CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

Margo

I stood in the garden, the sun making patterns through the leaves. I was wearing a long dress and high heels, which felt awkward when I tried to walk on the lawn. I turned to Jay.

He smiled. He was beside me. The wool suit he wore fit tight across those big shoulders, the shirt cut to perfection and the blue tie bringing out the blue of his eyes.

I caught sight of that tender, soft smile and looked away. Put my attention back on the preacher where he stood before us.

He was saying the vows.

I waited my turn impatiently. “I do,” I replied. My voice was surer than anything I’d heard in my life.

Even the pastor smiled. Then he was repeating the vows, this time for Jay.

“I do.”

I looked sideways as he said it. The gentle expression in his eyes made me melt. I moved my fingers so that they brushed against his hand and his gently touched mine.

I tried to focus. All I could think of, though, was Jay. The ceremony was short, but it seemed to me to take a long time. The sky was blue, the sun warm. I could hear the sounds of nature and the soft sigh of our guests and smell flowers.

“You may kiss.”

I looked up as Jay turned to face me. He tenderly lifted the veil. It was a full veil, lots of gauze, and I wanted to giggle as he lifted it uncertainly, his brow quirked as he tried to figure out how to smooth it back from my face.

Then all thoughts melted inside me into a sweet wonder as he kissed me.

I closed my eyes as his tongue gently moved down the gap between my lips, just flicking inside. I leaned against him and our tongues pushed playfully at each other and his arms held me close.

Then, almost before it seemed we had even started, he was stepping back.

We faced our friends and family. We were a couple.

“Hurray!”

That was Alle, who was my bridesmaid. She was the first person to hug me as I walked between the benches and under the arch that marked the precinct of where we’d held the ceremony.

“Congratulations, girlfriend!”

I smiled and hugged her too, feeling her warm, comforting arms around me. She smelled of flowers and she wore roses in her hair.

“Thank you, Alle.”

She smiled. “You look so beautiful.”

I looked down shyly at my dress. It was a long white dress with a high waist, the skirt covered in a lacy gauze and full, so that it was a trumpet shape that swept the floor, sweeping back in a longer train. It had a wide slash of neckline that showed my shoulders. I loved it.

“You do look beautiful,” Jay said.

“Well, look who’s talking.” I smiled at him. His eyes crinkled at the corners.

“I don’t know about that,” he said.

“I do.”

We both laughed and we headed through the garden and into the house.

We had made sure that the location of the wedding was a secret and we had each invited only ten guests. It couldn’t have been more private and small. I was so happy.

“You look beautiful,” Lance said, coming over to hug me and greet Jay.

Jay, leaning serenely on the wall, lifted his hand from his crutches to shake Lance’s.

They chatted briefly and then my mom came over and hugged me and Jay’s mom hugged me and Jay and everyone seemed to weep.

We had planned a small-scale reception here, hiring the pavilion, so no press could even consider following us.

The reception dinner seemed to go faster than I expected and, before long, the sky was dark and we were heading home. My stomach was tying in knots with excitement. We were going home together.

We were staying in my apartment for the night. Again, ostensibly it was to keep a low profile but really just because we wanted to.

Jay leaned against the door and kissed me. His tongue stroked mine and I leaned into his body, loving the way he wrapped me in his arms. I could feel the arousal he felt, the hard bulge pressing against me and I pushed against it, loving how his breath stopped.

“Come on,” he whispered.

We went through to the bedroom.

He leaned against the door and we kissed. Since my own accident, I was well-acquainted with crutches and we blended seamlessly together as he extricated himself from them and walked slowly to the bed.

His hands moved down my back as he lay beside me.

“You look so beautiful,” he whispered. “I don’t know if I should undo it.”

I chuckled. “Jay! Stop tormenting me.” I could feel his hands stroking my belly, stroking my back. If he didn’t undress me soon, I might actually explode from wanting.

He laughed. “Sorry. Well, I dunno how…” he frowned, feeling the buttons down my dress.

“Like this?” I reached up and undid his button. He breathed out shakily.

“Mm. I guess.”

He started undoing the buttons, and I started to appreciate them. It felt like he was unwrapping me, and he did it slowly, kissing my shoulders, then my chest, then my breastbone….

When he reached my waist, I was shivering with excitement. I shot him a look.

“Take it off?”

He laughed. He let it fall fluidly to the floor and sat back, just looking at me.

“You’re so lovely.” He breathed a slow, delicious breath.

I lay back, posing in the underwear. I had chosen it carefully, all white lace. He reached forward greedily.

“I want you,” he murmured.

I sighed and laughed heartily as he gently ran his hands down my breasts, pressing them and stroking them and then, with muscly grace, he stripped me. I gasped as he took my nipple into his mouth, working it intently with his tongue.

“Jay…” I breathed. He was going slowly, letting my arousal build. His mouth was around my nipple, his fingers taking off my undies and then, slowly, stroking me.

I closed my eyes, letting the nerves steadily overload with pleasure as he worked my nipple and my clit. I was ready to cry out when he finally sat back.

“Jay…” I moaned.

He took off his shirt and then undressed himself. I wanted him so badly. He put his hand between my thighs again, stroking me.

“I’m not finished yet,” he said.

“Jay…”

I wanted him so much. His strong, muscled hands were busy turning me, though, and I let him, pliant under his touch. He gently stroked down my back, massaging me until I thought every part of my body had turned to mush.

Then, just as I thought I couldn’t wait any longer, he entered me.

I shouted in surprise as his hard cock penetrated me and filled me. He was moaning too, gasping and shuddering as he entered me and pushed into me and moved back and pushed in.

I was panting, slamming back into him, my body so close to climax that I couldn’t see, couldn’t feel, couldn’t breathe…

I came, yelling out in bliss.

“Turn over?” he whispered.

I urgently twisted round and he pulled out and then pushed in again instantly. I lay facing him now, my eyes on his. He pushed in and pulled out and pushed in and pulled out and I could see the tension in his face and hear his breath.

He yelled, too, as he climaxed. Then he collapsed on me, shuddering.

I wrapped my arms around him and held him close.

He lay there on my chest, almost asleep. I must have drifted off to sleep myself, because when I awoke he was beside me, one hand resting on my belly, the other cushioning me.

“Margo,” he murmured.

“It’s dark,” I noted.

He smiled. “It is. I don’t know what the time is?”

“Late?”

“Mm. Time to move.”

“Time to get into bed,” I said.

We moved under the covers as it had got cooler during the night. Then we kissed. We slept.

I woke up the next morning with that delicious ache in my belly and a smile on my face. I was beside Jay and we were together. For good, for a change. We kissed.