Chapter 38
SLIP
On a cool mid-November evening, in front of forty friends and family members, I stood beside Flint, Cole, and Lewis in our black button-down shirts and yellow Versace suits. We looked like we were about to hit some after-party rather than my wedding, take two.
Getting hitched in Las Vegas had been for Maddy and me. This time was for family and friends. Everhide, Kara, and Lexi had flown in from New York. Maddy’s castmates had come from Vancouver. Relatives and buddies had driven across town.
A small ceremony, away from the public eye, was perfect.
But butterflies somersaulted through my belly. Maddy and I were already married, so why was I nervous? Was I desperate for a drink? Always, but no . Anxious in front of an audience? Nope. Was I just eager to get this over and done with? Hell, yes!
“You ready, man?” Flint, my best man, gave me a hug and slapped my chest. We may have had our ups and downs, but we’d known each other since we were nine. We’d stood by each other through every high and low. No amount of grief, depression, drugs, women, or alcohol could destroy our friendship. If anything, each blow made it stronger. Our partners were best friends. I would always be honored to share the stage, write, and play music with him. He was my brother from another mother. So were Cole and Lewis. These people are my family.
I didn’t have one best man for today . . . I had three.
“Absolutely.” I elbowed Flint in the ribs and chuckled. “I was nine months ago, but I’m ready to get married again.”
As I straightened my jacket, I scanned the gathering before me. Maddy and the girls had worked their magic with an event planner, turning my garden into a wedding paradise. Fairy lights were wrapped around every inch of the huge Balinese hut at the far end of the pool, and long strands twinkled across the yard from above. Guests sat in rows of chairs that were draped in white covers and yellow bows across the lawn. Bamboo lanterns and gas heaters flickered around the edge of the garden. Large flower arrangements of sunflowers, eucalyptus leaves, and blood-red roses sat on round tables, filling the air with their sweet scent.
With a nod from the event planner, music drifted through the outdoor speakers. Sutton, Tia, and Ava walked down the makeshift aisle in long, floaty black dresses, carrying small bouquets of sunflowers. Maddy followed behind them in the gorgeous, long, white glittery dress she’d worn at our wedding in Las Vegas.
I placed my hand over my chest to steady my pounding heart. She was the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen. And she was mine.
Maddy could’ve asked for the most outlandish, over-the-top wedding in some fancy venue, decked out with elaborate decorations and expensive flowers that would’ve been the talk of the town, and I would’ve given it to her. She could’ve spent thousands of dollars on a gown...but she didn’t want to. The only thing I’d splurged on were the diamond and pearl earrings she wore. They were symbolic of us. Pearls took time to nurture and grow—so would we. Diamonds formed under pressure; we’d survived a fuck load of that, and we were still here, getting stronger and stronger.
Oh...and I’d bought her a McLaren Spider. In yellow. Her favorite color. For use in Vancouver.
But this—a simple garden celebration, with those closest and dearest to us—was all we needed for our small family wedding.
Taking Maddy’s hands in mine, I faced her. Her big brown eyes met mine, and my chest swelled. How had I gotten so lucky?
After the officiant welcomed everyone and said his piece, it was time for our vows...for the second time around.
“Maddy, the moment I met you, I found my future. You were the one who put the fractured pieces of my heart and soul back together. You’re my rock who keeps me grounded, my light to help me shine, my love who owns my heart. Most of all, you have been my reason to get and stay better, and have been my strength through the roughest of times. Whatever challenges lie ahead, we’ll face them together. I promise to spend every day trying to be the man you deserve. I will always treat you right. Be honest. Be devoted and love you for the rest of my days.” My strumming heart beat just for her. “Forever.”
Tears glassed her eyes as she smiled a breathtaking smile. “Sebastian, from the moment I met you, something inside my heart altered. Your love and devotion to these guys standing beside you, and the way you put their health and happiness before your own, touched my soul. The way you supported them through difficult, life-changing times is a commendation to the caring, loyal, and good man you are. I didn’t think I’d ever find someone who’d love me like that. Didn’t think you’d ever love me that much. But you do. And here we are...again...still together. We’ve both grown and changed and learned to depend on one another. We got a little shaky around the ‘for better, for worse, and through sickness and in health’ parts, but our love pulled us through. We’re on this journey together and I can’t wait to see where it takes us. We’ll no doubt have more hurdles to conquer in the future, but I hope the worst of them are behind us. We are now stronger, more in love, and I’m excited to spend the rest of my days with you.”
‘ Ti amo ,’ I mouthed.
“I love you too.” Maddy’s smile was so big, I was sure she hurt her cheeks.
We said I do, exchanged rings again, and I kissed her to an uproar of cheers and claps.
Although we were already officially married, this made it better. We needed our friends and family for support. They were a huge part of our lives. Always would be...but fuck, I couldn’t wait to spend some time away from them.
Throughout the evening, we ate, we danced, we cut cake, and we laughed with everyone. The weirdest thing though...it was a dry wedding. I’d only been out of rehab for a month—I didn’t want to go backward after making so much progress. I wasn’t totally against drinking again someday in the future, but I wasn’t ready to touch a drop yet. The craving still burned hard and hot inside me. I needed to get that more under control before I put myself in front of any temptation. Still, just having Maddy by my side helped. Every day got better. Easier. Not having any booze around was for the best.
I was good.
Sober.
Clean.
I had been for sixty days, but who was counting? Me! Every. Fucking. One. Until today, I’d never known mocktails, alcohol-free beer, and champagne actually tasted really nice. But soda water with a slice of lime was my new go-to drink. Yeah! It looked like vodka, but it wasn’t. Cole kept checking my drink to make sure it wasn’t spiked... prick! But I loved him.
As the night lingered on, I pulled Maddy into my embrace. I brushed my lips against hers. “I have one more surprise for you.”
She pressed her palm against my cheek. “I don’t need anything else.”
“I know. But it’s a wedding. I’m a musician. So I had to write you a song.”
“You gonna play for me?”
“That okay?”
She ran her tongue ring seductively across her teeth and nodded. My dick twitched. If she kept doing that, she’d end up in trouble. She gave me a quick kiss. “I’d love to hear it.”
I tapped Sutton on the shoulder. “Can you keep my wife company for a few minutes?”
“Sure.” She curled her arm around Maddy’s elbow and threw me a wink. “Have fun.”
I nodded to Cole, Lewis, and Flint. They followed me over to the side of the garden, where we’d set up our acoustic guitars, a snare drum, and a couple of mics.
“Attention, everyone.” I adjusted the height of my mic. I was no frontman performer like Flint; nor did I possess phenomenal talent like the guys from Everhide. Lewis had an incredible voice. Cole wasn’t the greatest of singers, but I could hold my own. “What’s a wedding without a little live music, right?”
“Whoa. Yes!” Gemma, hollered and clapped from the back of the crowd.
“Okay.” I grinned against the mic. “A huge, heartfelt thank you to everyone here. Maddy and I have had another magical wedding. This one hasn’t been as wild as the first, but still, it’s been incredible and a night we’ll never forget.” Just like our Vegas nuptials. As I glanced across the guests, I strummed my strings, and adjusted a key. “I want to share a little something I wrote for my beautiful wife. As you know, we’ve been through a lot. But when you find the one, nothing can keep you apart. So Mads, this is for you.”
Cole tapped the edge of his snare three times with his sticks, then drummed out a steady beat. Lewis, Flint, and I joined in, playing our guitars in time with the slow, deep rhythm. I took a deep breath and sang:
Late summer nights,
Stolen moments.
Phone calls,
Long distances.
Flashing lights,
Secret glances.
Standing close,
Craving touches.
Behind closed doors we made promises,
Our love was born, forever united.
Then one bright night,
Underneath neon lights.
We danced high as the sky,
Everything felt so right.
Over champagne confessions,
I swore to the heavens.
I’d give you the stars,
If I could reach that far.
I’d give you the moon and the sky and the sea,
But here, down on one knee,
All I can give you is me.
All I can give you is me.
You said go slow. I said, fuck no,
We aimed high from the get-go .
We got knocked down, blow by blow,
But one thing they didn’t know,
I was yours, I couldn’t let you go.
Behind closed doors we made promises,
Our love was born, forever united.
Over champagne confessions,
I swore to the heavens.
I’d give you the stars,
If I could reach that far.
I’d give you the moon and the sky and the sea,
But here, down on one knee,
All I can give you is me.
All I can give you is me.
At the end of the song, everyone clapped and cheered. I don’t think there was a dry eye in the place. Even my dad dabbed his face with his handkerchief.
With a beautiful smile on her lips and tears glistening in her eyes, Maddy meandered over to me. I handed my guitar to Lewis and joined my wife. As the guys broke into playing their take on Shania Twain’s “You’re Still The One,” I stood in the center of the makeshift dance floor and danced with the love of my life. Mio bel girasole.
I brushed my thumb over the tip of her chin and tilted her face toward me. “Mads, you’ll always be my one.”
“Yeah.” She leaned in, kissed me with a little tongue, and flicked her stud against my teeth. “Together forever.”
Hmmm. “Absolutely. But you have to stop playing with that metal in your mouth. My dick is going stir crazy.”
She flicked one eyebrow skyward, and a saucy glint shimmered in her eyes. “Maybe we should kick everyone out so we can go to bed?”
“Done.” I raised my hands and clapped them above my head. “Everyone out. Party’s over. Thanks for coming. But fuck off. It’s our wedding night. And it’s time for us to consummate the marriage.”
Kyle and Hunter just laughed as they stepped in beside us. They jostled and ruffled my hair, ignoring my request.
“The night is still young.” Kyle held his arms wide. “It’s time to party.”
Maddy leaned in closer to me and whispered in my ear, “We could just sneak off, like old times.”
Oh, so tempting. But I shook my head slowly. “No more hiding. No more secrets. You got that?”
“Yeah. I do.”
Kyle, Hunter, Gemma, and Hayden insisted on playing a few songs for us. My mother rattled on about how happy she was we’d finally had a wedding, but still made it known she was disappointed that it wasn’t a huge family fanfare. Valerie, Bridget and Timothy, Maddy’s brother, wished us well. Our friends cracked dirty jokes as they said goodnight, and we finally bade farewell to the last guests just after midnight.
It had been an incredible evening. I took Maddy’s hand and drew her upstairs, and as we approached our bedroom, I twirled her around and into my arms. I still couldn’t put too much weight on my hip...so no lifting.
“We did it.” With my hands on her waist, I guided her into our bedroom, toward our bed. “Today was perfect.”
She draped her arms over my shoulders. “It was. Not as wild as our first wedding.”
“No. But at least we’ll remember this one.”
“I remember everything we did in Vegas. Don’t you?” She unbuttoned my shirt, leaned in, and pressed her lips against my chest. She blew softly against my skin, then flicked her pierced tongue over my nipple.
Right then, I didn’t even remember my own name. But our wedding night was something I’d always remember. Both wedding nights. The way she looked and smiled was tattooed onto my brain.
“I do.” I combed my fingers into her hair and met her gaze. Her gorgeous brown eyes stole my heart every time. “Promise me one more thing.”
“Name it.”
“Don’t leave me in the morning like you did in Vegas.” I fucking meant that. It would kill me if she did.
“I promise. I’m not going anywhere. We’re together. Forever.”
“Can I tie you to the bedhead, just to make sure?” It was a solid piece of timber, but I’d find a way.
“Yes.” She peeled my jacket off my shoulders, along with my shirt, and dropped them onto the floor.
“Maybe we just won’t go to sleep.” I caught her around the waist and drew her hips against mine. “You give me a constant hard-on.”
“Is there something you want me to do about that?” She ran her tongue ring slowly across her lips.
My dick strained within the confines of my suit pants. Hell yes! “Hmmm. Yes, I’d like to fuck and make love to you like there’s no tomorrow.”
“I’d like that. But first . . .”
She slipped her hand between us and rubbed my erection through my suit pants. With her eyes on me, she unbuckled my belt, lowered my zipper, and eased my boxer briefs and suit pants down my legs. I stepped out of my clothes and stood naked before her. As she trailed kisses over the center of my abs, my skin burned beneath each nip and flick of her tongue.
But then she stopped and took a step back. My God. She was so beautiful. With a mischievous glint in her eyes, she reached behind herself, lowered her zip, and eased the dress from her shoulders. The glittery white fabric slid to the floor, revealing her sexy silky white lingerie.
An unrecognizable growl emerged from deep within my throat. My hands quivered, eager to touch her. “Mads, you kill me.”
“I don’t want to do that.” She floated forward, kissed my lips with the softest of touches...but then she fell to her knees.
I hadn’t thought I could get any harder, but I was wrong.
I smoothed one hand over her hair. My whole body ached to have her, taste her, have her mouth on me.
As she kept her eyes locked onto mine, and raked her long fingernails across my stomach, her diamond and pearl earrings sparkled in the soft light. A small, devilish smile curled across her lips. “Want me to stop?”
“Mads, we haven’t even started.”
“Do you know how much I love you?”
“Yes. But maybe you need to show me...again. And again. And again.”
“Oh, I will. I hope you can keep up.”
She cupped my balls and my eyes fluttered shut. As she took me in her mouth, I moaned. My nuts cinched upward. Her warm, wet tongue sent shivers up my spine, across my skin and down into every toe. But when she circled the top of my dick and ran her tongue ring up the seam, my knees buckled. My breath shot from my lungs. “Yep. I’ve died and gone to heaven.”
The stud in my groove made me delirious. This was better than any drug-induced high. Heat charged through my veins as she took me deeper. Fast, then slow. Hard, then soft. As she bobbed her head, I pulsed into her mouth. Air hissed through my teeth. She focused on the tip again, working her hot tongue and stud up and down, around and around. All my blood rushed south, engorging my dick, throbbing and thudding and begging for release. I knotted my fingers into her hair. My cock slid in and out of her mouth, driving me closer and closer to the edge .
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck!
I was rendered useless. “Babe. I’m gonna come.”
Maddy wasn’t a swallower. She replaced her mouth with her hand and pumped me. Stoked me. Worked me.
YES!
As I spilled into her hand, my body convulsed and shuddered. My dick ached with delectable pulses and thuds that coursed through every vein. “Fuck, that’s good.”
“If I’d known how much you liked a stud, I would’ve gotten one months ago.” She didn’t need one, but if it made her more confident in herself, in us, who was I to complain? If she needed to blow me every day, I’d happily oblige. I loved that metal on my dick and nipples.
She grabbed my shirt off the floor to clean up, and I helped her to stand. As I drew her body flush with mine, I cupped her fine ass. Our hearts beat in sync. She wrapped her arms around me and played with my long hair. “I love you.”
“Good. Because I’m never letting you go. I love you, with everything I am.” I cradled the back of her head and crushed my lips against hers. With sensual touches and smooth strokes, I removed her sexy, skimpy lingerie and laid her down on our bed. I explored every inch of her body with my calloused fingertips and teasing tongue. I thanked the heavens every day she was here, that we were together. We may have been married for nine months, but our life together had started tonight.
Once I was hard again, I buried myself inside her. We’d broken each other, but our love had pulled us through, glued us back together, and now we were one. We’d brought about the changes we needed to make in our lives to be happy. Loving Maddy was the best thing I’d ever done. Locked in her embrace, and with our breaths entwined, I smiled against her lips. “We finally got it right, Mads.”
Her eyes glistened in the soft light. “We certainly did. ”
I was her addiction. She was certainly mine. She was better than any drug, any drink and any lover I’d had before. Our paths had finally aligned. For the first time in a long time, I was fucking happy.
Look out Canada . . . Here we come!