AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Turning in his arms to face him, I nod. “That sounds like a great plan.”
Chapter twenty-eight
Declan
When Natalia suggested we get married while on our trip, I was shocked to say the least. She usually has to plan everything out, so eloping was not on my radar. However, I’m not complaining.
I’m standing knee deep in the ocean, looking back at the shore. Natalia is sitting cross-legged on an oversized lounge chair, reading a book. Her auburn hair whips around her face in the wind, and I chuckle as she slams the book down, pulling her hair back into a low ponytail. My eyes roam over her body, taking in her blue two-piece bathing suit. It covers just enough, so she doesn’t get ticketed for indecent exposure.
I have to tear my eyes away from her because I can feel my dick getting hard. If I had it my way, I would take her to the room and have my dirty way with her until it was time to get married. But alas, I’m letting her take the lead on this trip. The next one, though, that’s all me. Wading back to the shore, I stop in front of Natalia. “Do you want to come swim with me?” I ask with a raised eyebrow.
She shakes her head and pats the seat beside her. “Why don’t you lay down and relax for a little while? When I finish this book, we can head back to the room and get ready.”
“Yes, ma’am,” I salute her, and she whacks me on the hip with her book.
“Don’t be a smart ass,” she laughs and scoots over for me to lay beside her.
Taking the seat beside her, I lean back and place one hand behind my head and the other at the small of her back just above her bathing suit bottoms. I stroke my fingers gently over her soft skin, gazing off. As the minutes tick by we are quiet, just listening to the soft sounds of the ocean waves crashing against the shore.
I must have dozed off because the next thing I know, Natalia is shaking my leg. “Wake up, Dec,” she calls, her voice gentle.
“Shit, I’m sorry honey,” I sit up straight and stretch. "I didn't mean to fall asleep."
“Don’t be sorry,” she stands, collecting her book. Bending down, she gives me a kiss on the cheek. “Let’s go get ready.”
I stand and follow her back to the room. When we walk in, my phone is buzzing on the bedside table. I pick it up and look at the name on the screen. “Absolutely not,” I groan, hitting decline.
“Your father?” Natalia asks as she opens the suitcase and skims through the clothing before finding what she was looking for.
“Yep,” I say, typing a quick text to Finn to make sure everything is moving smoothly. He texts back almost instantly.
Things are fine.
Get off your damn phone or Natalia will kill you.
I laugh and turn back to Natalia who is handing me a pair of khaki pants and a white button-up. “Oh, the cliché beach attire,” I tease as I lay the clothes on the bed and strip out of my trunks, heading to the bathroom.
Taking a quick shower, I hurry and dry off. Walking into the bedroom, my steps falter and my chest tightens. Natalia is standing in front of the floor length mirror. Her hair is lightly curled and resting on her shoulders. My eyes scan the rest of her body taking her in. The white sundress she has chosen accentuates her body perfectly, and she is absolutely stunning.
“What?” She asks as she sees me in the mirror. She looks down at her dress, running a hand over it and then her eyes meet mine again. “Do I look okay?”
“You look so breathtakingly beautiful,” I murmur as I cross the room and grab my clothes. Throwing them on, I run a comb through my hair and slip on a pair of shoes. “Ready to go?”
When she gives me a nod, I grab the key to the room and slip it into my pocket. I also grab my cell phone so that we can have a few pictures. Making our way to the front desk we tell the receptionist what we are looking for and she gives us a few options. After talking them over we decide on the one closest to the resort so we don't have to leave the beach.
While we walk down the beach, I reach for Natalia’s hand. The sun is starting to set, turning the horizon into different shades of oranges, reds, and pinks. Just up ahead, I can see the entrance to the small building that the receptionist told us about. When we get inside, Natalia tells the minister our information. After paying, he directs us to a patio made into a quaint altar with fairy lights and white sheer fabric draped along the beams.
The ceremony begins and I look down at Natalia as she stands in front of me, a smile on her face. My mind goes back to the first time I knew she was more than my best friend.
We had made plans to go to the movies, so I was picking her up from dance practice. She had a recital coming up at the end of the week, and she was stressed about it. That’s why we were going out, to try and get her mind off things, to loosen her up a little. Practice ran over by about twenty minutes and when she came out, she was drenched in sweat and simply looked exhausted. However, when she climbed in my car, her eyes lit up and she gave me the biggest smile. The way my heart raced at the sight of her smile caught me off guard. It was then that I knew I never wanted that smile to disappear.
“I’m so sorry! I just couldn’t get anything right, and I needed to run through at least once without messing up before I left.” Her voice was timid, like she was afraid I would be mad.
“Nat, I know you. I expected this,” I chuckled and reached over, taking her hand momentarily. “Would you rather just go to the safe house so you can shower and we can watch something there?” I suggested.
“That would be amazing,” she sighed with relief. “I’m so exhausted.”
That night we spent watching corny movie after corny movie. When she would laugh, I swear it was the sweetest sound in the world. From that night on, I vowed to make her laugh as much as possible.
