“I love you too,” I whisper, bending down so I can kiss her, even slip her a little tongue which she responds to eagerly. Hey, this is our day. If anyone wants to give us grief for tongue kissing on the dance floor at our wedding reception, well they can suck the big one.
She breaks the kiss first, her smile wobbly, her eyes a little dazed. “Thank you.”
“For what?” I laugh and shake my head. “Kissing you?”
“For putting up with me these last few months.” Her smile turns immediately into a frown. “I’ve been a complete bitch. I don’t know how you put up with me.”
“You’re not a bitch.” I kiss the tip of her nose. “You might’ve been a bit . . . touchy but hey, you’ve been under a lot of stress. Planning a wedding isn’t easy.”
“Planning a wedding for a demanding bunch of Italians all expecting the party of the century is definitely not easy,” she says, her voice tinged with sarcasm.
I laugh. There’s something about her boisterous Italian family that I love. Even her dad who still sometimes treats me like I’m scum on the bottom of his shoe. I love that guy. I love her mom too. I love her whole damn family and I know my family embraces her fully, especially my sister.
Shit. My sister. She’s having a baby right now, and I haven’t contacted her. Our parents already left and headed to the hospital so they could be with her and Archer. I should do the same. We should leave right now and check up on her. We have time before we have to get to the hotel. Hell, we’re not even flying out to the Caribbean until tomorrow morning.
“I texted Archer a few minutes ago,” Marina says like she can read my mind or something.
Which she probably can. I used to think that crap was scary. Now I just roll with it.
“What did he say? How’s my sister?” I hear the panic in my own voice, and I tell myself to calm down. If something crazy were going down they would’ve contacted us. Otherwise, they’re leaving us alone—those were Archer’s exact words to me via text right before the ceremony. They want us to enjoy our wedding, not worry about Ivy the entire time.
I appreciated the gesture, and of course, I was able to get wrapped up in the ceremony and reception but still, I’m thinking of my sister and hoping like hell she’s all right.
“She’s good. Still in labor. Archer’s worried about her,” Marina says.
“Should I be worried about her too?”
“No. It’s normal. I spoke to your mom a few minutes ago. She called right before you dragged me out onto the dance floor,” Marina says, laughing when I scowl at her. “They’d just arrived at the hospital and said Ivy was looking good. Well, she was looking tired and a little grumpy and more than ready to give birth, but still good. There are no complications, and the baby should make his or her appearance soon.”
“Good.” I’m thankful to hear my sister is okay. The timing on all of this wasn’t the best, but hey, it’s definitely going to be memorable. Especially if the baby is born today of all days. Talk about a celebration. A wedding anniversary and a birthday for the family—you can’t beat that.
“I was wondering.” Marina sinks her teeth into her glossy lower lip. Damn, she’s sexy when she does that. It’s been a while since I’ve had her naked and beneath me. Not only because of stress, but because she actually wanted us to keep our hands off each other for a while.
It’ll make the wedding night that much better, she’d insisted.
Whatever. I went along with it, but we’re done with that. I’m eager to take her back to the hotel room and strip that dress off her. And whatever else she’s got going on beneath it, because I know it must be complicated.
I’m more than up to the challenge.
“Wondering what?” I ask.
“Maybe before we go to the hotel, we can stop by the hospital to see Ivy and hopefully the baby? We won’t be leaving here for another few hours, and I’m guessing the baby will be born by then,” Marina says.
“Another few hours?” Shit. How long is this reception supposed to last?
“Well, we haven’t cut the cake yet, and I haven’t tossed my bouquet. And you need to throw the garter. So yes. A few more hours to go at least,” she stresses.
At least. Well, that sucks. I’m ready to bail. “But I’m ready to get you alone now,” I whisper, squeezing her hand as I step in closer to her. So close our chests brush and our legs momentarily tangle.
Her smile turns sultry. “I know. Trust me, I want to get you alone too but just a few more hours here. I promise. Then we’ll go to the hospital, then the hotel. They probably won’t let us stay long at the hospital anyway. We’ll be lucky to see Ivy, what with visiting hours and all that.”
Yeah. I need to do the right thing and try and see my sister. At the very least, hopefully see the baby and Archer.
“You’re right.” I glance around and notice that no one is really paying any attention to us. Lowering my voice, I say, “Let’s sneak off for a quickie.”
Her jaw drops open. “Are you serious?”
“As a heart attack.” Just thinking about it has me hard. “I want you, Marina. It’s been too long. I don’t know if I can wait another two or three hours or whatever it is before I get you naked in bed.”
She glances down at herself, then up at me. “It’ll take twenty minutes just to get me out of everything I’m wearing.”
I can only imagine what she’s wearing. I bet every bit of it is sexy as f**k. “Can’t I just toss up your skirt?”
Her cheeks go the faintest shade of pink. “God, Gage you’re awful.”
“You love it. It’s why you married me.” I kiss her, letting my lips linger on hers. She needs to know how much I want her. A quick grope and fumble will at least take the edge off. “Come on, baby. Let’s sneak off somewhere. We’ll disappear for ten minutes tops. No one will notice we’re gone.”
“You’re only giving me ten minutes?” Her eyebrows rise.
I laugh. “So greedy. How about you get five, and I get five.”
“Now only five?”
Lowering my voice, I brush my lips against her ear. “I can make you come in less than five and you know it.”
She shivers and I smile. “You’re awfully confident in my skills then, giving me only five minutes.” Still, she doesn’t deny that I can make her come in less than five because she knows it’s true.