Font Size:  

And Trev would crow, “Who’s there? Bill! Orange! Wanda!”

There was a cake, three tiers tall, a yellow cake with white fondant icing and edible pearls, crowned with a circle of yellow rosebuds. Celia took pictures as Sydney and Rule fed each other too-big bites of the sweet confection.

Trev tore himself away from his adoration of Ashlyn to join them at the cake table. “Roo, Mama, cake! Now!” He reached up his chubby arms.

So Rule swept him up against his chest and Trev laughed in delight. “Roo!” he cried. “Kiss,” and puckered up his little mouth.

Rule puckered up as well and kissed him with a loud, smacking sound, which made Trev laugh even harder. A second later, he demanded, “Cake, Mama!”

“Cake, please?” she suggested.

And he shouted, “Cake! Please!”

So Sydney fed him a few bites of cake while Celia snapped more pictures. Then they served everyone else. The kids were silent—for a few minutes anyway—as they devoured their dessert.

After that, everyone lingered, reluctant to call an end to an enjoyable event. The adults chatted, the children went back to running in and out under the table, laughing, playing tag.

Eventually though, the little ones started getting fussy. Lani said she would take Trev up to the suite. Sydney offered to go, but Lani said she wanted to get back to her writing anyway. She could handle Trevor and work on her book at the same time, and often did. She would keep her laptop handy and sneak in a sentence or two whenever Trevor gave her a moment to herself.

So Lani took him up. Soon after, Celia and Cleo gathered their respective broods and left for the onsite apartments each family kept in the resort complex.

That left Fletcher and Aaron playing dual hosts to the newlyweds. The men talked a little business. The Bravo CEOs agreed that Montedoran oranges would be a perfect addition to the complimentary fruit baskets they offered in their luxury suites.

Rule invited his two second cousins and their families to Montedoro. Both said they would love to come. They would stay at the Prince’s Palace and visit the fabulous casino in Montedoro’s resort ward of Colline d’Ambre.

Finally, after more good wishes for a long and happy life together, the half brothers went to join their families. Rule and Sydney were left alone in the private dining room.

He drew her close to him, tipped up her chin and kissed her slowly and so sweetly. “My wife …” he whispered against her lips. “My own princess.”

She chuckled. “Just like that? I only have to marry you and I get to be a princess?”

He took her hand, laid it against his chest. “And you will always rule my heart.”

She laughed then. “Oh, you are so smooth.” And then she frowned.

He kissed her furrowed brow. “What?”

“Your mother, the princess. Your family. This will be quite a surprise to them.”

“A happy surprise,” he said.

“So … you haven’t told them anything about me yet?”

“Only my father. He knows … everything. And by now he will have told my mother that I’ve married the only woman for me.”

She searched his face. “The way you say that. Everything. It sounds mysterious somehow.”

He touched her cheek, smoothed a few strands of hair behind her ear. “Not mysterious at all. I spoke with my father this morning, before I came to take you to the airport. He wished us much happiness and he looks forward to meeting his new daughter-in-law and grandson.”

“So he’s not overly disappointed that you’re not marrying Princess Lili?”

He traced the neckline of her wedding dress, striking sparks of excitement. “My father is a great believer in marrying for love. So he wants me to be happy. And he understands that I will be happy—with you.”

“And your mother?”

“I know that she will be happy for me, as well.” He kissed her again, slowly. A kiss that deepened, went from tender to scorching-hot. Her mind went hazy and her body went loose.

When he lifted his mouth from hers that time and the small dining room swam into focus again, a busman stood at the door. “Excuse me. I’ll come back….”

Source: www.allfreenovel.com
Articles you may like