Unexpectedly His(60)
“For six weeks?”
“For sixty years,” he said, a look of pure love etched across his handsome face.
A few feet away on a round table covered in white linen sat a three-tiered wedding cake, a custom-made replica of her husband’s birthday cake, complete with a raised pop-out top and a dark-haired groom embracing a bride clad in a silver-sequined dress. On the second tier, nestled under the Brooklyn Bridge, a cupid sat mischievously aiming her arrow up at the unsuspecting couple. The cake was a gift from Jane and Charlie, a sly reminder of how a siren got her man.#p#分页标题#e#
With her hand clasped in his, Nick led her off the dance floor and into a corner of the canopy that had been set up on the lawn of her parents’ property. Moonlight streamed at the edges mixing in with the twinkle lights to create a romantic atmosphere that would make even Martha Stewart proud. Pre- or post-parole.
Only three weeks until Nick had to be back at Morgan Wealth Management & Trust. Once the dust settled from the scandal, Dan Morgan came to see Nick’s exemplary honesty and his commitment to Marianne as something positive, offered him a short leave of absence, and put off the partner decision for six months, the implication clear that the firm wanted him to have it once the smoke cleared.
After she’d revealed how Drew had blackmailed her into giving up Nick, he’d been scolded by Dan, since airing such less-than-squeaky-clean laundry could’ve negatively impacted the firm. An excellent result from her standpoint and, best of all, there were no secrets between them. Now they had twenty-one days, seven hours and approximately thirty-five minutes left to enjoy their honeymoon, and Marianne intended to make the most of every second.
Nick drew her into his arms and brushed a kiss across her lips. “About time to leave, Mrs. Wright,” Nick said, adjusting her glasses against the bridge of her nose. “Are you ready?”
“One more minute.” Her eyes filled with tears as she glanced around the beachside tent full of her friends and family. Dad held her mom in his arms as she gazed up at him, laughing alongside her father’s parole officer, who looked pretty cozy with Nick’s mom. Across the room, Dan showed off a few card tricks, clearly determined to take Marianne for a pretty penny at the firm’s next casino night. Cupid and her man, Charlie, huddled together in a sexy clinch at their table, and while her new brother-in-law hadn’t been able to make it to the States for the party, he’d sent a case of champagne and a copy of his book on love. Not that they’d need it. Like the matrix said, they shared a forever kind of love. Nothing temporary about it.
Marianne had been a quiet, lonely kid, her head full of computer code and numbers, but no statistical equation could explain the joy she felt tonight surrounded by a wide circle of friends and family. She smiled over at Nick, happier than she’d thought possible. “Ready, Mr. Wright.”
Nick nodded and, across the makeshift room, the band announced the departure of the bride and groom, bursting into their version of Coldplay’s “A Sky Full of Stars.” As the music filled the night air, Nick pulled her into a swift, passionate kiss before grabbing her hand to race through the gathering crowd of friends and family.
Confetti rained down on them, and she turned to blow her parents a kiss. A lump in her throat, she lifted her Marilyn-inspired, satin Vera Wang gown to climb into the Alfa Romeo and her ruby red heels sparkled in the moonlight. As the happy cheers continued from the edges of the tent, Marianne settled into the car beside her husband. Her husband. How she loved the sound of those words.
Nick chuckled at the handwritten sign, anchored to the back of the car, Smart Cupid Approved. Eyes filling, he turned to give his sister one last wave before settling into the driver’s seat. “Think we should break the speed limit?” he asked. “Just this once?”
Marianne smiled over at him. “If it means starting the honeymoon sooner…”
Nick waggled his eyebrows, revved the convertible’s engine, and took off down the pebbled driveway toward Ocean Avenue. Marianne looked up at the star-studded sky, but she didn’t have one wish. Behind them, a collection of tin cans clanked against the road, and a dozen heart-shaped balloons reached toward the heavens, as they raced toward what Marianne knew would be life’s greatest adventure—love.#p#分页标题#e#