by Katie Ashley
I was still riding the pulsing waves of my orgasm when Jake slid me down the length of his body and then impaled me on his erection. With his hands gripping my hips, he began working me on and off of him. Each time I came back down, he thrust his hips up to meet me. I splayed my palms flat across his pecs, but his hands seemed to be everywhere. Tangling through the strands of my hair, cupping my breasts, sliding up and down my back—his touch was all over me, and it drove me deliciously wild into sensory overload.
He pushed himself into a sitting position and wrapped his arms around me. We were now chest to chest, face to face and eye to eye. I shivered with pleasure at the feel of more of his skin brushing against mine. The fine, dark hairs on his chest tweaked and teased my nipples as we rubbed against each other. As he brought his mouth to mine, his tongue plunged in and out in the same rhythm. After sliding a hand between us, his fingers stroked my swollen clit, and I came again, shouting his name and clinging desperately to his broad shoulders. As I started coming down, Jake continued pumping in and out of me. When I sensed he was getting close, I pulled back. I wanted to be looking into his eyes when he went over the edge.
“Abby,” he moaned, as his hips jerked, and his body shuddered in release. When he was finished, he remained buried inside me. He lay back on the bed, taking me with him.
As I snuggled into his side, I sighed with contentment. “That was…”
“Amazing. As always.”
I grinned as I propped my head up on my elbow. “Do you think it’ll always be like this?”
“You mean, after we’ve been married for twenty years and you’ve popped out a kid or two, will we still be having sex as hot as this?”
“Yeah.”
“I sure as hell hope so,” he replied, with a grin.
“Me too.”
“Sweet dreams, Angel.”
“Only of you,” I murmured, before I closed my eyes and fell into a contented sleep.
As the sun streamed in through the wide window panes, it warmed my body under the sheets. I’d been awake long before dawn. I’d savored the feel of Abby wrapped in my arms. In the quiet, I listened to her sleeping, the sweet little snores she emitted. There was nothing quite like holding my girl as she slept—the feel of her soft curves pressing into my body. I don’t think I ever felt safer and more secure than I have with her by my side.
At the same time, my mind had also been preoccupied. The tell-tale signs of a new song waiting to be written flickered through my subconscious. It had started out small—a few jumbled words, a few chords. And then as I came awake, it built and built. In a low voice, I hummed a melody—one that was now playing on loop through my mind. Beneath the sheet, my foot began tapping out the rhythm. My eyes snapped open. Now that I truly had it, I didn’t want to lose it. Fumbling with the sheets and comforter, I threw them off and bolted from the bed.
Abby raised her head and gazed at me with drowsy eyes. “Jake, where are you going?”
“I have to get my guitar.”
“Seriously, I don’t need a wedding day serenade,” came her muffled reply, as she burrowed deeper under the covers.
I snorted. “Sorry to burst your bubble, but that’s not it, Angel.” I threw open the closet door and turned on the light. Most of my good guitars, or the ones I preferred, were up at the main house. I would have to make do with my Papa’s old Gibson.
When I returned to the bed, Abby sat cross legged with the sheet clutched around her breasts. The sunshine streaked across her body, making her skin glow. “Damn, you’re so beautiful.”
A flush entered her cheeks. “Thank you,” she murmured.
As I eased closer to her, I said, “I woke up to a melody in my head.”
“Really?”
“Mmm, hmm.” I leaned over to open the nightstand for a pen and pad. Then I started scribbling down some of the chords that had been floating through my mind. Once I had those down, I propped my guitar on my legs. As I began strumming the melody I’d heard so clearly in my head, I closed my eyes to let the lyrics that were jumbled in my mind unfurl. I cleared my throat and began to sing.
“When you fell into my life, I was shattered beyond repair.
But as the shining angel of redemption, you didn’t seem to care.
While the tempest swirled around me, you led me to solid ground.
You’re the purest, deepest love a man like me has ever found.
There is a fire that burns within me that only you can ignite.
You’re the light that fills my soul in the darkest, bleakest night.
You’re the balm that cures the wound; the lifeline in the storm.
You are the song of my heart, the music of my soul.”
Abby blinked a few times. “It’s…amazing.”
“You think?”
“No, I know it is. I can’t believe you woke up with that in your head.”
“Let’s just say I had an inspiring night,” I commented, before winking at her.
A flush filled her cheeks as she ducked her head. Even with Abby’s vote of confidence, I felt there was still something missing in the song. It needed a deeper layer to make it have even more feeling. And I was looking right at that beautifully naked and disheveled layer.
When she glanced up again, Abby’s eyes widened. “Why are you staring at me?” she questioned softly.
“I’m trying to decide what your part is.”
Her brows rose in surprise. “I have a part?”
I smiled. “You shouldn’t even have to ask. You have a part in every single thing in my life, Angel. You’re every word in this song—every note. Only the purest and sweetest melody could be inspired by you.”
“Oh Jake,” she murmured, as tears welled in her deep blue eyes. Before I knew it, she had closed the gap between us and thrown herself into my arms. My guitar made a screeching noise as her warm lips met mine in a frenzied kiss. “I love you so much it hurts.”
“I know. I feel the same way.”
Pushing her hair away from her face, I then brought my lips back to hers. I wanted nothing more than to stay in that moment forever with the most important things in my life—my love, my guitar, and my music. But the sound of the front door bursting open caused me to pull away. It took only seconds for AJ’s booming voice to echo throughout the loft. “Yo, twatcake, are you up and at em? We leave for the airport in half an hour.”
I groaned. “It’s always an interruption, isn’t it?”
Abby giggled. “Sometimes I think I’m not just marrying you, but the boys, too. I mean, they’re so much a part of our lives.”
“Yeah, well, just remember you’re mine and only mine, got it?”
She kissed my cheek. “Yes, Mr. Possessive.”
With a wink, I said, “And don’t you forget it.”
AJ bounded over the side of the ladder, causing Abby to squeal and grab for the sheet. “Oh shit, I’m sorry,” he said, before whirling around.
“It’s okay.” Once she was wrapped as tight as a mummy in the sheet, she hopped off the bed and ran into the bathroom.
When the door closed, AJ turned around. He held up his hands. “I swear I didn’t know she was here.”
“It’s okay, man.”
“By the way, her mom is looking for her.”
“Oh shit,” Abby moaned from the bathroom.
I laughed. “You’re about to be a married woman, and you’re still worried about your mother?”
She poked her head out the door. “I’ll never be too old or too married not to worry about my mother.” She glanced at AJ. “Quick, get me a pair of Jake’s sweats and a T-shirt.”
“Why?”
Abby rolled her blue eyes. “Because I’m going to pretend I went out for a walk this morning to clear my head. The last thing my mother, least of all my father, needs to know is that I just spent the night with Jake.”
“Got it,” AJ replied, before heading to the closet. When he returned, he thrust some clothes at Abby.
“Tha
nk you,” she replied, as she slammed the door.
“You don’t think they’re going to wonder why you’re wearing my clothes that are about two sizes too big for you?” I asked.
“I’ll say it’s because I missed you and wanted to be close to you. That also covers us if they smell you on me,” came her muffled reply behind the door.
AJ grinned. “She’s good. If we ever need an alibi, she’s our girl.”
Then Abby appeared from out of the bathroom. Her former bed hair had been tamed into a ponytail. She leaned over the bed to kiss me. “I love you, and I’ll see you this afternoon.”
“Yep, sunset on the beach. You’ll be the one in the veil, and I’ll be the one forced to wear a pink vest.”
“Hey, at least you don’t have to wear a full tux or suit,” she argued.
“Guess you’re right. But damn, Angel. Did you really have to choose pink?”
She gave me a teasing wink. “I’m a true steel magnolia, so of course, I wanted some blush and bashful in my wedding.”
My brows furrowed. “What the hell are you talking about?”
“Don’t worry about it. See you later.” She grinned and blew me a kiss before hightailing it down the ladder.
When the door slammed behind her, I tossed the notebook at AJ. “Got us a new hit.”
As he glanced over the lyrics, he bobbed his head. “Abby inspired, I presume.”
“Oh, yeah.”
“Brayden will be glad to hear it. He’s feeling the pressure of the new album.”
“I have a feeling I might get even more inspired on my honeymoon.”
AJ grinned. “I say go for it. Just make sure you take the time to enjoy yourself.”
Throwing back the covers, I started for the bathroom. “Oh, I plan on enjoying myself several times a day,” I replied with a wink.
The main suite of the island’s house teemed with people. As nervous energy hummed through every fiber of my being, it took everything I had to sit still in the chair in front of the mirror. It still felt surreal that I was even here—that after hopping a plane and then taking a boat, I was in my own island paradise. I’d been dreaming of this day my entire life, and now it was finally here.
To combat my nervousness, I’d been tapping my foot restlessly while Marion, the band’s makeup and hair stylist, went about transforming me. When she started in with the eyeliner, she gave me an exasperated look. “Would you stop with the tapping, or you’re going to look like some Goth chick.”
“Sorry.”
She grinned. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you this nervous before.”
I sighed. “Yeah, there’s a reason for that. I mean, today’s the biggest performance of my life—my wedding day.”
“Oh honey, you’re going to be just fine,” my mother’s reassuring voice said from behind me. When I glanced into the mirror, she appeared behind me. “I can’t believe it’s really happening. My baby is getting married.” Tears glistened in her eyes, causing her to wave her hand in front of her face. “No, no, today is a happy day. No tears,” she said to herself.
“I agree. Plus, I don’t want to have to redo your makeup,” Marion said with a smile.
Leaning over me, Mom thrust a granola bar, along with a Coke, into my hands. “You need to eat that, sweetheart. We don’t want your blood sugar acting up on today of all days.”
Even though I was too nervous to be hungry, I appeased my mother by unwrapping the granola bar and taking a bite. As I chewed, I couldn’t help the smile that formed on my lips. The day I had met Jake my hypoglycemia had reared its head. How could I ever forget passing out right after seeing AJ, Brayden, and Rhys and realizing I wasn’t on my brothers’ bus? Of course, it was the moment preceding that when I had found myself in Jake’s bed that meant the most. Our worlds had collided in that moment, and neither one of us would ever be the same again.
Once I finished eating, I took slow sips from the Coke out of a straw. Marion checked my lips to make sure I hadn’t smudged the liner or color while eating. “Okay, make-up is done. Now for the dress and veil.”
I eased up from the chair and came to stand in the middle of the room. My mom and Mia brought the dress out of the closet and then out of its massive bag. It was satin and strapless with a heavily beaded bodice. It fell into yards of satin. It was a little impractical for a beach wedding, but I didn’t care. The moment I had seen it, I knew it was the dress of my dreams. I took off my robe, leaving me in a bustier and underwear.
Once I stepped into the dress, Mom went about zipping up the back. I loved the fact that a row of intricate buttons covered the zipper and gave the effect that I had been buttoned in. Jake would probably freak when he saw it, thinking he had to undo all the buttons to get me naked. I laughed at the thought.
After I was secured into the dress, I realized it was going to be tough breathing for the rest of the day between the bustier and the tight bodice. “Oomph,” I muttered, as I smoothed my hand over my chest.
“Little snug, huh?” Mom asked behind me.
“Yep, just a bit. I probably overdid it last night at dinner.”
Mom laughed. “I don’t think so, sweetheart. They altered it to fit that way, remember?
“I guess.”
“You’ll get used to it.”
I grinned. “I hope so, or I’m going to pass out before the day is over.”
“I don’t think I breathed the entire day of my wedding,” Lily mused, as she fluffed out the bottom of my dress.
I shook my head. “What we sacrifice for beauty.”
“Now for the veil,” Marion said, as she lifted it out of the box.
The intricate lace was interwoven with pearls and sequins. It fell to the floor where it intermingled with my long train. It was held in place by a glittering tiara—an heirloom piece that I had actually rented from Tiffany’s. I considered it my ‘something old’ and ‘something borrowed’. My something ‘old’ also came in the form of Susan’s pearls, which Jake was thrilled I was going to be wearing, and my new was everything from the dress to my underwear.
After she fixed the tiara on the top of my head, Marion stepped back and smiled. “You’re ready now.”
Turning left and right in front of the mirror, I took in my reflection. I blinked furiously as I tried processing what I was seeing. “Wow, I’m really standing here in my wedding dress about to get married, huh?”
Marion had worked quite a transformation with my makeup. It was softer than she usually did it for the shows, but it was also dramatic enough to bring out my eyes and highlight the peaches and cream complexion I’d been blessed to inherit. My hair, which was pulled back on the sides with sparkly combs, hung in curly waves down my back.
“You look…” my mother’s voice choked off. Tears once again filled her eyes, and she bit her lip.
“Just like an angel,” Mia finished with a smile.
“Which will make Jake so very happy,” Lily added.
Mom nodded. “Yes, you do look absolutely angelic, sweetheart.” She drew me into her arms to hug me tight. “I can’t believe you’re all grown up. It seems like just yesterday you were a baby in my arms.”
Instead of telling my mother to stop with the over the top emotions, I just hugged her back. I knew that after today, everything would change between us. I would always be her little girl, but I was going to be Jake’s wife. Someday in the future, I would be starting my own family. “I love you, Mom,” I said, as I squeezed her.
“I love you, too.” When she pulled away, she smiled. “No matter what, I’m so very happy for you. To love and be loved is one of the greatest miracles in life. You’re truly blessed.”
I smiled. “I believe I am.”
After smoothing her hand over her pale pink suit, she nodded. “Well then, I think it’s time we got you married.”
Allison appeared with my bouquet. I brought the fragrant mixture of pink roses and white lilies to my nose. The blush-colored flowers brought out the deep pink hu
es of the bridesmaids’ dresses while the stark white lilies were in memory of Susan, Jake’s mother. Her favorite flowers had been lilies.
I drew in a deep breath and then made my way out of the bedroom. Mia and Lily trailed behind me making sure my train didn’t get caught. When we got out onto the porch, I could hear the strains of the string quartet playing the pre-ceremony music. Mom hugged me one last time before she went on to be escorted to her seat by Eli and Gabe.
Glancing down below me, I saw my father. At the bottom of the stairs, he paced around on the landing. Outfitted in his best suit, he looked so handsome. But the sadness on his face was palpable, and my chest caved with pain. I knew he hadn’t taken the news of my engagement well, and I guess he had hoped we’d have an even longer engagement than we had. I was his only little girl, his baby, and I imagined he felt like Jake was stealing me away. At the same time, he had always treated Jake with love and respect, and I was so thankful for that.
The moment he saw me, he forced a smile to his lips. “There she is. The beautiful bride,” he said.
Clutching my enormous bouquet, I carefully made my way down the narrow, stone stairs. When I finally reached him, he pulled me into his arms and gave me a tight squeeze. “You look absolutely breathtaking, sweetheart.”
“Thank you, Daddy.” I pulled away to smile at him. “Ready to give me away?”
He shook his head. “I could never do that. I may walk you down that aisle and consent for Jake to marry you, but I’ll never fully give you away. You’ll always be my little girl.” His hand came to his chest. “You’ll forever remain right in my heart, Abigail.”
“Oh Daddy,” I murmured, as tears stung my eyes. When I glanced back at the girls, I expected them to chide me on crying and potentially wrecking my makeup. Instead, their eyes were shiny with tears as well.