by Sable Hunter
Lily clapped her hands. “There’s no one I’d rather walk me down the aisle.” Blade had thought of everything.
She held onto Gene’s arm as her bridesmaids and maid of honor made their way down to the front. When she came to the head of the aisle, Lily took it all in – the guests standing on their feet, the setting she’d always envisioned brought to life…but none of it compared to the man awaiting her at the altar. When her eyes met Blade’s, the unadulterated love on his face took her breath away. The smile he gave her made Lily speed up her steps, until Gene was almost hurrying along beside her.
“Who gives this bride away?” the pastor asked.
“Her friends and I do,” Gene answered and placed Lily’s hand on Blade’s.
Just as the first moment they’d touched, an electric awareness passed between them. “See how it is?” Blade whispered. “You’re it for me, Lily. This is meant to be.”
As they stared into one another’s eyes, Tammany began to sing.
Lily recognized one of her favorite songs, a celebration of two people whose destinies were intertwined, whose every step always led them to one another. So here we are at last, I guess it must be fate. Love swelled in Lily’s heart, she was barely aware of anyone else in the room other than Blade.
As the service progressed, Lily cherished every moment, pressing the memories between the pages of her mind. When it came time for the exchange of vows, Blade took her by the hand.
“Lily.” He said her name, then bowed his head, a smile brightening his face and tears brightening his eyes. “I love you so much. I bless the moment you walked into my life. I had no idea what I was missing. I’ll cherish you for eternity. Our love is too great for one lifetime, no matter how many times we live, I’ll always find you. I never want a day to pass when you aren’t by my side.” He turned to the man at his side, his friend, Breck Kenner, to accept a wedding band to slip on her finger.
Lily could feel the emotion in the room. She was touched to see all who’d given up time from their busy schedules to share this day with them. Even the men standing with Blade made her smile. Other than Mr. Kenner, there was Isaiah Renaud, T-Rex Beaumont, Revel Lee Jones, and Dr. Jay Kimmel. Looking up into Blade’s face as he slipped the ring on her finger, Lily sought to say what was in her heart. “I wish I had a ring for you.”
Blade claimed an early kiss. “I think I’ll marry you anyway.”
Lily laughed through her tears. “I’m so in love with you, Blade. I never expected to be so blessed. You have given me everything a woman could desire.” She placed a hand on his cheek. “I want to be the wife you deserve, I want the…time to show you how wonderful our life can be. I want the chance to make you happy.”
“I am happy.” He kissed the tears from her face and there wasn’t a dry eye in the house. “I take you for my wife and I will be with you every moment. We will face the future together and be unafraid. I promise to care for you each day and to worship your body with mine. I won’t say until death do us part, because it won’t. If I’ve learned anything from being near you, it’s that love knows no limits, it has no boundaries, not even time.”
Lily made her promises also. “I take you as my husband. I will honor you and cherish you forever. You have given me hope where I thought none existed and you have given me joy beyond measure. I promise to love you and keep you,” she smiled tremulously, “in sickness and in health and vow to have faith that I will share all my tomorrows with you.”
The pastor seemed to think he’d lost control of the service. Clearing his throat, he waited to see if either the bride or groom had any more to say and when they didn’t, he raised his hand. “I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride.”
As cheers and clapping filled the room, Blade swept Lily up into his arms and kissed her with tenderness and passion.
“I am pleased to introduce to you, Mr. and Mrs. Blade Jensen.”
After a brief reception at the church, giving the photographer time to get a few shots of the wedding party, everyone traveled back to New Orleans as a convoy for a reception at Charlotte’s Gallery. Just as Lily had written in her Wish Book, they celebrated their wedding amongst the art she loved so well. There was no shortage of well-wishers and a table was set up to hold the overflowing number of gifts. A four-tier, pearl-colored cake, covered with lilies, was cut and the bride and groom fed one another a piece of the delicate creation. Afterwards, they danced in one another’s arms until Blade felt his bride begin to grow weary. At his orchestration, the bouquet was tossed and a gleeful Bliss caught it with a cry of triumph. Blade slipped the blue garter from Lily’s slim leg and shot it into the crowd of bachelors, chuckling with amusement when it landed on an unsuspecting Isaiah’s shoulder.
“Are you about to leave?” Flora came close to speak to Blade. “I’ve checked and everything is ready and waiting for you.” The woman brushed a bit of invisible lint from Blade’s shoulder. “She’s going to be so surprised, take plenty of photos please. I want to see her face when she realizes what’s going on.”
“I promise.”
Blade went to Lily. “It’s time for our honeymoon, beautiful. Are you ready?”
Lily was tired, but she felt wonderful. The air seemed to shimmer around her. “Yes, are we staying in the cottage tonight?” She had no expectations of a trip, not with her appointment at Duke looming over them.
“No, not at the cottage.” He placed an arm around her waist. “Come, the limousine is waiting.”
Lily bid her guests farewell and hugged her bridal party, thanking all of them for their kindnesses. “You’ve made this so special, I’ll never forget what you’ve done.” Everyone followed them out to the curb and waved goodbye as the long, black car sped off into the Louisiana night, north out of New Orleans and up the river road.
“Do you have any idea where we’re going, kitten?” Blade asked, his fingers playing on the soft skin just above the low-cut neckline of her dress.
“No, it doesn’t really matter. So long as I’m with you, I’m right where I’m supposed to be.”
Blade threw back his head and laughed. “Finally, my woman gets it!” He held her close as they traveled up the narrow highway that followed the grand old father of waters, old man river, the mighty Mississippi. They passed fields of sugar cane, fields of cotton, and one grand old plantation after another.
Lily presumed they were heading to some romantic bed and breakfast, so she was content to luxuriate in Blade’s arms, kissing his neck, and anticipating the delights of their wedding night to come. When the limousine slowed and turned off the main road, Lily glanced out the window. The moon was bright enough that she could see they were traveling down a narrow lane between two rows of huge oaks. “Where are we?” she asked, with dawning suspicion in her voice. “Blade, is this…?”
She gasped in surprises when her eyes fell on the grand old plantation ablaze with lights. “This is Oak Hill, Charlotte’s ancestral home. How? This is privately owned.”
“Yes, it is.” Blade pressed something into her palm. “By you. This is your wedding present from me.”
“Oh, my God!” Lily began to cry and Blade held her tight, laughing at the sheer ecstatic joy that she couldn’t hide. “How did you manage this?”
Blade didn’t bother to explain the strings he had to pull or the hoops he’d jumped through to ensure the former owners of the property were willing to relinquish this historical treasure. “I couldn’t think of a more perfect gift for you.”
The driver opened the door and Blade climbed out, helping Lily out in turn. Once she was on her feet, he picked her up in his arms and carried her up the grand staircase to the wide verandah. “Welcome home, Mrs. Jensen.”
Lily threw her arms around Blade’s neck and held on tight as he carried her across the threshold. She’d never been inside the plantation, the only descriptions she’d read were on the internet or in Charlotte’s diary. Her mouth fell open at the stately grandeur of the Greek Revival Anteb
ellum home. “I am stunned,” was all she could manage.
Blade kissed her lips. “I hope you’ll be saying that in a moment after I consummate this marriage.”
“Oh, you always take my breath away…husband.” Lily tried out the new term as he carried up her up the staircase toward the master bedroom.
Blade loved the title. “I’ll do my best.” As he carried her into the gracious room and laid her on the bed, he stopped for a second just to look at her. “My wife. I don’t know of two more precious words.”
With utmost care, Blade undressed her, making sure to protect the dress he knew she’d always cherish and one day, if God be willing, their daughter would wear it on her own wedding day. “I’m the luckiest man in the world, Mrs. Jensen,” he whispered once they were naked and in one another’s arms. “You are so lovely, you make my heart ache.”
“Oh, I’m the lucky one,” she whispered the words against his skin as his arms closed around her. Their mouths fused together and Lily was wild for him, as if she’d just awoken to the reality of her circumstances. Weaving her fingers in his hair, the kiss went on and on, consuming them both, there was nothing or no one in their world but them.
His hands moved all over her – caressing, stroking, petting – celebrating the fact that she was his wife and in his bed. As hungry for him as he was for her, Lily pressed herself to him, her skin sizzling with heat everywhere they touched. Her breasts were especially sensitive and she reveled in the way her nipples peaked as she pushed them into the whorls of golden hair on his chest. “I can’t get close enough,” Lily complained as she molded her hips to his, one leg raising to rest on his so she could rub her soft sex against his burgeoning cock.
“Let me see if I can help.” Placing a broad hand on her hips, he pulled her forward until his cock was rubbing against her creamy cleft. Lily could feel how hard his heart was pounding, how tight his arms were holding, and how his manhood was throbbing against her aching need. “Better?”
“Not quite,” she teased as their lips met again in white-hot pleasure. Skimming her fingers over the smooth, rigid muscles of his shoulders and chest, she moaned as they found the sexy fur on his chest. “I think you can do better if you try.”
“Ha, minx, don’t rush me. This is our wedding night, I want it to last forever.” He moved down her body until his mouth found her breasts – loving them, sucking her nipples, palming their weight. She whimpered her appreciation, her fingernails tracing erotic patterns on the skin of his back.
While he suckled on one breast, he moved one hand low enough to find the silken crevice of her body, moving his fingers in and out until she was moving with complete abandon in his arms. “You enchant me, Lily,” he whispered. “I’m falling more in love with you every second.”
“I want you, Blade. I need you. I love you so much,” she cried out, her whole body quivering with passion.
He shifted his body over hers, taking his rightful place as she opened her arms and spread her legs. “Oh, God, yes,” he groaned as he began to push slowly inside of her. She was so hot, so tight, so perfect for him. The pulsing walls of her satin sheath enveloped him as he began to move and her slender body arched up to cling to his strength.
“Blade! Take me, hold me, never let me go.” Lily gave herself to him, loving how he felt within her – the filling, the stretching, the powerful possessing – the heat of him merging with the heat of her until they were one, spiritually bonded for eternity.
“I won’t, nothing will ever take you from my arms.” He rejoiced in her acceptance as she clung to him, her arms around his neck, her legs wrapped around his hips. Blade moved within her, he could feel the flutter of her pussy around his throbbing length. Kissing her deeply, he flexed his hips, pumping into her over and over, giving pleasure as he received it.
Lily moved with him, her body absorbing the power of every pounding thrust. As she cradled him to her, she felt the glowing burn of ecstasy begin to grow until it reached a glorious sunburst that exploded within her, flares of ripping pleasure radiating throughout her body.
Above her, Blade rode the wave of her climax, trembling with the effort to put off his own pleasure so hers could go on and on. Burying his face in her throat, he kissed her tender flesh as he continued to move – plunging, hammering, pounding. He was on fire for her. Blade wanted to go on and on – never ending – marking this woman as his for eternity.
As he made love to his wife, she caressed him in wonder, marveling at the miracle of her husband in her arms. “You’re mine, Blade Jensen.”
“Yes!” He kissed her sweet lips. “Now come for me again, one more time.”
He ground against her, angling his hips, seeking that one sweet spot deep inside that would drive her over the edge. With excruciating patience, he kept moving until he felt her clasp him, her body tensing as another wave of pleasure swamped her. This time, Blade allowed himself to be swept away with her into a vortex of pure rapture. When she cried out his name, he bellowed his triumph, this was the culmination of what he’d been seeking.
They were married. She was his. She was home.
When they calmed, they lay there in one another’s arms, still clasped tight in their embrace. Unwilling to move, their breathing synced, their hearts beating in tandem.
“Are you all right, Mrs. Jensen?”
“Better than all right, Mr. Jensen. I’m perfect.”
He kissed her cheek. “That you are.”
“I can’t believe this day you’ve given me,” she marveled as her head lay on his shoulder, their skin damp with love. “My dream wedding, a perfect honeymoon, and the most generous wedding gift in the world.”
“If I’ve made you happy, that’s all that matters.”
“Oh, all of those things are wonderful, but they’re not what’s made me happy.” When his eyes met hers, she smiled. “You, Blade, being with you, belonging to you, that’s the source of my happiness.”
He squeezed her tight. She didn’t have to say more, he knew what lay between them unsaid. There was still a mountain for them to climb, a valley for them to walk through. But he refused to consider the possibility of anything going wrong. “We’re going to have a wonderful life together – I promise you.”
As honeymoons go, theirs’ was very near perfect. Over the next couple of days, Blade and Lily spent their time making love and exploring the secrets of Oak Hill. “There’s no telling what secrets may lie hidden within these walls about Charlotte and Arthur or Abraham and Genevieve.”
He could read her excitement, she was able to lose herself in the magic of their surroundings and in the pleasure they found in one another’s arms. “We have time to make our own mark here, Lily, to leave a lasting imprint of our love.”
Lily nestled against him, she knew he was trying to reassure her. Today was the day they were to travel to Duke University, the day she’d find out whether or not the clinical trial was a success. “I don’t want to leave.” She clung to him. “I’m afraid if I leave, I’ll never come back.”
“Yes, we will,” he reassured her, “we’ll be back tomorrow. Just think, we’ll never be bored. We have our home here, the cottage on Royal, and the ranch in San Saba. As soon as we’re past these tests, I’ll take you on a real honeymoon to Australia. I’ve already made arrangements, Gene helped me.”
Lily nodded her head, she was afraid to make plans. She didn’t want to jinx anything. Her experience in life had taught her the perils of hope. “Before we go, I just want you to know how happy you’ve made me.”
“Hush.” He covered her mouth with his for a lingering kiss. “Have faith, fate brought us together for a reason.”
His words did little to reassure her, but she vowed not to let him see how scared she truly was. “All right, I’m ready.”
Hand in hand, they walked out of Oak Hill and began their journey to the airport in Baton Rouge. From there, they’d fly to Durham where she’d undergo an already scheduled examination. On the way, Lily took an op
portunity to call her sister and her friends. She knew they were concerned and she wanted to touch base. “I’ll call you as soon as I know something,” she promised Flora. “Yes, tell Dr. Kimmel that I’ll take notes.” She laughed, blushing enough that Blade noticed and squeezed her knee. “Yes, I enjoyed our honeymoon. Oak Hill is amazing.”
This conversation was repeated five more times, since she called Gene after talking to each of her friends. By that time, they were at the airport and the flight didn’t last nearly as long as Lily would’ve liked. Before she knew it, they were there and she was undergoing the familiar tests that would tell the doctors whether the treatment would extend her life or not.
Lily closed her eyes as the machine scanned her brain. She held herself still while they pierced her veins to draw blood. Usually, she allowed her mind to wander, to escape while the tests were being run and the ascertainment was being made. Not today – she wanted to be here, present. No longer was it just her future on the line, her life was indelibly entwined with another’s. The verdict would not only affect her. As she’d once feared, he was her hostage to fortune. By some incredible miracle, her happiness and well-being was also Blade’s. So, she prayed – as much for him as her. “Please, please let me live. I want to make him happy. I don’t want to hurt him. I can’t bear to think of him left alone and sad.”
When it was all over, they gave her a few moments to dress, then Blade joined her. “Hey, baby. How did it go?”
“Okay, I guess,” she said softly, chafing the chill from her arms.
“Come here.” He clasped her by the shoulders and tugged her up to his chest. “I missed you so much.” Rubbing his lips on her brow, he just stilled to listen to the sure beat of her heart. “The doctor said it won’t be long, they’re looking at the tests now.”
Lily melted against him, mentally relinquishing her burdens and allowing him to bear them for a while. He spotted a comfortable chair and drew her toward it, settling down and drawing Lily to his lap. “No matter what he says, let’s go back to Oak Hill for a couple of days. I just want to be with you for a little longer.”