The Wedding She Always Wanted (17 page)

“I say yes.” To dinner and everything he’d already asked for—marriage, family, forever…“I love you, too. And I’m sorry I made you doubt that, especially after everything you did to prove the kind of man you are—the kind of man your father would be so proud of. It was never you I didn’t trust, but myself. It was safer to believe what we had wasn’t serious than to admit how quickly I’d fallen for you.”

“Yeah, well, turns out I was wrong about that.”

Emily frowned. “About what?”

“The good times haven’t come to an end,” he promised, his dark eyes intent on hers. “In fact, they’re just beginning. So what do you say we get out of here?”

Gradually becoming aware once again of the fund-raiser and the dozens of people watching, even though Javy had already guided her away from the podium and the live microphone, Emily protested reluctantly. “Javy, I can’t. We’re in the middle of the auction and—”

“Hey, everyone,” a male voice announced, and she turned to see Trey Jamison adjusting the mic. “I’m here to finish auctioning off tonight’s items, but how about a big hand for Emily Wilson, who made this whole night possible.”

Her cousin’s friend flashed her a wink before he picked up her notes and got to work like the professional he was.

Realization hitting a bit too late, Emily slanted Javy a glance as he led her to the side of the stage and the ballroom exit. “You planned this, didn’t you? For Trey to take over with the auction? And let me guess, Kelsey was in on it, too.”

“Guilty as charged,” he admitted without looking the least bit repentant. “But it was strictly for your own good.”

“Oh, and you think you know what’s best for me,” Emily challenged.

“I do.” Pulling her into his arms, he vowed, “I am.”

And how could she argue with that?

“H
ow angry do you think your parents are going to be?” Javy asked.

Turning away from the view of the Las Vegas Strip, Emily smiled at her husband of fifteen minutes. “Are you kidding? Kelsey’s the one I’ll really have to look out for. I’m sure she would have loved to coordinate a wedding for me where I was actually the one to get married. What about your mother? Are you going to be dodging skillets when we get back?”

“Mama’s going to be so glad I’m married, I think she’ll forgive me. Of course, she’ll want to have a huge party once we get back.”

“My family will, too.”

“I say we have one big reception at Dos Delgado and invite everyone, since we’re all family now.”

“That sounds perfect.”

Although Emily doubted the party at Javy’s new restaurant
would be what her parents had in mind, they’d surprised her the past few months by being far more accepting than she’d ever believed possible. Especially once she made it clear how much she loved Javy and how happy he made her.

“And what about you?” Javy asked as he crossed the honeymoon suite.

Even though they’d decided to forgo the full-on wedding ceremony, they had both dressed for the occasion—Emily in a simple white sheath with a touch of beading along the V-neckline and Javy in a dark gray suit. He’d already tossed aside his tie, removed his jacket and rolled up the sleeves of his light gray shirt, revealing a casual style that suited him and never failed to steal Emily’s breath. Too focused on how sexy her new husband was, she missed the point of his question.

“What about me?” A pop of a cork punctuated her question as he opened the bottle of champagne that had been waiting for them in the honeymoon suite.

“How disappointed are you not to have a huge wedding?”

“Not at all. Our wedding was exactly what I wanted.” She’d been a little concerned they might end up at some drive-through chapel of love, but the place Javy found had been perfect—a small church filled with candles and flowers and just the two of them.

“Are you sure?” He handed her a glass, his gaze intent on hers. “I was at your would-be wedding, remember? Just a few months ago,
that
was exactly what you wanted.”

“Yes, it was,” Emily agreed, thinking how wrong—and how lucky—she had been. “I needed the designer gown, the nursery’s worth of flowers, the orchestra and silly ice sculptures to make up for the one thing that wedding didn’t have—a groom I loved and one who loved me.”

Setting aside their glasses before she had a chance to do little
more than taste the sparkling bubbles against her tongue, Javy pulled Emily into his arms. “You have that now,” he vowed.

Joy and love and happiness spinning inside her, Emily couldn’t agree more. In Javy, she had everything she’d ever wanted—a man who loved her for herself, who believed in her, who had been willing to wait to make love, because once upon a time that was how she had imagined her perfect wedding night.

He could have seduced her into his bed weeks ago, and Emily would have been more than willing to be there. He hadn’t, though, and she loved him even more for it. But now, finally, the wait was over.

Any nerves Emily might have had melted away beneath Javy’s kiss. He made her feel desired and cherished. Each fiercely tender touch let her know that this was as much about her heart as it was about her body, and that he felt the same.

As her wedding gown slid to the floor, his lips drifted over her skin like liquid gold, leaving her breathless, boneless, trembling in their wake. Just when she feared her legs could no longer support her, Javy scooped her into his arms and placed her in the middle of the bed. Her head spun at the sudden movement, and she had no hope of regaining any sense of balance as he followed her down.

The welcomed weight and heat of his body pressed her into the soft mattress, and she instantly sought out the buttons on his shirt. Her startled gaze flew to his when he closed his hand over hers, stilling her movements. His expression was intense, serious, but not enough to hide the spark in his dark eyes. “You should know,” he said, his voice a rough whisper, “I’ve never done this before.” At the bemused lift of Emily’s eyebrows, he added, “Made love to a married woman.”

Fighting a smile, she asked, “Do you think it will make a difference?”

Lowering his head to brush his lips against hers, he declared, “All the difference in the world.”

Emily felt the difference in his kiss, in his touch. Desire poured through her veins as he brushed aside her bra and panties. The rough whisper of breath against her skin became a heated promise his lips and tongue kept as he teased her throat, her breasts, her belly….

He stopped only long enough to strip away his clothes before he was kissing her again, his weight braced on his elbows. Emily ran her hands across his shoulders and back, loving the play of lean muscle beneath his smooth, tanned skin. He groaned when she reached the small of his back and pulled him tighter to her.

He broke the kiss and pulled back to meet her gaze as he vowed, “I love you.”

The words always sent a warm rush of amazement straight to her heart, and every time, Emily saw that same feeling of awe mirrored in Javy’s dark eyes. But she didn’t need words to echo his response. Instead, her body arched to meet his in an instant so perfect, so…
right
.

She cried out his name as he moved inside her, the rush of emotion bringing tears to her eyes. The beauty of the moment built and grew until waves of pleasure broke over her, stealing her breath as they pulled her under, and then seeming to gently carry her back to shore—to safety, to the warmth and comfort of Javy’s arms.

Moments later, as she drifted off to sleep, resting her hand against Javy’s chest, Emily felt the steady beat of his heart and the still new weight of the ring on her finger. Her wedding night was more than she could have dreamed—a night of many firsts filled with a love destined to last.