Page 79 of The Restoration Program
“I’m just bracing myself to be shown up by yours,” Ryan said. Then he sobered and cleared his throat. “Nicole, I… I’ve been waiting for this moment since we met. There are no words to describe my devotion to you or how you make me feel.”
The church faded into stardust around them as he spoke. His voice was the only beacon she needed. Ryan rubbed the back of her hands with his thumbs, eyes drifting her up and down in awe.
“You are the best parts of me. I promise to provide for you, protect you, to love you, as long as we both shall live.” It sounded like that was supposed to be the end, but he went on, raw and unrehearsed. Tears filled his eyes. “After the accident, I thought I lost my chance to do any of those things for you. B-but you’re here. No matter what body you’re in, no matter what size, you’rehere. All of you. And I will always find my way back to you.”
Nicole stole her hands back only to wipe her eyes. She stepped closer to him, not minding how she had to crane her neck today. She wished she could hold onto this feeling of lightness forever.
She steadied herself with a deep breath. “I take you as my husband and my best friend. I promise to be your partner in crime… and to take the heat if we get caught.” Ryan snickered gently at this. She grinned. She had been so nervous, but the words came effortlessly now. “I promise to make your dreams mine, to support you always. I can’t wait to fall in love with you all over again each day, Ry… Starting today.”
They stayed in that beautiful void of silence and stardust until the pastor gave his final blessing.
“May God bless this union abundantly in joy, love, and happiness. You may seal your promise with a kiss.” The old man stepped back and gave a little bow of his head, looking uncannily genuine as he added, “Congratulations, the both of you.”
Ryan swept her off her feet into a kiss so tender it made planets and stars dance behind her eyes.
Once they returned to the less-sanctified ground of Ryan’s Toyota, their touches quickly caught ablaze. It was scarcely four in the afternoon, but Nicole couldn’t help but catch the bug ofI’d really love to fuck my hot new husband in broad daylight.
She sat on the steering wheel while Ryan kissed and squeezed her through her gown and she peppered his jaw with what had to be the world’s tiniest hickeys. Ryan moved progressively lower, eliciting mewls out of her she hadn’t made in a long time. When he pulled away to let her catch her breath, however, it was obvious that the fabric of her wedding dress had its way with him.
Nicole stifled a hard laugh behind one hand. “Oh, Ry, your face…”
“Huh?”
She swiped some of the pearlescent glitter off his cheek and wiggled her fingers so he could see. “I thought the bride was supposed to be glowing.”
Ryan smirked, sighing out through his nose as he drank her in. “You look so pretty, but I can’t wait to get you out of that thing—Mrs. Northe.”
Nicole giggled, leaning out to grab hold of his tie. She gave the dark fabric a sensual stroke. “I was gonna say the same to you, tiger.”
“Don’t leave me waiting.”
“Well… if we can keep it together for just a few hours, why don’t we have our own little reception?” she asked, letting her voice linger in that husky decibel that drove him wild. “Champagne, cake… and no clothing in sight.”
“Actually, I have a little surprise,” Ryan said, finally prying his lips from her neck. “Hear me out. I know you’re on the fence, but I snagged a reservation atOcho.You know, that place with the hundred chandeliers you’ve been dying to go to? It wasn’t easy, but I explained our situation to the chef, and he made some magic happen.”
Her smile faltered, and she could already see the resulting disappointment on his face. She considered going through with it for him, but the anxiety that bloomed in her gut was too constricting. In her mind’s eye, she saw Ryan holding her in cupped hands while the crème of the city shook their heads and every reporter in the city raced to be the first to capture photographs.
“Thank you so much. You are so ridiculously romantic, but I don’t think I’m ready for that, Ry,” she said. “And you know we’ll be swarmed by reporters within ten minutes.”
“Come on, babe, let me show you off. Please?” He stroked her dress, one fingertip trailing up her calf. “It’s been so long since we’ve really tried to be in public together. Anyone staring today is just gonna be jealous of me. I mean,lookat you.” He pressed another kiss to her lips. “I’m one lucky bastard.”
She grinned, shaking her head apologetically.
He sighed. “No way I can change your mind?”
She brushed his cheek. “I want tonight to be forus. I want to remember the two of us without a media frenzy ruining it.”
“No one could ruin this day for me even if they tried.” Ryan pursed his lips. “Let me make a call. We’ll get takeout instead. We’ll just walk in so you can see the pretentious decorations for a minute, how’s that?”
She shoved him playfully. “It’s urban art nouveau, Ry! Do you know how rare that is?”
“Only ‘cos you told me a dozen times.”
He swept her from the steering wheel and cuddled her close with kisses while she laughed.
Rather than having her strap into the modified car seat, he held her against him while he drove downtown. She didn’t mind at all. Her head still buzzed from their vows, the look of love in his eyes. She didn’t want a single inch of space between them if she could help it.
Battling traffic took ages, but the trip still didn’t feel long enough. As Ryan parallel parked, Nicole’s insides squirmed with nerves. Ryan would have to get down to pick up their order, and there was no way she was waiting in the car by herself—not with pedestrians filing right past her.
