When We Fall

by C. M. Lally

  “Frank, I promise to choose you every day, to love you in word and in deed, to do the hard work of making now into always and forever. I promise to laugh with you, cry with you, grow with you, and create with you. I love what I know of you and trust in what I don’t know yet. I give you my love, my trust and my faith in us for all the rest of my days. I give you myself, so help me God.”

  Frank slides a wedding band onto my finger that matches the ring he placed there no more than thirty minutes ago.

  “You may kiss your bride,” the officiant announces to Frank and he smiles wide, crinkling his eyes at those words.

  Frank leans in and scoops me up in his arms, completely lifting me off the ground. He nibbles at my lips, and I open up to him, taking the kiss deeper. I have no shame for I have wanted to kiss this man desperately for weeks.

  When our lips finally part, the officiant announces, “I present to you, Mr. And Mrs. Franklin Rex.”

  We turn around to a surprise burst of cheering and clapping guests from the reception. They had slowly and quietly crept into the bar to watch. They continue to cheer and clap as we walk through the arched crowd.

  “C’mon, Wife,” Frank says, pulling me through the bar. “We’ve got a honeymoon to get too.”

  We sprint across the parking lot and slow as we near his back gate. There is a handmade sign hanging from it. White curly ribbons and silver glitter adorn the sign that says “Just Married”. We both laugh, and Frank says, “that’d be Jenna.”

  He picks me up and carries me over the threshold of the gate into his beloved Japanese Tea Garden. He sets me down and turns me around to take in the special view. The entire backyard is illuminated with candles along the walkways. Soft music is playing and I can smell the honeysuckle blooming on the vine. I quickly look at Frank with worry over the honeysuckle scent, but he’s not fazed by it. He inhales deeply and simply says, “Do you smell that? That’s what my wife smells like: the honeysuckle from her grandmother’s garden in Brazil.”

  I love this man. Someone once told me that you can be in a relationship for two years and feel nothing, and you can be in a relationship for two months and feel everything. Time is not a measure of quality; of infatuation or of love. Take your time and find a love that is worthy of the love you give in return. Don’t settle for what is easy; settle for what is great.

  Chapter 28 – Frank

  “My dear wife, you are the most beautiful creature God has ever put on this earth,” I whisper in her ear. I feel her body go soft as she responds to my words. She leans back against me, giving herself to me.

  I pull on the large French comb that holds her twisted hair in place and let it tumble through my fingers and down her back. Trailing kissing down the side of her neck, I slowly unbutton her suit jacket and slide it from her shoulders, laying it across the paper lantern strings that hang between the trees.

  She turns and removes my jacket and hangs it next to hers. A warm summer breeze blows across her exposed shoulders, giving her goosebumps. I kiss them to heat her skin. Her lace camisole perfectly outlines her breasts, and I’m desperate to be inside her. My wife. I never thought I’d say those words. Instead of bringing on the sadness those thoughts usually do, today they bring me nothing but amazing, sweet happiness.

  “Are we really husband and wife?” she asks, running her hands down my chest and loosening my tie. She pulls the tiny buttons through the holes on my vest to remove it and then starts with each button on my shirt, one by one taking her time, savoring the process.

  “Yes, Mrs. Rex. You are finally mine,” I whisper against her lips, pulling her into a searing kiss. I lick her lips to open to me, and she responds quickly. My hands slide down her back, causing her to shiver again, before unzipping the back of her skirt and letting it fall to the ground. I pick her up and carry her to the hammock, lying her down gently on the feather bed and pillow I put down earlier. “I’m so fucking glad you said yes.”

  I remove my shoes, socks, and pants and toss them to her skirt. She holds her arms up to me and I slide into the hammock to lie next to her, cuddling her close to me. Kissing her forehead and caressing the sensitive skin on the mound of her breasts. Her nipples pucker with my touch, and I palm their hardness, rubbing them, creating friction and turning her on further. A broken moan escapes her throat and I want to be inside her again.

  “You know, I had made my own plans to seduce you tonight,” she looks up at me in earnest, twirling her fingertip in the hair on my chest.”You didn’t have to marry me to have me again.”

  “Hey,” I say, tilting her face to look into her eyes. “I wanted to marry you. I want everything that is you, not just your intimate parts. Don’t ever doubt that for a second. You’re the only one to turn my head and my heart in more than two decades. Be confident in that.” I kiss her cheeks, tasting the salt in her tears as they roll down her face.

  She swipes at them with the backs of her hands. “Sorry. I never thought I’d cry on my wedding day— I thought I’d be desensitized to it all.”

  “You are my heartbeat. Never apologize for crying,” I say. “I always want to know exactly how you feel.”

  “My parents are going to be so upset they weren’t invited,” she groans.

  “Shhh. Don’t worry about that now. We’ll have an official wedding and reception when we can plan it,” I clarify. “I just couldn’t wait another day to hold you and have you as mine.”

  I run my tongue down her chest and suck on her hard nipples through the fabric of her camisole. She reaches in and unclasps her bra, allowing her breasts to fall into my hands. My thumbs caress their hardness again, tweaking them, before taking them one at a time into my mouth. Her back arches upwards and another moan escapes her lips.

  My hand slides down and rubs across the mound of flesh covered by her panties. They continue to slide further and caress the soft inner skin of her thighs. My fingers run the rim of the lace of her panties and she bucks upward, begging me to touch her. She guides my fingers to the hard flesh of her slick clit, caressing my hands as I rub her wetness. She’s wet and begins to pull the side strings of her panties, untying them— giving me greater access to her body.

  I lick my lips with the need to taste her. It’s an overwhelming need to have her on my tongue. I glide down her body, planting kisses on her skin along the way. My beard scrapes across her belly and on her hips, causing her to buck again with sensitivity. “Put your lips on me, Frank. Devour me,” she whispers, before grabbing my hair and guiding me to where she wants me first.

  My tongue presses in between the slit of her labial lips and soaks up the honey that is my wife. My fingers spread her wide, and I feast on her. My tongue laves every drop of her sweetness, licking her from ass to clit; I have no shame. I want to touch every inch of her. My fingers reach up and entwine with hers, holding her hand while I thrust my tongue into her pussy.

  She continues to buck her hips wildly as her orgasm reaches its full peak. She grips the feather bed with her free hand and pulls it tight to her as she releases onto my tongue. My tongue swirls and soaks up every drop of her. “Oh my god, Frank. Sweet baby Jesus, do that again,” she whimpers. I massage her thighs and calves as she comes down from her high, her panting breaths are calming and returning to normal.

  “You like that, huh?” I ask. She nods her head, moaning still in recovery. “You can have that every night for the rest of your life if you want.”

  “Ooh, I definitely want,” she chuckles, pushing me flat on my back and straddling my thighs. “It’s my turn to be in charge. Now relax.” She rakes a fingernail down the center of my chest until it reaches the trail of hair at my belly button. She swirls it around in circles before delving her hand into the waistband of my briefs. She wraps her fist around my dick and clenches it tight, pulling it for a few short strokes before releasing it again.

  She swipes at the pre-cum that beads on the crown with the pad of her thumb, and puts it in her mouth, sucking on it. I reach out to touch her
hard nipples, but she sits up straighter, denying me. “Nope. My turn, remember?” she asks. Her eyebrow is raised, teasing me. I love the playful side of her. She pulls my briefs down to my thighs, and my hard cock springs out. I raise my ass to help her push them all the way off. We don’t need any barriers tonight.

  She stares at my manhood, and I hope she likes what she sees. Her eyes half-closed with a slightly naughty smile on her face as she studies it. It has a slight curve to the left that’s always been there. Back when I was racing, we would joke that my dick would point the way to victory— to the left around the track. I’ll have to tell her those stories someday.

  I know the moment she decides what to do because she looks up at me with an even naughtier smile. Bending forward, she runs her tongue up the large, plump vein that runs the length of my dick. When she gets to the crown, she swallows me whole taking all of me into her luscious lips. She nibbles around the edge of the crown, where I am most sensitive. Her cheeks hollow and puff as she begins to suck harder and harder, taking me deeper into her throat. Little mewling noises escape her lips, and I ‘m lost to the sensation of her around me.

  She splays her hands on my inner thighs, pushing my legs wider apart, as she bends and dips her head stroking my dick with her tongue. I want to reach her and touch her wetness. I need to feel her slick honey on my fingers. She sucks deeper and deeper, swallowing at one point and I feel my dick slide down her throat. My god that’s sexy as fuck and almost makes me come instantly.

  I wrap my hand around her throat and pull her up, releasing my dick from her mouth. “I need you now, Bella,” I reveal, nuzzling her lips as I pull out a condom from the pillowcase. I hold it up and out to her to see if she wants to still be in charge. She takes it from my hand and tosses it behind her, letting it land on the ground.

  “I know we haven’t discussed this, but I want babies, Frank. Your babies and I’m running out of time,” she confesses.

  “Whaaat? You’re not running out of time. We’re just getting starting, but we can have babies,” I promise her. “No better time than the present.”

  She rises forward and slides her tight pussy down my shaft, grinding down on me as she comes to the end of my length. She rolls her hips forward and up, rubbing high against her clit. She braces herself, splaying her hands across my chest, riding me. When her orgasm climaxes again, she bounces up and down on my dick, moaning and groaning. Her noises of pure ecstasy are driving me crazy.

  She falls forward against me, tired and spent. Her hair covers us like a blanket and her hardened nipples press into my chest. I roll us over, ready to take my turn again. She bends her knees and spreads her legs wide. I watch her touch herself, knowing she’s still ready for me. The look of pure satisfaction pinkens her cheeks. I lean forward and kiss her swollen lips as they tease me. They are so plump and full, I could feast on them for days kissing her into oblivion.

  I lift one knee up and slide it over my shoulder, positioning myself perfectly to take possession of her. I trace the curve of her hips down until my finger slides to rub her clit once more. She’s still wet and sensitive for me, as her hips buck again.

  I squeeze her hips tight, thrusting into her over and over. She thrashes about, gripping the featherbed and curling it into her hands. Sliding the long length of my cock in and out of her, she moans loudly saying my name, “Frank. Right there, Frank. Again. More. Faster. Fuuuucking hell, Frank,” she pants, as I pound into her over and over again.

  Jesus Christ, her pussy is pulsing and throbbing, squeezing my dick tight and hard. I won’t last much longer, but grab her ass and massage it, pulling her hips higher onto my dick. God, I want to have sex with her every way imaginable and on every surface in our house. “I’m going to come, Bella.”

  “Go right ahead. Give me all the babies, Frank,” she murmurs, grabbing at my arms and thrusting her hips upward to meet my rhythm. A few more minutes pass and I can’t hold back anymore, releasing into her everything I have. A final thrust and grunt and I hold tight inside her for as long as I can, delivering my babies.

  We are a sticky, sweaty mess, but we are content and completely exhausted. She’s mine now and I am hers. We lie still for a long moment, taking in the scenery as we catch our breath. The candlelight illuminates her bronze skin. She’s beautiful and perfect. How the fuck did I get this lucky?

  She sparks the greatest feelings inside of me, and I pray that we are never separated for I don’t ever want to be without her. I want to be a better man for her, and I can’t give her the shit of a man that I was. My life and future start today, and I fucking can’t wait to live.

  Epilogue

  Frank

  Twelve weeks later...

  I still can’t believe we got married as quickly as we did. I‘m not complaining though because these have been the best three months of my life. To think I pulled that off without even considering her weekend wedding schedule truly overwhelms me.

  My wife is a work-a-holic. She has the craziest business schedule I have ever seen, and now I can truly appreciate my daily commute across the parking lot to my job. She bundles all of her working files into her car every day at the crack of dawn and heads into the city to make wedding dreams come true.

  I was supremely happy when I peeked at her calendar and saw she had the last two weeks of October empty. I am sitting here at the computer jumping at the chance to book a real honeymoon and take her away.

  “Hey, Babe,” I call to her from the den. She’s in the kitchen making lunch, and I promised I wouldn’t enter and ruin the surprise meal she is cooking.

  “No, you can’t have a little taste test, if that is what you’re thinking of asking,” she sing-song replies, shooting me down. Pots and pans are clanging and banging. I feel bad for disturbing her, but I need to know now.

  “Uh, no,” I holler back, but that’s a damn good idea because it smells amazing from in here. “I wanna go on a honeymoon. One where we actually get on a plane to spend a week or two wrapped up in each other. No commute. No work. No people we currently know. What do you think?”

  “I would love to go on a honeymoon,” she says, appearing at the doorway to the den with potholders on her hands, and my apron wrapped around her tiny body. She bends down over my shoulder to see the computer, but I minimize the screen to keep our destination a surprise. “Where do you want to go?”

  “I want to surprise you,” I kiss her cheek as she lingers over the desk.

  “Oh no,” she says, reaching over me for control of the mouse, but she can’t get her hands on it with the big oven mitts on. She tosses them off quickly and tries again, but I scoop her up and carry her over to the sofa. She’s fighting to get up and run to the computer, but can’t. I’ve imprisoned her with the weight of my body. “C’mon, Frank. I’m a planner. I don’t like surprises.” She whines, giving me her most serious looking face.

  “Oh, you’ll like this, I promise,” I assure her. “Please let me take care of this. I just need you to verify that the last two weeks of next month, October, are okay?”

  “Fine. I’m a wedding planner anyway. I don’t plan honeymoons. And yes, the last two weeks of October are fine,” she confirms. “I always take those two weeks off and go on vacation anyway. A birthday vacation.”

  “You’re shitting me?” I ask. I feel ashamed. “How in the hell in this process of getting to know each other did I never think to ask you when your birthday was.”

  “It never came up,” she says, shrugging her shoulders and pushing on my chest to get me off of her. I sit up and pull her upwards against my chest. “We’ve been kind of busy: adjusting schedules, moving my life here, creating a home office, planning weddings, and getting to know each other.” She wiggles her eyebrows up and down in that naughty way she has about her, making me laugh.

  The timer on the oven goes off and she jumps up running for the oven. I get up to grab the oven mitts she threw off, and hear her turn back around—her bare feet are pounding down on the wood floor.
She sees them in my hand and smiles, taking them from me. “I was just about to bring them to you.” She looks over my shoulder, peeking at the computer and raising her eyebrow. The screen is still minimized so she turns and sprints back to the oven before our lunch burns.

  She’s so curious. I’m going to have to watch her like a hawk so she doesn’t ruin her own surprise. I’m taking her to Brazil to see her parents at her grandmother’s house. I emailed them both separately yesterday when I saw her calendar availability and her mom replied this morning. She said she’d work out the details with Bella’s dad.

  Needless to say, her parents were a little sour when we told them of our quick marriage.

  We promised them a family wedding, priest and all, and I will make it happen, especially while we are there in Brazil in her grandmother’s garden. I can’t believe it’s going to be her birthday too. This worked out for the best, and now I’m even more excited to make this happen.

  “It’s almost ready,” she calls melodically. “I hope you’re hungry.”

  “Trust me when I say, I’m starving,” I assure her. I close out of the website I’m in and clear the browser history. My wife is highly intelligent, and she will figure this secret out if I leave those little cookies around in the computer. It’s better to clean up my secretive mess than spoil the surprise.

  She comes back into the den twirling a sleep mask in her hand. “Here, put this on,” she instructs and stretches the elastic band over my head. She turns me to face her and adjusts it. “No peeking.” I feel her poke my chest with her fingernail. Her hand glides down and intertwines with mine, and we walk to the kitchen. She guides me expertly to not trip over some of the new things in the house that I’m not used to yet.

  I hear her pull out a chair as the leg scrapes against the tile floor, and she assists me with sitting. She tries her best to scoot my body closer to the table but I’m too heavy for her little frame. I grab the edge of the table and pull myself in. I can feel steam rising up to my face from what I assume is a prepared plate. The smell wafting in the air is divine.