I’d gotten butterflies. Actual totally un-manly butterflies, when I saw her. She’d always had that effect on me, but at that moment… she was perfection.
She smiled as I approached and sat in the chair beside her. Her head fell onto my shoulder and I wrapped my arm around her.
“I can’t decide if I’m tired or not.” She gave a small laugh. “I feel less energetic than I did a few hours ago, but I’m not sure I’m ready to sleep yet.”
“You’d better not fall asleep before we get to the wedding night fun. I’ve been waiting all day for that part.”
My tone w
as light, and she laughed again. “Believe me, I’ve been looking forward to it too. And I’m not going to let it pass us by. But before we go to the hotel, can we do something totally unsexy, like have a large coffee? I just need a little time to wind down.”
I nodded. “Sure. We’ll go inside soon. I just want to be here for a little longer.”
She looked up at me and pressed her lips against mine. “Me too.”
Standing up for a moment, I swept her legs from beneath her, lifted her, then sat down, placing her on my lap. Her arms came up around my neck. “So,” she said. “Do you feel any different now we’re married?”
In the old days, I would have branded that a dumb question. What had changed? We’d been living together for a long time. We had a kid together. What difference would getting married make really? But I did feel different. Secure. I knew Leah and I were solid. That had been proven time and again over the last few months, but taking that final step? Making this commitment? It was hard to explain, but it just made everything feel complete.
Which is sappy as shit, but it’s true.
“I feel like the luckiest man in the world,” I told her, then grinned. “Can’t believe you fell for it, though. From now on, I’ll expect you to have my dinner ready as soon as I get home from work, and you can forget about those long lunches you take with Bree, or even with my mom. I’ve got you exactly where I want you. The wife must stay in the home and take care of the children. Because that’s all you’re good for now. Cooking and making babies.”
She raised her eyebrows. “Is that so? Well, in that case, there’s no time for any wedding night fun – as you put it. I need my rest so I can make sure the house is spotless for my beloved husband.”
I shook my head. “The marriage must be consummated, Leah. It’s part of your duties.” Laughing, she slapped my arm, and I kissed her before laughing too. “Like I could ever tell you what to do.”
With a mischievous glint in her eyes, she said, “You can tell me what to do tonight, if you want…”
Her words made my dick twitch and she squirmed a little on my lap. “I’m going to hold you to that.”
“Maybe Italy was a mistake.” Leah brushed her lips across my cheek, then slowly down my neck. She’d gone from sleepy to horny in seconds – I loved it when she was like this. “I mean… how much of it are we really going to see? We could have just booked a nice hotel in the city for all the scenery we’re going to take in.”
“Baby,” I whispered, burying my hand in her hair as her lips moved back over mine, “I really wanted tonight to be romantic. But if you keep that up, I’m gonna have to forget that plan and take you here. Now.”
I felt her lips curve upwards against my skin. “Okay. I’ll stop.” The warmth of her breath on my neck had challenged my self-control, but I wanted to take my time with her that night. I wanted to worship her, show her how much I loved her.
Preferably more than once.
“Come on,” I said, kissing her forehead gently. “Let’s go.”
She nodded and stood up, holding onto my hands as I got to my feet too.
“Radleigh?” She threaded her fingers through mine, her eyes looking right into mine.
“Yes?”
“I love you.”
“I love you too, baby.”
I took one last look around, trying to capture the moment in my mind. One more moment to add to the hundreds of others we’d made there that day. Then I held on to my wife’s hand as we walked away, towards the rest of our life together.