“Well, I think you’ve forgotten that most of these people are staying here with us in this giant house of yours, and will still be here in the morning when we come down for breakfast.”

“Oh, Christ, I’d hoped they wouldn’t really take us up on the offer.” He nuzzled my neck and inhaled, sending a shiver down my spine.

“I assure you, that they have every intention of staying the night here.” I laughed.

“I love your dress.  It’s very unusual, but so perfect for my Cherry Girl.  I especially love the dragonfly right here.”

He tapped the dragonfly that was beaded into the blue lace that decorated the back of my white dress.

“I wondered if you would let your tattoo show with your wedding dress,” he whispered.

I shook my head.  “No.  I didn’t want it to show.  My tattoo is for your eyes alone on this day.”

He sat behind me with his chin on my shoulder, letting me feed him small bites of the wedding cake that was not quite as beautiful as it had been earlier.  The perfect concoction of cherry blossom beauty, it was far too pretty to eat, but eaten it had been.  Thankfully we had many pictures taken by Benny Clarkson who was here doing our wedding photographs.  Benny had mad skills and I knew our special day had been captured to the fullest extent, so I didn’t mind about the demolished cake.  Everyone who mattered to us had come, and it had been the perfect wedding.

“I love that only my eyes get see it.”  He rubbed his thumb up and down my neck, caressing softly, never letting me be out of range for his touch.  “I love you…”

“I love you too, and I love these silver spoons.  I think we should feed each other with them every day, don’t you?”  The gift from Neil to me was two sterling silver spoons with the words, AND THEY LIVED, and, HAPPILY EVER AFTER, stamped into them.  He had a knack for finding the unusual and exquisite, and spoilt me every chance he could.

“No doubt, Mrs. McManus.”

“So, I have something to give you later,” I said.

He groaned.  “Oh, well I want it now, please.”

I laughed at him.  “You don’t even know what it is.”

He nuzzled me some more.  “It’s a gift from you, so I know I want it right now.”

“But what about all these guests that are still here partying like they have absolutely no intention of slowing?”  I teased him.

“They won’t even know we’ve left?” he suggested with a brow up.

“I am sure they will notice that the bride and groom are leaving,” I said, in a consoling voice.

He sighed and tried again.  “How about, I don’t bloody care if they notice the bride and groom are leaving?”

“You poor thing, I think I really must take you upstairs and put you to bed.”

His face brightened.  “You are a good wife, already,” he said with a smile that nearly took my breath away.  I would never tire of looking at my beautiful golden man with the chocolate eyes I could drown in.

“Thank you,” I said, reaching for the gift I had prepared just for him.  I put it into his hands.

“What’s this?  My gift?”

I nodded.  “It is indeed, Captain.  I think you should open it.”

“This is the silver heart-shaped box I used when I proposed.”

“You’re right; it is the same silver box.”

He opened the clasp and looked in.  He took out what was there.  A piece of paper he unfolded and flattened with his hand.

He snapped his head up to me.  “Is this right, Cherry?”

“Yes.  I stopped taking them three weeks ago.”

He stared back down at the paper: my doctor’s script for birth control pills with the letters C A N C E L L E D written across.  I’d also added in some pink cherry blossom flowers and a blue dragonfly to the best of my drawing ability, which wasn’t the greatest, but he would get the idea.

“Well, wife, it appears we have some very important work to do…and I think we need to get started on it right away.”

“I agree, Captain.  Social etiquette be damned.”

“God, you’re so utterly perfect, Cherry,” he said, as he swept me up into his arms and carried me up the stairs.  He had marched right across the dance floor with the train of my dress trailing behind him, through the crowd of guests who waved us off with cheers and lewd comments just as soon as they realized what he was doing.

I don’t think my man even heard them, or ever noticed that anyone else was in the room with us.

He only had eyes for me, his Cherry Girl.

THE END

About the Author

Raine has been reading romance novels since she picked up that first Barbara Cartland paperback at the tender age of thirteen.  She thinks it was The Flame is Love from 1975.  And it's a safe bet she'll never stop reading romance novels because now she writes them too.  Granted, Raine's stories are edgy enough to turn Ms. Cartland in her grave, but to her way of thinking, a tall, dark and handsome hero never goes out of fashion.  Never!  A former teacher, turned full- time writer of sexy romance stories, is how she fills her days.  Raine has a prince of a husband, and two brilliant sons to pull her back into the real world if the writing takes her too far away.  Her sons know she likes to write stories, but have never asked to read any.  (Raine is so very grateful about this.)  She loves to hear from readers and chat about the characters in her books.  You can connect with Raine on Facebook or visit her blog at RaineMiller.com to see what she's working on now.

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Books by Raine Miller

Naked, The Blackstone Affair, Part 1

All In, The Blackstone Affair, Part 2

Eyes Wide Open, The Blackstone Affair, Part 3

The Undoing of a Libertine

His Perfect Passion