New Beginnings

by Lori Maguire

  He leaned his forehead into mine. “You’re my lifeline, Ella. My incredible, amazingly beautiful, strong lifeline.”

  After our tender moment, I reluctantly rolled out of bed knowing that I needed to start the day. Wanting to be comfortable, I threw on my favorite pair of yoga pants and a comfortable t-shirt. Renatta sent me a text to let me know that our dresses and flowers had arrived. They were safely waiting for us in her room. Now, we were off to enjoy our spa day before the wedding.

  Xavier met me at the door. Taking my hand in his, he walked me to the elevator. He was quiet while we rode to the floor that housed the spa. When the doors slid open, my mother and Renatta were standing there waiting for us.

  Xavier pulled me off to the side while giving Renatta the one-minute gesture with his finger. He took my face in his hands. “The next time I see you, you’re going to be walking down the aisle to me. Are you ready for that?” He looked at me intensely. I nodded. “I need to hear you say it, baby.”

  “I’m ready for that,” I said without hesitation. Oddly enough, for as nervous as I was the day Tom and Renatta got married, I was as calm as ever at this moment. I was ready to be his wife. I wanted it more than anything.

  He gave me that adorable half smile before leading me over to where Renatta and my mother stood. “I’ll see you soon, sweetness.” He gave me a soft kiss. “Enjoy your spa time, ladies.” He gave me a wink and disappeared back into the elevator.

  Xavier had us booked for massages, manicures, pedicures, hair and makeup. I felt like an A-List celebrity ready for the Oscars by the end of the day. My hair was cascading over my shoulders in soft curls. My makeup was subtle with neutral colors. Both my mother and Renatta kept gushing about how beautiful I looked.

  My mother excused herself so she could get ready with my dad while I headed with Renatta back to her room. Lavetta was waiting for us. She fussed over me as she got me ready to walk down the aisle, careful not to muss my perfect hair and make-up.

  I stood before the full-length mirror not believing that I was the vision in white that was staring back at me. It was comforting when I couldn’t find that wide-eyed scared young woman who got married at such a young age anywhere in my reflection. This wedding day wasn’t anything like my first time around. The groom waiting for me downstairs wasn’t anything like the groom I first said I do to.

  It suddenly dawned on me that I never was truly sure about marrying Stephen. Something deep inside always told me that it was never going to last. I just didn’t listen to the alarm bells going off. All those doubts and fears that swirled around my head before marrying Stephen weren’t present today. There were no alarm bells going off. I was certain that Xavier was the man I was always meant to marry. Nothing felt more right.

  “Xavier is going to flip when he sees how beautiful you are,” Renatta said as she stepped up behind me. “How are you feeling?” she asked me carefully.

  I smiled widely at her. “I feel fantastic.”

  “Good, because everything is ready. They’re waiting on us.”

  “Well, let’s go.”

  I calmly stood outside the Garden Room as Laveta fluffed my dress, fixed my veil, and made sure my red ribbon was tied perfectly and flowing down the back of my dress just right. Renatta handed me my beautiful bouquet of red roses with baby’s breath and sprigs of holly.

  “You got this,” she whispered to me. She looked gorgeous in her knee-length, red dress. Her flowers were white roses with sprigs of holly, the opposite colors of mine. I smiled and winked back at her.

  My father came up next to me. He kissed me on the cheek. “You look beautiful, sweetheart.” His voice cracked when he spoke.

  “Dad, you’ve done this before. You don’t need to get all choked up.” I playfully bumped shoulders with him trying to lighten his mood.

  He looked at me seriously. “Ella, you might have already had one wedding, but today you are truly getting married for the first time.” He laced my arm with his.

  “Oh, Dad.” Tears welled up in my eyes. How right he was.

  Laveta peeked into the room. “We’re ready,” she announced. “Renatta.”

  Laveta fluffed her dress, opened the door, and gestured for her to make her way into the Garden Room. Suddenly, I got excited and antsy. I tried peeking into the room. I couldn’t wait to see Xavier in his tux.

  After what felt like an eternity, it was time for my dad and I to make our way down the aisle. The Garden Room looked extraordinary. The huge trees that were present during Xavier’s company Christmas party were still in place. White lights twinkled on them. The white carpet that was laid out for me to walk down was lined with red poinsettia plants while red rose petals were scattered across the white carpet.

  I knew the room was filled with our family and friends. I saw all the chairs lined up on each side of me as I made my way down the aisle, but their faces were all just a blur through my tear-filled eyes. Besides, the only person I truly wanted to see was Xavier.

  My eyes traveled the length of the white carpet until they focused on him. He was standing with the most extraordinary smile on his face dressed impeccably in a white Dolce & Gabbana suit. His red tie and red handkerchief peeking out of his jacket pocket matched the color of the ribbon tied around my waist perfectly. There was a red rose with a sprig of holly and baby’s breath pinned to his one lapel. These items were the only splash of color he wore other than his extraordinary blue eyes.

  In front of one of the huge Paladin windows, he stood on a white platform with an arch behind him draped in white satin cloth. There were red roses and sprigs of holly decorating the top.

  Standing next to Xavier was his brother Gabriel, who looked devastating in his black suit. He winked at me when I made eye contact with him.

  My dad stopped in front of the platform. He kissed me on the cheek before he held my hand out to Xavier, who took it enthusiastically before shaking my father’s hand.

  As soon as I stepped up onto the platform, he kissed my hand. “You’re a vision. An angel.” I smiled widely at him as I resisted the urge to wrap my arms around him and kiss him. He looked incredible in white.

  The judge cleared his throat, giving us a subtle nod to let us know he was about to begin the ceremony. “The step which you are about to take is the most important into which human beings can come. It is a union of two people founded upon mutual respect and affection. Your lives will change, your responsibilities will increase, but your joy will be multiplied if you are sincere and earnest with your pledge to one another.”

  The words joy and multiply made me think about our twin babies. My left hand drifted down to my abdomen while a huge smile spread across my face. Xavier immediately picked up on it as well as he mirrored my smile and winked at me.

  “Xavier Brant Hart, will you have this woman to be your wedded wife, to love her, comfort her, honor and keep her, and forsaking all others, keep you only unto her, for so long as you both shall live?”

  “I do,” he said loudly, clearly, and proudly despite the fact that his eyes were glistening.

  “Ella Rae Martin, will you have this man to be your wedded husband, to love him, comfort him, honor and keep him, and forsaking all others, keep you only unto him, for so long as you both shall live?”

  I could feel the tears welling up in my eyes. The reverent look Xavier was bestowing on me started to get me choked up. “I do,” I said softly. My voice cracked as I said the two simple words as I fought back the happy tears.

  “Do you have a ring for the bride?”

  “Yes,” Xavier said, turning to his brother.

  “Please place the ring on the bride’s finger and repeat after me. With this ring, I thee wed.”

  Xavier took my hand in his, and easily slid the ring on my finger. “With this ring, I thee wed.” He squeezed my hand once the ring was in place.

  “Do you have a ring for the groom?” the judge then asked me.

  “Yes,” I said, turning to Renatta.

  �
��Please place the ring on the groom’s finger and repeat after me. With this ring, I thee wed.”

  My hand shook slightly as I took his hand in mine. The ring slid easily onto his finger. “With this ring, I thee wed,” I said softly. A few tears escaped my eyes. Xavier reached out and gently brushed them away with his right hand.

  “Let these rings be given and received as a token of your affection, sincerity, and fidelity to one another. In as much as Xavier and Ella have consented together in wedlock, and have witnessed the same before this company, and pledged their vows to each other, by the authority vested in me by the state of Washington, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride.”

  Xavier’s warm hands held my face as he kissed me gently on the lips. “I love you,” he said against my lips before he kissed me gently again. I could hear our family and friends clapping and cheering.

  It was over. Just like that with only a few words spoken. Rings exchanged and this incredible man was all mine as much as I was all his.

  “Let’s party!” Renatta shouted enthusiastically.

  As soon as Xavier and I stepped off the platform, we were inundated with family and friends offering their congratulations. Gabriel and Tiffany, Tom and Renatta, my parents, Laveta, Carmen and her boyfriend, Patrick and his girlfriend, Stewart and Marissa, Bev. There were a few faces I recognized from Xavier’s office, and several faces that I didn’t recognize that were all introduced as close business associates of Xavier.

  I was thankful that he never let go of my hand as we made our way through the crowd over to the part of the room where the tables were set up. Hotel employees were already walking the crowd with trays of champagne and hors d’oeuvres. Our guests immediately began to mingle while others started to dance as the DJ began to play.

  Xavier pulled out one of the padded, brass chairs for me. The tables had beautiful red rose centerpieces that matched the flowers I had carried. Three votive holders in different heights had candles flickering a soft glow on all the tables.

  I smiled when a young man dressed in the hotel black and white delivered a chilled bottle of sparkling white grape juice to us with two champagne flutes. Xavier poured us each a glass.

  “To my beautiful wife,” he said, clinking his glass to mine.

  “To my gorgeous husband,” I said, clinking his glass back.

  “I wanted to show you something.” He reached for my hand and pulled my wedding band off. It was a beautiful, simple, platinum band that matched his thicker one. “I had them engraved.”

  He tilted the band at me so I could see. Engraved around the inside of my ring in a beautiful script was:

  I smiled widely at him loving that he chose his favorite term of endearment for me. He slid my ring back in place.

  “Wait.” He slid his ring off and handed it to me. Engraved around the inside of his ring in that same beautiful script was:

  I burst out laughing. “I can’t believe you used that!”

  “Why? It was the first term of endearment you said to me in response to my calling you sweetness.” He winked at me.

  “I love it, and I love the fact that you remembered that.”

  He leaned over to kiss me. What I thought was going to be a chaste kiss turned out to be a hot, passionate one. I almost forgot we were in a room surrounded by our family and friends until they started cheering. We broke away from each other. My cheeks were flaming red.

  Suddenly, the music stopped. Gabriel was standing in front of the microphone holding a glass of champagne. “A toast,” he bellowed. “To my dear brother and my beautiful sister-in-law. May the two of you know nothing but happiness from this day forward.”

  “Cheers!” Everyone in the room said at once, lifting their glasses.

  “X, take Ella’s hand and place your hand over hers,” Gabriel said. “Now, remember this moment and cherish it.” He paused giving us a devilish grin. “Because this will be the last time you’ll ever have the upper hand.”

  The room erupted into laughter. Xavier held his glass up to Gabriel. “Thanks, Gabe,” he said with a smirk.

  My parents came up to the microphone next. “To all of you that don’t know us, I am Greg and this is my wife, Rae. We are the proud parents of Ella. I have to admit that her mother and I were a bit surprised when we heard about the whirlwind romance between Xavier and Ella. Then we met the two of them during a trip to New York. The feelings between them were undeniable, strong, and true. Ella, we can’t stress how proud we are today. We wish you both a long, happy, and prosperous future together.”

  Everyone in the room raised their glasses and said, “Cheers!” Then came the dancing. I danced with my father, Gabriel, Tom, and even Patrick before Xavier cut-in and claimed my dances for the rest of the evening.

  When we moved on to cut the cake, I was so tired it was difficult to stand. The cake was a beautiful three-tier piece with perfect, smooth, white icing decorated with white icing swirls. Red roses and sprigs of holly were on top of the cake and cascaded down the side of it. It was almost too gorgeous to cut into.

  At 11:15 p.m., we began to say our thanks and goodbyes to our guests. Xavier said he had a surprise for me to ring in the New Year. A lot of dirty thoughts ran through my head, but I somehow doubted that that was what he had in mind.

  He surprised me when he stopped at our room to grab our coats making sure that I was completely bundled up. Grabbing my hand, we made our way to the elevator. He pressed the button for the top floor.

  I frowned giving him a sideways glance. “Are you going to tell me what you are up to?”

  “Nope.” He shook his head.

  I was shocked to discover he was taking us out onto the roof. It was cold and overcast, but thankfully it wasn’t raining. He guided me over to one specific corner of the roof. I snuggled into him as he wrapped his arms around me. Glancing at his watch over my shoulder, he was counting down until midnight.

  Minutes later, he gripped my chin in his hand. His lips hovered over mine. “5, 4, 3, 2, 1, Happy New Year, wife.”

  “Happy New Year, husband.” He sealed his mouth over mine.

  Distant booms made me jump causing me to break our kiss. Way off in the distance, fireworks were exploding off the top of the Space Needle. It was a spectacular sight. It made the Space Needle look like a giant sparkler as the colorful fireworks shot out in all directions.

  “Wow! This is beautiful. Thank you.” I beamed up at him.

  “Thank you, sweetness. You have no idea how incredibly happy you’ve made me today.” He beamed back at me.

  Suddenly, I no longer had eyes for the fireworks. The love and passion shining out of his brilliant, blue eyes immediately captivated me. Desire exploded inside me like the fireworks off the Space Needle. I felt warm in his embrace even though I was standing on the roof of the hotel with the cold wind whipping around us.

  Grabbing his hand, I pulled him to the door. He pulled back on my hand stopping me in my tracks. “What are you doing? The fireworks aren’t over yet.” He frowned at me.

  “I’m ready to make our own fireworks. Bring me back to the room, husband. I have a garter that’s burning my leg ready to be peeled off by your teeth.” I gave him a salacious smile.

  That was all it took. He swept me off my feet and dashed back to the elevator. He didn’t put me down until we were over the threshold of our hotel room.

  “Are you thirsty or hungry?” he asked, as he helped me out of my coat.

  I nodded at him.

  “What can I get you, sweetness?” He gave me a hooded look as he shrugged out of his coat.

  “You,” I whispered.

  His hands dove for my hair so he could firmly hold me in place while his mouth claimed mine fiercely. His touch held a desperation that hadn’t been present before as if becoming his wife unleashed a new sexy side of Xavier. Whatever it was, I didn’t care. I loved how he made me feel like he couldn’t survive another minute unless he was touching me, kissing me, or claiming me.
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br />   Without breaking our kiss, he lifted me and carried me to the bedroom. There was no hesitation as he set me down on my feet and untied my sash tossing it on the chair next to the bed. His jacket and tie quickly followed.

  Slowly, he unzipped my dress. The rustle of the fabric and the feel of my dress sliding off my skin had me moaning. His warm lips trailed kisses down my back. He lowered my dress to the ground so I could step out of it then tossed it on the chair. I was left standing in my strapless, white lace bra and matching panties. My blue garter was high around my right thigh. He wrapped his arms around my waist. His hand, low on my abdomen, gently pressed my back into the front of him. His arousal pressed in my lower back.

  As he continued to stand behind me, he swept my hair back and trailed searing hot kisses down my neck. “You look incredible, Mrs. Hart,” he whispered into my neck before sinking his teeth into the sensitive flesh where neck meets shoulder. I gasped as it sent a jolt of pure desire right to my core.

  “Please,” I begged certain that I was going to explode if I didn’t have him in me soon.

  He chuckled. “We’re just getting started.” He undid the clasp of my bra and tossed it on the chair then lifted me and laid me out on the bed.

  Great, he wanted to do this slowly. I threw my head back and groaned then I heard the jingle of his belt coming undone. The bed dipped so I got up on my elbows. He was kneeling at the foot of the bed, and I was happy to see that he was stripped down to his tight boxer briefs.

  He kissed, licked, and nipped his way up my leg until he had the garter firmly grasped between his teeth. Just like he said he would, he slowly dragged it down my leg. It was torture. It was bliss. It was driving me insane.

  He tossed it aside. Running his hands up my legs, he hooked his fingers in my panties and just like he did with the garter, he slowly dragged them down my legs. I was stripped bare before him, breathing heavily as he climbed back up my body. He pressed me down into the mattress as he nestled firmly between my legs.