He teased me during that dance. The one that is supposed to be so sweet and emotional, when people dab their eyes and remark on how beautiful the couple is? And then the groom holds the bride close and whispers words of love in her ear…
In my case, it was definitely teasing.
“You’ve got dark circles under your eyes, Mrs. Drake. Why is that? Were you up all night with some strange man?”
“Why, yes, I was. Emphasis on the strange.” He gave me that cocky grin that sent shivers down my spine. “You are too gorgeous for your own good,” I said.
“It’s definitely for my good. You should have seen the hot piece of ass I scored last night.”
“Don’t you mean this morning? This has been a long day.”
“It’s not over yet.”
The thought made me simultaneously ache with anticipation and with exhaustion.
My wedding bouquet, white roses and white star chrysanthemums accented by silver and gold ribbons and metallic floral ornaments, was quite the prize. All the unattached females in the party gathered around to at least pretend like they wanted to catch it. Despite my best effort to launch it at Jenna, the bundle of flowers bounced off April’s head and caught in Kat’s hair, where it hung from the side of her long red tresses. She reached up to yank it out, clearly horrified. I assumed she wanted to rid herself of the thing, maybe pass it along to one of the more eligible women.
Much to her growing horror—and everyone else’s growing amusement—the more Kat tried to yank the bouquet out of her hair, the more it wound itself around her long hair so that, by the end, she was practically in tears trying to extricate it.
The fates had clearly wanted Kat to catch that bouquet. I’d have to keep my eye on that girl.
Minutes later, upon freeing the garter from my leg—to the tune of various wolf whistles and catcalls—Adam turned his back on his single friends and relatives and tossed the garter over his shoulder.
None of the men seemed even the remotest bit interested in catching that, either. But, hilariously, the garter landed on Jordan’s head—despite the fact that he had pointedly closed his eyes and stuffed his hands in his pockets when Adam had thrown it.
When he’d realized what had happened and that it was now sitting on his head, he clearly wanted to punch Adam. And my groom laughed his ass off at his best man.
After cutting the cake—chocolate with raspberry filling, white and gold frosting—we very civilly managed not to cram the slices in each other’s face when we fed each other. Then came the toasts—Jordan’s, surprisingly, was eloquent and quite civilized.
Adam and I stayed at the reception until the ringing in of the New Year and slipped quietly away minutes afterward. When we left, the party was still going strong without us. Everyone was having a blast, like we’d hoped.
We ducked into an elevator that would take us directly to the honeymoon suite, where the butler had had my items moved this afternoon. Which worked out perfectly, because I had a wedding night surprise in store for Mr. Drake. One I hoped he’d enjoy.
The minute we were alone in the elevator, he pulled me into his arms and kissed me. “So you know, I’m only referring to you as Mrs. Drake from now on.”
I tilted my head back to gaze into his face, giving him a wide smile. “So I’m the tree and you’re peeing on me with your name to mark your territory?”
He winced slightly. “Not quite the way I’d put it. But in a way, yeah…because finally you are all mine. Mia even means mine in Italian. It’s like the universe aligning.”
“Or conspiring.”
His arm tightened around mine. “I want the world to know it…Mrs. Drake. Tu sei mia. You are mine.”
“Looks like I’m going to have to find a way to mark my territory,” I said with a meaningful tap on the wedding ring now gleaming from his left hand.
“I could offer a few suggestions.”
“I bet you could.”
The doors slid open, right into our suite. And I turned, gasping. All the lights were blazing, and all the entire suite was buried under a snowy blanket. White flowers and petals of every type covered every surface. White petals across the bedspread. White lilies even floated in the infinity pool and hot tub. Like a fresh snowfall in the tropics.
“This is beautiful.”
He scanned the room, equally in wonder. “And a complete surprise—even to me.”
“Oh dear, have they managed the impossible? Have they taken Adam Drake by surprise?”
He laughed, unbuttoning his waistcoat and loosening his tie.
“I’m so exhausted. I think I can sleep for a week.” I stretched my arms over my head. “Please tell me our honeymoon has lots and lots of sleeping scheduled.”
“You’ll be able to sleep as much as you want,” he said, giving me that knowing smile he always did when he had a secret—which was often. Adam loved his secrets.
“When do I get to find out where we are going?”
“Tomorrow morning, when we leave for…wherever we are going.”
I shook my head, laughing, kicking off my shoes. “You know, I’m not even going to try to guess. I’ve learned my lesson when it comes to you and surprises.”
“Except when they involve rockets and payloads of shooting stars?”
I laughed. “Yeah.” I sank into the nearest petal-covered chair with a sigh. “I’m so tired. So much hot sex all night long…”
Adam toed off his own shoes and left the vest and tie on the nearby dresser before moving over to the bed to sit down on it and stare at me.
“You are gorgeous. Have I told you yet?”
I grinned. “About three hundred and seventy-two times. But that’s okay. I like hearing it.”
I reached around and unhooked the pearl and diamond choker and matching earrings, setting them on the dresser next to his things.
“I think I should go slip into ‘something more comfortable,’” I said, making air quotes.
“I hope it’s that naughty nurse’s outfit I’ve been craving.” He laughed, unbuttoning his shirt.
I stood. “With the type of patient you are? Hell no. That is one fantasy we will never be acting out.”
He made a face at me. “I wasn’t that bad.”
I grabbed the chic lingerie bag from one of the dresser drawers then headed for the bathroom. “You were the grumpiest of the grumps. No, thank you.”