10. Michael
We could have hada long engagement.
Most sane people probably would after getting engaged only a few days after hooking up.
But neither of us was sane, and we were definitely crazy in love.
I never thought about marriage, kids, or anything past rugby until I met Ava.
Now, I found myself scrolling real estate websites, looking for the perfect house not far from the stadium with a yard for our future dog.
She didn’t know about the wedding gift, but I also saw that her browser not only had wedding dresses but also local shelters, and she had a particular eye for the big, fluffy ones.
Planning a wedding is stressful for anyone, though, and planning a wedding in such a short time is even worse.
Luckily, Ava is the best at what she does and has lots of contacts in the area from years of working in PR.
That and since my sister had just gotten married, we had a lot of their contacts.
And even though they offered, there was no way in hell I wanted to get married on the porch at Liam’s penthouse like they did.
Instead, we booked a small outdoor garden near Trinity University, full of blooming flowers and white chairs lining the aisle, which would soon be filled with our friends from the stadium and my parents.
Liam would stand by my side as a groomsman, and Emily would be walking down the aisle in a blush-colored dress that framed her ever-growing baby bump.
I could have picked anyone as my groomsman, but even with all the craziness, there was no one I’d rather have by my side than Liam.
None of this would have been possible without him, from marrying my sister and forcing me out of the penthouse to encouraging me to go for it with Ava.
Now, he helped me adjust my tie in the little cabin reserved for wedding parties.
“Nervous?” he asked.
I laughed. “A little, but I know I’m doing the right thing.”
Liam smiled, tightening my tie. “You know, you’re the first person I’ve ever seen Ava with, and I’ve known her as long as she’s been with the team.”
I groaned. “I really don’t want to know about my future wife’s past love life.”
He shook his head, smiling as he stood back. “Not just love life, but people in general. Haven’t you noticed her parents aren’t here? Not even cousins.”
I let out a deep breath, glancing out the window at the garden. Ava didn’t talk much about her family. I knew she was an only child and grew up with a single mom outside of Dublin.
They were estranged as far as I could tell; her mom was an addict, and I was not even sure if she was around anymore.
The thought put a lump in my throat. “Fuck, am I an asshole for not asking about any of that? Seeing if she wanted to invite some more family and not just people from the stadium.”
Liam clasped my shoulder. “Buddy, I think we are her family. This marriage just makes it official.”
I looked out at the crowd. The guys from the team, with their hulking frames, spilled over the little white chairs. The women from the office were smiling and buzzing with excitement.
Even my parents were smiling from the front row, chatting with the minister.
“This really is our family, isn”t it?” I asked.
Liam laughed, giving my shoulder a squeeze. “It definitely is. Now let’s go make it official.”
Emily walked down the small aisle as the piano played a soft Irish tune that Ava picked out.
She may have been walking for my wedding, but her eyes stayed on Liam the entire time.
I hated to admit it, but seeing the way she looked at him made me think of Ava.
She really loved him.
And the way he looked at her?
Fuck, that was true love.
I hoped that’s how Ava and I looked at each other.
And I didn’t have to hope for long because as soon as Cannon in D started playing and I got the first glimpse of her in the long white dress, my heart leaped into my throat.
She was fucking beautiful.
The simple lace dress hugged her curves with just a hint of cleavage I couldn’t wait to see more of later. Her hair falling in waves over her bare shoulders.
But for now, I focused on that cherry-red smile, the one aimed at me.
The one that said more than our words could.
I was fucking in love with this woman.
And I was going to spend the rest of my life with her.
When she finally stopped in front of me and handed her flowers to Emily, I could finally mouth ‘wow.’
She laughed. “Not so bad yourself.”
“You look incredible, not that you usually don’t, I mean.”
She giggled, covering her mouth. “There’s no need to be nervous. You’re about to be my husband.”
“I am, aren’t I?” I said, clasping her hand.
The minister cleared his throat. “Well, if the future husband and wife are done flirting, we can get on with the ceremony.”
The crowd chuckled at that one, and I caught Ava’s red face.
“No need to be embarrassed; we’re about to get married,” I said, brushing a piece of her hair behind her ears and relishing in the shiver it caused.
I could barely focus on the minister’s words. Even though I knew they were filled with love and the usual things that people said at weddings, all I could focus on were my feelings for the woman in front of me.
My wife.
By the time he pronounced us husband and wife, I couldn’t wait to kiss her. Just feeling her lips on mine had me wanting more.
But we had a reception to attend that dragged the longer I had to look at her beautiful smile.
I had to wait until we were back at our place, but I descended when that door closed.
She dropped her bag and pushed her fingers into my hair, pulling me closer until our lips met. She tasted like cherries; I knew cherries would forever get me hard. When it came to her, it didn’t take much.
Our clothes started coming off right there by the door. First, it was my shirt, then that gorgeous dress, followed by her bra. Her breasts were only free a moment before I took them in my hands and ran my thumbs over her nipples.
My girl was so responsive, and I fucking loved it.
No. She wasn’t just my girl. She was my fucking wife.
Being as eager as I was, she fought with the button on my suit pants without breaking our kiss. It took her longer, but she managed to get it undone and pushed them past my waist before dropping to her knees.
When she took me in her mouth, I could’ve come right then. It felt so good. Too good. The whole situation. We were in our apartment. We were married. Finally.
I watched myself disappear into her mouth, but I couldn’t do it for long, or I’d lose it, and I desperately wanted to get inside her in a completely different way. When I was about to come, I pulled her back. She scurried back until her ass hit the table. I grabbed her hips and spun her around so that her back was to me. Then I lifted her leg onto the table and pushed so she was lying flat against the wood.
There, she was open for me, waiting for me to act. Her breathing became erratic in anticipation of what I was about to do.
It was our first time as husband and wife.
I fell to my knees and ran my tongue over her sensitive area, causing her to tighten and moan against the table. I nipped at her and thrust my fingers into her pussy. She arched her back enough that I could reach up and pull some of her hair into my fist. It wouldn’t hurt her, but the sting would bring her some extra pleasure. Based on the sounds coming from her, she was enjoying every single minute of it.
When she started to tighten around my fingers, I pulled them out and thrust my cock into her.
As I moved, I lightly trailed my fingers down her back, causing her to shiver.
“More,” she whispered, probably never thinking I’d hear her.
If my wife wanted more, I’d give her more.
I pulled out of her, then gently lifted her off the table as we fumbled together toward the bed. She was like Jell-O, and it made my chest swell because I’d done that to her.
Now, it was time to make love to her. Before, it was just about pleasure; this was about showing her how I really felt about her.
Once we were situated, I moved back inside her. This time, I surrounded her with my arms, caging her in so it was just her and me: husband and wife.
“I love you,” I whispered in her ear, then kissed down her neck.
She scraped her nails over my back but didn’t respond. I didn’t think it was because she didn’t love me, but more because she couldn’t speak. Her breath quickened and grew ragged. Until she came, there’d be no reply.
I was crushing her, so I pushed up onto my hands to hover over and kept thrusting until she came undone again. When she no longer contracted around me, I let myself go.
We lay there, trying to breathe normally again. Once I could move, I rolled off her and pulled her to my side. I pressed my lips to her temple and inhaled her scent.
“I love you too, husband,” she whispered.