“Gladly, Wife.”
Theo stripped Vinita, his lips trailing over each inch of dark chocolate skin. He marveled at its silkiness as he discovered every dip and valley, the parts of her he’d missed that morning. Vinita tugged at his clothes, awkwardly pulling them from him as he lavished his attention on her body. Once she stood naked, Theo led her to the mirror hung on the wall above a dressing table. He stood behind her, his hands cupping her breasts. He squeezed the firm flesh as his thumbs and forefingers rolled her nipples. She drew her hair aside as he kissed along her neck, then across her shoulder. His hands slid down her body. One rested on her belly while the other dipped between her legs.
“Do you want children, Theo?”
“Before meeting you, the thought was always about obligation. Now, it’s an exciting prospect to build a family with you, to make a new person who is half you and half me. I marvel at that idea. I pray our children look like you. I cannot imagine a more adorable baby than one with your smile and hazel eyes.”
“You wish them to look like me? I thought the same about you. I would bear you sons who grow as tall and strong as their father, the very image of you.”
“Our children will simply have to be the best of both of us.” Theo nipped at the crook of her neck before kissing down and between her shoulder blades.
“Husband, you are overdressed. I cannot enjoy my favorite part if it’s hiding within your breeches.”
“Will you exhaust me with your demands?”
“I shall endeavor to do just that. Remove your trousers, please.”
Theo happily obliged. Once he was naked, he let his cock press against the divide between her buttocks. She turned her head and looked back over her shoulder. They kissed in that position until they both grew frustrated with the awkwardness. Vinita turned and wrapped her arms around Theo’s neck. He lifted her, and her legs wrapped around his waist as they had the night before. He walked her to a wall and pressed her back to it, just like he had against the palace wall.
“I love you, Nita. No matter what, I will always stand beside you. I will always put us and the family we’ll make ahead of all else. There is nothing more important than you.”
“I feel the same. I shall support you in every way I can. I will be an ear who will listen, a shoulder to lean upon, and arms that will always open to you.”
Their kiss was languid as they explored each other’s mouths. They experimented with how their tongues moved together. When they were breathless and pulled apart, Theo walked them to the bed. He climbed on as she clung to him. He rested on his back, much like he had that morning, but his hands gripped her hips. He lifted her until the head of his cock pressed at her entrance.
“We will go at your pace, sweetling. You determine the speed and how we move. If you dislike anything, or it pains you beyond the first few moments, we find a different position.”
“The same to you, my darling. If you don’t enjoy something, do not suffer through it on my account.”
“No part of making love to you could ever be suffering. The only suffering is the impatience I feel right now.”
Vinita smiled as she lowered herself onto his cock. It soon met her barrier. She nodded as their eyes met. Together, they dropped her weight onto his rod. She squeezed her eyes shut, her hands gripping the sheets. But the sharp burst of pain faded as quickly as it started. She rocked as she grew accustomed to the feeling of fullness. Her button rubbed against his pubic bone, and it inflamed her need for more.
Theo watched, fascinated, as Vinita discovered what brought her pleasure. He’d never been with a virgin, and it was like experiencing coupling again for the first time. Except this time, he wasn’t fumbling and embarrassed by how little endurance he had. He fought the need for release with more success than when he was a young man. He guided his wife as she rode his length. He helped her find what excited her most.
“Theo, this—I can’t—I didn’t know it would feel this good.”
“Neither did I. It’s because we love each other. This is more than just a physical act. We are one.”
“One body, one heart, one mind.”
“From this day until our last.”
Theo pressed Vinita’s hips down as he surged into her twice more before he could no longer fight the need to climax, her release squeezing the seed from him. They lay in each other’s embrace, Theo stroking her back, and Vinita kissing his shoulder. It wasn’t long before the soothing touches put them both to sleep.
“It seems odd to know we’re all already married yet we’re about to attend our wedding.” Vinita adjusted the head piece that held an ornately embroidered length of fabric to her hair. She watched Sarla don the last of her bangles. Suniti slid on her shoes.
“It is, but I couldn’t be happier.” Suniti beamed as she thought about seeing Rob in traditional Indian clothing. All three men embraced the idea and were eager to adopt their wives’ culture. It went far to ease the tension that lingered between the sisters’ parents and their grooms.
“Are you ready?” Sarla moved to the door and opened it, only to find her mother’s fist raised, ready to knock.
“I was coming to check on you. Your husbands are pacing. They look like they fear you won’t show. Come and put their minds at ease. I actually feel sorry for them.” Chandra smiled as she kissed each daughter on the cheek as they passed her. They followed their mother outside to where the ceremony would begin. It wasn’t long before each bride stood beside her groom for a very different wedding from the one they had three days earlier beside the river.
“Are you happy, Nita?” Theo asked as the ceremony concluded.
“Beyond measure.”
Rob leaned to whisper to Suniti. “I love you more with each passing moment. Meeting you was the greatest blessing I could ever receive.”
