"Oh my goodness, don't you look beautiful," I said.

The girls smiled, excitement lighting up their eyes. Alli bent down, handing them flower petals and our rings, reminding them of the tasks we'd practiced the night before.

Elliot caught my hand, squeezing gently. "You ready?"

I released a nervous breath. Yes. Nerves aside, I had never been more ready to be Blake's wife. I wanted to step through the doors and run to him. I wanted to marry him the moment I laid my eyes on him. In my heart, I already had.

I nodded and linked my arm through Elliot's, letting him escort me the rest of the way.

I walked toward Blake, seeing only him. I was floating, every moment taking me closer to the love of my life. And now, there was no fear in my heart. No doubt, not a shadow of it.

The ceremony passed like a dream. Blake, breathtaking in his tuxedo against the backdrop of the ocean. His family and mine, our friends witnessing what we'd known for so long, that we wanted forever with each other.

There were kisses. There were tears. All I knew was that he was mine. My love for him now was a tattoo written on my heart, for all of time.

I leaned my head against Blake's shoulder while the party ensued. The day had been long, but adrenaline kept me awake. The heated tent set up in the Landon's yard was filled with our small party. Laughter and music and talking. Happiness surrounded us.

Elliot's girls were dancing with boundless energy on the dance floor around Blake's parents who looked into each other's eyes with a love that warmed my heart. Blake's mentor, Michael Pope, had come too. We didn't speak of Max, but I could see the pride in his eyes when he congratulated us. He'd been like a second father to Blake, and I could only feel his regret that Max had failed us all with his appalling actions.

Still, nothing could dim the celebration. More people came than I had expected. Our "small" affair had grown in size in my absence, but in the happy embrace of Blake's extended family and friends, I could not have felt more love and acceptance. I smiled, all the way down to my very sore feet. Today had been nothing short of perfect.

I leaned up, pressing a soft kiss to Blake's cheek.

He looked down, trailing lazy caresses up and down my arm. "Let's take a walk and get some fresh air."

"What about our guests?"

He stared out at the party, which had grown increasingly loud over the past hour as glasses were refilled and the night wore on. Simone was talking loudly and Alli was laughing.

"They're having a blast without us. I've had to share you all day. Now I want you for myself." He brushed his thumb across my cheek. "I don't know about you, but I'm anxious for the honeymoon to start."

I bit my lip, and he flashed me a loving smile.

The thrill of being in his arms again warmed me, filling me with contentment. My entire body seemed to buzz with happiness, elation that I was now Blake's and soon, hopefully soon, I'd be even more his.

"Where are we going?"

"I know just the place."

He winked and caught my hand, leading me out of the tent and down the wooden stairs to the beach below. I glanced back at the wedding party. Simone's voice rang out from her perch on James's lap. He was smiling, looking up at her with adoring eyes. No one was missing us.

The sun had set and the ocean breeze blew cool over my skin. I held my dress and shoes up with one hand while Blake held my other. We walked, anticipation seeming to steal our words. I looked ahead to the rocky incline that always ended our journey when we walked the beach at his parents' house.

"Where are we going? My feet are killing me."

"It'll be worth it, I promise." His eyes sparkled as if he were holding a secret behind them.

We slowed as the sandy beach turned to pebbles and stone. Blake wrapped his arm around me. I shivered and huddled into the warmth of his embrace. We stared out at the dark horizon. Above us, a soft glow lit the homes scattered along the shoreline.

"I love it here." Next to the Vineyard, Blake's parents' stretch of home on the ocean was nothing short of heaven.

He pointed up to the house perched above the cliff ending at our feet. "What do you think about that one?"

"It's breathtaking." Everything about the home was impressive. While Catherine and Greg's home was more modern, this home had all the charm of a historic house. It sprawled across manicured gardens and a yard overlooking the endless ocean.

He squeezed me closer. "I want to give it you."

I raised my eyebrows. "The house?"

He grinned. "Yes, the house, among other things."

"Please tell me you don't plan to walk in and make them an offer."

He laughed. "No, I don't think so. Come on. Let's take a closer look."

He started ahead of me and turned back for my hand. I hesitated, trying to imagine how I'd scale the small cliff with my current attire. "I'll ruin my dress."

"Who cares? You only get to wear it once."

"What am I going to do with my shoes?" I lifted them up. He grabbed them and tossed each one high up to the grassy yard of our destination.

"Blake," I laughed. "I'm sure these people don't want us poking around looking in their windows."

"Nonsense. No one's home."

I shook my head and took his hand, making my way up the rocky incline. Blake helped me up onto the yard that plateaued at the top. The dewy grass felt cool on my feet as we walked around the perimeter of the house. He led me to the front door, a grand entryway framed by white columns and ornate lighting.

"Blake!" I uttered a harsh whisper as he tried the door, opening it. Before I could stop him, he scooped me up into his arms, walking me over the threshold.

He lowered me to my feet when we passed through the entryway. A large, bright white kitchen sat to our right and an expansive open living area to the left. I took in what details I could in the almost darkness. Blake tightened his hold around my waist, bringing me up against his chest.

"What do you think?" he whispered, delight glimmering in his beautiful eyes.

"It's beautiful." I ran my finger over his lips. "Like you."

He moaned and lifted me off my feet as he did. "Like you."

I tasted the champagne on his tongue and felt the giddiness from our amazing day rolling off of him. I'd never seen him so outwardly happy.

"I think you're a little drunk," I teased as he set me back down, a broad smile across his face.

"I'm happy. I'm the happiest man alive right now. I can guarantee it."

I returned his smile, unable to argue. I was beyond happy too. He spun me around and walked me up the stairs.

"Where are you going?"

"I'm giving you the grand tour. You like it so far, right?"

I laughed. "I couldn't dream up a more beautiful home, honestly. There's only one problem."

He looked back at me and arched his eyebrows. "What's that?"

"It's not ours, and you can now add breaking and entering to your list of illegal activities achieved in this lifetime. If you want to go house hunting when we get back from the honeymoon, you officially have my permission. We should go. I have bigger plans for tonight than jail."

"Trust me, so do I." He paused on the landing, pulling me up to him. "I want to show you one more thing. I want you to close your eyes first though."

He lifted me back into his arms, and I sensed we were moving down a long hallway. Night had filled the house, but behind my eyelids I saw light. Panicked that we weren't as alone as I thought we were, I opened my eyes. We'd entered a large bedroom, about three times the size of our current one.

Situated in the center of the room was an enormous four-poster bed draped in a silky blue comforter. On the opposite wall, an ornate fireplace was set into the wall and cast off a warm glow from the fire inside. On its mantle and every available surface, candles burned, lighting the large room. What was all of this?

"Blake." My voice was barely a whisper.

He lowered me to my feet, keeping my body pressed close to his. I looked up into his eyes, sparkling now more than ever. The mischief there had been replaced by something else.

"It's ours. Yours and mine."

My breath left me. "This...?"

"The house. All of it. It's my wedding gift to you."

"A house?" I laughed, incredulous but somehow not at all surprised that Blake had justified the extravagant purchase for our special day.

"Do you like it?" he asked, his expression tentative.

Tears formed in the corners in my eyes. "Blake, it's... My God, it's beautiful. I don't know what to say." A thought occurred to me then that we were literally only steps away from his parents. "Your parents, they know?"

His hesitation vanished with a grin. "Are you kidding me? Catherine was the one who told me as soon as the neighbors were going to put the house on the market. We had an agreement before they could even talk to a realtor."

Wow.

"I can't believe you did this." I was still in disbelief that this enormous, magnificent home would be ours. Ours. "Are you okay being so close?"

He nodded. "It'll be an adjustment. But I owe it to them in a way. I've spent a lot of time on the fringes, until recently. And I thought it would be good for us to finally be closer to family."

I looked down, toying with the rose that poked out of his jacket pocket. "I love them like they're my own."

He lifted my chin, stroking my cheek gently. "They are yours. We're one family now, you and I. And they love you like a daughter. That will never change."

"I'm the luckiest girl in the world."

He ran a thumb over my trembling lips, lowering slowly to capture them with a kiss. "I'll spend the rest of my life making sure that never changes. I want to give you everything..."

I lifted to my toes, surrendering to the love in his kiss. His hands roamed. He exhaled unsteadily.

"Are you ready to say goodbye to this dress for the night? Because I can't wait another minute to make love to you."

I nodded, breathless and speechless. He caressed down my shoulders.

"So beautiful."

I turned in his arms. He made quick work of the clasp and zipper at the back of my dress. The weighty fabric fell to the floor, pooling at my feet. Behind me, I heard Blake tossing his own garments to the floor. I turned and caught him staring, slack-jawed, hunger in his eyes. I stood before him, in the white lacy underthings I knew he'd love.

He traced the hem of my panties and thumbed over the scar emerging above it. Out of the dizzying happiness of the day, a small sadness floated over me. He caught my chin, lifting my gaze to meet his.

"No sad eyes tonight. This is the time for the man of the house to make passionate love to his beautiful bride. I may not stop for hours, because I'm starving for you."

Then his hands were everywhere, unhooking the corset and slipping down the delicate white lace panties just the way I'd imagined he would. Lowering to his knees, he lingered, pressing delicate kisses over my belly and just above the patch of hair between my legs.

Slowing over the place on my abdomen where the wound had puckered the skin, he brushed his lips over the dark pink scar that had begun to form. I had tried to ignore the imperfection, averting my eyes whenever they were drawn to it as I was dressing or undressing.

"Don't, Blake..." I covered myself, feeling self-conscious. I tugged at his shoulders, urging him to his feet.

He stood, only to coax me back onto the soft bed and return his attentions to my lower half, kissing, licking. I gasped when he dragged his tongue down the inside of my thigh and back up again. He moved up my body, claiming every expanse of skin with his amazing mouth until I was quivering and on edge.

He captured my face in his hand, all traces of humor having left his expression, our bodies warm with passion and champagne and the candles casting heat and a warm glow across our skin. "Erica...I love you...all of you. Even your scars."

The deep, determined kiss that followed his words stole my breath. I wasn't sure if I could have formed a word or taken a full breath anyway, the way he was holding me and touching me. I'd missed him so much.

"I told you I was going to kiss every inch of you one night. I'm almost done."

He lifted my knees, hooking them over his shoulders. Then his mouth was over me, lavishing firm, deliberate licks over the hot ache between my thighs. His tongue teased my opening, taunting me with shallow dips into the place where I was already soaked for him.

I gripped his hair tightly. I lifted against him, desperate for more contact against that sensitive spot. My thighs trembled, brushing against his shaven face. With strong hands, he parted me again, baring me for him completely.

I gripped the comforter, bracing myself for the orgasm that loomed and threatened to take me under. I couldn't believe we'd made it this long, but now that we had, I was helpless against the sensations rocketing through me. A few more seconds of dedicated attention under his mouth and I was at the edge. My heart beat wildly. I was starved for him, an exposed nerve, waiting for him to set me off with a spark. Then he did, tonguing me until I could scarcely breathe.

"Blake!"

I screamed his name, frozen around the pleasure he gave me. It had been too long. I shuddered, utterly blissed out, but knowing that we had the whole night.

He rose over me, his toned body warm and protective over mine. I caught my breath, letting him come into focus again. He smiled and kissed me sweetly.

"I missed that," I hummed.

"Me too. You're going to lose count of how many times I make you come tonight. I have to make up for lost time. "

A delirious smile curled my lips, contentment washing over me. "I can't wait."

His arms rested on either side of my head as he stared down with a look that felt like wonder. "Erica, do you have any idea how much I love you?"

I swallowed hard. If he loved me a fraction of how much I loved him, I knew. Every sliver of wonder in his stare ricocheted into me, landing squarely on my heart. I feathered my fingertips over the hard lines of his features, awe and desire mingling inside of me.

"I think so. But I'd rather you show me."

He closed his eyes a long moment. Gently he kneed my legs apart. I wrapped my legs around his hips, urging him to me.