Tempted by Her Innocent Kiss (Pregnancy & Passion #3)(17)

Ashley’s mom was escorted down the aisle and seated, which only left Ashley to be walked down the aisle with her father.

The music began, the doors swung open and every eye in the church turned to watch as Ashley took her first step.

Her bouquet shook in her hands and she prayed her knees would hold up. The dress suddenly seemed to weigh a ton and despite the cold outside, the church felt like a sauna.

But then she caught sight of Tabitha, Carly, Sylvia and Pippa all standing at the front of the church, their smiles wide and encouraging. Pippa winked and held a thumbs-up then pointed toward Devon and made a motion like she was fanning herself.

And finally her gaze locked on to Devon and she forgot about everyone else. Forgot about her nervousness, her sudden doubt. Nothing but the fact that he awaited her at the front of the church and that from now on, she’d belong to him.

It gave her a warm, mushy feeling from head to toe.

And then her dad was handing her over to Devon. Devon smiled reassuringly down at her as they took the step toward the priest and the ceremony began.

It pained her to later admit that she didn’t remember most of the ceremony. What she did remember was Devon’s eyes and the warmth that enveloped her standing next to him as she pledged her love, loyalty and devotion. And the kiss he gave her after they were pronounced husband and wife scorched her to her toes.

Suddenly they were walking back down the aisle, this time together, as a married couple. They ducked into an alcove to await the others and Devon pulled her close into his side.

“You look absolutely stunning.”

He kissed her again. This time slower. More intense. Long and lingering. He took his time exploring her mouth, and when he pulled away, she swayed and caught his arm to steady herself.

Around her, the noise of well-wishers grew and she realized that guests were coming out of the church.

“Darling, they need you back inside the church for pictures,” her mother called as she hurried towards Ashley and Devon. “All your attendants are already gathered. The others are going ahead to the reception. The car is waiting to take you and Devon after you’re finished with all the photos.”

Devon looked less than happy at the idea of posing for so many photographs but he gave a resigned sigh and took Ashley’s hand to lead her back into the sanctuary.

“It’ll be over soon,” she whispered. “Then we can be off on our honeymoon.”

He smiled down at her and squeezed her hand. “It’s the only thing making the next few hours bearable for me. The idea of you and me locked in a hotel suite for days.”

She flushed but shivered in delight at the images his words invoked. She too couldn’t wait for them to be alone.

But at the same time, this was her day and she was going to enjoy every single moment of it. She smiled as she was swarmed by her friends. She was surrounded by countless cousins, her uncles and aunts, her parents, her brother, distant relatives, friends.

It was truly the happiest day of her life.

Devon collected a glass of wine while Ashley’s brother took his turn on the dance floor with her. Devon should probably be dancing with one of her family members but she had so many female relatives that he couldn’t keep track.

Cam immediately found him and Devon whistled appreciatively to mock the formal tuxedo his friend wore.

“Only for you would I wear this getup,” Cam said darkly. “I didn’t wear this for Rafe’s wedding and Ryan married Kelly so fast we were lucky to get a phone call saying the deed was done.”

“You weren’t required to wear one for Rafe’s wedding,” Devon pointed out.

Cam shrugged. “True, but then I wasn’t required to wear one for yours, either. I didn’t want to disappoint Ash. She thinks I look hot.”

Devon shook his head. “I can’t believe you’ve stuck around this long. Not like you to be out of your cave for such an extended period of time.”

Cam made a rude noise. “I’m supposed to convey my congratulations or commiserations, whichever you need or prefer, from Rafe and Ryan. They were both sorry they couldn’t make it but with wives about to drop the package at any moment, they understandably remained at home by their sides.”

“You have to cut it out,” Devon said. “My getting married isn’t the end of the world. You didn’t give Rafe and Ryan this much grief.”

“Oh I did,” Cam said with a grin. “I totally did. But they deserved it. They were both total douche bags.”

“Like you’re a shining example of chivalry, Mr. I-hate-everyone-and-women-in-particular.”

Cam sobered. “Don’t hate women at all. I like them too much if anything. Kind of sucks if you ask me. Besides, it’s fun to give you hell. I think Ashley is perfect for a stuffy stick-in-the-mud like yourself.”

“I didn’t mean that, man,” Devon said wearily. “I’m just on edge. I’ll be glad when this is all over with. Too much stress. I’ve worried on a daily basis that she’d find out the truth and tell me to go to hell. The sooner we can get the hell out of here and on the plane to St. Angelo, the better I’ll feel.”

“For what it’s worth, I wish you well,” Cam said. “I think you made a huge mistake marrying someone over a business deal, but she’s a sweet girl and you could certainly do worse. It’s not you I worry about anyway. It’s her.”