Author’s Note: No long note on this one, I’m just going to let you read. 😉 This takes place after my previous stories Waiting and Acceptance.
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Emma leaned against the railing of her balcony, looking out over the palace gardens as the sun was beginning to rise over the horizon. She took another sip of her dark roast coffee, inhaling the deep aroma and enjoying the light breeze caressing her cheeks. She had woken early today, long before her alarm was scheduled to go off. The anticipation of her wedding day buzzed through every vein in her body and sleep was the farthest thing from her mind. Today is the first day of the rest of our lives together, she thought contentedly. We’ve waited so long to get here . . . and I can’t wait to promise myself to him forever and have him promise the same. She smiled to herself as she contemplated the upcoming events of the day.
After a few more moments of silence, Emma drained the remains of her coffee and turned to go back inside to begin getting ready for the day. Maybe no one else was awake yet, but she had work to do. And she couldn’t wait to see the look on Drake’s face when he discovered the surprise she had in store for him.
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Sunlight peeked through the curtain and across the bed to Drake’s resting body. His eyelids fluttered and he groaned at the bright light targeting his corneas and awakening him from his peaceful slumber. He pulled a pillow over his face and draped an arm across it, trying to lull himself back to sleep. He heard birds chirping outside his window, softly serenading him back to sleep . . .
Emma. The wedding. He pulled the pillow from his face as he sat up in bed at the realization that . . . today was his wedding day. He shook his head and rubbed his eyes to remove any remnants of sleep left behind. As he turned his gaze out the window at the gorgeous day waking up outside, the usually surly man could not find any reason to complain.
After Drake had showered, shaved and dressed in jeans and quarter-sleeve henley, he meandered down to the gentlemen’s parlor to meet his groomsmen for his “Bro-Lunch” (as dubbed by Maxwell). Since the ladies had several hours of pampering and preparations before the ceremony began mid-afternoon, the men had decided to make the best of their free time playing pool, drinking and doing whatever masculine activities struck their fancy. As Drake neared the parlor, he could hear the sounds of deep laughter, classic rock and the click of billiard balls colliding from all the way down the hall.
He was greeted immediately by a sing-song “It’s the groom!” from Maxwell. Drake rolled his eyes at his abundant enthusiasm but couldn’t hold back a happy grin.
Liam approached him with two glasses of whiskey and placed one in Drake’s hand before clinking his glass to his and nodding with a smile. ”So, Mr. Walker, the day is finally here. Are you really going to desert me with the rest of these bachelors for married life?”
“Heh . . . I hadn’t thought of it that way, but I guess I am.” Drake looked down thoughtfully. “You know, I never thought much about marriage before. Not until I met Emma. Now I can’t imagine anything better.”
“That’s exactly what a man should think on his wedding day. You’re a lucky guy.” Liam patted him on the shoulder, then waved his glass towards the pool table. “But first, I’m going to need your help schooling the Beaumont brothers at billiards. Shall we?”
The men enjoyed their last few hours together as bachelors before Drake entered the state of no return. They shot pool, drank some whiskey, ate delicious “man food” that was normally never allowed in the palace (buffalo wings are the king of appetizers) . . . and there may have been some Van Halen air guitar solos thrown in there for entertainment value. After he and Liam won their second game of pool, Drake leaned pensively against the wall sipping his drink as he took the scene in. Liam and Bertrand were deep in conversation discussing the latest trade policies before moving on to the football match last night. Maxwell was scrolling his playlist to find the perfect song to warm up his dance moves before the reception later. Tariq spoke furiously on his phone in the opposite corner. This was the life he’d enjoyed for years, yet he felt no regrets that he was about to leave it behind for his next chapter with Emma.
His thoughts were interrupted by a courteous voice beside him. “Mr. Walker, I have correspondence for you.” The young steward handed him a folded note before bowing and walking away. Drake’s brow furrowed with curiousity as he observed Emma’s handwritten “Drake” scrawled across the front. He turned away from the group as he opened it to read.
To my soon-to-be husband,
I hope you have enjoyed some time with the guys today and tried to behave yourself (at least a little). I am sorry to cut your time a little short, but unfortunately I had to reschedule the press photo shoot that we had arranged for tomorrow to this afternoon. I’ve sent some clothes to your room for you to change. Please meet me in the garden at 1pm. I know it’s supposed bad luck for the groom to see the bride before the big ceremony, so its a good thing we don’t tend to follow tradition anyway. 🙂 I love you – see you at 1.
Your soon-to-be-wife,
Emma (almost Walker)
P.S. One tradition I can appreciate is something old, something new, something borrowed . . . and I’m wearing something blue for your eyes only later. xoxo
Drake’s pulse quickened as he pondered hunting for the mysterious blue item later. He glanced at his watch – 12:33pm. No time to lose if he needed to meet her at 1:00. He turned around to face his entourage. “Sorry to pull the old “wife” card already, but I need to go meet Emma. See you guys before the big show?” The men muttered their affirmations and waved him off before returning to their tasks at hand.
Drake hustled up the stairs, down the hall and into his room. Good thing I showered and shaved earlier, he thought, remembering how insistent their press secretary Madeleine was the he be clean-shaven and groomed for the wedding. He reached into the garment bag laid across his bed to find a classic white button-up shirt, a casual dark taupe blazer and soft new dark-wash jeans. He admired Emma’s taste in his clothing as he started to dress himself; she knew how to take his outfits up a notch while still allowing him to feel like himself. Definitely not a bad trait in a wife. He combed his hair with his fingers before taking one look in the mirror and departing towards the garden.
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Drake exited the palace through the back entrance and stood at the top of the grand staircase leading to the garden. He searched the scenery, unsure exactly where he was supposed to meet her when . . .
“Are you looking for someone?” Emma asked softly behind him. He turned to face her, but stumbled a bit at the unexpected vision waiting for him. She wore a long ivory dress with a delicate beaded overlay, her hair hanging in loose waves over her shoulders. She looked bridal, yet absolutely Emma . . . . She was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.
Drake swallowed hard in stunned amazement, then cocked his head as he tried to process what was happening. “I . . . I thought we had the press photo shoot? Why are you . . . “ the question died on his tongue as he noticed other figures moving towards them. Liam, Hana, Maxwell, Savannah and Bertrand . . . holding little Bartie’s hand as the toddler teetered along with his parents. “I don’t understand . . . Warner?”
Emma grasped both of his hands in hers as she gazed up at him, a knowing smile on her lips. “I wanted to surprise you. With the wedding we both want.” Drake‘s eyes narrowed in confusion as she continued. “Drake, I want to marry you the right way. No duties or obligations, but just for us. That’s what I want us to remember from our wedding day.”
Drake stared in awe, still baffled by her proposition. “But, Warner . . . what about the real wedding? There’s hundreds of people showing up this evening for the big show.”
Emma quirked an eyebrow in amusement. “Oh, they’ll get their show, alright. But our REAL wedding is going to be the one for us.” She smiled warmly and offered him her left hand, reaching behind her to Hana to grasp a simple bouquet before turning back to him. “Shall we?”
Drake gripped her hand and yanked her to him, wrapping his arm around her waist and pulling her into a deep kiss. “I could marry you a thousand times right now.” He whispered against her lips.
She leaned back and beamed into his eyes. “Let’s just start with the first time, okay?”
Hand in hand Drake and Emma walked down the staircase into the garden, followed by their entourage of friends and family. Emma led them to a secluded alcove in the garden where a rustic wooden arc stood covered in white linen drapery, simple flowers and greenery. Emma guided Drake to stand face to face in front of the arc, Hana taking the place beneath it and in front of them.
“Hana, don’t tell me . . . “ Drake started.
“Yes Drake, I’m a registered officiant and can perform wedding ceremonies.” Hana grinned widely. “You never know when it could come in handy. Like now, for example.” Drake just chuckled and shook his head, then focused back on the radiant woman in front of him.
Hana ushered them through the wedding flawlessly, a simple but eloquent ceremony. As she arrived at the exchanging of vows, she nodded to her friend Emma in recognition. “Now, I know we didn’t allow poor Drake here any time to prepare his vows, but I believe Emma has a few words she would like to say.”
Emma gazed into Drake’s eyes with tears in her own. “Drake, I never understood what true love was until I found you. I came here for an adventure and in hopes of finding the fairytale all little girls dream of.” She looked towards Liam in the audience, softly nodding to him with a smile before looking back to Drake. “But somewhere along the way I started falling for this sarcastic, withdrawn man that challenged and intrigued me. Even when you pushed me away, we always found our way back to one another. And once we finally gave in to fate and were able to be together, it was better than any fantasy I could have imagined. We made our own kind of fairytale.”
Drake tried to fight back the happy tears as he listened to Emma speak. He held her hands in hers and rubbed his thumbs along her knuckles, acknowleging to her that he understood. Although he was not a man of many words, he couldn’t hold back the urge to pour his promise out for all to hear. “I obviously didn’t prepare to say anything . . . but I do want to promise you, in front of all our friends, that I will honor you and love you until my dying breath. Because as much as I tried to fight it . . . Emma, you were the only one for me since the very beginning.” He place one hand to her cheek as he ran finger along her face. “I cannot wait to be your husband and spend the rest of my life with you.” The couple stared lovingly into each other’s eyes as Hana and the audience watched the exchange.
Hana sniffed back a few stray tears before continuing. “Ahem . . . Well, then without further ado, I now pronounce you man and wife. Drake, you may kiss your bride!”
“Gladly.” Drake whispered as he held Emma’s chin up and guided his lips to hers. Emma flung her arms around his neck and pulled him tighter, illiciting hoots and hollers from the onlookers. But as they separated to gaze at each other, the couple could have sworn they were the only two people in the world.
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The “circus” wedding went on perfectly, no one in the 400 member attendance or press ever the wiser to their earlier nuptials. Duchess Emma wore a voluminous, regal ball gown, and her hair in an elegant updo topped off with a crystal-encrusted tiara. Drake looked every bit the part of Duke wearing a formal black tuxedo with his normally-unkempt hair slicked back. The Royal abbey was filled with light pink and white roses and peonies, accented with lush greenery and streams of sheer ivory organza. Although the long drawn-out ceremony and festivities were exhausting, the happy couple endured the formalities cheerfully and with knowing glances of their little secret.
As the celebration came to an end, Drake and Emma were finally escorted to their stretch limo underneath a canopy of starlight and fireworks. After passing by guest after guest, they found themselves approaching the limo surrounded by their closest friends. Hana was crying happy tears as Maxwell draped an arm around her and rubbed her shoulder with a smug grin on his face. Bertrand stood next to Savannah with their tiny son fast asleep in his arms, exhausted from being passed around to dance with all the noble ladies. Liam stood closest to the limo, holding the door open for the newlyweds.
Emma first approached Hana and Maxwell, pulling them both into big hugs. “Thank you both, for everything. I love you guys.”
Drake shook Bertrand’s free hand while patting little Bartie on the back before turning to his sister. Savannah draped her arms around her big brother’s shoulders, whispering in his ear. “I’m so happy for you. I know Mom and Dad would have loved Emma as much as I do.” Drake peered down fondly at his sister, giving her a small kiss on the cheek. “Thanks Sis.”
Emma walked over to the family (now officially her family) to say her goodbyes. Savannah placed her hands on each of Emma’s arms and looked her in the eyes with sincerity. “I always worried my brother would never let anyone into his heart. Thank you for being the woman that didn’t give up on him. I’ve never seen him happier our whole lives.” They two woman embraced as Savannah muttered “And I’ve always wanted a sister!” Emma grinned from ear to ear as she replied. “Me too Savannah. Thank you for watching out for him until I could get here.”
Drake and Emma walked up to Liam as the dignified King held their car door open, a final gesture of his permission to the couple. “Mr. and Mrs. Walker, your chariot awaits.” Drake grinned at the mention of “Mrs. Walker” and beamed down at his new wife before turning back to his friend. He extended his hand to Liam, who batted it away and dragged him into a manly hug. “Congratulations Brother. You deserve this.” Drake nodded and patted his friend on the back as they separated.
Liam turned to Emma, who gave him a shy smile before enfolding him into her arms with tears in her eyes. “Thank you Liam. Thank you for everything.”
Liam chuckled. “Fate led us into your bar that night in New York. Not just to bring you two together . . . “ He gestured at the group of friends gathered around the happy couple. “But to bring us all together.”
“Alright, Liam, enough with the kingly speeches!” Maxwell butted in, subtly pushing Drake and Emma into the limo. “These two have a marriage to consummate!” Emma scoffed as Drake shook his head. “Get in there, you two! Go practice making us a new little niece or nephew.” Baffled, the couple laughed as they said their final farewells and entered the limousine.
They watched out the back window as their friends waved them off before settling into their seats. Drake laced his fingers through hers as she nestled her head into his shoulder. “So, what now Wife?”
Emma smiled. “Whatever we want, Husband.”
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The pair must have nodded off during the ride but were awoken as they felt the limo roll to a slow stop on the gravel driveway. As they slowly regained consciousness, the driver came around to open the door and began unloading their bags out of the trunk. Drake exited the vehicle, yawning and stretching in the crisp mountain air. He turned and leaned down into the car to assist Emma who was struggling to control the layers of taffeta as she tried to make her escape. “Heh, you look like the prettiest cupcake I’ve ever seen.”
She snickered. “I know, it’s a bit ridiculous . . . but Madeleine insisted that I wear a big “princess” gown. You know, give the people the wedding they want.”
Drake pulled her close, placing a sweet kiss on her lips. “I liked the first dress, personally.”
“I know, me too. That was for the wedding WE wanted.”
They were greeted in front of their private cabin by the resort manager himself, who handed over their keys and provided them with a summary of the mountain resort’s amenities as the driver placed their baggage inside. As the manager bid them farewell and the driver steered the limo away, the couple walked hand in hand towards the cabin entrance.
“Wait.” Drake suddenly stopped in his tracks and scooped a giggling Emma in his arms. “It’s good luck, right?” He winked as he carried her over the threshold to their honeymoon retreat, kicking the door closed behind them.
He set her down in the main living area and they explored their quarters. The adjoined living and dining area was flanked on both sides by large floor to ceiling windows; although it was dark, they could see the outline of the mountains underneath the moonlight. The furnishings and decor were warm and simple, perfect for long lazy days snuggling and escaping the busy world they’d left behind at court. Emma followed a small hallway behind the kitchen that led to the master suite, complete with an ensuite bathroom with a huge walk-in shower and soaking tub. The whole ambiance was perfect, and she felt instantly relaxed after the chaos leading up to and during the weddings.
Drake eased in behind her, hooking his arms around her waist and leaning down to place small kisses down her neck and shoulder. “So, what do you think? Will this do?” But Emma barely heard his question as she became lost in the sensation of his hot breath and lips on her skin.
“Hmmm . . . that feels good.” She sighed and felt the tension begin to leave her body, only to be replaced by a fluttering sensation low in her abdomen. She turned to face him and reached her hands up to muss up his hair playfully, removing the leftover pomade and structure from earlier. “There you are.”
She reached her hands into her hair and began slowly pulling the pins out, letting locks of her dark hair tumble down over her shoulders piece by piece before shaking the waves loose. She turndd around to face her back to him and placed one of Drake hands on the zipper at her side. “Will you help me with this?” She looked back over her shoulder as he slowly tugged at the zipper, unwrapping her like the most delicate present he’d ever received. He pressed his lips to hers as he slipped his hand into the dress and skimmed his fingers down her side. Emma felt shivers throughout her body before he gently turned her around to face him.
They worked in silence, speaking volumes in their dark stares as Emma tugged her dress down her body and over her hips, pooling around her ankles before she stepped out of the mounds of fabric. She moved to slide her hands under his jacket and pulled it back off his shoulders before tossing it the floor, followed quickly by his shirt. Drake examined her head to toe as she worked, admiring her curves in nothing but a strapless bra and light blue lacy panties. He smirked as he ran a thumb along her waistband. “Is this the something blue you promised me?”
“For your eyes only.” She replied as she reached for his belt buckle and worked to free him of pants. His pupils dilated as she reached behind her back to unclasp her bra and drop it beside them, freeing her round breasts before him. While he ached to reach out and grasp her, he felt frozen in awe of the vision in front of him.
Emma quirked her eyebrow at him and smirked. “Well, what are you waiting for?” He glanced to her eyes with desire before plunging forward to press himself against her. Their lips smashed into each other’s in hot, breathy kisses as their hands explored the other with wild abandon.
Somewhere in the midst of their groping, they stumbled to the bed and Emma pulled Drake on top of her. She relished the feel of his weight on her body as they moved against each other. Drake shifted to his side and ran his hand down her belly, then lower until he found her center sheathed under her wet panties. He pressed against the lacy fabric with his thumb, illiciting a heady moan from her mouth as she dropped her head back. She moved against his hand for a moment before reaching into his boxer briefs and grasping his hard length, stroking it in rhythm with her own movements. They exchanged sloppy kisses as they grew frantic with desire. “Drake . . . “ she whispered. “I need you. Please.”
As much as he physically wanted to plow her hard and find his release, he reveled in giving her pleasure . . . in hearing her beg him to take her. He began kissing down her neck and chest, wet caresses over her breasts and down her stomach . . . he hooked his two index fingers on the waistband of her lacy blues, placing his lips and tongue on her hip bones as he tugged them down and past her knees. He began moving lower before she yanked his hair and pulled him back up face to face with her. “No Drake, I just want to feel you tonight. Make love to me.”
Drake braced himself on his elbows as he situated himself at her entrance, teasing his tip in her wetness as they gazed into each other’s eyes. He traced a thumb along her cheek, admiring her tranquil beauty in this tender moment. “I love you Emma.”
She smiled. “I know Drake.” Her lips pressed against his in a slow kiss. She gripped his hips and pulled him into her, savoring the feel of him filling her as they began to move together at a leisurely pace. They took their time, simply enjoying the sensation of being united in all aspects. Gradually their pace quickened as their pleasure built, unable to hold back their physical desire any longer. Emma felt the pulsating start inside her as she pulled him deeper and harder. After repeatedly hitting that sensitive spot within, she felt her body quiver around him as the waves of ecstasy rolled over her body and stars blinded her vision. “Drake!” She exhaled a breathy moan in his ear as she came, sending him over the edge himself. He throbbed inside her core before finding his own release with a primal grunt into her neck.
They lay there still entwined, sweaty but sated in their orgasmic afterglow. After a few moments, they shifted Drake to his back and Emma curled up against his chest with his arm around her shoulder. He traced along her arm and placed a small kiss on top of her head while she nuzzled her face against him and ran her fingers over his chest and then down to his stomach. As her finger approached the side of his abdomen, he squirmed underneath her touch. “What?” She chuckled. “You’re not ticklish, are you?” She stroked his side more, resulting in a smile and more squirming from her husband.
“Stop it, Em! Yes, maybe a little ticklish.” He beamed down at her as she stilled her hand.
“I can’t believe I didn’t know that until now.”
“Warner, I’m sure there’s still plenty more about each other we don’t know yet.”
“Unh uh. It’s Walker now. You better get used to it.” Emma gave him a small peck on the lips as the realization dawned on him. “I wonder if we’ll ever know everything about each other?” She settled back in against his chest with a yawn as she felt the sleep begin to pull her in.
Drake closed his eyes and enjoyed the feel of her against him as he sank into his slumber. “Hmm . . I don’t know Mrs. Walker, but we have a lifetime to try.”
END