Bonus Scene Harlow
SIX MONTHS LATER
My heels patter down the pavement as I tug my fiancé along, and he nearly steps on my feet. I huff out a breath, knowing this conversation isn't over.
Stone grabs hold of my elbow and stops my walk, and it causes my eyes to drag in his direction, but I still sulk.
"Come on, Harlow. You're supposed to believe in big romantic weddings." His grin and the persistence in his eyes nearly has me caving.
"Ugh, Stone. I'm positive this is the way we should do this.
I don't want a big wedding, and it's better if it's just you and me, exchanging our own words.
" I roll my eyes and land on the vision of the courthouse right in front me, only to have Stone pull me flush and nuzzle my cheek in that way that screams he will win me over.
"Harlow." Yep, the devil is seeping through his words but oh so very damn sexy. "A wedding with nobody else here? My niece would love to drop some flowers on the ground, and I know you want Flo to visit."
I wave a finger in front of him. "No. I want it to be just us.
We've talked about it, and you agreed. So here we are in wedding casual and ready to rock.” We give each other the once-over and both approve.
He's in dark jeans with a dark shirt, and I'm in a short lace dress that flares at the waist. My nails are olive green, of course. But this is all how I want it.
"Cake after?" he pleads.
Nibbling my bottom lip, I know I have to give a compromise, and to be honest, my sweet tooth is kicking in. "A milkshake like our first day together."
Stone loves that idea, I can tell by the way his cheeks rise and his eyes dip. "I like that."
He agreed to a quick wedding, and maybe I was being selfish in this request. It's just that I love sharing extremely special moments with only him. But I'm no fool, marriage is a balance, and I will give him something.
"Now, shall we go lock one another down or are we just going to stand here…" I pretend to be annoyed.
Stone sputters a laugh. "Come on, time to make you an honest woman."
I tsk him. "Says the man who attempted to break open the box from Piper's boutique without me noticing." I raise a brow while his mouth opens, but he struggles with his words. "Yeah… I figured that out."
It's white lingerie for the wedding night. We have to keep it traditional somewhere today.
When we're inside and waiting for our turn, we sit in a calming silence. The tips of our fingers dance with one another as I lean my head against his shoulder.
"You might have had a good idea," he whispers.
Quickly, I glance at him. "Why is that?"
"Without all the fuss, I can marry you faster. No need to entertain guests, we just thrust ourselves right into it and say what we legally need to."
I snort a laugh. "Thrust? Really? That's your word choice?"
"Such dirty thoughts, Wifey."
The man in front indicates that it's time. I stand and offer Stone my hand. "I’m not your wife yet."
It's a while later when we've said the necessities and have been declared husband and wife that we make our way to the Dizzy Duck Inn. Stone guides us toward the restaurant, only for me to tug on his wrist to follow me another way.
"What's going on? We have a reservation. The chef is preparing us a special five-course meal." He looks at me, perplexed.
Throwing him a sultry stare, I love this man and everything that is about to happen. "He can wait a few minutes. There is something we need to do first."
Stone raises his brows with intrigue. "Oh yeah?" He wraps his arms around me with heat in his voice.
I swat his arm while I smile. "Not that, although tonight will be special. But follow me. Your wife has plans, and you should always follow her lead." I’m being sarcastic.
"Alright, Mrs. Madden. Lead me away."
We hold hands as we walk, and by the time we reach the entrance to the spa and stand outside the door to the pool, Stone is officially confused.
Stopping, I ensure we focus on one another. I take a deep breath. "Stone, you once took me here and made me jump into a pool with my clothes on. We have our letters, and we have our kisses, so why not do something different for our wedding day. You surprised me then, so I'll surprise you now."
He licks his lips. "I'm all for this, whatever this is."
I swoop in and take his other hand in mine. "We were once here, and you told me to get rid of my negative energy. It was fun, crazy, and special. So here we are, but this time, it's to soak in the positives. Happy wedding day, Husband."
Grinning at him, I use my back to push the door open, and the moment the humid air hits us, he blinks a few times. This pool is beautiful, lit up like art and deserving of calm. It's not intended for kids or pool parties. It's a spa pool, but today, we're breaking the rules.
"Surprise!" everybody yells.
His brother, sister-in-law, Flo, Holden, and Holden’s girlfriend are all in the pool in their swimsuits, and Stone’s niece is fluttering her feet in her floaties. At the side table there is a cake and champagne.
Stone takes in the scene, and I'm quick to explain by whispering in his ear, "It's our wedding day. How could I not let you celebrate? A pool party seems different and romantic."
He kisses me, and it's with so much love and longing. That's just us. Always catching the other off guard but doing every little thing from pure promise of a future. I give up. It's true. We're hopeless romantics.
"This is… crazy, but thank you." He takes hold of my hand and squeezes extra tight to walk us to the edge of the pool, exchanging congratulations with everyone.
But then he throws me an awkward glare over his shoulder. "Uh, swimsuits?"
I chuckle. "We don't need them. You made me jump in fully clothed, remember?" Stone stands tall, assessing if I'm serious or not. I do my best to keep a straight face, but it’s a fail. I sputter out a laugh. "Relax, we have a bag so we can change."
"That's actually a shame. I wanted a reason to spank you tonight," he mumbles, but his brother clears his throat, having heard.
Now I just giggle. "That will happen anyway." I wink.
Stone tickles me, winding me closer to his body. "I love you."
"Likewise. Now let's get into our wedding-day swimwear, grab some champagne, and play Marco Polo or something like that."
We both lean in for a kiss, aware that the rest of our lives will be strong and amazing, no matter the highs or lows.
Stone is my rock, and I'm not quite sure why I haven't repeated that to make us laugh at the reference.
But I can't laugh… because it's true. Which is why I'm never letting go, and the ring on my finger promises he won't either.