Don’t Forget to Remember Me (47 page)

I knew the answer. All of the preparations,
the wedding, making love all night, it was all finally catching up
to us. We were both wiped out. I kissed her hand as she nodded.

“Yes, but you should stay with your family.
The girls talked about going to that bar,” she said with a small
smile, but her words were weary.

I shook my head. “It’s not happening, babe.
We have a long day tomorrow.” I started to get up from the table as
I spoke. “I just want to snuggle up with my girl.”

“Ryan! You’re not bailing
are you, bro
’?” Aaron said as he saw my
movement. “We’re going out! Harris and Ellie are up for
it!”

I patted Julia’s left hand between both of
my own. “Uh…” I began.

My father looked at me in understanding.
“Aaron, let them go. They’re tired. It’s been a busy weekend.”

“I’ll make breakfast for everyone,” Julia
said and instantly Aaron perked up.

“Blueberry muffins?” Aaron asked, with an
over-sized grin.

“Sure,” she said, while she bent to kiss his
cheek. “I’m proud of you, you know?”

“Stop,” he teased with a grin. “You’re
making me blush!”

After we said goodnight, I took Julia’s hand
and led her out of the restaurant. I didn’t have my car, so I had
the valet hail a cab. We both had imbibed several glasses of wine
during the course of the evening, and it was better that neither
was driving and when Julia curled into me and leaned her head on my
shoulder, her heavy lids closing almost before the car pulled away
from the curb, it only got better. I gave the driver the address in
a quiet voice and leaned my head back on the seat, my arm stretched
across her legs and her arm wrapped around it.

She sighed softly and I wasn’t sure if she
was asleep or not. “I love you,” her soft words answered my
thoughts.

I turned my head and
pressed my lips to her forehead. “I love you more.” She smelled so
sweet. The perfume she’d worn ever since I’d given it to her on her
birthday eight years earlier, coconut from her shampoo, wine and
the scent of her skin.
Ambrosia.
I
inhaled deeply, relishing and memorizing the moment.

I carried her over the threshold, and pushed
the door shut with my foot.

“Hey. I can walk, baby,” she said
sleepily.

“Hush. This is tradition, right? I’ll take
any excuse to have you in my arms, you know that.” I didn’t bother
with the lights, the moonlight filtering through the windows
allowing me to see. Julia’s breath came in even huffs against my
neck, so soft and warm. Surely, she was on the verge of deep
sleep.

I released her knees, but kept my arm around
her back, and her head lolled into my neck as I pulled down the
covers on the bed. This would be the last night I would hold her in
this bed, in this apartment, where we had found each other
again.

I sighed in regret. Even though we had so
much to look forward to, there was a part of me that didn’t want to
let go of these last few months. As painful as they’d been, they
were so full of our love. After I’d accepted that she truly loved
me despite the holes in her memory, we had some of our most
precious times together and so many new memories to cherish and
build on.

I undressed her gently; lifting her and
placing her in the bed. Her tired eyes opened slightly and she
looked up at me, her hand reaching for me. “Come…” she requested in
a sleepy whisper.

“I will. Let’s get you out
of these pretty scraps of lace.” I unhooked the clasp on her bra
and gently pulled it from her shoulders and let it fall to the
floor near her dress. Soon the skimpy panties followed and I felt a
rush of desire as I looked at her.
So
perfect
. I wanted to kiss her all over,
but settled for a gentle kiss on her tummy and then one slightly
longer one on her open mouth. Instantly, she responded, despite her
sleepy state. Her hand curled around my neck into the hair at my
nape, a move that completely aroused me. I touched her cheek as my
mouth pulled reluctantly from hers. “Sleep, honey.”

I stood as she moaned and
rolled to her side while I quickly divested myself of my clothing.
I glanced around the room in the
soft glow of moonlight
from the window. Everything was packed. The
closet now empty, the picture of Julia gone from above the desk,
the laptop already loaded into the trunk of her car. All that
remained was the keyboard. My eyes fell on it and then on the bench
as my mind touched on the first night I’d touched her after the
accident. My breath rushed out. Utterly amazing, just like every
moment that I touched her before or since. The source of my musings
called to me.

“Ryan, come…I miss you,” she murmured in her
sleep.

I went to the bed and slid in next to her.
Instantly, our bodies entwined, her head resting in the crook of my
neck and her arm dropping low on my waist as I gathered her
close.

“I’ll make lemon,” she whispered, so softly
that I could barely hear the words.

“Hmmm?” I said and placed a kiss on the top
of her head.

“Lemon. I’ll make lemon, too. I
promise.”

I smiled in the darkness. “I know, honey. Go
to sleep, precious girl. I love you.”

Ryan shoved a muffin in his mouth and then
stopped at my dazed expression. “What?” he mumbled. He could barely
get the word out with his mouth so full.

“
What
?” I asked
incredulously. “Are you kidding me?”

He grinned and quickly chewed and swallowed
the offending culprit. “We’re almost there, babe. It’s been ages
since we’ve eaten. I’m starving.” He reached out and tugged my hand
to pull me closer so he could lean down and kiss me hard. “Besides,
these are so good.”

We were just getting into
Manhattan and still had probably 40 minutes in the car before we
arrived at
our
apartment. Ryan was
driving and I’d been able to watch him for most of the trip. I
couldn’t help but giggle as his hand rooted around in the bag for
another muffin. I pulled it from him and reached in myself and
handed it to him. “Try not to inhale it, hmmm?”

Ryan nodded as he took it. This time he took
a big bite, and then held it out to me. “Want some? My wife is an
amazing cook. You won’t be sorry,” he added cheekily.

He was dressed casually in ripped jeans and
a white t-shirt. I couldn’t tear my eyes off of him. When I didn’t
answer, he threw me a quick look. “Julia?”

“No, thank you,” I said softly and then let
my hand reach out and wrap around his right thigh, my fingers
drawing patterns on the denim and poking through one of the holes
to scratch the skin underneath, the light covering of hair was soft
to the touch. “You are so damn sexy,” I almost growled at him. My
body reacted just watching him munch away happily on the muffin. He
finished it and grabbed the water bottle resting in the console and
drained it before returning it to its original place.

“Julia,” he murmured as his hand covered
mine, pressing it more firmly into his leg and caressing my fingers
in the process. “I’m glad we’re almost home.”

“I’m sorry that I fell asleep last night.
Not very bride-like of me.”

“Honey, we were both exhausted. We have time
and uh…” he hesitated, “well, do I get my present tonight?”

I smirked, wondering if he was referring to
the photographs or to making love.

“Mmm…present? Was there
something specific you wanted?” I was feeling frisky and my hand
worked its way further up his thigh. When my hand reached my
destination between his legs and I pressed into him, I could
already feel his body hardening beneath my fingers. “Yum…I want to
go down on you tonight. I’ll give you a massage,
too
, baby.”

Ryan’s mouth fell open in surprise and his
breath rushed out, his hips involuntarily lifted and pressed into
my hand. A low groan emanated from his throat. “Julia, don’t make
me have an accident.”

I felt the heat pooling between my legs as
my fingers curled around his length under his jeans. He was fully
erect now, the large bulge straining against the confines of the
zipper. I eased it down slowly, watching his face. He swallowed and
closed his eyes for a split second.

“Julia. Later,
sweetheart.” He turned his face toward me. “I would
love
to let you continue, but there is
something very precious in this car that I don’t want damaged.” His
reached toward me and his fingers brushed down the line of my face.
“Okay?”

My heart thrummed in my chest as my hand
stilled in his lap. I was so full of love and lust for this man
that it was impossible to comprehend. “Okay,” I said reluctantly.
“I just…I want to make you feel good.” Even I could hear the ache
in my voice.

“You’re not making this easy on me,” he
groaned. “We have all night, baby.”

I didn’t answer, just put
my hand into the one he had offered and let it rest on my lap as
our fingers threaded together. His hands were so big, with fine,
long fingers of a piano player, a surgeon…and a
very
gifted lover. I closed my eyes letting myself
drown in the sensations racing through my traitorous
body.

“What are you thinking about? My present?”
he asked softly.

I raised an eyebrow. “Uh…I didn’t think that
was the track you’d be on tonight but, yes. I thought you might
have forgotten.”

“When do I get to see it?” The anxious look
on his face was like a little boy at Christmas. I couldn’t help but
roll my eyes at his flushed expression. His excitement was
contagious.

Ryan was in for a surprise. A big one. I
dropped my head and bit my lip so he wouldn’t see the smile I tried
to hide. “Mike had the photos delivered. They should be at the
front desk, but we have to unload the car first, Ryan. The
keyboard…”

“Ah…already the slave-driver wife. I love
it,” he laughed.

I chuckled as his fingers closed more
tightly around mine and pulled my hand up for a kiss. Ryan parked
in the space reserved for me. I’d have to arrange for another one
so Ryan’s car could join mine. “I can’t wait! You were so
beautiful. I’ll never forget a single moment of that day, Julia.”
His tone turned serious.

“Me, either. We
really
are
married, right?” I
teased.

He nodded as he shut the car off and turned,
his hand coming up to slide over my jaw and cheekbone then to the
back of my head in a loving caress. I took a deep breath as his
open mouth closed hotly over mine. He tasted so good and we kissed
over and over again, our mouths moving and tasting, until I finally
pulled away and rested my forehead on his cheek.

“Welcome home,” I whispered and brushed my
mouth along his strong jaw. His beard was scruffy, a full day had
passed since he’d shaved and I rubbed my nose through it. “Let’s
go.”

Ryan loaded me up with my overnight bag and
three pillows before reaching into the backseat to pull out the
keyboard. “Let’s leave the rest until tomorrow.”

“Yes. You won’t need clothes tonight, baby.”
I punched the up button on the elevator.

“Or any night, I hope.”

We were both laughing when
we finally got to the apartment and I put the key in the door and
pushed it open.
Is it possible to be this happy?
I thought I would burst with it.

“Julia, wait.” My head shot up in question.
“Stay here.”

Ryan went in and set the keyboard on the
couch cushions, then came back and took the bag and pillows from me
before throwing them inside the door. He whisked me up in his arms
again and I squealed in surprise.

“Babe. What are you doing?”

“I’m carrying my bride over the
threshold.”

“Again? You did it at the hotel and at your
apartment in Boston already.”

“Yes and I’m going to do it in every new
place we live, forever. Get used to it.”

“You’re crazy!” I dipped my head and bit
into the muscle between his shoulder and his neck. Not enough to
hurt, but definitely enough for him to feel. Within seconds, his
mouth was on mine in a slow kiss and then, just as suddenly, he set
me on my feet and was rushing toward the door. “Where are you
going?” I called.

“To get the pictures! I’ll be right back.
Love you!”

I stood there stunned, staring at the open
door, now devoid of him. I gathered up the bag and the pillows from
where he had unceremoniously dumped them and carried them into the
bedroom. I found the bridal trousseau that Ellie provided, two
pieces; one bridal white, long and elegant, the other black as
night, sheer and short.

I hesitated a second and then stripped off
my clothes and ran into the bathroom and started the shower. I
piled my hair in a haphazard bun at the top of my head, and jumped
under the water to rinse off, quickly soaping my body. Within five
minutes I was standing in front of the mirror, dressed in the
gorgeous black chemise. Sheer over the torso with lace over the
breasts and a matching lace thong, the sides slit up to my hips. I
pulled some of the hair out of the bun, creating messy tendrils and
quickly put some lip gloss on my lips.