He ran his finger down the valley of her breasts, shucked the last of his clothes, and climbed over her. Her body was perfection. Every lush curve and sinful dip. He spent an hour simply making her cry out his name. Her pleasure was his and he loved seeing her come apart under his touch.
Gripping her legs under the knees, he pulled her closer. Suited up with a condom, he nudged her wet folds with his cock, his body thrumming with anticipation.
“You’re so beautiful,” he whispered.
Her eyes only partially opened. “That’s my line,” she teased.
Resting her calves against his shoulders, he took himself in hand and stroked his cock along the cleft of her sex, and her hips rose. He rimmed her folds, teasing her until she begged.
“Please…” She lifted her hips, trying to force him inside and he pulled back. “You’re teasing me.”
“Tell me you want me,” he whispered, prolonging the torture.
“I don’t want you, Jeremy. I need you.”
She was the sexiest woman he’d ever known. There was no denying her now. Leaning forward, he slid deep. “I need you, too.”
Waves of pleasure wracked his body as he continued to drive into her. Their voices filled the room with incoherent pants and nonsensical words. A thousand tiny shards of pleasure splintered as they came apart, holding each other close, never letting her go.
Rolling to his back, he pulled her to him, belly to belly, chest to chest, as he shivered and kissed her. She sighed as he brushed the hair from her eyes, finding a soft smile on her lips. The poignant moment seemed to sharpen like a dream just before dawn and he feared this might be just that, a dream.
Pressing her forehead to his, her smile turned shy. “How do you feel about a fast wedding?”
“What are you doing tomorrow?”
She snorted. “Tomorrow’s Christmas, but my schedule’s pretty wide open for the rest of the week.”
“I think I can pencil you in.” He playfully bit her shoulder.
“Use marker, because I’m not changing my mind.”
Jeremy awoke some time in the middle of the night to find Jade sitting cross-legged at the edge of the bed. “Hey,” he said in a sleep-roughened voice.
She turned and smiled at him over her shoulder. “Hey.”
“What’re you doing all the way over there?”
“Looking at my ring. It’s beautiful.” She shyly smiled at him. God, she was gorgeous.
He sat up and joined her at the edge of the bed. “Do you like it? If you don’t we can take it—”
“I love it,” she said cutting off his words with a kiss. “As a matter of fact, I’m pretty sure I’m never taking it off, so I hope you’re sure about this.”
“I’m sure.” He lifted her hair from her shoulder and kissed her neck. “Are you serious about not wanting a big traditional wedding?”
She reclined and pulled the covers over her body, nestling close to him. “Well, I was thinking about it. At first, it sounds fun. You know, every girl’s dream and all, but it’s also a lot of work. I’m sure Kat would do most of the planning, which I don’t know if I’d end up appreciating or using as an excuse to beat her to death with her clip board. She’ll start organizing things the minute she finds out.”
“Well, what do you want?”
“I want to be your wife. It doesn’t matter how it happens, so long as that’s the end result. But I also don’t want to rush to the finish and regret not taking the time to enjoy the journey.”
“Then we’ll have a traditional wedding. You can register for flatware, linens and a coffee pot that actually makes good coffee, all that girlie stuff, and I can have a bachelor party.”
Jade snorted. “First of all, I’ll be registering no matter what kind of wedding we have. No one’s taking away my right to go on a shopping spree with a scanner gun. Second of all, your coffee pot makes fine coffee. It’s you who screws it up. And third, you can have your bachelor party so long as I get a bachelorette party.”
He pressed his lips together. “You know what? Bachelor parties are so cliché. I’m already over the idea.”
She laughed and then sighed. “I don’t know. I like the idea of having a traditional wedding, but it’s so much money and I really don’t want to wait a year to be your wife. I have this beautiful picture in my head of me in a perfect couture gown, Mia as my flower girl, and Kat as my maid of honor, but all those expectations for perfection add up to a lot of stress that I don’t want. No matter what, my mother will insist on handing out yamakas to all the men and my father will walk me down the aisle holding a clarinet.”
He laughed. “What’s with the clarinet? I’m gonna be family now. I feel like I should know.”
“I don’t know. He came home with it when I was in junior high and it’s been around ever since. I think he thinks he’s Teddy Roosevelt or something.”
“Well, if you want to get married under a chuppah we can. We can even step on a bottle if it makes you happy.”
“I think I’d actually prefer getting married somewhere exotic. We wouldn’t have to wait, we could hire a wedding planner, and my parents would be limited to seventy-five pounds of cargo, so there wouldn’t be room for my mom to over-pack tacky accents.”
“I like that idea. I could see you in some billowy white dress on the beach with your hair blowing and your feet bare. As a matter of fact, I find that image very sexy.”
She blushed. “Yeah?”
He nodded. “And I like the idea of not waiting. I know you just moved, but I really hate living apart. I want you here, and now that we’re getting married, there’s no need to hide our relationship from Mia anymore.”
Her smile bloomed as she let out a quick breath. “Then let’s just do it. Let’s get married.”
“What are you doing for New Year’s Eve?”
Chapter Thirty-Five
Jade and Kat descended in a puddle jumper that practically crash-landed on the white beaches of Negril and Jade dutifully held back Kat’s hair as she puked. They took an early flight to meet with the resort’s wedding coordinator. Jeremy, Tyson, and Mia were arriving the following morning and the rest of the guests, namely her parents, were scheduled to arrive the morning after that. She and Jeremy would be saying their vows at sunset on New Year’s Eve.
After sharing the news with their friends Christmas morning, there had been a whirlwind of excitement. Apparently, only Americans thought weddings took a year to plan, because here in the world of Jamaica and OCD best friends, things were moving at light speed.
As soon as Kat washed her face and adjusted to the heat, she put on her control freak hat and immediately started giving orders. Their bags were delivered to their hotel rooms and the next thing Jade knew, they were meeting with the event coordinator to synchronize their agendas.
Jade wasn’t quite sure what was on the schedule. Her focus was solely on finding out if her dress had arrived. She’d ordered it online and paid a fortune to have it shipped in time.
After Kat had made it clear to DeMont, the resort coordinator, that she was in charge, they went to the front desk to pick up Jade’s gown. A shuttle took them into the village where a seamstress lived. Kat was a little skeptical when they arrived at the dilapidated hut with a near-starved dog roped to a bush out front, but DeMont had promised the woman was the best seamstress around.
The seamstress, Necie, was in her seventies and looked weathered to the bone, but the woman could sew a straight seam faster and neater than most people could write. When she finished, Jade stood in front of a bronze-tinged mirror and smiled. It was perfect.
The dress was the softest silk and slipped into place over her curves like it was made for her body. The natural train ran a few inches behind her and the back was cut into a deep V. As she studied her reflection, her finger slipped under the halter and traced the raised skin of her scar. She looked the picture of normal. And despite what others couldn’t see, she felt normal. She was truly happy.
; Once they were back at the hotel, they had lunch and arranged another meeting with DeMont to survey the site for the wedding. They would be saying their vows under a white chuppah on the beach, swathed in fuchsia lilies and ivory orchids.
After their meeting, they visited the salon for some necessary pampering. As the gossamer drapes danced in the breeze from the marble balcony of the salon, she sampled fresh fruit and drank from a coconut a native carved into a cup using a machete. Yes, she was in paradise.
The following morning, they awoke well rested and acclimated. While waiting for the others to arrive, Jade, again, sampled the rum being offered in the lobby. Several shuttles arrived as they looked for the guys and Mia. The longer they waited the more Jade consumed. Around her third pina colada, she spotted them.
“Momma!” Mia exclaimed as she saw Kat.
Jeremy walked to Jade and pulled her into his arms, delivering a slow, teasing kiss. “Mmm, coconut. You look like you’re enjoying yourself.”
Her drunken exuberance was impossible to hide. “I’m so glad you’re here. Jeremy, it’s so nice here. The water’s so warm and clear. You can see starfish at your feet and the rum’s delicious!”
He laughed and kissed her nose. “I missed you.”
She hummed, pressing into him. “Do you think we can sneak away to our room before Kat sends you and Ty away on a groomission?”
“Groomission?”
“Yeah, a mission for the groom.”
He frowned. “What do we need to do? I have Mia’s dress and I have our wedding bands.”
“Oh! Can I see them?”
“You can see mine, but I’m holding onto yours until we say I do.”
“Well, I still think we should try to escape for an hour or five.” Her fingers played at the exposed skin of his throat. “Our suite’s unbelievable.”
He growled. “Let’s go—”
“Okay, guys,” Kat announced, coming to their side. “We have an appointment with the officiant in about forty minutes, so that’s just enough time for you to drop off your bags and change before we head to the beach.”
“Who invited her?” Jade muttered under her breath.
Jeremy chuckled. “You.”
The following evening, after the rehearsal, Jeremy walked Jade to a secluded hammock on the beach. The beaches glowed like jewels under the starlit sky.
As they swayed beneath the sheltering trees, he teased at the hem of her sundress just above her knee. “Tomorrow, we’re getting married.”
“Mmm… It’s nice having a minute to ourselves.” It must have been all the fresh sea air that put her so at ease. Well, that, and all the rum.
Wrapped in a tight cocoon of limbs and canvas, she curled her leg over his thigh. Although they were out in the open, with the hammock curving around them and the canopy of palm leaves blocking the noise from the hotel, they were hidden from the world.
He glided his hand up her thigh and under her dress until his fingers found the lace seam of her panties. Ever so lightly, he traced his finger along the edge and hooked the fabric with his fingertip. Jade lifted as he pulled the material away.
“I’ll hold onto these,” he teased, stuffing the panties in his pocket.
Slowly, Jade turned and maneuvered her way on top of him, careful not to flip the hammock. She straddled his waist and opened his pants, their exposed parts hidden under the skirt of her dress. Reaching beneath the fabric, he guided himself into her as she slowly rode him.
His blond lashes appeared almost silver in the moonlight. His expression eased with pleasure as she sensually moved over him. The hammock swayed with their languid pace, a relaxing escape from the rest of the world, just her and the man she loved.
They made love under the inky blanket of the sky, luxuriating in the freedom to touch and play with each other.
“I can’t believe I can have you like this for the rest of my life,” he whispered and she was thinking the same.
Leaning low, she kissed him softly. “I’m pretty sure I’m the lucky one.”
“We’ll see.” He pulled her hips tighter to his. “Our bodies fit perfectly together.”
Her heart raced as he brought her to climax, her cries lost in the breeze. When they finished, she curled into his side and kissed his neck.
“Maybe we should stay here forever. We could live in a hut on the beach and sleep in hammocks all day, making love only when we woke at night.”
He moaned in agreement. “Wouldn’t that be nice?”
She wasn’t sure if it was the chaos of wedding plans, the excitement of the island, or the contentment that came with marrying Jeremy, but her mind hadn’t strayed to depressing thoughts in days. Of course, life couldn’t always be so perfect, but the idea of maintaining the illusion was tempting.
“Unfortunately,” he whispered, “I was supposed to have you back to your room an hour ago.”
“Says who?”
“Your matron of honor.”
“More like my Gestapo of honor.” She could only imagine if she’d had a big wedding.
His eyes crinkled as he silently laughed. “I’m told you have a big day tomorrow.”
She sighed and smiled. “That’s true.”
“Why don’t I walk you back to the room?”
“Fine, but once we’re married I’m revoking Kat’s clipboard.”
It wasn’t easy leaving her fiancé that night. It would be the last time they slept apart and somehow saying goodnight was more excruciating than all their prior goodbyes. As she lay in bed, her mind wandered over pictures of their future. She wasn’t sure what the next several decades would bring, but she truly believed they’d be happy.
The next day unfolded as if it had been planned for years. Delicious anticipation ran through her veins, passing every minute with a wave of giddiness. The women at the salon polished, buffed, waxed, and styled her to perfection.
Her hair was done in loose waves swept up on one side of her face. She used Kat’s feathered lily pin in her hair as her something borrowed. Her something new was, of course, her dress and her something blue was a pair of sapphire earrings. Her mother had provided her with something old, a delicate pearl bracelet that was a family heirloom.
After the salon, she and the other women had lunch and relaxed until it was time for the photographer to arrive. While Jade was sitting on the balcony, the door slid open. She turned and saw Mia, her nails painted a pale shell pink, her hair loosely pinned up in curls and secured with a fuchsia ribbon headband.
“Hey, princess.”
Mia climbed onto her lap. “Kiki, when you marry Daddy, will that make you my mommy?”
Ah, so that’s what that look was about. “Well, I’ll be your step-mommy, but your mommy will still be your mommy. Just like Daddy’s your daddy, but Tyson’s also your daddy.”
“Sometimes I call Tyson Daddy.”
Jade pulled back and studied her angelic face, noting the worry in her eyes. “Honey, I’ll still be your Kiki.” It was a nickname Mia had given her when she was just learning to speak and Jade loved knowing she was close enough to earn a one-of-a-kind endearment.
“Can I call you Mommy, too?”
“You can if you want.”
“But no one else has a Kiki.”
Jade smiled and kissed her nose. “Well, then I say we stick with Kiki. You know what’s really cool?”
“What?”
“I’ll still be Kiki, but now you’ll be my step-daughter.”
Mia smiled and hugged her tight. “I’m glad you’re marrying my daddy.”
Jeremy waited at the edge of the beach, where the banks were damp. His white linen shirt rippled in the breeze as the ocean teased his feet. His chest filled with anticipation as the ceremony began.
Tyson stood beside him, dressed much the same. A white chuppah, wrapped with bright splashes of flora popped against the backdrop of the turquoise sea. Fading shades of pink painted the sky under the setting sun as a native Jamaican softly played the steel
drums.
Kat approached from between two arched palm trees, followed by Mia, an angel on a cloud of white sand. Then the music changed again and his heart jolted as he recognized the song Somewhere Over the Rainbow.
Jade stepped out from behind the trees, her arm linked in her father’s, and stole every last breath from his lungs. More than exquisite, her beauty humbled him.
Her dress shimmered, shades of pearl kissed with hues of pink from the setting sun. In her hands, she held a cascading bouquet of berry colored lilies. As she approached the altar, her father kissed her cheek, and Jeremy shook his hand. This was it.
The officiant began the ceremony, but his attention was completely devoted to Jade. She smiled at him and took his hand in hers. When it was time to exchange vows, Tyson passed him the rings, and he turned to Jade.
“My beautiful Jade, I’ve known you for years, but feel as if I’ve loved you for an eternity. My love for you is written into my bones. I promise to love, honor, and respect you from this day forward. I will always place your needs above mine, your comfort above my own, and your happiness above all else. I promise this to you, forever and always. From this day forward, I will always catch you if you fall.”
He slid the ring onto her finger as she gazed up at him, tears shimmering in her green eyes. “Jeremy, you’re a unique work of art amongst a tarnished world. You’re loyal, loving, and selfless in everything you do. You’re gentle and kind. You’ve given me courage when I had nothing left to give. You’ve taught me to hope in moments of loss and given me strength when I needed it most. You accept me for who I am, make me laugh when I want to cry, and mend my soul when it’s broken. I promise to do the same for you from this day to our very last. I promise to be faithful and love you for the rest of this life and in my next.”
She slid the band onto his finger and every part of his being seemed to slide into place. The officiant said a few closing words and grinned. “You may kiss the bride.”
If I Fall (New Castle Book 2) Page 25