It may as well have been hours by the rabid look on Cesare’s face when the doors swung open, and the fact that he was halfway down the aisle, storming towards me. He stumbled to a halt for a split second, then charged even faster, renewed, savage need etched into his face.
Sweet Lord, he was a sight.
I stopped in my own tracks, unable to move as my heart pranced in my chest like the pistons of Cesare’s racing car.
Pia, my dress designer, and Cesare’s stylist had coordinated, so it came as no surprise to see the silk cravat he’d worn with the navy three-piece morning suit was the exact dark ivory colour as my dress. His hair was slicked back, his clean-shaven jaw highlighting the wicked dark ink crawling up his neck.
He was danger and sophistication. Wicked control and feral hunger.
He was mine.
My breath stuttered as he reached me. ‘Maddelena,’ he breathed. As if he couldn’t help but say my name.
‘You couldn’t wait?’ I whispered shakily, my gaze devouring him.
He caught my hand, brought it to his lips and kissed my knuckles. ‘No,bedda. Another second would’ve killed me,’ he rasped fervently. ‘You look magnificent.’
My heart sang at the reverence in his voice. The very public claiming, not as a trophy but as someone he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. So much so he couldn’t wait a second longer at the altar.
‘Shall we do this?’ I whispered when the murmurs rose.
Behind him, Rafa stood equally suave in a similar three-piece suit, a ghost of bemusement on his face as he watched us.
Father Calogero, another surprising revelation, waited at the altar, a sort of stern fondness on his face as he waited.
A deep breath shuddered through Cesare, and he nodded. ‘Sì.’
He walked me up the aisle, ignoring Orazio’s mildly disapproving frown.
Once there, he bluntly refused to let me go, and we stood hand in hand, in the presence of all of his family and none of mine and said our vows.
‘I’m so fucking glad I blackmailed you.’
My soft laugh held echoes of a sob, and I blinked back tears of joy as I glanced up into the face of my husband.
My husband.
The hand wearing the exquisite platinum band matching my gorgeous engagement ring rested on his shoulder as Cesare swayed me across the dancefloor. Hundreds of eyes watched us, but I only had eyes for him.
‘Technically, you asked me to produce something I didn’t have. Or else.’
He shrugged. ‘Potato-pot-aa-to. I had you. And I never intend to let you go.’
He pressed a kiss to my forehead, and I sighed. It was a little scary how happy I was. How complete I felt. Did that mean I wasn’t going to squeeze the joy out of every second of this feeling? Hell no.
‘Rafa and the twins treat you right?’ he murmured.
I smiled. Cesare had ordered his brothers to dance with me after our first official dance. Rafa still remained a little stiff with me, but he’d done his duty without complaint. Renzo had flirted with me all through the four-minute dance. Dante had mostly grilled me about my family.
It was early days yet, but I couldn’t wait to uncover their unique personalities.
‘They were perfect gentlemen,’ I replied.
He grunted, just as the music trailed off and a mic was tapped for attention.
Cesare turned me so my back was to his front, his arms wrapped around me as his grandfather stepped up to the podium.
‘Here we go,’ Cesare muttered.
