“Overwhelming,” I tell him. “Today was nothing like I expected. I honestly thought we’d go to the courthouse, get married, and maybe grab a bite to eat before I went home and ate bonbons while I watched the ball drop. But you…I don’t know,” I say, shaking my head. “It’s like you want this to be real, and that’s what I want, too. I’m having a hard time grasping it all.”
“Grab it all by the horns, baby, and hang on tight, because I promise it’s going to be one hell of a ride.”
“You make everything sound like a carnival ride.”
He laughs and kisses me again. “I have a feeling you’re going to give me a run for my money, but it’s going to be worth it.”
Before I can respond, the crowd starts counting down from ten. Travis and I join in but never take our eyes off each other. It’s been years since I’ve been kissed at the stroke of midnight. Two years ago, Travis and I were in the comfort of his home when he finally kissed me. Tonight, it’ll be in front of the entire city.
“Five…four…three…two…one…Happy New Year, Saylor,” he says as he holds my face gently with his fingers and moves painstakingly slowly toward me. I lick my lips in preparation for his. The first touch is soft and lingers a bit until I feel him open his mouth and his tongue swipe along my lower lip. I open for him, his tongue sending shivers down my already cold spine. I clutch at the lapels of his jacket, trying to pull him closer as his arm wraps around my shoulders in an attempt to shield me from onlookers.
We both jump away from the kiss as the first boom from the fireworks sounds. He doesn’t smile or even wink. The Travis standing before me, the one playing with a tendril of my hair, has a subdued look on his face. Yet his eyes yield an urgency that I haven’t seen before.
I reach up on my tippy-toes until my lips are perfectly angled with his ear. “I think I’m ready to call it a night,” I tell him, hoping that he understands what I’m saying. I’m going to go for it, put both feet in the water as they say, and be his wife. He deserves the benefit of the doubt, and I think he’s done a stand-up job trying to prove himself today.
“Yeah?”
“Yeah.” I nod, slipping my hand into his.
“What about the fireworks?” He motions toward the harbor and the lighted sky. Fireworks are my favorite, and maybe he knows this, but I can wait to watch them in July.
“We can make our own.”
“Fuck yeah, we will,” he says. “Hey, guys, we’re out—wedding-night duties are calling.”
The guys high-five while my already rosy cheeks turn even redder. I didn’t expect him to blurt it out to everyone. I manage to hug Ainsley and Daisy before Travis pulls me away from them and into the celebratory crowd. People try to stop him, but none are successful until we’re in the elevator and the gentleman we’re riding with proceeds to go on and on about the Chicago Cubs winning the World Series and how the Renegades have once again let him down.
My hand caresses Travis’s back while he stands there taking every word from this drunken man. Our only saving grace is that our floor is closer to the top. Travis bids him well as he steps off, and once the doors are closed, Travis flips him off.
“Stupid fucker,” he mumbles as he has a stare-down with the closed doors. “Sorry, babe.”
“Don’t be,” I tell him. I’ve heard it all before, people giving me shit because my clients are underperforming. It’s the nature of the beast.
Travis places his arm around me, and I sag against him as we make our way to our room. The few minutes we’ve been inside has allowed the cold to subside. I still shiver, though, when his fingers brush under my shawl and against my bare arms.
He pulls out the key card to our room and pauses. “I meant what I said today, Saylor. Every word.”
“Me too.” I squeal as he picks me up, swinging me into his arms. “Travis, let me down.”
“Nope,” he says, shaking his head. “I’m carrying my bride over the threshold.” He manages to open the door without dropping me, and he safely gets me through the doorway without a bump.
“Oh, Travis.” My eyes water from the scene before me. Candles are lit throughout our suite, and rose petals line the walkway to our bedroom. He sets me down gently and removes my shawl in the process. “This is beautiful.”
“So are you.” His lips press against my bare shoulder while his fingers nimbly pull the zipper down on my dress, letting the capped sleeves fall down my arms. I move slightly, allowing my gown to settle on the floor.
“I take that back,” he says as he comes around to stand in front of me, his hand never leaving my body. Each touch causes more and more goose bumps to rise. “You’re fucking gorgeous and all mine.” He picks me up again, this time in a straddle, and carries me through the bedroom and into the bathroom.
“We have a bed, ya know.” I point to the wall, but he doesn’t say anything. He proceeds to undress and motions for me to do the same.
“Since the first time we were together, I’ve dreamed of fucking you in the shower, and honestly, I’m afraid that I’m going to wake up in the morning and you’ll be gone.”
“So our first time as a married couple will be in the shower?” I take off my bra and add it to his pile of clothes.
He nods and slips his fingers into the sides of my panties. “You’ll always remember this moment, Saylor, each time you take a shower. We’ll have plenty of time to fuck in a bed later.”
“Okay,” I whisper, placing my hands on his shoulders so he can slip off my underwear and shoes. He leaves me standing in the middle of the bathroom, returning only after he’s set the water to the right temperature.
“Come along, wife.” He pulls me behind him and opens the door to the shower. “After you,” he says, swatting my ass as I walk by. I yelp, and he chuckles deeply. I manage to pull the pins out of my hair before standing underneath the water.