And true enough, she saw traces of hesitancy. So far, he’d exuded only confidence, but there was a disquiet there from putting himself on the line, mixed with relief that it had all turned out okay. He needn’t have worried.
‘As if I’d say no. I’m besotted with you, Sean Butler, and being your wife would be an honour and a delight.’
Sean’s unerring confidence flowed back in, in the form of the most gorgeous smile Cherry had ever seen.
‘Besotted is a good word,’ he said. ‘In case you haven’t noticed, you have knocked me off my size thirteens, Cherry Paradise. And I can think of no greater honour or delight than being your husband. Let’s get a licence and get ourselves married in a New York minute.’
Two days’ later, under an inferno of July sunshine and a small blaze of pink confetti, Cherry and Sean tripped down the steps of City Hall and into married life together.
‘Welcome to your new husband, Mrs Butler.’ Sean held her waist as she tipped back, teetering on one white Manolo.
‘Thank you, Mr Butler. Welcome to your wife.’
And as her husband kissed her, Cherry knew she’d married the right man. She would never tire of Sean’s kiss. If she hadn’t known the moment she laid eyes on him that he was her forever, then the kiss on the dance floor had well and truly communicated that. His strong hands, rough from crafting thousands of whisky barrels, were tender on the nape of her neck. The soft touch of his lips was at first gentle and slow – a contrast to the feelings ricocheting back and forth between them. It was a rare find, a man who recognised that even when fireworks were going off like a hundred Hogmanays, the kiss had to be different. The kiss had to communicate sparks but also feelings.
Sean Butler knew this.
And Cherry was melting for him.
Melting for her new husband. And just melting. NewYork City summer was in full-on pizza oven mode. How was Sean coping in his kilt? She at least had on a white dress. The twenty-four-hour period from the marriage licence being granted to the wedding taking place had afforded her the chance to shop for a beautiful ankle-grazing, cap-sleeve gown. And they had bought each other rings – hers white gold with iridescent diamonds, his a yellow-gold band. Sure, she had just married a man she’d known less than a week, but the dress and the ring mattered. Although, not nearly as much as the fever for the man. That was the most important thing, and she well and truly had that.
‘How many photos do you want?’ Sean’s older brother, Jamie, asked from the foot of the steps. Not wanting to upstage Cal and Bea or worry his mum, Sean had recruited Jamie and his fiancée, Alicia, as witnesses to the wedding and sworn them to secrecy. They could announce the marriage to everyone else back in Kinshore. ‘And do you want one where you look feral for each other?’ Jamie added.
Like wedding bells, Sean’s laughter rang through the cut and thrust of the NYC traffic. He spoke to his older brother without taking his eyes off his wife. ‘Let’s try to keep them classy, shall we? One the kids won’t cringe at down the line.’
Cherry almost had to bat back tears with her carefully mascaraed lashes. That he was talking about a family created a bubble around them. This was more than merely an impromptu marriage. Sean believed in her, the same way she did in him. The kids comment worried her a little but, my God, he made her feel whole, loved, vital.
As for his family, she wasn’t sure they had the same faith, at least not quite yet. She’d witnessed the conversation outside the venue between Jamie and Sean. A short butserious discussion where Jamie had inquired if Sean knew what he was doing. Sean placated him by admitting it seemed insane, but he’d never felt clearer about anything in his life.
‘Are you sure it’s not the grief proposing?’ Jamie asked. ‘Why don’t you guys date for a while? Have a proper wedding back home where everyone can be there.’
‘Don’t worry, J... We want to be married. And we can have a party in Kinshore at some stage.’
Jamie put his hand on Sean’s shoulder, stood back and observed him, inspecting for signs of madness maybe. But there was an admiration there, too, from an older brother to a younger one. ‘Never thought I’d see the day my wee brother beat me to the altar. By the way, you look a lot like Dad today.’
‘I do?’ Something shimmered in Sean’s gaze, and Cherry saw how much his father had meant to him. She wished Jimmy Butler could be here to see his son marry.
‘Where to now?’ she asked after the photoshoot was done. ‘Wedding breakfast?’
‘Oh, aye, wedding breakfast. In my hotel room, where I am going to devour my wife.’ Sean pulled her in tighter. ‘There is no chance we aren’t feral for each other in these photos.’
Cherry suspected he was right. Here she was, marrying a man she deliberately hadn’t slept with. It was laughable. But the kiss and illicit moments in the elevator told her everything she needed to know. Hell, the kiss told her the past, present and future all at once. That and what she got a glimpse of under his kilt before he’d called time on things.
‘Won’t your family be wondering where you are?’ Cherry toyed with the belt buckled around Sean’s kilt as he slotted the key card into the hotel room door.
‘Nah, they’ll be too busy panicking about getting to the airport on time.’ The door clicked open, and he spun round, simultaneously kissing and tugging her into the room. It swung closed behind them with a clunk.
‘Shouldn’t you be doing the same?’ Cherry murmured, not especially bothered about airports or check-in times. All she cared about was getting this man’s – her husband’s – kilt off.
‘Takes five minutes to chuck my stuff in a suitcase and five minutes to hail a cab. What I’m about to do to you, on the other hand, might take a while…’
‘I can’t wait. Glad you booked a late check-out.’
‘Mmm, me too. We do need to get you on the same flight, though. Might involve some last-minute admin and packing.’ Sean’s mouth lingered at hers.
‘Ah, well, I love a mad dash to the airport.’ Everything Cherry needed for now was in the suitcase she was travelling with. The rest could be sorted out later.
‘Fantastic. I love your attitude.’ Sweeping her hair back, Sean dipped his head to plant tender kisses on her neck. ‘Now, do you think we can still fit in consummating this marriage?’
