Guests spilled out of the reception hall as we ducked into the limo and pulled away. I’d planned for nearly a year for the perfect wedding, and although there had been a few blips along the way, I couldn’t have been happier with the outcome. With Jake’s arm resting securely over my shoulder, we waved goodbye to all our family and friends, and I tilted my head toward my new husband and ran my finger over his handsome face.

“Thank you for marrying me, Jake McKallister.”

“It was my pleasure.” He tipped his head in return and gently brushed his lips past mine. That sparkle in his eyes was something I hoped to see every day for the rest of my life.

“What was going through your mind while I was walking down the aisle? You looked so emotional.”

Jake glanced at me and then quickly looked away, his face rife with the same sentiment as earlier. “This might sound weird, but once I got over the shock of seeing you walking toward me in that dress and looking so incredibly beautiful, I thought about the kid I used to be, sitting in the dark, alone and scared for my life. I couldn’t even have imagined having someone like you back then, but if I’d known you were in my future, maybe it would have been easier to get through all that.”

The honesty of his words sent a lump to my throat and tears to my eyes. I wasn’t sure what sort of answer I’d been expecting, but it certainly wasn’t that. Although a generic answer wouldn’t have been Jake, either.

“I wish I could have been there for you back then.”

He squeezed my hand tighter. “You’re here now, and that’s all that matters.”

The way he shifted uncomfortably and the grimace, which appeared out of nowhere, was indication enough that we were done discussing his time with Ray for now. He’d poured his soul out to me once, but that was a long time ago, and now I rarely, if ever, got anything more that these tiny snippets of truth. I’d given up pushing for details, as it usually just ended up in an argument about him dropping out of therapy. My greatest wish would be for him to be able to work through his issues completely, but I understood that it might be too much to ask of him. It was very possible that I would never know the full story, nor did I particularly want that information. Some things, I reasoned, were better left unsaid. It was hard enough hearing about this stuff happening to a stranger on the news, but when that person was someone you loved, it took on a whole new meaning. That being said, I was always willing to snatch up any piece of information he was willing to offer, no matter how tiny or insignificant.

“What were you thinking walking down the aisle?” he asked, moving the focus away from him.

My face immediately reddened, thinking about those moments. “Well, now I don’t want to say, because it’s a little shallow compared to your answer.”

“I’m sure it wasn’t shallow.”

“Okay, well, when you were standing up there at the altar, looking smokin’ hot, I was thinking all my friends and family would be totally jealous, and that made me happy.”

“Ooh, yeah,” he winced. “That was super shallow.”

“I told you,” I said, pushing against him in retaliation for making me reveal my superficiality. “Wait, no, I change my mind. I was actually thinking about how lucky I was to have found you.”

“Uh-huh, right.”

“You don’t believe me?” I snubbed my nose up at him playfully. “I’m hurt.”

At that moment, my stomach rumbled so loudly that it startled us both.

“See, even your stomach doesn’t believe you.”

“My stomach’s no traitor. It’s just hungry because I haven’t fed it much in the past day or so.”

“Why the hell not?”

“To look good in my wedding dress, duh.”

“Okay, now we’re back to the whole shallow thing, Casey.”

“Fine, if you must know, my shallowness was something I was hiding from you until we got married. Surprise!” I splayed my fingers out like an explosion while adopting crazy eyes. “Have fun dealing with my shit for the rest of your life.”

“Right back at ya!” he said, with perfect timing. We enjoyed a hearty laugh. One thing was for sure – we were quite the pair.

“Why didn’t you eat at the reception, then?” he asked, laying his hand on my stomach.

“I didn’t want to drop anything on my dress! Or, god forbid, smile and have parsley in my teeth. Now it doesn’t matter what I look like because I’m not trying to impress anyone anymore.”

“Except me, your husband.”

“Exactly, except you.”

Jake shook his head at me, smiling. “You’re all Miss Snarky tonight, aren’t you?”

“Mrs.”

“Oh, right.”

I turned excitedly in my seat, nearly jumping up and down on my designer clad bottom. “McDonald’s!” I screamed. And as I watched it pass by on the left hand side of the street, I placed both hands on the window and whispered with a sad little pout, “Big Mac. Fries.”

Jake found that wildly funny, and when he stopped laughing, said, “Maybe I’m reading you all wrong, but did you want to stop at McDonald’s?”

“Wow, Jake, you’re like a mind reader.”

“Did someone have a little too much champagne tonight?”

I shrugged, but in reality, I was barely drunk. It was more just that I was giddy with life.

Jake called out to the driver and his security guy in the front seat. “Can you please get this woman to the nearest golden arches?”

After completing an illegal U-turn, the driver pulled into the parking lot, and I cheered. I was one step closer to the first solid food I’d eaten in about a week. Our limousine pulled into the drive-thru, and I rolled down my window, eager to give my order, but the narrow drive-up lane made navigation difficult. Jake and I exchanged an amused glance as the driver backed up and pulled forward multiple times in an embarrassing effort to make my fast food dream a reality. It soon became clear that we’d gotten horribly wedged between a concrete retaining wall and the ordering screen. More and more cars lined up behind us. Now there was no way out but forward, and that seemed impossible, given the circumstances.

“Oh, my god,” I whispered, in an attempt to quell the giggles that were fast approaching. “Tell me this is not happening right now. Are we seriously stuck in the drive-thru at McDonald’s?”

“It definitely appears that way,” Jake said. “And you want to hear something even better? See that car right there?”

I looked over at the wine-colored sedan he was pointing at and nodded.

“That’s paparazzi.”

“No!”

“Yep.” He nodded. “And so is the blue one over there. I can see the flash bulbs going. This will be on TMZ by morning.”

That’s when the laughing began. Mine, that is. I felt the rise of hysteria slowly creeping up, and soon I’d dissolved into a fit of uncontrollable giggles. I could picture the memorable headline: Jake McKallister Trapped in Drive-through on Wedding Night. The thought only made me laugh harder, setting off an intense urge to pee.

Jake didn’t seem nearly as amused by the jam we found ourselves in, peering intently out the windows while the rescue efforts took place. His security guard had already hopped out of the limo to offer help, as did a man from the car behind ours. Still, we were making very little progress. For every forward movement, the limo had to take a similar backward one. After several minutes, we were no closer to freedom.

By now, three photographers were out of their cars, snapping pictures of our predicament.

“At least they can’t see inside,” Jake said, bravely looking on the bright side.

“Um, yeah, about that. I have to tinkle.”

He glanced over. “You have to what?”

“Tinkle,” I repeated.

He stared back at me with a blank face.

“Piddle?” I tried.

Still nothing from him.

I sighed. “I’m about to piss myself.”

His brows raised. Finally! It took him long enough. “You’ve got to be kidding.”

“Do I look like I’m kidding?” I groped myself just a little bit to drive home my point.

“You can’t wait until we get to the hotel?”

“I mean, I guess if I knew which century we’d be arriving, sure, I might be able to hold out, but as it appears now, we’ll be stuck here a good long time. So, no, I can’t wait.”

Jake sighed as if I’d been planning this inconvenience all along. “All right, I’ll have Pete escort you in. Just ignore the paparazzi. Don’t answer any questions.”

“Uh, Pete?” I asked, scrunching my face to show my displeasure with his suggestion. “Yeah, I don’t think that will work.”

“Why not?”

“The dress. I need help lifting it.”

Jake studied me a moment before realization dawned on him. “Wait… are you… you want me to go into the women’s bathroom with you?”

“I mean, I guess I could ask Pete.”

Jake didn’t hesitate a second longer as he opened the limo door, stepped out, and offered up his hand to me. “Oh, and Casey, don’t forget to smile for the cameras.”

Luckily for us, two more of Jake’s security guys had been following behind our limousine and ran up as we exited the vehicle, and they held back the paparazzi as we crossed the grass. We almost made it to the restaurant when the heel of my expensive shoe caught in the crevice between the grass and the concrete, snapping clean off. Jake, who’d been holding my hand, jerked back and gaped at me in surprise.

“My heel broke.”

“No, it didn’t,” he said, grinning.

“I’m afraid so.”

“This is like a scene out of some warped Cinderella movie.”

I laughed and was about to remove the other shoe when Jake swooped me up in his arms and carried me across the threshold of the McDonald’s. Oh, the romance of it all!

“Excuse me. Coming through, people,” Jake called out, now clearly enjoying himself, as he weaved past diners. For this late at night, the restaurant was impressively busy. Good for them. Jake used his foot to push open the women’s restroom, and we came face to face with two women washing their hands at the sinks. They both jerked their heads in our direction and seemed ready to pounce on Jake for illegally crossing into their sanctuary when they took a closer look and their mouths dropped to the floor.

“Ladies, I’m really sorry about this, but my bride is about to…” Jake stopped mid-sentence to address me. “What did you call it in the limo?”

“Tinkle,” I answered.

“Yeah, she’s about to tinkle all over me if I don’t get her into a stall and help her with her dress. Please don’t call the cops on me.”

Jumping into action, the women pushed open the handicapped stall and directed him in. My dress barely cleared the entrance.

“What can we do for you, honey?” one woman asked. Not to me, mind you, but to Jake. I had become invisible in this scenario.

“Make sure you get all the tulle under the dress,” the other added helpfully.

“I will,” he said, setting me on my feet and closing the stall door.

“If you need anything, hon, we’ll be right out here.”

I rolled my eyes and Jake held back a laugh as he helped me lift my strapless, A-line sweetheart wedding dress up around my waist and held the layers of fabric out of the way. I barely made it over the seat before I was relieving myself.

Interestingly enough, I’d never noticed how loud urine could be until I was listening to mine cascade into the bowl below me while my brand-new husband was hovering above me, pretending not to hear. As my cheeks blushed in embarrassment, my mouth went into overdrive.

“I don’t know if I ever told you this,” I began in a conversational tone, “but my college boyfriend once recorded himself peeing for a full minute fifty-eight seconds.”

“No, I don’t think you’ve ever mentioned that before,” Jake said, his voice monotone, not seeming the least bit impressed.

“I mean, maybe it doesn’t sound amazing, but I’m telling you, that video went on and on. I was able to totally dry my hair in the time it took for him to empty his bladder. How do you guys hold so much pee?”

“Casey,” Jake interrupted. “I don’t mean to rush you along, but I’m in a girls’ bathroom with my hands up your dress. Can we talk about your ex-boyfriend some other time?”

“Oh, yeah, sure. I’m almost done, actually. I was just making small talk to ease the awkwardness.”

“Uh-huh, because it’s not at all awkward for you to be fondly remembering another guy on our wedding night.”

“I’m not remembering him, per se… just his nether regions.”

The ladies on the other side of the stall began to giggle something fierce. Shit. I’d forgotten they were there.

“I was just kidding,” I called out to them. “I never think about any other guy’s privates.” Oh, no. That came out all wrong, too.

“Casey.” Jake abruptly stopped me from any more unnecessary babbling. “You’re done. No more chatter.”

“Right. Sorry.” I finished the clean-up and flushed. Jake’s face came into view as the layers of my dress began to fall down around me. Thankfully, he appeared rather amused.

“You’re a piece of work, you know that?” he said, shaking his head.

“If that was meant as a compliment, then thank you.”

“Are we done here, or do you have any further interesting facts about past hookups you’d like to share with me?”

“No. None as interesting as the last.”

“Thank god. Hey, what happened to the other dress you were planning to wear for the reception?” he asked, pushing open the stall. “That would have come in handy tonight.”

The women had pressed themselves against the wall as they awaited Jake’s exit. He flashed them his megawatt rock star smile, and I thought both might slide to the floor in a puddle of glee.

I stared at him in the mirror as I washed my hands. “I changed my mind at the last minute. I figured, when will I ever wear a more beautiful gown, or look as pretty as I do tonight?”

“You don’t need a fancy dress. You always look beautiful to me.”

It was a lovely sentiment ruined by the sharp intake of air from one of the women, followed by a chorus of contented sighs. We exchanged a knowing glance in the mirror. They were going to need tending to before we could leave. Jake nodded at me before wedging himself into the middle of his restroom groupies and smiling for a selfie.

The security guys were waiting for us when we stepped out; and so, unfortunately, were the paparazzi. They were quick to snap shots of Jake and the three of us women with a clear view of the women’s bathroom sign in the background.

“That’s not what it looks like,” he said gamely to the photographers before addressing his own staff. “What’s the limo situation?”

“They’re removing a wooden post, and then we should be good to go. Probably five more minutes, I’d guess.”

“Well, then, we’ve got time to get my wife some food.”

Ignoring the clicks of the cameras, Jake took my hand and headed to the counter. Every person in the building was gawking at the scene we were making. A barefoot woman in a wedding gown at a fast food restaurant was unique enough, but when you paired her with a world-famous musician, the interest level more than quadrupled.

His bodyguards followed close behind, ready to take down any overzealous hamburglars, but we needn’t have worried, as everyone was on their best behavior. Again, I couldn’t get over the turn-out at such a late hour. I mean, who knew this many people got the munchies at one in the morning?

Our turn arrived, and Jake ordered for us.

“Small, medium, or large?” the cashier asked.

Jake glanced at me for guidance.

“The bigger the better,” I said, getting dangerously close to gnawing on the countertop if this ordering business got any slower.

The young male cashier actually looked between the two of us before settling his stare on Jake as if to confirm he was okay with his new bride taking on such a demanding challenge at this late hour.

I snorted in irritation.

Jake smiled in amusement at my reaction before wisely backing me up. “You heard the lady. It’s her wedding day. Supersize her.”

Our hotel was only a few blocks away. Our driver pulled into the valet section of the parking garage and let us be so Jake and I could remain in the back of the limo, eating our late night meal and enjoying being alone together for the first time as husband and wife.

“Okay, here’s another one,” I said, lazily running my finger over the veins on the back of his hand. “When I’m stressed or anxious, I do math in my head to calm myself down.”

“Why are all your confessions so damn nerdy?”

Nudging him playfully with my bare foot, I said, “Oh, I’m so sorry I don’t have a more socially relevant catalog of phobias.”

“Do not,” Jake warned, forcibly pushing my toes off his tuxedo pants, “touch me with those! You know I can’t stomach your feet without protection.”

That only prompted more foot worship, in the form of me rubbing mine all over him. Jake screamed his displeasure before relocating to the other side of the limo and defending himself with a pair of appetizer forks he’d found on the bar.

“Really, Jake? Do you honestly think those tiny forks will protect you? Perhaps you forget I come from a hearty stock of women with podiatry issues. Bunions are the least of our problems.”

“Ooh, yeah, I’m so scared. It’s not like there’s a multitude of foot conditions in the world.”

“You’re joking, right?” I employed the use of my fingers to aid in the countdown of the painful conditions I’d probably inherit one day. “There’s corns, calluses, plantar fasciitis, ingrown toenails, plantar warts, and let’s not forget my personal favorite, hammertoe.”

“Stop!” He grimaced, covering his ears. “Please make it stop.”

I felt no sympathy for the plight he now found himself in. “Hey, buddy, you had two full years to ask the pertinent questions. Now we’re married, and there are no give-backs.”

“See, I feel like you were hiding this particular issue from me.”

“It would seem that way, wouldn’t it? Anyway, enough about me. It’s your turn. Hit me with another confession.”

He sighed, straining hard to come up with another entry into our ‘Who’s weirder?’ game. “Okay, I never drink the last gulp of anything.”

I pondered what he’d said a moment before scrunching up my nose and asking, “Really? Why?”

He shrugged. “I don’t know. It grosses me out.”

“So you just leave a little bit in every cup?”

He nodded.

“Wow, Jake, that’s just so incredibly weird.”

“Oh, and your habit of arranging food into happy little family units isn’t?”

“Says the guy who won’t adopt a male dog because he doesn’t want the canine’s genitalia on his car seats.”

“Nobody wants that!”

Jake’s voice peaked in amusement, and we both laughed with the comfortable camaraderie of two people who truly understood each other. It was difficult to fully describe the wonders of loving your best friend… of having someone you trusted with your life to walk you through the good times and bad. Jake was that person for me, and despite the conversation we’d had before the wedding, I was certain that he and I still shared all the same aspirations, even if his might need a little fine-tuning. I had no doubt children would be part of our future, and that there would come a time when Jake would hold our baby in his loving arms and not even remember the doubts he’d once harbored.

My eyes caught on his sculpted face, and a knot formed in my throat. Damn! What man looked that good in a tux? It really was criminal. Suddenly, I had an overwhelming desire to consummate our marriage in the most primitive of ways. Okay, making love inside a luxury limo was probably not considered primeval, but it was hot and dangerous, and that was how I wanted us to remember our first time together as husband and wife.

I must have been staring at him for too long because he cocked his brow and asked, “What?”

I ran my tongue seductively over my lips, giving Jake his first indication of things to come. Gesturing with my finger, I made it known I wanted him by my side. He didn’t need to be told twice. Setting down the forks on the way, he slid into the spot next to me, looking every bit as randy as I felt.

“You are about to be a very happy husband,” I whispered seductively, flicking my tongue over his lips. Jake ran his fingers down my throat, tracing a line to the dip between my breasts. His hand slid under the silk and into the white lacey brassiere, which had miraculously provided my breasts with the oomph they so deserved. With a single-minded focus, his warm hand circled my nipple, and I groaned on contact. Jake lifted his lust-filled eyes to mine; then, catching my jaw, he tilted my head and we stared at one another with a hunger neither of us could deny. I dipped in closer as his lips pushed into mine, rough and wanting. Our mouths drew open, sealed by the bond of our lips, and my tongue pushed against his.

Jake’s hands gripped the sides of my face, his fingers resting in the tangles of my hair, the sheer force of the kiss bruising my lips. My body pulsed with desire, aching for something more. Wrapping my arms tightly around his neck, I kept our lips moving as I lifted my leg up and over, straddling his lap as I pushed against him. A hollow groan released from his throat but was stifled by the barrier our lips had made.

Jake broke roughly from the kiss, panting. “Jesus, Casey. You’re making me crazy.” With no reprieve for him in sight, I continued rotating my hips, no more able to control my lust than he. “If we are doing this” – he gasped out the words as my tongue slithered into his ear, my hot breath sending shivers through him – “Then I…um… I… oh fuck… um… I need to text… um Pete. Keep him… others… away.”

As my nails raked jaggedly over the back of his neck, Jake arched his back, wedging me in tighter onto his package. He was slowly losing his cool, and even though texting was probably not the sexiest thing he could be doing at the moment, I agreed with the principle behind it.

“Send the text,” I murmured in a low and heated tone. Jake, flushed with desire, pulled out his phone, typed something out, and tossed it on the seat beside us. As I leaned in closer, my tongue traced lightly along the edge of his ear, giving the lobe a tantalizing little flick. Jake’s body trembled in a muted, restrained quiver. Our eyes locked and his softened with the unmistakable look of love. Leaning in, I dangled my lips over his until he lifted his up and our lips slowly came together. I melted slowly, deliciously into his arms, our mouths locked on one another, and I savored this moment with him as if it were our first.

The confines of the limo and the steamy heat inside only served to heighten the senses. Pulling apart from him, I flicked his lip with my tongue playfully then pushed him back against the seat. I removed Jake’s expensive Armani coat and flung it to the other side of the limo before tackling the shirt and tie. My fingers deftly went to work unbuttoning, but after the eighth one, I got impatient with the tedious process and just pulled the dress shirt out of his tuxedo pants and up over his head. With the buttons on his sleeves still attached, the shirt hung in front of him, binding his wrists like handcuffs. Whatever Houdini moves he’d have to make to free himself was none of my concern, as I’d already moved on to his well-muscled stomach, delighting in the feel of his sculpted abs. An animalistic little growl accompanied my mouth as I dipped my tongue into the deep ridges. Jake’s body shook as he laid his head against the cool leather interior of the limo.

Pulling me off his lap, Jake made quick work of his pants. He’d only managed to free the dress shirt from his left wrist so it was dangling off the right. After wriggling out of my panties, I was trying to figure out how I was going to get out of my wedding gown when a thought occurred to me.

“Babe, would you mind if I kept my dress on?”

A deep, sensual chuckle vibrated through the vehicle before he nodded his approval and said, “I’d expect nothing less.”

I straddled his lap, dress billowing out on all sides. White fabric was everywhere, but we’d have to make it work; I was determined to get one more spectacular use out of my beautiful gown before it went into storage forever. Suddenly I was aware of Jake's mouth tugging gently at my ear as he waded his way through the fabric of my wedding gown to get to the good parts beneath. Once his long, agile fingers found their way under my dress, he immediately used them to stroke the inside of my thigh. Dampness formed between my legs, sending a blistering shiver rattling my body that spread out evenly to all my extremities.

With only the dull glow of the overhead car light to illuminate our faces now, I felt a staggering sense of reckless desire and unrestrained anticipation. I arched in pleasure as his fingers traveled along the dips and curves of my body before wandering up between my legs and teasing me in that most desired of places. Everything pulsed as my body adjusted to its yearnings and intensified hunger. I pressed against his hand, taking what my body desired while balancing myself by pushing down on his thighs for support. The windows had sealed in our steam, protecting us from gawkers while cloaking us in a sheet of sticky, humid spice. We moved together in unison as waves of sensation threatened to overtake me before I even had my husband inside me.

Jake gripped my waist and rubbed himself against my entrance before positioning me over him. I moaned as he slowly lowered me down. My hair, once styled so beautifully, was now cascading over my shoulders in a tangled mess. I stared intently into his eyes as we moved together in perfect rhythm. His open mouth hovered below mine as he took shallow breaths and I could do nothing but attack them lustfully. My tongue pushed into his mouth only to find his ready and waiting.

Breaking our kiss, Jake traveled down my neck, that tongue of his tracing wet lines across my skin and making me shiver. All the while he moved in me, growing harder and more intense with each passing minute. I dropped my head back as Jake’s tongue formed snail trails along my sensitive neck. Wrapping my arms tighter around Jake’s neck, I bucked into him, panting as I encouraged his participation. But Jake was making me wait, and in turn, taking away the very last remnant of my self-control. With my body in a heightened state of desire, I swept my fingers through his hair.

Jake said nothing as he clamped his lips against the side of my neck and began pumping, thrusting steadily in and out, supporting me. As he controlled my movements with his powerful grip on my backside, I felt myself rapidly heating toward the boiling point, and my thoughts became clouded, my consciousness submerging in a rising sea of liquid passion. My legs clamped tighter around him, and suddenly Jake’s hips bucked hard against me, and I felt him release in long, jetting bursts deep inside me. The sensation triggered my own climax, and my head jerked forward, bumping against the limo window as my entire body clenched with a powerful shudder, legs locked, nails violently raking Jake’s neck and shoulders. I made no sound other than a tiny, choking gasp, and time seemed to stop. When I, at last, managed to draw another breath, I realized I had scratched Jake's skin hard enough to draw blood; and he looked at me with mild surprise before devouring my lips with a deep, long kiss.

* * *

Giddy from our lovemaking session in the limo, I skipped my way down the hallway to our honeymoon suite. Jake trailed behind, refusing to partake in such childish antics, yet there was no doubt he found my mood infectious. The wide smile on his face was proof positive.

I stopped at the door to our room. “You’re planning to carry me over the threshold, right?”

“I feel like there’s been a whole lot more carrying today than in the average wedding.”

“Well, you know, if your limo hadn’t gotten stuck and my heel hadn’t snapped off, you could have cut the carrying in half.”

“Although I feel it’s important to add that the limo never would have gotten stuck had you been able to wait the five minutes it would have taken to get to the hotel and order room service.”

“True, but if I hadn’t demanded fast food, then we wouldn’t have been eating it in the backseat of the limo, and…well… you know what happened after that.”

He nodded, smiling. “You win.”

Scooping me into his arms, Jake carried me into our room and dumped me unceremoniously onto the bed. His face was flushed with the effort as he collapsed beside me.

“I wasn’t too heavy, was I?”

“No. God no,” he said, through ragged breaths.

“Maybe I shouldn’t have eaten all the fries.”

“If you recall, I did try to help you out with those, but you actually bared your teeth at me.”

“I was smiling.”

“No. You made a snarling noise, too.”

“Fine. So I was territorial. Everyone knows there’s no ‘we’ in ‘fries.’”

Jake rolled his eyes then sat up on the bed to look around. “This is nice.”

I sat up too. Damn. The dark distressed-wood four-poster bed was draped in white cloth, and the high-ceilinged room was decorated in homey yellows and browns. A huge spa tub sat off to the side. Too bad we were only spending the one night here before jetting off to Cabo in the morning.

“You know what I want to do right now?”

“What?”

I stopped myself, realizing how stupid a request it would be. “Never mind. You’ll think it’s stupid.”

“I’m usually down for pretty much any ridiculous thing you ask for.”

I dipped my head to the side and smiled slyly. “Okay, you asked for it.”

I stood up on the bed and started jumping in my wedding gown. I’d watched it once in a movie, and thought it was the cutest, most romantic thing I’d ever seen. Of course, I was sixteen at the time, so maybe some of its charm was due to my youthful fantasies.

“Oh, god,” Jake said, not budging. “I take it all back. This I won’t do.”

“Come on, babe, you know you want to.” Holding my dress up as high as possible, I joyfully kicked my feet up behind me.

“No. I really don’t want to.”

“But you will because you love me, right?”

“No.” He laughed. “I married you. I think I’ve proven my love.”

“All right. That’s fine. Don’t worry about it.” I sighed, feigning disappointment. “This was just a childhood dream of mine, but no biggie.”

I really didn’t care one way or another. I just liked giving him a hard time for fun. “But whatever, Jake. You do you.”

He watched me jump, an amused smile on his face.

“Are you coming, or what?” I finally asked.

“Yeah. I’m coming,” he said, with zero enthusiasm as he dragged his butt off the bed. Jake climbed up and stood there as I bobbed up and down. I grabbed his hands and forced him to jump with me. The way our heads bobbed up and down and the bed creaked below, we both started laughing. Soon we were in full-blown hysterics and completely out of breath. Jake and I collapsed in a heap, panting like we’d run a marathon.

After catching my breath, I rolled over, propped myself up on one elbow, and planted a big, smoochy kiss on him. “You’re already an awesome husband.”

“Why, because I do what you want?”

“No, because you do what I want just to make me happy.”

He smiled, grabbed my cheeks, and squished my lips together to give me a kiss. “I do like you happy.”

“Yes, you do.” I had no doubt my eyes were shining with the love they felt. He was just so damn amazing. “I love you so much, Jake McKallister. It actually hurts sometimes.”

He wrapped his hand around the back of my neck and drew me in, locking our mouths in a lingering kiss. When he finally broke away, he said, “I hurt for you all the time.”