“I love you,” she said again, a mindless chant now as she was unable to focus on anything but the sheer necessity of his body inside hers.
He sped up but she still met every movement with one of her own, born of a frightening level of passion. She could hear his ragged breathing in her ear, could feel his heart pounding against her chest. And then he cupped her head so that she met his mouth. The kiss was hot and demanding, as if he needed as much of her as she was begging of him. She gave him everything she had, her hands on his body, her heart his for the taking. Planting her feet, she lifted her knees, pulling him into her.
His control seemed to snap, and he pounded into her a final time, taking them both over the edge.
When she could breathe again, her heart felt so full it was heavy.
No, wait.
That was Tanner’s full weight on her, which she welcomed. His hand squeezed her hip and then he rolled to his side, taking her with him.
Tucking her head low, Callie swiped the moisture off her cheeks. She hadn’t meant to shed tears, but somehow her emotions couldn’t be held in, not today. She cuddled closer and his arms tightened.
“Always,” he said into her ear. “Me and you for always.”
He got her, and he always would. “Good,” she managed to say lightly. “Because you’re stuck with me now.”
He laughed low in his throat and lifted her face to kiss her, as always able to erase her doubts with just a single touch of his lips.
He held her until his phone buzzed. He looked at it and let out a breath. “They’re waiting.”
Even a simple wedding wasn’t all that simple in the end. The guys were going to get ready at the warehouse. Callie would go to Becca’s, where Becca and Olivia would be waiting to help her. “I guess this is it,” she said softly. “I’ll see you in a couple of hours. On the beach.”
It took him another twenty minutes to say good-bye, and she was a limp, sated, boneless mass by the time she showered.
Just like every other morning since they’d gotten together last fall. But unlike any other day, she slipped into the simple white sundress she’d so carefully picked out with Becca’s and Olivia’s help.
And when it was time to walk down to the beach to meet Tanner, she got the surprise of her life.
Someone had set up a beautiful arch. And flowers. And tables and food…While she stood there gaping, Becca and Olivia filled in the blanks.
“It was Troy and your grandma,” Becca said. “In cahoots together, they’re unstoppable.”
“They put the word out that after all you’ve done for all your brides, Lucky Harbor needed to step up and do for you,” Olivia said.
The flowers were gorgeous, the food looked amazing. “Where is everyone?” Callie asked.
“Hiding in the warehouse,” Olivia told her. “They didn’t want to intrude if you didn’t want company.”
Callie pulled out her cell and called Tanner.
“I’ve seen it,” he said.
“Where are you?”
“On crowd control here in the warehouse.”
“Let them out,” she said. “Let’s get this party started.”
“You sure you want them all there?”
“The wedding planners should be on-site,” she said, and laughed. “In case something goes wrong.”
“Nothing’s going to go wrong but if it does, we’ll handle it,” Tanner said with such calm that she took a deep breath and realized it was true.
And the same was true for the rest of their lives. She wasn’t naïve enough to think it would be always smooth sailing. Life didn’t work that way. But they were solid, and whatever came, whatever happened, they would handle it, together.
“Turn around,” Tanner said, and she did.
He was standing there in front of her, phone to his ear. Behind him was a crowd of people. He grinned at her and said into the phone, “Gotta go, babe, I’m going to marry the most gorgeous, wonderful, amazing woman I’ve ever met.”
“You sound like a lucky man,” she said softly.
“The luckiest.”