Love Without Rules (Contemporary Romance) (10 page)

Slow, romantic music, played by expert violinists and pianists, filled the air with all sorts of beautiful melodies. The scent of fresh flowers was abundant, and the entire venue was draped in white. It was Sydney’s wedding day!

The wedding was set to begin in an hour, and many of the guests had already arrived. The whole church was abuzz with excitement. So many of Sydney’s fans had wanted to come, that she had finally ended up holding a contest and had chosen twenty-five lucky people to come. Sydney herself was back in one of the private rooms, getting ready.

“Oh, Syd, don’t be nervous! You look so gorgeous. And you know what? I don’t hate the bridesmaid dress, as I know I probably should.” Anna laughed as she spun around in the light pink chiffon dress, watching it twirl around her body.

Sydney stood in front of the full-length mirror, a vision in white. She had lost some weight over the past few months due to her exercising and dancing, and she looked
amazing.
She and Anna had spent hours in the wedding dress shop, picking out the perfect gown. They had eventually settled on a body-hugging strapless dress that accentuated all her curves. Sydney hadn’t seen Drew all day, for she believed in the superstition that it was bad luck to see the bride before the wedding.

“If Drew doesn’t faint when he sees you, girl, I will personally demand a refund from that dress shop!” Anna joked. “I’ve got something for you, Syd!” Anna rifled through her purse and pulled out a small blue hairpin. “Something borrowed, something blue?” she quoted the old wedding rhyme as she slid the pin into Sydney’s hair. It fit in perfectly with her white lace veil.

“Oh, Anna, it looks wonderful,” Sydney gushed. She felt so overwhelmed with joy, that this was finally her big day, with the love of her life. Small tears formed at the corners of her eyes.

“No, Syd, you can’t cry! You’ll ruin your makeup!” Anna exclaimed hurriedly.

There was a knock at the door. Anna was about to go and open it when it was pushed open before her hand touched the handle. Drew’s grinning face popped out. “Hello, ladies!”

“No!” Sydney yelled as she scrambled behind the door, hiding herself. “You can’t see me, Drew! It’s bad luck!”

He walked into the room and swept Sydney up in an embrace. Anna smiled cheekily as she slipped into the bathroom to give them some private time. “Oh, Sydney, I’ve been searching for you for so long, I simply can’t stay away from you for too long. We don’t need luck, I know we’ll work perfectly. Because I love you. And good God, you look simply scrumptious!” He kissed her.

“Oh, Drew.” She blushed as she relaxed in his arms. “Are we really going to get married? This feels like a dream.” She laughed happily.

“Alright, visiting time is over! I have to reapply her makeup now, thanks to you!” Anna grumbled as she hurried out of the washroom, makeup kit in hand. She flipped it open expertly and pulled out exactly what she was looking for: a Chanel lipstick.

“Okay, okay!” Drew held out his hands in front of him in mock surrender. “I’d better go before Anna bites my head off. This suit is new, can’t get blood all over it.” Anna growled humorously at this remark. “I’ll see you later, baby.”

Sydney was going to say bye, but Anna shushed her. “If you talk, I’ll mess up!” she warned. “Okay, I’m done,” she said a few minutes later. “You look great!”

“Thank you so much, An. I knew there was a reason that I chose you to be my maid of honor,” Sydney joked. “Seriously though, An, I love you.” Sydney pulled her best friend in for a hug. “And our friendship means so much to me.”

“You mean the world to me too, Syd. I’m so happy for you. Drew is such a catch.”

The two ladies settled down onto a sofa, Sydney sitting very carefully as to not wreck her dress. It was half an hour to show time, and for some reason, she wasn’t nervous. She was actually rather excited. She was going to marry the man of her dreams, and maybe, just maybe, get her happily ever after.

“So where are you going on your honeymoon?” Anna asked as she sipped on some champagne.

Sydney’s face lit up in happiness. “Oh, it’s going to be great! Drew doesn’t know about it. He thinks we’re just going to Hawaii, and then back home, but in fact, with the extra bit of money I earned from the clinic… I got a deal from the travel agent, and we’ll be going to Hawaii, then to
Hong Kong,
and then Paris! He’s always wanted to travel the world and he gave that up to help me with the book.”

“Aww, that’s so sweet!” Anna gushed.

“Yeah… The entire honeymoon will take about a couple weeks. So after the reception, I won’t see you for a while.” Sydney frowned.

“Oh, Syd, don’t worry about it! Just have fun. You really deserved this. All this.” Anna pulled Sydney in for a tight squeeze. “Come on, it’s almost time!” She pulled away and grabbed Sydney’s hand, pulling her towards the door to the main church hall, where the ceremony was to take place. Anna also grabbed the bouquet as she walked.

“Phew, there is a
huge
crowd out there.” Anna said as she peeked in through the doors. All the seats were nearly filled with waiting guests. Drew was also waiting at the altar, looking very dapper in his black-and-white suit.

The wedding planner, Luna, walked by them. “Beautiful dress, Sydney. You’re on in one. As soon as you hear the music, count to ten, and come out!”

“Thanks, Luna.” Sydney grinned as Luna pushed open the door and headed inside.

“This is going to be amazing,” Anna squealed. They giggled as the soft first tones of “Here Comes the Bride” started to play. “Oh, here we go.”

“One… Two… Three…” Sydney and Anna counted together in a whisper. “Eight… Nine… Show time!”

Anna pushed open the door and Sydney held the bouquet in front of her as she took a step. Everyone was standing, just for her. She moved slowly, to the beat of the music. All eyes were on her, including Drew’s.

He smiled as she walked, and she could see the love in his eyes.

She always loved that part. She was at a lot of weddings and she always liked watching the groom’s smile. It was always so dreamy, and they always looked like they were so in love. And now she was watching her own husband-to-be have the exact same look on his face.

Sydney reached the altar and everyone sat down. “Hi,” she mouthed at Drew.

He winked at her.

“Welcome, dearly beloved…” The pastor started the ceremony. He continued to talk, and Sydney and Drew exchanged their vows. “Do you, Sydney Stone, take Drew Alex Young to be your lawfully wedded husband?”

Sydney had a small prickle of tears in her eye. “I do.”

“And do you, Drew Alex Young, take Sydney Stone, to be your lawfully wedded wife?”

Drew was not as watery, but just as emotional. “I most definitely do.”

They exchanged the rings. Hers was a beautiful silver one with a pretty stone in the middle.

“I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride!”

Sydney and Drew shared their first kiss as a wedded couple, as the audience cheered. “I’ll see you all at the reception!” Sydney grinned.

The wedding reception was set for an hour later, which gave the guests plenty of time to mingle and find their seats. Sydney and Drew returned to the dressing room. Sydney shut the door, and Drew immediately pulled her into his arms, kissing her deeply. “God, I’ve been waiting to marry you for the longest time.” He laughed breathlessly before returning to her lips.

“Mm, me too.” Sydney grinned as Drew held her close.

There was a knock on the door. “Hey, newlyweds! Guess who!” It was Anna.

“Come on in, guys.” Sydney pulled open the door and Anna walked in, with Derek following suit.

“Isn’t Luna wonderful? She does the most amazing weddings.” Anna laughed as she hugged Sydney. “Oh, I’m so happy right now. Is there still some champagne left?”

“Whoa, slow down there, tiger.” Derek pulled Anna back. “We still have the reception to drink, don’t get drunk now!”

“Bah, you’re no fun.” Anna wailed mockingly before sitting on a sofa. “What’s the surprise entertainment for the reception? You said there would be someone else in addition to the band?” she asked curiously. Sydney and Drew had managed to keep it a secret from everyone but themselves.

“Oh, you’ll find out,” Sydney said with a giggle.

They talked for a little bit more before Drew announced that the limo was ready to take them to the restaurant. Sydney grabbed a small duffel bag and the two couples piled into the black limo.

The reception started promptly, and everyone was having a great time eating and drinking. About an hour and a half in, Sydney stood up. “It’s time for the entertainment!” she announced. Everyone turned their attention to the center of the room. Drew also stood up.

Luna stepped out from the shadows and draped the newlyweds in a big cloth. “One, two… THREE!” she counted before pulling the cloth down.

The crowd gasped.

Sydney and Drew had made a complete costume change! “Where did you learn that?!” Anna exclaimed in surprise.

“We… may have hired a magician,” Sydney giggled. She had changed from her wedding dress into a slinky red dress, and Drew was wearing a skin-tight suit.

They walked to the middle of the floor, and it was clear what the entertainment was.

“DJ, turn it up!” Sydney laughed as she and Drew struck a pose.

This was a special routine that Ivy had created just for them, and this was the first time it was going to be performed. Sydney was nervous, but she had practiced so many times, this routine was second nature to her.

The crowd cheered and clapped as Sydney started the routine.

Drew spun her around effortlessly, dipping her, spinning her, picking her up. It was clear that they were good partners, and they were just as good as professional dancers.

“I love you, Drew,” Sydney whispered as the music switched to a slow crawl, and they grew closer.

Drew held her tightly on her waist, as he snuck in a kiss on her neck. “And I, you, Mrs. Young.”

Sydney smiled widely as she relaxed into the dance. This was so perfect. She had her dream wedding, she had her dream man, and she was going to have her dream honeymoon. All of this had happened from something so terrible, and she felt like it was a miracle it had all turned out okay. But it seemed like her lucky stars had been in alignment. This was her happily ever after, and she couldn’t wait to spend the rest of her days with the love of her life.

In childhood I observed a huge love between my mother and father and promised myself that one day I would meet a man whom I would fall in love with head over heels. At the age of 16, I wrote my first romance story that was published in a student magazine and was read by my entire neighborhood. I enjoy writing romance stories that readers can turn into captivating imaginary movies where characters fall in love, overcome difficult obstacles, and participate in best adventures of their lives. Most of the time you can find me reading a great fiction book in a cozy armchair, writing a romance story in a hammock near the ocean, or traveling around the world with my beloved husband.

If you liked this book, you will also like
In Love with a Haunted House
.
Another interesting book is
A Dream for Two
. I also highly recommend you to read
Love for Dessert
.

In Love With a Haunted House

The last thing Mallory Clark wants to do is move back home. She has no choice, though, since the company she worked for in Chicago has just downsized her, and everybody else. To make matters worse her fiancé has broken their engagement, and her heart, leaving her hurting and scarred. When her mother tells her that the house she always coveted as a child, the once-famed Gray Oaks Manor, is not only on the market but selling for a song, it seems to Mallory that the best thing she could possibly do would be to put Chicago, and everything and everyone in it, behind her. Arriving back home she runs into gorgeous and mysterious Blake Hunter. Blake is new to town and like her he is interested in buying the crumbling old Victorian on the edge of the historic downtown center, although his reasons are his own. Blake is instantly intrigued by the flame-haired beauty with the fiery temper and the vulnerable expression in her eyes. He can feel the attraction between them and knows it is mutual, but he also knows that the last thing on earth he needs is to get involved with a woman determined to take away a house he has to have.