5
Arjen
Every eye in the room was cast on Mecca as camera flashes popped off like an A-list celebrity had entered the building. The power of anticipation held me captive as she edged closer, her dress fitting her delicious figure to perfection. Her cousin, who I was set to marry only a few weeks prior, was walking her down the aisle.
A glance around the room revealed genuine awe on people’s faces along with their appreciative smiles. Cameras and phones were held at every angle, attempting to capture the moment and peek into her emotions.
The few moving lips I read spilled words like beautiful and lovely, and a few men thought I was lucky. I didn’t need anyone’s approval, but their reactions swelled me with pride, like I was accomplishing a goal I had not known I needed to set.
I wasn’t one to get anxious, and if I did, I had learned how to keep it hidden. However, this union had me on edge, and a jittery tension I wasn’t used to had crept into my bones and stiffened my body.
“You sure you’re ready for this?” Khane whispered, likely picking up on my tension.
Until he had spoken, I had forgotten him standing at my side. I wasn’t like this at my first attempt at a wedding, so why was I reacting now?
The attempts I made to swallow the anxiousness bubbling up inside of me failed. The closer my bride came, the more intense the sensations grew, and caused my damn knees to get a little twitchy. My heart pounded against my ribcage like it wanted out of my chest. Where had these uncharacteristic feelings come from? More importantly, why was I feeling them?
Once Desiree walked Mecca within a few feet of me, my mouth went dry, and nerves overtook me, sending tiny shockwaves zipping throughout my entire body. The pastor talked, and I assumed he was instructing me to do the unveiling since Desiree had kissed Mecca and was standing in place a few paces behind her.
Reaching for the veil, I took my time lifting the sheer white material. Her hair was pulled into an elegant bun atop her head that held the veil in place. Once I had it lifted past her face, I paused, my hand stuck mid-lift as my gaze had traveled over Mecca. I needed a moment to process what my eyes were seeing.
Holy shit!
The gum that I shouldn’t have been chewing was a gulp from slipping down my throat, and I wasn’t sure if I had just cursed out loud. The crowd’s collective gasps filled the room as Mecca’s unveiling had cameras and phones being set off in a frenzy. I knew that my wife-to-be was easy on the eyes from our first few brief interactions, but, hot damn, she was gorgeous.
Her brown skin shimmered with a bronzed glow that wasn’t all makeup but her natural tone. Thick lashes waved above a set of big seductive eyes, so dark I couldn’t tell if they were black or dark brown.
The sight of her naturally plump and kissable lips made them appear to be offering me an invitation. I couldn’t feed my eyes enough of her skin, which at certain angles appeared to be sparkling like diamonds were embedded in her pores.
It was best that I ignore her body from the neck down because it set off a whole different system that had things moving and hardening. Full ample breasts, enticing shoulders, a long inviting neck, a slender waist that gave life to hips, and although I couldn’t see her ass, I knew it was nice because I checked it out the first day we had met.
Concentrate on her face,I reminded myself before the crowd ended up seeing the results of the way the sight of her full view was affecting the lower half of my body.
The necklace she wore was the only thing that seemed out of place. The jewelry was simple, not like anything I would expect her to wear, especially not with her gown. Therefore, it must have held sentimental value.
Our gazes locked, and all the lust inside floated away. This was a first, as it was usually lust followed by sex and the woman’s swift departure. I couldn’t decipher what was passing between us, but it took the preacher clearing his throat to get me moving again.
Something within me had burst free and spurred me to speed things along. However, I found myself continuing to take my time, easing the veil past her shoulders to take her in leisurely. Our gaze held strong, leading me to believe we were seeing and assessing each other fully for the first time.
“Mecca,” I mouthed her name on a low whisper, reassuring myself that this was real, that she was real. She didn’t reply, but the smile that appeared on her lovely lips hinted that she heard me.
Once I had her unveiled, I didn’t wait for the pastor’s instructions, remembering the order of the last ceremony. Mecca followed my lead when I took her warm, soft hands. I stood facing her as the pastor stood at our shoulders, poised to speak sacred words of promise and uniting.
“Friends and family of the bride and groom, welcome, and thank you for being here on this important day. We are gathered today to celebrate the special connection between Arjen and Mecca by joining them in marriage.”
This time, I listened, allowing my brain to break down the meaning of the ceremonial words. A weird urge suggested that I make a valid attempt to do what the pastor spoke of, being there for her, protecting her, and honoring our union for better or worse.
“A marriage, as we understand it, is a voluntary and full commitment. It is made in the deepest sense to the exclusion of all others, and it is entered into with the desire and hope that it will last for life.”
We continued to hold each other’s gazes, and every once in a while, she or I would allow a smile to slide across our lips. It was like this secret little thing passing between us that I don’t believe either of us understood, but still embraced.
“Your wedding rings are the outward and visible sign of the inward and invisible bond, which unites your hearts in love. Groom, place the ring on your bride’s finger and repeat after me.”
An unexpected shot of relief swept threw me as I glided the ring on her finger. The sight of the binding action captured my attention until my gaze reconnected with hers once it was set in place. We hadn’t prepared any vows, so the pastor moved on.
We listened as he recited that the ring was a representation of our love. I didn’t know Mecca enough to love her, but even at this early stage in our union, I believed I could grow to care for her. I believed liking a person was a hell of a lot better than loving them anyway.
Love brought on a level of stress that caused people to lose control of their minds. It forced you to make decisions about life and death that you would never have considered before. Loving one person in this world was enough. Khane had that spot as our brotherly bond gave me the ability to make all the connections I needed to.