He slipped one arm around her waist, the other behind her neck, and lowered his mouth to hers again. The kiss started out as a ploy to placate their guests, but it didn’t stay that way.
Bella slipped her hands up his arms and let them rest on his shoulders as it deepened, sending applause throughout the chapel, and shivers down her spine.
He pulled her as close to him as possible without crushing her dress and lost himself in the kiss, knowing it could be the only one she allowed him for quite some time.
The applause and cheers faded but the kiss continued and soon Casey was trying to interrupt them, but it wasn’t until Steven called out to them that they reluctantly parted. Bella turned her face away from the crowd and lowered her head as she tried to regain her composure allowing the blush that had flashed into her cheeks to disappear. When she looked back up, she saw the smallest bit of her lipstick on his lips and she reached up to wipe it off; he thanked her with a kiss on the forehead that had their guests cheering again, knowing the reason behind that gesture now—or so they thought.
The priest motioned for them to turn towards their guests and as they did, he stated, “Ladies and gentlemen may I present Mr. andMrs. Tyler Reed…”
Bella took her bouquet back from Jessica and they made their way down the aisle towards a future she wasn’t sure she was ready for, not if that kiss was anything to go by.
“So how are you feeling Mrs. Reed?” Jessica asked hours later as they got a moment alone.
“I don’t know…happy, tired—exhausted really, excited, wired…” Bella replied.
“Well, I’d say we now know why you and Tyler never go in for PDA,” she teased as guests began to tap on their champagne glasses for her and Tyler to bestow them with another kiss.
“Oh hush,” she said dipping her head to hide the traces of the blush that she knew was attacking her. She looked up and found Tyler watching her from across the room. When he began to cross over to her, she found herself standing up and going to meet him. She stopped just out of arms’ reach and grinned up at him. “Hi…”
“Hi,” he replied tilting her head up and dropping a gentle kiss on her lips. “Doing okay?” he added quietly as he pulled her into his arms as the music began to play again.
“Never better,” she sighed resting her head on his shoulder.
“We should start thinking about getting to the airport,” he told her glancing at his watch.
“Airport?” she said pulling back slightly to look at him. “I didn’t know we were leaving tonight.”
“It’s part of the surprise,” he stated, “unless you’d rather we just go home? It’s a private flight so we can reschedule it if you don’t feel like flying tonight.”
“No, I just didn’t bring anything to change into and I’m guessing you didn’t bring the carry-on bags here with you.”
“Why bother changing?” he teased. “You look beautiful in that dress. You took my breath away today, Bella.”
“Ty, you’re going to turn my head with all this flattery,” she smiled.
“Good, you deserve a bit of flattery Bella. Look at my…our parents, you put those smiles there.”
“Where are we going?” she asked wanting to get onto a different subject.
“That’s a surprise,” he said kissing her forehead. “But we really should get going…don’t worry about the guests they’ll have just as much fun without us.”
“Okay…but you’d better have packed wisely for me.”
“Trust me,” he stated nodding to the musicians who had just finished their song.
“Excuse me ladies and gentlemen but our bride and groom have asked me to let you know that they will be leaving shortly,” their leader said. “If the single ladies wouldn’t mind joining the bride on the dance floor for the bouquet toss then you won’t find the lovely planner over here sicced on you.”
Bella laughed knowing he was right, and Jessica brought her the tossing bouquet, her real one was safely packed away in the cooler to be arranged and taken to the reception area of the shelter in the morning. She turned around and gave the flowers a light toss turning just in time to see three of her friends fight for it.
When Tyler knelt in front of her to take off the garter, she felt her stomach dip in anticipation of his touch on her bare legs. The feel of his hands on them brought a blush to her cheeks which had their guests laughing and then nearly swooning when he leaned forward and kissed her forehead again as he held up his prize.
They were showered with balloons and bubbles as they left the reception, and she was glad to see Tyler had hired extra security as flashes went off as they exited the hotel and headed to the waiting car. The driver opened the door and before Tyler could help her in, she turned into him with a smile.
“One kiss for them?” she said nodding towards the photographers and the guests who had filled the doorway of the hotel.
“Why not,” he stated wrapping his arms around her waist. She draped her arms over his shoulders and settled into the kiss, making sure to keep it slightly more PG than the one at the church had been. They parted laughing as the photographers cried for one more and Tyler indulged them by pressing his lips against her forehead as she closed her eyes and smiled happily.
They made their way to the airport and were whisked through the security checkpoint to the waiting plane without incident. She waited for him to tell her where they were going but he remained tight-lipped.