Without a second thought for what was happening all around him, whether or not people were trying to find shelter or enjoying the rain or even paying attention to them at all, Clay grabbed his wife by the back of her head and kissed her like he’d never kissed her before. Their lips met with passion as rain fell all around them, soaking their clothes and coating their faces. But still, he didn’t let go. He just continued on until they were both panting and breathless.

“I cannot believe it rained,” she said over the yell of the storm.

“I can. It’s just like us.”

“What?”

“Life-changing and completely unpredictable.”

Chapter 31

ANDREA

By the time the afternoon showers had abated, the decorations were destroyed. But, as they walked back up onto the deck and found all their friends and family waiting for them, just as drenched as she and Clay were, she didn’t have a care in the world. She was a Maxwell.

“Mr. and Mrs. Clay Maxwell, everybody!” Brady’s voice boomed over the crowd.

Everyone cheered at their union, laughing and whistling.

Andrea could barely catch her breath. This had all happened so fast. One minute, she had been lost in a world of anger and depression and guilt, and the next, she was happier than she had ever been in her entire life.

Andrea turned into Clay, and he pulled her in for another wet kiss. She giggled, completely ignoring the way her wedding dress clung to her body. When he released her at last, he hoisted her into his arms with ease.

“Clay,” she gasped.

“My wife needs to get out of these clothes, so she doesn’t catch a cold,” Clay said to the crowd.

Andrea buried her face in his shoulder in horror as catcalls rang out all around them. Clay deftly carried her across the pool deck and into the house. Her dress left water droplets all down the hardwood floor as Clay took her up the stairs and to their room. She had reserved a suite at a nearby hotel for later, but she wasn’t complaining about getting out of these clothes right now.

Clay dropped her on her feet once they were inside, and she shivered. She hadn’t realized that she was even cold because his words had been ringing through her over and over again. Those beautiful words.

“Your wife,” she whispered.

“Well, you are now.” His voice was deep and seductive.

God, I love this man.

“I know. I just…I never in a million years, not even in my wildest dreams, thought we would be here today.”

One thought had been going through her mind since he had asked her. She just hadn’t been able to bring herself to ask him. But she knew she could now.

“I thought you didn’t even want to get married,” she said softly.

He smiled and slipped his hands down the wet lacy fabric of her gown. “I didn’t.”

“Oh.”

“I wanted to marry you.”

Andrea grabbed his face in her hands and dragged his lips down to hers. She was feverish, wanting nothing more than to strip him of all his clothes and really become his wife. Consummate their marriage in all the best ways.

She pulled his bow tie loose and threw it to the ground. His eyes widened with surprise and lust. Yes, she was going to do this right now. No, she didn’t care that there were people waiting for them.

He nodded. Completely there with her.

She stripped him out of his remaining sodden clothing, and then he helped her take off the soaked dress. It made a squelching noise at it hit the ground. She would have to care about that later but not right now. She left the expensive garments hastily discarded on the floor, and they both fell into the king-size bed they’d had sex on countless times over the years.

Clay fiddled with her white lace thong that read Mrs. in Swarovski crystals when they heard footsteps on the stairs. Heavy footsteps. Lots of them.

“I guess we’re not the only ones who wanted to change,” Andrea said with a giggle.

He buried his face in her chest and brought her nipple into his mouth. “I guess not.”

“Oh, that’s not fair.”

“Fair?”

He swirled his tongue around the erect nipple and then sucked it into his mouth again. She groaned and wrapped her legs around his waist, dragging him closer.

“Fuck,” he grumbled against her body.

Her entire body was aflame, and he was stoking the fire. She couldn’t wait. She couldn’t drag this out. She just wanted and needed him in that moment.

“Clay, please,” she pleaded.

He didn’t argue. She was sure he could hear the need in her voice. He removed the last scrap of fabric covering her body. Then, he steadied himself over her and slid inside her.

She moaned and threw her head back. “Oh my God, you’ve never felt better.”

“You like when your husband fucks you?”

She nearly purred. “Oh, yes.”

And he did. He started up a fierce rhythm. One that said he’d been thinking about fucking her all day, wanting to do nothing more than take her to the next height again and again.

She threaded her fingers through his short blond hair, pulling harshly. Her lips found his ear, neck, shoulder. She nipped at him, trying to get him closer and closer. Fuck, she loved this man with all of her being.

She had always known. She had been a goner from day one when he kissed her on that beach all those years ago. Been bold enough to take their relationship a step forward. She had loved him even more in college and still more in law school. When it’d felt like everything else around them had fallen apart, they’d still remained strong.

After loving him so completely and feeling ready to move forward, only to be rebutted over and over again, she’d thought they could never fix what was broken between them…but then he’d come back. He’d changed…yet stayed her Clay Maxwell. And this was the man that she was making passionate love to. Not the boy she had needed, but the man that she wanted…the one who had shown her the true meaning of love.

As they came together for the first time as husband and wife, sealing their lives together, she knew that she would never be the same. And she was perfectly happy about that.

She had a new family. He was her family. He was her life.

“I love you so much,” Clay said into her shoulder, breathing heavily.

“Oh, Clay, I have always loved you.” Then, she kissed him.