Page 48 of A Game-Changing Christmas

Chapter Thirteen

Hyatt Regency McCormick Place

Christmas Day

Bri St. James scurried through the double doors of the Regency Ballroom in a rush to take a keen eye over the venue once more before taking her spot behind Allison at the altar. Wrapped in a red and white sequined dress that hugged her waist and flared over her hips, Bri sashayed with tenacity in five-inch glass heels, mentally checking the ballroom for perfection.

She’d done it again: put together the wedding of the century with less than thirty days to do it. Usually, Bri wouldn’t accept an offer to be the wedding planner under such a tight schedule, except for the diabetes fundraiser she’d put together on a dime. But that was for her girl, and best friend of sixteen years and counting. So was this. Of course she would take the responsibility on. In fact, Bri couldn’t have been happier for Allison.

The red and white décor solidified the Christmas cheer of the holidays, and the silk drapery of the venue added an extra layer of elegance to the ornamentation.

Nodding silently with a smile on her face, Bri twirled on her heels and headed back to the main hall where the wedding party waited for the ceremony to begin. She strolled from the side and stepped in the maid of honor position in front of the bridesmaids.

Everyone who was anyone was in attendance. The Rose family, including father Christopher Lee Rose and his wife Norma Rose. Triplets Phoebe, Eden, and Jasmine Alexandria Rose were in the crowd coupled next to their husbands, fiancés, and friends along with the Rose men. As a show of their combined efforts and to kick off their partnership, Lance had invited the entire clan, urging them with sincerity to attend. Camera crews lingered outside. No one had seen the Rose’s and the Valentine’s in a ceremonial event like this, ever. The opportunity to bombard the family and get questions answered lied on the shoulders of the paparazzi. And they would not disappoint.

Inside, Octavia sat next to Jonathon, her arm linked with his and a soft smile on her cocoa brown face. She was relieved that Jonathon and Lance made up. Seeing her husband so frustrated had saddened her, so when Allison called urgently one morning, the two had spoken quickly and conspired to bring the men together by pretending to run into each other at the mall. At first, it felt like a good idea, but after Lance and Jonathon’s heated exchange, Octavia didn’t know how to feel. Now, she knew, it was worth the collusion.

The one most thankful was Allison Sullivan.

Standing behind the double doors with a white veil covering her head and face, Allison waited for the introductory music to play. When it did, she took a deep breath and thanked the Lord above for everything she’d been blessed with, asking Him to cover her husband and their marriage with His protection and guidance.

As she spoke to God with her head bowed, the doors in front of her opened, and everyone standing turned to get their first look at the bride.

“In Jesus’ name, Amen,” she finished, lifting her head to get her first look at the main hall.

In an all-white diamond studded sequin gown that swathed her curves to the arch in her derriere and flared at the knees, Allison took a deep breath. A smile filled her face, and with her arm linked with her father’s and a bouquet of white lilies resting in the other, they took their first steps into the great hall. Royal red carpet led a path past tall glass floor vases with white sheer fabric that wrapped around the vases’ necks into an elegant design she’d never seen before. As her eyes settled around the place, she internally oohed and aahed at the Christmas design, noting the décor of the trees and the scattered mistletoes about. She’d even gotten a chance to nod and smile at the Royals of Kéra Asnela. They were seated to the left of the Roses in their royal robes and tribal gowns that looked as if they cost a fortune to acquire. On the right, her family, mixed with new in-laws that she looked forward to getting to know.

But the thing that captured Allison’s eye the most was the man decked out in a Brioni custom tailored white suit, with a red pocket square perched out of his jacket. The magnificent way his shoulders filled the material and cut around each edge of his physique made Allison’s body heat up like a furnace.

He called her beauty, but to Allison, Lance was thee most beautiful man she’d ever laid eyes on, ever. It was amazing how she felt a fresh wave of zing whenever they were together. She would never tire of it, and that was a promise. As Allison watched Lance observe her make her way to him, Allison’s heart fluttered and warmed in significant reassurance.

This was her soul mate. One would think her cliché when using such a word, but the reality was, there was no other way to describe the love that flooded her soul for him. It was undeniably an eternal connection.

Without taking her eyes off Lance, Allison’s peripheral scoped the bridesmaids, all matching in red and white gowns. The groomsmen coordinated with them, and Allison couldn’t help but take note that Raphael Valentine was lined with his brothers. For just a moment, she wondered about the nature of his heart, but it was fleeting as she hoped and had even prayed that maybe her friend Bri St. James could help him heal.

True, that might have been asking a lot, but she could always be hopeful.

Reaching the altar, Lance stepped forward and received Allison’s hand in his, officially taking her off her father’s responsibility.

“Remember your promise,” Mr. Sullivan said, referencing the talk he and Lance had weeks before the wedding at Mr. Sullivan’s home.

Lance nodded. “I’ll never forget it,” he said.

Mr. Sullivan nodded and released Allison into his arms and unable to wait, Lance pulled her into his embrace, hugging her body like it had been too long since he’d last touched her.

“I love you, beauty.”

Allison’s cheeks stung as they stretched in a rise up her face.

“I love you, too.”

Lance removed her veil and instinctively leaned to her mouth for a kiss when the pastor cleared his throat, and the sound transcended through his mic grabbing the room’s full attention. Lance arched a brow over at the bishop.

“Son, I think you’re supposed to wait until after the vows for the kiss,” he said.

The room lit up with laughter and so did Allison’s smile. She then blushed, and as Lance’s gaze found hers once more, he wiggled a devilish brow at her.

“I do,” he said, capturing her mouth as Allison squealed and opened up to him, allowing Lance’s tongue to explore the heat of her cove and wetness of her tongue.

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