Running Into Love - The Complete Box Set

by Annalisa Nicole

  “You are one of my daughters, wear them knowing I love you. Keep them and pass them down to your children.”

  My mother steps forward, and says, “This is your something borrowed, it belonged to my father.” She hands me a silk handkerchief.

  “Mom, thank you,” I say, and stuff it into my bra.

  Amelia and Ava step up and hand me a blue garter. “This is your something blue.”

  “It’s beautiful, thank you. Thank you, everyone.”

  “Can someone take this to Asher?” I say, and hold up a square box.

  Ava offers to take it to him, as a woman tells us we have about twenty more minutes to get ready.

  Asher

  Today is the day I marry my best friend. I’m standing in my room with my dad, Willow’s step-dad, and my two brothers, dressed in a tux with a pink bow tie and a single pink rose bud in the lapel. Who said real men don’t wear pink? There’s a knock at the door and Ava pokes her head in, handing me a gift from Willow. Opening the card, I read:

  Asher,

  Today I marry my best friend. You stood by me through one of the toughest times in my life, never faltering. You were always strong enough for the both of us. Today I give you my promise to love you for the rest of my life. And not force you to eat chili with noodles. As our child grows in my belly, I look forward to raising him or her with the loving man that I know you are. Thank you for loving me, scars and all.

  Love,

  Willow

  Inside the box is a Cartier watch with a silver band and a black face. Turning it over inscribed on the back is ‘all my love, all the time.’ I put the watch on, as the wedding coordinator opens the door and tells me it’s time.

  Walking out on the beach, it’s just a simple ceremony. The officiate is standing a few yards away from the shoreline. In front of him and to the left, are three chairs. My mom and dad sit in two and as I get closer, I see the third is vacant. Sitting on the seat is an arrangement of yellow roses. With a smile, I just know that’s all Willow’s doing.

  On the right are three seats as well. Willow’s step-dad sits on one and the other is to be sat in by her mother, shortly. Next to that seat is a pink dog bed, with Lucy sitting on it wearing a pink bow on the top of her head. Standing by the officiate, I turn around and my mom smiles warmly at me as my dad holds her hand.

  Ava and Aiden walk toward me arm in arm, bending over they each kiss our Mom on the cheek. Next comes Amelia and Adrian walking arm in arm, they too kiss our mother on the cheek. Next Willow and her mother appear.

  Willow is a vision in white. She looks beautiful barefoot, wearing a white gown with her little baby bump on display. She’s holding an arrangement of pink roses with one yellow one tucked in the center. My parents and her step-dad stand, as they make their way down the sandy aisle. After kissing Willow on the cheek, her mother, step-dad, and my parents take a seat. Taking both of Willow’s hands in mine, I mouth the words ‘I love you’ to her.

  “Ladies and gentlemen, we are gathered here today to bring together Asher and Willow in holy matrimony. Who gives this woman to be married?”

  “I do,” says her mother.

  “Asher and Willow have written their own vows and would like to recite them to you now.”

  Squeezing Willow’s hand, I look into her eyes and I recite my vows from memory.

  “Willow, from the first day we met I became truly alive again. After years of sadness, you proved to me over and over that my broken heart could love again. Standing in front of our families, I promise to love, honor, and cherish you for the rest of my life. I promise to be the best father to our child.”

  Taking her left hand in both of mine, I place her rings halfway up her finger.

  “I, Asher, take you, Willow, as my friend and my soulmate. To stand beside you in laughter and tears, in sickness and health, through good times and bad. I give you these rings as a symbol of my love and devotion, and with all that I am and with all that I have, I will honor you until the day that I die.”

  Slipping both rings all the way on her finger, I raise them to my lips and kiss them.

  Willow takes my hands in hers and looks into my eyes and says, “Asher I’ve lived my whole life wishing to find a man that loves me the way you do. Running into you on a sidewalk brought us together, but your love and devotion binds us forever. You made me whole; you accept me for who I am. You make me feel beautiful and loved.”

  She takes my left hand in both of hers, slips my wedding band halfway up my finger.

  “I, Willow, take you, Asher, as my friend and soulmate. To stand beside you in laughter and tears, in sickness and health, through good times and bad, I give you this ring as a symbol of my love and devotion, and with all that I am and with all that I have, I will honor you until the day that I die.”

  She slips the band all the way on my finger, raising my hand to her lips and kisses it.

  “With these statements of love and trust, in the company of family, I now pronounce Asher and Willow husband and wife. You may kiss your bride.”

  With cheering and clapping, I place my hands on Willow’s face, barely touching her lips I tell her I love her and kiss her with every loving emotion in my body.

  Turning around to face the ocean, Willow raises her bouquet over her head and throws it. Amelia catches it with a huge smile on her face.

  Chapter 26

  Willow

  My wedding day is ripped right out of a fairytale. It’s a beautiful sunny day, with only our closest loved ones to watch. Having my mom here is an added bonus that always seemed to be missing from my perfect wedding day imagination. Our wedding is simple and it can’t be more perfect. After the photographer leaves, our family heads over to a restaurant where we’ll be meeting in a few minutes. I have one more thing I need to do.

  I take Asher’s hand and the arrangement of yellow roses that sat reverently throughout our ceremony. It’s an honor to recognize and honor Olivia in all aspects of our day. From the single rose in my bouquet to the arrangement that attends the ceremony. Walking to the shoreline the waves splash at our feet, I hand Asher half of the flowers.

  Bending over I place them in the water, then I give his hand a quick squeeze. He raises his to his nose and inhales sharply, kisses them, then sets them free in the salty water. We watch together as they drift further out to sea. Resting my head on his shoulder, I can’t help but remember all that she did to help us along our journey.

  Meeting our families at the restaurant, we all eat and laugh celebrating our happy day. Tomorrow my mom and step-dad are flying back to Illinois. Asher and I have rented a beach house for a week, not far from the restaurant. Samantha and Samuel are staying one more night at the hotel. Asher’s brothers and sister are all heading home tonight. Lucy is going home with Amelia. Saying our goodbyes to everyone with hugs and kisses, we drive to the beautiful beach house.

  Asher brings in our bags, but makes me wait on the porch. He picks me up and carries me over the threshold.

  “Asher you’re supposed to carry your bride over the threshold of our house not a rental,” I tease.

  He looks at me with a huge grin, and says, “I just did.”

  “Wait. What?” I ask confused.

  “It’s ours. Well, it’s not exactly ours just yet. We’re in the process of buying it. We go in next week to sign all the paperwork.”

  “Eek, are you serious, it’s ours?” I ask to clarify.

  “I knew you’d love it; it’s my wedding gift to you.”

  “And all I got you is a lousy watch,” I say teasing him.

  He sets me own on my feet, then shows me around the home. It has five bedrooms, each with its own en-suite bathroom. A family room with a floor to ceiling fireplace set in large boulders. A gourmet kitchen and the wall facing the ocean is nothing but windows. Large French doors open up to the huge wrap around deck. We step out on the deck and the evening wind gently blows through my hair. The sun is setting and the sky is streaked with radiant hues of
orange and pink. Asher wraps his arms around me from behind, holding me tight as we watch the sun set in the horizon.

  “Asher, thank you for today. Thank you for making all of my dreams come true.”

  Lowering his hands to my swollen belly, he lowers his head to whisper in my ear.

  “Willow, thank you for today. You’ve made all my dreams come true. You gave me my life back; you gave me your love, and you’re giving me a child.”

  I turn in his arms, kiss him on the lips, and walk back inside the house. I make my way into the master bedroom and grab the sexy lingerie I packed. I put on the white, sheer top that just covers my breasts, then opens exposing my pregnant belly and falls to my hips, paired with a white thong and the blue garter from the girls. I perch myself in the center of the bed, as Asher walks into the bedroom. With a low growl, he strips out of his clothes at the foot of the bed. On all fours, he slowly crawls up the bed, then hovers over my body.

  “You are so beautiful, Willow. I want to make love to my wife.”

  Placing my hand on his cheek, I say, “You are most handsome and I want my husband to make love to me.”

  Bending his elbows on either side of my head, he kisses just under my ear, then trails over my jaw and up to my lips. Opening my mouth for his tongue, he sweeps it in and gently kisses me. Then he moves down my chin and throat, between my breasts over the fading scars on my left breast. He kisses each one with love; he moves to my right breast taking my nipple in his mouth, twirling and sucking until it’s a hard pebble. He places his ear on my belly, then kisses every inch. Continuing downward, he kisses my inner thigh, where he finds my garter and pulls it down my leg with his teeth.

  Kissing back up my ankle to my knee, then up my thigh, he spreads my legs licking and sucking, and then inserts two fingers as his warm tongue continues to love me. The familiar tingle takes over as I’m thrown into an orgasm, he continues to lap and lick as his fingers thrust in and out. A second wave hits as he moans, sending me over the edge with the vibration. Kissing his way back up my belly, he licks up my throat, then thrusts his tongue in my mouth. I love the way I taste on his lips.

  Placing my hands on his shoulders, I gently push him down and straddle his thighs. I love the way he kisses me, always with a slow and burning desire, never rushed. Each time is like he’s making love to my mouth, telling me a story of his love and gratitude. Taking his ear in my mouth, I exhale a soft moan and shower feather soft kisses on his neck, making him shiver. Licking down the center of his chest, over his rock hard abs, I take him into my mouth, he inhales sharply as I swirl the tip with my tongue. I take him all the way in my mouth until he hits the back of my throat and he whispers my name. Loving the silky soft skin, I bob my head up and down his length slowly. He pulls me up and switches positions. Laying underneath him, he slowly enters me, filling me completely. I reach my hands around his back and dig my nails into his skin and slide them down, ever so slowly.

  He moans loudly, “Do that again.”

  Repeating the motion again, I can feel another orgasm releasing, with a loud moan, I call out his name.

  Still convulsing, he follows with his own release, shouting my name. Laying side by side breathing heavy, he pulls me up and into the bathroom. He turns on the shower; then we stand in the hot water holding each other close. Turning me towards him, he squirts my shampoo in his hand and lathers my hair, massaging my scalp with his fingertips. Soaping up his hands with body wash he washes each arm, my breasts, and my baby bump. Washing both legs and my feet, he rinses the shampoo out of my hair. Squeezing conditioner on my head, he smooths it all over my hair.

  Handing me his shampoo, he tilts his head so I can wash his hair. Gently, I wash his hair, then turn him into the water so that he can rinse off. Soaping up my hands, I wash his body the same way he washed mine. I rinse the conditioner out of my hair. He turns off the water, then grabs a soft fluffy towel and gently dries my body, then his own.

  Exhausted from the emotional day and the pregnancy hormones, he carries me to bed. He lays me down, then covers me up. He climbs over the top of me and gets under the covers with me. Laying in our ‘nighttime position’ we both fall fast asleep.

  Our honeymoon is going to be about spending time with each other. Only leaving to go for walks on the beach, we cook at home every night and eat on the deck. I’m sad to leave our new beach home, but I know we’ll return soon.

  Asher

  The next few months fly by. Willow’s belly grows and she’s the most beautiful pregnant woman I’ve ever seen. She continues to work for Amelia as her assistant, saying she wouldn’t dream of taking a different job. Which Amelia loves, because I don’t think she can live without her.

  Every night, I rub Willow’s feet and smear cocoa butter on her round belly. She’s never really had cravings, only a few times she sent me out at midnight for Chinese. I’d do anything for her.

  Recently we started working on the nursery. We didn’t want to find out the sex of the baby, so we chose a neutral, soft yellow color for the walls and decorations. One night, I woke and found that Willow wasn’t in bed. I found her asleep, sitting in the rocker in the nursery, with her hand on her belly.

  I still remember the first time I felt the baby kick in her belly, the feeling of knowing we created an actual life, and it’s growing inside of Willow is amazing. She’s been so tired lately and I wish she’d stop working and take it easy.

  Willow is now thirty-eight weeks pregnant and this is her last week at work. Friday, Charlotte buzzes in and says Amelia just called, and that I need to get down to Willow’s floor right away. I don’t waste time with the elevator, I run down the flights of stairs, two, sometimes three steps at a time, it’s a wonder I don’t end up breaking my neck. Reaching her floor, I run to Willow’s desk, but she’s not there. I rush in Amelia’s office, and she’s sitting in a chair with her back facing me, Amelia is kneeling in front of her holding her hand.

  “What happened?” I ask scared.

  “Her water broke. We need to get her to the hospital,” Amelia says.

  “NO! I can’t walk out of here like this. I look like I just took the biggest pee of my life and forgot to take off my clothes!”

  “Don’t be ridiculous, we need to get going NOW!” I tell her.

  “Asher, please, I don’t want anyone else to see me like this.”

  I need to think fast. How do I quickly get rid of a hundred employees? I know, a fire drill. We haven’t had a fire drill in a while.

  “Amelia, pull the fire alarm.”

  “What? You can’t do that Asher, the fire department will come,” Willow shouts.

  “Amelia, call the fire department tell them we’re going to do a scheduled fire drill, then send out an urgent company memo saying we’re doing a fire drill. Everyone has their designated meeting spot. Willow and I can exit out of a door no one uses.”

  “Asher, that’s brilliant! While you two make your escape, I’ll call the rest of the family and tell them that it’s birthday time.”

  I wait until Amelia arranges everything with the fire department and for all the employees to get the memo, then I pull the fire alarm. We wait another twenty minutes for all the employees to get to their designated check-in point, then Willow and I make our escape. Simon is waiting for us at the door with the car. I help Willow into the car and we make our way to the hospital.

  Checking in is a breeze. Willow already pre-registered. She said she’s in a little bit of pain, but seems to be handling it well. They get her situated in a bed, then there are nurses fluttering in and out of the room monitoring her condition. Ava, Adrian, Aiden and my parents show up and visit for a little while. My parents and brothers make their way to the waiting room, wanting to give us privacy. Ava stays as per Willow’s request. Amelia is still dealing with things at work.

  Chapter 27

  Willow

  I’m completely mortified when my water breaks sitting in my chair at the office. Wearing a pink maternity dress, i
t looked like I couldn’t hold my bladder and peed myself. Asher’s brilliant idea saves me from having to walk through the lobby of Wellington Corp., and the humiliation of everyone looking at me. God, I love this man so much. He’ll do anything for me, even get rid of all the employees just for my peace of mind.

  Laying in bed hooked up to monitors and an IV, the contractions haven’t been too bad, but they’re slowly increasing in intensity. Nurses have been in and out on a regular basis checking my progress.

  “Dr. Fleming is out of town, but she’s been called and she’s on her way here now. No need to worry, this’s your first pregnancy, there’s plenty of time. She’ll get here in time for the birth,” a nurse tells me calmly.

  I’m not so sure I like the sound of that. She’s seen me through my whole pregnancy; she knows my risks. She specializes in post-cancer pregnancies. I’m not going to lie; I’m freaked out.

  Another nurse comes in and offers me an epidural. I’m no saint; I take it. I call and talk to my mom; she’ll be on the next flight here. I know she won’t make it in time for the birth, but just knowing she’ll be staying with us for a week after the birth is a huge comfort.

  It’s only been about an hour, but Amelia’s still not here. She called and said she needs to finish dealing with the fire department, then she’s heading straight here. Another nurse comes in and checks me one more time.

  “Oh dear, you’re fully dilated and ready to go. I’ll be right back. I’m going to get the doctor on duty and we are going to have us a little baby.”

  “No, Dr. Fleming isn’t here yet, I’m not ready!” I say in a panic.

  “You may not be ready and Dr. Fleming may not be here, but this little one is ready,” she says and quickly leaves the room.

  The next few minutes are a rush of activity. Nurses are moving about, an isolette appears, and stirrups are inserted in the foot of the bed. Asher is standing on one side of the bed holding one of my hands, and Ava is on the other side holding the other. I’m silently freaking out when a man whom I’ve never seen before, walks into the room.