Take Me 01 - Love Me

dangerous eyes.
    “I love you.”
    She lifted her mouth to his and kissed him with all the emotion in her heart.
    “Will you marry me?” he asked against her lips.
    “How about we do it tonight?” she whispered back, loving his laughter.

    * * *

    Italian women in wedding gowns walked hand-in-hand with Italian men in their finest suits. Lanterns blinked colorful lights along every narrow street. Bells rang out from the church tower as children splashed in fountains.
    A middle-aged woman reached for Janica's hands and with a final loving look at Luke, she let herself be led away to a tent full of women.
    One of them held a beautiful, old-fashioned wedding dress and tears sprang to Janica’s eyes. She would have never designed a dress like this for herself.
    But it was perfect.
    Soft hands removed her dress, then slipped the wedding dress on over her head. Other hands brushed her hair, added makeup, sparkly glass jewelry. At the end, they covered her hair and face with a thin lace veil.
    When they were finished, there was a loud whistle and the band began to play again. While everyone clapped in time to the music, Janica walked into the piazza. She looked up at the stage, saw Luke waiting for her there with the priest, and nearly stumbled on the cobblestones.
    He had on a traditional bright red, orange, and yellow striped sash around his waist and he'd never looked more beautiful than he did right then, on the verge of declaring his love for her in front of an entire town.
    She'd been in love with him for so long that she could hardly believe this was real.
    But it was. Wonderfully, amazingly real.
    She saw Lily holding Travis's hand off to the side of the stage, but before Janica could make it all the way to Luke, Lily came down toward her.
    “Luke is the only person I could ever give you up to. I love you so much, baby sister.”
    “I love you too, big sis.”
    Lily held her hand all the way up the steps. And then Janica's hand was in Luke's, and the priest began speaking, the language lyrical and beautiful and mysterious. When he was done, he handed her a thin green vase.
    She vividly remembered Lily and Travis's wedding here on this very stage and knew what she and Luke were supposed to do. Judging by the laughter in his eyes, she knew he remembered too.
    “I'll bet you've been dying to smash this vase for five years, haven't you?” he asked softly.
    She laughed and reached for him, but he was faster than she was, and instead of throwing the vase down, when he kissed her and she forgot everything but him, everything but how much she loved him, everything but how good it was to be loved right back, the vase slipped from her fingers.
    And shattered at their feet.
    Cheering broke out, loud, happy, and then she and Luke were being lifted off the stage while bright confetti seemed to fall straight out of the sky.

    * * *

    Luke carried Janica up the winding staircase to their hotel suite. Her eyes were closed and she snuggled against his chest.
    “How are you feeling?”
    It had only been two months since the car crash and he'd had serious reservations about Janica overdoing it on their trip.
    “Good.” She snuggled in tighter, her breasts rubbing provocatively against his chest. “Horny.”
    He almost stumbled on the final step. Had he heard her wrong? She hadn't opened her eyes, wasn't giving him that wicked little smile that he knew—and loved—so well. She had to be tired, didn't she?
    But with one word, he'd gone from half-mast to practically bursting.
    He carried her into the bedroom and moved to lay her down on the bed. Her arms tightened on his neck.
    “Stay.”
    God, he wanted to stay with her, wanted to take her, wanted to be inside of her more than he wanted to take his next breath. But two months ago she'd almost died. He didn't want to hurt her.
    “It's been a big day.”
    Anger flared in her beautiful eyes. “I am sick to death of being treated like porcelain.”
    His own anger flared. “Damn you, we haven't even been married one night and you're talking back to me.”
    At his response, her eyes flared again, but not with anger this time. With lust.
    “Then I guess you'd better find a way to shut me up,” she challenged.
    He throbbed in his tuxedo pants and he knew what she wanted. What they both needed.
    “Get on your knees, wife.”
    She immediately complied, a sinfully beautiful bride in her wedding gown, kneeling in front of the groom. Waiting for his next command.
    “Show me