Chapter 11 Taylor #4
“Mmm-hmm. That’s exactly why I’m saying it.” They all piled into Tariq’s car and made the thirty-minute drive.
Taylor spotted Austin in his uniform the moment she entered the building, and her heart skipped a beat. As if sensing her
presence, he turned. His gaze made a slow tour down her body and back up again, then he gave her a sexy smile.
Austin closed the distance between them, took her hands in his, but still didn’t say anything. He simply stared at her for
what seemed like minutes.
“Are you going to say something or just keep staring at me?” she asked with amusement.
He angled his head thoughtfully. “Not really sure what to say because I don’t think there are any words to describe how incredibly
beautiful you are, Tay.”
“Austin,” she whispered. Feeling her emotions surge once again, Taylor blinked back the tears threatening to fall. She’d promised
herself she wouldn’t cry throughout the ceremony, but at this rate, she wasn’t going to make it past the next ten seconds.
“Girl, you’re lucky I love you like a sister,” Melanie said in awe. “If a man ever looked at me that way . . .”
Taylor laughed and dabbed at the corners of her eyes. “Girl, you are such a nut.”
“Hey. I’m just sayin’.”
Still laughing, the group moved to the room where the ceremony would take place. After a few introductions and instructions,
Taylor and Austin took their places in front of the officiant. After they had repeated their vows, the minister gave the pronouncement.
“You may now kiss your bride.”
“I love you, Mrs. Bradley,” Austin said softly before lowering his head and kissing her with a slow finesse that nearly melted
Taylor to the floor.
“Yo, baby bro, save some for later,” Tariq said with a chuckle.
Except he didn’t stop, and she was here for all of it. Finally, Austin broke off the kiss. Taylor said, “Thank you for loving
me.”
“Always.”
The photographer whisked them off to take pictures in the courtyard and on the hillside overlooking the city. Of course, their
guests took some shots of their own. After enjoying a sparkling beverage toast and signing the official documents, they all
went back to Austin’s place and enjoyed the magnificent dinner Melanie had prepared. Her friend had outdone herself with the
lobster medallions in a rich cream sauce, red-skinned mashed potatoes, sautéed spinach with mushrooms, and her mom’s light-as-air
rolls. By the time the three guests packed up, it was almost eleven. They shared several rounds of hugs, and Taylor and Austin
walked them to the door.
“Thank you guys so much for being here,” Taylor said emotionally.
Melanie waved her off. “Girl, you know I wasn’t going to let my bestie get married without me.”
The guys laughed.
Kamryn handed Taylor a small gift bag as she and Tariq walked out. “Austin, you can thank me later,” she said with a wink.
To Taylor, she added, “Just returning the favor, my sister.”
Taylor burst out laughing. She had a good idea that the bag held some sexy scrap of lingerie, like she’d given to Kamryn.
Smiling, Austin slung his arm around Taylor’s shoulders. “Thanks, sis. I’m sure I’ll enjoy every second . . . no matter how
brief.”
“La-la-la-la,” Melanie said in singsong and covered her ears. “Hey, single person here with no boo, and y’all are making me jealous.”
“Girl, bye.” Taylor playfully shoved Mel.
“She hasn’t changed at all from high school,” Austin said as he closed the door and leaned against it with his arms folded
across his sculpted chest.
“At all, with her wild self.” She shook her head. “Sooo, now what?” For some reason, she felt uncharacteristically nervous
and chalked it up to the fact that she was now a married woman. They’d gone from friendship to dating, and now marriage. Maybe
it was the shift in their relationship or worries about whether the magic would fade. She took a deep breath and gave herself
a pep talk. Nothing is going to change. It’s me and Austin. We’re good.
He grinned, pushed away from the door, and swept her up in his arms. “Now we begin our wedding night. I want you to pack enough for the next three days,” he said, carrying her through the house to the bedroom. He set her on
her feet.
Taylor lifted a brow. “Where are we going?”
Austin’s smile widened. “Our honeymoon. Can you be ready in about thirty minutes?”
“I can be ready in fifteen.”
He laughed. “And don’t forget to bring that little bag in your hand.”
She waved it and wiggled her eyebrows. “I’m packing it first. This wedding night is going to be so good.”
“Baby, it’s gonna be better than good.”
Normally she’d ask for all the details, but this was her Austin, and she trusted him with her life. Taylor was down for whatever
he planned, as long as it meant they’d be together. But she wanted something else right now. Running her hand up his broad
chest, she gave him a sultry smile. “I was thinking we could start here, then go to the hotel.” When he didn’t respond immediately,
she added, “You know you wanna.”
Without a word, he swept her into his arms, strode through the house to his bedroom, and laid her on the bed. “Yeah, I wanna.”