I walked past Rosie and her labrador, Violet. Sid was smiling wide, looking very dapper in his crushed velvet suit. I walked past the Tellers, Cas blew me a kiss and Kal winked. Even Eli looked somewhat happy with Maia tucked into his side.
Ada was dabbing her face with a hanky and even Elliot looked glassyeyed. Grace and Ethan wore beaming smiles.
Natalie and Riley took up my row, baby Polly sleeping peacefully on Natalie's chest. Ryan waved at me, he was so much taller than he’d been a year ago.
As I reached the front, my dad stepped out to kiss my cheek briefly before letting me go.
Keira stood on one side, doing her best impression of a person who absolutely wasn’t crying and Damien pressed a hand on Alfie’s shoulder as I finally reached him.
My love stood by the plinth covered in bleeding hearts, waiting for me as if he’d been waiting his whole life.
His gaze swept over me, from the flower embroidered hem to the dip of my neckline. Those steel grey eyes absorbed every bit of me, sealing me in his memory forever. He frowned when he landed on my earrings. I knew I wouldn’t have to tell him. Alfie Tell was a man of details.
“They’re not…?”
“They are. Diamonds don’t apologise, remember?” Alfie had given them to me once upon a time after one of our many arguments. I had given them to Ryan who had buried them in the garden as part of his pirate game. They were ‘treasure.’ “I dug them up a year ago,” I told him.
“I helped!” Ryan called out and our families laughed.
Alfie kissed me suddenly and as always, the world fell away and I forgot anything else existed. That was until the officiant coughed loud enough to wake the dead. We broke away, not bothering to look sheepish.
“Are we ready to start?” she asked.
Alfie and I looked at each other.
We’d been ready since our first kiss in this garden, back when it was barren land and the flowers were only a dream.
I closed my eyes, shivering as his fingers brushed over my skin. My veil lay somewhere nearby, cast away and thrown onto the floor like an old skin.
My husband held my hair in a fist, kissing a trail of kisses along my shoulder. My mouth watered, my skin felt like it was on fire. Would this feeling ever stop? I hoped not. I had just bound myself to this man for eternity with the two most dangerous words.I do.
“You’ve driven me mad today, woman. You’ve danced with too many other people, given away too many smiles that should only be for me.”
He unzipped my dress, the bodice opened, leaving me in the strapless corset Keira had specially made for me.
He walked away from me, leaving me bereft. But the way he smouldered at me, those grey eyes turning molten as they swept over my curves.
“I know I said you could pick something for me to wear on our wedding night but I figured you’d be happy with this.”
He nodded. “It works.”
I almost laughed. That sounded like the understatement of the century considering that he hadn’t stopped staring at me.
“The only thing I got for you to wear tonight is this.” He picked up a box that had been lying on the bed, watching me ominously as Alfie had begun his seduction. He opened it and pulled out a gold chain. It had a loop at both ends. I frowned but before I could ask, he looped one end over my wrist and the other loop over his own. He pulled it taut. My mouth fell open as I realised what he’d done.
“You know you don’t need to chain me to you, right? I’m not going to run away from you anymore.”
Alfie only smiled. He threaded his fingers into my hair until he was cupping my face, his thumb smoothing over my lips. “By the time I’m done with you tonight you might try to. This will just stop you from doing anything stupid.”
“Stupid? Are you trying to scare me? You’re just a big faker, Alfie.” I reached up on my toes and kissed him. He growled whenI nipped his lip, making me smile. I walked us backward and pushed him onto the bed. He fell onto the mattress, the chain tightening and tugging me with him. I landed on top of him with a giggle.
His mouth found mine, his free hand fisted in my hair, giving him a sense of control. Our bound hands held together. I reached between us, freed his erection and with a skill I hadn’t possessed when we first met, I positioned myself and pushed down on him, taking him to the hilt the way he’d taught me to. I gasped and his jaw tightened. I watched him take my worship, my pleasure.
“Nothing exists but us, my love.” I wrapped a hand around his throat as I began to ride him. “Nothing exists for you but me.”
His eyes flashed as I worked myself over him. “That’s it, Lola. Show me what I’ve made you.”
Didn’t he know already? He’d made me his and made himself mine. His body, his skin, his tongue. His fucking name was mine. It lived in my mouth. It was carved on my heart. It would be the last thing I ever said when I left this life.
