Page 219 of Savage Suit

“Ma’am, please begin.” Father Murphey instructed.

Like me, she closed her eyes and drew in a breath. When she opened them again, she focused on me, the love in her eyes amazed me. “I, Ryan, take you to be my husband, and my partner in life. I will cherish our union, and whatever it brings, through the good times and bad. I will nurse you when you’re sick and laugh with you when you’re well. I’ll cry with you, reassure you when things are tough, and celebrate with you when things are great. I not only give you my hand, but the entirety of my heart and love. I’ll stand by you no matter what, and for as long as I’m breathing, I’ll be yours.”

The priest, himself a bit teary eyed, looked at Graham, who had been given our wedding rings by Lorenzo, our ring bearer. Graham dug in his pocket and handed them over.

Father Murphey held out Ryan’s ring to me. “Place this ring on her finger and repeat the following.” He waited until I did as told, then said, “I give you this ring as a token and pledge of our constant faith and abiding love.”

The priest turned to Ryan and handed her my ring, giving her the same instructions. With our rings on, I heard the words I’d longed to hear. “By virtue of the authority vested in me under the laws of the State of New York, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride.”

I grabbed Ryan and slanted my lips over hers, smiling against her mouth. She gripped my neck as I held her waist, and the guests clapped and cheered. Satisfaction bloomed in me. The woman in my arms was mine, now and forever.

Epilogue

I felt weightless, a sensation I’d grown to love, and one of the best parts of scuba diving. Freedom from gravity, the ability to glide in any direction, was euphoric to me. The beautiful underwater world of the Belize Barrier Reef was a privilege to witness. The second largest reef in the world and the largest in the northern hemisphere, offered a breathtaking escape. Clear blue water, beautiful animals in their natural habitat, and bright coral created a gorgeous contrast and an excellent view. I’d visited the reef before and couldn’t think of a better place for our honeymoon.

Rays of sun penetrated the water, alighting our surroundings with a magical glow. A colorful patch of coral a school of fish traversed transfixed Ryan. My heart warmed at her awe, though she was too far away for comfort. Fearing I’d lose her to the vast ocean depths, I swam to my wife and grabbed her nylon clad arm. She didn’t protest, swimming under my guidance, her ponytail floating around her.

A spotted eagle ray entered my sight, quickly followed by two more. The stunning scenery halted me. Typically, eagle rays were shy creatures that traveled alone. Instead, these majestic animals swam within a few feet of Ryan and I, less wary of us than expected, but thankfully maintaining a healthy distance. They had venomous tail spines.

Ultimately, the rays swam away, disappearing into unknown depths. Ryan’s enjoyment of the dive made me lose lost track of time. We glided through the water, stopping to investigate from time to time. Eventually, after a blissful eternity, we returned to our villa situated on a small island atop the reef.

“That was fucking amazing!” Ryan exclaimed as she zipped down her wetsuit, revealing a white bikini that made her skin tone pop, which was even darker than usual due to the hours we’d spent lounging in the Belize sun.

“I told you it would be,” I gloated, removing my wetsuit and flashing her a cocky smirk. Initially, she’d been too afraid to scuba dive with me, but after days of coaxing, I’d convinced her to try it.

“Okay, okay. You were right,” she said sullenly as she handed over her soaking wetsuit.

I directed an arrogant smirk her way, her admission pleasing me. However, my expression earned an annoyed eyeroll from Ryan. She turned her back to me, and while I finished removing my suit, she stared at the ocean from where we stood on the old wooden dock that granted residents of the villa unlimited diving access.

Her skimpy bikini barely covered her ass. “Ready?”

She turned to me, giving me a small smile and a nod. “Yeah.”

I held my hand out, and we walked back to our villa together. Holding her smaller, more delicate hand was amazing. After a week of marriage, I couldn’t believe she belonged to me.

Our villa was a small, brightly colored two-story building. The lofted bedroom and en suite bathroom made up the entirety of upstairs. A large wraparound porch dominated the ground floor, while a corner patio had a pair of loungers separated by a small table, and a hot tub overlooking the sparkling blue ocean. The place was quaint, but still rife with luxuries.

“I can’t wait to soak in the bathtub. I’ve always wanted a jacuzzi tub,” she said as we entered the living room.

“Duly noted,” I replied with a small smile, aware of Ryan’s wish.

My condo had many amenities, except tubs. The rain head walk-in showers had built-in seats, but it still wasn’t a tub, fine by me and my staff, but my wife longed for a place to soak.

I’d purchased a house for us on the other side the Lincoln Tunnel. We’d be less than a thirty-minute drive from Keegan Enterprises, and our family and friends. The house was constructed in the 1920s, and the old building required a few repairs and upgrades. Installing her jacuzzi tub in the master bathroom topped the list.

Upon our return to Manhattan, I wanted to surprise her, but her wistfulness had me rethinking my decision.

“Care to join?” she offered from upstairs, peering over the chest-high fence serving as a barrier, flashing me a playful grin.

It wouldn’t work out. “I’ll pass.”

We’d tried the first night we arrived to take a bath together, and unfortunately, I found it too crammed to be enjoyable, even with Ryan’s naked body flush against mine.

A funny look came over her face, but she shrugged and walked away. “Suit yourself. I’ll be out in a minute.”

Deciding my mind played tricks on me, I went to the kitchen to spend the evening cooking dinner and treating my wife to whatever she desired.

I moaned, swallowing the last of the delicious meal Noah whipped up for us. “I didn’t know you cooked.”