Page 19 of The Last Bachelor Dragon (Mysteries of Dragon’s Island #8)
CHAPTER 18
***MAX***
T he sun had begun to set, the torches and candles had been lit, setting the perfect scene. All that was missing was his bride, Max thought, as he shifted nervously from foot to foot. “Relax, it will be over before you know it,” Cameron said. “Just take deep breaths.”
“I feel like I’ve been waiting for this moment forever,” he said, smiling at his friend. “If you’d told me a year ago I’d be standing here waiting for the woman of my dreams to marry me, I would have called you crazy.”
“Things do have a way of changing,” Cameron said, slapping him on the back. “I wouldn’t change anything that’s happened, not a bit of it.”
He opened his mouth to agree, but his words died on a sigh when he saw Nora step out of the tent, and any other thought fled his mind as his body responded to the sight of his soul mate. The dragon inside him came to life, sending a wave of magic surging through him, followed by a wave of desire that made his entire body begin to tingle. Warmth soon followed, and he let out another sigh, suddenly anxious to have Nora in his arms .
When she stepped up to him, her cheeks pink with excitement, it was all he could do not to kiss her right then, but he took her hand instead and turned to face Theo. “I’m honored on this special occasion that Max and Nora asked me to perform the marriage ceremony,” he said. “I guess it’s fitting that as the first one of us to get married, I should be the one to marry the last one of us to discover happiness in the arms of a strong woman.”
He paused, letting a ripple of laughter spread through the group, then continued. “It’s also fitting that we’re here. This waterfall has been special to all of us in one way or another,” he said, smiling at the knowing looks that passed between the couples. “Max called it the heart of the island, and I think he’s right. I’d like you all to join me in celebrating the union of Max and Nora here in this special place.”
When the moment came for him to pledge himself to Nora, he said the words, tears stinging his eyes, but refused to look away from her, not embarrassed by the emotions surging through him. She repeated the words, slightly breathless, tears running down her cheeks, her eyes locked on his, making the dragon inside him rejoice.
“Now with all that mushy stuff out of the way,” Theo said, ginning at them both. “I pronounce you man and wife. Max, you may kiss your bride.”
As he pulled her into his arms, the sun dipped below the horizon, but as he captured Nora’s mouth, a bright light appeared above their heads, and as he kissed her, it grew brighter and then exploded into millions of tiny pin-pricks of light that slowly fell over the group. A feeling of well-being fell over the clearing and everyone sighed, but Max and Nora didn’t notice, they were too lost in each other and the power of the bond pulsing between them.
When they finally came up for air, faces flushed, chest heaving, everyone laughed, then rushed over to them, calling out congratulations. Nora was breathless when they all finally gave them a moment alone. “Well, we did it,” she said, smiling up at him. “We’re an old married couple now.”
He laughed. “I don’t know about old, but I like the married part,” he said, then gave her a kiss. “And I’m looking forward to what comes next.”
“You mean dinner with our friends,” she said, laughing at the disappointment on his face. “You’re just going to have to be patient.”
“Are you sure we can’t just slip away for a few minutes?” he asked, wiggling his eyebrows at her. “I won’t even have to take off your dress.”
“And spoil our wedding night, no way,” she said, shaking her head. “Besides, a little anticipation will make it that much better.”
He thought about it for a second, then shook his head. “No, that just won’t work for me,” he said. “I’m more of the instant gratification kind of guy.”
“Are you two coming?” Cameron called. “We’re all starving, and I don’t think we can eat until you’re here too.”
“Well, husband, what do you say? Can you control yourself long enough to have dinner?” she asked, elbowing him in the ribs. “Or are you going to carry me off into the jungle like an animal?”
“Don’t tempt me, woman,” he said, then sighed. “Fine, dinner first, and then I get to drag you off into the jungle.”
As pretty as the table was, it was dark and empty of any food as they walked toward it, but when they stepped up, the candles came to life with a flash of light. When nothing else happened, Cameron looked over at them, then back at the table. “Maybe you should sit down,” he suggested. “This can’t be all there is.”
As soon as Max helped Nora into a chair at the head of the table and then joined her, there was a whoosh of air that momentarily forced them all to close their eyes. When they opened them, the table was filled with food, the mouth-watering aroma already filling the air around them. There was a collective sigh, then everyone quickly took their seats, spreading out around the table amid excited chatter and speculation about what was in all the dishes on the table.
When everyone had a full plate, Max raised his glass in the air. “Here’s to the island and all the joy and grief it’s brought to us all,” he said. “And here’s to true love. I wish everyone could be as lucky as all of us. I may not have believed when I came to Heart of the Ocean, but I’m a believer now, and I’ll forever be grateful for the gifts I’ve been given.”
***Nora***
Dinner passed by in a blur of conversation, good food, and the thrill of the new friendships being forged around the table. Looking around at the smiling faces, it hit Nora just how much her life had changed in such a short time. She was a married woman with an entirely new family. The thought that she and Max could soon be starting a family of their own did nothing but thrill her, and she couldn’t help but wonder if it might happen that night.
She still hadn’t confronted Max about his little omission when he’d told her about the bond between them, but the time would come. Looking over at him, she tried to picture him changing diapers and wiping snotty noses, and a smile slowly spread across her face at the image. She had no doubt he would be a good father. He’d be a bit protective, that was a given, but he’d be involved, and that’s what counted.
“Well, I think it’s about time we all headed out, we’ve got a long walk back to the village,” Archie said, getting to his feet. “And I’m sure these two are ready to be left alone. ”
“We’ll clean up a bit before we go,” Felicity said, joining him. “You two stay here and relax for a little while, we won’t be long.”
It wasn’t long before they were the only ones at the table, amused as they watched men scurrying around, putting out the torches, building them a little fire, while the women spent a lot of time in the tent. “What do you think they’re doing in there?” she finally asked. “We didn’t make that big of a mess.”
Max laughed, “I think we’ll find out soon enough,” he said. “But I did hear a discussion about pillows earlier, I think they forgot them.”
When they finally got up from the table to tell their friends goodbye, the moon was just beginning to rise in the sky and the stars were twinkling merrily over their heads. “Thank you again for everything,” she said. “It was a magical night, and it’s not over yet.”
“We’ll expect you all back by lunch tomorrow,” Harrison said, then grinned. “Don’t make us come looking for you.”
Silence fell over the clearing when they were all gone, and they stood wrapped in each other’s arms for a few minutes, watching the waterfall in the moonlight. Then she turned in Max’s arms and grinned up at him. “I think a swim would feel wonderful right now,” she said. “What do you think, Mr. St. Clair? Do you want to go skinnydipping with your wife?”
“You don’t have to ask me twice,” he said, grinning down at her. “I’ve been thinking about getting you naked in that water for the last hour.”
“Then what are we waiting for,” she said, turning her back on him. “Zipper, please.”
She felt his hands tremble a little as he slid her zipper down, felt the cool air on her back as the fabric parted, but stepped away from him before he could touch her. Stopping only a few steps from him, she wiggled out of the dress, smiling when she heard Max gasp when he saw that she was naked underneath. After kicking off her sandals, she reached up and unpinned her hair, letting it fall. Then, after looking back at him over her shoulder, she headed for the water.
“Are you coming?” she called, stepping into the pool with a sigh. “The water is nice and warm.”
She only made it a few feet before Max was scooping her into his arms, the feel of his hot skin on hers making her gasp. Then his mouth came down on hers in a kiss that left no doubt where their swim would end. He kissed her as they walked deeper into the water and her nipples hardened against his chest when she was forced to cling to him or go under, making him groan and pull her closer.
When they finally had to come up for air, she looked up at him, her heart pounding a little harder when she saw the need in Max’s eyes, but she wasn’t ready, wanted the anticipation to build just a little more. Pushing away from him, she swam away, then turned and splashed him, laughing at the look of shock on his face.
“Come back here, you little minx,” he said, swimming toward her, but she splashed him again, making him sputter. “Oh, so that’s the way you want it? Just remember you started it.”
He tried to splash her but she swam away, her laughter ringing in the air, but it wasn’t long before he caught up to her and wrapped his arms around her again. Slippery as a seal, she slid out of his arms, splashed him again, then swam away, but he dove under the water and suddenly came up in front of her. This time his splash hit the mark, and the water fight was on. They played like a couple of kids until they were both out of breath, then Max pulled her back into his arms.
“I give up, you win,” he said, grinning down at her. “I’m getting too old for this. ”
“You’re not old,” Nora said, then poked him in the stomach. “Just out of shape.”
“Watch it woman, those are fighting words,” he said, still smiling at her. “In fact, that almost sounded like a challenge.”
“Maybe it was,” she said, pushing away from him again. “Time to get out.”
He let her swim to shore, then watched as she climbed out of the water and stood dripping on the shore in the moonlight waiting for him, a seductive smile on her face. Anticipation thundered through him, making his entire body begin to hum with need, and he finally climbed out of the water, walked over to her, and scooped her up into his arms.
“No more games, my beauty,” he said. “I want you writhing under me in pleasure as I take you, and nothing is going to stop me now.”