A Merry Vested Wedding - Melanie Moreland Page 0,18

nose pink from the cold. “I’m fine. This is fun!”

I had no choice but to kiss her again.

One of the assistants came over with steaming mugs of hot chocolate and some cupcakes. Addi grinned in delight, and I laughed as she bit into one, icing smearing on her nose. I kissed it off and let her feed me a bite, knowing the entire exchange was being captured on film. I had a feeling it would be one of my favorite pictures.

I took the wrapper from her, tossing it into the bin, just as a snowball hit me square in the back. I turned around, lifting one eyebrow.

“Really, Mrs. Riley?”

She grinned, her expression teasing and joyful. She tossed another snowball up in the air, catching it in her mitt.

“You dare me, Mr. Riley?”

It was on. Regardless of the fact that she was in a wedding dress and I was wearing a tux. We frolicked and threw snowballs, laughing and trash-talking. I made sure the only one that hit her landed on her arm, but my Addi was competitive and got me a few times in the chest. Then in a move I didn’t expect, she lowered her shoulders, gathered her skirt, and tackled me. I fell back, luckily more on the blanket than the snow, and rolled her under me, kissing her with abandon. I loved seeing the free spirit come out in her. Sharing her joy of the day. Few saw this side of Addi, and it was one of my favorites.

We kissed, the world around us melting away. Her lips were cold, but her mouth warm as my tongue stole inside, licking and tasting her. Sweet icing, a hint of mint and chocolate, and all Addi. Groaning, I kissed her harder until a throat cleared.

“We should really wrap this up.”

I gazed down at my bride. Her blue eyes were filled with mirth, dancing in the waning light.

“Look what you’ve done, Addi,” I whispered, flexing my hips subtly. “A hard-on outside, with a photographer watching.”

She grinned, wicked and happy. “I will remember this moment the rest of my life. Every time I see these pictures, I’ll know.”

I kissed her one more time. Hard and fast. “Little minx.”

I stood, pulling her to her feet and brushing the snow off her dress. “You’ll be cold and shivering the rest of the day.” I fussed over her, the worry helping soften my erection.

“You’ll keep me warm.”

“Addi,” I warned.

She shook her head. “The tulle will dry fast. And I’m wearing thermal leggings under here that I’ll take off. We’re all good.”

“Time for the family shots,” Lucy called. “They’ll be here in a moment.”

I was grateful as her assistant ran over, straightening the headpiece and fluffing Addi’s hair. Luckily, her lipstick was kiss-proof, although I could see her lips were swollen from mine. I patted my hair into place and brushed off my pants. God forbid Bentley see us and figure out we were up to more than just some staged photos. I hadn’t been his son-in-law long enough for him to be quite that forgiving that I was ravishing his daughter outside in the snow on our wedding day.

I’d save that for New Year’s.

Hearing the sound of voices and laughter, I turned to greet our family.

While we were gone and our guests sipped various wines and champagnes offered here at the winery and indulged in decadent hors d’oeuvres, the hall was rearranged into a dining area with a huge dance floor. Candles flickered everywhere. The tables were covered in gold and ivory, with evergreens piled in the center and hurricane lamps glowing. Darkness was falling outside, and the trees and garland twinkled with white lights.

“It’s so magical,” Addi breathed beside me, her hand tightening on my arm.

“Is it what you wanted, Addi?”

She rose up on her toes and kissed my cheek. “The whole day has been perfect. More than I ever dreamed of.” She pressed another kiss close to my lips. “Especially my groom.”

“Then let’s join our guests. We need to be sociable for the next few hours, then the fun really begins.” I winked.

“Oh, you have a new board game you want to play?” she asked, blinking her eyes innocently. We loved playing board games—it helped us both to relax—and I liked finding older ones and learning to play them.

I grinned. “Oh, I’m going to play something, little elf. I plan on playing it all night long.”

Her breath caught, and that delicious pink color surged under her skin, highlighting her cheeks.

“Well then, Mr.