Camden
It was only by luck that I saw my phone screen light up on the counter. One thing I couldn’t do when Riley was around was play Smashing Pumpkins as loud as my speakers could handle. So, when I found myself with an evening alone and a lot of new furniture to assemble, I turned on my favorite music from high school and got lost in the work. Of course, there was a Guinness within reach.
I’d been on a mission to get a corner of one of the spare bedrooms put together for her while she was away. I had something special planned and I wanted to surprise her when she got home.
I pushed the Mute button on the speaker and answered the phone.
“How’s my favorite brunette with a mean Skee-Ball arm?”
“I bought a wedding dress.”
Her words were quick and frenzied, as though she was trying to force them out before she lost the nerve to say them at all.
“You what?” I asked for clarification. I’d heard her, but I wanted to make sure I’d heard her correctly.
“Am I crazy?”
“Yes, but not because you bought a wedding dress.” I paused, waiting for her to say something, to explain, but she was silent. “You bought a wedding dress.”
“Yes! It was totally impulsive and crazy.” I could picture her pacing in her suite, biting her thumbnail, worried she’d made a terrible mistake. “But it’s so beautiful, Cam.” Her voice was suddenly softer, dreamier, and it made me miss her terribly. Riley put on a fierce front for pretty much everyone—me included—so when she went soft and let that side of herself out, it was hard to not want to grab a hold of her.
“Tell me about it,” I said, making my voice match her soft tone. I laid back on the carpet and put my hand behind my head, just wanting to listen to her voice and imagine she was in the room with me.
“I can’t tell you about the dress! That’s bad luck!”
“Okay,” I laughed. “Then tell me how you came to impulsively buy a wedding dress.”
I spent the next thirty minutes listening to my most favorite person tell me a great story. I only interjected once or twice to ask clarifying questions, but other than that, I just listened. She told me about the run-in with Penelope, but I heard the forgiveness in her voice. She told me about how her mother insisted on buying her dress, but I heard how much it meant to have her mother there and to provide something so important and special for her.
But the best part of the whole story was the end.
“I don’t know what it was, Cam,” she said, her voice taking on the dreamy quality again. “I don’t know if it was the dress, or having my mom there, or feeling for the first time in years that there wasn’t something dark hanging over me anymore, but I put that dress on and I wanted nothing more than to marry you. Soon. Like, yesterday.”
Her words. Damn, her words. They made every part of me sigh with contentment. I knew Riley wanted to marry me. I never doubted, not even for a minute, that she wanted to be with me. But I also wasn’t going to push her to plan a wedding. I knew she’d come around and eventually it would happen. I wanted Riley as my wife, but only because it was another way to bind her to me. We didn’t need a wedding for commitment, but I wanted that stupid piece of paper more than I cared to admit. Hearing her tell me she wanted to get married, and soon, was like a shot of adrenaline. And lust. When the woman you love more than life itself tells you she wants to marry you now, she damn well better be within arm’s reach.
“Jesus. I miss you.” The words came out with a growl. “What time is your flight tomorrow?”
“Not until the afternoon.”
“Damn.”
“I know.”
“I wish you were here.”
“Me too.”
We were both quiet for a moment, but then I asked the question burning in my mind.
“What are you wearing?”
“My wedding dress,” she said without hesitation.
“Really?”
“No,” she replied with a laugh. “I want to be though. There’s not much holding me back from putting it on. It’s so pretty.”
I tried to picture Riley in a wedding dress, and the image my mind conjured up was too sexy for public consumption. Surely Riley wouldn’t be wearing a white lace teddy at the altar, but in that moment, that was all I could picture. My mind had officially gotten on the one track that led to Riley and me naked in a bed. Or the floor. A car, even. The only real requirements for the activities flowing through my mind were mine and Riley’s bodies. That was all I needed. And maybe just one flat surface.
“I’m sure it’s beautiful,” I managed, fighting the urge to bring my free hand to the bulge forming in my pants.
“And I meant it about planning the wedding. I want to get started. I want to look at venues and pick out a cake. I want to do all that. But mainly I just want to marry you. Soon.”
“Riley,” I groaned, rolling to my side. “It’s not fair to tell me these things over the phone while you’re states away.”
“I’m sorry,” she replied, sounding contrite. “I just wanted to tell you before I lost this wonderful feeling of just wanting to be your wife. I mean, I’ll always want to be your wife, but right now I want it really bad.”
“Fuck,” I said on a rasp again. “I want you on the next plane home. In fact, I’ll charter a flight. Oh, better yet, I’ll charter a flight down there so I can get my hands on you faster.”
“Where are your hands now?” she asked, her voice coy and shy. Riley rarely took charge in the bedroom; she was more than willing to go wherever I led her and I loved that she trusted me to take care of her.
“I’ve been trying to keep my hand off my cock since you called.”
“Why are you fighting it?”
I let out a sigh.
“Because as turned on as I am right now, and as sexy as it is to think about you touching yourself while you think about me, nothing is as good as being with you in the flesh. And the day you buy your wedding dress, the dress you’ll wear when you become my wife, well, that deserves more than mutual masturbation.”
She was quiet for a moment, then softly said, “That might be the most romantic thing I’ve ever heard you say.”
I groaned. “That’s not true. At least I hope it’s not true. I’ve said lots of romantic things to you, none of which included the phrase ‘mutual masturbation.’”
She laughed and the happy sound resonated through me. “I guess that’s true. Maybe they’re not the most romantic words, but it was pretty high up there as far as romantic intention.”
“Aw, shucks.”
“I still miss you.”
“I still miss you more. Tomorrow I’ll make you a nice dinner in our new house and you can tell me all about the dress. And the plans. I can’t wait.”
“Good, because there’s not going to be much of a wait. Think we can fit a wedding in this summer? I don’t want to give too much away, but the dress is not made for a winter wedding.”
“I think we can get married whenever you want.”
“Okay,” she whispered. “I can’t wait.” She was smiling. I could hear it. And it made me smile too.
We talked for another thirty minutes about everything that had happened that day and I listened as she paced around her hotel room, methodically going through her nightly routine. I could tell when she was washing her face, brushing her teeth, then washing her face again with a different product—I swear the girl washed her face with a million different things. I knew that, since I wasn’t there, she was putting on her oldest pair of sleep shorts and a T-shirt—probably mine. I took great comfort in the idea that I could imagine everything she was doing, that she was familiar enough to me that I could anticipate her actions.
I also felt extremely lucky to know her in that way. No one else would ever know what her decade-old pajamas looked like.
“Will you be there to pick me up tomorrow? You might want to take my car. I don’t think my dress will fit in the trunk of the Batmobile.”
“I can do that.”
“You sound tired.”
“Hmmm.” She was right, I was tired. But I would have stayed on the phone and listened to her chatter to herself all night, which was basically what I’d been doing for half an hour.
“Go to bed.”
“Okay,” I agreed, but only to make her happy. I knew I wouldn’t be going to sleep for a while. There was too much to do. “I’ll see you tomorrow, babe.”
“Love you,” she said, a smile still in her voice.
“Love you too.” She disconnected and I let out a breath. That woman was going to be the end of me. As well as the beginning. And everything in between.
I sat up, took a pull from my Guinness, and nearly gagged. Nothing was worse than warm beer. I turned the music back to full blast, walked downstairs to grab a fresh beer, and then got back to work on the surprise for my future wife.
The next day I was exhausted. Not only had I gotten up late for work but I’d hardly gotten any sleep at all. All night I was lying in bed, alone, missing Riley and thinking about what she’d said about wanting to get married as soon as possible. The fact of the matter was planning a wedding didn’t all of a sudden become less work. Riley was still taking on a lot, and even though she’d suddenly become excited about it, it didn’t mean it wasn’t going to put a strain on her or cause her stress.
I’d been brainstorming ideas into the early morning. At some point I even took out my cell phone and did some research, all the while fighting the temptation to call Riley and get her input. But I didn’t want her to be exhausted while she traveled.
I was on my second espresso when her text came through.
**Kinda wishing this banana wasn’t so much a banana.**
Of course the text was accompanied by a photo of my sexy fiancée with a familiar yellow fruit shoved halfway in her mouth. A sly grin and a wink as well. Her teeth just gently breaching the outside of the fruit.
I had to laugh as I pictured her in the middle of the airport taking a selfie with a banana in her mouth. There weren’t many innocent reasons to do that. Fuck, I loved her.
**Flight boards in ten minutes. I can’t wait to see you. Or your banana.**
I laughed again. Couldn’t help it. She was so fucking cute.
**I can’t wait to see you either. Fly safe. Love you.**
**Love you too.**
I managed to finish my day at work and not fuck up any contracts, but my head definitely wasn’t in the game. I rushed back to the house to put the finishing touches on Riley’s surprise and then made one stop before heading to the airport.
When I finally spotted her coming from the secure terminal, I couldn’t help the huge smile that crept across my face. She looked beautiful walking toward me with a white garment bag, smile plastered across her face as she picked up her pace, closing the distance between us quicker.
When she was finally within arm’s reach, my free hand wound around her waist and hers went to my nape and our mouths met in a kiss probably not entirely chaste, but more than likely seen at an airport a time or two before. Lovers reuniting usually didn’t care too much if they were being slightly inappropriate. In fact, I couldn’t help it much if my hand slipped off her waist and over the roundness of her ass, pulling her into me further.
“Jesus, I missed you,” I rumbled against her lips, loving the way I could feel her smiling against me.
“Take me home,” she whispered.
“Fuck, yes.”
She smiled and kissed me again, then pulled away, making me growl.
“These are for you,” I said, holding out the bundle of peonies I’d picked up on the way.
Her mouth opened in a little O that made my dick jump in my pants, and then her eyes met mine as she wrapped her hand around the stems.
“Camden, that’s so sweet. You know I love peonies.”
“I do,” I said triumphantly. Every other fiancé in the Portland Metro area could kiss my ass. No one’s girl was as happy as mine was right then. I had a few tricks still up my sleeve.
“Thank you,” she said with a blush that crept down her throat. That also made my dick hard.
“Let’s go,” I said, taking the garment bag from her and then threading our fingers together.
“Careful with my dress,” she said, still smiling and happy.
“Is this the dress?” I asked, even though I knew the answer.
“Yes, and if you peek at it I’m going to be so mad.”
“I’m not going to peek.”
“No? You’re not curious?”
“I mean, I’m curious, but I’ve been looking forward to that stereotypical moment where I see you in the dress for the first time and it’s a big deal. I want that moment. I don’t want to sneak into the closet to look at the dress behind your back. That wouldn’t be very groomy of me.”
“Aw, you’re the best groom ever.” She tilted her head up and gave me that dazzling smile of hers. “I can’t wait for that moment, babe.” She squeezed my hand and I could have sworn I felt it on my heart.
This woman.
She had me.
And I wanted to make it official just as soon as she did.
“Oh,” she said, pulling on my hand. “I almost forgot! I had to check my bag since I carried my dress onto the plane. We have to go to baggage claim.”
“Okay. Lead the way.”
We walked through the airport at a leisurely pace and followed all the signs to the baggage carousel. The belt was already running and people were plucking their suitcases off left and right.
“Oh, that one’s mine,” she said, pointing. “The one with the flannel scarf tied to the handle.”
“Got it,” I said and moved to the belt, reaching it just in time to grab the bag and move out of everyone else’s way. “This everything?” I asked when I made it back to her.
“Yeah,” she said, scrunching her nose in the ridiculously sexy and cute way she did that made me think it wasn’t everything at all.
“What is it?” I said with a laugh. “Just tell me.”
“I was in a window seat on the plane and didn’t want to bother anyone, so I kind of have to find a ladies’ room.”
I lifted my arms at my sides, complete with dress in one hand and suitcase in the other. “I’ll be here.”
“Thanks,” she said as she rose onto her tiptoes and pressed a kiss against my cheek. She turned and walked away from me, leaving me thinking I’d stand there forever holding anything for her. It was with that thought that I put her suitcase down and pulled out my phone, finally making the decision I’d been mulling over all night and all day.
I pushed Call on a contact and then put the phone to my ear.
“Hey, it’s me,” I said quietly when they answered. I knew logically Riley would be a few more minutes, but I wanted to get this conversation over with quickly. “I need your help with something.”