“Mine,” he murmured before plunging his tongue deeply into her mouth, uncaring of who witnessed his passionate declaration.
“Yours,” she whispered back. “Always and forever, Drake. I will always love you and I will always be yours.”
He closed his eyes as the betraying sting of tears burned his eyes. God but he loved this woman. More than he ever imagined loving another living person. For that matter, he’d never imagined anyone loving him. And yet the woman in his arms, the woman he’d just married loved him—had loved him—without conditions, strings. She’d never doubted him and she’d forgiven the unthinkable not once, but twice.
He gave up trying to suppress the wash of emotion that had flooded his very soul and he buried his face in her beautiful hair. He inhaled, taking her scent deeply so that it became a permanent part of him.
“I love you too, Angel,” he said hoarsely. “I’ll always love you. There will never be another woman for me.”
She pulled away, concern in her eyes as she reached to cup his cheek. “Drake, darling, what’s wrong?”
She looked alarmed as she studied his expression, no doubt seeing the evidence of tears in his eyes. Before he would have killed himself before ever allowing another person to see any perceived weakness in him. But with Evangeline? He knew he would always be safe with her.
“Not a damn thing,” he said, smiling down at her. “If I’m not mistaken, the ceremony is over and you’re my wife, Mrs. Donovan.”
He was absurdly delighted by hearing his last name associated with her, but then judging by the sudden joy that lit up her eyes, he wasn’t the only one gripped by that savage satisfaction.
“Which means,” he said, reaching for her hand in preparation of hauling her down the aisle—now his wife—“that it’s time to take my wife on her honeymoon.”
Laughter rang out over the church and he marveled at how beautiful the carefree sound was. They’d made it roughly three steps when Drake’s own joy took over and reality set in that this loving, generous woman was his! He swung her into his arms and carried her down the aisle, but he didn’t stop at the door, took no time to visit with well-wishers nor did he wait for his men to catch up. He simply carried her to the waiting car, and he made love to Mrs. Evangeline Donovan on their way to the airport.