One year later…

“Pavlov, no!” Lucy yelled as her dog came tearing into Ben’s bedroom where she and her bridesmaids were getting ready. The girls screamed as the huge dog rushed at them with his grungy tennis ball in his mouth and Lucy’s mother did her best to corral him into the corner so he wouldn’t snag the lace on Lucy’s pristine white wedding dress. “Sorry, guys.”

“Oh, dear,” her mother said, finally managing to get Pavlov back out in to the hallway then closing the door on him. “It’s no problem at all. I’m just thrilled you’ve found such a nice man to marry.” She came back over to fluff Lucy’s train for the umpteenth time while the bridesmaids continued to fuss with her hair and her makeup and her veil.

Honestly, Lucy would’ve been just as happy eloping to Vegas or getting hitched downtown at the courthouse then having a big party afterward, but Ben wasn’t having it. He, of course, had spent countless hours planning each and every detail of their big day so that it all would hopefully go off flawlessly.

She laughed and shook her head. Her fiancé should know better by now. Still, it was nice to have him take charge of the mundane details like renting the church and the reception hall, hiring the caterers and ordering the flowers. And with his eye for design, she was sure it would all be beautiful. She’d handled the more creative side of things—the band for the reception, the wedding cake, the dresses and tuxes for the ceremony.

As she eyed her reflection in the mirror, even she had to admit she looked good. The strapless bustier-style top of the dress, with its satin ribbons lacing down her back perfectly suited her romantic, slightly rebellious side, and showed off the new rose tattoo on the back of her shoulder to perfection. And the fluffy cloud-like layers of tulle that made up the full skirt fulfilled her childhood dreams of marrying her Prince Charming.

Okay, maybe in Ben’s case it was more like Knight in Tightly-Controlled Armor, but still. They suited each other. Against all odds and all expectations, they were well-matched. They balanced out each other’s quirks. And with all the nonsense about her father out of the picture for good—she hadn’t heard a word from him since that day at the jewelers—life was good.

Life was brilliant, actually.

“Have I mentioned lately how happy I am that you’ve found a man with a good job?” Her mother asked, floofing the front of Lucy’s skirt again. “Construction provides a stable, reliable income. People always need homes and things built.”

Lucy bit back her sarcastic reply. In fact, she’d lost count of how many times her mom had mentioned Ben’s occupation and how glad she was that he wasn’t Bratva anymore. So many, in fact, that Lucy had seriously considered running from the room screaming. But she’d taken a deep breath and forced her feet to stay where they were, knowing her mom was just being a doting parent and soon this would all be over and it would be just her and Ben again, as they wanted.

Speaking of Ben, she heard the front door of the loft open and close. He was getting ready downstairs in her old apartment along with his brother Nik and his groomsmen. After she’d moved in with him, they’d decided to keep the apartment and sublet it out for extra money. It had worked out well, though they were between tenants at the moment.

Soon, a knock sounded on the bedroom door.

“Milen'kiy, are you in there?” Ben called.

“Oh, no!” Her mother and the bridesmaids all went into a tizzy. Pink satin and tulle bustled everywhere around her as people rushed around the room. She’d chosen two friends from the tour service to serve as her maid of honor and her attendant, then a few friends of Ben’s family to keep them involved too. “He can’t see you before the ceremony, dear. It’s bad luck!”

“C’mon, Mom.” Lucy scoffed. “That’s just an old wives’ tale. You know I don’t believe in that stuff. Besides, crazy seems to follow Ben and I around. What’s a little more, huh?”

Next thing she knew, the door opened and Pavlov rushed in again, followed in short order by Ben. While her mom and the bridesmaids were distracted trying to corner the dog, Ben rushed to her side and picked her up in his arms. Stunned, all Lucy could do was hang on. “Uh, what’s going on?”

Ben sighed and carried her out of the bedroom and down the hall. “We’re getting married. Right now.”

“Okay.” She frowned, glancing over her shoulder to see her mother’s harried expression. “That’s great, but we don’t have the church until one, correct?”

“Screw the church. I can’t take my family anymore. They’re driving me batty, telling me how to do this and what to do with that. All of my plans have been blown to pieces.” He balanced her on one hip as he opened the front door again and took her outside. “I’m done. I want you and you alone. That’s it.”

Lucy grinned, cupping his cheek. “Aw, my poor baby. I’m sorry all your carefully laid plans bit the dust.”

“Are you?” He put her down and took her hand, leading her over to the freight elevator. “Because you don’t look too upset by the prospect.”

“As long as I’m with you, I’m good.” She leaned up on tiptoe to kiss him. “And I can’t wait to be your wife.”

“Hmm.” He lifted the heavy door and escorted her inside, then shut it again, closing them off from the rest of the world. “I feel the same. I love you. I just don’t love all this fuss and mayhem. I want to marry you at once then go off on our honeymoon and have peace and quiet.”

She raised a brow at him.

“Fine. Maybe not peace and quiet, but you, in my arms, alone.” He pulled her close to him, the fine fabric of his black tux caressing the bare skin of her arms and making her shiver. He looked so handsome in his black suit and crisp white shirt, the amber of his eyes bright and shining with love and heat for her. “Tell me again how much you love me.”

“I love you more than I ever thought possible.” She laced her fingers through the soft hair at the nape of his neck. “More than the stars and moon and the diamonds my father stole.”

He growled and buried his face in her neck. “I thought we weren’t going to bring that up again. Especially not today. Linda will kill me.”

“My mother loves you too. She thinks you’re very staid and stable.”

This time, it was Ben’s turn to snort. “The stable part is right. The staid part not so much.”

Lucy giggled, relaxing in his embrace. “Yeah, I’d have to agree. Staid really doesn’t describe you.” She snuggled closer, feeling the telltale ridge of his arousal resting heavy against her stomach. “How about stiff?”

Ben leaned back, giving her a devilish stare. “Stiff? Perhaps.”

“Definitely.” She pressed closer to him, loving his heat and the spicy smell of his cologne and everything about him, really. “You’re stiff. And you’re also lucky because I’m here to help you loosen up.”

She ground against him and he groaned. “Yes, you can always help me loosen up, milen'kiy. So, my stiffness isn’t a problem for you?”

“Never. You being stiff is never a problem for me, not anymore.” She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him deeply before stepping back and smoothing the front of her dress. “But first, we have a wedding to attend and a reception afterward. Loosening you up will have to wait this time, I’m afraid.”

He straightened his somewhat bedraggled bow tie and exhaled slow, jamming the button on the elevator for the first floor. “I can’t wait until tonight.”

“Neither can I,” Lucy said, giddy happiness fizzing inside her. “I love you, Ben Volkov.”

“I love you too, milen'kiy. Always.”  As the elevator rumbled downward, he took her hand and kissed it. “Your father was right. It’s not every day a man finds a woman like you.”

Lucy grinned and squeezed his hand tight. “And it’s not every day a woman finds a man who’s willing to leave his old life and change everything.”

They arrived on the first floor and Ben stepped forward to open the door, glancing back at her over his shoulder. “Ready, milen'kiy?”

She took a deep breath and moved in beside him as the doors opened to reveal her mother and her bridesmaids and Nik and all Ben’s groomsmen waiting along with Pavlov, tennis ball in mouth and a bow tie crookedly around his neck. They needed a ring bearer after all, right? “More than I’ve ever been for anything in my life. Let’s do this.”

“Let’s do it, milen'kiy,” Ben said, kissing her hand once more then leading her out into their new life, together.