by Skye, M.
“Oh yes, I will be,” she replied slyly and rushed into the restroom, closing the door behind her.
The shower was just as eventful as their earlier encounter on the bed. Aiden never knew he could be so intrigued by one person, but Emily had his full attention. He knew she could be passionate, but what had just happened between them during the past few hours went above and beyond anything he was expecting.
His admiration for her had developed into something much deeper. He wasn’t sure if it was love, but he knew whatever it was ran deep. While he was thinking, she was watching him intently, trying to read his expression.
When he noticed her staring at him, he swung her into his arms and carried her out to the bed. After lying her down on the bed, he went off in search of his body oil. He wanted to give her a relaxing body rub after the strenuous workout he had just given her.
Without uttering a single word, he rolled her over on her back and leaned over her, massaging the oil into her skin starting with her shoulders. The tension he felt surprised him, but he just kept rubbing, hoping to relieve her. His hands were working overtime to accommodate her needs.
After traveling down her back, he noticed some of the tension disappearing, but he caught the sudden urge to discover the source of the problem. “Hey Em, would you like to talk about what’s bothering you? You don’t feel like you made a mistake do you?”
Dumbfounded by his question, she stuttered her response. “Aiden no. I’m so happy that we finally became intimate. I was hoping that you still felt that way. When I saw your expression, I thought maybe you changed your mind.”
Aiden was taken aback by her implication. He couldn’t believe that after all they had just shared, she would question his feelings for her. “Em, I’m crazy about you and I could never regret being with you. I hope you don’t find this corny, but that was the best feeling I have ever experienced. Feeling you so close to me was amazing.”
“It’s not corny, it’s sweet and so are you. How did I get so lucky?” she asked and rolled over to kiss him.
Her kiss was sweet and lingering as she ran her hands down his bare body. With his last kiss, he made sure to break up any doubts she may have had by weaving his fingers through her golden hair and deepening the kiss. The smile she gave him once they finally came up for air almost stopped his heart. She was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. While looking down at her, he made up his mind, with her was where he wanted to be.
After the emotional revelation, he asked her to flip back over, in an attempt to finish the body rub he started. When she protested and pleaded that he needed some special attention as well, he knew without a doubt that she was the woman for him. He had never had a woman be so considerate of his needs.
After he let her hands work their magic on his back and shoulders, he flipped over and pulled her to his chest. With her head resting on his chest, they both fell into a deep sleep. They remained there until the chatter of visitors filled the hallway leading to their room.
Aiden was the first to wake when he heard the voices growing louder from the stairwell. He recognized the voices right away. It was Matt and Alex, and they sounded like they were planning something.
After he slipped out of Emily’s arms, he went over to his dresser in an attempt to find a shirt and some shorts to throw on. He dressed quickly and then went back to the bed to make sure he had Emily covered. He kissed her gently on the forehead and slipped out of the room, trying to be as quiet as possible.
Alex was the first to spot him sneaking out and couldn’t help, but to laugh at his obvious attempt to hide what was going on in his room. When Aiden looked up and saw Alex laughing, he rushed over to where he was standing and prompted him to conduct the conversation in his room.
“I can take a hint,” Alex replied while still laughing.
When they made it inside the room, Aiden laughed, knowing they caught him. “I’m not trying to be secretive or anything, I just don’t want to wake Emily up. She’s tired.”
“Hey, no judgment from me,” Alex replied and held his hands up.
“So, what are you guys doing? It sounded like you were planning something.”
“Oh, I brought Matt over to help me pack, and we were discussing some plans I had for Meg,” Alex answered.
“Pack? You showed Meg the house already?” Aiden asked.
“Yeah, she loved it. Callie let us have the keys after we looked at it.”
“That’s great bro. I knew she would love it. I guess I have the house to myself now.”
“Yeah, you and Emily,” Matt said and chuckled lightly.
“Yeah, she has been here every night since the dinner,” Alex said and raised his eyebrows.
“Hey, I’m not teasing you for being over at Meg’s every night. And Matt, your wife and daughter have you wrapped around their little manicured fingers,” Aiden said teasingly.
“Yes I’ll admit it, I love my girls. They are the most important people in the world to me,” Matt said.
“I don’t have to tell you what Meg means to me. She could change my mood with just one look. But seriously though, I’m glad you finally hooked up with Emily. She’s a great girl,” Alex replied.
“That's enough love talk, we have to get this stuff packed before we get in trouble,” Matt huffed. Alex shook his head and picked up a box.
“Yeah, you're right. Meg is with Gio, but I’m supposed to meet her for dinner.”
They all grew silent and started packing up what they could fit into the boxes Alex brought. They were all thinking about the past few weeks. So much happened, and thankfully it was good.
While the guys helped Alex pack most of his belongings, Emily was in the other room on a conference call with Meg and Melia. Meg was telling them all about the house, and they loved every detail. She also told them that she would be leaning on them to help her with the wedding and they readily agreed. Everything was finally as it should be for everyone, and they couldn’t be happier.
Chapter 6
The Way We Were
In the previous weeks, Meg and Alex spent most of their waking hours at work or planning the wedding. The date was coming up fast. With a month and a half left, they still had plenty to do, and it was getting stressful.
After finding the house of their dreams, the only hurdle left was making sure their wedding was perfect. As much as he loved spending time with Meg, the wedding planning was wearing on Alex’s nerves. He was beginning to go stark raving mad.
If he had to look at one more china pattern or flower sample, he was going to scream. Thank goodness for Gio, Maddie, Emily, and Melia, but even they weren’t enough; he needed more in his arsenal. He thought about the surprise he had for Meg waiting at the house and realized he was running late.
“Baby, let’s get going,” Alex said and stretched his hand out for Meg. After hours at Aiden’s house with the others working on wedding plans, Alex was eager to show her a surprise he had set up. They were just finishing the last of the favors when Alex jumped up and told Meg he was ready to leave. While standing off the couch, Meg looked at him with a confused expression.
“What’s going on? I thought we didn’t have any plans for today.”
After he walked up to her slowly, he kissed her cheek. “I just want you to myself.”
She walked towards the door briskly, with excitement flowing through her. “Well let’s get going then.” She knew Alex enough to know when he was up to something, and he was right now. This usually meant there was a big surprise in store for her once they got home.
When Meg was successfully in the foyer, Alex turned back to the group and stopped. “I need to get something from my old room and I’ll meet you at the car,” he yelled out to Meg, who was waiting patiently at the door. Once he heard the front door open and close, he called the girls into a huddle.
“I need you guys to meet me at our house in about thirty minutes.”
“What’s going on?” Maddie asked, curiously.
&
nbsp; He was halfway up the stairs when he yelled out to them, “It’s a surprise for all of you.”
Once in his old room, he went to the closet and grabbed the last of the outfits he had left. After gathering all the clothing he needed, he grabbed a bag and tossed everything inside. Before turning to head out, he grabbed the rest of his cologne and grooming products as well.
“Farewell old room,” he said as he took one last look.
When he finally made it back downstairs, he saw the girls still standing looking rather confused and chuckled lightly before running towards the door. “Remember, thirty minutes,” he yelled, before running out to the car.
“You miss me?” he asked jokingly when he saw Meg standing outside the passenger side of the car with a smile plastered on her face.
“How could I? I just saw you a few minutes ago.”
When he went to open her car door, he smiled at her wise crack. “Well, that hurts. Let’s go smart ass.”
On the way back home, Alex couldn’t help stealing looks at Meg. “Who are you looking at like that?” she asked when she noticed him.
He quickly shot his head forward to avert her gaze. “I’m not saying a word. I’m just keeping my eyes on the road.”
Meg smiled cleverly at his response. She was determined to draw this secret out of him. “I think you're up to something.”
“Why do I always have to be up to something?” “Let me see… maybe because you always are, and let's not forget how you left me outside to talk to everyone,” she replied smugly.
“So you have it all figured out do you?”
“I think so,” she replied as they turned into the driveway.
“Well, since you know everything, what do you think I’m going to do next?” he asked as he pulled her out of the car.
“I think you're going to take me inside and finish what we started this morning,” she fluttered her eyes at him.
“And you would be wrong.” He swung her into his arms and carried her to the porch. “Close your eyes.”
She gloated with her eyes still closed as they entered the house. “I told you there was a surprise.” When he lowered her feet to the floor, she felt him grab her hand. With her hand in his, he led her into the living room and nudged her down onto the couch gently.
A sly smile formed across her lips as she settled herself on the couch. “Wow, this is forceful, I can get into that.”
“I bet you could.”
She heard the voice but decided it couldn’t possibly be who she thought it was. She quickly opened her eyes and turned around to find a cheerful woman standing behind her. “Mom! What are you doing here?” she exclaimed and ran over to hug her.
“I couldn’t miss my oldest daughter’s wedding. I’m here to help you with whatever you need. Consider me at your disposal.”
Meg released her from the hug to glance over her appearance. “I’m so glad you’re here. I’ve missed you so much.”
“Sweetheart, you look amazing. You're glowing!” Maria exclaimed and ran her hand through her hair.
“No mom, you look wonderful. How is it that you never age?”
“It’s an age-old Brazilian secret,” she replied and winked. “You will learn it soon enough.”
After watching the exchange between the two women, Alex decided to bow out of the room and give them some privacy. “Just where do you think you are going mister?” Maria asked when she noticed him sneaking out.
“I was giving you time to catch up; it’s been years since you’ve been in the same room.”
“You're not going anywhere before you get over here and give me a proper hello,” she replied and extended her arms.
He wrapped his arms around her and quickly lost himself in her embrace. “Maria, it’s been too long.”
While they hugged, they heard commotion coming from the foyer and released each other to see what it was. When Meg ran around the corner and saw Maddie standing there with a silly grin, she developed a confused look on her face. “What’s up with you?”
“Look who we found in the driveway,” Melia exclaimed as she walked inside the door.
“Dad!” Meg yelled as she threw herself into his arms.
“My girls. I’m so happy to see you,” Emilio exclaimed.
“Well isn’t this quite the reunion,” Maria said and smiled as she walked into the foyer with Alex.
“Mom!” Maddie and Melia exclaimed as they ran towards Maria.
When Gio walked in with Marco, he saw both Emilio and Maria standing there and rushed in to greet them. “Gio son, it’s good to see you,” Emilio said and embraced him.
As the rest of the guests trickled in, Meg looked over and noticed Sean missing from the group. “Hey Maddie, where is Sean?”
“He ran to the office, but I think he should be over soon after that.”
“He needs to. He has to meet your mom,” Emilio said in a cynically stern tone.
“You will meet him soon enough mom, but enough about me. Meg has all the big news,” Maddie said and winked.
“And what big news would this be?” Emilio asked.
Alex had almost forgotten that he wanted to talk to Emilio alone about marrying Meg. “I wanted to ask you formally. Could I speak to you in private?” Alex led him into the study while the others looked on quietly.
When the guys disappeared down the hall, the ladies took the time to converse with Gio, Matt, Aiden, and Marco. “Mom tell us, what have you been up to?” Melia asked as they all headed into the living room to sit.
“As you know, I’ve been in Brazil with your Avo and Tia Carmen. They are doing great by the way.”
“How did you get here?” Maddie asked. “It’s not time for one of your usual visits.”
“Alex found me last week and let me know he was planning on surprising Meg and asked for my help. I had no idea until I got here that they had already gotten engaged, and besides, I missed my girls and son,” Maria said. “You know Alex went through a lot to get you back.”
“He is so sneaky,” Meg said with a grin on her face.
“Hey, consider yourself lucky,” Maria said and rubbed her hand. “Not many men would go through that much trouble to wow a woman.”
When she looked and saw Alex and Emilio emerge from the study, she smiled at them both. “I am lucky.”
“You get over here and give your Papi another hug,” Emilio said and smiled at Meg. “My little girl is getting married! This calls for a celebration tonight, on me.”
“It sure does, but on one condition,” Alex said. “What’s that?” Emilio asked.
“You have to let me cover it. My original plan was to have this big dinner with all of us and ask her there, but circumstances changed,” he explained. “The least, I can do, is give her an evening with family and friends.”
“Okay son have it your way,” Emilio said and patted him on the back.
“You will invite Melissa won’t you?” Maria asked.
“Of course. She wouldn’t miss it for the world.”
“I hope she leaves that snake at home,” Emilio whispered in Maria’s ear.
“With any luck he will step out in front of a moving bus,” Maria chuckled.
“If only I could be the driver of that bus,” Emilio said sounding amused.
Maria looked him over noticing the changes his appearance. He had bulked up a bit and was lean and fit. “Enough about that jackal. How have you been?”
“I’ve been wonderful, but not as wonderful as you look.”
“You know you always did have a way with words,” she blushed.
“And you always had a way with me.”
“Oh cut it out, you know you probably have a woman in your life,” she said while looking him in the eyes.
His expression was intense and loving. It went straight through her. “Of course I do, and her name is Maria. You know, I’ve always had a soft spot for you.”
“You know that chapter of our lives is closed.”
Her respo
nse prompted him to grab her around the wrists. “If that’s so true, then why haven’t you signed the divorce papers?”
“Maybe I was doing it just to spite you,” she said bluntly.
“Or maybe you didn’t sign them because you want me back,” he huffed. “You know I still love you. Why can’t you just admit that you feel the same?”
“It’s not that simple and you know it,” she whispered quietly.
“All I know is that you left me, but you refuse to sign the divorce papers. I’ve sent them to you three times. Come home Maria. Please.”
The look in her eyes, when he made his final plea, spoke volumes. All she wanted to do, was say that she would come back to him and live the life they were meant to live, but she couldn’t bring herself to admit it. “Emilio, I can’t,” she said barely above a whisper. When he looked up and saw everyone staring at them he released her and chuckled nervously.
“Should we leave you two alone?” Maddie asked in a comical tone.
“No we were just catching up,” Maria said, and took the opportunity to back away from Emilio. She was happy for the distraction. Honestly, she had no idea why she hadn’t signed the divorce papers. She and Emilio hadn’t lived together in over fourteen years, and they both had their share of lovers since then. Their split had been her fault. Emilio was always a great husband and provider. He was wonderful with the girls and an excellent lover.
She always tried to rationalize it to girls, but she never came up with a valid reason to give them why she broke up her happy family. One day she was happily married, and then the next she was asking him to move out. He was surprised, but when she insisted, he didn’t push.
He just made her promise to never keep his girls from him. It only took her two years to figure out that he wasn’t the problem, she was. At that point, she began her travels, and soon she was around less and less frequently until she was only seeing the girls and Gio three times a year.
She and Emilio always made sure the girls had the best. They had more money than they knew what to do with, but Emilio was the only constant parent in their lives, even though he worked on the east coast. He always tried his best to be there for the big moments and holidays.
