"You may now kiss your bride," pronounced the priest and a smile lit his face as his family members cheered lustily behind them. Cupping her face in his hands, he bent down and his eyes slid shut as he felt the softness of her mouth beneath his. He parted his lips and drew in her breath, mingling their life essence.

Pressing her ivory-clad form closely to him, her hands crept up his chest, drifting over the sprig of white flowers resting upon his lapel and lying against the curve of his neck. Their kiss deepened as her palm slid across the line of his jawbone before landing upon his chest.

And for the first time, there was no fear, no hesitation in her kiss and from him, there was that muted passion and an indelible tenderness that washed over her, sweeping her away into the moment - this moment of bliss.