Don’t Forget to Remember Me (44 page)

“Not yet. Please?” His
blue eyes were burning, beseeching mine as he ghosted his hand over
the side of my head where the edge of the veil glistened next to my
hair. “You’re so stunning and you’re mine.
My
bride
. Let me have you like this for a few
hours.”

I reached up to touch his face and could
already feel the slight stubble starting. I closed my eyes and
raised my face up so I could press my lips to his. I let my tongue
flick out and lick the top lip, and his mouth instantly parted, his
breath rushing out over my face and his full lips nudged and coaxed
mine. I pulled away after a minute or two because if we didn’t go
down soon, we’d be missing our own reception.

“There is something incredibly sexy about a
man that can grow hair this fast.” I smiled against the hard line
of his jaw and then dragged my nose along the slight sandpaper
surface. “So much testosterone. Mmm…It makes my girlie parts get
very excited,” I teased and he burst out laughing.

“Ah, Julia. I love your
girlie parts,” Ryan chuckled and buried his face in the curve of my
neck. “
Love
them.”

Happiness welled like a tidal wave and I
kissed the side of his face. “We have to go down now. Ellie
probably has her panties in a bunch by now.”

“Mmmm…Only one set of panties I’m interested
in.”

I cocked my head as a brilliant smile spread
over his face. I cleared my throat and reluctantly climbed off his
lap. His hand ran down my arm to enfold my hand. I’d removed my
gloves and laid them on my suitcase. “Let’s do this. Lots of people
down there want to get a look at your gorgeous ass. Meredith was
practically drooling last I looked. You’re so handsome,” I said in
all seriousness. “Really Ryan. Just beautiful.”

“Hush or I’ll have to take you this
instant.” He started walking backwards and pulling me with him
toward the door. I lifted the bottom of the veil and draped it over
my arm as we left the room. He held my left hand in his and his
right arm wrapped around my waist as we went downstairs and back
into the ballroom, where Mike was waiting with everyone else in the
wedding party. He hugged me tightly when he was done with the
photos.

“Julia, Ryan is one lucky bastard,” he said
softly and smiled slightly. “You’re gorgeous.”

“Thanks. It means a lot that you’re
here.”

Ryan extended his hand. “Thank you, Mike. We
really appreciate it. I’m looking forward to my present.” His lips
twitched in a smile.

Mike grinned and nodded.
“You
should
be.
Indeed.”

Surrounded by our parents and best friends,
the evening passed in a flash. Dinner was delicious, the music
wonderful and the hand in mine was constant. Aaron and both of our
fathers made heartfelt toasts and Ryan’s hand tightened around mine
when Ellie stood up with tears in her eyes and raised her
glass.

“Julia is one of my best friends. I love her
like a sister. When she met Ryan, she blossomed. She became freer,
happier, more loving. He brings out the best in her, and he adores
her. All of us close to them knew years before they would admit to
even themselves, that one day we would be standing in a place just
like this, as they vowed their love. And what a love it is.
Sophocles said ‘One word frees us from all the weight and pain of
life: That word…is love.’ Ryan and Julia…my beautiful, wonderful
friends…you must surely be the freest souls to ever exist, because
the love you have between you is like nothing I’ve ever seen. May
God bless you, always. I love you both. To Ryan and Julia
Matthews!”

Harris stood next to her and motioned to
some of the musicians. Two of the violinists from the quartet took
their places next to the piano and the rest of Harris’ band cleared
away as he adjusted the microphone.

“Ryan has requested this
song be played for Julia tonight, and I was only too happy to
oblige. He is quite a gifted musician himself, but wanted to share
this dance with his
bride
. This is another
perfect choice, my friend.”

When Harris’ hand struck the keys in the
first chords, Ryan stood and took my hand, leading me to the dance
floor. As the song played, he held me and softly touched my face;
brushing my hair back and then resting his head on mine as he
gathered me close. Harris’ melodic voice filled the room and the
lyrics were amazing and perfect…promises of forever, through joy
and tears, best friends and undying love. It wasn’t long before
tears were falling softly once more.

Ryan leaned down and kissed me gently. “I
love you, Julia. Thank you for marrying me. It’s the happiest day
of my life.” My arms tightened around him and I buried my face in
the front of his shirt as my shoulders began to shake. I wasn’t
sure if my heart was breaking or exploding, but the force of it
shook me to the core. It hurt; a mixture of pleasure and pain. The
strings and the soft notes of the piano, so beautiful, lifted up to
the heavens.

As the music faded, the
room was silent and I looked up at my husband and Ryan’s face was
damp with tears, just like mine. The blue depths reflected the same
mixture of love and confused pain, hunger and desire that
surely
must be in my own.

“Don’t cry, my love,” he whispered in my ear
as his mouth traced over my face and then settled on my mouth
again, his nose nuzzled against mine as he lifted his head, finally
sensing the silence, many sets of tear-filled eyes trained on us.
Elyse’s hand was over her mouth as she leaned her head on Gabriel’s
shoulder and my mother was openly crying. Aaron’s arms enfolded
Jenna from behind and Ellie had joined Harris at the piano.

My throat ached with the strength of my
emotions, preventing me from saying a word.

Ryan pulled me to his side, wrapping his arm
tightly around me.

“Um…Julia and I are grateful for all the
love and support you have shown by sharing this special evening
with us. I know it’s early, but if you all don’t mind, we really
need to be alone now.” The room erupted in cheers and applause.
“Please stay and enjoy yourself. For those of you staying for the
graduation, we’ll see you at brunch tomorrow morning. If you’ll
excuse us…”

Ryan bent and lifted me bridal-style and
carried me out of the room, the happy cheers and catcalls
following. His arms tightened around me as I laid my head on his
shoulder and I whispered his name. “Ryan, the song was perfect.
Thank you for choosing it.” It felt like a prayer as I closed my
eyes. “I love you more than anything.”

He didn’t speak, just kissed my forehead,
leaving his mouth resting against my skin. As he carried me through
the hotel, through the lobby, and to the elevators, I could hear
the din audibly lessen. Everyone that saw us stopped and stared.
Ryan’s chest expanded underneath me and I snuggled closer, winding
my hand in his hair.

Ellie had good intentions, buying me a
negligee, but it wouldn’t make it out of the suitcase. I’d save it
for our first night back in New York.

When Ryan pushed the door open and carried
me inside, the room was full of candlelight, soft music and white
rose petals everywhere. There was a magnum of champagne on ice
sitting next to the couch in the sitting room of the suite, but he
wordlessly walked past it into the bedroom. The bed linens were
down and more rose petals were scattered over them.

The arm underneath my knees loosened and his
hands moved to the back of my head to finally lift out the comb
that held the veil to my head. I was mesmerized by him as he slowly
removed the diamond pins. My hair started to tumble down my back
and the flowers fluttered to the floor. Then his mouth was on mine,
so soft and searching, his hands threading in my hair. My hands
came to rest lightly on his waist. It was clear that he wanted to
go slow and I let him lead.

Ryan’s mouth never left
mine while his hands lightly traced over the skin of my exposed
back and shoulders, igniting a trail of fire wherever he grazed the
skin. My mouth opened and searched for his, seeking more pressure
and my hands fisted in his shirt, tugging it free of his pants. I
felt my dress loosen and finally open, Ryan’s hands lightly pushed
it from my shoulders and it fell in a pool at my feet, leaving me
standing before him in just the bridal lingerie…a white lace
bustier, bikini and thigh-high stockings. I stepped out of my shoes
as his glowing eyes traveled from head to toe. His
breath
caught as he moved to take me in his arms
again.

My hands worked their way up his shirt,
undoing the buttons and then moved to his belt. He stood before me
helpless, until finally I could take no more. “Ryan…touch me. I
want your skin on mine.”

“Uhgg…Julia. You don’t know what you do to
me. You’re so beautiful. Just looking at you…hurts.”

The clothing fell away in pieces, our hands
gentle and reverent as we explored each other. The passion grew as
the seconds passed until eventually he lowered me to the bed and
followed me down, his knee coming to rest between mine, his hands
teasing my body to life, and his eyes burning into mine.

“Ryan…God, I love you…”

Minutes or hours passed, I
wasn’t sure, but we continued to touch and kiss. I moaned as his
mouth found my breasts and he suckled each nipple into his mouth,
careful not to rush. His hands on my body were gentle, his fingers
parting the flesh between my legs to begin the teasing torture that
he
was brilliant at
. He could play me like
an instrument and he knew it.

He sighed at the warm wetness he found there
and kissed his way down my body, his forehead resting on the skin
below my navel and lower, until my legs fell open and he started
feasting on my heated flesh like he was starving. Suddenly, his
patience was gone, but only for a moment. His tongue and lips
lightened when he felt me start to arch, silently denying me,
letting the orgasm barely begin before he moved up to kiss me
deeply, letting me taste myself on his mouth.

It was so intimate as he wound his fingers
through mine and pulled me up so we were facing each other. My
thighs hugged Ryan’s hips as he pulled mine closer until I was
straddling his lap, our bodies rubbing and rocking together.

“Uhhh, oh, Julia. I’ve never wanted anything
as much as you.”

I couldn’t get close enough, touch him
enough and eventually I was writhing and clawing…pulling him closer
and arching…silently begging for his possession of me. We were both
panting when our bodies finally came together and we kissed madly,
passionately, professing our love in heated whispers. The position
so close, so intimate, I could feel him so deep inside me, filling
and stretching as one hand guided the movement of my hips and the
other wound into my hair to arch my neck back so he could trail his
tongue along my skin, placing a series of open-mouthed sucking
kisses as our bodies moved together. My arms wrapped around his
shoulders as he lifted me and lowered me onto my back, still
embedded within me, his brilliant eyes damp with tears.

The moment was so powerful, it left me
desperate and needy. “Ryan, uhhh…oh, my God. I love you,” I
whispered.

Emotions overflowed as he moved inside me,
lifting one of my knees and hitching it over his arm so that he
could sink deeper into my body. Between the long passionate kisses,
our tongues mating, our mouths mirroring and savoring in their
exchange, Ryan began to speak in a whisper, reciting his vows all
over again. “I promise to be your husband and everything you need
me to be, to take care of you and to love you with my heart, to
worship you with my body. With everything I am, I love you and I am
yours, now and forever. I want your time, I want your love and I
want your children…I want you, always.”

My heart
swelled
; the experience so amazing that
soon I was sobbing softly, even as he brought my body closer and
closer to ecstasy. Ryan was shaking and crying with me, holding
onto me for dear life and, as we quaked together in climax, still
entwined in the aftermath of our glorious lovemaking…he finished
his words in a husky breathless tone, his lips moving against mine
in the start of another kiss. “Forever will never be long enough to
love you…never long enough for
this
.”

I wrapped him up in my body, my arms and
legs enfolding him as I cried into his shoulder. His body still
embedded in mine and still moving softly, he kissed the side of my
face. “Dear God. Every time I touch you, I love you more. I’ve
never loved you more than I do in this moment.”

I was shaking and
clinging, my body racked with pleasurable spasms. “Ryan. I can’t
believe how much I love you. I can’t believe there could ever be
more, but there
always
is
. Don’t ever let me go.”

“Julia. I can’t. If I do, I’ll die. This is
one of those moments you remember the rest of your life, in every
single detail. Remember how much I love you. Don’t ever forget to
remember how much I love you.”