IRIS' POV
The two months at Julian's house went by in a blur. Julian and I went on dates, even weekend trips by ourselves and with the kids. Our pictures were in the tabloids. They called us 'The most envied couple ever'. Everywhere we went, people wanted to take our pictures. It was something for the tabloids, two powerful families coming together in a matrimonial union.
It was overwhelming and many times I almost gave up, but Julian made it easier. He was so sweet, he felt like something straight out of the novel. I didn't have to wonder if he was doing any of it for the show because even behind closed doors, he treated me like a queen. We decided to hold off sharing a room till after the marriage and we had not gone beyond kissing.
The day of the wedding had finally arrived. I stood in front of the mirror in my white Louis Vuitton wedding dress. It was an off-shoulder dress that hugged my curves but flowed freely to the ground.
My hair had been styled in a low chignon, white and pink roses were used to decorate it, and then my veil which was almost as long as the dress.
"You look gorgeous, sweetheart." My mother said. I turned to look at her with a smile on her face.
"Thanks, Mom," I said, taking her hand in mine and squeezing lightly.
"Are you sure about this? I know it was sort of like everybody had pressured you into this."
"I am sure, Mom. I want to do this." I assured her and she looked relieved.
"Julian is the luckiest man on the planet."
"He most definitely is," I said with a smug look on my face, causing my mother to laugh.
My dad was waiting for me at the bottom of the stairs at the Brantholm house where the wedding was to take place. My Dad rarely showed emotions, but the sight of me in a wedding dress seemed to bring the emotions out of him.
"You look beautiful, darling."
"Thanks, Dad," I said, and he leaned in to place a kiss on my cheek.
The walk down the aisle was one of the most nerve-wracking experiences of my entire life. My legs shook as I walked, and I was glad my father had a strong hold on me.
I didn't look at the face of any of the guests as my eyes were focused solely on Julian Brantholm, the man at the altar and my soon-to-be husband. He had a look of awe on his face, and he was grinning from ear to ear.
The whole thing had happened so fast. One minute, Julian and I are talking in a hidden corner of his family's ballroom and the next we are getting married.
"The sun pales in comparison to you," Julian said when we got to the altar and my dad had placed my hand in his.
"You don't look so bad yourself," I said with a mischievous smile on my face. Julian looks breathtaking in his tuxedo. His black hair was slicked back, and he looked adorable in his bowtie. I had always pegged him for a tie type of guy, but he made the bow tie work too.
"Are you ready?" The priest asked.
"Yes." Julian and I said in unison.
***
The ceremony had ended, and we were in the ballroom for the reception. It felt surreal that just a couple of months ago, we had met in this ballroom as total strangers, and today, we were married.
Julian and I moved from table to table, greeting the guests. Lots of people spoke about how they had been surprised to hear about the wedding; some said so while they discreetly looked at my stomach. I am so sure they would be surprised when nine months from today, there would be no baby, as Julian and I had not even gone beyond kissing.
***
The reception was soon over, and Julian and I were sent back to our house. Zoe and Zara would stay with my parents for the week while we were on our honeymoon. We would spend the night at home today and then leave for Zanzibar in the morning. I looked forward to it.
"It feels good to have you be my wife officially," Julian said when we got to the house, and we were in his room… or our room.
"It feels good to be your wife officially," I replied. Julian smiled as he pulled me close to him and kissed him.
I felt the same electrical current flow through my veins, the same way it did each time he kissed me.
This kiss though, was different from any one we had shared. It was deep and passionate. Julian devoured my mouth as though he had been hungry for days and I was the only thing that could satisfy him. He moved away from my lips down to my neck and kissed me softly, causing a moan to escape from my mouth.
We stood in front of the mirror as Julian slowly zipped down my dress while he placed a kiss on my shoulder, all the while maintaining eye contact with me through the mirror.
He slipped my dress off me, leaving me in just the teddy I had been wearing. I heard Julian's sharp intake of breath. "Breathtaking." He whispered in my ear.
He began to take out the pins and decorations away from my hair till my long, black curls were flowing down to my waist.
He began to remove the garter till I was bare in front of him. I felt embarrassed, never having been naked in front of any man before. My hand instinctively went up to cover my chest.
Julian turned me around to face him and he pulled my hands away. "There is no need to hide from me. You're beautiful, you have no reason to hide."
Very soon we were back to kissing again as I began to take off his clothes. Soon, we were both tangled on the bed and joined together as one.
Everything about it felt magical, I felt like I had hit the jackpot, and I was going to have my happily ever after. There was no way I could have predestined what lay in front of us.