Page 78 of The Heiress Bride
We grin as laughter—and a groan from my brother—sweeps through our audience.
I step to Gabe first, hands cupping his cheeks. He slides his hands around my waist, so familiar and sure, but he holds me at a respectable distance. Our lips meet in a fervent kiss. It’s jubilant and bittersweet. We’re each missing family tonight, but I know that in both cases, we did what we could and made the right decisions for each of us. Today is a line in the sand. The day we truly begin.
When I move to Alex, he slides a warm palm against my skin, tugging my face up as he bends down to meet me in the middle. Always doing his share, this guy. I brace my hands against his broad chest, relishing the steady thump-thump-thump and noting that it’s faster than normal. Raising up on my tiptoes, I’m almost dizzy with joy. Keeping our kiss short and sweet is a challenge when I can feel the happiness pouring from him. Okay, so it’s not totally sweet, but hopefully only my guys recognize the silent promise.
Tearing myself away, I step in front of King, who’s waited for me so patiently. There’s pure mischievous fire lighting his green eyes, andhe tosses his head back with a loud whoop and a fist raised in victory. We are going to laugh until we cry tonight, I can just feel it.
His little victory celebration lasts all of a second before he scoops me up, a strong arm beneath my ass and spins me around. Trying not to choke on my giggles or fall on my face, my hands fly to his strong shoulders. As he lowers me, still spinning and laughing and putting on a show, I seal our ceremony with a final kiss to a round of applause.
As soon as we come up for air, King lifts me again, tossing me over his shoulder and takes off running. It’s a quick sprint up the short aisle, surrounded by gasps of surprise. My veil drags the stone terrace as Shon shouts his full name.
“Bring back that bride.” Her Southern accent echoes across the stonework.
My right shoe slips free and disappears from my view as King trots up the stairs into the villa. Gabe and Alex are one step behind.
“Don’t worry, Princess. We’ve got it.”
King sets me down just inside the living room. There’s a flurry of sound coming from the other side of the house. Caterers and servers busting their butts no doubt, but for now, they’re out of view as King braces a hand over my right shoulder, boxing me in.
“That wasn’t the kiss I wanted,” he says, giving his best pout.
“Greedy much?”
“You already know the answer to that, Beauty.”
“You can’t mess up my makeup,” I tell them.
“Watch us,” Gabe replies with that easygoing swagger that made him a tech darling.
I start to correct him but cut off my words. It’s our day. Dinner can wait. And Shon will be there with a wipe and my favorite lipstick. Because that’s what good friends do.
Fate doesn’t make mistakes. Sixty years from now, I want to look back at our life and know that we always put ourselves first. We lived each day to the fullest and never passed up an opportunity to show our love for each other.
So instead of correction, I quirk up a brow in challenge. “I’m watching.”
That’s all the permission they need.
I just hope Shon has a hairbrush handy as well.
EPILOGUE
Eleven months later
“You don’t know how much I needed this,” Emma says from the lounger next to mine.
Sun ledges are one of the best inventions as far as I’m concerned. Plenty of sun up top, but the pool water laps at my hips, keeping me cool.
“Oh, believe me, I do,” I agree, eyes closed behind my sunglasses. A big floppy hat hides most of my face from the summer sun. It was Kingston’s turn to slather me in suntan lotion today, and let’s just say my husbands are all very serious about that particular task.
If there’s a bathing suit on my wardrobe hook, one of them shows up with SPF in hand. Even when we’re hanging out at my dad’s Hamptons house, andeven though I’m a grown woman who can put her own sunscreen on.
Hard to believe our anniversary is next month. I see more rubdowns in my future since King has planned a trip to Cannes for the four of us.
Right now, they’re volleying a ball back and forth between them in the shallow end.
“Why can’t we do this every day?” my cousin asks in a teasing tone.
“Work?” I quip. Being the youngest president in company history is no joke. Days off are few and far between, but we all managed to find a long weekend to relax.
