Page 24 of His Vow
With shaky fingers, I ease both rings from between the velvet cushions and place them on the tray the celebrant is holding. He mumbles words that barely register until he directs me to place the emerald on Luce’s finger. It slips on, fitting perfectly, and I swallow deeply.
Trembling, she threads the other ring onto my finger, and I stare down at our clasped hands.
“By the authority vested in me by the American Marriage Ministries and the State of Nevada, I now pronounce you husband and wife.”
My wife.I like the way that sounds. But then, with absolute clarity, he adds, “You may kiss your bride.”
Another part of the ceremony we never spoke about. Lucia, who was skittish before, turns a shade paler. Her eyes appear to darken to a sea green just before a storm. I lower my face to hers. “May I?”
“Sì,” she whispers. And I swear I was going to kiss her right there on the cheek, but somewhere in between, my brain glitched. Instead, I press my lips to hers, swallowing her soft gasp before her body melts into mine. Automatically, my arms wrap around her narrow waist, supporting her weight, and my palms flatten against her bare back.
Fucking wow! How did I not know that kissing my best friend would be this amazing?
Lucia tastes of berries, infused with the sweetest and most intoxicating taste of glossy lips. The waves of her hair tickle the backs of my hands as she stretches up to thread her fingers around my neck. All other thoughts have been obliterated by her hot touch as she scratches her claim into my skin.
I’m lost, confused, and so fucking turned on, until Gio jabs me in the shoulder blade, and I spring back. My arms drop to my sides, and I try to suck air back into my lungs. My gaze never wavering from Lucia. It’s like I’m truly seeing her for the first time. A gorgeous, passionate woman who has just become my wife.
Sparks explode behind her eyes, and I have to look away before I pull her back into my arms. The place I’m now convinced she belongs.
My gaze screeches to a halt when it hits Gio. The smirk across his mouth says he knows something I don’t. The vow I just made to protect her might need amending to add,from me.
There’s another jab in the ribs from Gio, and I’m jolted from my trancelike state. A slap on the back from Leo and Nico, and I’m thinking they should be aiming at my face. If they only knew the dirty thoughts running through my head about Lucia, they’d be taking me outside and roughing me up. She’s their friend, too, and with this marriage being one of convenience, no one is meant to get hurt. Or catch these kinds of feelings.
Leo encourages our group to move toward the private room where he’s arranged a small celebratory dinner. My gaze finds Lucia’s again, but this time, she’s the one quickly looking away. A wash of color pinkens her pale skin, and she’s never looked more beautiful to me. I think it could be my favorite color on her.
The meal Leo organized is exceptional, and the wedding cake—white chocolate mud—he brought with him from hisrestaurant a perfect end to it. But as nice as the food and company is, no one appears to want to linger.
Gio rises first to leave. “Early flight tomorrow,” he announces by way of explanation, but I know the truth. He’s eager to return to New York to fix his own relationship problems. Leo follows him out, as they’re traveling together on the company jet, and he hates being away from the restaurant longer than necessary.
The four of us remaining top off our glasses of champagne.
“Are we ready to party?” Nico asks, and I roll my eyes. Sometimes the four-year difference between my youngest brother and me seems far greater, and today is one of those times. “Or not?” he adds, catching my expression.
“I want to party,” Rose replies. “This is my first time to Vegas, and I intend on making the most of it before I fly home.”
Nico jumps up from the table. “Well, let me be your personal Vegas tour guide.”
“Is that okay with you, Luce?” Rose asks.
“Of course, go have fun. But please be gentle with Nico? He’s young and impressionable,” she jokes.
Nico roars with laughter, the sound still echoing as the two leave. I’ve no idea what they’re planning to do, and honestly, it’s probably best not knowing. Individually, Nico and Rose are wild. Together? Who knows what the fallout could be. But both of them are more than capable of getting themselves out of trouble, and I’ve got enough problems of my own to deal with. Like discussing with my new wife that kiss we shared.
Gio’s private words to me after the ceremony still ring in my ears.“Talk to her and tell her how you feel. Keeping secrets will only cause more problems.”I don’t know how he guessed that something changed with the kiss. I’m not even sureIknow what it meant.
And now that Luce and I are alone, my gut whirs with the indecision of whether to confront these new feelings head-on.
“Another glass of champagne? Or would you like to go up to the suite?” I ask, as the waiters clear the plates around us.
“Let’s go up,” she says.
The walk to the elevator and the ride up to our penthouse suite are done in total silence. And as we enter the marble foyer, she crosses to the window, just like she did earlier today, arms wrapped around her waist. Her slim figure is a silhouette against the vibrant light beams of Vegas hotels and the fountain thirty-plus floors below.
“Whiskey?” I ask, walking toward the minibar to pour myself a glass.
“Sì,” she murmurs.
I pour a single measure for her and a double for me. I need something to tamp down the lustful thoughts I’ve been having since that first taste of her lips. A moment engraved into my memory—one no amount of wishing to brush it off on my end will ever erase.
