Page 18 of The Mask of You

I’m watching all this from the small vestibule, waiting for things to quiet down so I can make my entrance and get to that cake taking center stage. But if anything, the noise and chatterare increasing. General Vipont catches my eye from where he’s standing at one side. Suddenly there’s a piercing whistle that vibrates with command. Everyone shuts up immediately. And as if on cue the music starts and someone opens the doors for me.

I still think more people are eyeing the cake, but that’s okay with me. Lance’s eyes tell me he’s nervous and glad to be moving past this milestone. When I take his hand as we stand in front of the officiant, his fingers clamp down on mine.

Five minutes later, we’re officially married. Lance lingers. He bends down to whisper in my ear, “Isla, you were smarter and braver than me when you shared your feelings with the study group. Which is why we are here today. I’m going to spend the rest of my life proving to you it was worth it.” Then he kisses me. It’s not the let’s go find a bed kiss, it’s not the chaste forehead kiss. It’s a promise kiss. The real, bone-deep kind. And it leaves me shaking and overwhelmed.

Lance seems to understand. He leads me gently back down the aisle and over to his culinary masterpiece. “I know this is supposed to happen after the regular food, but I think everyone wants to see this.” He cuts a generous section from the top layer. It’s a white cake with white icing, so I’m still none the wiser. Lance wants me to mash it in his face. But I want to know what I’m smashing before I give it away. I take a small piece between my fingers and taste. Heaven. It’s some kind of fruity almond mixture with notes of rose and lemon. I turn and hunch my shoulder, cramming the rest into my mouth.

“Isla?”

“Get your own. I’m not wasting this.”

There are chuckles from those overhearing and I can feel Lance swell with pride.

“You like it?”

“Iloveit.”

“Good, because the backup layer is waiting for breakfast back at our house.”

Our house that I’ve never even seen. Meaning Lance’s former residence next to his best friend and sister’s place. We decided to have the wedding here for the easier logistics for all the guests. And we’re going to spend the night at the house so I can decide if we should sell it or rent it out. Then we’re headed on a two-week honeymoon in Italy. Thankfully, Lance negotiated for the unpaid time off when he accepted his new job.

This is the most untraditionally traditional wedding ever. Cake first, then dancing as Lance pulls me into a surprisingly graceful waltz. Then I dance with his dad who looks just like Lance, only older and maybe more reserved. Although that may just be because he spends all day with cattle and I barely know him.

Once everyone is full of cake and tired from dancing, then the regular food is set up in a buffet. And Lance and I sneak out.

I feel a little guilty, but it dissipates rapidly when Lance pins me against the inside of the front door with a fierce growl.

“All mine now, Isla. Nobody knows we’re here and they’re all still at the party, anyway. You can make as much noise as you want.”

I loop my arms around his neck. “Are you shy, Lance? Worried about what Dean and Paisley might overhear?”

He mutters something unintelligible under his breath and drags me towards the stairs. But when he undoes all the little buttons running down my back, he’s gentle. He kisses the nape of my neck and I remember what he said about me tempting him in the office when we worked together.

“Lance?”

“Hmm?”

“Will you show me sometime what you wanted to do but didn’t? Back when I worked for you?”

“Doing that right now,” he growls, making me giggle.

“I know, but I meant more role play, I guess.”

His lips pause on their journey down my spine. “You want to role play boss and assistant? Make you bend over my desk so I can find out if you’ve been having naughty thoughts when you should have been answering the phone?”

“Uh-huh,” I pant at the image he’s painting in my head. And maybe a little because he’s found that sensitive spot on the side of my neck.

We gravitate towards the bed. “I think that can be arranged. I’m sure when you made the arrangements for our business trip, you followed all the usual procedures. Your boss won’t be happy if he finds out you booked only one room with only one bed.” Lance’s hand curves over my hip as he slides between my thighs. His cock is notched at my entrance. “Isn’t that right, Isla?”

I gulp as Lance’s cock slides home. It just feels right having him buried to the hilt, joining our heartbeats.

“My boss is very understanding?”

Lance chuckles. “He’s not sleeping on the floor and neither are you.”

I smile into his shoulder, suddenly looking forward to this trip even more now that I can anticipate our arrival in Rome.

Sometimes it’s hard to remember there was ever a time when Lance and I hid our feelings from each other. But I remind myself, if we hadn’t, Lance never would have discovered his love of cooking. I would have poisoned him in my attempts to live up to some imaginary ideal and nothing would be quite right.

Instead, I’ve got a husband who showers me with delicious treats, makes love to me like he’s grateful every single time, and a job that I love going to almost as much as I love coming home.

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