Page 86 of Diavolo

Elyse's grandfather looked equally awed and astonished.

"That," she growled softly, "was for keeping me in the dark. And making me go insane with worry."

Then, Elyse grabbed Alessandro's face and kissed him as though he was her air, her sun, her moon, her stars. They both wore a dazed expression by the time their lips finally parted.

"What was that for?" he mumbled happily into her ear.

"That," Elyse replied in breathless tones, "was for coming back to me. Alive and well."

He grinned and kissed her again. All around them, the guests detonated in a round of hearty guffaws and cheers and whistles.

The rest of Elyse and Alessandro's ceremony flowed onward without any more surprises. The priest led them in an opening prayer, an hour-long mass befitting a Catholic-style wedding. Elyse and Alessandro exchanged rings and vows. More prayers followed suit.

There was nothing romantic at all about these time-honored rituals. Yet, there was something stirring about them. Even though Elyse wasn't a deeply religious person, the whole exchange felt quite sacred to her. It made her feel as though she had, indeed, promised herself to Alessandro before a higher power, and he, in turn, had promised himself to her in the same manner. They ended the ceremony by shattering a glass vase, another age-old tradition, with each broken shard representing the number of their married years to come.

The reception afterward ran like clockwork thanks to Malina's meticulous planning and eagle-eyed supervision. Good wine and fine food flowed freely throughout the evening. Elyse and Alessandro danced their first dance with colorful streamers tied to their hands. Later, all the guests joined them in the courtyard for a traditional Italian dance calledLa Tarantella. Alessandro bent down on one knee to hike up Elyse's skirts, to draw the garter from her leg. The touch of his hands and fingers upon her bare skin was both thrilling and intimate. Anyone with eyes could see the tension thrumming between them. The spell was broken when the cake was brought out. More merriment ensued.

A few hours after midnight, Alessandro and Elyse were whisked away from the crowds, showered in rice and well wishes, in a black vintage Bugatti.

As Nils drove them to their wedding suite at a nearby villa, it was the first time all night that the newlyweds shared a quiet moment to themselves. Alessandro reached over to clasp her hand.

Alessandro brought Elyse's palm to his lips in the way he always did and kissed it gently, lovingly. "Are you still upset with me,wife?"

Wife.

A warm glow enveloped her heart. The word wielded real meaning now. Because it was true. Still, Elyse steeled herself against the glowing warmth. After releasing a bit of her rage through her slap heard around the chapel, Elyse had forcibly pasted on a happy face for the rest of their wedding. She was still livid at Alessandro, though.

Elyse shot him a surly look. "If you disappear on me again, like you did last week, I won't waste another moment on you. I'll find a way to disappear, too, and, rest assured, I'm not the kind of woman who looks back once she has moved on."

"I will reveal everything to you," he said, "in good time. Tonight is not the night, though. I have other plans in mind."

With a low chuckle, Alessandro tried to pull Elyse to him, but she resisted his embrace. She placed a hand upon his chest and pushed him back. "What makes you think I have any interest in your plans tonight?"

He pouted. "Cruel wife."

She bit back, "No,worriedwife. Why the fuck didn't you answer any of my calls and texts?"

He sighed. "It was for your protection."

"That's what I've been told. I call bullshit."

A minute later, they arrived at the villa. There was no privacy shield in the vintage Bugatti. Nils had been privy to every word of their heated conversation, but the driver wore a perfectlyserene expression while helping them carry their luggage into the wedding suite. It was as though he'd heard nothing.

Once Nils took his leave, Elyse was alone for the first time that night with Alessandro.Her husband.An unwanted yet delicious kind of heat instantly prickled across her skin. Alessandro eyed Elyse with a wary sort of amusement as she stood there, floundering between lust and rage, in their beautiful wedding suite.

Quietly, he drawled, "I will let you decide,wife, since you insist on being difficult. We can fight. We can fuck. Or do both at the same time.The choice is yours."

20

Elyse's pulse raced. Resentmentand rage still simmered within. Through it all, her mind flailed with indecision. Alessandro's words had detonated a searing intensity between them.

The choice is yours.

There was no time to give her answer, though. Alessandro was already stalking toward her. His hands found her waist. His gaze, hot and wanting, found hers with ease.

"My cheek still stings," he cooed, "you must kiss it. To make it better."

She muttered, "You deserved it."

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