Chasing Love's Wings (32 page)

“Did you know?”
 

He gives me a small smile. “I had a feeling when an anonymous email appeared outlining
a listing of sorts. I put two and two together when I only paid fifteen grand for
the property itself.”
 

“He’s a smart one,” Bobby says, and he puts some distance between us. I look at Tristan:
his tousled blond and brown hair, his beautiful white linen shirt and pants. Even
in the light coming in from the patio, I can see through the shirt and see his dragon.
He is wearing sandals, but I believe those will be ditched before the actual ceremony
begins. He looks beautiful. He takes in the sight of me in my dress, then he comes
over to hug me.

“You look amazing,” he says as he kisses my forehead. We agreed that, other than for
the pictures we’re supposed to take, we wouldn’t kiss between when we separated at
noon and the ceremony.

“Thank you, Tristan.” He pulls back from me and holds his hand out for Bobby to take,
and Bobby does.
 

“Thank you for being here.”
 

Bobby smiles. “I wouldn’t miss it. Never have, never will.”
 

“Dad,” I say before I realize what I’ve called him, but I don’t care. “Will you walk
me down the aisle?” My voice is full of emotion and Tristan looks at me, testing to
make sure this is what I really want.
 

“I would be honored,” he says to me, and he smiles.

I suddenly feel a twinge of guilt run through me. Tristan’s mom. She isn’t here and
I feel awful about it. I look at Bobby. “Thank you,” I say. “Tristan and I are going
to do some pictures up here, then we will be downstairs, on Blu’s patio. Can we meet
you there?”
 

“Absolutely,” he says, and he departs. I know I only have a few minutes before the
photographer shows up and I want to say something to Tristan.

“You look amazing,” he says to me, and he smiles. I smile back at him, but it is guarded.
 

“Tristan?”
 

“Yeah,” he says, knowing something is playing on my mind. “If you don’t really want
him here, he can leave.”
 

“No, it’s not that, and I thank you from the bottom of my heart for letting him know,
but it made me think of something and it’s not something I want to bring up...”
 

He takes a deep breath, almost a sigh. “You’re referring to my mum.” I look at him
then. “Sure, I wish she could be here to see you, to meet you, to meet our baby and
to be a part of my life, but her passing is a reality I accepted a long time ago.
And when I accepted that reality I understood that she’d never be at my wedding.”
He takes another deep, long, shuddering breath. “It still hurts that she isn’t here,
but your father being here does not make me wish she were here any more.” He starts
to unbutton his shirt, and I watch as his dragon’s head appears. His hand rubs at
it. “She is always with me.” He points to the dragon’s eyes and the dermal studs there.
“You see, his eyes — those are made from earrings that she wore every day.”
 

He begins to button up his shirt, and I can’t stop the tears from sliding down my
cheeks. “God I love you,” I breathe.
 

“I once had a dragon tattooed on my body, missing its heart because I always thought
that my mum had taken it away from me when she left, but she put my heart in your
hands to make me whole once again.”

FORTY-SEVEN

******

Tristan

******

“Do I wish she were here? Absolutely,” I breathe, and Cami comes closer to me.
 

“She’s here with us, Tristan, never, ever doubt that.” She puts her arms on my shoulders.
“Everyone who is here with us, they are the people who matter. Today, and they matter
tomorrow, and next month or next year. Your mom is here in your heart.” She places
her hand on my chest over my heart. “And she is in here.” She places her hand on her
own heart. “I’m sorry if I made you sad, it was not my intention.”
 

I smile at her. “Cams, nothing on this day can make me sad. This is our day.” I lean
down and kiss her.
 

The photographer comes into the room, followed closely by Beau. “Hey now, no kissing,”
she says.
 

“But the photographer is here,” I say through clenched teeth for interrupting my kiss
with Cami.
 

“He wasn’t when you started.” I look at her and she sticks her tongue out at me. Cami
busts into a fit of giggles at our exchange and all the heaviness of our conversation
is washed away, just like that.
 

Cami and I are posed and photographed over and over again. As we head downstairs to
everyone else, Beau and the photographer leave ahead of us. I turn to Cami. “Do you
have any idea how much those pictures are now worth?”
 

She laughs. “Yes, I have an idea, but what makes them more expensive is the bump.
Nothing fires up the paparazzi more than a bump watch.” She smiles at me.
 

“How much longer can you wear baby dolls?”
 

She lets out a carefree laugh. “Not too much longer, it is going to come out.”
 

“Awards season is coming. Let’s try and hold off until then.”
 

“It’s time,” Naomi says, and she shoos me and the guys out of Blu and onto the beach.
The girls are dressed in short sundresses; they don’t match, but they are all similar
in design and color. We’d decided that no one was officially standing with us today,
but our friends are still part of our ceremony.
 

Out on the beach is a beautiful white lattice that is wrapped with tropical flowers.
There are only a few chairs in front of the altar set up. Seven to be exact. One for
each of our friends and Cami’s father.
 

I was so worried that she’d be angry with me for inviting Bobby, but it seems it was
a good choice and I’m happy I did it.
 

The four of us walk toward the altar, and standing there is a gentleman — I’m assuming
he is our minister — and I walk toward him to shake his hand and thank him for being
here. I turn back, and my best friends are sitting from right to left with a chair
in between them. Tyson, then Travis. Across the aisle are two empty chairs and then
Mick. I stand there for a few minutes, waiting impatiently.
 

The doors open up, and standing on the other side of them is Naomi; behind her is
Jo, then it goes dark. A guitar starts playing, light and soft. Naomi begins walking
toward me; then the most beautiful voice begins to sing.

Naomi comes forward, and just as the song registers, Jolene steps through the door.

It’s “I Won’t Give Up,” but Jason Mraz isn’t singing it.

Beau starts walking just as the chorus picks up.
 

I see Cami stepping into the doorway, her arm through her father’s.

She’s singing. I start crying.
 

She’s walking toward me.

She finishes the song and tears streak down my cheeks.

The girls are now standing in front of their chairs, turned toward Cami.

It’s just she and her father walking toward me in step to the music.
 

She and her father are standing right in front of me. Bobby has an awed look on his
face, and the song picks up in tempo.
 

She smiles at me as I wipe away a tear.
 

She wipes away her own tears before finishing out the song.

Bobby removes Cami’s hand from his arm. “You’re beautiful,” he says to her, and she
smiles at him. He kisses her cheek and places her hand in mine. I want to kiss her
so bad for her beautiful song, but I behave myself at least for a few minutes.
 

The sun is setting, and high clouds begin to dance with beautiful oranges, yellows
and reds. The backdrop is gorgeous and I’ve never wanted anything more than the woman
standing next to me in this beautiful and perfect setting.
 

I wait very impatiently for the best part of this service, but before that, we exchange
our rings, and the ring she’s given me is beautiful and simple: black gold surrounding
a wide platinum band. I slip her ring on her finger, and it’s platinum, to match her
engagement ring, and it locks under the heart that she’s already wearing.
 

“I now pronounce you husband and wife.”
 

That’s my cue and I grin. I pull her close to me, and I spin toward our small audience
and dip her. She squeals. “I love you.” And I kiss her, hot and needy, in front of
all our friends.

FORTY-EIGHT

We spend the rest of the evening with our friends inside of Blu; everyone is having
a great time. It is a surprise to see Jessie behind the bar, and it is good to see
him again.
 

We spend the evening dancing, including a dance with Cami and her father, and for
our dance, she serenades me with her own acoustic rendition of “When I Look at You.”
And I have to admit, she sings it far better than Miley Cyrus. Throughout the night
I notice that she seems happier than I’ve ever seen her, and I’m so happy he came
— for her if no one else.
 

Bobby is the first to leave.
 

“Take care of my girl,” he tells me as he takes my hand.
 

“I intend to.” He pulls me into a hug and I’m surprised by it.
 

“I’d always hoped you two would find each other. I knew from the moment I met you
that there was something special with you.”
 

“Thank you, sir.”

He pulls back and embraces Cami. “I should’ve never stifled that beautiful talent
you have. You’re beautiful and I am so honored to have been here today.”
 

“I’m glad you were here too. Thank you,” she whispers, and I can see that this is
a very emotional goodbye for her. She knows that she can see her father again, but
there is always that chance that she never will.
 

After Bobby leaves, I take Cami into the lobby of the hotel.

“Are you okay?”
 

She smiles through her tears. “I will be. I didn’t know that he’d attended my graduations,
and more importantly, I was angry that he was there and I didn’t know it. But today,
having him here makes up for all of that. Thank you, Tristan, for telling him. I know
you couldn’t make him come, and if he hadn’t shown up, I’m not sure I would’ve missed
him. But having him here means a lot to me.” She hugs me.
 

I use my hand to lift her chin. “Anything for my wife.” She smiles and blushes as
I use a new term. My heart fills with pride and joy, knowing that this woman is mine
forever.
 

It is nearly midnight before Cami and I escape to our penthouse suite. “How are you
feeling?” I ask her. I noticed a little while ago that she was a little restless.
 

“I feel amazing,” she says, and she comes toward me. “Now I want to feel even more
amazing.” She pushes me back on the bed, but she’s not satisfied to have me sitting
and she pushes me back. She hitches up the skirt of her dress and straddles me. She
brings her lips to mine, and her kiss has my head swimming. She smells amazing, like
the ocean and Cami. A scent I’ve come to love, especially when we’re here.
 

I feel her hands move along my chest, and the cool air of the room comes through as
she unbuttons my shirt. When she’s reached the last button, her lips come away from
mine and she begins kissing down my neck to my chest. Her tongue flicks across one
of my nipples and the small barbell running through it warms and cools quickly. She
kisses her way to the other and does the same thing.
 

Then she moves up my chest and kisses my dragon, and I can’t take it anymore. I begin
pulling up her dress and find no resistance – she’s been careful to pull it up so
she’s not kneeling on it — and I love that. The dress clears her body quickly, and
I am met with her beautifully full breasts. “No bra, Mrs. Michaels?” I tease — I knew
she wasn’t wearing one — and she smiles, then kisses me. I kiss her back, but I want
to enjoy the view a little longer so I push her back and up.
 

She is wearing the nipple rings I gave her. The diamonds are surrounding her nipples
and the rings are helping to keep her nipples hard, and I love it. Though the rings
are a little small, when my tongue grazes one she trembles, and I know they’re super
sensitive and I like it, and I’m glad she does too.
 

She arches her back so that her chest is thrust forward, and I take that as my cue
to continue. I take ahold of both of them and bring her to me, licking, kissing and
sucking. She moans, and my erection strains against my pants.

My hands come away from her breasts and slide along the soft skin of her body, and
she shivers and I can feel the goose bumps rise along her skin. My hands slide around
to her back, and I feel a very soft ribbon along her back and my finger traces the
line. “Something blue,” she breathes.
 

“Something borrowed?” I ask.
 

“The comb in my hair.”
 

“Something new?”
 

“My ring, my dress, my panties.” She smirks and kisses me.

Our dance of kisses and tongues continues until I can’t take it anymore and I need
her, so I roll her over onto her back, and now I am hovering over her, holding my
weight above her, and she arches her back, desperate to feel me against her. I look
down the line of her body, beautiful and glowing. Her bump is more pronounced, sexier
than anything I could’ve ever imagined, and I begin kissing my way down her body until
my tongue finds her warm, wet center, and she comes apart under my tongue.

I roll her over slightly and bend her leg so she can brace herself, and I begin kissing
along the curve of her hip, down along her back, until my mouth finds the end of one
of her ribbons and I pull. The ribbon comes undone, and I take it in my hand and gently
pull, watching as goose bumps form again as she feels the silky ribbon sliding along
her back. She moans, and my hands begin to glide along her body and I roll her back
over. She props herself up on her elbows. “You’re wearing too many clothes,” she breathes,
and I stand up, unbuttoning my pants and finally freeing my straining erection. I
lean over her and hook her white lacy panties in my hand, and she lifts her hip. I
slide them down her legs and add them to the growing pile of clothes on the floor.