Ben wrapped his arms around Paige, swung her around, and tipped her back. He captured her lips in a kiss full of the hope, love, and passion he felt since getting to know her. The photographer they hired captured the moment, but Ben didn’t care. He didn’t need photographic proof to remember this day.
When he broke the kiss and swung her back to her feet upright, Paige’s laugh rang out, startling the seagulls fishing nearby. The gentle waves provided a soothing cadence to their nuptials. They decided to be barefoot in the sand as they exchanged their vows in front of the minister. Ben’s tan linen pants and matching open neck shirt were lightweight enough to be perfect for the May evening, but Paige stole the show in her flowy dress with tiered skirt, spaghetti straps and deep vee neckline.
“Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Weston,” the officiant said.
Ben and Paige thanked the man for leading their sunset ceremony. They accept congratulations from the destination wedding director and the photographer, who also served as witnesses to the wedding. And then the newlyweds were alone.
“May I have this dance, Mrs. Weston?” Ben extended a hand and formally bowed in front of her.
She giggled. “We don’t have any music.”
He took her hand and twirled her into his arms. “We don’t need any.”
They began to sway to the sound of the waves, the sunset casting a soft glow around them. Ben held her gaze, unable to look away.
“You’re breathtaking.”
Her smile was radiant. “I must be because you cried when I walked down the beach toward you.”
“Happy tears, baby. Most definitely, happy tears.”
She caressed his cheek. “No more tears. Only smiles. We’ve come too far for anything else.”
They had far to go, but Ben wouldn’t disagree with her. She made him proud when she testified at Darius Boyd’s arraignment, and the man was held without bond for murder, extortion, and fraud. Once Atlas Security turned over the evidence they uncovered, Boyd’s fate was sealed even without Paige’s eyewitness testimony. Cassius withdrew his campaign for president, and the Boyd family hid from society, not even appearing in court.
Ben had been cleared of any wrongdoing in Mars’ death. The man’s true identity remained a mystery, but that was a mystery left to be unraveled by law enforcement.
Paige moved in with him and started plans to get her photography business up and going. So far, she’d found several satisfied customers to keep her out of the red, but she was farfrom achieving the success she enjoyed before she had to go into hiding.
Because of the court proceedings, building her business and settling back into her life, Paige had little time to focus on wedding planning. When she asked Ben about eloping, he’d readily agreed because all that mattered to him was being married to the love of his life. When they asked his family if they would be upset with the elopement, they insisted they supported the couple no matter what type of wedding they decided to have.
Paige and Ben wanted the wedding to be just the two of them. With the choice made, they secured their marriage license, picked a weekend, and headed to Hawaii for their dream ceremony.
“You know what I’m thinking, Mrs. Weston?”
“That you’re hungry? Because I know I’m starving. I’ve been too nervous to eat much today. I’ve gotten my appetite back all of a sudden.”
He kissed her, never tiring of the taste of her lips. “I’m hungry all right. I just don’t have food on my mind.”
Her eyes brightened with a mixture of love and desire. “Hmm. I’m not thinking of food now either.”
Their bungalow was up the beach nearby, and with their hands linked, the couple hurried toward their home away from home. Once inside, Ben cradled her face, memorizing each lovely feature.
“I love you, Paige Weston. I think I fell in love with you that day on the playground when you stood up for the scrawny little boy with a stutter.”
Her eyes glistened with unshed tears. “You mean you didn’t fall in love with me when I broke your nose?”
He barked out a chuckle that quickly grew into a belly laugh. She joined in, and Ben marveled at how good it felt to laugh with her. He pulled her closer and placed a lingering kiss on her lips. Her fingers were on the buttons of his shirt, and soon they were frantically removing any barriers preventing their bodies from touching.
His hands and his lips caressed her neck, her breasts, her stomach, and her core until she writhed underneath him. She touched his hair, his biceps, his six-pack, and his ass as she pushed him inside her. They carried each other to the height of passion, falling over the cliff of their climax together. Coming down from the high, they cradled each other in a tangle of limbs.
“Happy, Mrs. Weston?” He pressed his lips to her hair.
“More than I thought possible.”
“That’s exactly how I feel.”
She propped her head up with her hand and smiled at him. “And we still have the rest of our lives to make each other even happier.”
