After The One (The One Series Duet) (36 page)

Security was moving forward, but it seemed as if someone told them to stop. Both security guards slowed their pace as they stood behind the camera crews closest to Leah.

I kept my composure, not allowing my emotions to play out on my face as I watched Leah make a fool of herself.

“Julian, I love you,” Leah yelled as she took a couple of steps up the aisle.

“And I love Zoe. I chose Zoe. I choose Zoe. I will always choose Zoe.”

My stomach flipped twice as I squeezed his hand.

“I’m the one for you,” Leah argued. Her voice was almost pleading. “I’m—”

She grunted as she was grabbed from behind.

Oh shit!

For the first time since Leah interrupted, I had a reaction. My eyes widened and my eyebrows flew up.

“Is that…?” Julian whispered.

“Yep.” I nodded as I looked on appreciatively.

Leah struggled. “Get your hands off me!”

“Stop! Just stop!” Tate barked as he pinned Leah’s arms at her sides and prevented her from moving closer to the elevated platform. “You’re embarrassing yourself and ruining this wedding. Look at them!” He turned her so she was facing us. “If you’ve been in here this whole time, you’ve seen the way they looked at each other. You know you have no chance.” Tate looked back up at me and a sad smile played at his lips. “No one has a chance with either of them. They’re happy and it’s real. You have to let it go. I’ll walk you out. Let them have their moment.”

The crowd was on their feet with thunderous applause as Tate escorted her out the way she’d come in. I couldn’t tell what was happening as security met Tate at the door to help him with Leah.

“Well!” the pastor exclaimed looking from one of us to the other as we turned to face him.

I glanced over at my bridesmaids and stifled a giggle. Koko had taken off her shoes. Keisha had taken off her earrings. Lenny was cracking her neck.

“Just say the word,” Koko whispered.

“If Tate hadn’t come down to get her, we were going down there after her,” Keisha added just as softly.

Lenny gave me a look. “I’m still considering running down there and kicking her ass.”

Koko stepped back into her shoes. “On sight.”

I let out a giggle before looking back at the pastor, who was thumbing through his Bible.

“I think after what we just experienced, we need to say a prayer of support and protection for this lovely couple,” the pastor quipped, causing everyone to laugh.

After the prayer, he grinned at us. “By the power vested in me by the great state of California, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss your bride.”

Julian grabbed my face gently and looked at me for a beat too long. The energy that moved between us as his face hovered over mine made my breath hitch.

“I love you, Mr. Winters,” I breathed.

“I love you, Mrs. Winters,” he returned even more softly, the last syllable absorbed by our lips touching.

Julian kissed me in a way that caused a rattling in my chest. All of my senses were working in overdrive and I felt everything.

I felt his kiss consume me.

I felt his kiss devour me.

I felt myself drowning in the perfection that was his mouth, his hands, his heat, his taste, his scent.

I felt everything.

And it was perfect.

With my eyelids shut, I nuzzled my face into the crook of Julian’s neck, breathing him in. His cologne mixed with his natural scent creating butterflies in my stomach. I inhaled deeply as my body moved flush against his. With that deep breath, all of my senses were full of Julian Winters. Sight, sound, touch, taste and smell were all immersed in him.

My eyes had feasted on the way his tailored suit fit his muscular body as he eyed me right before we started our first dance. My ears pricked as he quietly repeated the words of his vows, promising to love me unconditionally for the rest of our lives as we rocked back and forth to the music.

In turn, I whispered the lyrics to the song, lyrics that cemented how I felt about him. I took the opportunity to run my hands through his hair, pulling his head closer to mine. Our mouths met intermittently as his hands lingered on my lower back, his fingers splaying out across the top of my ass. The restrained desire of holding back heightened the sexiness of the kiss, the dance, the moment.

I sighed dreamily and my eyes fluttered open as the song came to an end. My breathing hitched as I lifted my head to find Julian staring at me. It wasn’t the fact that he was looking at me that gripped my heart and stole my breath away. It was the way he was looking at me—like I was the only one in the room.

“Thank you,” Julian murmured, letting his forehead drop against mine. One hand remained planted at the small of my back while the other came up to stroke my cheek.

The air between us was thick. The longer I allowed myself to drown in his grey eyes, the harder it was for me to breathe.

I tilted my head slightly, moving the tip of my nose against his. My voice cracked. “For what?”

“For changing my life.” He pressed his full lips against mine as he slowly turned us in a small circle. “For being my wife.”

My heartrate sped up and my eyes shut as my lips found his again. Tightening my arms around his neck, my body melted and molded into him.

“I love you,” I breathed between kisses as my lips moved against his.

He slipped the hand that was on my cheek to the back of my neck and deepened the kiss. I moaned into his mouth as I felt his tongue gently nudge mine. Everything faded and nothing else existed except for the two of us. I was lost in the feel of him.

It wasn’t the fact that Chrisette Michele’s voice softly floated over the beat promising that we’d be together forever times two. It wasn’t the fact that we were swaying to the music as a spotlight cascaded on us. It wasn’t even the fact that we had promised to love and cherish each other for the rest of our lives in front of family, friends, associates, colleagues, and on a live feed being filmed for the rest of America. It was the fact that the most important thing in the world to me at that exact moment was the safety I felt in his arms, the warmth I felt in his touch, the love I saw in his eyes and the softness in which his voice breathed the word ‘wife’ to me.

I didn’t think love had a taste, but it did. In each decadent parting of my lips with his tongue, I tasted his love for me. I tasted want and desire, but more than that, I tasted adoration and reverence. In each of his worshipful kisses, I was able to savor the sweetness of love and the promise of our future.

Pulling away, I licked my lips as the final chords of the song reverberated through the decked out ballroom. Replacing the beautiful harmonies

“Mrs. Winters…” The carnal grit in his voice was a dangerous mix of hunger and want. “Are you ready to go home?”

Smiling, I opened my eyes slowly.

Tapping his chest right over his heart with my manicured finger, I traced a heart against the lapel of his tuxedo. “I’m already home.” I looked up at him, my light brown eyes boring into his grey ones. “When I’m with you, I’m home.”

Julian had stopped moving. Even though a different song was playing and Peri Moore was speaking into the microphone, I couldn’t focus on anything, but his eyes. I flattened my hand against his chest and it rose and fell in time with mine. His heart thudded in his chest which only caused a stinging behind my eyes.

He rested his forehead against mine. “I will never get tired of hearing you say that.”

“I’ll never get tired of saying it.”

“Hello!” Bryce yelled through speakers, causing a feverish murmur to rip through the crowd and bursting the romantic bubble I was content in.

The attention of everyone in the room shifted from us bathed in spotlight in the middle of the dance floor to Bryce as he moved across the stage.

Unraveling myself from Julian, I looked around in surprise. Julian and I were supposed to cut the cake after our dance and we were explicitly clear with Peri Moore and Robert Brady that we didn’t want any surprises or impromptu speeches. We wanted to knock out our obligations with
The One
early so we could enjoy the rest of the evening with our friends and family. And even though I liked Bryce, at the end of the day, he worked for Robert Brady and
The One
.

Trying to be discreet, I turned my body into Julian’s. “What is this?” I whispered against Julian’s jawline. “He didn’t mention this to you during dinner, did he?”

Julian shook his head.

After the ceremony and cocktail hour, everyone—guests and production staff—enjoyed a gourmet dinner to kick off the reception. Because we wanted to steal some time to ourselves for our first dance, Peri Moore had Julian’s intern Andre, aka DJ Dre, play our first dance song early, catching everyone off guard. The camera and crew members were also eating and they weren’t quick enough to get microphones on us before we began.

My eyebrows shot up. “Is this payback for our dance?”

“I have no idea.” He paused, scanning the room before he looked down into my eyes. “No, no, no. Bryce wouldn’t do us like that. It’ll be fine. It’s Bryce,” Julian assured me, reading my thoughts. His hands skated down the bare skin of my arms before he enveloped me in an embrace.

Just before I closed my eyes, I saw Robert marching over to where we were in the center of the ballroom. He was flanked by two overzealous producers and while the rest of the crowd directed their attention to Bryce, I nuzzled into Julian’s chest. I didn’t want to deal with the only angry man in the room.

“Then again, it sounds like Bryce is winging it up there and Robert is heading straight toward us…” Julian muttered under his breath.

I wasn’t able to turn around fast enough before I heard Robert Brady barking orders.

“We’re getting mics on you now! Out of respect for your special day, I didn’t interrupt your little dance. But don’t try that shit again. It’s time to get this show on the road,” Robert hissed, moving his hands emphatically.

The producers quickly attached microphones to our attire in discreet locations as Bryce thanked everyone for being part of
The One
experience.

“What is this? Is this your doing?” Julian asked Robert, gesturing to Bryce on stage. “We didn’t authorize this.”

Robert gave one curt nod of his head at the producer who was still standing beside Julian. The younger man’s eyes widened before he got the message and swiftly left the area.

The small battery pack that was slipped into the back of the corseted bodice of my dress irritated my skin. The producer jammed it between the laces holding the corset together. She whispered into a walkie-talkie before scurrying away behind the male producer who’d just secured Julian’s microphone.

As soon as they were well out of earshot, Robert took a step closer. “Of course it was my doing,” Robert spat, with a hint of twisted pleasure weaved into his tone. He looked around before lowering his voice. “Per the contract, you wanted some private time, I gave you private time during dinner. But I’m sure you both knew you were supposed to get your microphones on before the first dance. It’s mighty convenient that your event planner decided to give my guys the runaround so I had to come in from the production trailer to deal with this unauthorized bullshit myself. America doesn’t just want to see the show. They want to hear it too! Don’t try that again.”

I bit the inside of my lip to keep from smiling. I drew my eyebrows together feigning surprise. “What? Why would—?”

Robert narrowed his eyes and his features darkened. “Cut the shit,” he snapped.

“Watch how you talk to my wife,” Julian warned.

My head whipped toward him.

Well damn.

My mouth went dry and my chest heaved as I stared at my husband. The protective way he shut Robert down was sexy. But hearing him call me his wife was about to bring me to orgasm in the middle of the dance floor. I licked my lips as I gawked at the man that I married twice in one day.

“And you need to watch how you talk to me, Julian.”

Hearing the sharpness of Robert’s response snapped me out of my lustful gaze. I turned my head back to Robert. My eyes landed on his curled upper lip as he snarled. I cocked my head to the side.

Was the tone and the snarl necessary?

I put my hand on my hips. “Where in the contract does it say we need to account for and accommodate your lack of preparedness? Because if I’m remembering correctly, and we both know that I am, the language expressly states that for all major reception moments, cameras needed to be present.” I lifted my shoulders smugly. “And the cameras were present.”

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Julian watching me, seemingly impressed.

The three of us stood in silence as Bryce’s charismatic voice echoed through the room.

“…the perfect temperature for a wedding today. Am I right?” Bryce joked on stage.

With the deep shade of crimson illuminating his face, it was clear that Robert was pissed.

“Lucky for you,” Robert growled. “There was an argument breaking out in the hallway so while you two were selling this bullshit in here without audio, I was selling the new season out there.” He paused and as if someone flipped a switch, Robert laughed to himself, slapping Julian’s arm. “And now that your mics are on, we can catch more of those sweet nothings the audience goes crazy for. Because we’re giving the people what they want, you know, per the contract.”

“Per the contract, we’re only wearing these for an hour,” Julian responded, his tone void of amusement.

The contract stated that we had to allow
The One
to film for an hour as long as they were able to capture the major reception moments—the first dance, cake cutting, and bouquet and garter tosses.

“Fifty-nine minutes,” I corrected, biting my lower lip trying not to smile.

Julian reached for my hand, pulling me into him. He chuckled, planting a kiss against my forehead. “Tick tock.”

Even though Robert smiled, he glowered at us as he backed away. Without a word, he turned on his heel and signaled to someone. Almost instantly, Bryce wrapped up his monologue to animated applause.