The sunlight glared down hard on the crowds of silks, cotton, or whatever luxurious fabrics of dresses and tailored suits gathered in our backyard for this very day, my wedding day.

The crowd is mainly my family, Clara Bell's family, and closest family friends.

All eyes rested on my future wife, Clara Bell Valiente, escorted by her father to her left and mother to her right as they processed down towards my direction. It felt like ages, waiting for her to appear, and now, my moist eyes were glued to her face, staring through the lacy veil that covered her face.

My throat was clogged with mixed emotions as my hungry eyes devoured her whole. As she slowly marched toward me, I took in her perfect appearance. A white lacy dress with cotton underlinings fitted her like a second skin. The full skirts flowed luxuriously like curtains of silks around her and I could hear the soft, faint swishing of the fabric as she glided slowly towards my direction.

She looked like a goddess that descended from heaven and my eyes were glued to her, basking in her delightful appearance.

My heart tightened, overwhelming joy coursing through me as I watched her without blinking. The crowds gathered around disappeared from my sightline. And there was only us.

My heart raced, thundering loudly against my ribcage.

A moment ago, that racing of my heart was the cause of fear, it cradled my chest as the time ticked by. Frightened at the thought that she may change her mind.

I felt the moisture gather around my eyes as I watched her, a little relieved and overwhelmingly happy.

My voice floated in the air as the lyrics of the songs I composed for Clara Bell and gave it as a gift on her birthday a few months ago filled the background.

I ignored the curious eyes coming from my brother and my sister, my mother smiling, eyes seemingly recognizing my voice for the first time.

🎶 It's started with a kiss

But it shifted my life's axis

🎵A certain deep blue-eyed girl

with a heart of an angel🎶

stole my heart...

and I'm defenseless

It's just a kiss 🎶

but it sealed my fate

My life was never the same,

her smile, her tender heart,

she kept me paralyzed...🎵

Clara Bell, Uncle Rafael, and Aunt Tati stopped a few paces away from me. I just briefly greeted her parents as I couldn't take my eyes away from Clara Bell.

The procession and greetings all passed by in a blur, and I felt the moisture gathered in my eyes.

I swallowed hard, trying to hold back the overwhelming emotions that were burning and consuming me.

It felt all like a dream.

She's positively glowing, and I willed myself to control the overwhelming urges to pick her up in my arms and take her to my room or away from everyone's eyes and have her all by myself.

"I'm entrusting you my daughter's life and happiness. I hope you'd treasure her more than we did," Uncle Rafael said as he handed her her hand, and I proffered my hand, accepting her fully with all my heart and life.

"I will treasure her with all my heart, more than my life," I muttered solemnly, catching her eyes and holding them like a prisoner. Gaze sent her the truthfulness of every word from my lips, from my heart.

And briefly glanced at Uncle and Auntie Tati, nodding my head as I spoke, then back to her.

My heart feels like it's going to burst. Too much happiness overflowing within me. As I stared at my future wife, my future life, I saw nothing but overwhelming bliss and contentment in life.

I want nothing else. Just her, next to me, until my last breath.

As much as I'd hate to take my eyes away from her, we had to face the minister presiding over the ceremony, so I reluctantly tore my gaze, turning to face the man before us.

Clad in his white and red uniform, holding a bible, he droned on and on.

My head spun as the presider droned on about marriage.

I hope it's done soon.

I intend whatever his sermon was about. About a successful marriage... Women being the submissive, but knowing Clara Bell, it would probably be the other way around. Just as my dad had said, a successful marriage begins with a quote; happy wife, happy life. There's no other way.

And I'll intend to do just that.

My irritation grew as the presider found another subject about being a good husband and wife. About not giving in to temptation.

During all the preparations for this event, no one had thought about reminding the presider to cut short the ceremony.

The sun is not even helping. I can feel the sweat dripping on my back and my forehead.

"Do you have your vow?"

Finally, he noted the frown, scowls coming from the audience and me. Perhaps, they had enough sunlight this morning.

It's just ten in the morning, but the sun decided to bless us with its glaring presence.

"I do," I replied.

Facing Clara Bell while holding both warm hands, I noted her hands were suddenly free. A question fleeted through my head.

Where did her fresh bouquet of white and pink roses disappear?

And the words came tumbling out of my lips as I held her eyes possessively.

"My life, my love, the first time my lips touched yours, my life was never the same." I took the ring handed to me (I didn't bother to see who was from the best men standing behind me) as I continued my vows, my hungry eyes never leaving hers.

I heard the faint sounds of aahs... and ooooh... from the crowd, but my whole attention was on the woman in front of me.

"You filled my head day and night. You stole my heart unguarded... You gave my life a purpose. I am overwhelmed with pure joy, and I promise you that I will protect you with my life and the family we will build together. I will be your friend, servant, and lover until we grow old... for eternity." I choked out the last words as I slid the white gold ring with tiny diamonds around it onto her dainty ring finger.

My throat felt thick with all the overwhelming mixed emotions coursing through me.

A tear escaped my eyes, and Clara Bell lifted one gloved hand and tenderly dried it with her thumb. A soft smile broke on my lips.

"Clara Bell?" The presider uttered softly.

She briefly glanced at the man in front of us and nodded her head. She took the ring from her maid of honor's hand, and she held my eyes once again. A little possessiveness.

"Alex, that kiss you stole from me that night had also kept me awake most night..."

At that, a grin tore at my lips. She smiled mischievously.

"Lucky you, you're marrying her right now!" Her dad's voice over the aaww cooed in the background, and the faint laughter followed.

"I knew then that you were not just a nuisance to me anymore. You keep popping in my head when I had nothing to do, and then you start popping in front of me..."

Boisterous waves of laughter filled the background, but her eyes never strayed. She held mine as she spoke or choked out the words. She swallowed once in a while, then resumed the vows.

My surroundings dispersed in my line of vision. The laughter was faint in my ears and sounded far, far away as my hungry eyes devoured her.

"You protected me from these people I was blind at their truthfulness. You broke into the friendship zone I thought was genuine, ignorant of the ruin they brought to me and to my family..." She choked out as she paused for a moment.

Her one hand holding mine trembled visibly. I squeezed it gently, hoping to send a calming effect on her.

Her tears that gathered in her deep blue eyes glistened. It sparkled like diamonds. She blinked them away as she swallowed hard and continued on.

"You showed me what true friendship is, to protect the ones you cared about. You showed me how a woman or friend should be treated, cared for, and loved. And I can't stop myself. I helplessly fell in love with you each passing day."

My heart soared upon hearing it.

I willed myself to stay put. Even if my whole system wanted nothing but to pull her and kiss her senselessly. Instead, I snuck my hand under her lacy veil and wiped the tears away as I smiled down at her.

As I pulled back my hand, with her eyes closing briefly, she continued on her vows.

"I love you, and I promise that we will be a team through thick and thin. I will be with you until we grow old and will never tire of loving you... for eternity."

And then I felt the cold band slowly sliding onto my ring finger. And then the presider was talking...

"I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."

As soon as the final words were spoken, I held the end of her veil. Too eager to do as I was asked, like a teenager about to get his first kiss.

"My pleasure!" I blurted out as I lifted her veil, causing everyone to burst into peals of laughter, including my wife. Seeing her face without the thin veil, pride blossomed in my chest. She's blindingly sore in the eyes. Positively glowing.

"Wife," I grinned, and she smiled, her eyes darkening as I gazed at her intensely.

The hooting, cheering mixed with applauses drifted away from my hearing senses. My eyes feasted on her face, then dropped to her luscious red lips. They look like a ripe strawberry.

"Husband," came her husky reply, and I leaned down and claimed her lips, hoping that no one had noticed the eagerness in my action.

A tentative brush became a heated one.

My cock instantly reacted. It grew so hard that my tailored pants became unbearably tight.

I had to pull away. Otherwise, I'll forget we are surrounded by our friends and families.

Wiling my head and eyes to stare ahead, tamping down the urges with all my willpower to look down and check if the bulges were too apparent, which from the feel of it, it must be tenting right now.

Clara Bell chuckled, causing me to look down at her. Her face flushed, glaze eyes dark and wicked.

"I had to thank my layers of skirts cause I'm leaking right now," she whispered, teasingly wicked.

"Tease," I whispered huskily back.

My cocked hardened as soon as the words seeped into my carnal-filled brain. A vision of her, sprawled naked on the bed, legs wide apart in abandon, center bare and open for my eyes only, juices leaking like a—"

"Congratulations!" A hard pat on my shoulder cut short that titillating vision of my wife, and I turned my head, my hands still curled around my wife's tiny waist, to face Lucas, grinning like a Cheshire cat.

He was my best man.

The tightening of my lower body eased upon seeing Lucas' annoying grin, but my cock was still painfully hard.

Holding Clara Bell closer to me, my lower body turned, facing her, trying to hide the bulges on my crotch with her full skirts, while my upper body was awkwardly directed to Lucas.

I realized the crowds were now pouring towards us, all smiles. Happy faces were directed at us, greetings us, and my attention soon drifted to my family and friends who came to witness our union, and hard cock was all forgotten as well.I left Clara Bell with her friends while I joined Lucas and the rest of the men.

"Not in my bucket list," Leonardo shrugged his broad shoulders as the topic turned about marriage.

Uncle Isaias' oldest son, Leonardo D'Antonio, New York's top-dog divorce lawyer, stared at Raffy Valiente, now my brother-in-law, holding a rock glass half-filled with amber liquid.

"It's not bad being married," Xandrous replied, and Nico, seated next to him, laughed, which drew everyone's attention to him.

"It takes a lot of patience, especially when your wife is pregnant," he laughed as he shook his head.

All the men were seated around the oval table joined the laughters that soon became boisterous.

I leaned languidly against the pink upholstered chair, a glass of whiskey dangling on one hand as I watched everyone teasing each other.

Same pink chairs scattered around the extensive garden, around oval tables with blue centerpieces decorating the table. More pink, white, and blue delicately adorned the venue. Fresh flowers scented the air, smelling like you've just step into a candy land.

"But don't get the wrong idea. I don't object Nico's comment. Married life is exciting. It's an adventure," Xandrous added.

"I agree," Raffy nodded his approval.

Max, seated next me, let out a barely audible snort. So unlike of my brother.

Leaning closer to him, I asked, following the direction of his eyes.

"How's married life?" I asked my brother Max. He was staring hard at his wife, who was now giggling with my wife and the Duchess Natalia.

He hastily averted his gaze at me, very briefly, before shifting it to his glass filled with amber liquid. He took a swig from the rock glass before he responded.

"Complicated," was all his response.

I didn't pursue the subject, knowing my brother wasn't the talking type. Max is quiet. Not even mom could make him talk.

He likes to keep things private, even to us.

I know everyone called him brooding, and now seeing him staring grimly, not to anyone particularly, I'm starting to believe.

The hard lines of his jaw was very prominent, his blue eyes hard and cold.

Again, he's in his own world. The laughters just passed through his ears, and no reactions. He seated like a statue on the chair, rigid.

"If you ever need an ear, I'm just here," I said, and he stared at me, blank, blue cold eyes rested on me.

For the first time in my life, I felt intimidated by his gaze, which was odd. It usually the other way around.

I felt like his marriage somehow had changed him tremendously. And I don't think it for the best.

He's lost.

My brother is lost.

As the sun left the horizon, the clear sky, now hazy clouds, blanketed the horizon with a splash of red, orange hues just between the earth and the sky's meeting. The sun rays become less sharp, and the breeze of the air turns cooler, welcoming a cold night.

The party was moved to the ballroom when the sun finally bid the moon goodnight.

"Do you think we can sneak out?" I asked as I held Clara Bell in my arms, her head was leaning against my chest.

Lucas, Leo, and the rest were not too subtle in torturing me.

Clara Bell lifted her head and tilted it back, her creamy bare neck fully exposed, and I wanted to lick and kiss it.

"I don't think so," she murmured, chuckling.

She peered over my shoulder. "Devil is coming," she chuckled, and I frowned.

Uncle Vito's heir, Devito Junior, is known as Devil to everyone.

My chest rumbled, and a sound of disapproval left my lips.

"Damn them!" I hissed, and Clara just laughed at it.

"What do you want?" I asked as soon as Devil stood tall in front of us.

"May I cut in?" he asked, his cheeks dimpled as he smiled devilishly at Clara Bell.

"No!" I snapped, and the Devil just winked at me, undeterred.

"You got a dance for a lifetime, Alex. I'll just borrow her for a few minutes," he teased good-naturedly, turning his inky head to my wife.

Clara Bell adored him, and I strongly opposed the thought, but I didn't utter a word of disapproval. After this dance, I'll definitely take her away from the damned one here.

And as planned, before another one of the Petropoulis, Valiente, Pallos, D'Antonio, or the rest of my family friend's sons, I snuck Clara Bell out to our awaiting mega yacht, for our honeymoon. A cruise to the Caribbean for a week.

....

Five years later...

Alex and I settled on the green upholstered love seat close to the fireplace. A patterned flannel blanket draped around us while we sipped tea.

The fire crackled on the hearth, bringing warmth to everyone gathered in the spacious living room of the main house. My family, excluding Sid, who was busy with a new case, now working as an associate to Uncle Christopher's firm, joined the Demakis' Christmas here on the island.

Nikolai and his wife, Princess Maria, were seated next to him, heavily pregnant adjacent to us. The tall, glittering Christmas tree adorned with sentimental ornaments my in-laws had collected over their marriage years was not too far from them, wrapped in festive colors boxes and colorful bags, stacked up under and around the tree.

Dad and mom chatted animatedly with daddy Stav and mommy Ali at the farthest end of the room, drinking wine.

Angelik was also heavily pregnant with their second child, standing next to her husband, Max, as they also converse with the newlywed Sasha and her husband, Dean.

The sounds of little feet pitter-pattering against the tiled wooden floor mingled with the soft hymn of Christmas song flitted on all the corners of the living room, in green, white, and red theme, filled my ears.

It's been five years since we married, and it has been an exciting adventure.

Alex had never changed. Still the thoughtful, considerate, and loving husband. There are times we argue over some matters, and I understand that it won't be romantic at all times, but we always go to bed at night meeting in the middle, arguments resolved.

We have to compromise to get things at rests.

The foundation that I now run, the 'Tammy's Miracle foundation, is established, housing hundreds of orphans and abandoned kids.

It was the best wedding gift, a three-story building. All papers for the foundation are signed and ready to run.

We started by scouring every corner of New York, welcoming one abandoned child, and the number grew each day. We let go several since the start of the foundation for new willing and legitimate parents to adopt any of the kids they found bond instantly.

And several billionaires, including my family and my parents' friends, sponsored the foundation.

The faint incessant chattering and laughter, mixed with the tiny shrieks and cries of the kids running around the room, passed through my ears as I leaned against my husband's chest.

"What time is it?" I asked, drawing the warm mug closer to my lips, and took a sip.

When I looked at Maria, she's fallen asleep in Nikolai's arms. I chuckled softly, but Nikolai apparently heard me, shooting me a curious glance.

"She's out," I commented, and he tenderly looked down at his wife, cozily nestled against him, a thick wool blanket around her.

"Her pregnancy always makes her sleepy," he chuckled.

It seemed like every woman in the room was pregnant.