “Danielle, do you take Tanner Marano to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, so long as you both shall live?”

  “I do.”

  Chaplain Hayes turned to Greg. “Do you have the rings?”

  Greg reached into his pocket and pulled out the rings we’d picked out together a few weeks ago. They were simple, and symbolized everything about our love. He took the rings out of Greg’s hand and gave the smaller one to Tanner.

  “Tanner, repeat after me. ‘I give you this ring as an eternal symbol of my love and commitment to you.’”

  He took my hand in his and slid the ring down the third finger of my left hand. “I give you this ring as an eternal symbol of
my love and commitment to you.”

  The Chaplain turned to me and handed me the larger of the two rings. He asked me to repeat the same phrase. I took Tanner’s left hand in mine and held the ring above his finger for a moment, smiling as I let it slide down and repeated the words of the Chaplain. “I give you this ring as an eternal symbol of my love and commitment to you.”

  The Chaplain smiled. “Now, by the power vested in me by the United States Government and the state of Georgia, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride.”

  Those were the only words I wanted to hear. Tanner wrapped his arms around me and captured my lips in a searing kiss. It didn’t matter to me that we were surrounded by our family and friends. It felt as if he was molding himself to me, trying to prove his feelings—something he didn’t need to do because I knew he loved me as much as I loved him. He told me that all the time.

  When the kiss ended, the applause in the room was deafening. There was this slight sense of déjà vu when we turn to face our guests. The sight of our family and friends reminded me, that while I’d been here before, but that time had been different. Taking my hand, Tanner led me down the steps, for the first time as Mrs. Tanner Marano.

  Chapter Seven

  Tanner

  THE THOUGHT THAT the woman standing next to me was now my wife was an adrenaline high like no other. Marriage wasn’t something I’d thought about all through my twenties, but with Danielle I could think of little else. The best part of it all was that she was now officially mine.

  We were mingling around, waiting for the DJ to play the first dance. After my success with the choice of house, Danielle wanted me to pick the song for our first dance. She wanted to be surprised. There was only one song that would ever sum up my love for Danielle. A few minutes later the DJ called us to the middle of the dance floor. Taking Danielle into my arms, I began to move as the smooth sounds of a piano filled the room. When John Legend’s voice came through the speakers singing All of Me, tears filled her eyes.

  “I love this song.”

  “I know you do. There isn’t a part of me that doesn’t love you more and more each day.”

  “I love you so much. There is nothing that could make this day more perfect.”

  “Anything to make you happy.”

  “This has been the happiest day of my life.”

  We finished the dance with a kiss that drew cheers from the crowd. We spent the next few hours dancing and talking with our family and friends, spending very little time together. But that didn’t matter—we had the rest of our lives together. The whole night flew by and before I knew it, it was time to cut the cake and get ready to leave for our honeymoon. There was no way the Danielle wasn’t going to smash that cake all over my face.

  My theory? Get her first.

  But Danielle was faster than I thought. The second the cake was placed in our hands, she smeared it all over my face. I got a little bit on her, but she jumped out of the way faster than I expected her to. The room was filled with laughter as we cleaned ourselves off with the towels the staff had handed to us and made our way around the room to say our goodbyes. We were staying in a hotel near the airport so that we’d be closer for our flight in the morning.

  While the day was one I would never forget, all I could focus on was getting Danielle out of her dress. It took about a half an hour, but we finally made our way around the room and were headed in the direction of the door, Danielle’s car already pulled up out front. There were streamers and cans hanging from the car, the windows covered in painted letters. It seemed like such a nice gesture from the guys, well, that was until I sat down in the driver’s seat and grabbed a hold of the gear shift. Disgusting. My hand was covered with the lubricant of the condom that was wrapped around the gear shifter. I just had to hope that we didn’t miss anymore that might be floating around the car.

  Danielle climbed in the car and looked over at the steering wheel. “Is that what I think it is?”

  “I’d love to tell you no, but yes, it is.”

  “How gross can they be?’

  “Pretty gross.” I grabbed a tissue from the glove box and pulled the condom off, wiping the handle at the same time. “Let’s not worry about it and, instead, think of all the fun we’re going to have when we get to the hotel.”

  “Mmm . . . I’m going to let my imagination wander for a bit.”

  The ride to the hotel room was easy. Waiting in the hotel for the receptionist to finish our check-in . . . not so much. Standing there, I felt the need to have my hands somewhere on her. It wasn’t possessive. It was a desire to see her with that dress off. Lightly, I ran my hand along her side, waiting for a reaction. When none came, I moved my hand upward to lightly caress under her breast. By the time we were done and getting off the elevator, it felt like desire was searing my veins. I needed Danielle and I was going to have her, but first I was going to drive her crazy, like she’d done all day, looking positively gorgeous in her dress.

  The moment we walked through the door, my lips were on hers, possessive in their need to consume every inch of her gorgeous body.

  “Dani, I need you so badly.”

  Her hands slid up my chest into my hair. “I’m all yours.”

  The dress made it difficult but I managed to lift her up, helping her to wrap her legs around my waist before carrying her into the bedroom, enjoying the feel of her as she slid down my body to place her feet on the floor. I brought my mouth back down on hers at the same time my hand searched for the zipper in the back of the dress. Without wasting a moment I slid it down, letting the strapless gown fall to the floor, the delicate fabric pooling around her feet.

  I sucked in a breath at the sight that stood before me. In her wedding dress she was gorgeous, but in the lingerie and heels, she was true temptation. Something that I was definitely going to explore.

  “I think you have too many clothes on.” She unbuttoned my jacket and slid it off my shoulders.

  “Yes, but it is my turn to explore you.” Lowering her to the bed, I slipped my hands down her legs until they reached her shoes. I pulled them off and tossed them in the direction of my jacket. Next to go were here stockings and underwear. Wanting to tease all of her, I started at the base of her foot, moving slowly up her body until I reached her core, where I tasted the sweetest flavor on earth. In my efforts to drive her mad, I blew lightly against her skin, sending tremors through her body. The way her body reacted to my touch was the strongest aphrodisiac. Needing to feel every inch of her, I slid my hands around her back and unhooked her bra. She was a sight to behold.

  Mustering what little restraint I could, I continued to kiss my way up her body until my lips closed around the pert nipples that were calling me, flicking back and forth with my tongue as her back arched off the bed.

  “Oh God, Tanner, please don’t make me wait any longer.”

  Taking my time, I moved to her other breast, laving it, giving it the same attention. All the while, I used my fingers to graze along her clit and slowly sink inside her. Her head thrashed fitfully on the pillows as I moved my fingers in and out of her body. There were moans and whimpers coming from her, and I was rock hard, unsure how much longer I could hold off. Speeding up the thrusts of my fingers, I used my thumb to circle her clit, bringing her over in seconds. While she lay there panting, trying to catch her breath, I shed the rest of my uniform.

  Step by step, I moved until my body covered hers. No sooner had my lips touched hers, did I slide right into her. Her body was just too tempting.

  “Oh God, you feel so good, sweetheart. I don’t think I’ll ever get enough of you.”

  Her hand slid down my back to cup my ass cheeks, practically forcing me to move.

  “You better not. Now please, move.”

  The begging, combined with the slight whimper of her voice, was too much for me to handle as with slow, powerful thrusts I took control of her body, doing what I’d longed to do since the moment she stepped into view at the c
hapel. Her body sucked me in, making me crazy with need. Each stroke brought me closer to the edge. When she lifted her hips to meet each plunge, I was done. Tingles raced down my spine, my thrusts becoming more and more erratic until finally I crashed, taking Danielle with me.

  Completely spent, I collapsed to the side, not wanting to crush her with my weight. After a few moments, when I was able to breathe normally, I flipped over onto my back and pulled her in close.

  “That was amazing Mrs. Marano.”

  “I’d have to agree, Mr. Marano.”

  Dragging the sheet up to cover us, I figured I could deal with my uniform in the morning. For now, all I wanted to do was hold my wife in my arms.

  “Thank you for an absolutely perfect day,” she whispered against my chest, her voice thick with sleep.

  “Anything for you, my love.” I kissed her on the head. “Now go to sleep. We have an early flight in the morning.”

  The sound of her deep, even breaths let me know that she’d fallen asleep almost instantly. Reveling in the sheer joy of the day, I closed my eyes and let myself doze off that way I could get some sleep before our flight.

  * * *

  Our flight left extremely early the next morning, taking us to a place where there were no worries, only memories. We spent the days on the beach with waiters bringing us our drinks, and the nights wrapped up in each other’s arms.

  But all too soon, the week had come to an end and it was time to return to reality. Neither of us were looking forward to it, since I’d been warned when my leave was granted that upon my return we’d be in deployment mode. That meant overnight field trainings and late night hours, all the while trying to squeeze in together as much time as possible. Three months wasn’t a long time to be away, but that wasn’t going to stop me from taking this opportunity to make a ton of memories to take with me.

  Chapter Eight

  Danielle

  WE’D RETURNED FROM our honeymoon and it wasn’t any fun going back to real life, especially with Tanner switching into a field training rotation. It meant he would be deployed soon, not something I was looking forward to, but knew it was part of his job. It was something I was going to have to deal with. He’d come home safe last time, and I just had to keep faith that he would return safely to me again.