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Epilogue

We dodged birdseed as we ran to the car. I laughed and brushed it out of my hair and Adrian's as he kissed me. We waved to the group of well-wishers. And then Adrian pulled me onto his lap and kissed me.

"So we're going to your apartment tonight?" I asked between kisses.

"Yes. And to Greece tomorrow."

I gave him a lingering kiss. "I'm going to drag you all over the place."

"I'll let you." He ran his hands over my body.

"We'll stay inside most of the day." I stroked his cheeks with my fingertips. "I don't want you becoming ill on our honeymoon."

"No, I've got a lot planned that wouldn't be fun if I got sunsick."

We kissed for the rest of the ride. Our hands roamed over familiar territory. But this time when we made love, it would be different.

The car stopped and the door opened, breaking us apart. We were there. I climbed out and waited for Adrian. He pulled some money out of his pocket and tipped the driver. Then he swung me into his arms and carried me to his apartment. He put me on my feet just inside the door.

He cupped my cheeks. "We'll do this slow, okay?"

"Okay."

"And if it would make you more comfortable, we could just keep doing what we have been."

"No." I kicked off my shoes and headed for his bedroom.

I pushed Adrian's coat off his shoulders and threw it across the room. His tie followed. He stood still as I unbuttoned his shirt and vest and kissed his chest.

He took my face in his hands and gave me a gentle kiss. "Turn around."

I did. He kissed the back of my neck as he slowly lowered the zipper. He kissed my shoulders as he pushed the straps off. I let it fall to the floor. Adrian wrapped his arms around me before I could turn around. He kissed my neck and all over my shoulders as he slid his hands over my stomach and hips.

"Let me touch you, too." I said softly.

He stepped away a fraction and I turned in his arms. I cupped his face and kissed his lips. I kissed his jaw, his neck, his shoulders. I wrapped my arms around his waist. My hands moved over his back and sides.

He led me to the bed. We removed the last bits of our clothes. Adrian picked up my left hand and kissed the finger with the new ring. "Let me make love to you."

"Please do."

He pulled me close for a deep kiss. He held me with one arm as he reached over and pushed the blanket aside. He laid me down on the bed, kissing me softly.

He leaned over me, pressing one knee between my legs. "We've still got a little bit to go." He lowered his mouth to mine and kissed me briefly.

His hands moved over my body in agonizingly slow deliberation. I pressed my body up everywhere he touched. I wanted his hands on every inch of me all at once. I rested my hands on his waist as he continued his exploration of my body with his hands and his mouth. He nipped and sucked at my skin.

My fingers found his hair as he closed his mouth over my breast. A moan escaped me. He made his way further down my body. His mouth was suddenly on my hip, sucking hard on my skin. His slipped his hand between my legs and rubbed me slowly.

He replaced his hand with his mouth after a while. I tightened my grip on his hair and whispered, "Oh, yes."

He pressed his mouth closer. It was like he wanted to take in all of me. And I wanted him to. My head fell back as I let the sensation of his mouth moving over me in that familiar way. I felt like I was flying. And then I was a kite at the end of my string. I let myself go as the convulsions took over.

He kissed his way slowly up my body. Our mouths moved together as he held me close.

He lifted his head. "How do you feel?"

I smiled. "Wonderfully exhausted."

"Me too." He kissed me again.

I raised my hand and touched his face. "You're amazing."

He kissed me again. "Naw, just your husband. So, what's next?"

"I want to please you." I rolled him onto his back. I slipped my hand down his chest. "Am I doing any of this right?" I moved my mouth closer to his as I moved my hand over his erection.

"You know how to do this." He said around the breath caught in his throat.

"I want, um…"

"What?" He smiled. He already knew. "I want to hear you say it."

"I want you inside me."

"Gladly." He kissed me and pushed me away slightly. He reached across me to the box of condoms I hadn't processed being on the night stand until that moment.

"And now…" He struggled to open the package. "You sure you're ready for this?"

"I don't know." I took my hand away and watched as he rolled the contraceptive on. "Walk me through it."

He smirked. "I thought you already knew. All those books."

"Please, Adrian." I scolded.

He laughed and leaned over me. He kissed me. "I go here." He slipped a finger inside me slowly and started moving it. "If it hurts or is uncomfortable, tell me to stop."

I nodded and watched his face as he slipped a second finger inside me. It was a different sensation than when he had his mouth on me, but I liked it just the same. I rocked my hips up to his touch and let out a soft moan. I dug my fingers into his arms.

"You ready?"

"Yes." My hands slipped down his back as he moved between my thighs and entered me. I gasped in pain and screwed my eyes shut.

"Hey." Adrian said softly, slipping a hand into mine and lifting it up beside my head as he twined our fingers together. "Are you okay?"

I nodded.

"Don't play tough, honey. If it hurts too much—"

"I'm fine." I said through my teeth. I opened my eyes and squeezed his hand. I threaded the fingers of my other hand in his hair and pulled him to me for a kiss.

"I'm going to start moving now." He said against my lips.

"Okay."

He reached down and pulled my leg around his waist. He moved out of me slowly and back in. The pain was like nothing I'd ever experienced before.

"I'm sorry." I panted. "Just stop a second."

He paused. "It's okay, Sydney. Just relax. It's me. It's you and me." He slid his hand up my side. "It's okay." He said again, pressing a kiss to my mouth. "Tell me when you're ready again."

I took a few deep breaths and then nodded. "Okay, go again."

"You're sure?"

I gave him a wobbly smile. "Yes. Go on."

He kissed me again as he started moving once more. The pain was going away slowly. I felt less like wanting to die and more like wanting to be consumed by Adrian. My husband. I thought with a smile as I wrapped my leg around his and tightened my grip on his hand and hair.

Adrian closed his eyes and rested his forehead on mine as we moved together. I heard the soft grunting from the back of his throat grow louder.

He murmured, "I love you so much, baby. You're perfect. You're so perfect."

I pulled his mouth back to mine for a kiss. He slipped his tongue into my mouth and I stroked it with mine, sucking on it hard. Adrian broke the kiss suddenly and gasped out my name just before I felt him pulsating inside me. He slowed his movements and then he stopped. He kissed me once more and then rolled away.

He didn't let go of my hand. They were joined above our heads. I wanted to say so many things, but nothing formed on my tongue.

Adrian spoke a few minutes later when he regained his breathing, "How are you?"

"Fine." I said barely above a whisper.

"It's different, isn't it?"

"All of it is." I turned my head to find him watching me.

"I love you."

I rolled into him and kissed his shoulder. "I love you."

He smiled. "This is the best day of my life."

I pressed my mouth to his. "It'll get better."

"You promise?"

"I promise."

He rolled me onto my back and kissed me hard on the mouth. "I love you."

"You said that already."

"I'm going to say it all the time. Whenever the mood strikes."

"As long as you mean it."

"I do now. And I will always."

I moved my hands up into his hair. "I'll love you as long as I live."

He kissed me again. This kiss was full of all the promises we'd made that day. All the promises we'd ever made.

Author's note: Thank you so much for reading this. Thank you for all the favorites and follows. And thank you for the reviews. You guys have always been so positive and I love that. Also, thank you to those of you who reblogged and liked my posts about this on Tumblr.

I have some ideas for more of Josh and Marti. And if you don't know who they are, check out Playing Hooky and Build Your World Around Me (the latter is a Jeddie fic, but Marti makes her first appearance there).

Thanks again for reading!