Some might not think it's the most romantic time of year, but those people are not Noah and me. And in lieu of matching costumes, we decided to go a more traditional route. So, we're in a tuxedo and a wedding dress, on the beach, with our family and friends.
Jake's here with Sandra. My aunt and the butcher made it, and Noah's mom's here too with a man she's been seeing the last few months.
It's a small ceremony at a beachfront hotel, but it's beautiful. The ocean glistens before us. The officiant has us exchange our vows, and when we make our promises, we don't mention the checklists. Because we realize it's not about checking the boxes. It's not about being the perfect person. It's about being "the" person. The one person each other needs.
When Noah slips the ring on my finger, tears fill my eyes, and he tells me not to cry. "It's okay, Lucy," he says, leaning in, brushing the tears away with his thumb.
I feel so beautiful today, in this flowing white dress, with my veil lifted by the wind.
We’ve made some homages to Halloween. Noah’s tie is purple with black bats printed on it, and I'm wearing a white dress that has an overlay of lace in the pattern of cobwebs. Cute, but not too kitschy. It's perfectly us.
When he's told to kiss his bride, Noah leans in close, cupping my cheek, and kissing me ever so softly. I kiss him back, feeling like the luckiest girl in the whole wide world. His mom claps, and Jake is grinning. And I laugh, feeling so dang lucky.
We didn't need a Halloween party this year. We just needed one another.
We all go out to dinner at the hotel to celebrate. There's candlelight, and champagne, and fresh seafood, and cake. It's beautiful and delicious. But the truth is I can't keep my hands off of Noah, and he can't keep his hands off of me.
After we've made enough toasts for one night, we say goodbye to our family and friends, and they whistle, telling us to have fun. "Happy Halloween, lovebirds!" they say. And we laugh, unable to take our eyes off one another.
We walk through the hotel lobby toward the honeymoon suite. We see partygoers dressed up in their Halloween finest, probably looking for some club on the beach. But we don't let our eyes linger on them. Instead, in the elevator, Noah wraps his arms around me and kisses me hard.
"God, you look gorgeous!"
"I can't believe we're married," I say.
"Fifteen years we waited for this, and now..." he smiles. "And now, it's real."
"No regrets?" I ask as the elevator doors open.
"Not one," he says, lifting me up into his arms and carrying me over the threshold of the hotel room.
He pulls down the zipper of my dress, and I step out of it, laughing as I do. He takes me in, realizing what I’ve done.
"I can't believe you wore a costume," he says.
"Really?" I say. "I figured you'd know I was going to do something like this."
I spin around. I'm in lingerie that makes me resemble a black cat, and from my luggage, I pull out a headband that has cat ears. I turn around, shaking my ass for him, and he sees the black tail that's attached to my black silk panties.
"So, what do you think?" I say. "Meow?"
He chuckles, pulling off his clothes, shocking me with what he's wearing. He's not a cat, but he is a mouse. He’s wearing gray boxers, and from his bag he grabs a nose with whiskers.
"What in the world?" I say, cracking up. "I don't get it. How did you know I'd be a cat?"
"I thought it was funny, and a good guess. I figured we've been playing cat and mouse all this time. Your checklist, my checklist. Neither of us saying the truth."
I step toward him, laughing at his gray boxers, and tugging off the whiskers. "You're ridiculous," I tell him.
He chuckles. "Yeah, but you're stuck with me now, wife."
He pulls me to bed, and I climb on top of him, purring in his ear.
"I'm more than your wife," I tell him. "I'm your boo."
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SIX MEN OF ALASKA
A Six Book Series in Kindle Unlimited!
Six men, one wife.
And I have no say in who those men will be.
It's more than a game of chance—it's my life falling into the hands of strangers.
But the men who win my hand are ruggedly handsome and promise to protect me until death do us part.
Fallon and his strong will.
Giles and his protective streak.
Salinger and his easy smile.
Banks and his intellect.
Emerson and his faith.
Huxley and his charm.
I want them all, each for a different reason. My body is awake, my heart beats wild. But I’m also a woman running from a past that’s catching up. Fast. My father is coming for me and he'll make my husbands pay--and that’s not a gamble.
That’s a guarantee.
DOWNLOAD NOW: SIX MEN OF ALASKA
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About the Author
Frankie Love writes filthy-sweet stories about bad boys and mountain men.
As a thirty-something mom who is ridiculously in love with her own bearded hottie, she believes in love-at-first-sight and happily-ever-afters.
She also believes in the power of a quickie.
Join Frankie Love’s Mailing List for a free book … plus never miss a new release:
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