Page 193 of Gloves Off

Between us, Ward, acting as our officiant, says a few wordsabout love and soulmates. I’m not really listening, I’m just staring at Georgia. Under the big tree, light scatters across her hair, the golden strands sparkling, her whiskey eyes making my heart ache.

With a warm look, Ward nods at us. “You may now?—”

I wrap a hand around the back of her neck and haul her mouth to mine. Her hands sink into my hair.

“—kiss your wife.”

Our guests laugh, but my wife consumes my senses—her soft mouth, her dizzying violet scent, her hands on my chest, her body against mine. Her sigh.

We break apart, and she rises up on her tiptoes, bringing her mouth to my ear.

“Great job,” she whispers. “Nothing like kissing the dead body at a funeral.”

That evening, at the restaurant from the double date with Owens and Darcy, I hold my wife close with a firm hand on her waist.

Flowers from my mom’s shop fill the room, bouquets made with every flower I gave Georgia during those life-altering few months. I even convinced my mom to hide blue tansy in a bouquet while Georgia laughed. Around the restaurant, soft lighting splashes a warm glow on everyone, and the sound of our friends and family’s conversation and laughter puts me at ease.

“Christ, you’re beautiful,” I tell Georgia. “That dress is something else.”

Her mouth curves, teasing and lovely. “I thought you didn’t like it.”

“Because I wanted to buy you a new one?”

She nods.

I turn her so she’s facing me. Our own world, away from everyone. “It’s not that I don’t like it. I’ve been half hard since I saw you this morning, Hellfire. I didn’t know if you wanted to wear it again, that’s all. It could have been your something new.”

“This is a great dress,” she insists, palms smoothing over my chest, over the lapels of the suit she picked out for me. “It deserves it’s moment. It deserves a wedding between two people who love each other.” Her eyes meet mine, sparkling. “It’s my something old.”

“I thought I was your something old.”

She laughs, and my watch goes off. I’ve been using the heart-rate monitoring program as part of my concussion recovery—but to Georgia’s delight, it still goes off like clockwork around her.

“Besides,” her delicate hand comes to the necklace I gifted her this morning. “I already have my something new.”

The Teasing Georgia rose in golden yellow diamonds in marquise, round, and baguette cuts. I’m getting well-versed in diamonds, being with Georgia, because buying her things makes me feel like a king.

Friendship, joy, loyalty, eternity,I whispered in her ear as I put it on her.

“Have I told you how much I love it?” she asks, giving me a kiss on my cheek.

“Yes, Hellfire, but I don’t mind you showing your appreciation.”

She arches an eyebrow, smirking. “Later.”

My watch goes off again.

As I silence it, she lifts the hem of her dress a couple inches, showing off the pale blue heels the designer made for her to match her dress at Miller and Hazel’s wedding. “Something blue.”

I nod, mouth crooking. “Something borrowed?”

She raises her wrist. A thin gold chain with violet-blue stones sparkles in the low light. “From Jordan. It was her mother’s.”

The bartender appears in front of us, looking slightly uncomfortable in a social setting on this side of the bar.

“Volkov.” Her mouth tips in a quiet smile. “Congrats.”

“Thanks.”

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