“Shit, yes. Do you think I want to follow him?” she says, making everyone else and me laugh. Then she squeezes my hands and looks up at me with those sapphire blue eyes. “Everyone knows that I love the beach. They probably think it’s because I grew up here, which is partly true. As a kid, I liked coming down here to build sandcastles and dip my toes in the sand. It was, after all, the coolest backyard a little girl could have. But I didn’t really fall in love with the beach until the summer before my sophomore year, when a boy knocked on my bedroom door and asked if I wanted to go for a walk.”
My eyes start to sting. I’m going to fucking cry in front of everyone, aren’t I?
Her eyes lock with mine. “I thought I fell in love with you in the weeks and months since we were married, but I realized I’ve been falling for you for years. Since those quiet moments when we walked on this very beach.”
I let out a deep breath. She does the same.
“Hollis, I don’t know where life will lead us. I don’t know what obstacles are ahead. But I do know I’ll be by your side, walking under the moonlight, and finding our way back home, again and again.”
“Well…” Hendrix clears his throat, his voice a bit hoarse. “Not sure what you were worried about, sis.” Then he turns to me. “Good luck following that.”
“I—” My voice cracks as I blink back tears. “Fuck.” Shaking my head, I scrub a hand down my face as a few quiet chuckles echo over the sound of the breaking waves. “I did not think I was going to be this emotional.”
“I did,” Pres and Hendrix say at the same time.
“I had a whole speech prepared. I was going to talk about the first time I saw you at school and those walks on the beach. I was going to tell you how happy you make me, and how I’m going to spend the rest of my life trying to do the same for you.” A teartrickles down her cheek. I’m pretty sure a few fall down mine too. “But now all I can think of is getting to the part where I get to pull you into my arms and kiss you senseless.” Someone wolf whistles in the crowd. “You are my home, Pres. The only one I’ve ever had, and I will love you until my last dying breath.”
Her eyes glisten as she mouths the words, “I love you, too.”
“Well, I guess that’s my cue to move on to the rings portion of the ceremony, huh?” He looks at us expectantly. We look back, waiting. Just when I begin to second-guess our choice of officiant, his brows go up, and pats his suit jacket. “Oh, sorry! Forgot.” He reaches in and pulls out two familiar gold bands, handing one to each of us.
My left hand has felt empty ever since I gave Hen my ring this morning. As if she knows what I’m thinking, Pres smiles and holds out my wedding ring. I give her my hand. “I promise to love you, to cherish you, and to always be by your side wherever life may take us.” She slides the cool band back onto my finger—right where it’s supposed to be.
I hold out her ring, and she offers her hand. With a smirk, I say, “I promise you forever, and this time, I’ll remember every second of it.”
The crowd laughs as I take her hand again. We don’t turn to Hendrix. We don’t break eye contact. We just wait until he chuckles and says, “Well, I guess I can now say by the internet powers vested in me by the golden state of California, I can now pronounce you husband and wife…again!”
She grabs the lapel of my tan suit and pulls me toward her. Nothing about our kiss is chaste or brief. I wrap my arms around her waist and lift her off the ground as people clap and cheer.
I’ve never been happier.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
HOLLIS
“Oh my god, Hollis,” Pres moans, her voice slightly muffled. “Don’t stop.”
She’s got her wedding dress gathered around her waist. My pants and boxers are pooled around my ankles, and we’re going at it like horny teenagers in the closet of her old bedroom.
Or two newlyweds who just snuck off for a quicky before their wedding reception.
I slide my dick out, watching the way her body squeezes me. Then I give her a single thrust. She whimpers, reaching back to dig her fingernails into my thighs. That’s her way of saying I need to stop with all the teasing and just fuck her already.
“You want it hard and fast? Is that what you’re asking for?”
“Yes,” she pants.
I grip her hips. “You gonna be quiet? Anyone could hear.”
She looks back, grinds her ass against me, and grins. “No.”
Jesus.
“Gather your skirt with one hand and hold on to that rod with the other,” I instruct, pointing to the empty closet rod near her head.
This is a nice house. It should be secure.
She does as she’s told, wrapping the delicate lace of her skirt around her arm. Her hand reaches up to grip the bar. Mine circle her waist, resting on her hips. Then I give her what she wants.
