Say Forever(74)

We follow Elvis inside the little chapel and up to the rhinestone studded podium. Elvis's pianist, a woman who's either in her early fifties, or else in her seventies and bursting at the seams, (literally) from cosmetic surgery, plays "Here Comes the Bride" on the piano. I'm thankful it's not an Elvis song.

The ceremony passes in such a blur, I hardly remember what's happening, but I remember saying "I do" plenty of times, especially the part about cherishing her forever. That part is easy, because cherishing my amazing bride is second nature.

I like the look of shock on Christina's face when I pull out the diamond and emerald wedding band I brought with me. No, I wasn't planning on getting hitched, but I thought I'd best come prepared, just in case Christina lost her mind and agreed to be my wife.

I'm vaguely aware of saying our final "I dos" and then I cup my wife's beautiful face in my hands and stifle her gasp when my lips come crashing down on hers. I kiss her long and hard, until I feel the tension ease from her, and she melts like butter in my arms. Elvis clears his throat loudly behind us, but I don't give a damn. I keep kissing my wife, until we both finally come up for air, nearly out of breath and chests heaving.

My prick is rock hard. I can't wait to carry my bride across the threshold to our hotel room and fuck her every which way until she's begging for release.





Chapter Twenty-Two



Christina

"Good morning, Mrs. Cruz." Andrés is sitting up against the cushioned headboard. With a yawn, he stretches muscular, tanned arms toward the ceiling.

I stretch my arms out too, admiring my new diamond and emerald band as it catches a ray of light that slips in from behind the heavy window curtain. I still can't believe I'm a married woman.

"Good morning, sexy husband." I climb into Andrés's lap, and we share our first good morning kiss as husband and wife.

I taste the champagne on his breath from last night. Yeah, we had a few too many glasses after we said our "I dos" in front of Elvis, but it was our honeymoon night, after all. And what a night it was. After he carried me across the threshold into our room, my husband made slow, tender love to me all night long. My heart warms just thinking about it, so does that juncture between my thighs, and I think how very much I'd like to make love to my husband all day long.

He pulls back, brows drawn together. "You ready to catch that plane?"

I shake my head and then shift in his lap, as I not-so-subtlety grind against his erection. "Not really." I bat my lashes and bite my lip, hoping he'll lock me up in this hotel room a few extra days for bad behavior.

Andrés laughs as he nibbles my ear. "Maybe we could put off leaving for a few more days."

"Mmmm," I groan as I toss my head back while he tickles my neck with feather soft kisses. "What about your job?"

"Tio will have to understand we need a honeymoon," he says as he courses his fingers through my hair. "Besides, I'm quitting when I get back." He tenses up beneath me as he speaks with an edge to his voice. "If that's what you want."

I pull back and look into his gaze, which was reflecting love and adoration only moments ago. His frozen features can only be described as a look of pure terror.

I cup his face in my hands, kissing his full lips, until I feel his body relax beneath me. "I want you to be happy," I murmur against his mouth. "I want you to do what you love."

"Even if I have to give up all that money?" When his voice cracks, I think I feel my heart breaking, too.

I kiss him again and again, trying to drive away his fears with my affection. "I didn't marry you for your money. I married you because I love you."


***


The wedding reception is simply stunning. Mom enlists the teens, and they transform Violet's ranch into a winter wonderland, complete with popcorn snow, cotton ball snowmen, and thousands of papier-mâché snowflakes. Hundreds of little lamps hang from the oak trees surrounding the courtyard, giving the place an ethereal glow. They even built a beautiful hardwood dance floor in the center of the courtyard. Facing the dance floor is a large buffet table loaded with tamales, fajitas, and the most delicious red velvet wedding cake ever, plus a chocolate fountain loaded with fresh fruit and cookies, which is why my little brothers' faces are coated in brown sticky sauce every time my mom turns her back on them. I'm happy to report the buffet doesn't include a single shrimp puff.

Tia invites her priest to bless our marriage, and I think it's kind of funny that he looks exactly like the Elvis impersonator who married us. Since I put so much work into that train, I wear it attached to my dress for about the first five minutes of the reception, but then I get tired of stepping on it, and my mom hangs it like a tapestry behind the buffet table.