He took my hand and led me to the dance floor. Slash pulled me into his arms, and I rested my head against his chest. With my eyes closed, and the smell of his skin in my nose, my heart swelled and I was complete.
* * *
“You’re the only person I know who would gladly give away their wedding cake,” Jazz said as she and Brielle helped slice up the cake and put it into containers for the guests to take with them.
The band was breaking down, and the reception was starting to dissipate. Those with children had to get them home and into bed, and those free to enjoy their night wanted to move the party to a bar. It had been Acid’s idea, and when he hugged me, he said, “Now you can have your way with your husband.”
I glanced at the gold band on my hand. I had a husband. But he was so much more than that.
Willa came up to the table and slid her finger through a goop of frosting. “Darcy is a fucking angel. She’s cool with having Waverly spend the night and Waverly is all about it. Which means, I can go out with you guys.”
“Yes!” Brielle crowed.
“Oh, you kids. Have fun. And a word of advice; use protection,” I said dryly.
“Yeah, God forbid we end up like you,” Willa teased. “Happily married to a gorgeous man, pregnant with his baby and with a business that’s booming. Oh, the horror. Thehorror.”
“Hey, Brooklyn,” Duke said as he sauntered up to the dessert table. “Can I talk to you a quick second?”
“Sure.” I handed off the knife to Jazz so she could keep cutting the cake.
Duke and I headed away from people to have a measure of privacy. “They were delivered about half an hour ago. I’m going to have South Paw come in the morning to take care of it. I’ll text you when it’s done.”
I gripped the lapels of Duke’s cut and leaned up to kiss his cheek. “You, sir, are a class act.”
He hugged me to him and then released me.
One by one, the guests disappeared until there was no one left but Slash and me.
“Whew, it’s done,” I said. “What a whirlwind.”
“Yeah, now we just get to be boring married people.” He winked at me.
“Boring? Boring, you say? I’ll show you boring.” I tugged on his shirt and brought my mouth to his. When I pulled back, I grinned wickedly up at him. “I made butter cream frosting and it’s in the fridge.”
He raised his brows. “Are you saying what I think you’re saying?”
“Yup. It’s better than whipped cream.”
“Woman, get naked. Now.”
* * *
The next morning, I was enjoying a cup of tea on the back patio, wearing Slash’s T-shirt and a thong. Nothing else. The tables and chairs, along with the tent would be taken down and removed by the rental company later in the day.
“Woman,” Slash growled.
I turned and grinned. He was shirtless, wearing a pair of sweats that hung low on his hips. “You’re not supposed to leave my bed the night after our wedding.”
He sauntered toward me. I lifted my chin to receive his kiss and then I pulled my head back to study the new art that Virgil had inked on Slash’s skin. Slash didn’t tattoo names on his body, he had symbols in the form of images. The heart clock that symbolized Hazel and Daisy’s death looked different now. Virgil had cracked it open and out spilled water and a slew of acorns.
My name in German meant water. The acorn was for our own little one.
“Come back to bed,” he said, tugging on my hand.
“Hold on. I want to show you something first,” I said.
Duke had texted an hour ago, saying that South Paw was finished.