Chapter Twenty-Three
Gualtiero
The pop of a champagne bottle cuts through the woods like a gunshot.
It makes me tear my gaze away from my wife for the first time since Claudette pronounced us married.
I wish my attention wasn’t stolen from her. The sight of my angel with reddened cheeks and swollen lips is too lovely to miss for even a minute.
“Woohoo!” Rhia cheers as she holds the champagne flutes for Lex to fill. “To Ella and Gualtiero De Marco.”
Ella turns to her best friend and hugs her tightly, while Rhia balances the glasses behind Ella’s back.
Having poured the golden bubbly liquid, Lex strides over, extending his right hand for a firm shake while cradling a glass in his left. As I accept it, he draws me in, delivering a hearty slap on my back.
“Congratulations, man. This was one hell of a ceremony.”
“You’re not wrong,” I chuckle. “I’m glad we made it through without paramedics.”
We both look over to where Ella and Claudette now embrace, while Rhia pours sparkling water into champagne flutes for both women.
Claudette’s face is dotted with hives. She looks like a pubescent teenager covered in acne.
She’s not talking anymore. This has to be a first since I’ve known her.
But as she’s smiling and laughing, and not seemingly in any distress, we all relax around her. Looks like she used her last words for this year wisely, even if they were barely understandable.
That reminds me. I peek at my watch and smile, pleased with how well the timing of our ceremony has worked out.
Claudette sidles up next to me and, with a beaming smile, offers me a hug.
Other than with Ella, I’m not one to show affection, but I turn toward her and drape my arms around her shoulders. As nutty as she is, I have to admit, she’s growing on me.
She’s agreed to stay with us until the baby is born and help out wherever she can. I wasn’t a fan of that idea at first, but it makes Ella happy, and in the end that’s all that matters to me.
When I release her, she points to the altar and pretends to write on her palm.
“Ah, we need to sign the marriage certificate,” I say, interpreting her gesture. She nods eagerly and starts walking back to the altar.
I tug on Ella’s hand. She’s been laughing with Rhia, her entire demeanor happy and light.
“We need to sign the marriage certificate you somehow managed to secure.”
“How do you know it was me?” she asks, trying to appear innocent.
I widen my eyes at her.
“Have you forgotten who you’re married to? Reading people is my specialty. And, princess, you make it easy. You looked guilty as hell when that piece of paper fell to the ground.”
She rolls her eyes. “Well, at least our marriage is legal now. That’s something to celebrate. You can thank me later.”
She has the nerve to wink at me before pulling from my grip and marching toward Claudette.
Oh, my beautiful wife. Just you wait. I won’t forget you went against my wishes.
Anything could have happened, especially after a blizzard.
“Don’t forget, you have to sign with your new identities,” Rhia reminds us, ever the organizer.
While the names on the marriage certificate will be our new ones, it meant the world to Ella and me to take our vows with our real names. It worked out perfectly.
Once we’ve all scribbled our signatures onto the document and Rhia has taken a million photos, we move closer to the bonfire. I wrap an arm around my wife’s waist, pulling her against me and resting my head on top of hers.
I love calling her my wife, even if it’s only in my head.
Breathing in her scent makes my cock stir. All I want is to be alone with her and consummate this marriage. For days.
Checking my watch again, I lift my glass and announce, “Three minutes left of this year.”
Ella snuggles closer against me and, looking up through her lashes, whispers, “Mission accomplished. You and I will begin the new year as husband and wife.”
I smile at my beautiful bride. It comes so naturally with her.
She rises onto her tiptoes and pecks my lips. I want to deepen the kiss, get lost in her again, but not with an audience, even if it’s only a small one.
God, I can’t wait to get out of here.
But first things first.
The countdown to the new year is on. Rhia holds up her phone, the large countdown timer ticking.
“Five… four… three… two… one…”
“Happy New Year!” the girls holler. Well, not Claudette, obviously.
I turn to my wife and pull her into my arms, crashing my lips against hers. She opens eagerly, letting me take what I want.
When we finally break apart, I rest my forehead against hers.
“Happy New Year, Mrs. De Marco,” I whisper, my breath still uneven.
“Happy New Year, my love,” she replies softly.
I’m vaguely aware that Lex slips away for a moment. Not even a minute later, bursts of brilliant fireworks light up the night sky.
Ella’s hand flies to her mouth as she stares upward, the exploding colors reflecting in her eyes.
Rockets streak into the sky, leaving glittering trails like shooting stars. Others bloom into willows, their cascading light falling in graceful arcs.
The one she loves most, if her sharp gasp is anything to go by, is a rocket that bursts into a giant, fiery heart.
It’s spectacular in my peripheral vision, but watching Ella is far more mesmerizing. I’m completely captivated by the joy lighting up her face.
The final rockets crackle overhead, illuminating the sky one last time before darkness settles again, smoke drifting through the moonlight.
“That was… that was… I’m lost for words,” my angel whispers, her sentence trailing into nothingness.
I raise my glass, and the others follow suit.
“To an amazing new year, to love and married life, and …” my gaze falls onto Claudette, “and to perfect health.”
We clink our glasses together.
“And to delivering healthy babies,” Rhia adds.
“Baby… delivering a baby… no plural,” my bride corrects. “Unless, of course, you and Lex start working on yours,” she says, grinning, and Rhia gives her a wink back.
Her best friend and her man exchange a look. I expected them both to protest, but it doesn’t come. They grin at each other, and Lex sweeps up his girl in a ravenous kiss.
Then the glint of gold on Ella’s finger catches my eyes as she splays her fingers across her abdomen. Utter satisfaction and contentment rush through me, settling happily in the pit of my stomach.
I found my girl and we have a baby on the way.
It still seems so surreal.
With my free hand, I cover hers with mine, wishing I could feel our child move again, but it’s overly optimistic given all the layers of clothing between us and our offspring.
“Let’s get out of here,” I whisper in her ear.
But of course, Rhia, who’s standing next to us, hears.
“Not before you cut the cake,” she announces. “We have to adhere to some traditions.”
Ella chuckles at the exasperated look I throw her.
“Patience,” she whispers. “Anticipation is the best foreplay, isn’t it?”
I groan. “I’ve been anticipating my wedding night all my life, and especially since I met you. You have to admit, I’ve been patient.”
She lifts an eyebrow, amused.
“We met in August. Everything is happening rather fast. And you’ve been ravishing me almost from the beginning. How is that patient?”
I disagree. I wanted to marry her the moment she entered my life.
Ignoring her comment, I steer us to the cake table.
“Let’s cut this cake so we can begin our honeymoon,” I say, not at all feeling in the mood for sweets. Well, not cake anyway.
“Yes, husband,” she says, putting on a tone of submission.
I know better than to believe it.
“I love hearing you call me that,” I all but growl.
“Husband… husband… husband,” she chimes happily.
That’s it.
I can’t take it anymore. I need to have her to myself. NOW.
I bend down, scoop her up, and carry her toward the snowmobile. Her arms loop around my neck as she laughs.
“What about the cake?” she asks with mock outrage as the others cheer us on.
“Forget about the cake.”
Ella keeps wriggling. “We haven’t even said goodbye to the others,” she chastises.
“Don’t care,” the caveman in me replies.
When we reach the snowmobile, I gently set her on the seat. She swings her legs over to straddle it while I grab her puffer jacket and help her into it.
She holds out her gloves, and I guide her hands inside. I don’t like that they hide her rings.
Ella watches me with a soft smile as I tighten the Velcro straps. When I’m done, she slides off the seat and cups my face, the rough gloves scraping lightly against my skin.
She pulls me in for a kiss that makes me forget the freezing cold around us.
“Where are you taking me, husband?” She emphasizes the last word, batting her long eyelashes at me.
I growl once more. I swear she’s doing it on purpose now.
“You’ll see,” is all I say as I retrieve a balaclava from the storage compartment and attempt to pull it over her head.
“Seriously, a balaclava, Tiero? I’ll look like a gangster, not a bride.”
“Trust me, in a few minutes you’ll be thanking me. We’re going on a bit of a journey.”
Handing her a helmet, she pulls it over her head. Once mine is on, I slide onto the snowmobile in front of her. Her arms wrap around my waist, holding tight.
I start the engine, and with one last wave to the others, we take off.
It’s just her and me now.
Finally!