Jaded Hearts
Chapter 93

NINETY-THREE |

Matt

We’d been in Sicily since early this morning, and as soon as we arrived, everyone went to work finishing last-minute details. Dresses were out and steamed, all suits were accounted for and steamed, food prep was done, and the beach site was ready.

We went through a quick rehearsal so that everyone knew their parts, then had a huge dinner back at Nonna’s house, where she fed all of us way more food than we’d ever seen.

Now it was time for me to leave.

The ladies were going to spend the night here at Nonna’s while all the men were moved to the hotel nearby. Even my Dad and Nonno had to go. No males at all were allowed under the same roof as the bride the night before the wedding.

“Can we FaceTime before bed? I don’t sleep well when I’m by myself, and it’ll be even harder if I can’t at least see your face before I close my eyes,” Taylor said as she wrapped her arms around me.

“I want you to get the best night’s sleep you can, so we can FaceTime for as long as you want to, baby. Besides, being alone in the honeymoon suite probably won’t be too fun for me either.”

“Just get it ready for us. That’s where I’ll finally make love to my husband for the first time. I can’t wait!”

I lifted her up and wrapped her legs around my waist, then attacked her mouth with a k**s. If this was the last k**s we’d ever share as fiancés, I was going to make it one of the best.

“Matthew Anthony Stone, put her down! No touching! The truck is downstairs waiting for you, so get out,” my mom rushed into the room and said.

I looked over at my mom, who was trying to give me her best stern face, and I decided I’d take the nagging that would definitely come. This was more than worth it. I walked to the bed and gently laid Taylor down, then proceeded to pillage that sweet, juicy mouth of hers. I didn’t care that my mother was five feet away. I loved this woman beneath me and lived to k**s her this way.

“Alright, son, that’s enough. Let the poor girl up, and let’s go,” came my dad’s voice.

“Ugh! Why are you both in here?” I asked.

“Because I knew I’d replace you here. I was the same way the night before my own wedding. Your grandfather had to peel me off your mom to get me away from her. So, get up, and let’s go. Now.”

“Damnit!”

Taylor placed her hands on my cheeks and smiled up at me. “We’re almost there. We can do this.”

I looked into her eyes for a few seconds, then gave her one final k**s. When I felt it beginning to deepen, Dad grabbed my shoulder and pulled me to my feet, ruining everything.

“This is a stupid tradition! We live together, and we have a child! What’s the point?”

“We all had to do it, and you two won’t be any different. Now go!” Mom yelled, pointing towards the door.

I reluctantly grabbed my suitcase and headed downstairs. “I love you, Tesoro. I’ll call you later.”

“Love you too, handsome.”

Walking down the stairs with my dad felt like I was walking away from my heart. It was terrible.

“I know how you’re feeling, but I think that’s the whole point. Absence makes the heart grow fonder. When you see her for the first time tomorrow, she’ll look even more radiant than you ever thought she could. She’ll smell better and smile brighter; I promise you it’s worth it.”

“She smells perfect already,” I pouted like a child.

Dad just laughed and wrapped his arm around my shoulders. “Kid, I said the exact same thing to my dad when we had this talk all those years ago. I’m glad to see the tradition lives on.”

* * *

The hotel we were staying in was small but really nice. And it was packed with wedding guests. Every single one of their rooms was booked by family or friends who traveled to share in our big day. Taylor was ecstatic that so many people had made the trip for us, and she wanted to do something special for them.

There wasn’t much we could do for over a hundred people, so we decided food would have to do. Everyone loves food.

We arranged for the hotel to provide a huge breakfast buffet for everyone tomorrow morning. Everything would be cooked fresh and completely free of charge, perfect to fuel them up so they could properly party at the wedding.

I stopped by the front desk and gave them my credit card info, then made my way up to the top floor, where all the guys and I were staying. When I arrived, all six were waiting by my door with cigars, bourbon, and glasses.

“How you doing, man?” Xander asked.

“I miss my angel, and it’s only been twenty minutes.”

“I get it, but come and relax with us for a while. Maybe we can help take your mind off things,” he replied.

We walked through the room to the large terrace out back and got set up. It was a cool spring night, and sitting under the stars with these guys who all meant so much to me was just what I needed to unwind.

* * *

Taylor

“So, your new in-laws walked in on their son dry humping you? That’s classic!” Morgan laughed as she massaged my head and scalp.

“He wasn’t dry humping me. We were sharing a k**s; it was sweet.”

“Yeah, sure it was. Drink this; it may be my new favorite.”

She passed me a glass of Moscato, and when I tasted it, it was pure heaven. Sweet, fruity, and fizzy; way better than what we’d been drinking back at home.

“Oh, I’ll absolutely ask Nonno to ship us a few crates of this back to the house. It’s so good.”

She continued to play with my hair as Alaia, Giana, and Nonna walked into the room.

“Alright, sweetheart. It’s time for us married ladies to talk to you about your duties to your husband on your wedding night,” Nonna said.

My eyes bulged from my head, and I noticed Alaia snicker from the corner of my eye.

“Oh, Nonna, that’s not necessary, really. I’m already aware of my ‘duties;’ we’ll be fine, I promise.”

“Nonsense, it’s part of the tradition. The three of us have to pass on our wedding night stories. It will make your coupling tomorrow easier for the both of you.”

When Morgan giggled behind me, I g*****d out loud. They could not be serious right now.

“Now, Matteo’s an extremely strong wolf, so he will probably be very well-endowed—”

“Wait! Please, don’t finish that thought,” I begged.

They started laughing, and I heaved a sigh of relief.

“Oh, bella! That was so funny! She did the same thing to me the night before my wedding! I’d never been more mortified in my life.”

“Just make sure when that little princess of yours gets married, you do the same to her,” Nonna said with a smile.

“Oh, absolutely. I can’t wait to tell her how well-endowed my sons are and watch her squirm like her mom did,” Alaia replied.

I just rolled my eyes and relaxed back against the chair. These women were insane.

“I’ve got some snacks coming to the room for you girls to enjoy, but don’t stay up too late. You need to be fresh for tomorrow.”

Nonna and Giana both gave me a hug, then left the room.

“How did they rope you into that?” I asked Alaia.

“Easy. They said they wanted to play a trick on you, and told me to just go with it. It was pretty damn good too.”

Twenty minutes later, the three of us were lying on the bed, munching on cheese and fruit. I’d missed Matt so much, but these two women made it so much more bearable. They kept me laughing and made sure my glass was never empty. The time flew by, and I didn’t even realize when I’d fallen asleep, but I was awakened by my phone going off under my pillow.

Matt!

“Hey, angel!” he yelled as soon as I answered.

“Hi. I miss you so much,” I replied, followed by a huge yawn.

“Oh, baby. You’re sleepy. Did I wake you up?”

“It’s okay. I was just napping and waiting for your call.” I laid back down and propped my phone on the pillow next to me. If I squinted my eyes hard enough, it was almost like he was lying in bed next to me.

“You’re so beautiful. The most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen,” he told me.

The picture on the phone jumped around a bit, and I realized that he was lying in bed too.

He was tired, I could tell, but he’d promised me he would call. He never broke his promises to me. “You’re beautiful too,” I giggled.

We talked about nothing all night, just wanting to hear the sound of the other’s voice. It wasn’t until one of our phones died or we fell asleep, I don’t know which, that the conversation finally ended. We weren’t breaking any rules; he was miles away, just like tradition stated. But it seemed that no amount of distance could keep us from soothing each other to sleep.

* * *

“Rise and shine, beautiful! It’s wedding day!” Morgan sang as she burst into the room and opened the shades.

I hissed as the sun hit my face. It was way too damn early for her level of energy, and I didn’t think I got more than three hours of sleep.

“Ugh! Why?”

“Why, what? Why is it morning, or why are you marrying that tasty snack of yours today?”

I squinted at her and pulled the covers up higher. “Why are you so…you?”

“Because you wouldn’t love me if I was any other way. Now come on. Go shower, so we can start getting ready.”

She jumped on the bed and gently pushed me up and off. I took my time in the shower, almost an hour, but it was my wedding day. No one was going to say anything to me. When I was done, I was shampooed, scrubbed, and polished to bridal perfection. As I stepped back into the bedroom, the hairdresser and makeup artist was ready and waiting.

“You’ll have to eat your breakfast while you’re getting ready. As maid of honor, I refuse to let you be late,” Morgan told me matter-of-factly.

I wanted to complain, but I didn’t want to have to wait another minute to become Mrs. Matthew Stone, so I took my seat and relaxed as everyone went to work. Occasionally, I’d see Alaia or Morgan pop in to check on me, but for the most part, it was organized chaos with everyone fighting to make sure they were ready in time.

When my hair and makeup were done, the girls came back and helped me into my dress, shoes, and jewelry.

Seeing myself for the first time completely put together brought a tear to my eye. I looked perfect; exactly how I’d always dreamed I’d look.

“Matt is going to die when he sees you,” Alaia said with a grin.

“I kinda like him alive, babe,” I chuckled.

She handed me my bouquet and adjusted my veil. “The car is outside waiting for us. Giana took Genesis with her when she left thirty minutes ago, in case you were wondering.”

“I was, thank you.”

James walked into the room and lit up when he saw me. He was wearing a dark gray fitted tuxedo that showed off his broad shoulders and lean torso. His dark brown hair was combed back perfectly, highlighting his handsome face. If he was any indication, Matt was going to age very, very well.

“Oh, sweetheart, you look like an angel. My son is a very lucky man.”

“I like to think I’m the lucky one. I’m getting you and Giana as well as Matt.”

He wiped a tear from his eye and chuckled. “Stop making this old man cry. May I escort you to the car?”

I took his hand and waited for Morgan to grab my train before we made our way. The butterflies in my stomach were on overdrive, but I’d never been more excited. I was on the way to marry one of the most amazing men I’d ever known.

A short ten-minute drive was all it took for us to make it to the beach, which was packed with all the guests. James helped me out of the car, where I found Xander, Kade, and Alexi all dressed in their navy tuxedos, waiting for us to arrive.

“You look beautiful, Taylor. Matt’s going to lose his mind when he sees this dress,” Xander told me.

“Thank you. You guys look very handsome too.”

“We already know that,” Kade joked.

Morgan smacked his chest, then looped her arm through his. “Taylor, go back to your spot. It’s not your turn yet,” she commanded.

James and I stepped back right as the music began.

The thin white curtains parted, and Morgan and Kade made their way down the aisle, followed by Alexi, Alaia, and Xander. It probably only took a minute, but it seemed like a lifetime.

When the music changed, signaling that it was finally my time, I took a deep, steadying breath.

James looked down at me. “Are you ready, sweetie?”

“Absolutely.”

We took a few short steps and turned the corner. I didn’t see any of the decorations, guests, or the crystal-clear ocean in the background. All I saw was him and the smile that was resting on his beautiful face. All I saw was my husband.