He wanted to believe her, wanted to believe he really had played a part in saving her.
"I can see your brain whirring into overdrive," Janica said. "Share with me. Please."
He looked at her, her big brown eyes so full of love. Understanding. He'd never given her his complete trust. He'd never shared all of himself with her. Because he'd been afraid.
But almost losing her had scared him more than anything else ever could.
Even letting her into the deepest darkest parts of his heart.
"When my mother died, everything changed."
"Of course it did."
"No." He didn't want her to let him off the hook this time. "I changed. I thought that maybe, somehow if I'd been a better son, a better person then maybe I could have saved her."
"You were ten years old."
"And I've spent the last twenty-five years trying to save her."
Tears were coming again now, not just from Janica, but from him too. He never cried, hadn't cried one single time since he was ten years old.
Not until last night.
"It's time for me to let go." He ran his thumb across the top of Janica's hand. "I know that now. Because of you. I need you so badly. I've always needed you."
He wasn't surprised by her smile, even as tears ran from her eyes. "I know that. I've always known it." Her smile wobbled. "I need you too."
But that was still what he didn't understand. "Why me? You're beautiful, incredible, brilliant. You could have anyone."
"I kept telling myself to stop loving you. To stop being stupid and praying for you to come around, but I couldn't help it. You're it for me, Dr. Carson. The only man I'll ever want again. The man I want to have children with and share my future with. I want you to be the husband I can count on and I want nights of incredible passion with you and I want you to be my best friend. I even love all of the things I tease you about."
Working like hell to take everything she was saying in and knowing he was failing, that he was going to have to ask her to say it all again and again, he said, "And you taught me how to have fun. You showed me everything I've been missing, everything I've been blind about. I don't want to be blind anymore."
"Don't worry," she said with that wicked grin he couldn't help but love. "I'm always going to make you try wild things. And I'm always going to drive you crazy." But then, her grin shifted to something far less joyful. "But I'll try not to embarrass you too much in public. And here at work."
Something shifted in him, again, that awful realization about what she'd said regarding Travis that night out on the beach. I see the way he treats Lily. I know how good he is to her. But that doesn't change his past.
Her past. Even after all the reasons he given her about why he loved her, she was worried about the things she'd done. Worried that he would use them against her.
"I know who you were, Janica. And I know who you are now. I love every part of you. The old. The new. Everything you're going to be. I will never be embarrassed by any part of you. You're not going to make me spank you for not listening, are you?"
She blinked at him, a myriad of emotions crossing her face. "No. I won't make you spank me. Not for that anyway."
His cock stirred even as he tried to stay on task. "I am going to keep loving you every single second for the rest of your life. When we're laughing. When we're making love." He paused, grinned. "Even when we're fighting and I have to turn you over my knee and bring my palm down on your sweet little ass to make my point."
She grinned. "We are going to fight, aren't we?"
"And then we're going to make up."
Her wicked smile came back, bigger, more full of sensual promise than ever before. "Oh yes, we are."
Chapter Twenty-six
Two months later at the Festivale di Matrimonio (The Festival of Weddings) in Saturnia, Italy....
"I can't believe we're back," Lily said as she hugged Janica tightly.
Janica could hardly believe it herself. The Tuscan village was as beautiful as she remembered. Music was playing on every corner, people were dancing in the street. Lily laughed when Travis came to steal her away and twirl her around in his arms as the sun began to set behind the ancient buildings.
Luke came out of their hotel then, and stole her breath away as he looked at her with those dark, dangerous eyes.
"I love you."
She lifted her mouth to his and kissed him with all the emotion in her heart.
"Will you marry me?" he asked against her lips.
"How about we do it tonight?" she whispered back, loving his laughter.
*
Italian women in wedding gowns walked hand-in-hand with Italian men in their finest suits. Lanterns blinked colorful lights along every narrow street. Bells rang out from the church tower as children splashed in fountains.
A middle-aged woman reached for Janica's hands and with a final loving look at Luke, she let herself be led away to a tent full of women.
One of them held a beautiful, old-fashioned wedding dress and tears sprang to Janica's eyes. She would have never designed a dress like this for herself.
But it was perfect.
Soft hands removed her dress, then slipped the wedding dress on over her head. Other hands brushed her hair, added makeup, sparkly glass jewelry. At the end, they covered her hair and face with a thin lace veil.
When they were finished, there was a loud whistle and the band began to play again. While everyone clapped in time to the music, Janica walked into the piazza. She looked up at the stage, saw Luke waiting for her there with the priest, and nearly stumbled on the cobblestones.
He had on a traditional bright red, orange, and yellow striped sash around his waist and he'd never looked more beautiful than he did right then, on the verge of declaring his love for her in front of an entire town.
She'd been in love with him for so long that she could hardly believe this was real.
But it was. Wonderfully, amazingly real.
She saw Lily holding Travis's hand off to the side of the stage, but before Janica could make it all the way to Luke, Lily came down toward her.
"Luke is the only person I could ever give you up to. I love you so much, baby sister."
"I love you too, big sis."
Lily held her hand all the way up the steps. And then Janica's hand was in Luke's, and the priest began speaking, the language lyrical and beautiful and mysterious. When he was done, he handed her a thin green vase.
She vividly remembered Lily and Travis's wedding here on this very stage and knew what she and Luke were supposed to do. Judging by the laughter in his eyes, she knew he remembered too.
"I'll bet you've been dying to smash this vase for five years, haven't you?" he asked softly.
She laughed and reached for him, but he was faster than she was, and instead of throwing the vase down, when he kissed her and she forgot everything but him, everything but how much she loved him, everything but how good it was to be loved right back, the vase slipped from her fingers.
And shattered at their feet.
Cheering broke out, loud, happy, and then she and Luke were being lifted off the stage while bright confetti seemed to fall straight out of the sky.
*
Luke carried Janica up the winding staircase to their hotel suite. Her eyes were closed and she snuggled against his chest.
"How are you feeling?"
It had only been two months since the car crash and he'd had serious reservations about Janica overdoing it on their trip.
"Good." She snuggled in tighter, her breasts rubbing provocatively against his chest. "Horny."
He almost stumbled on the final step. Had he heard her wrong? She hadn't opened her eyes, wasn't giving him that wicked little smile that he knew--and loved--so well. She had to be tired, didn't she?
But with one word, his cock had gone from half-mast to practically bursting.
He carried her into the bedroom and moved to lay her down on the bed. Her arms tight
ened on his neck.
"Stay."
God, he wanted to stay with her, wanted to take her, wanted to be inside of her more than he wanted to take his next breath. But two months ago she'd almost died. He didn't want to hurt her.
"It's been a big day."
Anger flared in her beautiful eyes. "I am sick to death of being treated like porcelain."
His own anger flared. "Damn you, we haven't even been married one night and you're talking back to me."
At his response, her eyes flared again, but not with anger this time. With lust.
"Then I guess you'd better find a way to shut me up," she challenged.
His cock throbbed in his tuxedo pants and he knew what she wanted. What they both needed.
"Get on your knees, wife."
She immediately complied, a sinfully beautiful bride in her wedding gown, kneeling in front of the groom. Waiting for his next command.
"Show me how much you love me. Now."
Her long, slim fingers went to his zipper and the diamond on her wedding ring glinted in the light as she pulled it down.
And then, he was inside her mouth, his new wife's sinfully hot lips surrounding his throbbing cock. She licked and sucked at his arousal and he loved her so much he knew he wouldn't be able to hold on. Not tonight.
A second later, she was flat on her back and he was driving into her, hard, fast, deep.
"Love me, Luke," she whispered.
And he did.
*
He cradled her into his body, feeling safe and complete. "I was too rough."
"I love it," she whispered sleepily. "You've always known exactly what my body needs." She didn't say anything for several moments and he thought she was asleep. Until she said, so softly that he almost missed it, "My heart too."
And as he fell asleep, his new wife warm and soft in his arms, it was exactly the same for him.
Janica knew him better than anyone ever had. Especially what his heart needed.
Her.
Forever.
THE END
Get ready to find out how it all began in TAKE ME, Lily and Travis's incredibly passionate love story.
TAKE ME by Bella Andre
https://www.amazon.com/Take-Me-ebook/dp/B000FCKKZ8/?wwwbellaandre-20
An appetite for sensual pleasures must never be denied. . . .
Lily Ellis has curves--soft, beautiful curves. The kind of voluptuous body she fears Travis Carson, the man she's always loved from afar, would never crave. But Lily is about to be proven wrong. Her sensual adventure begins when, despite her inhibitions, the demure San Francisco interior decorator agrees to model a plus-size dress for her fashion designer sister. Watching this sensual beauty move down the runway with mesmerizing power, Travis can't believe it's the same Lily he's always known and always rejected. In a whirlwind of electric attraction, Lily is soon moaning Travis's name in his bed, not just in her wild fantasies. But Lily is all too aware that she's nothing like his past lovers . . . and now that she has him close at last, she's praying Travis likes what he sees and feels. Determined to beat Travis at his own game by guarding her true feelings of love and lust, she spontaneously partners with him on a business deal that takes them all the way to Italy. In the seductive warmth of the Tuscan sun, Lily is about to unwrap her real self, and play a game of desire with the hot-blooded Travis. Will she be burned by an ecstasy that's so all-consuming it has her seeing stars? Or will Travis open his heart to the sexy, exciting, and lasting love she has to offer?
REVIEWS for TAKE ME....
"Oh, my! Bella Andre's TAKE ME is wonderfully sexy--a big, fun fantasy with an euqally big heart. You'll cheer these characters on as they find each other...and themselves!" ~Emma Holly, bestselling author
"TAKE ME is emotionally charged and deliciously erotic. A must-read from cover to cover." ~Jaid Black, bestselling author
"A story with a woman who isn't model perfect is a refreshing change in TAKE ME...Ms. Andre captures the beauty of Italy in such a way that it will leave one wishing to experience the warmth of the Tuscan sun..." ~ Patricia Green, Romance Reviews Today
"The sex scenes are hotter than a whole pot of five alarm chili and left me gasping for air. The plotline is intriguing and kept my eyes riveted to the pages. I loved this book! Take Me is a terrific book that I absolutely adored." ~Susan White, JustEroticRomanceReviews
"You like it hot? Get yourself a copy of Bella Andre's Take Me. Her writing is hotter and sexier than ever. With fun dialogues, a breathtaking European setting and sympathetic characters, it's easy to be seduced by this story." ~Kris Alice, A Romance Review
"Packed with sizzle, but also contains a good balance of emotional pull. I found myself saddened when the journey ended." ~Tracy Farnsworth, Round Table Reviews
"TAKE ME is an excellent book about a full figured woman who like most has a complex about her weight. Bella Andre hasdone an outstanding job creating a heroine who is not average and a hero who loves her just the way she is." ~Angel, Romance Junkies
"I am lucky enough to work at a bookstore that received an advanced reading copy of Take Me. I was unable to put the book down. IT IS WONDERFUL!!!! And I will be recommending it to customers, friends, and family." ~ Tewanda Hardy, bookseller
AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY
Bella Andre has always been a writer. Songs came first, and then non-fiction books, but as soon as she started her first romance novel, she knew she'd found her perfect career. Since selling her first book in 2003, she's written twelve "sensual, empowered stories enveloped in heady romance" (Publisher's Weekly) about sizzling alpha heroes and the strong women they'll love forever. If not behind her computer, you can find her reading, hiking, knitting, or lunching with her favorite romance writing ladies.
Bella lives with her fabulous husband and children in both Northern California and a ninety-year-old lakefront log cabin in New York's Adirondacks.
Please visit her on the web at https://www.BellaAndre.com
*
Other titles by Bella Andre...
ECSTASY
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003BIGFZW/?wwwbellaandre-20
Candace, a newcomer to writing erotica, is thrilled when Charlie, a veteran of the industry, agrees to be her mentor. But neither of them ever expected that Charlie's lessons on new positions, using toys, varying locations and role playing would spiral from verbal instruction into hot, hands on education. Unfortunately, Candace's deception about the new erotic romance she's writing--where Charlie plays the starring role--is about to threaten their one chance at true love.
Reviews...
**4 1/2 stars from Romantic Times Magazine!!!**
Andre writes a wonderful story filled with lovable characters and steamy sex. When Charlie agrees to mentor Candace, their lessons quickly become the hands-on variety, and they find that more than just a physical chemistry exists between them. Anyone looking for a funny and intelligently written read should definitely give this book a try!
~ Reviewed By: Derenda Hilbert, RT
"4 1/2 HEARTS! This book is wonderful and so hot it will melt your screen."
~ Reviewed by Lisa Wine for The Romance Studio
"The sparks fly when two erotica authors come together. The tension between Candy and Charlie is electrifying. I really enjoyed getting to read snippets of Candy's novel as she wrote it. ECSTASY is truly that -- two authors discovering what real love is for the first time. It is a real winner. Don't miss it!"
~ Reviewed by Denise Powers, Sensual Romances
SHOOTING STARS
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003GDJQJ4/?wwwbellaandre-20
San Francisco, present: A bold and sensual woman, Christina wishes the men she took to bed could be more like the warriors of the past: strong, sexy and just a little bit scary.
Scotland, 1320: On the verge of marrying a great warrior, convent-raised Christiania prays for a gentle man to save her from marriage to a man she fears.
A shooting star and a fervent wish for their heart's
desire are all it takes for both women's dreams and wildest sexual desires to come true...
Reviews...
"SHOOTING STARS is one of the greatest time travel romances that I have read. The characters are highly sensual and in touch with their sexuality. The storyline is sweet and romantic and the sex scenes are steamy. What more could you ask for? Ms. Andre pens an out of this world novella that makes you want to wish on shooting stars and believe in true love, no matter what the cost...
~ Reviewed by Ansley Velarde for The Road to Romance
"Sassy and erotic, Shooting Stars is a great time travel. Both Christina and Christiania knew what they wanted and once they had it weren't afraid to grab it and do whatever necessary to ensure they kept it. Ms. Andre adds a high level of suspense and tension in addition to the love and sensuality. This is one you don't want to miss!
~ Reviewed by Sharon McGinty for In the Library Reviews
Bella Andre, Love Me
(Series: Take Me # 2)
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