Life Support (The Breathe Series Book 2) (38 page)

THE FESTIVITIES FOR SIMON and Reese’s wedding have been going on all day long. I feel like a fish out of water here. While Olivia readies herself for the ceremony, I’m left to fend for myself. Don’t get me wrong. I’m just fine in crowds of people I don’t know—I can make friends wherever I am—but here, I’m just out of my element. I would feel a hell of a lot better if I could just see Olivia and make sure she’s all right. That or I need four shots of vodka.

A lot of people seem to know who I am, but I have no clue as to who they are. Olivia’s Aunt Edna from Iowa was kind enough to introduce herself to me earlier by giving me a big smooch on the cheek and a hard pinch on my butt. I’m pretty sure I’ll be staying away from her for the rest of the night lest I risk further assault. She kept talking to me about cougars and saying that she “still has it.” I’m trying very hard not to focus on what the ‘it’ is.

As I’m trying to extricate myself from Aunt Edna’s clutches, I see a few of Simon’s friends make their way into the church. I excuse myself and walk over to the group of men I met at Simon’s bachelor party a few weeks ago. They introduce me to their wives and we speak in code about Simon’s last night out as a single man, much to the chagrin of the wives who are itching for gossip. Of course, everyone in the group knows and adores Olivia, and the women start machine-gunning me questions about when I’m going to propose to her. It’s like there’s blood in the water or something. Eventually, the couples decide that it’s time to find seats for the ceremony and I’m given a reprieve from the onslaught of personal questions.

The guests are starting to arrive and settle themselves for the big event. Soft music has started playing and the mood is set for a romantic night for two people I’ve grown quiet fond of to get married. Simon and Reese are pretty much perfect together. The bride is nowhere near the demure woman I first had her pegged for. She’s a spitfire and can manage Simon’s antics. And Simon? I’ve come to respect him quite a bit over these many months. His willingness to support and protect his family rings true for me. Not to mention the man can come up with the raunchiest jokes. I have no idea where he comes up with that shit. Olivia says that he comes by it naturally—he’s just that gross. Simon and Reese are important to Olivia; therefore, they are important to me. Their relationship has helped me realize what I’ve really known all along: Olivia is perfect for me.

Before I find a seat, I go on the hunt for my girl. I’ve hardly seen her all afternoon and I just… I don’t know… I just need to see her. As I approach the ladies’ dressing area, the wedding coordinator grabs my shoulders and spins me around in one swift move.

“No, no, no. This area is closed off. Go find a seat, Mr. Beautiful,” she scolds.

“You don’t understand,” I chuckle softly as she’s pushing me down the hall. “I need to see Olivia.”

“You’re Olivia’s guy?” she asks. “She’s a lucky girl, but no. You can see her in thirty minutes. Now go. Plant your fine ass in a seat and I’ll see you after the reception.”

“What?”

“Just sit down,” she huffs as she makes her way back down the hall.

Put out, I wait in line with the other guests waiting to be seated. After the usher leads me to my row, I take an offered program and find my seat. Right next to Aunt Edna.
Perfect.

A change of music signals that the wedding party will be making their way down the aisle. The doors at the back of the church swing open and Simon seats the family members, exchanging some touching words with both mothers. As he stands at the end of the aisle, awaiting his bride, I envision myself doing the same thing. How it would feel to wait for Olivia on our wedding day. Funny thing is, I feel like I’ve been waiting for Olivia my whole life. Not long ago, I would have broken out into hives while thinking about getting married. It’s amazing how figuring out a few important puzzle pieces can bring the whole picture into focus. I know that I’ve given her mixed signals with the baby on the way, not to mention my feelings on marriage, but after I had time to put things into perspective, everything became perfectly clear.

Olivia starts her slow walk down the aisle towards the front of the church. She quite literally takes my breath away. I can feel a lump forming in my throat as I watch her. She’s radiant in a soft-pink lace dress that is cut very low and close to her body. It’s both alluring and sweet. At six foot four, I’m taller than a lot of people, so Olivia sees me right away and smiles almost shyly. I beam back at her, giving her my best smile and a reassuring wink. She takes her spot at the front and we all wait for the bride. Everyone but me. I can’t take my eyes off Olivia.

Olivia places a hand on her belly, a move, I’m starting to notice, she does a lot. When she looks up from her stomach, she catches me watching and smiles. I mouth, “I love you,” and Olivia’s cheeks blush before she blows me a kiss back.

The doors at the back of the church open wide again and Reese appears. I hear a soft collective gasp from the crowd as they see her standing regally with her father at her side. She’s stunning in her white lace gown, and what’s even more beautiful is the smile that is across her face. I turn to look at Simon, who dabs the corner of his eye with his thumb, and see Olivia doing the same with her hankie.

Weddings are emotional for most everyone. If you’re related to the person, it’s emotional because you feel love for them. But if you’re someone in the audience, someone in a loving relationship, it has a tendency to make you start thinking about the what-ifs of life. You can bet that most of the twenty- and thirty-something crowd here today, who aren’t currently married are thinking about it right now. I
know
Olivia is thinking about it.

I listen as the bride and groom recite their vows. They are heartfelt, passionate, and radiating love. Olivia, of course, is tearing up and uses her embroidered hankie to wipe at her eyes. Shortly after the rings are exchanged, they are pronounced husband and wife and the recessional starts to play.

The wedding party files down the aisle and the guests all wait to be escorted out. Rather than wait, I shuffle past Aunt Edna and make my way down a side aisle while the last of the party exits. As I enter the foyer, I watch Olivia give Simon a long, touching hug. They both whisper what I’m sure are loving words between them while Olivia wipes away more tears. They’ve always been close, and I will forever admire Simon for the role he’s played in Olivia’s life.

As she moves on to congratulate Reese, I approach them.

Reese catches my eye and says, “There he is now!”

Olivia turns to look, delighted to see me.

“Hi, beautiful.” I beam.

She smiles as I kiss Reese on the cheek and shake Simon’s hand, offering them my best wishes. I slide an arm around Olivia’s waist and pull her toward me, my hand resting on her stomach. We both look down between us as I softly stroke her there.

“You look stunning, Liv. I’ve missed you today,” I murmur against her temple.

“I missed you too,” she replies, lifting her lips to my mouth and letting me kiss her. “Shall we go to the reception?”

“Let’s go,” I answer. Placing a hand on the small of Olivia’s back, I guide her out of the church and to our car.

The reception is being held at a local hotel about a mile down the road. We knew that it would be a long night, and being that there will be a wedding brunch tomorrow morning, we opted to stay here at the hotel for the night. While Olivia was doing wedding stuff, I checked us in, raided the minibar, and took a nice nap. Did I feel guilty for lounging around while Olivia was busy? A little. Was it awesome? Totally.

Even though I don’t know more than ten people at this thing, the reception is actually fun. The groomsmen coordinated a corny dance for the couple, which I’m sure someone recorded and will post on YouTube by the end of the night. The first dance as husband and wife is sweet, and I can’t wait to get on the dance floor with Olivia. I’m not a big dancer, but I’ll do whatever I can to be closer to this woman. Having her hands on me and her head on my chest makes me feel pretty damn special.

Finally, the MC opens the dance floor to couples.

“Would you do the honor of dancing with me?” I ask Olivia.

Olivia beams. “I would love that. Thank you,” she replies as she takes a quick sip of ginger ale before taking my hand.

I guide her out to the middle of the dance floor, swing her around, and then pull her tight to my chest. I kiss her forehead and exhale heavily. For the first time today, I start to relax.

“I’ve been waiting for this all day.”

Olivia wraps her arms around my neck and smiles up at me. “You look very handsome tonight, Owen,” she says with a wink.

I bend forward and nuzzle into her neck, whispering into her ear, “And you look like an angel, beautiful.”

We move around the dance floor, cuddling against each other as we sway to the slow music. After a few songs, I notice Olivia covering her mouth in a yawn. She’s exhausted.

I take her chin in my fingers and tilt her head up to look at me. “You look tired. You want to turn in?”

“I feel like such a dud. It’s barely midnight and I’m ready to hit the hay. How pathetic is that?” she questions. “Do you mind if we call it a night?”

“Aunt Edna might.” I purse my lips with fake concern.

“Aunt Edna?” Olivia laughs and follows my finger, which is pointing out the older woman.

“I may have promised her a dance earlier, but I see she’s cornered another victim. Let’s make a run for it.”

We quickly say our goodbyes to Simon, Reese, and Olivia’s parents and confirm plans for breakfast in the morning. After we leave the venue and head toward the elevators hand in hand, I softly push Olivia against the hallway wall. Trapping her in my arms, I give her a soft kiss, nibbling at her lips and eliciting a faint moan. I trail a hand down her side and around to her backside as I sink to my haunches in front of her.

With my hand sliding down the back of her leg and down her calf, I lift her foot and slip off a high-heeled shoe. My thumb massages the arch of her foot and heel and I hear a relaxed moan. I glance up at Olivia and she looks at me with love and awe—like I’m the most thoughtful man on the planet. I grin and loop the straps of her shoes around a finger before picking her up in my arms. She doesn’t protest and nestles into the crook of my neck.

“Thank you,” she murmurs.

Once safely inside our room, I deposit Olivia onto the bed. “Can I get you anything? Order something from room service?” I ask as I loosen my bowtie and pull my shirt out from my pants.

Olivia stands from the bed and contorts her body in an effort to rid herself of her dress. “I’m not hungry, but I could definitely use a hand getting out of this thing,” she pouts while turning away from me and pointing to her back.

She doesn’t need to ask me twice. I gently move her hair over her right shoulder to expose the zipper. “It is always my pleasure to remove any item of clothing from you.”

Olivia slants her head, looking at me over her shoulder, and smiles. I grab the small slide of the zipper and pull it down slowly, exposing her creamy, soft skin.

“And look at that. No zipper problems.”

Olivia lets out a soft laugh. “You’re never going to let me live that down, are you?”

I slip the straps of her dress off her shoulders and run my hands down her arms. “Are you kidding me? That was one of the best nights of my life,” I say, recalling the first time Olivia and I had sex.

She invited me up to her room under the guise that her zipper was stuck. I, of course, thought she was flirting, but in actuality, her zipper really was caught in the material of her dress. Fortunately, I was able to strip her of more than her dress that night.

“You are so beautiful, Liv. I...am…the…luckiest...man,” I say, dotting kisses along her shoulder.

“Thank you, baby,” she says almost shyly.

I’m not sure why she’s feeling so shy. We’re a sexual couple and know every inch of each other’s skin. Then I notice Olivia holding up her dress around her breasts like a security blanket. Ah. I get it.

I stand in front of Olivia and gently kiss her forehead before helping her step out of her dress. I lay it neatly across the desk chair in the room. When I return to her, I lightly trace a finger over the top of her nude, strapless bra and then lower, across the top of the matching lace boyshorts she’s wearing.

“This...” I say huskily. “This is going to kill me.”

Olivia’s eyes flutter closed as my single finger explores her. Nothing more than that. Just the finger. I lean forward, kissing her softly at first and then gradually becoming more insistent. She opens up to me, letting my tongue stroke inside her mouth. My hand reaches up, cupping the back of her neck and pulling her in closer.

Olivia’s lower belly rubs against mine and she pulls away from my kiss, looking down between us. “Oh…” she says nervously.

I follow her line of sight and smile before taking her hands in mine. “Hey. Come here,” I say as I walk backward toward the bed.

I sit on the mattress and open my legs so she can get close to me, her torso at my eye level. Placing my hands on her hips, I gently brush my lips over her growing belly. My nose nuzzles her and I smatter soft kisses on her tummy.