“Nope. I think we’ve signed enough of those.”
Beyond curious, I pulled out the card inside. It wasn’t tickets or a property deed. It was a USB drive, neatly labeled in her handwriting.
“It’s a training video,” she said, trying to hide a smile. “For my espresso machine. Watching your blood pressure shoot through the roof every morning is only funny for so long.”
“That’s cruel.” I groaned and she laughed, collapsing against me.
“It’s perfect,” she corrected, kissing my jaw. “Just like tonight.”
“It really was perfect, huh?” I slid my arms around her, gaze landing steadily on hers. “I, uh, I have one more gift for you.”
“Is it the gag gift?” she asked, wincing as she looked up at me. “I wound up not getting you one of those. It turns out I wasn’t in the mood to perpetuate any of my family’s traditions after all. Not even that stupid thing of my brothers’.”
I chuckled low in the back of my throat. “It’s not the gag gift. I didn’t feel like perpetuating any of your family’s traditions either. I’ll get there, I promise. I just…”
“I’m not there yet either,” she whispered reassuringly, cuddling closer. She peered up at me through those long lashes.
Laney, Sadie, and Maisie had done a heck of a job, helping her get wedding ready in less than thirty minutes. Her hair hung in soft, ringlet curls past her shoulders, pinned up in a few places only to keep it out of her eyes.
I tucked a lock behind her ear now, that need I’d felt as soon as I’d seen her appear at the top of the aisle slamming into me all over again. I just needed to get through this first. “Harlan and Sterling gave us the go-ahead. They’re onboard, baby. You and I are opening an east coast branch of W&S.”
Her eyes widened, darting from one of mine to the other, but as soon as she realized I wasn’t joking, she squealed and tossed her arms around my neck. “We’re really… Wow. I can’t believe it. Harrison, this is…”
Instead of trying to find the words, I caught her cheek in my palms and slanted my lips over hers, kissing her deeply. I finally managed to pull back just enough to add, “It’s a dream come true, but you’rethedream, Aurelia Westwood.”
She melted against me, her laugh slipping into a sigh. I tugged her closer until she was in my lap on the couch. “I love you, Harrison. Always.”
“Good,” I murmured. “Because I don’t plan on giving you back to those people.”
She chuckled into my mouth before she slid her tongue into it, moaning in a way that made me as rigid as the hardwood beneath our feet. My hands skated up her sides, pulled her closer, and slid around to her back.
Her arms locked around my neck, her hips nestling into the cradle of mine, but the dress prevented her from straddling me the way I wanted her to. Needed her to.
“Aurelia,” I murmured into her mouth. “I don’t know if I… I mean…”
She smiled against my lips. “Take me to bed, husband.”
I lifted her effortlessly, suddenly understanding why it was called a bridal hold. These dresses were stunning, but they made it impossible to do things any other way, and she instinctively wrapped her arms around my neck. The soft glow of the Christmas tree cast flickering shadows across the walls as Icarried her down the hall. Her hands threaded into my hair once we got upstairs, tugging me closer.
Every brush of her skin against me sent shivers up my spine. The warmth of her body, the soft press of her lips, the intoxicating scent of her hair and perfume working together to drive me to the brink of insanity.
Tonight wasn’t about the deal, or our family names, or anything beyond this moment. It was about her—my wife, my anchor, my beginning, and my always.
Starting our forever, together.
CHAPTER 46
AURELIA
Although I had known for a couple days now that Harrison loved me as much as I loved him, it was incredibly surreal to think that it was all true. Not only did we love each other, but we were married.
Harrison Westwood was my husband, and as he stripped me out of my dress—mercifully without having to cut it off this time—I caught sight of the golden band on his finger and my breath stalled in my lungs.
He glanced up at me from where he was on his haunches, carefully helping the dress not snag on anything before I could step out of it. “You okay?”
I nodded, but my eyes filled with tears of the most incredible joy and I stroked my fingers through his hair. “I’m so far better than okay that I’m not quite sure what to do with it.”
Glancing at his ring again, I let the knowledge settle in my chest that he was mine now, well and truly, and not even our mothers could do anything about it anymore. Harrison tracked my gaze and chuckled, then pushed back to his feet and took my face in his hands.
