Thank You, Next (The Kathryn Freeman Romcom Collection #9)

Chapter 37

Endorphins buzzed through Molly as she tugged Ben’s hand, pulling him off the sofa.

‘You want to get married now?’

She nodded vigorously, excitement fizzing through her. ‘Yes.’

He looked adorably bemused. ‘You don’t want to wait and do it properly? You know, seats instead of crates? A real altar? No cameras?’

‘You’re really checking whether I want to get married to the man I love, on the world’s best dating show, surrounded by the people most important to me, in a unique setting you spent hours putting together?’ Her face felt like it was going to crack, her smile was so wide.

‘Okay then.’ He looked so handsome in that moment, and so happy, her knees started to buckle. ‘But first things first.’

Just as she thought she couldn’t get any weaker, he bent to kiss her.

It was gentle at first, his lips warm and caressing. But then his tongue dived between her parted mouth, and he let out a guttural noise as his hands settled on her hips, drawing her against him, deepening the connection.

Within seconds he had her pressed against the wall of the summerhouse with all the urgency of a man who wanted more than a kiss.

‘Please tell me we’ve got time to consummate this marriage before the vows,’ he said hoarsely.

‘Yes.’ She pushed herself more firmly against him, rubbing against his erection, making both of them groan.

He lifted her up, but just as her legs wound around his hips, there was a knock on the door. ‘Rachel here.’

Molly felt Ben’s body go rigid and then his chest rise and fall as he heaved out a sigh.

‘Everyone else is too scared to come and check on you,’ Rachel continued through the woodwork. ‘But I figured the fact you’re both still in there together is a good sign.’

Ben’s eyes blinked shut and he rested his forehead against hers, his breath hot and heavy. ‘Get lost,’ he mumbled to his sister.

‘I’ve got a TV show to film,’ Rachel shouted back. ‘So not happening.’

‘Fuck.’

The clear frustration in his voice, in the hips that were still giving slow pumps against her core … the whole ridiculousness of the situation, that this was happening in the middle of her wedding, with TV cameras waiting for them to come out of the summer house they’d already had one other X-rated encounter in. It was too much for Molly. She burst into giggles.

Ben’s eyes snapped open. ‘You think this is funny?’

‘Umm, sort of?’ She wriggled, giggling again when she heard his frustrated huff. ‘I think the consummation will have to be done the traditional way. After the wedding.’

‘I think I hate my sister,’ he muttered darkly, thrusting his hips once more before exhaling a deep sigh and slowly lowering her to her feet.

‘Err, hello? Is anyone going to tell me what’s going on?’ Rachel again.

Molly gave Ben a big, sloppy but very quick, kiss. ‘I’ll go and tell her the happy news. You … err …’ She glanced down at the huge bulge between his legs and felt another ripple of giddy arousal. ‘Is it bad that I want to lick my lips?’

‘Jesus.’ He dragged a hand through his hair and turned sharply away from her. ‘I’m seconds away from telling my sister to fuck off and pinning you against the wall again.’ She watched his shoulders rise and fall. ‘Go. I’ll be out in a minute.’

‘Okay.’ Her heart doing a happy dance, she flung her arms around him from behind. ‘I heard it helps to recite the alphabet backwards.’

He grunted. ‘Knowing I’m about to get married in front of TV cameras should do the trick.’

He was a private man, who’d never wanted to get married again, yet he was about to marry her very publicly because, she suspected, he knew that was what she wanted. Feeling a fresh wave of love for him, she kissed his broad back. ‘Thank you.’

He twisted his head round. ‘For?’

‘Stepping out of your comfort zone, for me.’

His face softened. ‘I’d do anything for you. Haven’t you realised that yet?’

It was too much. Now he’d learnt how to use his words, he was too much. Tears began to spill down her cheeks.

‘Can one of you please come out and tell me what the hell is going on?’ Rachel again, a hint of desperation to her voice now.

‘See you at the altar?’

Ben smiled. ‘See you by the stepladders.’

When she stepped outside, Rachel gave her a long, careful study. ‘How are you doing?’

‘I’m good.’ She twisted her hands, feeling that rush of excitement again. ‘I’m better than good. I’m about to get married.’

Rachel’s eyebrows shot up. ‘Today? Now?’

Molly grinned. ‘Can we have a Take 2?’

‘You can have as many takes as you like.’ Rachel put a hand to her mouth, eyes brimming with joy. ‘Oh my God, I don’t believe it. This is so exciting. I’m so happy for you, for me. For Ben.’ She wrapped her arms around Molly in a giant hug, then stepped back, laughing. ‘You know I’m talking as Ben’s sister now, right? I mean obviously this is great for the show, but you’re getting married. To Ben. You’ll be my sister-in-law.’ She closed her eyes briefly, drawing in a deep breath. When she opened them again, she gave Molly the most spectacular smile. ‘You are exactly who he needs. I’m just really amazed he had the sense to see that.’

‘Hey.’ Ben came out of the summer house and gave his sister a mild look. ‘Haven’t you got a wedding to film?’

Rachel rushed to hug her brother. ‘I’m a guest at this one, remember. But we’d better get back to everyone before they send out a search party. Why did it take you so long to come out of there, anyway?’

Ben slammed his eyes shut and let out a long-suffering sigh.

Molly burst out laughing.

* * *

‘Do you take Molly Harris to be your wife, to live together in matrimony, to love her, to honour her, to comfort her, and to keep her in sickness and in health, forsaking all others, for as long as you both shall live?’

In the end, they were the easiest words he’d ever had to say. ‘I do.’

Their small congregation whooped and cheered, and Molly’s smile almost blinded him. As the registrar continued the service, as rings were exchanged, the final pronouncement that they were man and wife made, Ben wasn’t even aware of the cameras filming them. All he knew, all he cared about, was that Molly’s eyes were overflowing with happiness.

‘You may kiss the bride.’

Molly bit into her lip, eyes dancing. ‘I think you already did that in the summerhouse,’ she whispered.

He gave her a tender look. ‘I think I’m never going to turn down an excuse to kiss you.’

As her eyes softened, he did just that, though this time he kept it PG rated.

More cheers sounded in his ears while he kissed her, and when he raised his head, he found they were being showered in … something.

‘Oh wow.’ Molly picked a few petals off his jacket. ‘Dried rose petals for confetti. You thought of everything.’

The devil on his shoulder said keep quiet, take the credit, she might repay you big time tonight. His conscience told him starting married life off on a lie was a huge no-no. ‘I was the stepladders, the crates, the rugs. Basically, the junk. Rachel was the flowers, the drapes, the confetti. Basically, everything that says romance.’

‘But you set the theme.’ She planted a light kiss on his lips. ‘And you married me.’

‘No.’ He tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. ‘We married each other.’

He was about to dive in for another kiss, when he felt a tap on his shoulder.

Jack and Sam stood there, grinning like fools. ‘Hate to break up the party, but don’t we get to kiss the bride too?’

‘What rule is that under?’

‘Best mate rules.’ While Molly laughed, Jack wrapped her in a big bear hug. ‘I can see why he married you today. Bet he figured if he waited and you met me, he’d have no chance.’

‘Hey,’ Sam interjected. ‘She might prefer me.’

‘Jesus.’ Ben watched as his wife – his frigging wife – was wrapped in another monster hug. ‘That’s enough.’

Sam chuckled and let Molly down. ‘Just saying hi to your brave lady wife.’

That seemed to set the flood gates opening and everyone wanted to come and shake his hand, or hug Molly, or in the case of Molly’s friends, hug him. There was laughter and ribbing, especially about the length of time it had taken them to come out of the summer house. Then they all wandered leisurely back to the patio where they drank champagne and cut into the cake – as man and wife.

Molly’s dad raised his glass and gave them a sweet toast, welcoming him to the family, which made Molly’s eyes glisten and him choke up.

As he watched her envelop her parents in a hug, then laugh with Rachel as if they’d known each other all their lives, he thought how stupid he’d been to be so afraid of something that now felt so right.

‘Oh my gosh, our first marriage of the day.’ Natalie – who looked a bit like a wedding cake herself in a lacy, tiered pale pink frothy number – dashed towards him, drowning him in chiffon as she reached up to hug him. Then she moved off to find Molly, dragging her back over and pointing to the camera crew. ‘Mr and Mrs Knight, this is so exciting. You need to come and tell us all about it.’

This was why he’d rather have married her after the show, he though wryly. ‘Not happening, Natalie.’

She pouted. ‘Come on, think of all the viewers who’ve been on the edge of their seats this whole series, wondering if you’ll ever be smart enough to marry Molly. They want to know what made you decide to say I do.’

Before he could tell her that the only person who needed to know that was Molly, he felt his wife’s arm – yes, it was no less astonishing the second time he said it – slip through his. She smiled up at him and gave his bicep a reassuring squeeze. ‘Natalie, can I just have a minute with my husband?’

His belly gave a long, slow flip as the last word settled over him. And then his system went into overdrive as she shifted to smooth her hands possessively down his tie, her eyes shimmering with something that made his heart race. ‘Rachel said they’re going to ferry us all to a fancy restaurant so we can have a proper wedding meal with our friends and family.’ Her hands pressed against his chest, and his groin tightened. ‘I told her that would be amazing, but first we’d both like to change.’ Slowly, very slowly, she licked her lips. ‘She said that was fine, she’d keep our guests entertained while we … changed.’

‘Does this changing involve getting naked.’ His voice dropped an octave. ‘At the same time, in the same place.’

She nodded, expression all serious, except for the wicked glint in her eye. ‘As we’re husband and wife now, I think that would be … appropriate.’

He grabbed her wrist. ‘Then what are we waiting for?’

She glanced over at Natalie. ‘We just need to do this one quick interview first.’

‘You’re using sex to blackmail me into talking to the cameras?’ he asked, part aghast, part twistedly impressed.

‘I might be, or actually Rachel might be because she had this kind of evil look in her eyes when she offered to look after my parents while I showered and change after I’d been to the heart-to-camera room. And she definitely emphasised the word after.’ As his face paled at the thought of his sister being this devious, Molly grinned. ‘Anyway, it’s not important. All that matters is, if we do this really small thing, we then get to have honeymoon sex.’ She slapped a hand over her mouth. ‘Oh my God, I totally forgot, the couples who get married win an all-expenses paid honeymoon in Hawaii. We’re going to Hawaii.’

He could look forward to that, later. For now he was far more focussed on the honeymoon sex remark. ‘Five minutes,’ he said, turning to Natalie. ‘Five minutes and then we’re done with the cameras.’

Natalie beamed. ‘Five minutes.’

And that’s how he found himself, on his wedding day, talking to a camera, and through it, to apparently millions of people who had become addicted to the love story between him and Molly.

‘When did you decide you were going to say I do?’ Natalie asked him.

He glanced at Molly, who grinned back at him. ‘I decided I wanted to spend the rest of my life with Molly several days ago. I just hadn’t planned on getting married, until today.’

Molly rolled her eyes, which of course Natalie picked up on. ‘You look like you don’t believe him, Molly.’

Without waiting for her reply, he shrugged off his jacket and started to tug his shirt out of his trousers.

As Molly’s eyes widened, Natalie began to fan herself. ‘I’m not complaining, but what are you doing, Ben?’

He lifted the shirt and showed Molly the tattoo he’d snuck out to have done yesterday. The one of her initials, on the other side of his chest to those of Helena’s. He’d had to pay over the odds for it because the artist had recognised him from the show – unbelievable – so he’d felt compelled to tip heavily to make sure he kept quiet until after the show had aired.

Her eyes welled and she gave him a wobbly smile. ‘You did that, even after I made you have a facial and his-and-her massages?’

‘Yeah, because that’s when I knew for certain you were it for me.’ He gave her an adoring smile. ‘Nobody else would have got me in that place.’

In a flash she leapt into his arms and began kissing him. Dimly he was aware of Natalie clearing her throat. Of her muttering something about them clearly starting their honeymoon early. Of bodies shuffling out.

Then he heard a click as the door closed behind them.

Slowly Molly raised her head and grinned. ‘Thought that was quickest way to end the interview.’

‘I love your thinking.’ He brushed back her hair, smiled deeply into her eyes. ‘I love you, my wife.’

‘And I love you, too, my husband.’