Wedding Planner's Golden Rule
Don't fall for the groom.
I had done it.
Years of training and three years of running my business down the drain.
Because I had done it.
I rolled over in bed and opened my eyes.
That moment was enough for a slow, but perfectly contented smile to come over me.
There was one person whose face was in my mind.
And that's because I had done it.
I had broken the cardinal rule of being a wedding planner.
I had fallen for the groom.
Aiden.
Aiden Carlisle.
The events of the previous night flooded my mind in flashes and I couldn't help, but smile and bite my lip in reminiscence of the excitement.
Aiden had kissed me longer than I ever remember being kissed.
I brought my covers over my head even though there was no one to see my beatific smile.
Getting out of bed, I brushed my teeth and shuffled out of my room to a delicious aroma filling my apartment. Slowly, I walked down the hallway and into the kitchen.
Aiden stood at the stove, with his back turned to me, expertly flipping pancakes that he had made. I didn't remember the last time I had used to stove other than to make instant ramen because I was so bad a cook, I would have burned the building down.
Not Aiden, though.
He poured batter like he could do it with his eyes closed, added blueberries with a flourish and flipped them like a professional chef, all while cutting fresh fruit.
I stood and watched him, mesmerized, wondering if Caroline knew that this amazing man was what she was missing out on.
As if he sensed my presence, Aiden turned his head to look over his shoulder and then smiled his gorgeous smile at me.
It made my heart race.
This man was doing too much to me too fast.
I wasn't sure if this would end well, but at that particular moment I didn't care, because all I wanted was for Aiden to wrap his strong arms around me and hold me the way he had done last night.
"Morning, sunshine," he said, in a low lilting tone, making shivers run down my back.
"Hey," I said softly, smiling back to him. I leaned against the doorway and tucked my loose hair behind my ear.
"Rosalie," Aiden said. Suddenly, there had been no better way that my name had been said.
I smiled at him, expectantly.
"Come over here, Rosalie," he told me, gently, but commanding.
"Why?" I asked, feigning shyness. All I wanted to do was to go to him.
There was an almost sinister trait as Aiden smiled at me, and I wondered what he would do with me. "Because I didn't kiss you nearly enough last night."
He turned off the stove and turned to me completely, wiping his hand on the kitchen towel.
I took the few steps I needed to cross the kitchen to get to him, slowly, wanting to make him wait; to see if he would react.
He didn't move or make a sound.
Aiden was an incredibly patient man.
The moment I got to him, however, he took my face in his hands and kissed me deeply. I let myself go to him completely.
He lowered himself to me and kissed me.
When he pulled away, there was a blissful smile on his face.
"I hope the couch wasn't too uncomfortable," I told him.
"Believe me, Rosalie, I had one of the best night's sleep I had gotten in a long time," Aiden smirked at me.
"You're making me breakfast," I said, hopping up on to the counter, "And cutting fruit for me."
"I figured you would like some breakfast and that maybe you shouldn't cook it after what you told me last night about your cooking adventures," he reminded me, making me laugh.
He leaned into me with a laugh and kissed me gently. "Your laugh," he breathed, "Makes the whole world feel better."
"Stop," I said, pushing on his chest, unable to stop my smile.
He caught my hand in his and kissed it.
"Breakfast?" he asked, sliding two pancakes on to a plate for me.
I took it out of his hand and ate, hungrily.
"Amazing," I told him, "These are so good. I could have them every day."
Aiden eyed me with a smile, but didn't respond.
"I want to show you something today," he said, after a beat.
"What?" I asked, setting my plate down on the counter beside me, pancake still in hand.
"That would be a surprise," he said, pumping his eyebrows, "Why don't you finish breakfast and get changed? I'll go back to my place, change clothes myself and meet you back here in about forty-five minutes. How does that sound?"
"Great," I shrugged.
Aiden leaned over the counter and kissed me once. "I'll see you soon, Rosalie," he cooed in my ear and walked away with his signature smirk on his face.
I finished the leftover pancakes, partly because I was hungry and partly because they were just so good. I didn't know pancakes could ever be that good.
And then I meandered over to my closet, wondering what in the world I should wear on an outing with a billionaire. In the end, I decided that I didn't have to change my style for anyone, so I slipped on a white cotton dress with small polka dots on it.
As I looked at myself in the mirror, I wondered if this was a good idea.
I had broken up with Ian only about a month ago and Aiden and Caroline had broken up only about two weeks ago. I felt horrible about being the wedding planner who had taken the groom after a break up.
Aiden likes me, too, I argued with myself.
I sighed and ran my fingers through my hair, promising myself that I would ask Aiden about it today.
Almost exactly forty-five minutes later, there was a knock at the door. I got my bag and went to open it, sure that we would be leaving, but when I opened the door, I wasn't greeted by Aiden.
I was greeted by a beautiful and lively bouquet of sunflowers.
An audible gasp escaped me.
Aiden's face appeared from behind the bouquet. "A little bit of sun for a ray of sunshine," he said, and my heart raced.
"Oh, Aiden, they're absolutely beautiful," I cried, taking the bouquet. That small, simple gesture had made my day, "I love sunflowers!"
"Even if it does clash with your decorations?" he asked, with a smirk.
"It's such a pop of colour, Aiden. Yellow is the happiest colour. I could never be sad walking into a house which had sunflowers," I told him, turning to put the flowers in a vase.
As I arranged the flowers, Aiden came up behind me and put his arms around my waist, pulling me close to him. He kissed my cheek, softly.
"Shall we?" he asked, once I had finished and I nodded to him.
He took my hand and walked me out, all the way to his car. He opened the door for me and then got in, himself.
Aiden pulled on to the road and drove away from the city.
"Where are we going?" I asked him.
"You'll see," he said, with a secretive grin.
I looked out the window.
"You know, Rosalie, this is the most casual I've seen you dressed," he told me, "Other than your home clothes, obviously."
"Likewise," I told him.
"You look beautiful," he told me, looking over at me.
"Eyes on the road, Casanova, I'm not dying today, no matter how good I may look," I told him, nodding to the road.
He smirked at me.
After we had been driving for about half an hour, Aiden pulled off the road down a quiet street and then up to a tall, black gate. He pressed a button on a clicker inside the car and the gates slowly swung open.
He drove up a cobblestone road, which was in fact a circular driveway, which led up to a beautiful villa-style house. The house looked modern and sleek.
In silence, I looked around the whole place, taking it all in; the house, the garden, the driveway; everything was so picturesque.
Aiden parked right under the awning.
"What do you think?" he asked, looking over at me.
"It's beautiful, Aiden," I told him, "What is this place?"
"My house," he said, with a grin.
I stopped looking around and turned to him. "Your house? What about your apartment?" I asked.
"I've been building this place for some time," he said, looking towards the door, "A place that I can call home."
"And you brought me here?" I asked, so touched.
"I wanted you to see it," he said, reaching over and taking my hand.
"Aiden, that's so sweet," I breathed.
"Come on," he said, unbuckling his seatbelt, "There's no one here today so we have it all to ourselves."
He raised his eyebrow with a mischievous smile and got out of the car.
I walked into the house as Aiden held the door open for me and gasped at the sight. There was so much light that streamed into the house from the large glass-paned windows that overlooked the city that sat below it.
The open living area lead to a sprawling and well-maintained lawn with a platform set up with pearly white deck chairs near a sunken infinity pool which sparkled in the morning sun.
Everything was elegant and well thought out. I walked around taking everything in, mesmerized by the beauty.
"Do you like it?" asked Aiden's low, deep voice from behind me.
I turned to him. "Aiden, it's amazing," I said.
He came forward to stand about a foot away from me and looked down at me intently. "But do you like it?" he asked, again.
"I love it," I told him, "It's a masterpiece of architecture. It's modern, but the decoration is done so nicely that it already feels homey. And it's away from the city and makes me feel like I'm far away from all the worries. It's so wonderful."
Aiden smiled, happily. "I do like being this distance away from the city, too. I'm so glad you like it."
I felt my brow furrow. "But does that even matter, Aiden?"
"Quite a bit, actually," he told me, "Come on, I'll give you a tour."
He showed me pool, the tennis court, the garden, the kitchen and the bedrooms in the house, ending with his own.
It was by far the biggest bedroom in the house, with its own living room and two walk-in closets. I could feel him watching my intently as I marveled at the grandeur of the room.
"Aiden, why did you bring me here?" I asked, turning to him.
He shrugged, staring back at me. I waited for an explanation and he sighed.
He sat down on the loveseat near the window. "Honestly, I don't know, Rosalie," he said, "I think it's quite obvious that I like you and from last night I'm almost sure you like me, too."
I could feel the heat rising to my cheeks.
"I don't think I've ever had anyone like you in my life, Rosalie," he said, plainly, truthfully, "Never before you have I wanted to share this place with anyone. I wanted to move in here a few months ago, but when my Dad dropped the bomb about Caroline, I decided not to."
"Were you just never going to move in here?" I asked, taking the other seat on the love seat.
Aiden sighed and leaned back. A small laugh escaped him. "I honestly don't know. I thought I would wait for a time that we clicked, but that never happened and then we broke up." He looked at me. "Rosalie, in the past few months you've made me happier than my fiancée ever did."
I wanted to smile, but what he had told me was so melancholic. Yes, Aiden was a billionaire, but nothing in life had made him quite happy; not even the woman he would have married.
I reached out and took his hand. "Will you tell me about this whole thing with your Dad?" I asked.
Aiden sighed and lowered his head into his hands. "It was all his idea," he said, his voice coming out muffled from between his hands, "My Dad wanted this. He brought the proposal to me and pretty much told me to marry Caroline."
"Why?" I asked, almost appalled.
"Something with his company," Aiden raised his head, but didn't look at me, "He wants to strengthen our name and image and Caroline's Dad was a well-respected businessman, so he thought it would be a good idea, I guess."
Aiden had lost his whole playful demeanour and had become pensive and silent. He seemed to be lost in thought.
I got up from my seat and walked around so that I was standing in front of me. When I took his hand, he looked up at me. There was a far-away look in his eyes and then he pulled me on to his lap.
He wrapped his arms around me and breathed me in deeply. He looked into my eyes. "You are pretty much the only sunlight in my life, Rose."
There was hurt in his eyes. I took his face in my hands and kissed him slowly.
"Aiden, you shouldn't give up your happiness," I told him.
He ran his hands up and down my back. "Oh, I don't intend to," he said, smiling.
Aiden raised himself from the seat, carrying me with him over to the large couch and laid down with me. He and I lay on our sides and he traced my skin with his fingers.
"If I had known half of what I know about you now, I would have kissed you the day I walked into your office," he told me.
I fiddled with the buttons on his shirt. "Is what we're doing okay, Aiden?" I asked, avoiding his eyes, "I can't help feel like we're doing something wrong."
He pulled me close by my waist and kissed me. "Does that feel wrong?" he asked, after he pulled away.
I shook my head.
"Does what you're feeling scare you?" he asked.
My breathing was fast, feeling the emotion of everything he was saying.
"It sure as hell scares me, Rose. You sure as hell scare me," he said, running a soft line down the center of my face with his index finger.
I caught his hand. "Why?" I breathed.
"What you make me feel in such a short time scares me. I would definitely fear feelings this powerful."
I bit down on my lower lip, involuntarily, feeling the heat bubbling inside me. "Aiden," I said, shaking my head and he hushed me.
"Rosalie, I'm not with anyone and neither are you. How can this be anything, but right?" he asked, holding my hand.
I smiled. "Something tells you always get what you want, Aiden Carlisle," I teased him.
He laughed. "You should get what you want, too, Rose," he told me.
I snuggled in closer to him and he put his arm around my waist and held me. "Whatever will your father do to you?" I asked.
He smirked his signature smirk. "Can't be as near as many things as I want to do with you."
I couldn't stop the gasp that escaped me and Aiden laughed.
"Calm down," he said, softly, in the voice that made chills run up and down my spine. He brought his mouth close to my ear to whisper to me. "We're not doing anything too fast."
I could feel the shivers that went down my neck and by the triumphant look on Aiden's face, so could he.
It wasn't fair.
So, I put my hands in his neatly combed hair, messing it up. I kissed one spot on his neck and he sighed deeply.
"No woman has done what you do to me, Rose, and I think I should be very, very afraid of you."
*
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