From Ashes To Flames

by A. M. Hargrove

  When Paige and Rick walked in the back door, Kinsley ran up to them and hollered, “I’m gonna have a Marniemom. I’m gonna have a Marniemom.” Then she ran around in a circle.

  “What on earth?” Paige asked.

  “What she’s saying is, we’re going to get married,” Grey said.

  “Oh my gosh!” Paige set the bag of ice cream on the counter and rushed up to me to hug me. “Thank God! I prayed over this one.”

  “You sound like you never pray, Mom.”

  “You know what I mean, son. When’s the wedding?”

  “We haven’t decided yet, but my parents don’t know yet.”

  “Um, I sort of asked your father when we were there earlier tonight.”

  “You did?” I said, shocked. I didn’t think he would ever do that.

  “Of course I did. I didn’t want our mothers chasing me down and killing me later.”

  That got a good laugh out of Paige.

  “What did my dad say?” I asked.

  “I won’t be repeating that,” Grey said. “But, Mom, we’re eloping.”

  “Grey, you can’t do that to Marin. She’s never had a wedding nor has her mother. Every girl deserves a wedding. Trish will be devastated if you elope.”

  I hadn’t given that a thought. One look at Grey and I could tell the decision was mine.

  “Let’s talk about this later,” I said.

  And we did. After the hottest sex I had in weeks and after coming several times.

  “My mom was right. You deserve your special day. I won’t take that away from you. In my heart, you’re already mine, so I’ll leave it up to you.”

  “Can I talk to my mom? I just don’t want there to be any regrets.”

  Paige had been right after all. An elopement would kill Mom.

  “Oh, honey. My only child eloping? At least consider a destination wedding.”

  “Okay, Mom. Let me talk with Grey. Or better yet, why don’t you all come over and we’ll talk about it? Then I don’t feel like I’m going back and forth.”

  So, the following weekend, my parents, his, and the two of us had a chat. Everyone agreed to a small wedding. But that turned into a guest list of over four hundred. In the end, we decided on a destination wedding.

  Our destination was Paris, the city of love. We were to be married at the hotel Le Bristol with a reception to follow. The hotel was in the heart of Paris, just steps from the Champs-Elysées and the Louvre. It would take place in early October, only six weeks from now, which meant I was in overdrive on getting a dress. Kinsley was my only bridesmaid, and she would throw white rose petals as I walked down the short aisle.

  The moms were planning everything for the wedding and reception, leaving Grey and I to handle the marriage licenses. We had our passports and everything necessary for travel from our trip to Vienna, so we were set. After the wedding weekend, our parents were taking the children off to Disneyland Paris and Grey and I would be honeymooning all over France for two luxurious weeks.

  Mom and I were leaving the store after my final dress fitting, which I was happy to say was a smashing success. I walked out the door and crashed right into Damien and Dawn. Needless to say, all of us were equally stunned.

  “Well, hello Marin. Are you still a nanny?” Dawn asked, snidely.

  Mom, not waiting for my reply, jumped in to answer. “No, she isn’t. She was just getting fitted for her wedding gown. We are all jetting off to Paris next week for the big event. Marin won’t be working much anymore, Dawn. What about you? Where are you working these days?” Mom, who was by no means a snob, looked down her nose at Dawn and I had to hold back a laugh.

  “Paris? As in France?” Dawn asked.

  “Yes, unless it’s relocated to Italy,” Mom answered. I snickered. “Marin is marrying a cardiologist.

  Dawn’s eyeballs almost rolled out. “Nice.” She didn’t mean it.

  “Congratulations. I’m happy for you,” Damien said.

  “Thanks. Come on, Mom. We have lots of things we need to do before we leave.”

  “That’s right, dear. You have to pick up your trousseau.”

  My trousseau. Oh my God, she really overdid with that. “Nice seeing you two.” I wiggled my fingers as we left.

  As we got further away, I said, “Mom. My trousseau? What the hell. Who even says that anymore?”

  “I know. I couldn’t help it. Those jerks deserved it. I had to rub it in.” I could only shake my head.

  The week arrived, our bags were packed, and all eight of us boarded the flight to Europe. This time, Grey and I held hands as we did, Aaron on Grey’s back, Kinsley holding Paige’s hand. We took up a chunk of the business class cabin, and the flight attendants were excited to hear we were traveling to Paris to get married.

  “She’s gonna be my Marniemom,” Kinsley announced.

  “She is?” one of them asked.

  I had to explain the name thing. They brought out special gifts for the kids—coloring books, and since Aaron was too young, they gave him a stuffed animal. Kinsley wanted one too and they were happy to hand one over.

  “Do you realize we haven’t even known each other a year?” I asked Grey.

  “I do. But when you know, you know. I’m not eighteen, or twenty. I know what I want in life, and it’s you.”

  “I’m not even thirty. Tell me I shouldn’t be scared.”

  He cupped my face and kissed me. “Don’t ever be afraid. I have your heart in my hands and I’m the best when it comes to hearts.”

  “Daddy’s kissing Marniemom,” Kinsley announced.

  “She’s spying on us,” I said.

  Grey was frowning.

  “What is it?” I asked.

  “Do you have doubts about us?”

  “I love you. So, the answer is no. I’m just insecure about the minimal amount of time we’ve spent together,” I said.

  “I’m not. At all.”

  “I keep thinking about my last relationship.”

  Grey took my hand. “And you told me that it was never good like what we have. Stop doubting yourself.”

  “I’m really insecure, aren’t I?”

  “Yes, and I can’t figure it out. You have everything at your fingertips. And I’m going to give you the world. It’s only begun, Marin. Just promise me we don’t need to have this conversation again and that I’ll see you walk down the aisle in five days.”

  “I promise.”

  And I kept that promise. When our wedding day dawned, all my hesitation vanished, and it was as though I had breathed fresh air into my lungs. My head had cleared and oddly, I felt like my life began that day. Marin McLain had been reborn.

  Chapter Forty

  Greydon

  * * *

  The wedding was taking place in one of the opulent ballrooms whose windows overlooked the Eiffel Tower. It was grand. The hotel had arranged an arbor we would stand beneath and it was adorned with a multitude of flowers that matched the ones in Marin’s bouquet. We’d opted not to see each other before the wedding. I wanted my first look to be when she walked down the aisle on her father’s arm.

  When she did, I got the wow factor. Her gown was simple, off the shoulders, exposing their creamy flesh, going down to a deep V neck showing a good deal of her sexy cleavage. When she got close enough, her sparkling blue eyes lit up the room and my own nearly watered with unshed tears. She was radiant and stunning. Around her neck was a simple strand of pearls I had gifted her earlier that week, and she wore diamond studs in her ears. Her engagement ring sparkled; it was the one thing I had insisted upon. She balked, of course, but after hours at the jewelers, we finally settled on a two-carat solitaire. Today she would be getting two eternity bands to wear on either side. One was for our eternal love and the other was for the eternal love of our kids and our future children. She didn’t know about that one and I would give it to her later tonight.

  Our vows were traditional because we decided to follow along with the sexy French version, as Marin cla
imed. I laughed at her. “But they’ll be in English,” I had said.

  “It doesn’t matter. Whatever they say is sexy with that French accent. I’d rather hear them speak than me.”

  I’d give her anything she wanted, so I agreed.

  The funny thing was, her eyes were glazed as she stared at me and I’m not quite sure she even heard the minister in his sexy French accent after all.

  When he said I could kiss the bride, I took great pleasure in that. People cleared their throats, including him. Then he said, “And I thought we French were amorous.” Turning to our guests, he announced, “I’d like to present to you Dr. and Mrs. Greydon West.”

  The room exploded in applause. Having a destination wedding, we didn’t expect to have many guests. We were wrong. Over seventy-five people accepted. We were thrilled they wanted to join us in Paris to celebrate.

  Josh and Ashley were some of the first to congratulate us afterward.

  “Marin, your dress is out of this world,” Ashley said, hugging my wife.

  “Thank you.”

  “And what a place. This hotel.” The women chatted while Josh congratulated me. My brothers were also there man-hugging me.

  “Dude, you finally did it,” Pearson said.

  “What are you talking about? You’re the perennial bachelor,” I said. “He who will never be married.”

  “There’s a reason for that. I’m an attorney. I see what happens in divorce court.”

  “You just have to pick the right one,” I said.

  “I’m proud of you, bro,” Hudson said.

  “Hey, there’s hope for you. Look how I came to my senses.” Hudson backed away, his hands raised. “I enjoy being a bachelor for now.”

  “You deserve the best, man, after everything you went through.” Pearson and I hugged again.

  “Thanks, Pearson. And when are you at least going to settle on dating the same girl more than once?”

  Pearson wore a sheepish expression. “Who knows?” He was the womanizer in the family.

  “Hey, I may have found Marin a therapy puppy,” Hudson said.

  “Yeah? Where?” I answered.

  “There are some puppies at the local breeder near my office, but there’s one that’s showing a lot of promise.”

  “Thanks, man. Keep me updated on that.”

  The band struck up the wedding song and Marin and I came together for our dance. We’d chosen “I Won’t Give Up” by Jason Mraz. After all, I had texted her the thing and annoyed her with it, but she confessed it was what swung her to my side after all. At the end, I kissed her honeyed lips. Then her dad took his turn. They’d chosen “Forever Young” by Rod Stewart. As they danced, my eyes sought out Kinsley and I knew it wouldn’t be long before I’d be doing the same with her. A grin grew across my face as my heart warmed with those thoughts.

  Marin was back by my side and then Kinsley ran up to us because we’d planned on a group dance. It was Justin Timberlake’s “Can’t Stop the Feeling. She loved the movie Trolls, so that was a no-brainer. When it started playing, we pulled out the sunglasses I had stashed in my pockets and went to town.

  “Marniemom, you have to hold your arms stiff, like this.”

  Oh, boy, the step dancing dictator was back. Marin played along, but then I grabbed everyone’s hands to save us all because no way in hell was I going to Irish step dance. We circled around and did all sorts of crazy moves. It distracted her enough so she didn’t care anymore.

  The hotel had arranged for a babysitter. We required a substantial number of references and did a complete check on her before we agreed. The hotel assured us they also did security checks on the sitters they hired, so we felt safe. I bought a portable camera to leave in the room, just in case. Every so often I’d check it to see how Aaron was doing. He seemed to be having fun with her, so I was good with that.

  As the night progressed, I led my wife to the cake, where we did the required cutting. And then I whispered to her how I wanted to blow this joint.

  “Can we?” she asked.

  “Mrs. West, it’s our wedding. We can do anything.”

  “Mrs. West, huh. I like the sound of that.”

  “Good, because it is your name now.” And I quickly kissed her.

  She laughed, saying, “We have to make an announcement.”

  “Then let’s.”

  We pulled the wedding director aside. Since we weren’t leaving the hotel, Marin had opted not to change into another outfit.

  The announcement about us leaving was made and everyone gathered around, sending us off. Kinsley wanted to go to bed with us, which made us laugh.

  “Marniemom, can I sleep with you and Daddy tonight.”

  Marin looked at me for an answer.

  “Not tonight, polka dot. You’re staying with Gammie and Bebop, remember?”

  “Oh, yeah. Goodnight.” She kissed us both, then scampered off. She was going to be exhausted and cranky tomorrow since she stayed up so late tonight.

  When we got to the room, I couldn’t wait to get Marin out of her dress. The dozen buttons in the back took longer than I wanted and her body shook as I tried to undo them.

  “Hold still. You’re making this harder.”

  “That’s my goal.”

  “Huh?”

  “To make it harder.”

  I spun her around and kissed her. “Do you want me to shred this gown to pieces?”

  She bit down on her lips to keep from laughing. “No. But you’re so funny, Grey, when you try to do things you find difficult.”

  “I’m trying to get you naked.”

  Her hand reached behind her and tried to grab my crotch.

  “What are you doing?”

  “I’m playing with you,” she said.

  “You’re incorrigible.”

  “I know.”

  I finally got the last dreaded button undone and slid the blasted dress off her shoulders … and oh my … fuck me. She was wearing a cream-colored bustier with a matching thong that had dainty ribbons on the side.

  “Are you trying to kill me, Marin?”

  “No, but tell me. Was it worth the wait?”

  “Every fucking button.” I stared at her for what seemed like days. “You are every man’s dream.” My finger traced the top globes of her creamy breasts and then dipped down into the valley between them. “God, I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything so beautiful.” I kissed her neck then, breathing in her scent. “I want to gaze at you all night.”

  Her hands reached for me, unknotting my tie, then undoing my shirt buttons, one by one. Soft hands slid under the fabric and her heat warmed me to the bone. When her hand landed on my chest over my heart, I was sure she felt it pounding and the surging of my blood through my veins. Even though we’d had sex many times before, I felt like it was our first time.

  My arms circled her and I undid the bustier and watched its slow fall to the floor. She was left standing in the sexy thong, which I intended to remove with my teeth.

  Dropping my head, I took one nipple into my mouth and sucked until I heard her gasp with pleasure. I flicked my tongue across its rock-hard peak until her fingers sunk into my arms. Repeating this action on the other nipple, my fingers sought the place between her thighs that I knew she wanted me to touch. Sliding her thong to the side, I dipped my fingers inside her, only to find her dripping wet. Moving to her clit, I massaged her until she arched her back and moaned. She was so ready and so was I.

  “I want to lick your pussy. I’ve been waiting for this all day.”

  Picking her up, I carried her to the bed and set her on the edge. Then I finished undressing. She watched me with eager eyes as I knelt before her. Taking one of the ribbons of her thong, I used my teeth to untie it. Then I did the same with the other.

  Holding it up, I said, “I want you to buy a dozen of these. They were made for you.” Then I tossed it aside.

  I spread her lips apart with my thumbs and licked her from her opening to her clit. She was
sitting up, leaning back on her elbows, watching me. My mouth moved to her inner thighs, sucking and nipping at them. I worked my way to the backs of her knees and up to her pussy again.

  “What do you want me to do?”

  “Exactly what you’re doing,” she said.

  “This?” I slid a finger inside.

  “Yes.”

  “And this?” My mouth landed on her mound and I sucked.

  “Oh, yeah.”

  “And what about this?” My tongue circled her clit and flicked it.

  “Yeah.”

  Then I pressed on her G-spot, and using my tongue, I massaged her clit.

  “Oh, yeah.” She buried her hands in my hair and her moans drove me on. I lifted my eyes and noticed she’d thrown back her head and was no longer watching me. It wouldn’t be long. And it wasn’t. Her inner muscles clamped down on my finger and a series of contractions hit. I loved it when she climaxed. She arched into my mouth and ground herself against me.

  When her orgasm died down, I pushed her back farther onto the bed, put her legs over my shoulders, and found her entrance with my cock. I slowly pushed inside, rocking in and out at an achingly slow pace because I didn’t want to come just yet. But it got to the point I couldn’t hold back any longer.

  “I’m going to come,” I whispered. “Are you close?”

  She barely spoke, only nodded that she was. And then it happened, this crazy climax. She stopped breathing as I watched. Her hand squeezed mine and maybe I stopped breathing too. I don’t know. It wasn’t like anything I’d ever experienced. Her orgasm lasted a very long time.

  “Wow,” she said afterward.

  “I think you just had a multiple orgasm.”

  “It was really weird.”

  I grinned. “Weird good or weird bad?”

  “Weird good as in more like making love and not just sex.” Her palm cupped my cheek. “Besides, anything sexual with you is good.”

  “I hope so.”

  “Grey. You should know that by now.”

  I kissed her. “Did I tell you how beautiful you are?”

  “Yes. Did I thank you?”

  “I don’t know. Your sexiness put me in a daze.” And it had.