“YOU LOOK LOVELY THIS EVENING, Edith,” I praise as I enter our bedroom. Earlier, I left her to dress while I fetched the gift I planned on giving her for our reception. I also have a couple of surprises for her.
Her face lights up when she sees me, but she frowns when she looks back down at her dress. “Thank you.”
I can’t hide my smile as I carry the box behind me. “I bought you something.”
She lifts her eyes to mine and rewards me with another breathtaking smile. “You did?”
Pulling the box in front of me, I walk over to the bed. Then I set it down. “Open it.”
“Oh, Alexander, you shouldn’t have,” she gasps as she approaches the box. With tentative hands, she grabs the ends of the black ribbon and tugs. Once the ribbon has been loosened, she pulls off the lid. “What is this?” she whispers.
She knows what it is.
“I thought we could renew our vows, darling. We’re quite different than we were when we first said them. My feelings for you have grown into something special and unique. It would be my honor to vow to care for you in front of our family.”
I watch with a grin as she takes the cream-colored gown from the box. When Mother informed us that we were going to have a reception, I wanted Edith to be the belle of the ball. This gown is proper for a wedding—and fitting for a bride as beautiful as she.
“It’s exquisite,” she murmurs as she inspects the detailed beadwork.
The dress cost a fortune to have it rush designed, but it didn’t matter. All that matters is it’s here now and she’ll wear it.
“It pales in comparison to your beauty, Countess.”
She flashes me an embarrassed smile. “Where’d you put that fellow I first married? Maybe we should find a thick chain and shackle the door so he doesn’t ever come out again.”
I toss my head back and full-belly laugh. “He’s still around. I’m pretty sure you’ll want to keep him because he’s the master with his tongue.”
“Oh, then, by all means, we’ll keep him too. He just won’t be allowed to speak. His place will be right between my legs,” she purrs as she slides a hand up the lapel of my waistcoat and into my hair. “But this guy? He’s the one I want to spend the rest of my life with.”
Dipping down, I attack her lips with mine. She tastes like honey from her midday tea, and I can’t help but want to devour her.
“Maybe I don’t want to share,” I growl and then chuckle against her lips for the mere fact that I’m jealous of myself.
She giggles and tugs away to stare at me saucily. “Then maybe you need a little more practice doing his occupation. Once I feel you’re a master, we’ll get rid of him.”
“Alexander Phillip Dumont! You’re not supposed to see her in the dress! Now, get!” Mother chides from the doorway.
Reluctantly, I release my wife and step away from her. “Mother, I’m not a child and we’re already married,” I groan.
Edith is properly amused as my mother swats me out of the room.
“Goodbye, my love,” I call out before the door is slammed in my face.
“Goodbye, my love,” she returns in a muffled voice through the closed door.
I grumble as I stalk down the hallway to search for Jasper to ask if the other part of my surprise for her has been fulfilled yet. I’m passing by one of the empty guest rooms in our wing when a voice from within calls to me.
Confused as to who would be in the room, I halt my steps and enter the room. “Nicolette?” I question as I walk inside.
The door clicks behind me, and I swivel around to see the naked blonde batting her eyelashes at me.
“Oh, Alexander, don’t tell me you haven’t missed this.”
My eyes aren’t even tempted to glance at what I used to be so familiar with, so I easily hold her gaze with an angry glare. “What in the fuck are you doing, woman? It is the evening of my wedding reception and you dare throw yourself at me? I should have you terminated from our employment and kicked onto your arse for presenting yourself this way to me!”
She gapes at me in horror but rushes for me. “I know you’ve missed the way I would suck this”—she grabs my flaccid cock through my trousers—“until you were dry. I could do it right now to relieve some tension.”
“Let go of me,” I snarl.
Her lips quirk into a feisty grin, and she squeezes me. “We could be quick. Our little secret, Alexander. Nobody would have to know.”
I’m about to physically shove her away from me when the door clicks open and Alcott peeks in. His features harden once he sees our position.
“It’s not what you think,” I grumble and this time I do push her away.
Before she stumbles too far away, she slaps me across the face then runs past Alcott and out of the room.
“What I think is that you aren’t in love with the countess. What I think is that, had I not intruded, you would have done some regrettable actions, brother. Please tell me why it is that Nicolette was naked and grabbing your cock,” he snaps.
I run my hands through my hair and grip at it. “Oh, what do you care? You think now you’ll prove to Father once and for all that I don’t love Edith? It’s a fucking lie, Alcott. I love her so goddamned much, and I won’t let you or Nicolette stand in the way of my happiness with her. Do you understand me? Breathe one word of this to her and I’ll rip your head off and dump it in the river. Edith is my life, and I cannot lose her. Are we clear, brother?”
He’s furious—his jaw clenches in rage. “Crystal clear. But let’s get one thing straight. I don’t give a rat’s arse about proving anything to Father. As of earlier, I thought we’d come to an agreement, you and I, that had nothing to do with him. What I do care about is your hurting Edith. She’s the best damned thing that’s happened to our family. So you, brother, watch your head, because if you break her heart, it will be yours floating down the river.”
I sling my hand toward him, and he flinches as if I’ll hit him. “Deal. Make the deal, brother. I won’t hurt my wife and you never speak of what Nicolette has done. I’m not at all interested in that maniac of a woman. And I want father to release her of her duties to our estate in the morning. I won’t have her meddling in my affairs and pining after me when I very clearly have a wife I love and adore.”
Alcott scowls but slams his palm into mine. “You know what a deal means to the Dumonts. Don’t betray me.”
“Likewise, brother.”
I scan the guests who have all taken their seats on the lawn of our estate and are facing myself and the officiant as we wait for Edith to emerge from the house. When I see an older man and young, blond woman seated beside Jasper and Elisabeth, I smile. The other surprise I planned for my Edith has come through. After the vow renewal ceremony, I’ll properly introduce myself to her father and youngest sister. I had sent for them because I wanted her family to be a part of her big day.
On the other side of the aisle is my family. Father remains stoic beside Mother, their hands threaded together tightly. I may despise him most days, but his fierce love for her has always been his most endearing quality. Mother, even though confined to her seat most of the day, still managed to pull off one of the most stunning events of this family’s history. She catches my eye and smiles broadly at me. With a grin of my own, I nod back my thanks. Of course without us saying anything, she understands our nonverbal conversation well.
My attention is drawn from the crowd to the back door of our estate when it opens and the string quartet begins playing a lovely song. Edith emerges and my eyes widen at how beautiful she seems to grow with each passing second. The moment my wife fully steps onto the porch and the late afternoon sun catches the beads and stones on her gown, my breathing ceases.
I’ve never seen her more stunning and elegant during our entire time of knowing one another. When her eyes lock with mine, she flashes me a smile full of love and promise. It baffles me how this woman was just as lonely and lost as I was six months ago.
And now?
Now, we’re each other’s everything.
My attention should be drawn to the distractions all around us. Sounds. People. Smells.
But it all fades into the background. All that remains is her.
A gentle breeze lifts her veil as she comes toward me, sending it trailing off to the side beside her. She’s an image of what dreams are made of. And as soon as she is close enough for me to touch her, I reach my hand out, and she takes it without hesitation.
After hauling her to me, I capture her lips with mine and ignore the chuckles from Jasper and Alcott and the gasps of shock from the elders in attendance. They can all keep their mouths shut, because this woman is mine and I shall kiss her whenever I damn well please.
“You’re so naughty,” she murmurs against my lips with an equally naughty grin of her own.
“You’re no angel,” I tease. Then I steal one more peck before turning my head to the officiant, who appears to be irritated by my bending the traditional ceremonial rules.
He clears his throat and begins his sermon, but I’m not listening. All I can do is stare into her wide, brown eyes and attempt to somehow thread our hearts together eternally.
Another clearing of the officiant’s throat startles me, and I blab out that I will. She agrees, and then we’re once again lost in each other’s gaze. Finally, he asks for our vows.
“Vows?” I turn my head over to him and glare. Nobody told me that we had to create any of our own. And it’s in this moment that I notice the folded slip of paper wrapped around her bundle of flowers.
“It’s okay,” Edith murmurs as her cheeks redden.
She’s excusing me for not having them. For not loving her enough to have come up with some. Which is not fucking acceptable.
I wink at her. “I memorized them.”
A sweet smile spreads over her face, and I smile back. I may not have any written vows, but it does not mean I don’t have any from my heart.
“Dearest wife, thank you for standing by my side these past few months. We might not have always seen eye to eye or slept in the same bed for that matter, but know that I always cared for your wellbeing. I was deeply jealous of any fool who looked your way even though, at times, I had a funny way of showing it. If I could take back the early days of our marriage, I would. I would replace them with countless moments of affection. Hours of kissing and cuddling. I would have showered you with the finest of gifts.”
She mouths at me to stop. I know that it was all part of our agreement in the beginning, but now, all I feel is that I wasted that time with her. She could have been all mine and I squandered that opportunity. I won’t waste another second though. Every moment of every day shall start and end with her.
“Edith, you have been a partner. A friend and confidant. And the most amazing lover a man could ever want. You’re my everything, and I vow to forever prove to you just how important you are to me. Please promise to love me forever, because forever, I’ll promise to love you.”
This time, her eyes shine with unshed tears. Seeing her so vulnerable breaks something inside me, and I need to hold her. Once again ignoring the babbling from the crowd, I draw her to me and kiss her gently.
“I love you, Edith Dumont. My Countess.”
At the moment I feel she’s been properly comforted, I release her and flick a gaze over at the aggravated officiant before indicating that he may proceed. This causes Edith to giggle, and I flash her a wicked grin.
“Countess?” he interrupts.
She lifts her eyes to mine and smiles. Her words too, it would seem, are from the heart, because she isn’t reading from her paper. “Alexander, thank you for choosing me to be your wife. Although you could have had anyone on this Earth, for some reason, you chose me. I’m thankful for that opportunity and grateful that our feelings only grew and intensified for one another over time. I’m not the woman you married anymore. I’m someone better, and I have you to thank for that. Thank you for loving me when nobody else could. I will love you forever too, Alexander.”
This time, the officiant gives his blessings for us to kiss. And boy, do we kiss. It’s almost too sinful to display in front of all of these people, but we do it anyway.
Edith kisses me back as if we’re the only two souls standing upon the lawn. But she also kisses me proudly in a way that tells people watching that she’ll always be mine.
Together, we kiss until Mother calls out that it’s time to cut the cake.
And then we kiss once more.