by Jane Blythe
“How did…where were…how did you do all this? Where were they? Were they waiting in the alley until I said yes?” Then she broke into a grin. “What would you have done if I'd said no?”
“I knew you weren't going to say no.”
She shook her head. Eli’s level of cockiness never failed to amaze or amuse her. “And what if I say no to getting married today? You’d have gotten everyone here for nothing.”
“Are you saying no to marrying me tonight?” Eli asked with an arched brow.
“Nope.”
“See, told you I know you better than you know yourself.” Eli shot her a smug smile before dragging her in for a kiss.
A chorus of congratulations sang out around them as their family and friends came to offer hugs and slaps on the back. Florence had never felt so surrounded by love and support in her life.
So much had changed over the last month. Not just herself, although she had been learning to trust and open herself up to someone, letting go of her preconceived notions that people—men specifically—couldn’t be trusted. She’d also come to know what it was like to have a support system, people who cared about how she was, and what she was feeling. She and Soraya had become particularly close. They’d gone out for coffee a few times, usually accompanied by the adorable Lorenzo, and Tatiana and Patrick Black had stepped up. They were becoming almost like surrogate parents to her. The couple had always been there for her brother, and although she hadn't let them she was sure they would have been there for her too.
Back then, she hadn't been ready to let anyone in, she couldn’t handle being disappointed and let down again, but she was ready now.
She was ready to have friends.
She was ready to have a family.
She was ready to get married.
“We’re really doing this tonight?” she asked Eli. “What about a dress?”
“Got one.” He nodded to Soraya who held up a stunning white halter-neck ball gown with delicate lace across the bodice.
“Hair and makeup?”
“Joey’s grandmother was a hairdresser for thirty years before she retired, she’s volunteered for hair and makeup duty. Fletcher will give you away, Graham is my best man, Joey will be the ring bearer, and Chloe has been practicing being a flower girl.”
“You’ve thought of everything.” If there was one thing that she loved the most about Eli, it was the fact that he cared about making her happy. He paid attention to everything she said, stored away pieces of information she hadn't even realized she’d given him, and then pulled them out and surprised her with something thoughtful.
“Pretty much,” he said with that cocky smile of his.
“So where are we getting married? You flying us all to Florence or something?” she asked, thinking that would be exactly the kind of thing he would do since that was where they’d had their first date.
“I thought about that, but to be honest, I can't wait another ten plus hours to make you my wife, it’s been hell waiting a month to marry you.”
“So, where are we getting married then?”
“You’ll see.”
“Eli,” she groaned.
“Don’t worry, princess, you won’t have long to wait. I'm going to leave you in the very capable hands of Christine and Soraya, and I’ll see you soon. Very soon.” He kissed her lightly on the lips before disappearing with most of the people who’d been hiding in the alley.
While this was definitely a quirky proposal and unusual wedding, Florence couldn’t be happier. She and Eli didn't do anything traditionally, and that suited them just fine. Most people didn't get engaged in an alley—even if it was where they had met, and where one had saved the other’s life—one month after meeting and then proceed to go straight to the wedding, but that was how Eli lived his life, he went after what he wanted, and he wasn't known for being patient. While she’d always been the opposite, Eli’s impulsiveness was washing off on her.
Soraya and Joey’s grandmother ushered her into a car and took her to Soraya’s place where she put on the dress that fit her perfectly, and made her look like a princess. Christine did her hair, twisting it up so it sat piled elegantly on top of her head with a few gentle waves hanging free, Soraya applied her makeup. By the time they were finished, she didn't just look like a princess she felt like one too.
“You going to tell me where we’re going?” she asked as they headed downstairs to find a white limousine waiting for them.
“Eli would kill me if I ruined the surprise, you’ll see when we get there,” Soraya answered.
“Spoilsport,” she muttered.
Soraya just laughed, and the three of them got into the back of the limo as they drove through the city. When the limo came to a stop, she scrunched her brow in surprise, this was not where she had expected them to be going.
“This is where Eli planned for us to get married?” she asked, gesturing at his building.
“This is where he told us to come,” Soraya replied, but the twinkle in her eyes said there was more to it than that.
Inside the building, Florence headed to the elevator that went to the penthouse, but Soraya herded her toward a different lift, and when they got off on the top floor, she knew what Eli had planned.
The roof.
They’d sat up there a couple of weeks ago, and he’d told her about his mother and how they’d watched the stars together, then asked her to move in with him. Since that night, they’d often come up here to lie on a blanket, and he’d taught her about all the constellations. She shouldn’t have been surprised that this was where he would choose for them to get married.
When she stepped out onto the roof her hands flew to mouth and tears blurred her vision.
It was beautiful.
Who knew an apartment building roof could look so gorgeous.
Eli had strung fairy lights up everywhere, there were dozens of bouquets of cherry blossoms spread about, and wooden benches lined up either side of a white carpet. The millions of lights of the city sparkled around them, the stars looked down upon them, and Eli stood waiting for her under an arch of cherry blossoms.
He was dressed in a tuxedo, and the look on his face had her tears brimming over.
Love.
He was looking at her with love in his eyes.
Florence had never thought she’d have anyone look at her that way, she’d been resigned to living alone or having a loveless marriage with someone she felt was safe.
Instead, she’d found true love.
The kind of love that would last a lifetime.
She felt like the luckiest woman in the world.
* * * * *
9:46 P.M.
Exactly one month to the minute from when he had run across the road to tackle Florence out of the way of the oncoming car, she stepped out onto the roof, looking like a princess in the wedding dress he’d chosen for her, and he knew his life was complete.
She looked around, taking in everything he’d had their friends and family set up today while they’d been at the aquarium and flying in a hot air balloon. Eli knew the exact second her eyes found him because her face lit up, her eyes grew watery, and she smiled at him.
He loved her smile.
Loved the way her eyes crinkled at the edges, the little dimple she got above the left corner of her mouth, the way the smile seemed to reach deep down inside her, coming from her heart—her soul.
That was how she was smiling at him now.
Fletcher walked over, hugged her hard, then took her hand and placed it on his arm. The music started, and Chloe and Joey walked down the aisle, Chloe happily tossing rose petals and Joey concentrating on carrying the rings.
Then it was Florence’s turn.
She walked down the aisle toward him. Cold feet wasn't even something that crossed his mind, this was what he wanted, what he’d always wanted. A partner, someone to share his life with, the struggles and the good times, the struggles would be made easier by having Florence by his side and
the good times made better because of her.
Florence and her brother stopped in front of him, Fletcher kissed her cheek, then took the hand that was on his arm and passed it to Eli. Florence couldn’t take her eyes off him, and he found himself in the same position. He took her hand, squeezed it, and somewhat reluctantly they both tore their gazes away to look at the celebrant, who was really an old friend of his from England.
“We’re gathered here today—in the freezing cold—to join Eli Lennox and Florence Harris together in marriage. Since these two like to do things the opposite of by the books, Eli asked that I keep things short and sweet because he wants to marry his bride then whisk her away to…well, since there are children present, let’s just say enjoy their wedding night. So to that end, Eli, do you take this woman as your wife, to love with everything you have and are, in good times and bad, as long as you both shall live?”
“I do.” Eli took the ring from Joey and slid it on Florence’s finger.
“Florence, do you take this man as your husband, to love with everything you have and are, in good times and bad, as long as you both shall live?”
“I do.” Florence took the other ring from the small pillow Joey was carrying and slid it onto his finger.
“Then by the power vested in me by the state, I now pronounce you husband and wife. Eli, you can now kiss your bride.”
Not wasting any time, Eli curled an arm around Florence’s waist and drew her in so she was pressed against him, then tangled his fingers in her hair as he brought his mouth down to meet hers. This kiss felt different. He knew that it shouldn’t, nothing had changed except now they were married, but it was different. Better. It had been a bumpy road to get to this place, and a couple of times along the way he thought it might not work out the way he wanted, but here they were, husband and wife.
Everyone cheered, confetti filled the air and rained down around them like colorful snowflakes.
Because he never did things the way other people did, the wedding reception would be for everyone else, but he and Florence were out of here. He was taking her downstairs to their penthouse where he intended to spend the night making love to her over and over again. The honeymoon would have to wait a couple of weeks until she could get time off, but that just gave him more time to plan the perfect trip.
“Dinner on me at Graham’s house,” he announced as he somehow managed to tear his lips from Florence’s.
“Thanks, man.” Graham rolled his eyes. “You get to go home and make out with your wife, I get to entertain your friends and family.”
“And I love you for it.” He grinned and gave Graham a slap on the back. “To make it up to you, Florence and I will babysit the kiddos for you next weekend so you and Soraya can spend some time alone together.”
“Better be all weekend to make up for this,” Graham grumbled, but Eli could see he was holding back a smile.
“Thank you everyone for coming, for everything you did for us today, we promise we’ll throw you a party that we’re actually going to attend,” he promised. “But tonight, I'm taking my stunning bride downstairs.”
Florence laughed as he scooped her up into his arms and started to carry her toward the stairs. “Thank you so much, everything you did today means so much to me. To us,” Florence said over his shoulder.
As soon as he had her alone his lips were drawn to hers, it was near impossible to be alone anywhere with her and not kiss her.
“I can't believe we’re married,” she said, taking his face between her hands when the lift doors dinged open.
“You better believe it,” he told her as he carried her out of that lift and into the private one that would take them to the penthouse. “Because I'm your husband now, you're stuck with me forever.”
“Forever? I wonder if there’s a husband exchange program for when our current model starts to wear on our nerves,” she teased.
“You’re going to regret that later when I have you hovering on the edge and won't let you come,” he warned with a grin as his mouth found hers again.
As soon as the elevator opened, he whisked her through the penthouse to the master bedroom where he carefully laid her out on their bed. Her cheeks were rosy, her lips plump from kissing, her eyes sparkled with joy, tendrils of hair curled around her face, she was gorgeous, stunning, beautiful, the prettiest thing he had ever laid eyes on, there weren't enough words in the world to describe what she meant to him.
“I better get out of this dress,” she said, sitting up.
“Leave it on.” His hands on her shoulders kept her lying against the pillows.
“We can't make love with me wearing this, the skirt is all big and puffy with the tulle underneath.”
“I want to see it bunched around your hips when I taste you, I want to see you wearing your wedding dress and know you're my wife now.” Eli moved to the foot of the bed, lifted one of her feet, slid the strappy stiletto off, then picked up her other foot and did the same. She was wearing pantyhose and a garter, and he sucked in a breath as he pushed her dress up and saw it. “Why is this so sexy?”
She giggled. “I think tradition dictates you remove it with your teeth.”
“Oh yeah,” he groaned. Kneeling between her legs his teeth nibbled gently at the inside of her thigh before taking hold of the garter and pulling it down her leg.
“You're right, that is sexy,” Florence said, her eyes on him, following his every move.
“Not as sexy as having you come all over my face.” He winked and then pulled her pantyhose down her legs, groaning and running his tongue across his lips when he saw her white satin panties. “I’m going to enjoy removing those.”
Using his teeth, he removed her panties, then trailed a line of feather-soft kisses up her leg, stopping right above the spot he could see growing wetter by the second.
Pressing his nose to her center, he breathed in her scent before his tongue darted out to taste her.
“Delicious,” he moaned.
Not able to wait any longer, he began to lap and suckle her, inserting a finger, and curling it to hit her sweet spot, he began to work her up. Despite his threat in the lift to tease her and not let her come he wanted her dripping for him before he buried himself inside her heat. There would be time to tease her later. The sight of her wedding dress bunched around her hips as he feasted on her turned him on, and he had to cling to control because his wife had to come before he got off.
Florence was moaning, her hips coming off the bed, silently begging him for more, and whatever his princess wanted she got. He added another finger and increased the speed of his tongue, and a moment later, she came on a scream.
While she was still floating back down to earth he unbuckled his pants, shoved them off, and entered her in one thrust. She gasped as he filled her, her hands lifting to curl around his shoulders. He was close but determined not to come until she came a second time he reached between them as he began to move, stimulating her from the outside as he thrust harder and faster.
It didn't take long, Florence’s internal muscles began to clamp around him, and unable to hold back, he let himself tumble over the edge.
“How does that get better every time?” Florence asked with a sated smiled.
“Because you're amazing. You're mine. My beautiful princess.”
“And you’re my cocky savior.”
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Read the next book in the River’s End Rescues Series
Some Regrets are Forever
She will bring sunshine to his life … if he can keep her alive.
All Meadow Smith has ever wanted was to belong. Unfortunately her desire to find her p
lace in the world led to a decision she regrets but can never take back. Now she’s on the run and has to decide if she can put her trust in another man or if she’s safer if she keeps moving. Problem is you can't run from your problems forever.
Abe Black served his country and now he serves the people of River’s End as Sheriff of the quaint small town. As soon as he spots Meadow he knows she’s in trouble, he wants to help just like he wants to give in to his growing feelings for the sweet woman but he’s been burned before. Can he settle for just trying to keep her alive and then walk away?
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Also by Jane Blythe
Detective Parker Bell Series
A SECRET TO THE GRAVE
WINTER WONDERLAND
DEAD OR ALIVE
LITTLE GIRL LOST
FORGOTTEN
Count to Ten Series
ONE
TWO
THREE
FOUR
FIVE
SIX
BURNING SECRETS
SEVEN
EIGHT
NINE
TEN
Broken Gems Series
CRACKED SAPPHIRE
CRUSHED RUBY
FRACTURED DIAMOND
SHATTERED AMETHYST
SPLINTERED EMERALD
SALVAGING MARIGOLD
River’s End Rescues
COCKY SAVIOR
SOME REGRETS ARE FOREVER
Christmas Romantic Suspense Series
CHRISTMAS HOSTAGE
CHRISTMAS CAPTIVE
CHRISTMAS VICTIM
YULETIDE PROTECTOR
Conquering Fear Series (Co-written with Amanda Siegrist)
DROWNING IN YOU
OUT OF THE DARKNESS
