Chapter 10

He trotted happily up to the front door of the cottage and rang the bell.

Upstairs in the bedroom, Andi grunted sleepily.

Quinn sighed and stretched, nuzzling back into Andi’s arms. “Ignore it,” she sighed, there was no other place she wanted to be.

Andi held Quinn tight and kissed her on the top of her head. The doorbell rang again.

“Hang on,” Andi opened her eyes and blinked a couple of times. She was forgetting something.

Quinn turned and inserted her leg between Andi’s, “Nooo, don’t get up.”

“Wait,” Andi ran her hand down Quinn’s back, “Why is someone at the door? What time is it?”

“Hmmm…? Shit!” Quinn sat up, “We’re supposed to be at breakfast!”

The doorbell rang again.

Andi jammed a t-shirt over her head and hopped on each leg trying to put on a pair of shorts as she headed downstairs.

“Stewart!” Andi grimaced apologetically as she opened the door, “Sorry, we overslept.”

“I don’t think you did a lot of sleeping, but let’s go with that story,” Stewart popped his eyebrows up a couple of times as he gestured towards the flowers.

Andi blushed. Stewart had told the couple his revelation about the connection between the flowers and Quinn.

“It was our wedding night,” Andi protested, “It would have been worrying if the flowers didn’t show up!”

Stewart grinned, “I’m just happy for you guys. Everyone’s attacking the breakfast buffet, so you’d better get over there if you’re hungry!”

“Ok,” We’ll drive over once we get ourselves halfway decent,” Andi gave Stewart a thankful pat on the shoulder, “Appreciate the wake-up call.”

Stewart winked and headed back to the boat.

Andi shut the front door and shouted upstairs, “Honey!”

“We need to get to breakfast at the main house,” Andi trotted up the stairs and into the master bedroom, “I told Stewart we’d dri—”

Andi’s mouth dropped open. Quinn was lying on the bed, legs spread open, her hand lazily playing with her clit.

“What if I don’t want breakfast?” Quinn asked with a sexy purr.

Andi crawled onto the bed, her eyes homing in on Quinn’s glistening sex.

Quinn welcomed Andi’s approach, “What if I want my wife to help me take care of a little itch that I have?”

With a growl of pure desire, Andi took hold of Quinn’s thighs, held them down, and lowered her hungry mouth to Quinn’s clit.

“GOD, YES!” Quinn shouted.

Andi’s mouth was sucking and caressing, her tongue was everywhere, swirling and licking. Quinn’s orgasm exploded in no time at all, her moans and whimpers of pleasure gripping Andi’s heart with joy.

“I love you I love you I love you,” Quinn mumbled as she held Andi close.

“I love you too,” Andi smiled.

“For better or for worse,” Quinn flashed a dazzling smile.

Andi nuzzled Quinn’s neck, “… till death us do part…”

It had been a beautiful wedding ceremony, albeit a small and modest one. Andi’s family and a group of the couple’s close friends attended. Lewis Tremont officiated. The trauma of the curse had faded over time, and Quinn had largely succeeded in reconnecting with those who’d been close to her before her disappearance.

Quinn belatedly finished up her undergraduate degree and spent time learning the ropes of running the Thoreau business, with Lewis as her most trusted counselor and advisor; Andi continued working on projects with her dad’s company. The lakeside cottage — Andi’s first project after the curse was broken — was lovingly designed and built. It was Quinn and Andi’s favorite place to be.

“I really don’t want to leave,” Quinn wrapped her legs around Andi, “I want a turn.”

“We’ll come straight back,” Andi gave Quinn’s breasts an affectionate squeeze before rolling off the bed. She padded off to the closet to change.

Quinn sighed, “Fine, but I get to go first when we get back… “

“I don’t think so…” Andi smiled to herself.

“And why not?” Quinn cocked her head, waiting for Andi to emerge.

Andi strode back over to the bed and unzipped her pants, revealing a royal blue harness, “I don’t think you’ll be able to say no to this when we get back…”

Quinn bit her bottom lip, her eyes tracing over bulge in Andi’s pants, “This is going to be a very quick breakfast.”

Andi smirked triumphantly, “Good things come to those who wait, honey. And we can’t just ditch them.”

Quinn got up from the bed and headed to the closet, “My house, my rules, and people need to understand it is very important that marital intimacy always gets priority over breakfast. I take my vows very seriously.”

Andi leaned against the wall as she watched Quinn get dressed, “Stewart saw the new flowers and made some comment about us getting busy last night.”

“If you do what I think you’re going to do with that thing in your pants,” Quinn tied her hair up in a ponytail, “Stewart’s in for a big show later today.”

Andi made an involuntary groan of lustful appreciation.

Quinn winked, “I know you like it when I have my hair up. Now we both have something to distract us during breakfast. Come on, handsome, let’s go.”

Reluctantly, Andi followed Quinn downstairs and out to the golf cart. A short drive later, they walked into a private dining room at the Estate to raucous applause.

“You made it!” Tina exclaimed, “Come on, the food’s getting cold!”

The couple did their best to get some food into their stomachs as they made their rounds, thanking people for sharing the big day with them. Fairytale wedding that it was, Andi and Quinn’s happily-ever-after was anchored by the love and support of the people in that room.

Quinn was the last of the Thoreau line. She had cousins on the Zedecker side, but they were never close. Her family was now her chosen family, with Lewis as the father she never really had. It was a role he relished. (Lewis never married; some speculate he had held a torch for Joan all these years.) Despite Kei Shang’s worst intentions, Quinn has emerged stronger than ever. She never felt alone. She adored Lewis and was increasingly thrilled with her inclusion in the larger Zhao family. And there was Andi, whose quiet strength and unambiguous love embraced Quinn without reservation. It made their wedding vows seem so superfluous.

Quinn watched Andi now, listening intently to her parents as they excitedly talked about their upcoming holiday abroad. Quinn never had this easy a relationship with her parents. Joan and Damian had an explosively passionate courtship, but Damian’s hunger for status and power corrupted everything. Quinn missed her mother; she knew Joan would have loved Andi. Damian balked when Quinn first came out, but Joan didn’t.

“Hey,” Andi put her hand on Quinn’s knee, “You okay?”

Quinn nodded, “I can’t stop thinking about how much my mother would have enjoyed these past couple of days.”

“I think she knows. Wherever she is, she knows,” Andi said gently.

Quinn gave Andi’s hand a squeeze, “I hope so…”

Andi leaned in and placed a gentle kiss on Quinn’s lips.

Quinn wanted more. She pulled Andi closer for another kiss, this one deeper, more insistent.

“Please take me home,” Quinn whispered.

Andi smiled, “You read my mind…”

None of the guests was surprised when the newlyweds made their exit. The golf cart flew over the estate grounds, Quinn’s foot confidently holding down the accelerator. Andi was used to her lover’s Formula One-like talents, and she was not complaining.

As the cart skidded to a stop outside their house, the couple made their way quickly inside. The moment the front door slammed shut, Quinn grabbed Andi by the shirt and pulled her in for a kiss.

Andi hooked her arm under Quinn’s legs and scooped her up.

Quinn squealed with delight, “You are so very good at this…”

“Practice makes perfect,” Andi grinned as they made their way upstairs.

Quinn tightened her arms around Andi, “Let’s practice some more things…”

“Rough and tumble?” Andi arched an eyebrow as she laid Quinn onto their bed, “Or sexy and sweet?”

Quinn unbuttoned Andi’s pants and pulled down the zip, “All. Of. The. Above.”

Across the lake, guests at Thoreau House watched in wonder as a new wave of roses and tulips bloomed across the grounds. The estate pulsed with unmitigated joy: Quinn had married Andi and a long life of loving partnership was ahead of them. Their happiness, founded on virtue, was complete.