by kj lewis
“Sam, you are my everything. I promise to never make you feel otherwise. I know I’ve been doing this backwards. Hell, we were a family before we were a ‘we’. But I know the difference now. I know that you are my priority. The girls are the love of our lives, but you’re my soulmate, and I promise to always treat you as such. Please spend the rest of our lives as my wife. Will you marry me?”
“Walt,” she says gently, and I see the reluctance in her eyes. The hesitation. But it’s not at my love or her love for me. It’s with her own demons. I don’t push. I just wait.
“Walt,” she starts again, lowering to her knees. “I promise my love to you. I promise to never make you feel less than. I promise to love you more than myself.”
“Say it,” I assert for the first time since she broke down.
“Yes. I’ll marry you.”
My hands encase the sides of her face, pulling her to me. My lips glide over hers in a kiss of love and adoration.
“We’ve been doing this backwards, Sam. We’ve been raising daughters and we never dated. You are a wonderful mother and I can’t wait to see the impact you will have on our girls, but this is about us. You and me. I want to marry you today.”
So, Sir John marries us in front of his secretary and an assistant. He pulled the necessary paperwork for us when I rung him yesterday. It helps to have friends in the right places.
When it’s time to exchange rings, I give her the simple gold band my grandfather wore until he died. She slides it onto my finger with a promise to be mine. Always and always. The same promise I made moments ago to her.
There’s soft clapping from his secretary when I kiss my bride. Even a tear. She laughs and hugs Sam as if she would her daughter.
“Your bride is beautiful,” Weatherly smiles. “I spoke with Finn. They just left New York. Go enjoy your wife while you can.” He smiles and for once, my friend has some good advice.
When we finally get back to the hotel, Sam is in a daze. “I can’t believe I’m married.” Sam stares at the ring on her finger. “I never thought this would happen for me,” she admits. “I love you,” she adds softly.
“I adore you,” I reply stripping out of my clothes.
Sam watches me with curiosity. “I think we need to wait,” she says quietly. I halt in mid air, my sock not even fully pulled from my foot. Are you kidding me? I’m not sure I have the ability to keep myself in check much longer.
Suddenly, she bursts into laughter. I narrow my eyes, furrowing my brow. “That is just cruel.”
“I’m sorry, baby.” She’s still laughing as she begins taking off her clothes. “You held out longer than I ever thought you would.” Her jeans drop to the floor. Her knickers close behind. “I really thought this morning I would be bent over in the shower as you took what was yours.” She drops her shirt and steps toward me.
“On your knees, husband. You have an apology to make.”
“But I said I was sorry. Last week. When I got here. We’ve moved on, haven’t we?” I grin.
“I never said I accepted it.”
“Well, you married me, so I’m kind of thinking you’ve forgiven me.” I say, lowering to my knees, “But let’s make certain.”
KJ is a novelist, hot tamale-addict, and an abolisher of grammar. When not writing, you can find her reading at the beach, exploring New York City, or hanging out in her hometown of Memphis, TN. She started hitting Amazon’s top 100 lists with her first novel, Taylor Made, in 2016. She is currently working on the next installment in the Sunday Love Series.
www.kjlewisbooks.com
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Taylor Made
Taylored to Perfection
Sunday Love
Mondays with You