AllFreeNovel
Share Us
The ceremony was lavish, yet simply elegant. The simply part in no way described what the cost must have been. Peach roses, lilies and baby’s breath popped against the cream walls and columns. Gleaming marble floors shined like a mirror under the white runner I walked on. The decor was pristine in every way. Not a flower out of place, not a single sheet of linen draped uneven. Everything, perfect.
Everyone’s eyes focused on me as I walked the aisle and suddenly my skin felt tight and itchy. Without my violin to distract me from the attention I felt uncomfortably exposed. I needed a focus point before I broke out in nervous hives or something.
Turning my focus to the front I spied Luca standing at Matteo’s side.
Oh. My. God.My steps faltered for a full second before I reminded myself to keep moving. Take a gorgeous man like Luca, put him in a tux, and he was downright dangerous.
Lord have mercy.Someone could yell ‘bomb’ and it couldn’t have drawn my focus away. Luca’s clean-shaven face remained set in its usual hard lines. The muscles under his tux making it work hard to hide how cut he was beneath all the fabric. And it was failing. He stood with his long legs parted, hands laced in front, back straight. Total confidence pumped from him in waves. So hot.
Then his eyes were taking me in from bottom to top. He followed the slit in my steel-blue dress from my heals to my hip, to my tastefully exposed chest, then my face. His gaze lingered on my neck that lay exposed by my hair’s elaborate up-do style. His eyes flashed with desire, making my cheeks burn.
I took my place and the bridal march began. Turing my focus to Arianna, my smile widened enough to split my face open. Arianna truly was the most beautiful bride I had ever seen. I glanced at Matteo to catch his expression. His chest swelled with happiness and his smile was blinding. There was no mistaking that he knew he was an incredibly lucky man. Good.
The crowd rose as she walked the aisle with her father, who desperately clung to her arm for the last few minutes until he would give her away to another man.
The ceremony they kept traditional and short. Arianna hated being the center of attention. She could fake it better than anyone I knew, but avoided it if she could.
While vows were being exchanged I risked a glance at Luca. I’d been resisting temptation since Arianna started down the aisle, wanting to focus on the wedding. Luca and I were still supposed to be hiding our relationship, and didn’t want my undisciplined reactions to give us away.
Apparently Luca had other ideas. When I looked across to him he stared at me like no one else in the room existed. I couldn’t look away from those soul-searching brown eyes.
Then his gazed flicked to my hands clutching the bouquets. I didn’t look but realized that I’d been mindlessly fidgeting with my empty ring finger. I laced my fingers together, gripping the flowers tighter. Thats’s embarrassing.
The priest moved onto the ‘repeat after me’ part. When I heard the words “I do” Luca gave the slightest nod, his eyes holding me captive. My heart skipped two beats in my chest. He was saying “I do” to me. I beamed inside. A tornado of butterflies took flight in my stomach.
When we signed the marriage license, it had been pen to paper. Names on the dotted lines— congratulations you are now legally married— minus the congratulations. There was no words of love, no oaths of loyalty or dedication. Just a contract. This act made it more real than any piece of paper.
My throat closed up at the truth of my own feelings, and answered back. With God as my witness. On the next “I do” I nodded back. His chest puffed with a deep breath, his expression softened into relief.
This is crazy! I must be crazy! How can I be having these strong of feelings in a week? A week!
I swallowed the lump in my throat and reminded myself that a week amounted to nothing. Even though his gesture was powerful, we were still so new. There remained the possibility that he would tire of me. Only time would tell.
When the ceremony ended pictures proved to be a challenge. Matteo and Luca hated having their picture taken. They fought us the entire time until Arianna couldn’t take it anymore and gave up. After only thirty minutes of pictures in the garden outside everyone loaded into vehicles to head to the reception area. Luca drove his own car and I rode in one of the limos with Arianna’s parents. It was for the best, I was still processing what happened on the alter, not sure what I would say to Luca about it.
The reception looked liked the Dellucci mansion and the church got busy and had a baby. Large flower centerpieces adorned dozens of silk covered tables, lights hung from everywhere, and enough candles on every table to warrant a call to the fire department. It felt like stepping into a fairy tale.
After an amazing dinner Matteo and Arianna went to mingle. I stayed at the head table people watching. It was quite entertaining. The women all gossiped in small groups at tables or around the dance floor, while the men crowded around the open bar. There was no doubt in my mind the party was going to get crazy, if the amount of alcohol already being consumed was anything to go by.
A figure caught my attention out of the corner of my eye, making my blood run cold. Lorenzo stood across the room watching me. His dead eyes raked up and down the upper half of my body, making my skin crawl. A sick feeling crept up my throat.
“You look amazing.” Luca’s voice had me spinning in my chair.
I weak smiled in response, unable to shake my unease. “Same to you.”
“Are you ok?”
Glancing back across the room I saw Lorenzo was no longer looking at me. Luca followed my line of sight.
“He will never touch you again Becka.” Anger laced his tone.
I was tempted to say, don’t make promises you can't keep, but I wanted to believe it was true.
“Did you bring my violin,” I asked, changing the subject. My smile was less than convincing I’m sure. I just couldn’t deal with Lorenzo at the moment, and hoped Luca could respect that.
“It’s up with the DJ,” Luca answered, frustrated that I did a one-eighty on him.
“Thank you.”
“Are you going to play soon?”
“Yes, in a few minutes. I don’t get stage fright per-say, but I always have to work up the courage.”
“You have nothing to worry about.” A smile tipped one side of his lips. “I’ve heard you play.”
“Hey, Luca. Get over here!” Someone yelled from the bar.
Luca leaned in and pressed a kiss to my cheek. I smiled, not caring if anyone saw. “Good luck,” he offered, then headed for the bar.
I waited another fifteen minutes, then went to the front of the dance floor where the DJ and a microphone were set up. The DJ showed me where to hook up my tablet. I stepped up to the mic and the DJ cut the music.
