by Suzy Shearer
Both his parents knew how much he loved Emma and how devastated he was when she had left him.
When they pulled up, Simon took her hand and they walked around the side of the house to the backyard. Rachel was bent over plucking herbs when he called out. She stood and looked over at them.
“Emma!” she squealed. “Emma, it’s you!”
She dropped the herbs and ran to envelop Emma in her arms. Em returned the hug. She’d felt apprehensive wondering if Simon’s parents would resent her but instead she could only feel love. Rachel broke the hug and Emma could see tears in her eyes as she pulled Simon down to kiss his cheeks and hug him.
She put her arm around Emma’s waist and the other around Simon’s and they walked into the house.
“What happened?”
“Wait till Dad’s here, Mum, then we can tell you everything. Where is he?”
“Down the back pasture, he should be on his way back, he knows you’re coming.”
Rachel kept looking from one to the other as she bustled about.
“Oh, the herbs!”
“I’ll get them, Mum, sit down.”
“I haven’t finished picking them. I want some basil, too.”
“Oh, maybe you’d better, I have no idea what that looks like.”
“I’ll go.”
Emma jumped to her feet. She thought maybe Rachel and Simon should have a little time together. She walked back outside and picked up the herbs Rachel had dropped then gathered some basil. As she was walking back to the house, she heard the roar of a quad bike. Travis was back.
When she walked into the kitchen, Rachel was drying her eyes and Simon had hold of her hand. She gave a watery grin to Emma when Em mentioned hearing the quad bike. Five minutes later Travis walked in.
He looked at Emma then at Simon and back to Emma.
“Emma?”
“Hi.”
He took a few steps to her and then pulled her into a huge bear hug. His hug hurt her a little but she loved every single second of it.
“Oh, Em, we’ve missed you.”
“And I’ve missed you both so much.”
Simon shook hands with his father.
“Sit down, Dad, Em and I have a lot to tell you both.”
The next thirty minutes were spent filling Rachel and Travis in on what had happened and Alison’s attempt to ruin both their lives. When Simon told them about the meeting with Alison and how Emma had fired her, Travis looked over at Emma and said, “Good,” with a nod and grin.
Emma was glad Simon glossed over why she was in the hospital. He just said she’d be hurt in an accident but was okay now.
Then he took Emma’s hand and told his parents they were getting married. That made both Rachel and Emma cry. There was a crazy four-way hug with lots of tears and back thumping until everyone finally had their emotions under control.
Travis rummaged in the refrigerator and found a bottle of sparkling wine. He opened it and poured out four glasses. Toasting the couple, Travis told them he couldn’t be happier. He knew how much Simon loved Emma and was overjoyed that things had finally worked out.
When Simon told them they would be getting married in a few weeks, Rachel cried again. Emma suggested she and Travis stay in her house the nights before and after the wedding. She explained they would be leaving for England on the Sunday. Their luggage would all be packed and they intended to stop overnight in a hotel near the restaurant. If Travis and Rachel stayed, they wouldn’t have to worry about finding somewhere to stop. Travis had to agree it would be a good idea.
The remainder of the visit went by fast, and they left around eleven the next day with Emma promising to ring Rachel through the week to get names of relatives that would be invited. When they said their good-byes, Rachel tentatively asked if she could call them “Mum” and “Dad.” Emma burst into tears. Since she’d met them, they had filled the gap in her heart that had been left when her parents had been killed. She still cried about losing them but at least now she had these wonderful people to help heal.
She could only nod as she and Rachel clung to each other. When they finally parted, red-eyed but overjoyed, Simon kissed his parents good-bye, then Emma did the same. They drove back to Emma’s talking on the way. Simon decided to drive back through the countryside rather than the more direct route.
Emma was looking out the window admiring the view when she gave a little scream.
“Stop the car! Stop!” Simon pulled over to the side and looked at her in panic.
“Can you back up?”
Simon looked puzzled but reversed along the verge.
“Okay, stop. Now look.” She pointed.
There was the original house they had both admired during the first drive together. It had a “For Sale” sign on the front fence. Simon looked at the sign and then at Emma.
“Oh my god, it’s our house!”
They sat a few minutes and looked at the house. Emma got out for a closer look as Simon pulled out his phone and rang the agent’s number on the listing. He spoke for a few minutes then hung up.
“You’re not going to believe this, Em. It’s been on the market for over four months but there’s been no interest in it. The owners are desperate to sell as they’ve bought somewhere else and have moved in. They’ve dropped the price drastically to try and get rid of it.”
“Oh, Simon, do you think we can see inside it?”
“The agent’s on his way. Said he’ll be here in about ten minutes.”
Neither could stop grinning until a car pulled up and a short blond man got out and walked toward them. He introduced himself and suggested they drive in and he’d unlock the place. Following his suggestion, Simon drove down to the front of the house and they got out. The agent unlocked and let them wander through the house while he waited in the front room.
It was everything they could dream of and more. There were four double-sized bedrooms, and the master bedroom was on the opposite end of the house to the others. It had a large sitting room attached to it, a walk-in wardrobe, and an enormous bathroom with a double shower and a large spa bath. Simon looked at Emma with one eyebrow raised when they saw the sitting room. She knew immediately that he was thinking it would make a perfect playroom for their games.
As they walked through, Emma was sure this house was meant for them.
There was a large living room, a dining room, and a room that could be used as an office for them both. They walked into the family room and both laughed at the same time. It was huge and joined to the enormous kitchen.
The kitchen was perfect. It had obviously been renovated in the past and was now a full chef’s kitchen complete with a very large walk-in butler’s pantry. Emma fell in love with it immediately. There was ample bench space, a full chef’s stove with a large double oven. The double sink was underneath the long window that filled the room with light. The wall to the outside was made of glass and extended the length of the kitchen and family room with a pair of sliding doors.
Outside there was a covered area with a built-in barbecue and, of all things, a pizza oven. They could see a swimming pool further out. The block was filled with trees so there was no chance of anyone seeing into the yard. There was even a vegetable garden that had gone to seed.
There was a doorway just off the barbecue area. Opening it, they discovered an enormous room. It had a small powder room attached. It had lots of windows and was bright and airy.
“Em, this would be a perfect studio for you!”
“Oh, Simon, it’s wonderful! You could use the room inside as your office and I could set everything up here.”
They discovered it was connected to the main house through the utility room so regardless of the weather, Emma could get into it.
They walked back to the agent.
He and Simon discussed the price and Simon made an offer that was ten thousand dollars less than the already reduced asking price. The agent immediately rang the owners and came back to Simon and Emma telling them t
hat the owner said no but would drop five thousand on the condition they settled within three weeks.
“That would suit us. We don’t need a loan. I’ve just sold an apartment so there’s nothing holding us back. As long as it passes inspection they have a deal.”
The agent got back on the phone and then came to congratulate them.
They’d bought the house!
* * * *
The next few weeks flew past. Not only was it Christmas but the final plans for the wedding were made and the invitations sent. On top of that, they had to move into the new house. They had decided to rent out Emma’s place. It would be an additional income for them and a good investment. Emma and Nina went shopping and after a few fruitless searches finally found a wedding dress. It was an Atelier Aimee gown.
Emma thought it was perfect.
The dress had a full skirt. The bodice was a sweetheart neckline with straps that joined at the waist on the back, so most of the back was bare, and there was a long train. It was actually a print organza over white organza layers. A very soft lemon rose about the size of her hand was sprinkled across the top layer. The lemon rose reminded her of the one Simon had put into her hair the day they’d gotten engaged. Emma loved it as soon as she saw it.
It was soft and filmy, romantic and sexy. Very different but most definitely her. When she tried it on and walked out to show Nina, Nina immediately began to cry, telling her she looked so beautiful in it.
With her long auburn hair setting off the lemon and green in the print, Emma felt perfect. She would wear her hair in a loose plait with fresh lemon roses through it and carry a bouquet of the same roses.
They looked around further and discovered a long filmy dress of the same soft lemon. It was empire waisted and also in chiffon. Nina tried it on and both agreed it was perfect.
After organising the dresses, they went to the local florist that Emma’s photographer used for her photographs in her books. They selected the roses that both she and Nina would carry along with buttonholes for both men and Travis. Emma chose a lovely corsage using the same roses for Rachel. Rachel had told her she had bought a light green dress so the lemon roses would accentuate it.
The restaurant was handling the cake and Emma arranged for roses to be sent over for decorations on the tables. They had already worked out the menu when the four of them had sat down to a taster of practically every dish on the menu.
It was a hectic few weeks but by the 8th of January they were organised and had moved into their new home. Christmas was spent with Simon’s parents. She and Simon had decided to buy gifts for each other while they were away. They had bought Rachel a new kitchen gadget that she wanted plus one of every kitchen thing that Emma had in her name, while for Travis, Simon had found a first edition of Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings. Travis was over the moon when he unwrapped it and Emma was overjoyed to see his delight.
The first Sunday in their new home was spent having a dinner with a few friends—Nina and Greg and another couple who were friends of Simon’s from the hospital. Now they decided it was going to be a rest day after all the rush of the past month. Simon had been on his week off and would now work the next week and a half, through until the Thursday before the wedding.
There was an extremely large box standing in the sitting room that had been delivered late the day before along with their furniture. Emma was intrigued but Simon told her she wasn’t allowed to go into the sitting room until he said and that he had changed his mind and it was a Christmas present for them both.
Later in the morning he found her in her office sorting books onto shelves. He pulled out a blindfold and tied it over her eyes, then took her hand and led her from the room. He walked her into the sitting room and made her stand still. She felt him remove her clothing until she was standing naked before him, still blindfolded.
“Take one step back, then put your arms out and spread your legs,” Simon ordered.
Emma did as she was told and bumped against something. Simon took her wrists and cuffed them, then her ankles. All at once, she felt the sting of a flogger across her breasts, then across her tummy. She gasped and then gave a small moan as Simon worked the flogger across her torso front and back.
When he was behind her, she felt him lean in and put his arms around her. She wondered what he was going to do when he began to caress her nipples. Then she knew as he clamped each one before returning to use the flogger on her arse. She knew he had moved back in front of her again when his hand began rubbing her clit, tweaking and pulling at it until she knew it was engorged.
He clamped it suddenly and she screamed. He hit her across her chest then pulled hard on the clover clamps.
Emma couldn’t hold back her groans as the pain swam across her. She could feel her orgasm hovering on the edge of her.
“More, hurt me more!”
“No begging!”
“Please! I need to come.”
“No.”
She felt his mouth on her nipple, teasing and sucking around the clamp. With his other hand, he was pulling then releasing the other. The pain was coming in waves as he continued.
She whimpered, “Please.”
His mouth left her nipple and she felt the sting of a paddle on the top of her thigh then on her arse cheeks. It was enough pain to send her first climax soaring through her body. Simon kept up his assault with both the flogger and paddle.
Her body was singing with the pain. She was alternating screaming and moaning as he worked around and around. Climaxes shook her until she was hanging limp, unable to do more than groan softly as Simon thrust his fingers into her clit and rubbed at her G-spot after removing the clamp.
She felt him uncuff her ankles, then her wrists, holding her tight as she collapsed into his arms. He tore off the blindfold and she saw she’d been tied to a St. Andrew’s cross frame. Simon carried her into their bedroom, laying her gently on the bed.
Picking up the Arnica tube, he rubbed every part of her body until he got to the clamps still hanging from each nipple. She looked at him through half-closed eyes, her mind floating from the pain and the orgasms. He had stripped off and she could see his enormous erection tapping against her leg as he moved to kneel between them.
Leaning forward, he pulled off one clamp.
She shrieked loudly as he quickly sucked the nipple into his mouth. As he was rolling it around his tongue, he pushed his cock into her. Emma’s muscles clamped onto it as yet another orgasm hit her.
Simon pulled off the other clamp and once more sucked her nipple until the pain subsided. Then he kissed her as his thrusting got faster and faster, deeper and deeper into her cunt. She heard him panting, felt him jerking his hips harder.
All at once he shouted her name. She felt his cum spurt deep within her as her final orgasm shook her from her toes to her head. Simon latched onto her mouth, his tongue dancing with hers as he shook. Perspiration dripped onto her head as his kiss took her to new heights.
Simon collapsed onto her then rolled off, pulling her into his arms as he did. They lay there. Emma was floating, not really aware of anything except her own heartbeat and the comfort of Simon’s arms holding her tight.
Chapter Twenty
The wedding day dawned bright and sunny. Nina and Simon had swapped houses the night before. Emma, Nina, and Rachel would be leaving from her house. Travis and Rachel had also driven up the night before. Travis went with the boys overnight and Rachel stayed with Nina and Emma.
Finally, it was time to leave. The car had arrived to take the three of them and Rachel told Emma she was overjoyed to be included so closely in the wedding.
“I couldn’t think of anyone else I would want to be with me, Mum, except for my own parents. I love you and Travis so much.”
Nina scolded them both, telling them they would smudge their makeup with their tears as she quickly wiped her own away.
Looking back, Emma couldn’t remember much of the ceremony, all she could think of was the fact she was
finally marrying Simon.
When they’d arrive at the restaurant there was a lot of press photographers but Emma was so happy she didn’t object to sharing her day. The ceremony itself went off without a hitch. She and Simon exchanged their vows in the rose-scented gazebo. A soft breeze sent the aroma through the air. There were rows of white seats for all their guests and Emma vaguely remembered walking down a rose-petal-strewn path on the arm of Travis to stand beside Simon. He leant over and whispered that she was the most beautiful woman in the world and had taken his breath away when he saw her in her amazing wedding dress.
She remembered her vows and added that she would love Simon throughout eternity. For his part she thought Simon looked so handsome and so delicious in his tux. He promised to love and cherish her forever. Then they were pronounced man and wife.
He kissed her as if she were the only thing that would keep him alive.
They broke apart and looked into each other’s eyes, seeing only love reflected back.
Countless photographs were taken throughout the gardens. Emma insisted they have some taken at the koi pond where Simon had proposed. She thought her face would freeze permanently into the smile she wore.
Once all the formal photos were taken, she and Simon slipped away deeper into the garden to spend a short time quietly together. Neither could express how happy they felt but they wandered hand in hand through the gardens soaking up their joy.
Finally, Lawrence found them and told them it was time to enter the restaurant to eat.
“I love you, Mrs. Harrington.”
“And I love you, Dr. Harrington. I’ll love you forever.”
After the canapés and crudités were served in the garden, the wedding party moved inside to begin their meal. The entree was choice of either smoked salmon and avocado or chicken tenderloins wrapped in bacon. There was also sweet potato, Persian feta, and Rocquette salad for those who were vegetarians. The mains were oven-roasted fillet of beef with a sweet onion and parmesan crust and red wine jus, lamb rump rubbed and roasted with rosemary and lemon-infused olive oil served with creamy mashed potatoes and a red wine sauce, or grilled fillet of fish with a champagne cream sauce served with a fresh garden salad.
