“Please be seated,” the young minister told the rest of the guests.
“We’re all here to celebrate the love and union between Zack Romero and Blue Monroe,” the minister continued with the ceremony.
Arianna felt joy dance through her heart. She knew how hard it had been for Blue in her life. She couldn’t be happier for her. Arianna’s eyes then glanced at Christian and her heart jolted again. She wondered if they would ever have a chance to be…joined in holy matrimony. As the waves rolled on the side, beating on the shoreline she continued to watch his sweet physique as he stood by with his other brothers in their white tuxes. To her surprise, he glanced directly into her eyes, as if he could feel her eyes on him. For a moment their eyes locked, and oh, her heart turned over in response. A quiver surged through her blood and she tingled in her belly. Oh, Christian. You have no idea how much you mean to me.
His lips curled slightly into a handsome grin and his dimpled cheek caused waves of excitement to rush through her. She glanced around quickly, hoping no one would catch their little exchange, but of course, they were focused on the bride and groom.
Arianna had a vision of Christian up at the altar, only not as one of the groomsmen, but as the groom. Her groom. Would that ever happen?
* * *
The beach ceremony was a blast! Arianna couldn't remember the last time she had so much fun at a high-energized wedding. They’d feasted on an exquisitely prepared dinner in the professional garden at the resort with a captivating view of the sea making the moment all the more memorable. Arianna couldn’t keep her eyes off Christian all afternoon.
Later, she slow-danced with Christian at the wedding dance, her arms snaked around his neck as they both swayed to the love song and as usual, Christian flirting with her, singing adoringly off key. She giggled when he nibbled her earlobe. His sexy aftershave scent made her feel so romantic. He smelled, oh, so good. All the time. She enjoyed the heat from the silky feel of his skin on hers as he ran his hand over her back. Her dress at the back revealed a bit of skin in a classy way with its low-cut design. “You are so beautiful, Arianna, do you know that?”
“You tell me all the time!” She grinned sheepishly.
“Believe it,” he said in a low, seductive voice, looking deeply into her eyes and heat slithered down her spine. Oh, Christian.
Earlier at the wedding ceremony, Zack and Blue did the romantic unity sand moment. Just like the unity candle, only they each had separate bottles of sand symbolizing their separate lives and all that they were as individuals before today, of course. Then, the romantic part that melted Arianna’s heart was when they poured the sand together, the individual containers of sand were no longer in existence but joined together as one. As one. Exactly as marriage should be. It was so magical. Breathtaking. Just as this moment with Christian was, she mused with delight.
They’d danced the night away, pretty much. She had a longing for family again. Before she and Christian headed to her suite, she checked on her father. He was sound asleep in his suite. Toni’s wife, Shelly, who was also a nurse, had learned that he hadn’t been “feeling well” and had also checked on him. Soon thereafter, Ari would be taking time off from the hotel to take him to a treatment center in Florida, while Tiff managed things at the hotel for a while, and Christian, darling Christian, had insisted that he take the trip with them. He said he didn’t want to spend another moment away from Arianna, but that was too much to ask of him, she told him. As usual, he told her not to ever insult him again. He was, after all, the boss. He could hand over duties to his subordinates while he carried on with important matters in his life. She was important to him? The thought caused a rollercoaster wave of emotions to heat through her body. She was important to him, but how much?
She woke up to sunlight piercing hot rays into the room. She glanced around pulling the sheets over her. “Christian?”
She looked around. Where could he be? They had made passionate love despite being a bit tired at first from dancing all night, but oh, their energy kicked up a notch when he got aroused seeing her strip out of her gown. Arianna grinned at the memory.
She brushed her dishevelled mound of morning hair off her face and got up off the bed. She went into the living room of her suite and overheard Christian speaking to his cousin, Carl. “Yeah, cuz. Thanks again. I’ll catch up with you later,” Christian said just outside the door to his cousin before returning to the suite and coming back inside.
“Christian,” she said, turning to him. She was caught by surprise that he was already up…and dressed. What gives? “You’re up early. Is everything okay?”