“I was so worried something would go wrong,” he said, beaming at her. “But we made it, we’re married, and no one can change that.”
Unable to resist, he swept her into his arms and lowered his mouth to hers. When he finally let her up, they were both breathless. “Sorry, I couldn’t help myself,” he said, the grin back on his face. “You’re just too tempting.”
She laughed, “Well, I think as my husband, you’re allowed certain liberties,” she said, looping her arms around his neck. “But so am I.”
This time, she kissed him, igniting the passion between them and making the world melt away, but someone clearing their throat next to them finally penetrated the pleasure surging through him. Gently pulling away from Paula, he looked around, wincing when he saw that everyone was waiting for them to eat.
“I think we got carried away again,” he said. “Our guests look hungry, maybe we can save this for later.”
***Paula***
It had been a magical evening, but it wasn’t quite over, and Paula had decided after their first kiss as husband and wife she wasn’t going to hold back. She wasn’t the kind of person to do anything halfway, and being married to Ryan wasn’t going to be any different. The thought of what would happen later that night made her stomach fill with butterflies and her entire body begin to tingle with anticipation, leaving her a little breathless as she followed Connie back into the dressing room to get ready to leave.
“I packed you an overnight bag,” Connie said when they got inside. “A little birdy told me you might need one.”
“Ryan won’t tell me where we’re going,” she pouted, turning her back so Connie could unzip her dress. “Surprises are fun, Paula. Besides, I know for a fact you’re going to love it.”
She looked at her friend over her shoulder. “Were you involved in this?” she asked. “You’d better tell me where we’re going.”
“Nope, not going to do it,” Connie said, helping her out of the wedding dress. “But I do have something for you but don’t get your hopes up that it’s going to tell you where you’re going.”
Connie laid the dress across the back of a chair, then got a box from the corner of the room. “Go on, open it,” she said, a grin on her face.
She lifted the lid to find a complete set of lacy underwear, including a garter belt and silk stockings. They were nicer than anything she’d ever owned, and she was almost afraid to touch them. “Oh, these are beautiful,” she said. “I’ve never had anything like this. I’m not sure I know how to put it on.”
Connie laughed, “I thought just in case…I mean, it is your wedding night,” she said, wiggling her eyebrows at Paula. “We didn’t get to have a bachelorette party or a wedding shower, so I saved them for now.”
“They’re perfect, Ryan won’t know what hit him,” she said, a blush spreading across her cheeks. “We haven’t…I mean…well…with all the wedding planning and everything, we haven’t been alone.”
“Well, then tonight will be very special,” Connie said, hugging her. “He’s a great guy, Paula, you were right, I just know the two of you are going to be very happy.”
They received a big sendoff, complete with a shower of birdseed, as they got into the car, and they left everyone cheering on the sidewalk as they drove away. “Okay, you can tell me where we’re going now,” she said, looking over at him. “The suspense is killing me.”
“I don’t want to ruin the surprise,” Ryan said, shaking his head. “It’s not far, just try to hang on for a few more minutes.”
He wound his way through town, then turned onto the road that led up to the mountain looming over the town, shooting her a smile while he kept driving. About a mile up the road, he turned again and started up a dirt road. She was sure sheknew where they were going, but she stayed silent, excitement bubbling up inside her.
When they pulled up in front of the old hotel, she sat staring up at it. “I’ve always wanted to stay here, it looks so romantic,” she said, looking over at him. “This is perfect, I can’t believe we get to spend the night here.”
“Two nights,” he corrected her, then got out of the car and came around to open her door. “I wish I could take credit, but everyone chipped in. This is our wedding gift from all of them.”
“It’s perfect, I couldn’t have asked for anything better,” she said, letting him help her out of the car. “I can’t wait to see inside.”
They were greeted by the owner and whisked up to the top floor and the honeymoon suite. “I hope you enjoy your stay,” he said, opening the curtains to reveal floor to ceiling windows that gave them a view of the entire town. “I’ve included complimentary breakfast with your stay, just call room service and order anything you like. Congratulations, I hope you’ll both be very happy. We love having newlyweds stay with us.”
When he was gone, she walked over to the window and stared out at the twinkling lights. “It’s like everyone is celebrating our wedding,” she said, looking over her shoulder at Ryan. “I feel a bit like a princess.”
“And you should,” he said, stepping up behind her and wrapping his arms around her. “You deserve to and not just today, every day.”
“I like that you know when to say the right things, you make me feel special, Ryan,” she said, then turned in his arms to face him. “I’m glad we got married. It was scary at first, but I know it was the right decision, and I think it would be really nice if you kissed me right now.”
“I don’t have to be asked twice,” he said, then lowered his mouth to hers in a kiss that ignited the passion between them instantly.
The world around them melted away, and she was only aware of Ryan’s hard body pressed against hers, the way he tasted, the way he smelled, and for the third time that day, she was lost to the pleasure surging through her. This time there was nothing holding them back, no curious eyes watching, and when his hands began to roam over her body, she answered with a moan in her chest as every nerve suddenly came alive.
When his hand found her breast, her nipple hardened through the thin fabric of her dress and this time it was Ryan letting out a moan. Pleasure raced through her as he explored her breasts, kneading the tender flesh and teasing her hardened nipples with his finger and thumb. She was trembling in his arms when he pulled away, her body demanding more, her brain right in line with the desire flooding her system for the first time.
Ryan tried to pull away, tried to put some space between them, but she held on, then reached up and slowly stripped his jacket off, then began to unbutton is shirt. “Paula, hold on,” he said, grabbing her hands. “Are you sure about this? There’s no rush, we can take our time, get to know each other better.”
