What Happens in Mexico...Stays in Mexico

Chapter Eleven

Helping her into the carriage, Matt gave a sigh of relief, praying Sharra would think the same when the night was over.  First objective accomplished, he thought.  Now if I can pull the rest of the evening off as well.  He settled Sharra into the dilapidated seat and put his arm around her.  A nod to the driver and they were off.

“I’ve always wanted to ride in one of these,” Sharra sighed.  “How did you know?”

“I saw you watching them earlier today.”  He kissed her hair and gave her a gentle hug.  “You had that look in your eyes.  I thought you’d enjoy seeing the city at night.”

“The lights are so beautiful.  And I love seeing the reflections on the water of the bay.”

“They aren’t nearly as beautiful as you are,” he whispered nibbling her curved ear.  “I look at you and I want Juan to take us right back to the hotel.”  Surreptitiously, he pulled her hand over to rest on the bulge in his pants.  “See.  I look at you and want you.”

She shivered and gave his crotch a squeeze.  “Don’t tempt me.  Don’t we have someplace to be?”

Sighing, Matt remembered the rest of his plan.  Regretfully, he removed her hand from his cock and held it instead.  “You’re right.  But wait until later.  You and I will have another appointment.”

Sharra giggled and snuggled closer.  “You’re on.”  Then she raised her face to his and batted her eyes coquettishly.  “Think I could have a taste of what you have planned?”

Heat raced through him at her flirting.  “I think that could be arranged.”  With a groan, he covered her lips with his own.

Nothing more was heard for a while except the soft clopping of the horse’s hoofs and the tuneless whistling of the driver.  The noisy city dropped away and it was if the carriage and its occupants were in their own little world—one made just for lovers.  Time stood still as they shared emotions that were still too fragile to speak aloud.

It was a long time later when Matt realized the carriage had slowed to a halt.  All his nerves came back in a rush as he regretfully pulled away from Sharra and helped her from the carriage.  He spoke a few words to the still smiling Juan who nodded happily.  The driver got out a feedbag and put it around the horse’s face.  The sound of chewing filled the air.

“Where are we?  What is this place?”

Turning to Sharra, he cupped her face lovingly and with a deep breath put his heart into her hands.  “This is a church.  One of the oldest in Puerto Vallarta.  I’ve spoken to a priest and if you’re willing, I want you to marry me.”

Her eyes went wide in astonishment.  “Marry you?  Again?”

He didn’t want to lie, but…  “The first time didn’t count.  You…don’t remember it.  I want to marry you, Sharra.  I love you.  And I think…I think you love me.”

This is it, Sharra thought.  Do I love him?  She gazed up into his intense, ardent eyes and thought about the days they’d spent together.  So full of adventure, passion and pleasure.  Different than anything she’d ever done before—from anything she’d ever thought of before.  He’d changed her life. 

And tonight.  The beautiful dress, the carriage ride, and now this beautiful old church with the priest waiting inside.  Matt had gone out of his way to make sure this wedding would be one she’d remember.  How many other guys would have done that? 

Reaching up, she traced the line of his jaw and heard him stifle a groan.  Sharra loved what her touch did to him…what his touch did to her.  She did believe in love at first sight and she knew now without a doubt she’d never loved Frank.  She’d loved the idea of being in love.  And what she felt for Matt was beyond anything she’d ever dreamed of.  But was it love?

“Sharra?  Damn it.  Answer me.”

There he was.  She smothered a grin.  Her impatient, short-tempered, act-before-you-think Matt.  But he was so much more than what was on the surface.  His hidden gentleness, his protectiveness, his humor, and above all the way he made her feel as if she were the most precious thing on the planet.  His touch both soothed and excited her and his love would be something she could count on forever.  Smiling with utter joy, she let walls surrounding her heart fall and in that moment she was absolutely sure.

“I do love you, Matt,” she whispered, feeling the glory of the truth light up her soul.  “I think I loved you from that very first kiss.”

His eyes flamed with heat and she was pulled against him so tightly, she could barely breath.  “Oh God, honey.  You had me scared to death there for a minute.”  He pushed her away and cradled her face in his hands.  “Are you sure?  Once we do this, you’ll be mine forever.  I told you, I’m never going to let you go.”

She only grinned at his possessiveness, feeling the same emotion swamp her as well.  “Not quite.  We’ll belong to each other.”

Happiness lit his face and he embraced her again, this time even tighter.  “I love you.  God, how I love you.”

She hugged him, giddy in the knowledge of what she was feeling.  “I’m sorry I was so stubborn.  It was all so confusing at first.  I didn’t know I could feel like this.”

His sigh shuddered through them both.  “I know, baby.  Neither of us expected this.  And while I may be hard-headed, I’m not stupid.  I know a good thing when I see it.”

“And I’m a good thing?”

Matt’s voice was hoarse with feeling when he answered.  “The best!”

Love sang through her as going up on her tiptoes, she kissed him.  “Then ask me again.”

His eyes glowed with his feelings as he took her hands in his and lifted them to his lips.  “Sharra.  I’m crazy in love with you.  I want to spend the rest of my life with you.  Raise dogs and babies and maybe even a cat or two.  Marry me, honey.  Make me the happiest man in the world.”

Blinking back tears, Sharra could barely speak.  “You’re perfect.  This is perfect.  I love you so much.  I’ll take you and the babies.  Even the cats and dogs.”  She threw herself into his arms.  I’ll marry you.  I did last week, and I’ll do it tonight and any other time you want me to.”

With a shout of joy, he kissed her and this time it tasted of the sweet delight of tender commitment.  They belonged together…she knew it with every fiber of her being.  They may have started their marriage under confusing circumstances, but it was worth it.  She’d found the man she wanted to spend the rest of her life with and nothing would ever keep them apart.

Lifting his mouth from hers, Matt pressed a soft kiss to her forehead.  “We better get inside.  The priest is waiting.”

Sharra nodded.  “And I think we’re embarrassing the horse…and Juan too.”

Chuckling, he gave her a last hug.  “I’ll need your ring.”

Unconsciously, she curled her fingers up into a fist.  “My ring?”

He pulled his off and handed it to her.  “Gotta do the ceremony again.  This time I want you to remember me putting a ring on your finger.”

Without another word, she worked her wedding ring down over her knuckle and handed it to him.  Immediately, she felt naked without it.  When she spoke her thought aloud, his eyes darkened. 

“Don’t worry.  You’ll get it back real soon.  Then we’ll find another way of getting you naked.”

Her cheeks went pink and she shushed him while she looked over her shoulder at the dozing horse and driver.  “Matt!”

Tucking her hand in his arm, he only laughed softly.  “Come on, wife.  It’s time to make it all legal.”

Later, she’d remember the ceremony as being one of the most intimate and beautiful experiences of her life.  The church was cool and quiet, with hundreds of flickering candles lighting up the whitewashed stone walls.  The scent of the fresh flowers Matt had ordered mixed with the odor of age and decay.

The priest was as ancient as the crumbling building, his dark face creased with wrinkles, but his black eyes were filled with wisdom and patience.  A knowing that surpassed the ages.  When Sharra took his hand, it was as if she were shaking a piece of roughened paper, his grip was so light.  But his voice, when he began to speak over them, boomed like thunder in the small chapel room.

He spoke in Spanish, but Matt leaned in close to translate the words.  The priest spoke of love and fidelity.  Of God and the Church.  He said marriage was a gift given to men by God and was to be respected and never taken for granted.  Sharra felt the tears burn her eyes as the old man spoke of a love that would never die.  God’s love for his people and a man’s love for his wife.  And the whole time the priest was speaking, Matt never took his eyes from hers.  Sharra felt the promise of all their future tomorrows in his gaze.

Matt could barely hold himself together.  He’d been so scared she’d rabbit on him, or refuse to even consider the idea of marriage, he was literally weak at the knees as they stood before the cross to speak their vows.  When the priest recited the familiar words about loving, honoring and giving her all his worldly goods, he remembered the bag of coins he had in his pocket.  Pulling it out, he waited for the priest’s nod before pouring the golden coins into Sharra’s cupped hands.

Her tone was quiet and reverent when she asked, “What do these mean?”

“Trece monedas de oro.  The thirteen gold coins.  They stand for Jesus and his disciples,” he answered.  “A man gives them to his bride to show her his commitment to share his wealth with her…to take care of her.  By taking them, you are giving me your complete trust.  Believing that I have the ability to do so.”

“Oh, that’s lovely.”  She smiled.  “Then of course I accept them.  You won’t have to, but I know you can take care of me.  You’ve done pretty well so far.”

Guilt stabbed him once before he shoved it away.  He wouldn’t allow anything to screw up this moment.  “And I will take care of you, Sharra.  I swear on my own life.  No matter what.”

She frowned at his statement, but before she could say anything, the priest began speaking their vows over them.  The words were old and beautiful, made even more meaningful by the flowery language spoken.  Carefully, Matt and Sharra repeated the time honored promises, their eyes locked and their hands wrapped around the golden coins.

The wedding rings were blessed and when Matt slid Sharra’s back on her finger, he felt a relief so great his legs almost buckled.  When she did the same for him, it was all he could do not to shout his happiness out loud.  He couldn’t wait for the pronouncement they were man and wife.

For real this time.

But instead, he was handed a long white ribbon and instructed to wrap it around them both.  Nonplussed, he did as the priest instructed.  Once he was done, the man of God made the sign of the cross over them both and began speaking again.  Matt smiled down at Sharra’s confused face.

“He says the white ribbon symbolized the joining of two people into one.  The white represents the purity of love that will bind us together forever.  It is called El Lazo, or lasso and it means everyday we are to equally share the responsibility and joy of being married.”

Sharra fingered the ribbon.  “What a beautiful custom.”

“As beautiful as my bride.”

Before she could do more than blush, the padre was speaking again.  This time there was no need for translation.  “Ahora pronuncio le, el hombre y a la esposa.”  Then the old man grinned and spoke in English.

“Senior, you may kiss your bride.”

Giving a whoop of joy and relief, Matt swung Sharra up into his arms and kissed her deeply.  The priest clapped and smiled and at the back of the church, Matt could hear happy shouting.  Turning around, he saw to his surprise, not only Juan, the grinning carriage driver, but his horse as well.  The animal let out a lusty neigh that sounded very much like a cheer.  At the sight of the creature in the vestibule, Sharra burst into laughter.

“Well,” she said between gasps of mirth, “I was right.  I won’t ever forget this night.  You truly did make it special.  What a unique wedding!”

Matt grinned and kissed his bride again, just for the hell of it, before he lifted her into his arms.  “If you like the wedding, just wait until you see what I’ve got planned for the wedding night!”

And to Sharra’s pleasure, it was all that she could have ever hoped for.  After the beautiful wedding ceremony, Juan and the irrepressible horse drove her and Matt to a restaurant that looked over the sea.  Matt had booked a balcony all for their own, and the flickering candles and sweet ocean air melded with soft Spanish guitar playing in the shadows.  They feasted on local sea delicacies, some she’d never tasted before.  Octopus soup, fresh Tuna and Dorado, as well as local fruit. 

It was topped off by a dessert that made her mouth water, Tres Leche, a white three milk cake crowned with sweet whipped cream.  It wasn’t a wedding cake, but it was as unique and different as the whole courtship was, so it fit just fine.

And of course the sparkling champagne flowed celebrating their nuptials.  Matt was different than she’d ever seen him before, light-hearted and laughing, the worry seen so often in his gray eyes, missing for the evening.  The care he had taken made her love him even more and when he swept her into his arms for their first dance, she wept tears of joy.

He kissed them away, his sensuous lips tracing over her face so gently, her heart skipped several beats.  The love she felt for him swelled inside her as she surrendered herself to him in a way she’d never done before.  He took that gift gladly, giving her back his own gift…the full flavor of his desire.

It made them both shudder with passion, and they couldn’t pay the bill fast enough.  No slow carriage ride this time.  Matt grabbed the fastest cab he could find to get them back to their hotel room.  Once there, the laughing faces and chattering voices she’d seen earlier were explained.  Since Matt and she were wearing traditional wedding dress, they’d known what was happening.  In fact, everyone had known but Sharra.  When the hotel manager and receptionist cheered again, this time she was able to thank them for their best wishes.

But Matt didn’t give her much time.  He whisked her away to their room quickly.  There he proceeded to make love to her in ways she’d only dreamed about.  He was so sweet and gentle, yet more possessive than he’d ever been before.  He removed her gown carefully, as if knowing she would want to keep is forever.  Then he kissed her, starting at her lips and slowly trailing down her body.  By the time he’d removed the tiny panties she’d been wearing, she was dripping wet and all her nerves were screaming with heated desire.

Her legs gave out when his tongue teased between her silky, wet folds.  With a satisfied chuckle, he let her slip to the soft carpet and then continued his evening feast.  Sharra lost count of how many times he brought her to climax, but by the time he was finished with her, she felt like a melted puddle of wax beneath him.

Groaning with his own need, he’d pushed inside her and all the control he’d been holding onto disappeared.  He thrust wildly into her, his body taking over.  To her surprise the friction against her already stimulated clitoris sent her into yet another orgasm, and as she screamed out her completion, he joined her with a shout of her name that shook the pictures on the wall.

It was a long time later when Matt finally rose and lifted Sharra into his arms.  He slipped into bed with her, holding her close throughout the rest of the night.  And as she fell asleep, Sharra realized that life couldn't get more perfect than this.

END OF CHAPTER ELEVEN

* Chapter One * Chapter Two * Chapter Three * Chapter Four * Chapter Five * Chapter Six * 

* Chapter Seven * Chapter Eight *  Chapter Nine *  Chapter Ten * Chapter Eleven *

* Chapter Twelve * Chapter Thirteen * Chapter Fourteen * Chapter Fifteen * Chapter Sixteen *

* Chapter Seventeen * Epilogue *