“Are you ready, sweetie?”
My father was looking at me. I met his gaze and felt all the love he held for me in his heart. I remembered fondly the day he taught me how to ride a bike, all the times he'd bandaged my scraped knees, how frustrated he got when he tried to teach me how to drive, and how proud he looked when I graduated from high school. All those wonderful memories paled however in comparison to this cherished moment. I knew I would remember the look on his face for the rest of my days and would be able to call upon it whenever I needed a smile.
We stepped into the ballroom and I heard the collective sighs of all the guests as they murmured and stared. I felt my cheeks flush crimson under all the attention, but inside I loved every minute of it. I had been to many award shows and parties where I was the center of attention, but they were strangers and this was a room filled with my dearest loved ones, family, and friends. Their sighs of admiration meant more to me than a million fan letters and I felt my heart swell.
I looked past the sea of faces staring at me and saw Dimitri standing beneath the arch looking dashing in his Armani tux. It was the first time I had laid eyes on him in seven whole days and I sucked in a gulp of air at the sight of him and let it out slowly in a sigh of relief.
He looked more handsome than I had ever seen him and we locked eyes from across the room. I could see his face light up as he gazed upon me in my wedding gown and I knew I had filled, and even exceeded, his expectations of what I would look like on this special day.
The swelling music came to a gentle stop as my father and I reached the end of the aisle. Then Daddy lifted my veil and kissed me lovingly on the cheek before giving my hand over to Dimitri. I could see my father was choking back tears and Dimitri was restraining his desire to pull me into his arms and kiss me. Ever since I was a little girl I had dreamed of the moment when my father would hand me over to my husband during our wedding ceremony and the reality of it was even more magical than I had dreamed.
The reverend cleared his throat and began the ceremony, saying, “Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to join this man and this woman in holy matrimony…”
As my father took his place in the front row beside my mother, I handed my bouquet of flowers over to Amanda. I clasped Dimitri’s hands and gazed into his eyes while we listened together to the reverend’s speech. As he talked of love and commitment, I could see merriment dancing in Dimitri's eyes and I suspected correctly that he was already thinking of our honeymoon and the delicious things we would do to each other that night. Our appetites for each other had only grown stronger as time went by and were as voracious as ever. Having gone seven whole days and nights without seeing each other, kissing one another, or feeling the touch of each other’s bodies had been a cruel form of torture for both of us. Just looking at him now, I could feel my nipples tingling, longing for his touch; and my panties moistened. I could not wait for the hours to pass of our reception party for the moment when we could be alone and make love together for the first time as husband and wife.
The reverend wrapped up his speech and Dimitri turned to his best man and held out his hand for the ring. While Ethan dug frantically in his pocket looking for it, the reverend spoke to the crowd, saying, “Before they exchanged vows, if anyone has just cause why these two should not be joined in holy matrimony, let them speak now or forever hold your peace."
It was a traditional part of the ceremony said out of habit, and I didn't expect anything to come from it, but to my shock and horror Marianne Morrison stood up from her seat. Many voices in the crowd gasped in surprise, including myself and Dimitri. He clutched my hand tightly in his own and I felt myself growing light headed. I couldn't decide if I wanted to faint, vomit, or fling myself at her in a fury. I could see from the fury burning in Dimitri's eyes, that he was even more upset by his mother's actions than I was and my heart broke for him. I knew how much his mother meant to him and that he had been visiting her in secret these past months and years, trying to foster a good relationship with her. I had somehow hoped that her appearance here today meant that she had wanted to make peace and be a part of our lives. It saddened me to see that I was wrong and that she would even go so far as to ruin our wedding in her attempts to break us apart.
“What the hell are you doing mother?” Dimitri demanded. His left hand was clutching mine and I could feel him sweating as his right hand clenched and unclenched repeatedly.
“Please, just let me say what I need to say,” Marianne said in a pleading tone.
“Go ahead,” Dimitri said and I nodded in agreement.
Marianne walked from her seat with her head held high to stand beside us under the arch. She gazed into her son’s contorted face and said, “I’m sorry to interrupt the ceremony, but I needed you both to hear this before you said your vows and it took this long to get up the courage to say it.”
Marianne reached out and grabbed Dimitri's hand with her left and my hand with her right, holding both of us while teardrops slipped from the corners of her eyes and ran down her cheeks. Weeping softly, she said, “It’s no secret that I disapproved of you Avery, and even tried to break the two of you up. Over the past two years, however, I’ve seen how happy she’s made you Dimitri. She’s transformed you from a lost boy into the man you were meant to be. With her love, you’ve become peaceful, healthy, and you are clearly blissfully happy. What more could any mother want for her son? I see now that I have Avery to thank for that. I’m sorry that I misjudged her so poorly in the beginning and that it took me so long to see just how right you two are for each other. I'm so glad that you two are getting married and I’d be grateful if you would allow me to be a part of your lives as you move forward together as husband and wife.”
I was overwhelmed by Marianne's heartfelt speech. I didn't realize how much I needed and craved her acceptance until that moment. Dimitri was crying and hugging her and when he finally let her go, I held out my arms and welcomed her into my embrace.
“I'm so sorry, Avery,” she said into my ear as she wept. “I don't deserve your forgiveness, but I hope one day you can accept my apology.”
I thought about holding a grudge for the years of torment she’d caused me, but as I looked out at the crowd of people who were all her friends and peers too, I realized what courage it must have taken a woman as formidable as she was to swallow her pride and make herself so vulnerable for all the world to see. It made her apology all the more valuable and her tears were clearly heartfelt and real.
“You're already forgiven,” I said and hugged her back. When we finally broke apart, Marianne returned to her seat and all the guests applauded the reconciliation with happy tears in their eyes.
The reverend shifted awkwardly.
“Shall we continue?”
“Most definitely!” Dimitri said and I nodded in agreement. Ethan handed Dimitri the ring and the reverend instructed him to place it on my finger. The glittering band of gold fit perfectly and nestled against my engagement diamond like two puzzle pieces fitting together. Dimitri recited his vows and I felt fresh tears of joy spilling down my cheeks as he said the words committing to me forever.
It seemed impossible that I could have any more moisture left inside my body after all the crying I had already done that day, and yet the tears of happiness just kept coming. It must have been for the best however, because when it was my turn to recite my vows to Dimitri, I had already poured out all my tears and spoke in a strong clear voice resonating my love for all to hear.
At long last the ceremony came to an end and the reverend said, “I now pronounce you husband and wife, you may kiss the bride.”
Dimitri didn’t even wait for the reverend to finish speaking the words before he pulled me into his arms and kissed me hard on the lips. A week’s worth of passion has built up between us and I melted into his embrace as the crowd applauded loudly. We had done it! We were officially married, and now it was time to celebrate!
We exited the ballroom where the ceremony
had been held and entered the adjacent ballroom which we had rented for the reception. The hired band was playing celebratory music and guests were already on the dance floor by the time we had finished smiling for the photographer and were able to join the party.
Dimitri found his mother and invited her onto the dance floor and I found my family and hugged them all joyously. The catered food absolutely delicious but the cake had been made by my sister Angela and was truly divine!
“I didn't know that you could decorate cakes so well!” I cried out, licking frosting from my lips after Dimitri and I had cut into together and shared the first slice.
“That's because you don't come home nearly as often as you should,” Angela retorted.
“Well, from now on I will,” I promised, causing Angela to hug me a little too tightly. Fortunately, Dimitri saw I was getting squeezed to death and came over to rescue me.
Bowing chivalrously, he said, “I haven’t had a chance to dance with my wife yet. Shall we Mrs. Morrison?”
It felt funny and strange to be called by my new married name, but I loved it instantly.
“That would be wonderful, Mr. Morrison.”
I giggled and allowed him to guide me onto the dance floor. We danced for hours, swirling around the dance floor and gazing into each other’s eyes. It was a wonderful party, and by the time the reception ended and we escaped into the limousine that was taking us to the airport we were both happily exhausted.
“Well, we did it!” I sighed as I pulled off my heels and rubbed my tired feet.
“We sure did.”
Dimitri grinned as he gently lifted my feet onto his lap and massaged them for me.
“So, what happens now?” I asked, feeling almost sad now that the big hype was over.
“Now we go on our honeymoon.”
Dimitri leered at me, cocking his left eyebrow with a silly grin.
“You never told me where you’re taking me,” I reminded him.
“It’s still a surprise. You’ll just have to wait until we get there to find out.”
Little did he know that I had a surprise for him too.
Chapter Six
Dimitri kept the windows of our private jet closed the entire time we were flying to our destination. When he opened the door to exit the jet, the air was sultry and humid, but so is Los Angeles so it really didn’t tell me anything.
Dimitri placed a blindfold over my eyes and carried me from the plane into the back seat of our car, letting my curiosity and anticipation build. I was determined to try and figure out where we were by sniffing the air and listening with my ears, but traffic sounds the same everywhere and I couldn’t specify the species of the fragrant flowers in the air.
“Okay, we’re here,” Dimitri said in an excited tone as I felt the car come to a stop.
“Can I take the blindfold off now?” I asked. My heart was beating quickly from the built up anticipation and I was dying to rip off the blindfold and discover the secret location of our honeymoon.
“Yes!” Dimitri said and helped pull it over my head.
I blinked as my eyes adjusted to the light and slowly my vision came into focus. We were on a beach with the waves of the ocean lapping on the shore just fifty feet away. The water was the clearest blue I’d ever seen and I could see dolphins leaping and playing in the water in the distance. Dense foliage isolated the private beach from any other signs of civilization, making it feel like our own private world. Behind us was a massive bungalow just for us.
“This place is amazing!” I gasped. Where are we? Hawaii? Jamaica? The Bahamas?”
“No,” Dimitri smiled. “This is a tiny island off the coast of Hawaii where sections of beach can be purchased by wealthy individuals for a very hefty price. I’m calling this beach Avery Island. I put the property deed in your name. This is your beach darling, as my wedding gift to you.”
“This entire beach is mine?”
I couldn’t believe the words I was hearing, but the look in his eyes told me that they were true. As the shock wore off, I flung myself into his arms and kissed him passionately, nearly knocking the breath out of him with my fervor.
“No one’s ever given me my own tropical beach before! How far is our property line?”
Dimitri pointed off in the far distance and said, “From lava caves to the east all the way to the waterfall cliffs to the west. I had this bungalow built for you too. It’s the project I’ve been on the phone about all these months.”
“I knew you weren’t helping Ethan with his house remodel!” I squealed and punched at him playfully. “Let’s go see the inside!”
He handed me the key to my new island bungalow and I unlocked the door. It was absolutely breathtaking inside, with hand-painted tile floors, vaulted ceilings with ocean views, and exquisite art on all the walls from my favorite painters. The furniture had a natural vibe with lots of woods and neutral colors, and bright throw pillows and rugs gave the place color. Vases filled with native flowers filled every room and bowls of fresh local produce could be found on nearly every table.
“This is so good. Taste this!”
I bit into a slice of sweet tropical fruit and offered a bite to Dimitri. He took a taste and some of the juice dribbled down his chin. I licked it off his salty flesh with a long lap of my tongue and said, “Mmmm. What is it?”
“It’s called a star fruit. Here’s some more if you’re hungry.” Dimitri set slices on my tongue sensuously and I felt my body begin to tingle. Seeing the fire in my eyes, Dimitri flashed me his sexiest grin and said, “You haven’t seen the best part of this place yet. Follow me.”
He guided me through the spacious rooms of the bungalow until we came to the bedroom. The huge suite was lavishly decorated with hand-carved wood furnishings. Beautiful silk curtains and tulle draped over the canopy bed, which had been sprinkled with rose petals. A bucket of ice held bottles of champagne on the nightstand along with a tray of imported chocolates. Vases full of tropical flowers were everywhere, and most impressive of all, a small waterfall rained down from the ceiling into an indoor swimming pool in the east corner of the room.
“This is incredible!” I breathed. “I can’t believe you had this place built just for me. I love it and I love you.”
I wrapped my arms around his strong neck and pulled him to me. When my lips brushed against his, the chemistry between us sparked at once, but this was our honeymoon and we both wanted to take our time. He kissed me back with slow tenderness, savoring the taste of my lips just as I savored his. They were soft like the petals of a rose, but his kiss was firm and insistent. It made my nipples tingle and an urgent sense of need began to burn inside me. I suddenly felt trapped in the endless layers of wedding gown I was still encased in and wanted to get out of it as quickly as possible.
“Help me out of this dress,” I said and Dimitri moved around to stand behind me, kissing the back of my neck seductively with his lips. I craned my head and sighed with pleasure at the feel of it while he began to undress me.
The Vera Wang gown had been designed with a long row of pearl buttons going all the way down the back of it. Dimitri’s fingers unfastened them one by one with excruciating slowness, intended to draw out my anticipation. It worked deliciously, and I found myself going wild with desire as I felt the dress slowly opening in the back. Dimitri’s lips kissed by bare flesh as it was slowly exposed, relishing every inch of my skin as he worked his way down my spine stopping just short of the crack of my buttocks.
Next, he circled around to the front and peeled the bodice of the dress away from my body, slowly exposing my breasts as if he were unwrapping a precious gift. When he put his lips upon them, it was as if he were worshiping them. His hands held them so carefully and yet relished the feel of them in his palms. Quiet moans of pleasure escaped his throat has he took my nipples into his mouth, flicking them with his tongue and nipping them with his teeth before suckling them hungrily. I threw back my head and moaned with pleasure, raking my hands throu
gh his thick wavy hair and encouraging him to keep going.
After a little while, he reluctantly abandoned my breasts and kissed his way down my belly, pushing the full skirts of my dress down by body so I could carefully step out of it. Finally I was free of the beautiful but cumbersome garment, and stood before him naked except for my white lace panties. I waited expectantly for him to peel them from by body and kiss me there, but he surprised me by saying, “I have another wedding present for you.”
“What?”
I couldn’t imagine what it could be. My eyes flew open with happy surprise when he reached into the drawer of my nightstand and pulled out an electronic vibrator.
As he handed it me with a naughty grin, he teased me by asking, “And what did you get for me?”
“I have two presents for you. The first one is more of an activity. Take off all your clothes and sit in the middle of the bed with your back against the headboard and I’ll show it to you.”
With his eyes sparkling, Dimitri did as I had instructed. The curtains on the canopy bed were tied back with long silk ribbons and I pulled two of them from the bed and used them to bind Dimitri’s wrists to the posts of the headboard, binding him helplessly to the bed as my prisoner of love.
Then, I set to work on his penis, licking the long shaft, suckling the swollen head, and finally thrusting the full length of him deep into my throat and suckling him there while he squirmed, writhed, and groaned with pleasure. Once I knew he was thoroughly aroused I stopped, leaving him to sit helplessly with is raging hard-on pointing at the ceiling.
“That was fun, but I think I want to play with my new present for a while now,” I crooned playfully and turned on the vibrator he had given me. Dimitri watched with wide eyes as I held the toy to the outside of panties. It stimulated me in just the right way and soon I was panting with wild passion. My panties became soaked with the juices of my arousal and I clutched at my breasts with my free hand while I pleasured myself with the vibrator with the other.
Stripped Love #6 (BBW Alpha Male Romance) Page 4
