I Now Pronounce You....

Lee was ready to go too, and suddenly they were completely on their own as they started walking away from their siblings. Later, Tarin would roll his eyes at the memory and the unbelievable amount of crap he'd get from his older brother about not even saying goodbye before he spirited Lee off. Tarin couldn't have cared less about it at the moment though, because the way that Lee was looking at him made his mouth go dry all over again. And as they walked towards the hotel, Tarin halfway wished that they'd brought the champange along.

Tarin looked sideways at Lee as they entered the hotel and thought for the millionth time since he'd seen her in the dress, just how absolutely and utterly beautiful she was. How lucky he was. How simply grateful he was that they'd ended up where they were.

Tarin had always seen married people as the type of schmucks who were shackling themselves to one person and one place for their entire lives. It had made so much sense at that time to simply keep a parade of women going in and out of his shop, then pick up and move somewhere new. In hindsight, he'd been so stupid. But Tarin wouldn't have traded any of it away. No, if none of that had happened, he wouldn't have ended up in New York...and if he hadn't made a very poor decision one beautiful day in the park, he'd have never gotten Lee. Tarin had told her once at the top of the Empire State Building that he believed in fate, and this was just more proof positive to him that it really existed.

Lee had changed him, made those couples make sense. They fit together, in more ways than one, and he couldn't imagine what kind his life would have been like without her…but he knew that it wouldn’t have been right. Sometime during all of his thoughts, they’d made it to the hotel. That had been fast, Tarin thought he remembered it being further, or had he really been that caught up in his own thoughts while they’d walked? The people in the hotel turned and looked at them as they walked by and Tarin wondered how many of them had the remotest of clues what this night had meant. He would have put money on none.

They got the elevator and Tarin pushed the button, then pushed it three more times when the doors didn’t immediately open. He wanted to be back in their nice room…their nice room with a Jacuzzi. Somewhere, anywhere away from the prying eyes of the rest of the world. He looked at Lee as he waited impatiently and smiled, trying to find something to say but failing miserably. Words just didn’t express what he was feeling, so he kissed her. Right as the elevator dinged and the doors opened.

Tarin sighed and pulled his lips away from Lee’s as the doors opened and they made their way inside. Of course, two other couples and a small family crowded inside too. Tarin hit the button for their floor then moved back to stand by Lee, wrapping an arm around her waist, then watching in horror as the little brat apparently owned by the family pushed every button in the elevator.

“You’ve got to be kidding me…” Tarin groaned, casting Lee a sideways look before bursting out in mirthful laughter and turning to kiss Lee again. “Nothing’s ever easy.” He said against her lips, then turned her so her back was facing him, pulling her backwards and wrapping his arms around her while his fingertips played lightly along the place where the black material met the white on the dress.

It didn’t really take all that long, considering all the buttons, and the family got off at the fourth floor after the elevator started. That in and of itself should have been irritating, but by that point Tarin had leaned his chin on Lee’s shoulder and was carefully studying the strapless neckline of her dress.

Up and up they went, stopping at every floor until eventually they were alone in the elevator. Tarin held himself together though until finally the elevator stopped at their floor. They’d splurged a bit. They were so used to being frugal, not even their wedding night had induced them to extravagance in the extreme. The room they’d booked was nicer than the usual room in this hotel, but it was only one of the smaller suites.

Out of the elevator Tarin pulled Lee, keeping one of her hands in his as he pulled her towards the room. Once at the door he reached into his pocket and pulled out his wallet and dug out the card, working it in the electronic lock until the little green light came on and he tripped the latch.

Lee moved to walk past him and his arms shot out, wrapping around her waist, “Nuh uh Mrs. Brooks,” he said, voice husky as it went over the words, “as untraditionally as we’ve done everything else to this point…this is one thing I’m going to do right.”

That said, Tarin kissed her soundly then bent, arm behind Lee’s knees as he tipped her backwards, effectively scooping her into his arms. As strong as she was, it was easy to forget just how tiny Lee was and Tarin marveled again at the fact that this was his wife.

Over the threshold of the hotel room doorway Tarin stepped, futher into the room, then pushed the door shut with his foot before setting Lee back down on her feet. Usually what came next would have been easy, but for some reason after everything that had happened that day it seemed weird just to jump in. The room was dark, they’d shut the lights off before they left, but the lights from the strip cast a neon glow in through the windows and they played over Lee’s face and bare shoulders as she stood in the room.

“You’ve got to be the most beautiful woman to ever get married…” Tarin said, raising his hand to her cheek before kissing her softly, almost as gently as during the ceremony. “I swear Lee…I’m never going to forget how lucky you made me on this day…”

Ah, she blushed. Even in the dim flashing light provided by the neon out on the strip, Tarin could see the dark color moving up from the neckline of her dress and into her cheeks as she stood there and looked at him. He’d told her, so many months ago that he always knew he was saying the right thing when she blushed. This time was no different, though he’d only been telling the truth.

Lee moved forward and kissed him, much in the same way as he’d just kissed her and Tarin sighed happily against her lips, arms reaching out to encircle her and pull her tight against his body. She kissed him again and this kiss was different , deeper and more passionate and Tarin responded in kind, hands moving to her hips, then sliding up her back to hold her close.

Lee pulled away and Tarin looked down at her, completely dazed from the kiss as she spoke. Then he smiled and dropped his forehead to Lee’s, closing his eyes even as he smiled at her.

“I can’t believe I’m the one who got to marry you.” He said, hands moving again, running over the beading on the dress before he stepped backwards and unbuttoned the jacket on his tux, shrugging out of it before dropping it onto the table that had come with the suite. That out of the way, Tarin moved back to Lee and looked down at her, shoving his hands in his pockets so he’d behave while he tried to work out what he’d been trying to say all day.

People spent months and months writing their own vows for days like today, moments like this in lives that people didn’t think were possible. They’d eloped though and there hadn’t been time for anything more than the stumbled and slightly misspoken words in the chapel. That wasn’t good enough for Lee, even if Tarin knew this was exactly what she’d wanted. ..she’d been the one to suggest it.

“Lee…” he said, voice low and suddenly full of emotion he hadn’t realized had surfaced, “You…you’re absolutely the best part of me.” He said, lowering his brown eyes to meet her beautiful grey one, she tried to say something but he loosed one of his hands putting a finger to her lips, “I didn’t get to say any of this while we were in the chapel, and I’ve been trying to figure out how to say it…probably for my whole life.” She quieted and he nodded and smiled, then started talking again.

“I never thought that something like this was in the cards for me…that there was anyone out there who could make me want the types of things that marriage entailed.” Tarin paused, then smiled and spoke with the tone of an enlightened man, “Then I met you…and you were so different than any woman I ever met…you’re so strong…and so beautiful. I still look at you sometimes and wonder when I’m going to wake up from this dream that I’ve been dreaming for the last year and a half. I hope it never happens, I hope I never wake up, because I don’t think that I’d be anything without you.”

At that point, the words ran out and Tarin let his finger slide down from Lee’s lips, his hand tracing down her neck as his hand moved to the back of her head and he leaned down to kiss her. This was a real kiss too, a kiss full of passion, and longing from the past months that the night in the truck hadn’t started to quench. “God I love you…” he said against her lips, his other hand moving to her hair to start searching for the pins that had held it up so beautifully during their wedding. Tarin wanted her hair down, wanted his hands in it, wanted Lee in general.

His finger on her lips had stopped her from talking initially, but as he continued Tarin had a feeling that Lee was speechless. Perfect, that’s what he’d been going for, and it was hard to make Lee speechless. Her reaction was more than enough to say that she had understood, had listened to what he was saying, Tarin was glad, he’d meant every single word.

She might have been getting ready to say something when he leaned down to kiss her, but Tarin didn’t know, and really didn’t care. If she had something to say, it could be said later. Lee seemed to forget quickly too, because almost instantly her arms were up around his neck, bringing her body tight up against his. Yup. They were done talking.

A few moments later the kiss changed and Lee’s hands moved into his hair. Just like everything that night, it was different, more intense, Lee was almost pulling. Thinking about it again...intense didn’t even describe it, and Tarin entertained several notions that involved torn fabric and instant gratification. With supreme will that he would congratulate himself on for years to come, he held back though. Lee would probably want to keep the dress, after all and this was their wedding night.

Lee’s hands left his hair at almost the moment his found hers and started working at getting rid of the pins. It was an arduous task, made even more so by the fact that Lee was working at getting his tux off. Tux…rented tux…stupid rented tux with way more pieces than were absolutely necessary. Lee was trying blind and doing a good job, but there were just so many pieces. What had to be the last pin came free and Tarin allowed himself to grip her hair for a few moments, fingers running through the curls. Lee made a little noise and that restraint Tarin was so proud of simply snapped, impatience bubbling over as he pulled away from the kiss so he could actually see what was going on with his clothes.

“I’m going to find the bastard that decided this much clothing was necessary for getting married and beat his ass…” he said, already freeing his wrist from one cuff and working on the other while Lee dealt with the buttons on the vest and shirt. Finally, Tarin was free, though, and he shrugged completely out of the shirt, tossed the tie...somewhere behind him then looked at Lee who was still fully dressed.

“Uh…” he said, walking her backwards towards the bed, “If you want that thing to stay in once piece…" he said, indicating the dress she wasn't going to be wearing for much longer, one way or another, "you’d better start working at getting it off.”

His shirt was gone, thank god his shirt was gone. It wasn’t hot in the room, but the heat rushing through Tarin’s veins was nearly enough to make him sweat. That’s what Lee did to him, she made him hot. Pretty much anytime she wanted to, pretty much anytime she tried, and a fair amount of time when she didn’t try.

They were making their way to the bed, Lee had the same look in her eyes that Tarin was sure was mirrored in his own, he was leaning down to kiss her again and maybe make good on that promise to destroy the dress if she didn’t take it off soon when…she stopped.

Tarin’s breath caught in his throat as Lee moved backwards. The look in her eyes didn’t suggest that she was going to redlight the whole situation, but as she moved further away, Tarin wanted to follow her, he even moved to follow her. He hadn’t meant it about tearing the dress…he’d help her take it off…but Lee told him to stay where he was. Tarin just nodded, casting pleading looks in her direction. He’d taken his shirt off…she should at least take…Oh. Lee was fumbling with the hook and eye…but finally got it then decided she needed to tease. Oh god why did she have to tease? Tarin hadn’t had nearly enough of her in the truck for her to start teasing. His bride had asked him to wait though…so he waited.

Tarin hadn’t thought he couldn’t possibly get hotter, standing in the middle of a reasonably cool room with no shirt on than he’d been with Lee’s hands on him, but as she stood there with nothing holding her dress on but the light pressure of her arms Tarin would have sworn his body temperature rose a good twenty or thirty degrees. Suddenly he felt like loosening a collar or tie that wasn’t there…and that was before she asked if he really wanted her to take the dress off.

All Tarin could do was nod, anticipating the sight of Lee’s bare skin underneath the black and white material that had covered her so beautifully during the wedding ceremony, but nothing on heaven or on Earth could have prepared him for what he saw when Lee let the dress pool to her feet.

Tarin’s heart stopped for a good five seconds, he was sure of it, and he stopped breathing too. In fact, Tarin was pretty sure he died for that five full seconds before pure and unbridled lust surged through him in a way that he’d never felt before in his life…and Tarin had lived a lot of this kind of life. A strangled groan escaped his lips that sounded something like, “Holy god Lee… as his eyes followed the path the dress had taken to the floor then moved upwards, starting at the shoes. She’d worn fishnets…fishnets underneath her wedding dress and as Tarin’s eyes went higher, his breathing hitched again, and again….and again until he was physically shaking.

Suddenly, Tarin felt like he was fifteen again and didn’t have a clue what to do with the woman in front of him, the woman that was now moving towards him in the neon glow of their honeymoon suite. His woman…his wife. Oh god…this was his wife.

Tarin was dizzy by the time Lee stopped, so close to him that he could smell her hair, but not quite feel her against him. He just stared. Her arms moved and Tarin anticipated them moving to his hair, or around his neck, but instead they went to his pants. Oh. He was still wearing pants. Lee had worn that under her wedding dress through the whole ceremony…and he was still wearing pants.

Apparently not for long, though, and as Lee spoke, Tarin came back to life again, an absolutely predatory smile painting his features as he let Lee do her thing. She was never this forward, this demanding, and it was by far the hottest thing she’d ever done, then she pulled him by the still fastened belt and his body was pressed against hers.

He wasn’t going to help her with the belt. Besides, he needed his hands free for other things. Lots and lots of other things, he thought, as they found Lee’s hair again, and he pulled her head to the side, dipping his head to that spot just below her ear. It was as good place as any to start, and as his hands moved from her hair and started to roam her body and Lee finished her work on the rest of his clothes, Tarin couldn’t help but think for a brief moment before instinct took over and that bed got put to good use that this was a great way to start a marriage.

*fade to black*

Tarin had always slept in the afterglow, it was just kind of how it worked for him. With Lee, though, it was always a little different, more intense. Tarin knew that at least part of that was her powers, all the physical contact had some effect. He’d just be being stubborn if he couldn’t admit that. As he dozed, Tarin went over the last…however long it had been…in his mind and every now and then he’d smile slightly at a particular memory.

Lee had gotten up at some point and Tarin figured she was going to take a shower or down to the exercise center they’d seen when they checked in. She usually had way too much energy after sex to just sit or lay in one place very long. Time went on, though, and Tarin didn’t hear the shower turn on…and no door opening and closing. He sighed and took a deep breath and let himself slip off into slightly deeper sleep.

A while later, Tarin was awakened by the sound of the door and he sat up in the bed, blinking and rubbing sleep from his eyes and figuring that Lee had slipped out and was now returning from some kind of workout. He grinned, that probably meant she would want to wash off…and there was a Jacuzzi that was definitely big enough for two in the room they had. Lee was still there though, standing by a cart with her back to him.

Rising from the bed, tempted not to bother with clothes, Tarin thought better and grabbed the comforter from the floor, wrapping it around his shoulders before padding up behind Lee and wrapping his arms around her. “How long have I been out?” he asked, then noted her lack of clothing other than the sheet. Granted…all the other clothes were strewn from place to place, including one of those very nice stockings Lee had had that was now hanging from the light fixture over the bed…but Tarin had been sure Lee would go to work off some energy.

“You didn’t have to stay in here the whole time I was out…” he said, pushing her hair aside to kiss down from behind her ear to her shoulder. From which vantage point he saw the food.

“Oh god…you got food…you really are the best wife ever.” he said, eyes locking on the only thing that could have distracted him from Lee. As if on cue, his stomach grumbled loudly, and Tarin released his wife, realizing just how hungry he was. “I need to refuel…” he said, then started digging through the various plates, “Did you get any pancakes?”

Then he saw the card in Lee’s hand, “What’s that?” he said, finding a fruit plate and popping a couple grapes in his mouth.

Lee didn’t seem surprised to find him there when he wrapped his arms around her, and Tarin grinned at the little shiver that ran through her as he kissed his way down her neck. He’d come back to that later…probably a couple of times. Now though, it was time for food. Tarin and Josh had grabbed a quick bite somewhere between booking the chapel and getting their tux’s, but that was hours ago…and before…everything that had already happened. Tarin refused to dwell at the moment, he needed to eat and that wasn’t going to happen if he started thinking about what he and Lee had been doing not too long ago in that huge bed.

Tarin was digging through the food, and finally found what he’d been hoping and praying for. “Pancakes!” he exclaimed, and dropped down into one of the chairs, managing to find the syrup as well and pouring a liberal amount over his prize before digging in. He had to laugh, though, when Lee pointed out that she simply knew him well enough to know he’d want food. She didn’t seem to mind the best wife ever comment, though so he grinned through a mouth full of pancake, “I do….and you are.”

Lee was talking, explaining why she’d stayed in the hotel room while he slept and Tarin swallowed his mouthful of pancake, setting down his fork to reach out and trace down Lee’s back where the sheet had slipped down. “Hey now…” he said, “It wouldn’t have been that soon…” He added with raised eyebrows, then tilted his head at Lee, as he shoveled more food into his mouth. The sooner he ate, the sooner he could use his hands…and mouth…for other, much more interesting things. Lee seemed concerned about her state of energy though and Tarin frowned slightly as he thought back and wondered if Lee had slept since that night under the stars.

“Well…do you want to go walk out on the strip?” he asked with supreme force of will, attempting to sacrifice the plans he’d had for the rest of the night in the hotel room. Lee needed rest at some point, or she’d crash. “If you’re that full of energy, maybe we ought to get out. Someplace I’m going to be able to behave myself.” He said, casting Lee a look full of heat, “Because If I have to look at you, wrapped up in that sheet, much longer…you’re not going to leave this hotel room until I can’t physically move anymore. ”

Lee answered his question about the card quickly and Tarin had to laugh at the comment that their siblings had thought they needed a little extra something for their wedding night. “They obviously don’t know us very well then…wedding night jitters were not a problem.”