After The One (The One Series Duet) (38 page)

“…the best friend in the entire world. We are kindred spirits. We are sisters. So I knew that Zoe and Julian were meant to be long before today. Zoe’s mom, Elise, said it best earlier. People fall in love every single day. But when I’m around Zoe and Julian, it’s more than that. There’s a genuine sense of belonging and commitment. They belong together and are committed to one another. It’s one thing to feel that for your partner, but it’s another thing when you can feel that from a couple. Zoe, Julian… I’m so happy to witness your love as it has continued to grow and evolve. I’m so happy for you both.”

Koko swiped at the corner of her eye at the same time I swiped at mine. The three speeches had taken their toll and another tear threatened to drop, but I brushed it away quickly.

“Now raise your glasses… my best friend, my sister is married to the man of her dreams. And my brother-in-law just upgraded his life by marrying a queen. Now drink up bitches!”

Everyone cheered and celebrated with drinks and since it was the last speech, Andre was supposed to start playing music. I looked at the producer next to the closest cameraman in hopes of signaling to him that Julian and I needed our mics removed. But DJ Dre didn’t start the music.

“Koko!” a male voice shouted out. “Koko!”

Everyone quieted down and had their heads on a swivel. I kept my eyes on Koko who seemed to be looking directly at the person who was screaming her name.

Koko squared her shoulder so she was her full five feet and nine inches in height. Her porcelain complexion was tinged pink and her lips puckered into a bow. She was nervous.

With my eyes still glued to the stage, I slipped my hand under Julian’s jacket and removed his battery pack. I turned slightly so he could do the same for me. We turned them off and then removed the microphones that were clipped to us. Sharing a confused glance, we returned our eyes to Koko.

“Koko!” Bryce repeated, his voice unmistakably distinct in the almost silent ballroom.

“You are the most amazing woman I’ve ever met. I know we work together. I know it’s complicated. But what’s not complicated is that I love you.”

A collective gasp traveled through the room.

My empty hand flew to my chest.

“Kumiko Liane Green, I love you and I’m sorry I didn’t say it earlier,” Bryce declared as he moved to the DJ area. He ran his hands through his blonde hair. “I used to think I didn’t want to be with anyone, but you changed that. You changed me. I’m sorry I hurt you. I’m sorry about the misunderstanding, but believe me, that’s all it is—a misunderstanding. I want to be with you and only you. I love you. Please forgive me.”

Julian was on his way back from handing over our microphones to a producer. His eyes were glued to Koko and Bryce as he walked toward me. While all eyes were on the action on stage, my eyes traced the strong jawline and Adonis-like profile of my husband. Julian Winters was not only the sexiest man in the room. He was the sexiest man in the world.

To me anyway.

At that moment, he looked at me and warmth coated my insides. My heart constricted as if reminding me that I was in the presence of its mate. I let out a sigh from deep within me once he wrapped his arm around me, pulling me into his side.

“Please say yes, Koko,” I whispered, looking up in quick prayer to God.

I believed Bryce. I’d believed Bryce since I spoke to him on the phone in her trailer. Hearing what he said to me and the way he said it to me, I couldn’t see him throwing what he had with Koko away for someone who we all knew was an opportunistic fake.

“What?” Julian asked, his lips brushing my earlobe and sending a chill down my spine.

My words faltered as I explained myself. “I was praying that Koko says yes.” I moved my head so that our foreheads touched. “I want her to let go so she can be free to feel what it is I feel every time I’m with you.”

The corners of his mouth turned upward slowly. “What is it you feel when you’re with me?” He asked.

I was quiet as I got lost in his eyes. I placed my hand over his heart and waited for him to do the same. His breathing matched my breathing. My heartbeat matched his heartbeat. And deep in his eyes, I saw happily ever after.

“I feel a love that’s so big and all-encompassing that I feel powerful and powerless at the same time,” I murmured as our noses touched. “I feel like I’m home. I feel...”

Capturing my mouth with his, Julian interrupted my sentence with a tender kiss, causing me to feel faint. I gripped the front of his tuxedo as he took his time exploring my mouth with his own. The kiss was tender and worshipful. He deepened the kiss, causing me to moan lightly into his mouth.

We’d kissed a lot over the course of the day—during the ceremony, during pictures, during cocktail hour, and during dinner especially. But we kept the kisses ranging from rated G to rated PG-13. Mostly it was due to the cameras and the four hundred guests, but also because kissing Julian was a gateway drug. It would start off innocent enough, but it would always lead to me having R-rated thoughts. And if I heard him moan, the thoughts would exponentially turn X-rated.

I pulled out of the kiss before things went too far. Our faces were an inch apart and as much as I wanted to continue kissing him, I felt my self-control slipping. If I was being honest with myself, my thoughts had been R-rated since the first wedding ceremony.

Nothing gets me hot and bothered like a surprise wedding.

With us no longer kissing, the sound of the crowd cheering and musical instruments cueing up alerted me to the fact that something had happened.

I turned my head slightly and saw Koko and Bryce looking lovesick as he held her lovingly. Next to where they stood beside the empty DJ booth, Super Casanova was set up and started playing one of their hit love songs.

“Zoe,” Julian growled my name roughly against my ear, pulling my attention back to him. “I’m supposed to sing a song that I wrote for you.”

Aww!

“Oh my God.” My heart swelled and I knew I was officially swooning. “Really? When?” I asked between kisses of appreciation and love that I peppered onto his face. “That’s so sweet.”

“After this song.”

“I—”

“But we’re leaving now,” Julian interrupted, the demanding urgency in his voice was doing something to me.

“Why? I love hearing you sing.”

He discreetly pushed his hard dick against me. “Because I can’t think of anything other than fucking my wife,” he uttered sexily.

My panties were instantly soaked.

“There’s a room on the second floor.”

His words reverberated through my body and I gripped his shoulder to keep my legs steady.

Nodding, I replied, “Let’s go.”

We mumbled an excuse about an interview before scurrying away. Julian tucked me under his arm and we snickered on our way toward the door.

“Where are you two headed off to in the middle of your reception in such a hurry?” My grandma asked, stepping directly in our path.

She and Julian’s grandma appeared seemingly out of nowhere, both with a hand on one hip and a wine glass in the other.

We stopped in our tracks. My eyes widened as I positioned myself slightly in front of Julian, blocking any bulges that might have been noticeable.

I thought they were standing near Zach and his girlfriend on the other side of Julian’s parents.
I felt my forehead crease in confusion.
Where the hell did they come from?

“Hey…” I replied in a voice higher than my natural tone. I stretched the word out as I glanced up at Julian. “Are you two having fun?”

“Not as much fun as you two,” Julian’s grandmother joked with a wink before lifting her full wine glass. “The way you two have been canoodling, it looks like you two are off for a little reception sex!”

“They wouldn’t do that!” My grandma chastised, her hand flying to her chest. She gawked at her before shifting her gaze to us. “You two wouldn’t have sexual intercourse at your reception? While the guests are here?”

She is literally clutching her pearls.

“You know who had sex in the broom closet at their wedding reception?” Julian’s grandma exclaimed as she looked at my grandma. “Ellen on
As The Days Get Restless
. She had sex with Marco, the best man. The things she did…oh my! My second husband used to get me to sneak into closets too. Do you remember that episode?”

“Do I remember? It was the episode that made me…” She looked at me with a wink. “Well let’s just say my husband, may he rest in peace, had a great afternoon.”

Julian and I groaned in unified disgust.

Yuck! No one wants to think about their grandparents getting it on. No one.

“What?” Julian’s grandmother feigned surprise as she patted her fine grey hair. “We had lots of sex back in our day. That’s the secret to a long marriage. Lots of sex. My feet barely touched the floor in the sixties. The trick—”

“Grandma Pearl!” Julian scolded sharply.

I felt the corners of my mouth set in a semi-permanent frown as I shook my head.

As our grandmothers giggled, I felt the wrinkle in time. I felt the exact moment in which I dried up completely and my sex drive did a disappearing act.

“Thank you! I’m Hayden and this is Londyn and Marshall. And we are Super Casanova!” Hayden called out from the elevated platform where they performed.

The crowd screamed, pulling our attention away from the sex lives of our grandparents. Julian and I turned toward the stage and clapped. I peeked over my shoulder and saw our grandmothers chatting happily.

“Hey,” I whispered, wrapping my arms around him. I looked deep into his eyes, twisting my pursed lips into a rueful smirk. “Looks like I will be hearing you sing tonight after all.”

Julian scoffed, running his hand up and down my back before resting it on the curve of my ass. “It’s probably for the best.”

I nodded. “I’m going to need at least an hour to get that conversation out of my head.”

“You?” He glanced over his shoulder. “My dick died back there. Right after my appetite. It was a one-two punch.”

My shoulders shook as I did my best to hold in the deep chuckle that threatened to burst out of me. “I don’t ever want to think of my parents or grandparents doing the same thing we were on our way to do.”

“Grandma Pearl just said—” He put his hand over his mouth and made a distressed noise. “She said something about a trick and I think I blacked out.”

We had to hold each other up from laughing so hard.

“Oh there they are!” Londyn waved from the stage as we struggled to pull ourselves together. “We’ve had a lot of talented writers and producers work on our albums. But one of our favorites to work with is Julian. We’ve grown up in the industry together and we’ve become more than just collaborators. We’ve become friends. And anyone who has had the pleasure of getting to know him or listening to his music knows that there’s only one Julian Winters.”

Everyone in the room, including me, screamed at the top of their lungs and applauded. As I cheered, Julian grinned at me like I was the only fan he needed which only made me giddy.

Marshall flashed the room his trademark smile. “Julian was helping us put together one of our most successful albums when he was contacted about a little show on network TV called…
The One
.” He paused as the hollers and shouts from former contestants intensified. “Well when our friend appeared on it, we thought it’d be good for him to meet someone. He works so hard. Thought maybe he’d come out of the situation with a friend, maybe a girlfriend. But we didn’t seriously think he would find love. But when we saw Julian and Zoe together for the first time, we knew he’d found her.”

Everyone cooed in response. Julian’s arm tightened around me and I looked up at him. Just hearing someone else tell the briefest version of our story gave me butterflies.

“Follow me,” Julian whispered, kissing my forehead.

“Anywhere,” I answered as our fingers intertwined and he pulled me toward the stage.

We stopped next to Koko who was standing beside the stage steps.

“…and because of that, it is even more special that we are here to sing backup as our friend, Julian Winters serenades his wife, the beautiful, brainy, and brilliant Zoe Jordan.”

Julian kissed me softly before he made his way up the platform to thunderous applause and catcalls.

My fingertips immediately brushed over my lips, savoring the feeling of his kiss. I tilted my head to the side as I watched his sexy ass greet his friends on stage. When he turned around, I took a moment to appreciate the way his tuxedo was tailored to his muscular body, the way his smile lit up the chiseled features of his face, and the way his eyes penetrated the room. He slipped on a guitar that looked similar to the one I gave him for Christmas and brought the microphone to his lips. His eyes found mine causing my breath to falter. My heart skipped a beat just watching him on stage in his element.

“How’s everybody doing tonight?” Julian asked, smiling wide. Once the cheers died down, he continued. “It’s good to see you all here. Thank you for being here to celebrate with me and my wife.”

The cheers were loud, the flashes of light were bright, Koko bumped me with her hip and it all barely registered as my eyes were glued to my husband. I knew I probably looked like a lovesick puppy and the cameras from
The One
were catching every pining glance. But I didn’t care. I couldn’t take my eyes off of him.

“I love you, Zoe.” Julian licked his lips and flashed a panty-melting smile. “While on tour, I wrote a lot. Poems turn to songs turn to musical love letters to listeners. But this song is different. It’s a musical love letter that’ll eventually be available to listeners, but was written exclusively for Zoe. I never told her about it because I was waiting for this day to surprise her with it. Anyone mind if I debut it here?”

The reception guests didn’t stop applauding until Julian started strumming a simple beat on the guitar.

I stood in stunned silence as a swarm of butterflies ricocheted against my chest cavity.

Julian leaned into the microphone. “This is for you, Zoe. It’s called ‘The One.’”