Melody of the Heart (26 page)

I smiled at Susan as she walked down the aisle. I was so glad she had been here in Vegas where Lily could have a mother figure on her wedding day. If there had been time, I would have flown Marie, along with Lily’s sisters, out here for the wedding.

The appearance of Rhys carrying a lace-covered basket in one hand and then tossing petals with the other caused me to snort with laughter. But one death glare from him silenced me immediately. I don’t know how he had gotten roped into being the flower girl.

As Lily appeared in the doorway with Jake and AJ on each side, Elvis began perfectly crooning. “Wise men say only fools rush in. But I can’t help falling in love with you.”

Jus the sight of her brought tears to my eyes. God, she was so beautiful. She always had been, but something about her in that moment made her more breathtaking than I’d ever seen her. I had to fight the urge to kick myself that this perfect woman was about to be my wife. Even after I had almost ruined things between us, her heart was big enough to forgive me.

I had to swipe my eyes several times before she finally arrived at my side. After Jake and AJ kissed her cheeks, they then went to sit down beside Susan and Rhys. As I took her hand in mine, Elvis sang, “Take my hand. Take my whole life too. For I can’t help falling in love with you.”

He strummed the final chords of the song. After putting his guitar away, he smiled at us. “Dearly beloved, we’re gathered here today to join together Brayden Michael Vanderburg and Lily Marie Gregson.”

We went through the vows and then exchanged platinum wedding bands that I had picked up yesterday while Lily went dress shopping. I slid it on over her the diamond engagement ring I’d bought the day before as well. After we’d slipped the rings on our fingers, Elvis smiled, “By the power vested in me by the state of Nevada, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride.”

I didn’t have to be told twice. I practically dove at Lily, my hands cupping her face before I brought my lips to hers. I thrust my tongue into her mouth, deepening the kiss. We must have been putting on quite a show because the guys started whistling behind us.

I quickly pulled away to give Lily a sheepish grin. “Sorry about that.”

Although her cheeks were red, she laughed. “Don’t apologize. That was the best first kiss as a married couple ever.”

“I thought it was pretty good, too.”

Instead of walking straight on down the aisle, we exchanged hugs with the guys and Susan. Then as Elvis started strumming
Love Me Tender
, we walked out of the chapel as man and wife.

                                                                      ***             

I gave Lily her choice of where we would stay for our Honeymoon night. Instead of the Bellagio, she wanted to stay at the Venetian because as she claimed, “It just seems so much more romantic there.”

So after we finished with the necessary paperwork, we all piled into the limo and took off for the Venetian. We had our wedding reception dinner at
Zefferino’
s
, one of the restaurants inside the Venetian. I’m sure we would have gotten a few stares considering Lily was still in her wedding dress and veil, but it didn’t take too long for fans to spot us. I knew that within a few moments, Lily’s and my secret wedding would explode all over social media.

After downing his beer, Jake cocked his head at me. “Any chance you let the label know you were getting hitched?”

“No, I sure as hell didn’t. Some of those fuckers cost me my relationship with Lily. I wasn’t about to let them try to interfere today.” Lily took my hand in hers and squeezed it. I’m sure she was glad I hadn’t involved the label handlers either.

He grinned as he shook his head. “Man, I’d love to be a fly on the wall when this shit hits the fan with Marcus and the others.”

“You’re impossible,” I muttered.

After dessert and coffee, we said goodbye to the guys and Susan. Then Lily dragged me over to the canal so we could go on a gondola ride. “You seriously want to do this?”

“Yes, I do. It’ll be so romantic.”

“At the moment, the most romantic thing I can think of is taking you upstairs and getting you out of that dress,” I teased.

She smacked me playfully. “That’s not romantic.”

With a resigned sigh, I paid for our tickets, and we moved forward in the line. At the sight of us in our wedding finery, people were all too happy to let us go in front of them. We first objected, but after they insisted, we finally inched up. Once we got into our gondola, our driver turned back to the people waiting in line. “Let’s give a round of applause for the lovely bride and groom!”

A cheer went up through the crowd as people clapped and whistled. “We love you Brayden!” was screamed by two girls at the end of the line.

Ordinarily Lily would have been embarrassed at being called out, but since it was her wedding day, she seemed to be enjoying it. As the gondola glided across the water, Lily lay her head against my chest. “One day will you take me to Venice so I can ride in a real gondola on the canal?”

I smiled down at her. “I think that’s a promise I can easily keep. I never knew you wanted to go that much.”

She nodded. “I love Italy. I love the idea of traveling anywhere in Europe.”

“We have a European tour coming up.”

Her brows arched in surprise. “You do?”

“Yep. As my wife, you’re more than obligated to come along.”

She laughed. “If it works out with my teaching schedule, I’d love to.”

At the mention of teaching, I sighed. “What’s wrong?” she asked.

“I just hate that you have to go back home in a week. I want you out on the road with me. Can’t you quit your teaching job?”

She gasped. “Why would I want to do that?”

“Seriously, Lily, you don’t need to work. I make plenty enough money for the two of us.”

“But I just started teaching. And I love it.”

“Don’t you love me more?”

“If you loved me, you wouldn’t ask me to choose. You would want me to do the thing that made me happy, just as I supported you all those years.”

Deep down I knew she was right. Her dream since we first got together was to be a teacher. I could tell just how passionate she was about teaching from the way she spoke about it. Leaning down, I kissed her gently. “I’m sorry. You’re right. You deserve to do what makes you happy. I can’t imagine living a nomadic life on the road with me and the guys would be that thrilling.”

“I’ll come out to visit you every weekend. I promise.”

“And during the summer, you’re completely mine. Right?”

She grinned. “Oh yes.”

“Good. I’m glad to hear it.”

When the gondola ride was over, I happily climbed out and then helped Lily with her dress. I had one thing on my mind, and that was getting the honeymoon started. We would be leaving Vegas in the morning for our next tour stop in Reno, so we had to make use of the time we had.

As I started tugging her toward the elevators, she balked. “What is it?” I demanded.

“I need to do some shopping.”

I groaned. “You have got to be kidding me.”

Wagging her eyebrows, Lily jerked her head at the store we were in front of. “Oh, okay,” I replied, with a smile. She ducked into Victoria’s Secret alone. Pacing around outside, I waited for her to make a choice…or several choices. At this point, I didn’t need to see her in any sexy lingerie to get me up and running. Right now she could be wearing a burlap sack, and I’d still blow my load. There was something about getting to make love to my wife for the very first time that was so fucking sexy.

After what felt like an eternity, Lily emerged with a bag and a secretive smile. “Now are we ready?”

“Yes, Mr. Impatient, we are.”

Taking her by the arm, I once again hurried her to the elevators. Even though I had just been with her last night, I couldn’t wait to be inside her again. Of course, this time was monumental because it was the first time we would be making love as husband and wife. It felt a little overwhelming, kind of like the first time we were together.

When we got to the suite, I put the keycard in. After swinging the door open, I grabbed Lily around the waist. “Brayden, what are you doing?” she demanded.

“I’m carrying you over the threshold.”

She laughed. “But this is just a hotel room, not our house.”

I shrugged. “Doesn’t matter. Still wanted to do it.” When I set her on her feet, she glanced at me over her shoulder. “Unzip me, so I can go put on your surprise.”

“Yes, ma’am,” I muttered. I didn’t want to just unzip her. I wanted to tear off her dress and start going at it right there on the floor.

Once she was unzipped, Lily slid out of her dress, revealing her strapless bra and underwear. “You’re killing me, babe.”

“Just wait,” she teased before grabbing the bag and running into the bathroom.

I groaned and then started working at getting out of my suit and tie. When I had stripped down to my boxers, I waited patiently on the edge of the bed for Lily to appear. Nothing could have prepared me for when the door opened. It was like an extreme moment of Deja vu. She was wearing lingerie that looked almost exactly like what she had worn for our first time. “How did you…?”

She smiled. “I was actually going for something in black or red when I saw this.” She swept her hands to her thighs. “Real garters this time instead of just the stockings.”

“I’m digging them.”

With a laugh, Lily crooked her finger at me. “Come here, Mr. Vanderburg, your wife would like to touch you.”

“She would?”

“Oh yes, very much.”

I rose off the bed and went over to her. “We really should open a bottle of champagne or something.”

“Later,” she argued.

“You don’t want to take things slow?”

“I want to consummate our marriage.”

“Well, I think I can oblige you on that one.” I brought my lips to hers in a soft kiss that grew passionate in barely an instant. We tumbled onto the bed in a tangle of arms and legs. Like magnets, my hands went straight for Lily’s breasts. I kneaded the sensitive flesh, causing the nipples to harden under my touch. As I began to untie her bodice, Lily ran her fingers through my hair, pushing it out of my face.

When her breasts were free, I dipped my head to suck one of her nipples into my mouth. Lily moaned, scissoring her legs beneath me, searching for friction. While I continued sucking on her nipples, I brought one of my hands between her legs to stroke her over her panties. She arched her hips against me. “Please, Brayden, I want you inside me,” Lily begged.

Realizing her need, I slid off her panties and pulled off the bodice. I then rose up sit in the middle of the bed. “What are you—” she began, but I silenced her by lifting her up to straddle me.

“This way I can see you and touch you.”

She smiled as she rose up to take me inside her. After I slid all the way down, she began to move on and off of me. As she did, she kept her hands in my hair, her eyes on mine. While I arched my hips to meet her movements, I couldn’t keep my hands still. I ran my fingers up and down her spine, I cupped her buttocks to lift her harder on and off of me, and then I stroked her clit until she was screaming my name as she came around my still pumping dick.

It didn’t take me long to finish, and I kept my eyes on hers until the very end. When it was over, I collapsed onto my back, bringing her with me. “So what do you think about married sex?”

“Mmm, I think it’s pretty amazing.” Propping her head up on her arm, she gave me a wicked a look. “I wonder if it’s just as good in the Jacuzzi tub or against the wall with the great view of Vegas outside.”

I grinned. “I don’t know, but you can sure as hell bet we’ll try it to see!”

BRAYDEN