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He mirrors the gesture, grinning, then turns to wait for his aunt.
Connie draws admiring glances from the whole congregation as she makes her way down the aisle as Cece’s maid of honor, smiling widely at everyone. She blows me a kiss then flushes at Gianni’s wink as she takes Micah’s hand and steers him towards their seats on the first pew.
And then the music swells and expands in the vast, flower-filled space and I gasp as I see my beautiful bride arrive at the end of the aisle, accompanied by a very proud and emotional-looking Dante. Cecelia is wearing a long veil over her face, but I can see her wide, bright smile beneath it. She is a vision in a stunning cream lace fitted dress with a high neck and long delicate sleeves, her long dark curly hair pinned up. I have never seen a woman so perfect, and she’s mine.
I blink back tears as our love story flashes before my eyes like a romantic movie: from that fateful night I found her bound and beaten in Ricci’s cellar, to falling in love with her at my home while she healed and blossomed before me, to pining for her every minute of every day while I served my time in prison, to saving her from Lombardi in that hotel room, to us professing our undying love for each other afterwards, to her revealing that we had a perfect little boy, to winning her father’s blessing after Micah’s traumatic kidnapping. It’s been an intense, joyous, challenging journey and it’s led us here, to our happy ever after.
We exchange our heartfelt vows, and our guests cheer and clap as we kiss and are pronounced man and wife. Micah runs to us, clasping our legs, wanting to be in the middle of it all where he belongs, and I lift him into my arms between us. We walk back down the aisle and out of the church together, as the Luciano family—officially, now that Micah has my surname too. As the confetti and rice rains down on us against the backdrop of the beautiful stone church, the cloudless sky, and the azure blue sea, I think to myself that if I could just bottle and share the joy I feel in this moment, the world would always be a wonderful place.
After the ceremony, after the wedding breakfast and our magical first dance, it’s time for the father of the bride’s speech. I watch my formidable father-in-law become emotional before he has even unfolded the paper his honest and earnest words are written on. Cece squeezes my hand as we wait for him to compose himself and begin speaking.
“Dear friends and family, first and foremost, I would like to thank you all for joining me to celebrate the marriage of my beloved daughter Cecelia to Michael. I am honored that so many of you are here to share in our joy and happiness.” He pauses and licks his lips and I notice that the paper is shaking. “Traditionally, during a marriage ceremony, a father gives his daughter away to her new husband, but that is not what I feel has happened today. My second-born daughter, my baby girl, has given me more and taught me more than I could ever have ever hoped for or imagined—a wonderful grandson, an honorable son-in-law, and the gift of her unwavering love and respect, even when I haven’t been the best father to her. All of that is so precious to me that instead of giving her away, from this day forward, I am going to hold her even closer to my heart.” He looks up and across at Cece, his eyes so full of love and glistening with tears. Beside me, Cece is rapt, gazing adoringly at her father, their bond unbreakable.
“Cecelia, you may be Mrs. Luciano now but the DeMarco legacy, and your mother’s memory, will live on through you and your sister, and that is something I am never going to let go. Your mother would have been so proud of you today and I speak for her too when I say we love you so much, our darling girl.” His voice cracks as he raises his champagne flute in the air to make his toast. “To Cecelia and Michael! I wish you both many, many more happy years ahead!” The marquee explodes with cheering and applause and my new wife leaves my side to embrace her father, glowing with happiness.
After we have celebrated into the night at Dante’s house, and after we have put our very tired but very happy little boy to bed, Cecelia and I finally take a moment alone for ourselves. Beneath the copse of trees at the end of the garden, near the orange grove, we sit on a blanket and gaze up at the stars in the ink black sky. We’re a good distance away from all our guests and I pull my new wife even closer to me, even though the warmth of the day lingers.
“We did it, Michael,” she says, snuggling against my neck and whispering in my ear. “We’re finally Mr. and Mrs. Luciano.”
“It’s got a nice ring to it,” I reply, the smile I’ve worn all day spreading even wider.
“It certainly has,” she agrees, gently pushing me down onto the blanket and kissing me. Despite all the champagne I’ve drunk today, the second her lips touch mine, I feel instantly alert, and I respond with fervor, intoxicated by her. She breaks our kiss to hitch her gown up and straddle me, and I look at her in delighted surprise.
“Here? Now?” I ask her.
She nods, grinning. “I want to consummate this marriage immediately, please, my darling husband. Are you up to the job?”
I look behind her at our wedding party still in full swing in the marquee and on the lawn next to the patio and realize that I don’t care how close people are, I’m willing to risk getting caught if it means I get to make love to my bride right now.
“What do you think?” I reply, guiding her hand towards my ready erection. I’m always hard for Cece.
She smiles down at me, undoing the trousers of my tux and freeing my cock in a practiced move, before lifting herself forwards, reaching underneath the swathes of her cream lace dress to maneuver me to where she wants me. Then she sinks slowly down onto my shaft, clearly enjoying my gratified expression as I realize she has already taken her underwear off. She planned this all along.
I watch her move on top of me and the fact that she’s wearing her bridal gown while our secret sex is happening underneath its folds is such a huge turn on, creating a focused intensity. She presses her palms against my chest as she rides me faster, angling herself forwards, her beautiful face euphoric. And then she reaches for me, and I sit up, wrapping my arms around her as we rock and kiss and buck our way to explosive orgasms, breathlessly expressing our undying love for one another.
“Are you looking forward to our honeymoon?” I ask her, kissing her head softly as we lay side by side on the blanket, smiley and drowsy after our incredible sex.
“A Mediterranean cruise on a superyacht? Erm, yes, I certainly am!” She claps her hands excitedly and turns her body towards me, propping herself up on her elbow.
“But do you know what I’m looking forward to most of all?”
“What’s that?” I ask, gazing at her through half closed eyes.
“I’m looking forward to Micah and I officially moving into your house afterwards, now that the renovations have finished.”
“Our house,” I correct her, stroking her face. “It’s our home now.”
“I can’t wait for Micah to see his new bedroom,” she says.
“He’s going to lose his mind when he does,” I agree, picturing his personalized hand-painted superhero mural, bespoke cabin bed and Marvel soft furnishings. “You’ve done such a good job in there.”
She twists her mouth to the side, an expression I can’t read on her face. “And although I say the renovations have finished, there’s just one more room I’d like to transform…”
I laugh. “Is there?” I should have known my impatient, excitable wife wasn’t finished yet, but I’m more than happy to indulge her next project. “Which one do you have your eye on this time, Mrs. Luciano?”
“The other bedroom next to ours. I’d like for it to be the baby’s nursery.” She sits up and puts her hand on my chest, smiling excitedly.
I gape at her in surprise. The many strings of lights hung around the marquee and the garden itself are creating a halo effect around her head, and tears are glittering in her eyes. “You’re…we’re…pregnant?”
She nods and laughs and cries all at the same time. “Yes, Michael, yes.”
She throws her arms around my neck, and we embrace tightly, both shaking with emotion. It may have taken five long years and we may have had to overcome several obstacles along the way since that first fateful night I found her in Naples, but we’re here now, right where we’re meant to be. Mr. and Mrs. Luciano. Together at last.
