Authors: Carrie Aarons
I
t had killed
me to keep this secret from Leighton for the past two weeks or so. Remember, Mr. Honesty over here. So secrecy and surprises were a huge downfall for me.
Until now. Until I saw her face as she walked down the beach towards me, her arm in the crook of my father's elbow.
I'd shocked her. Knocked her socks off. Swept her off her feet.
It had taken me hours of secret whispered phone calls and stealthy emails to my family to get this wedding planned. Marina had done most of it, she was a fucking godsend.
And it was all worth it.
“Holy crap your wife is hot, bro.” Carter chuckles next to me, grabbing the lapels of his tux jacket.
"Shut up, idiot." Julian elbows him in the ribs and I ignore them standing to my left, currently trying to regain the air Leighton has sucked out of my lungs.
She looks better than perfect, like she was spun out of all of the sunshine and happiness in the world. She is radiant, the candles lining the sand in a makeshift aisle illuminating her features and making the tears in her eyes sparkle. My dad holds her steady and I feel the wetness marking my cheeks.
This moment right here makes all of the shit and drama and heartbreak worth it. To know that we are the only two people that exist in each other's eyes right now. To know that I will spend the rest of my life protecting, caring for and loving her.
In back of me I hear the ordained minister I found shuffle his feet in the sand. He seems like a nice guy, a local who will get the job done. I didn't need anything fancy. I just need Leighton to be my wife.
Mom and Marina stand on the other side of the flower arch, each grasping one of Izzy's hands. Tears stream down their faces and I think my mom might lose it at any minute and burst into sobs.
It might not be the jampacked, live television event that people expected, but it is perfect. She's perfect.
Leighton finally makes it to me, my dad kissing her cheek and placing her hand in mine before he goes to take his place next to my brother.
"You're awfully sneaky these days, Mr. Wyatt." Leighton squeezed my hands, her cheeks glowing even as the sun set low on the water behind us.
"What good am I at romance if I can't woo you every now and then?"
"I'd say you just pulled off the biggest sweep-her-off-her-feet moment in history."
The minister cleared his throat, pulling us from our banter. Banter to Leighton and I was like foreplay, we'd be half-naked on the beach in thirty seconds if he hadn't stopped us.
"Can we get you married now?"
Leighton giggled as I nodded my head. He went through the typical wedding speech, what marriage means and how important it is that we are choosing to dedicate our lives to one and other. I don't really hear him. I just focus on Leighton and the bubble of pure completeness that has encapsulated the two of us.
"Finn..." I hear the minister say, and I know I've missed some sort of cue.
"Uh, sorry, can you say that again?" The whole group laughs at my obvious lack of listening. Leighton rolls her her eyes but is smiling as she does it.
"Do you Finn take Leighton as your lawfully-wedded wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do you part?"
"I do."
"And do you Leighton take Finn to be your lawfully-wedded husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and health, until death do you part?"
"I do." She made a classic-Leighton face, an expression between a smirk and a shrug, as if marrying me was just another daily occurrence. But I knew better. Especially now. I'd peeled back those caustic, sarcastic, guarded layers and found the vulnerable girl underneath. She and I know each other better than any other person on the planet. And that was what a relationship should be built on.
"Then it is my pleasure, without further ado, to introduce Mr. and Mrs. Finn Wyatt. You may kiss the-"
I didn't wait for the minister to finish. I couldn't. It had already been too damn long. I wasn't waiting another minute to claim her as mine.
I swooped in, wrapping one hand around her neck and the other around her waist. I didn't dip her like I'd seen in so many cheesy romantic movies. Instead I let my lips do all the action that was needed. The caressed, gently at first and then firm all at once, our mouths moving in a passionate but emotional rhythm.
This was it. This was forever. And we'd sealed it.
The reality of the moment crashed back into us when Carter physically hauled me away from my new wife to envelope me in the tightest bear hug possible.
"Let me down you asshole!" I punched at his arms.
"She can never take you away from me!" My brother howled as Julian came in to complete the weird, adult brother man-hug.
Looking over my shoulder, Leighton was hugging my mom, who was leaking tears so profusely it was likely her tear ducts would never turn off.
Ever the wedding planner, Marina interrupted us all. "Carter let him down. And all of you better pick up the pace, I have something special planned."
After the hugging and crying quieted down, we all followed my sister-in-law down the beach, where a tent made of tiny sparkling lights stood over a few tables. They lined the outside of the makeshift structure so that a small space was left in the middle. And standing in the back of all of this were a trio of Reggae musicians, softly playing a version of
Fools Rush In
that had a Caribbean undertone.
"Oh Marina..." Leighton gasped beside me as she squeezed my hand. I didn't hesitate before pulling her over to our little dance floor in the sand and taking her in my arms.
She laid one hand on my chest as the other scooped around my neck, and instantly I was hard. I'd been so wrapped up in all of the planning and making sure she didn't uncover the surprise that I had forgotten about the wedding night. But now, all I could think about was pushing those white silky straps down Leighton's arms, peeling the material away from her supple breasts-
"Hi Mr. Wyatt." Leighton interrupted my dirty thoughts, her smile and the twinkle in her eye telling me that she knew what I'd been fantasizing about.
"Hi there Mrs. Wyatt." I leaned down and pressed my lips to hers again as we swayed. Although I meant to be soft, I added pressure and swiped my tongue around her mouth as I ended it, showing her just how much I couldn't wait to get her alone.
She broke the kiss, the lust now swimming in her eyes. "I think someone needs to behave himself."
"How the fuck can I when my wife is so fucking hot?" I whispered in her ear, and felt a shiver roam down her spine.
I moved with her in my arms, the lyrics washing over us.
"As the river flows, gently to the sea, darling so we go, some things were meant to be."
"I love you Finn. I can't believe you did this, you sneak." Her hazel eyes sparkled with love as her black curls danced in the gentle breeze. "Thank you. Thank you for sticking with me through all of this."
"Only for you. It was only ever you."
"Yoohoo, lovebirds..." Marina softly called to us from where my family stood observing our first dance, hundreds of strings of lights illuminating their backs.
Suddenly the music transforms, the tempo changing from soft and gentle to more upbeat. And that's when I recognize the opening chords...
"Can anybody...find me...someone to...loveeee?" My family sang along with the band before they came charging onto the dance floor. Leighton and I crack up.
"I can't believe you got them to play this!" Leighton said while hugging Marina's neck.
"I can't believe you interrupted our first dance..." I grumble, but only half-seriously.
"Oh come on, this is your
song
." Julian nudges me, and even he's dancing to the rock melody now.
"It is our song...and she is my queen."
My brothers make fake puking noises at my pun as Leighton and Marina coo in appreciation of the sweet twist of words.
This is our wedding day. My new wife, my family and I dancing in the sand until the early hours of the morning.
C
losing time
. Yes, it's a viral 90's song, but it's also one of the most bittersweet moments of the day.
The cafe is quiet as I move through the tables, wiping away coffee rings and stray lettuce leaves. No lights are on besides the overheads, the dim glow illuminating only the surfaces that it hits.
I revel in this silence, but tonight I almost want to wish it away. I want to see the cafe bustling with people. I want to shout food orders to the cooks in the back and specialty lattes to the barista.
Because this will be the last closing time. The final walk through and lockup.
"Is that my steel wall of a wife getting emotional?"
Finn stands in the doorway to the kitchen, his dimples in full force trying to get me out of my wallowing.
"Oh shut up and come help me put the chairs up." I turn my back to him as I swipe the wet rag across the next tabletop.
A few seconds later, strong hands grip my waist and turn me, deft fingers lift my chin so I'm looking into those deep blue pools.
"This is going to be good for us. You wanted this. But we can still stay."
I drop my cleaning cloth and thread my fingers through his silky blonde locks. "No, I know. I need the change. I need to end this chapter and we need to move on to the next. I'm just sad."
My throat gets tight as I think about all this cafe meant to my mom. Finn and I had started to discuss closing up shop about two months ago, when it was clear the paparazzi assault from our surprise nuptials was not going to die down.
LA was not the place we wanted to be anymore, and as much as I want to keep the memory of my mom alive through the cafe, I know she would understand why I had to sell it. This was her dream, not mine. While I love the place, Finn and I have dreams to explore and new memories to make.
Our first stop? Nebraska. We are going to spend some time with our family. Our…did you catch that? I’m like the daughter the Wyatt’s never had…well, except for Marina who they love dearly.
Finn wants to stop into the clinic again, which I think will help as an extension of his therapy. Seeing others who have been damaged by the war, who have survived things he has too…I think we both know it will be good for him.
After that? We have a laundry list of exotic locations we want to travel to. Although saying goodbye is bittersweet, the money we are receiving in the sale of the cafe is enough to fund a lot of our dreams for the near future. Maybe, in a serendipitous way, this was why mom had kept it in her possession for all of theses years.
"Instead of making this night a sad one, why don't we leave this cafe with one last happy memory?"
Finn ghosts his fingertips over breasts, my nipples stiffening at his touch even under the layers of material and bra padding.
"Quit it, handsy. I have to get this place clean, lock it up. I have so much to—“
He sucks the breath out of my lungs as his fingers trail downward, stopping on the button to my jeans and working them open. Just the tiny movement of over the clothing touching and I am completely speechless. Will I never not crave his touch? Will there ever be a time that I don’t want to strip my husband naked and climb all over him? My husband. Yes, it’s still weird to think, and say, those words.
“I think Mary would appreciate us leaving her shop in such a perfect, blissful state,” Finn whispers as he flicks the light switch beside us on the wall, plunging the cafe into darkness.
Well, except for the fact that the store’s entire front is made of large glass-panel walls.
“That is both morbid and gross, but I’m willing to take repayment on your mistake.” I shimmy my hips where his hands hold the top of my jeans, his fingers branding me where they slip beneath and make contact with skin. I toe off my sandals, signaling even further just exactly what I want.
Finn pushes down, the material of my jeans and thong underneath sliding down my body. Even though my now naked ass is blocked by the height of the tables and chairs on top of them, if anyone walking by was looking close enough, they would get an eyeful.
Finn now has a handful, kneading and groping my cheeks and spreading them in his large hands while I slump onto his shoulder, my weak arms barely hanging onto his neck. The hot, lustful jolts he’s sending to my core are like defibrillator shocks to my sex. I’m climbing the wave he’s building in me, and I practically shriek when two thick fingers push inside of my dripping wet slit.
“Fuck, baby…always so wet for me.” Finn pumps me in an erotic rhythm, the circling of my hips coming up to meet his crotch so that I’m pressed against the swelling bulge in his pants.
“Yes, Finn…please…” I can’t even form words, the way he is stroking me with a mixture of featherlight and demanding touches is driving me insane.
Suddenly his movements stop, his entire body going rigid, his eyes over my shoulder. I turn too, my eyes catching the movement on the sidewalk directly on the other side of our glass storefront. A younger couple walks along the street, probably coming or going from dinner somewhere in Magnolia Park. They’re laughing, the girl resting her head on her boyfriend’s shoulder.
If they were to turn their heads, they would see two sets of eyes staring back at them. And one of those sets would be attached to the body of a woman wearing absolutely nothing below the waist.
“As much fun as it is thinking about getting caught, I’d like to fuck my wife where only my eyes can see her,” Finn whispers in my ear.
The couple is gone, none the wiser to our state of undress, and suddenly I’m in the air, being hoisted into Finn’s arms.
“Finn, no, you shouldn’t!” I half-moan, half-admonish as he makes me straddle his waist while carrying me towards the kitchen. He really shouldn’t lift me, or walk with me, with his leg. But he refuses to listen to reasoning. He has refused it since the day I met him.
“If I want to wrap my sexy-as-fuck wife around my hips and move her wherever I want, I’ll damn well do it.”
Finn drops me on the steel table in the kitchen, the room more illuminated than the dark cafe.
I'm panting and I can hear the shallow breaths ringing in my ears. Finn takes a nanosecond to undo his belt and drop his jeans, but not to the floor. No. Just enough so that his cock springs free, bouncing as he pulls on his clothes and standing straight out in all of it's pulsing, engorged glory.
"You're so beautiful, Leighton." His voice is loving and warm, but laced with so much lust I can almost feel his desire.
He puts his fingers back in me, running two of them over my slit and coating me in wetness before pushing inside, my sex clamping down on them as if it will never let them go. I can feel my body start to buzz, my core melting and my toes going numb. The cold table under my ass is an electrifying contrast to the inferno Finn is stoking inside of me.
"You're gripping me so tight, babe, how close are you? Do you want me to make you come like this, or wait until I'm inside of you?"
I can't respond from the lack of oxygen to my brain. Instead, I grab his erection firmly, no time for teasing or testing strokes. I pump him harshly, once, twice...and the come already leaking from him coats my hand and his steel rod. I guide him toward my entrance, his fingers not once stopping their ministrations.
"Put...it...in..." I exhale through labored breaths.
Two dimples explode on his stubbled cheeks. "As you wish, Mrs. Wyatt."
The combination of my married name and Finn feeding himself into me is almost more than I can stand. my arms collapse where they're supporting me, my back making contact with table at the same time my husband pushes all the way in to the hilt.
"Oh my god..." I gasp, my cry echoing through the empty kitchen.
"Do you know how fucking lucky I am?" Those blue eyes are trained on mine, one hand holding my right leg under the knee, the other snaking up to tweak my left nipple.
"Get in line, babe. I'm the lucky one here."
It's the last utterance of sound I can make besides moans as Finn starts to really thrust, his tip hitting my G-spot at just the right angle when his balls slap against my ass.
"Come on, baby..." Both of his hands are up my shirt now, pulling my bra cups down and pinching my nipples. It feels so good that I see sparks of white clouding my vision.
I love you. I love you. I love you.
I'm not sure if I'm chanting this out loud or just in my head, but a second later I'm igniting, the blast of my orgasm rippling through my flesh and making my entire body shake.
And through it all I'm laser-focused on Finn. The way his eyes shut and his mouth screws up in a groan, the almost painful wince on his face and then pure bliss as his release tears through his body.
He collapses on top of me, his hands still caught between us gently massaging my breasts. I bring my hands up to rub his back, gently kneading the muscles there with my fingers. The silent peace only lasts so long.
Finn is still inside of me when I feel his cock shift, pressing against my walls.
"Ow." He's still laying on top of me, but I know he just shifted to stand on his good leg.
"You're ridiculous. You can get off of me and sit down you know!"
"But you feel too good." He gives my breasts a squeeze to enunciate this point.
I'm not sure how long we stay like that, still connected, laying half-naked on a prep table in the dark, quiet cafe.
I do know that there is nowhere else I'd rather be, no one else I'd rather be with. I got my fairy tale ending, even if I had to fight tooth and nail for it.
My reality is even better than the storybooks.