by Melody Anne
“It was very obvious she came here tonight to make a play for me, which I understood in her demented mind but what was plaguing me is that I couldn’t figure out why you would’ve let her in. I guess I never mentioned she was no longer an employee and why would you have thought we were lovers?” he questioned her.
“That day we were having lunch together, she was in the bathroom and told me that not only were you lovers but that she was expecting you to propose marriage to her at any time. I thought you really wanted to be with her but found out you had a son and were doing the right thing by him. It’s really bothered me because I can’t sleep with you while you’re having sex with other women. I know we aren’t getting married out of love but I don’t want either of us taking other lovers if we share the same bed,” she said.
She had turned away from him, because she didn’t want him to see the pain in her eyes. She didn’t want him to know the truth of how much she really cared. It wasn’t unreasonable for her to ask him not to take on mistresses. There were a number of reasons besides love she’d make that request.
“I want to share a bed with you Derek, if we’re going to be faithful to each other,” she finally gained the courage to say. It was very hard for her to do, since the last time she’d opened up her heart to him, he had walked away without a backwards glance.
Derek flipped her over onto her back again and covered her body with his. She was surprised, when his fully engorged erection was at her entrance, begging to enter. He gently spread her legs open and slipped inside her still wet heat.
She instantly felt the pressure start to build, as he very slowly pushed in and out of her. She was starting to lose all thoughts, including what they were talking about.
“I have no desire to be with any other woman when I’m with you. I haven’t slept with another since you stepped back into my life and I guarantee you I won’t. You’re mine now,” he growled, before locking his lips back down on hers.
Jasmine felt a sense of peace, along with the building pressure of her body, as he continued to stroke her with his hands and body. They made love several more times that night, like there was no way either of them could get enough of each other. She’d be very tired over the next week.
Chapter Fourteen
It was her wedding day and Jasmine was having a difficult time breathing. She’d been plucked, waxed, ironed and every other unimaginable pampering so much she didn’t recognize the person who stared back in the mirror.
She turned around in a slow circle to see herself. The dress was everything she could’ve ever imagined and so much more. It had layer upon layer of silk and lace that cascaded down her body. The top was fitted and made her seem like a true princess. Derek had even purchased her a tiara, that she was more than a little suspicious, contained real diamonds on it. She hadn’t let it out of her sight for a moment.
She had to admit to herself, the crew he’d hired had done a spectacular job, because she looked really nice. She sighed as she stood in the waiting area. He’d been very secretive about where the actual wedding was taking place and she was in a huge tent with partitions in it. She was going to be picked up at any moment, to be taken to the site.
“Ms. Freeman your carriage is here,” one of the people said to her. She stepped outside and felt tears fill her eyes, as she saw the horse drawn carriage. It was something right out of Cinderella and it was absolutely perfect. There were four white horses pulling it and a doorman wearing an old fashioned tuxedo, holding open the door. Derek really had thought of everything to make the wedding a true fairytale and she was speechless.
She glided to the carriage on the soft carpet laid out to the door. One of the attendants was holding the train of her dress up, so that it wouldn’t drag on the ground. The doorman helped her inside and then a couple of people straightened out her dress.
Soon the carriage started forward and she looked out the open windows, wondering what could possibly come next. She hadn’t seen Jacob all day and couldn’t wait to see what he looked like in his little tuxedo. He’d been so excited about the whole event.
They turned a corner and then she saw where they were going and her breath hitched in her chest. Why would he do this? She knew he was angry with her for keeping his son from him but why would he go to so much trouble to give her the fairytale wedding she’d always wanted and then chose the one spot that spelled complete heartbreak for her.
As they pulled up in front of the little church she’d been left standing alone at she noticed he’d been busy. The little building, which had once been condemned, was now completely remodeled. It was the same church and looked like it must have when it was originally built but it was now completely fixed up and had flowers decorating the stairs, leading up inside of it.
She refused to leave the carriage. The doorman stood there, looking slightly panicked, as the bride refused to exit. She felt a tear slip down her face and didn’t care if her make-up was most likely ruined. She didn’t care about any of it. All she cared about was that even on her wedding day Derek felt he must punish her for some unknown reason.
She told the carriage driver to take her away and he looked at her like she’d lost her mind. She knew he’d been hired by Derek and there was no way he was leaving with the bride still in the carriage but she had to try. She saw the doors open and then Daniel was descending the stairs. She’d always loved Derek’s father and though she would’ve normally been happy to see the man, today wasn’t one of those days.
He came up to the doors and saw her silently crying. He said nothing for a few moments as he stood there and then silently handed her a handkerchief for her to wipe her face on.
“What’s the matter, Jasmine?” he asked, with what sounded like true concern.
“Why does he want to hurt me so much? I don’t understand why he’d pick this place for our wedding. This is the place he left me standing on my own. Is he even in there, or has this all been one big joke to him?” she blurted out, not even caring it was his father she was speaking to.
Daniel’s eyes widened in surprise, as she spoke to him but he only said he’d be back. He spoke softly to the driver and then patted her hand and walked back into the church. The carriage was suddenly moving once again and Jasmine was surprised but very happy as he pulled around a corner. He didn’t move far but at least she wasn’t in view of the one place holding so much heartbreak.
She was trying to decide whether or not she should walk away in her huge dress or just sit there until the driver decided they could leave. Then, the door opened again and Derek slid in beside her. He looked at her face in confusion as her tears silently fell.
“My father said I needed to talk to you, so here I am. We have a deal Jasmine and I hope you’re smart enough to remember that. I’ve done everything possible to make this the wedding you wanted,” he told her, in an almost cynical voice.
“Why would you choose this spot?” she questioned him, as some fresh tears escaped. He stared at her another moment before he spoke.
“I thought this place was very fitting, after all it’s the spot you sent your father to buy me out of your life. I thought it was ironic to marry in the place where you let me know I wasn’t good enough for you,” he almost spat.
It was now Jasmine’s turn to stare open mouthed at him. She didn’t know what he was talking about. He was the one who had left her, not the other way around. Her tears dried up in her confusion and she barely noticed when he grabbed the napkin and cleaned her face up.
“You left me, not the other way around,” she barely whispered to him. “Why would you say my father paid you off? Why are you saying any of this? I don’t understand,” she cried. Being in this spot was making it all new and fresh. The pain from that day still haunted her, especially when she looked into her son’s face.
They both looked into one another’s eyes as they tried to figure out what the other was talking about.
“Why don’t you tell me about that day?” he finally asked
her. He was starting to have a really bad feeling in his gut.
“Why would you want me to humiliate myself still?” she questioned him. She couldn’t believe he was so horrible that he’d get enjoyment out of her pain.
“Please just tell me everything that happened after we said goodbye that night?” he asked her and the change in his tone alerted her that something was wrong. He didn’t sound condemning or accusatory. He sounded as if he really wanted to know what she’d done, so she began to relive the worst day of her life.
She told him how she had gone home and told her dad everything and that he’d been supportive. She told him how she’d gone to the church and waited until the sun sunk from the sky. She explained she’d never been more devastated in her life and when she found out a while later she carried his child the pain had been two-fold. It was horrible. She was crying once more by the end of her talking.
Derek said nothing, as she told him the truth of that morning. He had no doubts what she said was true. He now understood it had been her father all along and the man had succeeded at breaking them up. Her father was truly a horrible man, because he must’ve known the child she carried was his and yet he still hadn’t tried to fix things. The man deserved everything that had happened to him in the last couple of months and so much more.
Derek finally took her chin in his hands and lifted her sad eyes up to meet his. She looked so heartbroken and it killed him to know he was responsible for her pain. She hadn’t left him, he realized and his heart was bursting with joy. He loved her even more than he did when they were still young and naive.
He loved the woman she was, both now and then and he couldn’t believe they’d wasted so much time and he’d purposely tried to hurt her. He felt at an all-time low and vowed to make it up to her the rest of their lives.
He said nothing as he continued to gaze down into her beautiful, sad eyes. He slowly lowered his head and captured her lips with his. The kiss was gentle and filled with the love that was overflowing from him. He kissed her for several minutes, before trailing his lips across her cheeks, to kiss away the tears and then he lowered his head to gently nip the smooth silk of her throat.
She was no longer crying, as he continued to gently kiss her all over her mouth, face and neck. He didn’t pull her close against him, as he didn’t want to hurt her beautiful gown but his gentle touch showed her so much love it was indescribable.
He reluctantly pulled away from her and once again looked into her eyes. “Jasmine, I have so much to apologize for, so very much,” he started. “I was there at the church that morning. I was there early because I couldn’t wait to run away with you,” he said and her eyes were rounding in confusion.
“Your father showed up. He told me you didn’t want to be with me any longer and he offered me a lot of money to start my new life. I actually believed the man. I was so angry with him and extremely angry with you. I thought you’d flung me aside, like a piece of trash and I vowed to have my revenge from that point on,” he said, with regret in his voice. He didn’t give her a chance to speak as he continued.
“I was hurting so bad and that thought of revenge was what motivated me but when I saw you again, I realized I still loved you. I lied to even myself and said I just wanted to take you to bed and then leave you, like you’d left me but that wasn’t true either. That first time we were together again, after so many years, knocked me off my feet. Every time I touch you, it’s never enough. It’s so much more than sex. It’s because I love you even more today than I did ten years ago. Please tell me you’ll forgive me and this wedding can be a real marriage,” he pled with her.
Jasmine listened to him, with hope starting to fill her heart. By the time he was finished speaking, her chest was so full she didn’t understand how her heart wasn’t beating right through. She was saddened to realize all the years they’d wasted but she realized none of that mattered anymore because he loved her and she truly loved him and they could be a real family.
“I’m so sorry Derek. I really thought you had just walked away from me all those years ago. I never once suspected my father but I should’ve. He’s not a good man and over the last few months I have really come to realize that. I’m sorry he cost you half of our child’s life. I should have tried harder to find you,” she said.
He brought his lips back down to hers and kissed her with so much hunger and love, that she was tempted to skip out on the wedding and tell the driver to take them back home. As if he could read her thoughts he quickly pulled back and still not trusting himself jumped out of the carriage.
“You’re far too tempting, woman. We have a wedding to get to,” he said, with a brilliant smile. He spoke to the driver and then jogged back towards the church. This time when the carriage pulled up in front of the carpet, she was more than ready to step from its doors. The doorman looked more than relieved when she took his hand and stepped down on the carpet.
The driver must not have been taking any chances, because as soon as she was clear of the carriage, he drove away to go park. She giggled a bit at the speed in which he left.
She stood on the wide carpet and could feel her nerves overtaking her. She didn’t have any bridesmaids, nor someone to walk her down the aisle and she suddenly felt so lonely. She could now understand why the bride always walked down on her father’s arm. It was so she wouldn’t fall over, or run the other way. The thought of that long walk was intimidating when you were all on your own.
She saw the doors open, just as the attendants got her dress all situated. Daniel was once again walking down the steps and coming towards her. “I’m coming this time, I promise,” she told him, with her first real smile of the day. He leaned down and kissed her on the cheek. She was filled with warmth from the easy acceptance of this wonderful man.
“I don’t have any fears of you running away, Beautiful,” he started. “I wanted to offer my services to you. I know your own father couldn’t be here today so I thought you might like an arm to lean on,” he said to her.
Jasmine was so filled with love for this amazing man. He knew her father wasn’t there because he didn’t want to be there, not because he couldn’t be but he made sure to word his sentence in a way that wouldn’t hurt her. He was also standing in to be the kind of dad her own should have been. Her eyes once again filled up, causing the attendants around her to groan.
“Now don’t start crying again young lady, or we’ll never get you to that alter,” he said, with a gentle laugh and suspiciously bright eyes himself.
“It would be my honor to have you walk me down the aisle,” she finally managed to get past the lump in her throat.
Their arms intertwined and slowly they made their way to the front of the church. The double doors were opened and Jasmine was left speechless by what she saw inside. There were thousands of twinkling lights strung throughout and the scent of roses wafted in the air from the hundreds of arrangements placed everywhere.
The small church was packed from front to back, with guests who were all standing and turned towards her. She had to fight the tears to not fall once again. She looked down the aisle, strewn with rose petals, to Derek who looked so handsome standing at the front and Jacob by his side. Drew and Ryan were standing in the spot where bridesmaids would normally be so that her side didn’t look so empty.
The men were a stunning sight, all dressed in old fashioned tuxedo’s with tails and white shirts. They were all truly breathtaking. Jacob was smiling at her as she slowly made her way down the aisle and he looked like it was taking everything in him not to run up and hug her. She felt the same way.
When her eyes connected once again with Derek, the rest of the world seemed to fade away and she could look nowhere else. The man was beautiful and she couldn’t believe he was all hers. She picked up her pace, without even realizing what she was doing, until she heard a chuckle from Daniel.
They reached the pulpit and then Daniel reached down and gently kissed her on the cheek, before taking his place n
ext to her son. The wedding party was complete, with all these stunning men surrounding her. She really did feel like a princess, in her fluffy white dress, in the middle of the masculine men but especially with Derek at her side.
She repeated the vows, while continuing to stare into Derek’s eyes and the whole thing passed in a blur. After the wedding, he took her around the back of the church, where huge tents were set up, with caterers running around, poring champagne and serving appetizers.
They did all the traditional things such as cutting the cake and having their first dance. He slowly pulled her into his arms, her heart bursting in pure happiness. He was looking at her as if she was a buried treasure he’d just discovered and the lump in her throat wouldn’t go away.
“Thank you for taking such great care of my son. I’m sorry you had to do it alone all those years. I’m sorry you thought I walked away from you. I’m a real fool to think anything could’ve made you do that. You’re the purest person I’ve ever known and I promise you I will spend the rest of my life proving how special you are to me,” he said as he spun her around.
The rest of the people disappeared as they shared the intimate dance together. She felt like she was floating on a cloud. She hoped they’d remain in the stars for the rest of their lives. She loved Derek so much it seemed impossible. How could she have gotten so lucky to have all her dreams come true?
“I missed you every day. When I looked at our son I was filled with a mixture of joy and sadness. The older he got the more I missed you. The earlier days were the hardest because I wanted to share all those moments with you. I’ve never felt such pain as when I thought I’d never be in your arms again. I was never able to hate you,” she said with her eyes filled with emotion.
“We won’t even talk about the negatives anymore. From this time forward we’ll only focus on our future. If you can forgive a fool, I promise to love you the rest of our lives,” he said. She wrapped her arms more tightly around his neck, loving she’d never have to withhold her feelings from him again.