What gave it its breathtaking ambiance was the fact that the four-place round tables on the property had lanterns underneath the tablecloths to give off the sensation of orange balls of sun glowing beneath the evening sky.
Beautiful.
Lucy wore a white, full length, Cinderella wedding gown with a plunging neckline that accentuated her body as her emerald green gown did the day she first danced with Antonio. She was choked by emotion over her small, close-knit guest list. Her good friends.
Maxine sat near the front since Lucy decided not to have any bridesmaids. She noticed Maxine eyeing Antonio’s cousin Lucas who was seated near to her. Lucy grinned. Then there was Toni, Antonio and Lucas’s grandfather who sat in a wheelchair alongside his new bride, Shelly. Darla, from the office, and Mr. Petri and others watched Lucy with loving eyes as she made her way down the aisle.
Antonio, of course, was stunning!
There was something so desirable about a groom in a white, crisp, shiny tux.
Breathtaking.
And he was all hers.
Proudly, she embraced with him when she reached the altar. The minister was in place and the ceremony commenced.
Moments later…
“I do,” Lucy answered, raw emotion controlling her voice.
“I now pronounce you…husband and wife,” was all she remembered hearing before Antonio leaned down and swept her in his strong arms. He bestowed on Lucy the sweetest, most sensual kiss. She thought she would forfeit her breath.
The cheers from the guests and the yapping from Sugar, their new puppy, brought the celebrations together in a spectacular way.
Confetti glinted as it danced through the evening air. And the party began.
And Lucy and Antonio would begin their happily ever after…together.
EPILOGUE
Two hours later…
Besides the occasional influenza bug, Maxine rarely caught anything. But tonight, she caught the gorgeous bouquet of flowers from her friend and former boss, Lucy! She also caught the attention of Antonio’s sexy as hell playboy cousin, Lucas.
“Beautiful!” Lucas grinned as he gave Maxine a salacious glance. Maxine was playing with the flower petals of the bouquet when he approached her at one of the tables on the lawn.
Of course, he was dangling the lace garter that his cousin Antonio pulled off his new bride using his teeth. That was quite a hot sight to see.
Did sexiness run in the family? God, she hoped so. Lucas had a few glasses of wine and seemed quite mellow tonight.
The music was blazing from the speakers in the dimly lit garden reception. The night was fresh and crisp. And Lucas was, well…fresh!
“Thanks, Lucas!” Maxine said, flushing. Lucas was not her type. He was a player. Period. She saw the way he flirted with every other girl at the Diamond Ball a couple of months ago. Why surely, he didn’t think she was some fly-by-night girl, did he?
Lucas?
Lucas caught the garter?
Good grief!
Marriage material, he was not!
“Would you like to dance?” he said in a deep, smooth voice as if to challenge her to say no. It was more of a statement than a question.
Oh, God, there was the flirtatious thing going on again.
Hell no! Players are just not my type.
She’d heard too much about Lucas’s reputation with the women. He was smooth as warm caramel and could be just as sweet with his mouth.
Maxine felt terrible having thought that. What harm could one dance possibly do? It wasn’t as if he’d asked her to go to his private yacht or anything like that. Heck, it was her good friend’s wedding. People dance at weddings. Nothing wrong with that.
“Sure,” Maxine finally agreed. Her mind was telling her one thing but her heart was speaking a whole different language.
It’s just one dance, she told herself. Nothing more has to come of it.
Why did she get the feeling this would not be the last time she would see Lucas?
THE END