Allyson ran her hands down to smooth out the fabric of her wedding dress. The cream silk hugged her curves, from the thin shoulder straps down to the short train that trailed behind her. As she glimpsed herself in the full-length mirror of her bedroom, she grew misty-eyed. Yesterday evening, she’d spent an hour at the bridal shop in town agonizing over the right dress. They had show-stopping ball gowns and sexy mermaid dresses, but the minute she tried on the simple, elegant silk sheath dress she knew it was the one for her.

She turned around, looking at her reflection over her shoulder. The cream silk contrasted with her newly tanned skin, making her look like a vision. She didn’t care if she sounded a bit conceited. Allyson knew she looked stunning in the dress. But more than that, Dane made her feel beautiful. It was her wedding; she was allowed to feel gorgeous, and loved, and—

“Have you put the dress on yet?” Dane’s voice boomed from the other side of the closed bedroom door.

“Yes!” she called back. “Don’t even think about opening that door!”

He laughed. “I won’t. But you can’t blame me for thinking about it.”

“Patience, sweetheart.” She reached for the makeup she’d spilled out across the counter and started carefully applying it to her face. In town yesterday, she’d made sure to get some waterproof mascara… just in case. After putting on the mascara, she applied a blush to her cheeks and finished everything off with a nude shade of lipstick. She wanted everything to be simple, tasteful, and elegant.

“I’m trying,” he said a few minutes later, followed by a frustrated sigh. “I just really want to see you.” Dane was already dressed in the tux he’d purchased in town, but she hadn’t seen him all morning. Now he was pacing outside her room. She could tell he was because she could hear the hard tap of his Italian shoes on the wooden floor. “The weather looks good,” he continued.

She smiled to herself. It was very unlike him to bring up such mundane topics out of the blue. He must have been a lot more nervous than he was letting on. “Yes. The weather forecast for today is perfect.”

With slightly shaky fingers, she reached for the headpiece she had chosen at the bridal shop. It was a small, delicate crown of sparkling seashells. Maybe it was a little cheesy, and maybe a crown of flowers would have been more appropriate, but the shells added something whimsical and charming to her dress.

With the seashells in place, she picked up the bouquet of white orchids the bridal shop had delivered to the villa less than an hour ago. She looked at herself in the mirror again, her approving smile reflected at her. “I’m ready!”

“Okay, I’m heading down to the beach now,” he said, and clapped his hands. “I’ll text you when I get to the minister.”

“Okay!”

There was a pause. Then, “Allyson…I love you.”

Her stomach fluttered at his words. “I love you, too.”

The sound of his shoes on the floor began to fade away. Knowing she likely had about a minute to start making her way to the beach, she stared at herself in the mirror again. In less than an hour she would be married to the man she loved. They’d known each other for so long. Kept their feelings hidden for years, hoping they would just go away. But they hadn’t. With each day, week, month, and year their feelings had gotten even stronger.

For years she had all but given up on ever finding true love. On finding someone she wanted to share her life with. But, somehow, she realized that the man she loved was right there all along. That’s why no one else measured up.

It was hard to believe that one little white lie about her boss had led to all of this. One faked relationship at her brother’s wedding led to a wedding of her own.

Butterflies shifted direction in her stomach again. Her heart raced. The apprehensive, foreboding jitters she’d felt after Dane’s proposal were long gone. Now a joyful excitement coursed through her. The nerves, the fluttering, it was all a good thing.

The cell phone on her bed chirped with the sound of a new message. She checked her phone quickly and saw Dane’s message:

I’m waiting, Mrs. Prescott.

She smiled, then slipped out of the bedroom. She lifted the hem of her dress and made her across the villa, walked by the swimming pool, and stepped onto the white sand of the beach at last.

 

*  *  *

 

As Allyson walked across the last several feet towards Dane, she allowed herself to take in the beauty of the beach. The blue sky overhead was almost cloudless, and the sun shone bright. But the heat was mild as a cool breeze came in from the aquamarine ocean.

The gaze didn’t last long. She was more interested in one man standing near the waves waiting for her. Dane—her Dane—with the minister standing beside him. Mrs. McKenzie and Chef Durand were standing off to the side, waiting as witnesses. Mrs. McKenzie flashed an approving smile. Chef Durand gave her a thumb’s up.

Dane wore a grey, almost black, tux. His tall physique and broad shoulders filled it perfectly. A model would never look half as good as her soon-to-be husband did. Even the bow tie was sexy on him. She giggled as she imagined what he’d look like with just that on and nothing else. Maybe I’ll find out later.

When she finally reached them, she stopped in front of the minister. Dane smiled at her, his dazzling blue eyes wandering up and down her body, taking her in. She blushed under his appreciative gaze.

“You look so beautiful,” he said.

“So do you,” she whispered.

He laughed. But he really did look beautiful to her. Dane was the picture of masculine elegance, from that damn bow tie down to the leather Italian shoes. His blond hair was smoothed back, and he looked like one of those old-school movie stars.

Even better.

She’d be happy to stare at him all day. Except she had something more important to do first. She reached for his hand and he held it in both of his.

The minister cleared his throat and the ceremony began. They both turned to face the minister, but every now and then Dane would steal a glance at her, their eyes would meet, and he’d smile or chuckle. She did the same. They were like excited little kids.

When the time came to exchange the rings, she slipped the gold band she’d bought yesterday evening onto Dane’s finger. Then, he slipped her ring onto her finger. She gasped when she stared down and discovered that the golden ring was beautifully designed with the most exquisite emeralds.

“To match your eyes,” he informed her softly.

It just about melted her heart and she blinked back happy tears. Thank goodness for waterproof makeup.

The minister then pronounced them husband and wife, and told Dane to kiss his bride.

Dane wrapped his powerful arms around her waist, pulling her close. His mouth found hers and her lips parted. He kissed her tenderly, but there was something demanding in the way he crushed her lips with his.  She shivered, excited about the wedding night to come.

When he pulled away, the minister and their witnesses applauded.

Allyson thanked them all for attending the ceremony and she and Dane headed back to the villa with their guests. The minister quickly left after congratulating them, while Allyson and Dane presented Mrs. McKenzie and Chef Durand with gifts as a thank-you for being witnesses at the wedding. Mrs. McKenzie received a beautiful gold locket necklace Allyson picked out herself, while Chef Durand got a gold watch. Dane thanked them and ushered them outside. He, apparently, was in a bit of a hurry to be with his wife.

It made Allyson laugh. And also set the blood racing in her veins.

And then, as quickly as the ceremony had started, everything was over and Allyson was alone in the living room with Dane. Her husband.

She set her bouquet down gently on the sofa and watched him. Warmth spread across her skin. She knew she could stare at him for the rest of her life and it would never be enough. She loved him so completely, so totally, that she hardly knew what to do with herself. Everything here was perfect. Nothing was impossible.

“What should we do first? Dance or eat cake?” Dane asked.

She laughed. “You really are the most wonderful man in the world.”

“I’m guessing that means you want to dance.” He reached for her hand and pulled her to him.

“There’s no music,” she pointed out.

He shrugged. “We can make our own music.”

With one hand on his shoulder, and the other hand clasped in his much larger hand, she let him lead her around the floor. The sensation of his strong hand on the small of her back, holding her steady, made her feel safe and held. As she stared into his eyes, she remembered all the times they’d danced together. First at her brother’s wedding, then when Dane was teaching her to waltz in the music room at his parents’ Rhode Island mansion, and then at the gala in New York.

There’d been music at all those moments, but there was no music now. Instead, there was the distant sound of crashing waves, and Dane humming a tune in her ear. His baritone voice made her tremble. There was something so charming and endearing about him humming to her.

“What’s that tune?” she asked softly.

“Oh, just something my mother plays on the piano sometimes.”

Their bodies were so close together now that her cheek was brushing against his stubble. Allyson inhaled, delighting in the masculine scent of his aftershave. She was already melting into his arms, and she never wanted this moment to end.

They danced until a thought occurred to Allyson. “Oh no, we forgot to take photos.”

“We can take photos now.” He stopped dancing to reach into his pocket and pull out his cell phone.

“Do I still look okay?” she asked, smoothing her dress.

“You look perfect,” he assured her.

After taking some shots in the living room, they headed back to the beach to take photos together under the palm trees. When he took solo shots of her, she blew kisses at her new husband. She probably ruined some of the photos, but she didn’t care.

When they were done, they headed back inside the villa and walked into the kitchen. The most beautiful three-tiered cake had been left on the kitchen island. Chef Durand had managed to get a wedding cake on short notice from a local gourmet bakery and finished it off beautifully. The cake was covered in pure white frosting and decorated with edible pearls, light pink silk ribbons, and light pink orchids.

In addition to the cake Chef Durand had cooked up a feast for them, with dishes that included truffles, lobster, and caviar.

Dane pulled a bottle of champagne from the fridge, found two crystal flutes from one of the cabinets, and started filling them. “Let’s toast.”

She smiled as he handed her a glass of chilled champagne. “I say we toast to our future. Together forever.”

He clinked glasses with her and returned her smile. “To forever.”

She sipped her champagne, enjoying the taste. “Should we cut the cake?”

“Hang on.” Dane pulled out his cell phone again and started snapping pictures of the beautiful wedding cake. When he was done, Allyson grabbed a knife from one of the kitchen drawers and gripped the handle as she held the knife over the bottom layer. Dane placed his hand over hers and together they cut the cake.

With the cake cut they started getting their early lunch together, setting up the dining table with all the food that Chef Durand had prepared for them. Allyson took a seat beside Dane as he started piling food onto her plate.

“It was nice of Chef Durand to do all this on short notice,” she said. “And for Mrs. McKenzie to come as a witness.”

He nodded. “I’m lucky to have found them. And I’m glad they like you.”

“I like them, too.” She laughed. “Not that I know them super well, but they stood for us at our wedding.”

“They wouldn’t have said no.” Dane winked. “You’re their new boss, after all.”

She paused. It hadn’t occurred to her, but of course Dane was right. As his wife, she was now just as in charge of certain things as he was. It was a sobering and overwhelming realization. “How many people do you have on your domestic staff?”

“Never counted.” He shrugged. “Scores?”

With her plate piled with a shrimp pasta dish, she started to dig in. “I’d like to get to know everyone. Eventually.”

“It’s not as big a staff as you’d expect, actually. My parents are very traditional so they have things like a butler and a chambermaid. I don’t. I only have chefs, chauffeurs, and housekeepers.”

She nearly dropped her fork. “Only?”

A smile played on that sensuous mouth of his and he took a long sip of champagne. “Are you thinking of expanding the staff?”

“Very funny.” But she laughed. “I’m going to have to figure a way to get used to all this, aren’t I?”

“I don’t think it’s about getting used to it. It’s about you realizing you’re a part of this as much as I am. Allyson, this villa isn’t my villa anymore. It’s our villa. Everything is ours, together.”