[Southern Heart 01.0] Southern Pleasure

by Kaylee Ryan

  “Let’s get you married, baby girl.” Dad loops his arm through mine and leads me out to the car.

  We’re getting married in my grandparents’ church. It’s a private service and the pastor was completely fine when we explained the brother of the bride would be the one marrying us. My grandparents have been members for over fifty years. They handed them the keys and said to clean up when we’re done. Originally, it was going to be in the backyard, which is where McKinley still thinks it’s going to be, but I wanted more for her. I want this to be a day she will remember.

  So, we got the church. Mom and a few other ladies took care of decorations and I took care of the photographer. I mean, come on, I’m marrying a photographer who has a true passion for capturing memories. I can still remember that day months ago when she told me why she chose photography. How can I not hire the best to give her pictures—her passion—to remember this day?

  I contemplated inviting a few of our friends, but selfishly, I decided not to. I like the idea of an intimate setting, the idea of saying our vows in front of just our immediate family. I hinted around to McKinley about inviting others, and she pretty much said the same thing. The wedding is for us, to pledge our lives—well, for me, my love—but she won’t know that. She said it’s not for the showboat of the event. We share very similar beliefs, and that just made me fall a little more in love with her. I am admitting it in my head now, especially after this morning. Confessing to my daughter and having Aaron overhear it all, there’s no sense in denying it in my head. I know how I feel.

  Everything came together seamlessly, and now, I’m sitting in a back room of the church waiting for my bride and my daughter to arrive. I’m not nervous, anxious maybe, but no nerves.

  “Come in,” I say to the knock on the door.

  “Hey, son.” Dad slowly enters the room and takes a seat on the bench beside me. “You ready?”

  “Yes.”

  “I’m proud of you, Evan.”

  “Yeah, your son who knocked up his girlfriend who ended up wanting nothing to do with him or the baby. The son who has to marry his best friend’s little sister, who also happens to be his best friend, to keep his daughter.” I don’t know where that came from. I guess I’m a little ticked off at the circumstances. I would rather be able to tell McKinley how much I love her as we stand at the altar today.

  “Evan, you love that girl. Everyone can see that. You two might be hiding behind this arrangement, but anyone with eyes can see this is more than that.”

  “Evan you ready?” Mom asks through the door.

  “You can come in,” I yell back.

  She slowly pushes open the door, peeking her head around the corner. “They just arrived. To say she is surprised is an understatement.”

  “Good.” I gently pat my father’s shoulder. “Let’s do this.” I grin at my parents. Dad doesn’t say any more about our conversation and neither do I. This is just how it has to be.

  I follow my parents to the main area of the church where I see Aaron standing. The grin on his face relaxes me.

  “Dude, I can’t wait for you to see Lexi. Kinley bought her a little dress. Man, she’s a cute kid.”

  I’m excited to see my daughter, but even more so my fiancée. I don’t know what she’ll be wearing, and I don’t care. She could walk down that aisle in jeans and a ratted old t-shirt and she would still be beautiful to me. I would still be having an internal celebration that she was just minutes from being my wife.

  Grandma Lexington takes her place behind the piano and begins to play. I suck in a deep breath, my eyes glued to the doors, willing them to open. As if there was someone there to answer my silent plea, they do, and in walks McKinley, my baby girl in one arm, her dad escorting her with the other. She is wearing a white, sleek, sleeveless wedding gown and she’s . . . breathtaking.

  “Breathe, man,” Aaron whispers in my ear.

  Realizing I’ve been holding my breath, I breathe deep. I hear Aaron chuckle beside me. I want to glare at him, but that would mean taking my eyes off McKinley, and well, that’s just not an option for me.

  Taking her in, I commit every single second of this to memory and have to fight back the swell of emotion raring to break free.

  She’s going to be my wife.

  She stops before me, and her dad leans over, kissing her cheek. I watch as he also kisses Lexi before turning and taking his seat. McKinley steps forward and I reach for Lexi.

  “I want her with us,” she whispers, although, with so few in attendance, everyone can hear no matter how soft you keep your voice.

  “Absolutely,” I whisper hoarsely. What I really want to do is lean in and kiss the hell out of her for including my daughter. However, I assume it’s frowned upon to kiss the bride before I’m told to do so.

  “Uh, guys, you’re kind of stealing my thunder,” Aaron jokes. Our parents laugh. “Now, dearly beloved . . .” Aaron rambles on, but I don’t hear what he’s saying. I’m too busy looking at my bride. Her hair is curled and off to the side, leaving one long, slender side of her neck bare and begging for my lips to kiss every inch of exposed skin. She’s not wearing much make-up, which I love. She doesn’t need it. The neckline of her dress, is low, but not indecent. Just enough to tease me with the temptation of the swell of her breasts.

  Her lips are . . . moving. I blink to focus back on the moment. “Evan?” she says.

  “Yeah, baby?” The endearment falls from my lips effortlessly. McKinley sucks in a breath and I realize my mistake. Our families can hear me. It takes me about two seconds to determine I don’t care. I don’t care if they know how I feel about her. I want our time together to be real. I will cherish her and every moment I get to have her as my wife. Our families need to get used to that.

  McKinley tilts her head toward Aaron, and he’s smirking at me. “I think this is where you say I do, man,” he chuckles.

  “I do,” I say, my voice strong, full of promise and conviction.

  I always thought I would be nervous on my wedding day, full of jitters for the future. I was wrong. As I stand here, my hand in Evan’s and him holding Lexi, I have not one ounce of nerves. All I feel is . . . complete happiness.

  “McKinley, do you take Evan to be your lawfully wedded husband?” Aaron repeats to me.

  I tear my gaze from Aaron to look at Evan, his eyes are shining with an emotion I can’t name. Lexi decides it’s time to let out one of her shrieks, causing me to laugh as a lone tear flows down my cheek. Evan brings our combined hands to gently catch it with his thumb. “I do.” The words fall from my lips effortlessly. I have no regrets. I just hope my heart can heal when this is over.

  “I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss . . . wait,” Aaron says, causing me to gasp. He grins and reaches for Lexi, taking her from Evan. “Now, you may kiss your bride.”

  Evan doesn’t hesitate. He steps into me, slides one hand to the back of my neck and the other lands on my waist. He closes his eyes and we’re kissing. It’s not just a peck. It’s a long, closed mouth kiss, ending with his forehead resting against mine. I close my eyes and take it all in.

  We’re married.

  I’m not sure how long we stand like that, with our immediate family there to witness, but little Miss Lexington decides she needs some attention too and starts to babble. Evan and I pull away from our embrace, both wearing huge smiles. I reach for Lex and she grins. Tapping the end of her nose, I look at Evan. “Now what?”

  He chuckles and places his hand on the small of my back, leaning in close to my ear. “Now, my beautiful wife, we eat.” He guides me down the aisle and into a back room of the church. It’s set for a mini reception. There’s a small wedding cake sitting on one table. On the other is an array of finger sandwiches and picnic type foods. The sight brings tears to my eyes. When Evan and I talked about weddings and the meaning, I made the comment I would want it to be relaxed like a picnic, not some overpriced meal no one even likes. He took my words and created that today
.

  I look up to find him watching me. “I hope I got it right,” he says sheepishly. “I wanted today to be special.”

  Standing on my tiptoes, I place a quick soft kiss on his cheek. “Evan, this is special. The entire day’s a huge surprise and it’s perfect. I couldn’t have planned it any better myself.”

  “Let me have her. You all will be leaving tomorrow and I don’t know when I will see her again,” Evan’s mom says, taking Lexi from my arms.

  “Hungry?” Evan asks.

  I nod and follow him to the food. We each make a plate, Evan carrying mine to the table. Everyone is laughing and talking, and Lexi is soaking up the attention she’s getting. As I take it all in, trying to memorize the sound of their chatter and the happy laughter, I slip my hand into Evan’s under the table. He links his fingers through mine while turning to give me a questioning look. “Thank you, Evan. This day is amazing.”

  He leans in—to everyone else it looks as though he telling me a secret—and he is, but he also places a wet open-mouthed kiss on my neck. “You’re amazing and so fucking beautiful. Aaron had to remind me to breathe.” He pulls away, his eyes sparkling.

  I raise my eyebrows, telling him I’m not buying what he’s selling. Evan places his arm on the back of my chair and leans into me, looking at Aaron who is sitting on my other side. “Aaron, tell your sister what you said to me as she walked down the aisle.”

  Aaron grins, swallows a drink of his sweet tea, and wipes his mouth. Taking his sweet-ass time to reply. “He stopped breathing when he saw you. I was afraid he was going to pass out.”

  The look on my face must show my surprise. “He’s a goner, that husband of yours.” Aaron winks and stands from the table.

  “You two ready to cut the cake?” Mom asks.

  “Yes.” Evan stands and offers me his hand. We make our way to the cake and go through the tradition of cutting the first piece together. We feed each other the first bites with no mess. When I thought about us getting married over the past couple of weeks, I never thought about any of this—the traditional wedding events. I just figured we would be in the backyard, say I do, and go on as usual. Clearly, my husband had other plans.

  We spend the next hour talking, laughing, and eating. I could not have asked for a more romantic wedding. It’s intimate and personal and everything I could ever want.

  “Guys, we got you a gift.” Mom hands me an envelope. I look at Evan and he nods for me to open it. Inside, I find a room key. “We thought, under the circumstances, it would be good for appearance’s sake for the two of you to have a ‘honeymoon,’ even for one night. We are going to stay at the house in Evan’s room and keep Lexi with us.” She motions to Carol. The grandmothers are already staking their claim.

  “I’ve never left her overnight,” Evan blurts out.

  “I know, but she knows me,” Mom says gently.

  “With Sarah being there, she will feel more comfortable since she spends a lot of time with her. You two need to do this,” Carol adds.

  Evan looks down at me. “McKinley?”

  “She’ll be fine. She’s already used to your parents and mine. As far as appearances go, we don’t know if they are watching us. I wouldn’t put it past them.” Evan’s attorney filed a petition to have the custody case dropped. By now, Misty’s parents have been notified. We can’t slip up now.

  Evan still looks unsure. I reach out and slide my hand into his. “She’ll be fine. They’ll call us if they need anything,” I reassure him.

  He nods and reaches out to take Lex from his mom. “Baby girl, you’re going to have fun with the grandparents tonight. Daddy and M . . . Kinley are going to spend the night in a hotel. I promise we will be there bright and early to see you.” Lexi just chews on her fist and babbles, not a care in the world. He kisses her on the forehead and bends down so I can do the same.

  We say the rest of our goodbyes and Mom informs us we have a change of clothes already in the room. They really did think of everything.

  When we step outside the church, there is a limo waiting. Lifting my head to look at Evan, he shrugs his shoulders. I shake my head at his cheeky smile as we climb into the limo. As soon as the door closes, his lips are on mine. The kiss is . . . hot . . . wet . . . passionate. It’s all consuming. His lips never leave mine until the limo stops and we hear the driver announce through the speaker that we’ve reached our destination.

  I groan when the driver announces we’ve made it to the hotel. The last thing I want to do is stop kissing her. A few more soft pecks and I climb from the car, holding my hand out for McKinley. We make our way into the hotel and are immediately greeted. “Mr. and Mrs. Chamberlin, we’ve been expecting you. Your stay has already been taken care of. Please let us know if you need anything,” a young concierge says from behind the desk.

  I nod and smile, all while pulling McKinley toward the elevator. Unfortunately, an older couple follows us in, so I have to restrain myself. “Congratulations,” the lady says.

  “Thank you,” McKinley answers softly. I watch as a slight blush tints her cheeks, and I can’t fucking help it, I lean down and kiss her lips. I don’t devour her like I want to, but I needed to feel her lips against mine. The remaining floors took too long to wait.

  McKinley places her hands on my chest and pushes back until my back hits the elevator wall. Instead of keeping her distance, she walks toward me and slides her arms around my waist. Her head rests on my chest, and I wrap my arms around her, holding her tight against me.

  My wife.

  The older couple seems to sense we don’t feel much like small talk and the remainder of the ride is silent. When the elevator dings at the sixth floor, all four of us exit. We turn one way and them the other. McKinley is still in my arms, where I want her, as we walk slowly down the hall.

  “Room 628,” I say.

  “There.” She points to the door just ahead. I hand her the key then lift her up into my arms. “What are you doing?” she laughs.

  “Carrying my beautiful wife over the threshold,” I tell her.

  “You’re crazy,” she laughs, and I swear I want to bottle the sound. I love hearing her happy.

  She manages to get the door unlocked and I shuffle us inside. Kicking the door closed, I set her on her feet and then step forward until her back hits the door. My hands caress her cheeks, and her eyes lock on mine.

  “We did it.” Her words are soft.

  “We did,” I confirm as I brush a loose tendril of hair behind her ear.

  “We’re married.”

  “You’re my wife,” I say, needing to hear the words, needing to repeat them so I can verify this isn’t a dream. She’s opens her mouth to speak, but my lips mold to hers, cutting her off. I can’t wait any longer. I need to kiss her like I need to breathe.

  Her hands find their way around my neck, pulling me close. Mine, which were cupping her face, are now on a mission to roam every single fucking inch of her body. Her bare shoulders are soft against the skin of my rough hands as I trace circles on the delicate skin of her back until my hand reaches her dress. Her wedding dress, which I wanted to memorize her wearing just hours ago, is now in my way. I want to remember what it looks like lying on the floor of this hotel room. My mind is working overtime to remember every fucking second of this day. I never want to forget.

  “Need you out of this dress, baby,” I say in between kisses. I don’t give her time to answer before my lips are back on hers. I find the zipper and gently pull until I reach the stopping point. Stepping back, I give her my hand. “Step out.” She does, and I lift her dress, tossing it across the room, then turn my attention back to McKinley.

  Un-fucking-believable.

  Standing before me is the most beautiful creature I’ve ever seen. Her tan skin is a contrast to the barely there white thong. That’s it. That’s all she’s wearing. If I had known . . . let’s just say our little “reception” would have been a hell of a lot shorter.

  “Fuck,” falls from my
lips.

  “Surprise.” She smiles. “I couldn’t get the bra to work, so I just went without,” She shrugs.

  I can’t take my eyes off her—the way her hair falls over her bare shoulder, the swell of her breasts as her tight nipples point toward me, begging for my attention. Then there’s the thong, if you can call it that. It’s a thin scrap of white material that leaves nothing to the imagination. That’s the thing about white clothing, when it’s wet you can see through it.

  I can see all of her.

  My eyes travel over every delectable inch. When I reach her red, swollen lips, I step forward and kiss her, my tongue gliding past her lips. Her hands tighten in my hair and I’m suddenly not close enough. My hands find her ass, gripping tight as I lift her. Her legs wrap around my waist and my cock settles against her wet, barely there thong. I’m still fully clothed, but I can feel her heat. I want inside of her so damn bad.

  “Evan,” she mumbles against my lips.

  Tearing my lips from our kiss, I rest my forehead against hers. “Yeah, babe?”

  “Can we . . . ?” She stops. That’s not going to work for me.

  “Can we what?” My eyes are closed as I focus on the sound of her rapid breaths in sync with my own.

  “It’s just . . .” She stops again.

  Lifting my head, I see her eyes are also closed. “McKinley, look at me.” She shakes her head no. “Please?” I kiss the tip of her nose. Her eyes flutter open. “Tell me,” I say softly.

  “We’re married now, so it’s not wrong,” she blurts out.

  “What’s not wrong, babe?” I watch as she bites her bottom lip. “McKinley, you can ask me anything,” I say gently. I mean every fucking word. No matter what it is, I would try like hell to give it to her.

  “Will you make love to me?”

  Her voice is soft, like she’s afraid I’m going to say no. Does she not realize what she does to me? “Is that what you want?” My heart tells me I need to make sure she really wants this. My cock is screaming to be unleashed.