"Remind me again why I agreed to two weddings?" Mikayla complained, as they left the Crimson Monarch Hotel.

"Because it was the right decision! Your husband comes from money, he's expected to throw at least one lavish wedding," Hannah teased, as she looked up at the beautiful night sky.

"But these last three weeks passed so quickly! I can't even believe the number of things that you were able to get done!" Mikayla said in disbelief.

Smiling, Hannah said, "That's what I'm here for, leave all the stressing out to me."

The wedding was less than a week away and, so far, everything was on schedule. They met with Mr. Rochford to finalise some last-minute details concerning the venue before the quartet decided on going to dinner.

"I must say, Hannah, you should probably quit your job and go into wedding planning full time," Damien stated as they ate.

Nodding Tariq agreed, "I second that!"

"Not happening," Hannah countered, "only Mikayla gets the pleasure of these skills. Besides, planning one billionaire-type wedding is enough for my lifetime."

Hannah could admit that while planning the Tobago wedding had been less stressful, she had enjoyed the often-ridiculous challenges that came with planning a more luxurious ceremony. She could not believe that in under six months she had managed to organise not one but two weddings.

"At least you know you have something to fall back on if you ever get bored with marketing," Mikayla added with a wink.

After dinner, they all decided to end the evening at one of their favourite bars. It was a chic place with an elegant charm to it. Hannah really enjoyed the science-themed drinks that they served. Her favourite was called a Black Hole, which consisted of black rum, black syrup, lime and ginger.

The women were laughing at a story, that Damien and Tariq were telling about their teenage-years, when Hannah suddenly heard her name being called.

"Well if it isn't Hannah fucking Cupid," Oscar's voice vehemently spat in her direction.

Stiffening, Hannah turned around; it had been years since they had bumped into each other. Even though Oscar was now a man in his early forties, she could not deny that he was still as handsome as ever. His dark hair was neatly styled, with dark eyes that held a hint of danger that she once thought to be alluring. Oscar was with a group of three other men, all dressed up in business suits. They looked like they had a bit too much to drink.

"Keep it moving Oscar!" Mikayla said.

Tariq immediately moved closer to Hannah's side, his hand circling around her waist. His eyes firmly fixed on the man who had caused a lot of emotional distress to the love of his life.

"Oi! So finally found yourself a man who would put up with your slutty cunt? I heard that you bagged yourself a rich oil tycoon, I guess the rumours are true! Be careful mate, she has some serious daddy issues!" Oscar slurred as he looked between Hannah and Tariq, slowly taking a step forward, clearly intoxicated.

Tariq stepped in front of Hannah, protecting her behind him, his voice holding warning, "Watch your mouth."

"You're drunk Oscar, go home," Hannah said with a frown.

Throwing his head back, he laughed, "Oh my little cum slut, I missed that sweet mouth of..."

Oscar's words were interrupted as Tariq's fist connected with his jaw. The entire scene unfolded so fast, one-minute Tariq was punching Oscar in the face, and the next, all four men were on him. Damien immediately rushed in to help his best friend, diving head first into the midriff of one of the men, pummelling him to the ground. Even though it was four against two, Damien and Tariq held their own.

Hannah and Mikayla stood in shock; they could not believe what they were seeing. They witnessed Damien and Tariq take many hits, but their men were unfazed as they continued to exchanged blows. They beat Oscar and his friends severely before security stepped in and pulled them apart.

"Are you insane?" Hannah exclaimed, as she grabbed Tariq's bloody face, noticing that his right eye was swelling and his lip was split.

"Shit!" Mikayla simultaneously said, as she noticed Damien's left eye was swelling as well and he too was bleeding from his mouth.

Tariq pulled Hannah into him, "I wasn't going to let him talk to you like that."

"And I wasn't going to let my friend get beaten by four men," Damien added.

Tariq scoffed with a smirk, "I could have taken them, remember that time in Tuscany?"

"Oh yea! Those were some good times," Damien laughed.

The two men grinned, although their smiles were short-lived as their women stood in front of them with angry stares. Luckily, Oscar and his friends did not wish to press charges, as they were intimidated by Damien and Tariq's wealth.

"We have a wedding in a few days, just look at the state of your faces!" Hannah said in frustration as the exited the bar.

Damien chuckled, "If anyone asks, we'll just tell them that we fell."

"Not funny!" Hannah yelled as she hit both men in the back of their heads.

————— ▲ —————

Later that night at Tariq's penthouse, as Hannah laid in bed naked next to him, she replayed the events of the night in her mind. She could not believe the turn of events. Seeing Oscar tonight had affected her, but she did her best to hide it.

"I can hear your mind running a mile a minute. Talk to me Hannah," Tariq softly said.

Sighing, she ran a finger across his chest, a small smile tugging on her lips, "You're annoying, you know that? I can't seem to hide anything from you these days."

"That's because we're two halves of a whole my dear, I always know when something is wrong with you, I can feel it," he replied, his hand gently tracing circles on her back.

Seeing that there was no use in hiding, she confided in him, "Well, as you can imagine, seeing Oscar sort of transported me back to when I was younger. My insecurities have resurfaced and I'm silently wondering if you're going to leave me."

Tariq suddenly sat up, dragging Hannah onto his naked lap, his eyes staring intently into hers as their bare skin touched.

"Listen to me Hannah! Ya Rouhi..." his face was serious as he spoke.

With a sigh, she felt as though the Arabic words caressed her skin. She always loved it when he spoke the Semitic language. There was just something utterly sexy about the way the words were pronounced. Hannah would discreetly listen to him sometimes when he was on the phone. She was about to ask Tariq what the words he spoke meant before he went on to say.

"It means you are my soul. I am not going anywhere Hannah, ever. I will be at your side forever," his hands held hers.

Hannah was speechless, Tariq's words caused her heart to race, as their meaning sank in. She could not help but say something witty at that moment, though a small part of her seemed to secretly wish for it.

"That almost sounds like a proposal," she said.

Bringing her hands to his lips, he kissed her fingers, "Just say the word and I'll be on my knees, in more ways than one," he winked.

"Dr. Maalouf! So shameless!" Hannah feigned surprise, though his reply about the marriage proposal warmed her.

Deep down, she knew that she was his, and wished to spend the rest of her life with him. However, another part of her knew that she was not quite ready, at least not just yet.

Watching the emotions play across her face, Tariq said, "Don't worry, I know that you aren't ready right now."

"What if you get tired of waiting or what if I don't make you happy anymore or vice versa?" she asked, her self-doubt momentarily creeping back in.

Playfully spanking her bare derriere, "Have you not been listening to what I've been saying? You are my soul Hannah! Besides, I will never get tired of you, and I'll make sure you never get tired of me. I have more than enough love, time and stamina to keep up with you, as well as money if you so desire it. You make me very happy, and I know that I make you happy as well. Should anything change, we'll deal with it together."

Smiling at how perfect he was for her, she grabbed his face and kissed him soundly.

————— ▲ —————

"Look at this dumbfuckery! The wedding is in less than an hour and look at your faces!" Hannah grumbled, as she looked between Damien and Tariq.

Already wearing her maid of honour dress, she had walked over to the suite where the men were getting ready. She frowned as she looked at the matching black eyes that they sported. Hannah knew that their wounds would not have healed in time, but she was thankful that their busted lips at least looked much better.

"I think it makes us look manly," Damien said with a grin as he added, "besides, the black eye matches with the black suit, don't you think?"

Hannah did not reply. Instead, she pinched his upper arm before turning to scowl at Tariq whose grin died almost instantly.

Sighing, she looked down at her phone, "Well nothing a little make-up can't fix. Let me see what time one of the make-up artists are coming over to touch you guys up."

"Err no thanks, I told you we didn't want any make-up," Damien said.

Rolling her eyes Hannah shook her head, "Fine! If you rather these wedding pictures look like you just came out of a fight, by all means!"

"I think that will make for some really interesting photos!" Tariq joked before adding, "Besides, there's something called Photoshop my dear Hannah."

Frowning slightly as she gritted her teeth, "You know what, let me get back to my best friend, the bride, before I have to confess to her that I killed her husband and his best man."

Damien's and the other groomsmen's laughter filled the atmosphere as she began to storm out. Tariq grabbed her and pulled her to the side before she could leave the room.

"You're so fuckable when you're mad," he whispered.

His hazel eyes scanned the pastel lilac-coloured mermaid cut dress that Hannah wore. He could not help but linger on her neck, watching with pride as the pendant that he had made her rested gracefully against her skin.

When his eyes finally locked with hers, he added, "You look really beautiful Hannah."

Doing her best not to smile, she replied, "I'd say the same about you but that black eye is a bit distracting."

"Turns you on, I know," he teased as he kissed her neck softly, "I want to kiss you so bad right now, but I won't mess up that amazing make-up job. Just know once the ceremony is over, I'm dragging you off for a rough quickie."

"Promises promises..." she moaned softly under her breath, his words turning her on.

"See you at the altar my love," he gently kissed her lips before she left.

————— ▲ —————

The organ music filled the church as the wedding ceremony began. Unlike the Tobago wedding, the London wedding was more opulent.

It was a serious black-tie event and everyone was dressed elegantly. The bridesmaids proudly wore their sleeveless A-line gowns with a caviar illusion jewel neckline. The pastel lilac-coloured chiffon material was such a beautiful colour. The groomsmen all wore traditional black tuxedos with peak lapels and bow ties, though Damien stood out with a touch of purple in his pocket.

The shade of purple would match with Mikayla's bouquet, which also featured matching shades of lilac. As Mikayla walked down the aisle, murmurs could be heard as her dress took everyone's breath away. The final product of the Ivory Chantilly lace mermaid cut bridal gown that was layered with Alençon lace appliqué was simply stunning. The off-the-shoulder cap sleeves with the Swarovski crystals handstitched to it glittered boldly. The dress hugged her curves beautifully.

Mikayla's hair had been blown out and styled in a sophisticated way, with a short birdcage veil to complete the look. She was indeed a vision to behold, and Hannah did not miss the way Damien choked up for a second time as she walked down the aisle to meet him. She was so happy for her best friend, and she could not help but feel her heart flutter as her eyes slowly moved over to look at Tariq, who was looking at her.

"I love you," Tariq silently mouthed then winked.

Hannah all but burst into tears right there and then and she had to turn away from him to keep herself from running over into his arms. She needed to focus right now; her emotions could be dealt with later.

Even though the London wedding was more traditional, it was no less beautiful than the one in Tobago. The religious vows had been personalised and the priest would tell a few jokes in-between. The priest even went on to switch between speaking English and French for certain parts, personalising the ceremony even further.

The guests could not stop talking about the beautiful reception area as they arrived at the Crimson Monarch Hotel. The decorators had done an amazing job, though the room itself did not need much added to it, as the neoclassical design with a grand marble Rotunda with Corinthian pillars was simply breath-taking. The large crystal cut chandeliers, as well as the gold trimmings in the crown moulding gave the room that extra touch of elegance.

Due to the lavishness of the room, the table settings were toned down a bit. There were sophisticated centre pieces made of white and various shades of purple flowers. The food would be served on expensive china with gold trimmings and, unlike the buffet-style that had been offered in Tobago, this wedding had servers that came to each table. The menu consisted of more European style dishes that were prepared by a team of Michelin star chefs.

After many speeches and toasts, the night of partying was underway as the guests mingled with each other. Tariq's parents Qasim and Chloe had flown in that very morning and Hannah was finally able to meet them during the reception. Thankfully, she was too nervous about the wedding itself to worry about meeting his parents for the first time.

"Hannah my dear, you are simply stunning! Tariq has told us so much about you!" Chloe said with a smile.

"You must come visit us in Qatar sometime," Qasim added.

Tariq's parents made a beautiful couple and, even though they were in their sixties, they both were aging gracefully. Qasim looked like an Arabic prince with his full, greying beard, while Chloe still carried the exquisiteness of a beauty queen. It was no wonder that Tariq was such a handsome man, he was a perfect mix of his parents.

Hannah could not believe how at ease she felt as she chatted with them. However, today was not about her and so she had to cut short their interaction to focus on Mikayla as well as some other guests. His parents understood, as their attention was being demanded by some of the guests as well. Qasim and Chloe made Hannah promise to visit them soon.

"I'm sorry that you could not have met them under less stressful circumstances," Tariq said, as he walked with Hannah to the dancefloor.

"It's fine, it was actually perfect this way. Lord alone knows that my nerves would have gotten the best of me and I would have tried to chicken out at the last minute," she replied with a slight blush.

"Of course, you would have..." he grinned as he danced with her.

"What? At least I'm honest," she smiled up at him.

Kissing her cheek softly, "It's one of the many things that I love about you. So, when would you like to go to Qatar?"

His sudden question did not surprise her entirely as she answered, "I guess I can see about taking another week off from work. Lord knows the office has been harassing me to use more of my vacation days."

"Perfect, just let me know. We can visit Dubai one time," he replied.

They lost track of time as they continued to move in rhythm to the music. Mikayla and Damien were having a great time on the dancefloor. Tariq had Hannah's back pressed up against his front and his hands were gripping her hips tightly.

"Follow me," his voice was husky as he suddenly took her hand in his.

Looking over his shoulder, Tariq found Damien's stare and the men nodded in acknowledgement at each other. Hannah bit her lip as she followed Tariq's quick pace towards the elevator. The door didn't even close properly before she felt her back pressed up against the elevator wall.

"I got us a room," he kissed the exposed skin of her neck.

"What about Mikayla and the wedding?" she moaned out.

"Don't worry, we'll only be gone for twenty minutes tops. Besides, you might find that Mikayla may soon be in a similar situation as you," he grinned.

Tariq suddenly turned her around so that the front of her body was pushed against the wall. Hannah attempted to turn her head to the side so that she could see him. However, he wrapped his left hand on the back of her neck and gently pressed the side of her face into the wall as he rubbed his body up against her. She could feel his hard length against her lower back and her insides began to quiver in anticipation.

"Stop teasing me," she moaned softly.

Grinning as he licked her earlobe, "But you love it, beg me first."

"Gods yes!" she cried out before she could stop herself.

Tariq could not help grin before he let out a triumphant laugh.

Realising her mistake, Hannah began to shake her head defiantly as she attempted to say, "I mean..." she suddenly yelped as she felt him slap her right buttock.

The movement caused her to jump slightly, another moan escaping her as she enjoyed the pain and pleasure being mixed together. He then silenced any further comments from her with a passionate kiss.

"Defiant to the end, I love it," Tariq grinned as he spun her back around and kissed her harshly.

As the elevator doors opened, he picked her up and threw her over his shoulder. Hannah squealed as Tariq smacked her ass once more as he walked them to their hotel room.