by MJ Carnal
Andi stepped around the side of the house, arm wrapped through her father’s and everyone gasped. Dressed in an ivory and silver trumpet Lazaro gown, she was perfect. The sweetheart neckline showed her delicate olive skin and the snug fit showcased her hourglass figure. Her silky hair was pulled off her shoulders and secured back with sparkling clips.
Kevin’s knees went weak. The primal voice in his head roared ‘Mine’. His heart swelled with pride and beat for her alone. Noticing the sheer bodice, his body stirred. He couldn’t wait to get her out of her dress and make love to his wife. His hands shook as she reached the altar. Charles Allen gave him Andi’s hand. “Take care of her, son.” He whispered.
“Thank you for coming tonight.” The pastor began. “Andrea and Kevin came to me last week and asked if I could marry them tonight. I have known Andrea since she was a baby. I have watched her blossom into the amazing woman she is today. She was the first baby I ever baptized so she has a special place in my heart. When I heard that she had fallen in love, I wasn’t sure there was a man on this earth that would be good enough for her. I was wrong. It has been an honor to get to know Kevin this week. He is focused and intelligent and most importantly, he looks at Andrea as if the sun rises and sets with her. I have watched them closely this week. They fight with passion and laugh without fear. They gravitate toward one another. I am very honored to be a part of this special evening for a couple that I believe in with my whole heart.”
Caleb wiped his face. His tears were coming faster than he could wipe them away. Andi glanced back at him and immediately, her tears started. She reached into her bouquet and pulled out her handkerchief. She wiped her brother’s eyes and took his hand. There was no one else she wanted by her side. Handing her flowers to her parents, she took Kevin’s hand as well. She was pledging herself to him. But more importantly, she was asking him to join her family and become a part of their forever.
“Andrea and Kevin have written their own vows. I ask them to share those with us now.”
Kevin took a deep breath. “I can’t believe we’re here. I never expected to love anyone. You surprised me. Right from the start, you pulled me in. If you were around, I could breathe easier. If you looked at me, my whole world lit up. You challenged me at every turn. You made me think. You made me feel. I looked forward to our fights. I thought about you constantly. I looked for excuses to see you. You completed a part of me that I never knew was missing. Andi, I love you so much. I don’t think that is even the right word. What is stronger than love? That’s what I feel. You are everything. Everything Andi. You are home and I haven’t had that in a very long time.”
Kevin released her hands and stepped toward her parents. “Thank you for Andi. Thank you for what I love most in the world. I will spend the rest of my life loving her the way she deserves. I haven’t been a part of a family in so long that I had forgotten how amazing it is. If I could handpick parents, I would pick you every time. Thank you for allowing me to be a part of your family. You accepted me from day one. Before Andi and I were even dating. And Caleb, I know the evolution of our relationship has been hard for you to watch. I promise you I will always take care of your sister. I have called you brother for years. Now it’s official and it is a huge honor for me.”
Caleb released Andi’s hand and hugged Kevin. “You’re perfect together. I’m happy for you both. We would have picked you too.”
Kevin took Andi’s hands once more. “I can’t believe you picked me. You could have anyone and you picked me. I promise you will only regret it sometimes, doll.”
Andi laughed as she looked into his eyes. “I have loved you my entire life. I know it sounds crazy, but even before I met you, I knew you coming. There was the dream of you. The promise of you. I think the first night I saw you, my soul recognized you. My heart caught up right away. It just took my head a little longer to catch up. You brought out something in me that no one else had. I never knew if I wanted to punch you or kiss you.” Their guests laughed. They had witnessed the transformation of Andi and Kevin and nothing could be closer to the truth. “I get lost in your eyes. I stare at your lips and want them on mine all the time. I almost lost you once. If all we ever have is today, it will be enough. No regrets. Our relationship is unique. We didn’t run into each other’s arms. We didn’t have that earth shattering love at first site. We had more than that. We had passion. We had friendship. And it grew every single day. I look forward to whatever is next for us. I have dreamed of being Andrea Merck for so long. You are my dream come true. I love you with all that I am. I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life proving it.”
After the exchange of rings and a prayer for love and strength, the pastor smiled at them. “Inasmuch as Andrea and Kevin have promised that they will live together, faithfully in marriage and pledged their love for one another in front of family and friends, I now declare them to be husband and wife. It is my great honor to present to you, Mr. and Mrs. Kevin Merck. Mr. Merck, you may kiss your wife.”
Kevin pulled Andi flush against his body, her love wrapping him in strength. His lips collided with hers, passion igniting in their bones, declaring their marriage, their commitment and their faithfulness. The kiss held more feeling than any kiss before. He dipped her and continued to kiss her as the guests clapped and cheered. Everything he was, everything he had, everything he would become was wrapped up in this woman. She was his reason for being alive. She was the reason his heart kept beating.
The End
Stay tuned for “Untamed”, the story of Steve and Lily . Untamed will be released late summer 2014.
Also coming late summer 2014, “Moretti”, a Moretti Novella. The story of Rich and Molly.
Acknowledgments
To YOU. Thank you for taking a chance on me and picking up my first book. The indie world is an amazing place to be and I can’t imagine my life without you guys. You keep my spirits up when I’m down. You send me messages and emails on the Facebook page and it keeps me writing. I will never be able to tell you how much each and every one of you means to me. THANK YOU for sharing this journey with me. THANK YOU for loving the Moretti family as much as I do. THANK YOU for being a part of my life.
To my husband. It took awhile for us to get into the groove of me locking myself in the bedroom to write. Thank you for getting up early with our daughter on the weekends because you know I’ve been up late the night before. Thank you for guarding the door so I can get some work done. Thank you for asking me about the books and being a part of this journey with me. Most of all, thank you for being you and for loving me and our daughter as much as you do.
To my daughter. I know you want me to write so we can “go to Disney World.” I know I am missing out on some parts of your childhood by doing this. But you are a trooper and I adore the moments when you sneak in next to me on the bed and open a novel and pretend to read. I know how much you love books and I know I had a lot to do with that. I am proud of that. And I am proud of you. There is no one that will ever love you more than I do.
Mom, it still freaks me out that you read my books. I don’t know what I expected. You have supported me every second of my life. I love you so much.
Ashley, you rock my world. You are the best beta reader in the world. Friend, beta.. None of those words do it. You are fan club president and cheerleader and memory and such a vital part of this process. You will never know how much I cherish you and the friendship that we have had for all these years. I honestly don’t think I would survive without you in my life. And just so you know, I would do anything for you, too.
Sam!! Where do I start? You came into my life almost a year ago as a potential model for one of my book covers. You have become SO much more. You’re friendship is something I will cherish my whole life. You make me laugh hysterically. You anchor me. You take my breath away. The cover is amazing. The teaser pictures are unbelievable. Your heart is the biggest and most generous heart in the world. Thank you for letting me switch you from Caleb to Kevin. I j
ust knew I wasn’t ready to write you then. Kevin was in my heart from the minute he took shape on the pages of Taming the Playboy. I needed you to be perfect and I am so proud of this character that I can’t imagine anyone else being good enough to be “him” but you. Thank you for coming into my life. I could not be more excited for the travelling we have planned. I absolutely cannot picture this journey with anyone else. I adore you. Thank you for being exactly who you are.
Kevin Edgemon. I miss you. When Ashley and I discussed character names for these novels, it was a given that you would be one of them. Even as I write this, I break down. How many years has it been? 9? Even now, it is hard to imagine a life without you in it. You hung the moon once and I know that wherever you are, you still do. I still hear songs on the radio and think “I want to learn that for karaoke with Kev” and have to feel it all over again. I wish I could rewind back to that night. I would beg for you to stay where you were. I wouldn’t have let you drive home. I would do anything to give everyone one more day. I loved you in my own way. And I know that you loved me too. I am so honored to have known you and to have called you friend. The first day I saw you, in Charleston, pool cue in hand, ugly Clemson shirt on, my life changed. Thank you for that. I see your brother and his family every so often. You would be so proud of him. I know that you are looking down on him and smiling. I know you are looking down on all of us. I felt your strength the day I walked away from Orangeburg for good. I felt your love the day I took Rick’s hand and realized he was my forever. I felt you in the warm breeze the day I married him. I could feel you in my heart the day I gave birth to my daughter. I can feel you during Steelers games. I can feel you every so often in the quiet moments that help me focus. Most of all, I feel you telling me everything is OK when I stop and put a penny on your grave stone.
Eric Wainwright. Once again, you hit the nail on the head with your cover shot. You are an amazing person and counting you as one of my dearest friends is such an honor for me. Thank you for leading me to Paul, Sam and Preston. I thank God that Alex pointed me in your direction. It was a huge gift. You are truly talented. I love you. (www.facebook.com/wainwrightimages for more information)
There are some truly amazing authors I share my life with. Nickie Nalley Seidler! I love you girl. You were my first author friend and thank God for you. We went through the unknown together. I wouldn’t have wanted anyone else by my side. S. K. Hartley! What can I say? You rock my world. Your creativity inspires me. You drop everything when I need you and I will never be able to thank you enough. I love your face! Harper Sloan! Shit. Where to start? You are my hero. I love your Corps Security men ALMOST as much as I love the Moretti men. HA. I love you hard girlie. Sharing ideas and eye candy with you is amazeballs. I look forward to a lifetime of friendship. Liz King! I am so honored to call you friend and even more excited you are only a couple miles away. Thank you for supporting my journey and for making me laugh so hard. You have awesome taste in men. Rachel Van Dyken and CD Reiss, you two are the reason that I keep writing. I want to be just like you. I haven’t read anything that you have written that I didn’t think was my very favorite book. Dawne Walters! I couldn’t be more excited to be signing with you at a few events this year. I am super excited to meet you and fan girl over you. Allie Juliette Mousseau! I think we kind of came together by accident but I am so glad that we did. I love the way your brain works. I love the adventures you’ve had. And I love that you are my friend. S. Moose! Thank you for fan girling over me so I could read your stuff and fan girl right back. I love sharing my ideas with you and hearing yours. I cannot wait to hang out in NYC. To the authors in #writeclub. Thank you for the writing sprints at all different times of the day. Thanks for all the advice and for making me chuckle every time we sprint. I know I am probably forgetting someone so, please, forgive me. Being a part of the indie community is such a gift.
To my street team, The Moretti Minions. You bring me joy. This is a gift that not everyone gives me. You make me laugh out loud. Like, snort and cry and have my drink come out of my nose laugh. From the snarky pick up lines and come backs to having my back and protecting me against the evils of the world, I would not trade one second of our life together. You are FAMILY. Friends doesn’t seem even close to the right word. Thank you for reading my books, for giving me advice, for crying when I hurt a character and threatening to kick my ass when you don’t know what will happen. It wasn’t chance that we came together. It was fate.
Alex Turner. I know you say it was all me. But, I give you so much credit for helping me create Mark Moretti and kicking off this journey that has changed my life. Laughter and tears, we’ve had it all. We’ve had midnight texts, walks in the freezing rain, belly laughter in a movie theater, Voodoo donuts and caramel and lots and lots of life in the last year. Thank you for Mark Moretti. Thank you for Ryan West. THANK YOU for Alex Michael Turner. I hope we never end. Long after the Moretti novels, I hope to see you standing by side. It’s still hard to believe you are real and I still catch myself getting all cocky when I see a steamy picture of you in a magazine or online and think, ‘yep, I KNOW HIM!’ I love you Mr. Moretti. (www.facebook.com/alexmichaelturner)
Paul Hagen. You are always making me laugh. I adore the random messages that have me thinking WTF and then I laugh hysterically as I message you back. We have the best chats. I think we could solve the problems of the world with our random shit. Thank you for bringing Caleb Allen to life in Taming the Boy Next Door. I’m looking forward to the trips we have coming up. I know I will spend most of it with a belly ache from laughing. You can dish it out AND take it. You are truly awesome, SIR! (www.facebook.com/phagen17)
Bloggers are a HUGE part of the success of the indie community. SO many of them have stood by my side and there isn’t enough time in the world to list them all. But I did want to give a shout out to a few that make my life brighter. Eye Candy Bookstore! You guys shared my first Moretti teaser and have stood by me through it all. Without question, you are there for me. There is no way to repay you for that. Romance Addiction, you rock. I never even have to ask and there you are. Thank you for pimping me and believing in who I am as a writer. Orchard Book Club! I found you on Twitter when you gave me a shout out and I got so excited. THANK YOU for finding me and loving me. I love you back!!! Fifty Shades of Gabriel’s Crossfire Unscripted Destiny! Your belief in me makes me swoon. THANK YOU for pimping, interviewing, reviewing and mostly, for becoming dear friends. You guys rock my world. The Naughty Librarian’s dungeon! You picked me up and threw me into the deep end and I’ve never looked back. I love you hard. You make me very happy! Stephanie’s Book Reports. WOW! You are putting on an epic event in NYC and I am honored to join you. You have been by my side every step of the way. I love you more than you will ever know. To all the blogs that have let me do author takeovers and who have taken part in blog tours and cover reveals, YOU make our lives big. YOU. And it is a hard and thankless job sometimes but you have no idea how much we love you for it.
I have some amazing friends that have supported me and I love you guys so much. You are all a blessing and have added so much to my life. Steph, Denise, Shannon, Amanda, the list goes on and on. You are a part of this dream and thank you for that. To my Chi Omega sorority sisters, you gifted me with some amazing memories. Jill, you are my forever. 24 years!!! You are the best friend a girl could ask for. T Mac, thanks for standing by me during the journey. Thanks for letting me embarrass you with first drafts and I hate that you live so far away now. (Taco bell misses you too. Holler!) Jennifer “J Dawg”, you rock my world. I have never known someone that makes me laugh as much as you do. Janelle, thank you for the countless hours spent reading this. I love you! MAH Harpster, I wish you were here to see this. You helped start this love of writing a million years ago. The world lost a legend the day you died. I love you. I have an incredibly blessed life.
About the author
MJ Carnal lives in Lexington, South Carolina with her husband, gorgeous daughter, four fis
h and two loving and super furry dogs. She spends her days in the world of neurosurgery but her nights in a world she creates on paper. When she isn’t writing, you can find her watching episodes of The Walking Dead with her hubby, having tea parties with Princess Caroline, Singing karaoke for anyone that will listen and reading just about anything she can get her hands on. The Moretti Novels are her first published works.
She loves to hear from fans, fellow writers and book lovers. Find her online at www.facebook.com/mjcarnalauthor, www.mjcarnalauthor.com, or on Twitter @mjcarnalauthor.
Can’t get enough of the Moretti Men?
Taming the Bachelor, the story of Mark Moretti, June 2013
Taming the Playboy, the story of Ryan West, August 2013
Taming the Boy Next Door, the story of Caleb Allen, November 2013
Taming Casanova, the story of Kevin Merck, February 2014
Untamed, the story of Steven Wainwright, summer 2014
Moretti, the story of Rich and Molly. Novella available late summer 2014
The Moretti Men
Sam Coy as Kevin Merck
Taming Casanova by MJ Carnal
Fitness Model Paul Hagen as Caleb Allen,
Taming the Boy Next Door by MJ Carnal
Find Paul at www.facebook.com/phagen17
Fitness Model Alex Michael Turner as Mark Moretti/Ryan West
Taming the Bachelor/ Taming the Playboy by MJ Carnal