Page 17 of Infinite Love Novella

“Who needs a bikini?” She flashed an impish grin before barely escaping my greedy hands when I tried to grab her. “Don’t get started now,” she warned, jumping to her feet. “We really do need to get back downstairs.”

Already, it sounded like the storm had begun to slow down. The pounding rain had softened, and any thunder was faint, distant.

Slowly, maybe even a little regretfully, I pieced myself back together before helping Olivia into her cream silk reception dress. Like the gown for the ceremony, it was simple but stunning. The bias-cut fabric hugged her curves, and its halter top displayed her perfectly sculpted shoulders. It was cut low in the back, almost down to her tailbone. “I can’t guarantee I won’t need a quickie later with you looking like this,” I warned, letting my lips linger on her shoulder when she turned to check out her reflection in the full-length mirror.

“I can’t guarantee I won’t want one, with you looking hot as sin.” Our eyes met in the mirror, and she chuckled. “Though really, this silk is not forgiving enough for that. I’d walk around all wrinkled, and everybody would know why.”

“How about a quick blow job?” I countered. I wasn’t completely serious, which meant I could enjoy her throaty laughter.

“Is that what marriage means to you? Sex on demand?” She pouted her full lips after touching up her gloss and pretended to be insulted, but I knew better.

“Don’t act like you’re offended.” Sliding my hands over her hips, I murmured, “Last I checked, you were just as much in a hurry to take my clothes off.”

She lifted a shoulder. “Like I said, marriage is an aphrodisiac.”

I would have my hands full with her, but I always knew that. It was a challenge I took on gladly. After she fixed her hair, which had gotten a little wet and then a little mussed from our activities, we stood face-to-face. I saw my entire world in her eyes. “Are you ready to head back down and party?” I asked, taking her hands and kissing them. The new diamond band was a nice addition. I looked forward to seeing it every day. “After everything it took to get us to this point, I think the least we’re owed is a great party.”

With that, we stepped out of the room, ready to start the rest of our lives together.

10

MAGNUS

“Is everything all right?” I asked Evelyn when she joined me after checking on Valentina and Aria. Once the worst of the wind and rain had passed, we were ushered to the main tent, and now guests mingled and chatted, waiting for the bride and groom to reappear.

“They’re happy as clams,” she confirmed. “Jess has them eating dinner with Colton, Noah, and the other nannies.” If there was such a thing as angels, Jess was one of them. We could have never gotten by without her organization and energy.

“And how are you?” I asked before placing a lingering kiss on my wife’s upturned mouth, only stopping when a telltale twitching in my pants told me I wouldn’t be able to get away for much longer without an embarrassing public hard-on. There was something about her that made me lose control of myself.

She offered a secret, knowing grin once I let her up for air. “Better now,” she purred, chuckling softly. “Something has you in a very good mood.”

“I’m sure it has nothing to do with you looking like living, breathing sex in that dress.” I leaned down, nipping her earlobe with my teeth before whispering, “I can’t wait to get you out of it later. What do you say we make an early exit?”

Her groan told me she was genuinely entertaining the idea but saw it wouldn’t work. “You know how it is. If the bride or groom needs something…”

“I know.” I didn’t have to like it, but I knew. We had a job to do, even with countless staff members and two frantic wedding planners running around. We all had our jobs lined up tonight. My job was to make sure Ari’s grandmother was taken care of, was feeling well, and to help her up to the room where she would spend the night if she were too tired.

After kissing my wife again, I decided to check on Farrah. As it turned out, I didn’t need to. She was holding court with countless guests, telling stories of some of the clients she had dressed over the years. “I don’t want to name names,” she insisted, and somehow her voice rose over the giggles and questions coming from all directions. “I can’t risk a lawsuit at my advanced age.”

I managed to get close enough to lean down. “Can I get you anything?” I asked. “Something to eat? A drink?”

Although it wasn’t technically time to begin dancing, the band had begun to play to keep the mood festive. I vaguely recognized the old song and the sound of it made her eyes light up. “How about a dance? It’s been a long time since I’ve had the pleasure of cutting a rug with a handsome young man.” I knew better than to refuse, and something told me she wouldn’t care much that it wasn’t time for dancing yet. When you were Farrah Goldsmith, you didn’t need to rely on ceremony.

I led her across the floor laid especially for the event and stopped close to the bandstand, so we would stay out of the way of staff crisscrossing the space carrying trays of hors d’oeuvres and drinks. “Thank you,” Farrah murmured once we were far away from the crowd. “You gave me the perfect getaway.”

“You mean you don’t really want to dance with me?” I frowned and stuck out my bottom lip. “I’m disappointed.”

“You are too handsome and charming for your own good, but that’s true of all you boys. And I suppose we ought to dance if only to keep up appearances.” I was chuckling as I drew her closer, one hand at her waist while she closed her fingers around the other. We swayed slowly to the music while I made it a point to support her in case she felt weak. She put on a good show of being vital, but I knew what it was like to put on a show for the rest of the world.

Until I met Evelyn and figured out she was the only woman for me, I had done my share of pretending too.

“I have to say, it warms my heart to see all of you settling down with such wonderful girls.” Her eyes might have faded with age, but they were still sharp when she looked up at me. “All of you did entirely too much running around. Naughty boys.”

“We were young,” I reminded her. “Nobody can say we didn’t live.”

“No, that much is true. Now it’s time to settle down and build something real. I never doubted Aristotle had what it took to run the company, but he only started showing good sense when he recognized what a wonder Olivia is. I could finally rest easy when I knew he had found his partner… someone who would encourage him to be his very best. It seems like your Evelyn has done the same for you,” she observed.

We looked across the room to where Evelyn sipped champagne while chatting with Lourde. Whatever Lourde said made Evelyn throw her head back and laugh, and I couldn’t help chuckling at the sight and sound. She was the textbook definition of someone who had come out of her shell, and I was so grateful she had. Not only for my sake, but for the rest of the world. She had so much talent, intelligence, and empathy to offer. Some people were hardened by their struggles, but Evelyn chose to use her experience to help others find the kind of fulfillment she’d found. It was a self-perpetuating loop since every person she helped left her more confident and determined to find others in need.

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