“Stranger things have happened,” he quipped.
They had.
“I wonder if my parents would be proud of me.”
“I know they would because I already can tell what kind of a woman you are. You are brave and strong and have a good heart. Any parent would be proud to have a daughter like you.”
I sniffled again.
“Iam proud of you… Daughter. Not just because you helped us on that attack and for all the secrets and intel you have from your career. But because you have the strength and patience to love my son and accept him for the man he is.”
I faced him with a wide smile. “And I always will.”
He nodded once and patted my hand. “Good. I’ll hold you to that.”
“You can.”
Emil was it for me.
We’d “met” in the most untraditional way, but our love and draw to each other wouldn’t be shattered just because of our pasts and that we’d come from opposite sides of the law.
Our love was too strong. Too bold. Burning too brightly without any chance of sizzling out.
Luka brought me to Emil, who stood there so tall and rugged despite the tuxedo that also made him look so polished and dapper.
“My little agent,” he said in a whisper of a greeting. He leaned in to kiss me as Luka handed me over.
“You’re supposed to wait until the end to kiss her,” Lev hissed from the side.
I laughed lightly.
“At least he’s not late to this one,” Misha quipped.
Alexsei lowered his hand at the same time Ivan did, covering both boys’ mouths.
Emil winked at them and faced me as the priest began to speak. I really should’ve been paying attention to what he said, but under the loving gaze of this dangerous man, I could only stare at his cocky smile that charmed me even now.
He’d charm me for the rest of my life.
It was a promise.
I felt his love and knew he would always be there for me, never stranding me again.
For such a momentous occasion, I didn’t let it sink in. I spoke the vows when I needed to. I slid the ring on his finger. But it wasn’t until the magical words at the end that I believed we’d really done it. We’d survived and overcome all the odds to get here to truly commit to one another.
“You may kiss the bride,” the priest announced.
Emil hugged me closer, gazing at me with so much love and mischief that I couldn’t wipe this smile off my face.
He dipped me, pressing his warm lips over mine in the hot and needy kind of possessive kiss that I couldn’t get enough of.
Whoops and hollers reached my eyes. So many of the Dubinin friends and families cheered and applauded. All the sounds faded to nothing as I clung to my husband and relished the contact of his smug mouth on mine, his tongue dueling with mine, and his strong hands holding me up securely at this daring slant.
But then?—
He stood me up at the sound of Carina crying.
I didn’t wonder if those pads were leakproof or not. We stepped off the aisle so Emil could take Carina from Allan’s arms. He’d taken over holding her while Gabriella kept Helene and Andre happy.
