Ready to Wed (9 page)

I had written vows, and memorized them. It had taken me days, and I done nothing this morning but pace my hotel room reciting them. And now, nothing. I was just a rambling, gushing mess of words. But, it wasn’t pretty speeches and memorization that made a vow. It was what came from the heart, and suddenly forgetting my page-long vows didn’t seem so bad.

“I promise to always make you pizza whenever you want. I will never leave the house without first kissing you goodbye and promising chocolate on my return. I will always put you and Maddie first in my life—you two are my life. I vow to spend every day of my life proving to you that the promises you just made to me were worth it—that we’re worth it. I promise to always play the guitar for you when you have trouble falling asleep. I will never sweat the small stuff or allow the sun to set with anger in our bed.” I gave Tom a meaningful look and he nodded. Repeating the words she said to me, I said, “You are my family, my future and my forever….and I will walk with you wherever this crazy road called life may take us.”

Her hands tightened around mine and tiny tears trickled down her cheek. I reached up and gently wiped them away.

“Now that Clare and Logan have said their vows, they will now exchange rings. Rings are a symbolic representation of the love between a husband and wife. As a ring has no beginning or end, your lives are now joined in one unbroken circle, for love that is given comes back around again. May these rings you exchange today always remind you of the vows you have taken today and of the promises that have been made.”

We had no ring bearer, so Colin and Leah served as our official keeper of the rings. Leah stepped forward and handed Clare my ring, and gave us a teary eyed wink.

Clare took the ring in her right hand and positioned it over my ring finger before saying, “With this ring, I give you my heart, soul and unending love. With this ring, I marry you.”

She slipped the cool platinum band down my ring finger, and our eyes locked. It slid into place and I felt like a missing piece of my soul had just returned.

Colin tapped my shoulder and handed me the ring that I would place on Clare’s finger. It was simple and handmade to match her antique wedding engagement ring. Repeating the same process, I took her left hand and positioned the ring and said, “ With this ring, I give you my heart, soul and unending love. With this ring, I marry you.”

Her eyes followed my movements as I slid her wedding ring down her slim finger.

“Now that they have recited vows and exchanged rings, I only have one thing left to do,” the minister said and I grinned.

“You have made lifelong promises of love and faithfulness today, sealing yourselves to each other for all the days of your life. By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife.”

Turning to me, who was no doubt grinning like a fool, he said, “You may now kiss your bride.”

He didn’t have to tell me twice. I closed the small gap that separated us and kissed my wife. Our lips met and, like every time I kissed Clare, it felt like the first time. I wove my fingers into her hair and deepened our kiss, forgetting that there were about fifteen people around us, including my brand new mother- and father-in-law.

Better save some of that for later.

I reluctantly pulled away, just enough that our foreheads still touched, and I could feel her damp cheeks against mine.

Laughing slightly, our minister said, “May I introduce, for the first time, Mr. And Mrs. Logan Matthews!”

I liked the sound of that.

~Clare~

I was really starting to regret the idea of a reception.

I loved my family and friends, but honestly…I wanted them all gone. Now.

Logan and I were married.
Finally.

I wanted nothing more than just him and me and an endless amount of time to spend naked in a bed.

But I was the one who wanted a reception. Logan had said he didn’t want anything after we said I do except me. Naked. I’d told him we needed to respect our family who’d flown out for the event, so he grumbled and agreed. We’d planned a small reception, opting out of many of the traditional things done at a larger wedding. Just a meal and cake was on the schedule for tonight, but I knew it would still be forever before we got out of here.

I hated that he was right all the time.

I didn’t have a watch, but I was assuming it would be at least three hours before we could get out of here. After that, we had an entire week of vacation. We weren’t calling it a honeymoon, because we had decided to include Maddie. The grandparents had all offered to take her for a week, but this had originally been our vacation, until we switched into our wedding celebration. We didn’t want to kick her out of her own vacation. Plus, we were a new family and Logan was a new father. We not only needed time as a couple, but time as a family.

So, we were having a honeymoon, plus one. We could have a real honeymoon later. We still had our own bedroom and had activities planned for Maddie so we could have alone time when we needed it, but this felt right. We didn’t know what our lives would be like in the next few months, and spending as much time together as possible sounded like the best option.

“I was right, wasn’t I?” Logan whispered into my ear, returning with a glass of champagne from the bar.

“About what, dear husband?” I asked innocently.

“Mmm…say it again,” he growled.

“Husband?”

“Yes.” He wrapped his arms around my hips and pulled me forward. “I like that.
A lot
.”

“I can tell,” I said, sliding my hand down his backside.

“Clare…,” he warned.

“Yes, husband?”

“That’s it. Meet me in the hallway, just over there,” he said, pointing to my right, “In three minutes. Three minutes Clare.”

I looked at him a bit amused. “Where are you going?”

“I’m going to cash in a favor.”

Before I could ask him anymore, he was gone.

I didn’t have a watch. How the hell was I supposed to tell when it’d been three minutes? I started counting in my head,
one-one-thousand, two-one-thousand….
and made my way around the small room, smiling and hugging as I continued to count in my head. I was just hoping no one asked me anything, otherwise I’d lose count. I was up to eight-nine.

“Honey, where did Logan run off to?” my mother asked, breaking my concentration.

Crap.

“Oh, um…I don’t know. Probably to loosen up his tie, or check on the hotel room maybe?”

Had it been three minutes yet?

“Ah yes. We moved some of Maddie’s things into our suite for the night, so she’s all set. Are you two staying in the honeymoon suite?”

“Yes. I told Logan it wasn’t necessary. We already had a room…two actually. But he insisted, so I relented.”

“Well I’m sure it will be perfect.”

“Yes, it will be,” I said, just as I saw Logan dart his head in and search the room. His gaze settled on me and I knew my three minutes were up.

“I’ll be right back, Mom,” I said, not bothering to hear what she said after that. The look Logan had just given me was scorching and I had to hold myself back from running out of the room.

Without causing too much of a scene, and being sure I said hello to everyone as I passed, I made my way toward the exit. Just as I was about to make my disappearing act, I ran head first into a brick wall.

I heard a chuckle. “Looks like you’re ditching your own party, Big Sis,” Garrett said.

I blushed and bit my lip, glancing around in hopes no one had noticed.

“I was just going to….” I stumbled on my words, trying to think up an excuse.

Garrett gave me a knowing grin, his green eyes glowing with mischief. A perfect match set to my own. It was something we’d both inherited from my mother.

“It’s cool, Clare. I don’t want to know,” he said, shaking his head and holding up his hands in defeat.

“I’m happy for you, Sis. You deserve it.”

“Thank you Garrett. That means a lot. Maybe we’ll be doing the same thing at your wedding a few years from now? I promise I’ll let you go quietly into the hallway, too,” I joked.

His eyes went glassy and he turned away.

“Yeah, maybe.”

He gave me another quick hug and told me to make my getaway while I still could. I ducked into the hallway and was immediately grabbed around the waist and pushed against the wall.

“It’s been more than three minutes,” Logan growled.

“I don’t have a watch,” I answered, holding up my wrist which only had a small strand of pearls circling it.

“Come on,” he said, taking my hand in his and pulling me towards a closed door down the hall.

“Where are we going?”

We reached the door, and he quietly opened it and we ducked inside. It was the grand ballroom, dark and unused, since Logan had rented out the entire hotel.

“I can’t wait another minute, Clare. I need to have my hands on you. Seeing you in that dress…knowing that you’re finally my wife. It’s driving me insane.”

He lifted me up and set me down on one of the round tables that were scattered around the room.

“What if someone comes in here?” I asked, biting my lip and totally loving the idea of doing something naughty.

“Believe me, no one’s coming in here. Colin’s making sure of that.”

My eyes widened. “You don’t mean he’s out there,” I said, pointing to the door, “standing watch?”

“What? No! Do you think I’d let that horn dog anywhere near here? He’s paying off the staff.”

“Oh,” I said, smiling. “Well, how exactly are you going to get me out of this dress without me looking like a train wreck when we go back in?”

He flashed me a wolfish grin. “Who said I was going to take off the dress? I am definitely keeping the dress on. For now.”

He stood between my legs and pulled me close, leaning down to kiss my lips. He was gentle at first, but became more urgent and heated. He fisted my hair and slanted my head so he could deepen the kiss. Moving down my neck, he kissed my collarbone and shoulder.

“Lie back,” he commanded.

I did as I was told, and leaned back until my back hit the table top. His hands flitted down my curves, over my hips until he knelt and they found the hem of my dress. He lifted it and examined my champagne high heels.

“Nice.” His eyes traveled to my legs. “Are these the stockings I bought for you?” he asked, his eyes quickly traveling up to meet mine in question.

“Yes,” I answered.

He wrapped his fingers around my ankles and slowly started sliding his hands up until the found my hip and the lace top of the stockings where the blue garter was.

Logan stood, pushing my skirt up as he did.

“Christ. That’s got to be the best money I’ve ever spent.”

“And you haven’t even seen all of it yet,” I reminded him.

“Don’t tempt me Clare. We need to keep you presentable for the family,” he grinned.

Running his hands up my thighs, he paused. “I was just going to make you come because we don’t have a lot of time. But seeing you like this, all spread out before me like a fucking platter? Now all I want to do is bury myself in you.”

I pushed up to my elbows and gave him a challenging look.

“Then what’s stopping you?”

He growled and suddenly I was in the air. My legs wrapped around his waist seconds before he pushed us against the wall opposite of where we’d come in.

My skirt was gathered around my hips, and I heard the telltale sound of Logan’s zipper and belt. All my insides went tight in anticipation as his hand slid up my thigh to push aside my lacy blue thong.

“We’re going to consummate our marriage in an empty ballroom, standing against a wall, with our family down the hall. You okay with that?”

I could feel him hard and ready against me, waiting for my answer.

“Yes, Logan. God, yes,” I managed to say as he plunged into my slick core.

I muffled my cries and moans against his shoulder as he pumped in and out, filling me completely with every stroke.

“I love you. So fucking much,” he said roughly, slamming into my body harder. I could feel the orgasm building in my belly, swirly and twirling in my body like a tornado. His eyes focused on mine and he must have seen it in my eyes, because he took my mouth seconds before I cried out my orgasm, muting the sounds with our kiss.

One hand snaked around my body and found my bare ass. As he braced us against the wall with the other, he pulled me closer. His strokes were fast and uncontrolled, and within seconds his eyes glazed over and he gave a guttural moan as he came.

Still panting and in our post-coital haze, both of us jumped when there was a knock on the door.

“Logan!” Colin whispered.

“What the fuck do you want, man?” He suddenly looked down to make sure I was covered in case Colin was dumb enough to walk in. I really hoped he wasn’t.

“They’re starting to notice you guys are gone. Might want to hurry things along,” he laughed.

“All right, thanks.”

We turned to each other and couldn’t help but laugh a little.

“Guess we better go before we get busted with our pants down!” Logan said.