My heartbeats jumped and dived in my chest, and I broke free of his gaze so I could catch my breath. My eyes landed on Mamma, who was sobbing—in sorrow or happiness, I didn’t know which—to Papà, who gave me a small nod. Maybe things would be all right, after all, because if my father made me choose between him and my husband for good, I wouldn’t have to even think it through.

Pure bliss flowed in my veins. The only thing keeping me from dissolving into happiness was this heavy dress weighing me down.

My eyes burned when Benito caught my gaze, his thumb and forefinger forming the “perfect” sign. Tony shot me a wink, and Jenny, who stood next to him in a flashy red dress, mouthed, “Ohmygod.”

This time I repeated the priest’s words with conviction.

This time I burned under the timbre of Nico’s voice.

This time I kissed my husband on the lips like I meant it.

The guests whooped and hollered, and Nico chuckled at my enthusiasm.

“You’re all mine,” I breathed against his lips.

A rumble of satisfaction traveled up his throat and he pressed another kiss to my mouth. He slipped his hand in mine and walked me down the aisle. As soon as we made it into the entrance hall, I blurted, “It was perfect.”

Nico laughed quietly, turned to face me, and brushed a thumb across my cheek. “You’re perfect.”

I flushed and blinked at him. “You like my dress?”

His hand ran to the back of my neck and he kissed me deeply. “You’re beautiful, baby.”

I swallowed the lump in my throat. To keep my blush from setting fire to my cheeks, I yanked his tie from his vest. “I like it. Pink suits you.”

“Yeah?” he drawled. “And where’s your pink?”

A flirty smile pulled on my lips. “Wouldn’t you like to know?”

He fixed his tie and looked at me with an inquisitive stare. “I’ll find out sooner or later. More sooner than you’d like if you don’t share.”

I rolled my eyes but lifted the hem of my dress to show him my light pink heels. There might have been more pink, but that was all he was seeing right now.

He smiled, rubbing a thumb across his bottom lip. The commotion from the rest of the wedding party spilled into the room, and Nico grabbed my hand and pulled me to the front door.

“What are you doing, Nico? We can’t leave yet.”

“We’re not going anywhere, just outside.”

I blinked. “Why?”

“Need a cigarette.”

My brows pulled together. “You want to smoke right now?”

“That’s what I said, wife.” He held the door open for me, but I paused before it as a rumble rolled across the dimming sky.

“Nico, it’s going to rain. My dress—”

“I’ll buy you another.”

I hesitated, but as his gaze pinned mine with insistence, my reservations melted away. The man was just too handsome. I told myself not to marry a handsome man, and what did I do? It was all my fault if I got rained on.

I headed outside, lifting my skirts and watching my feet as I carefully made my way down the steps. As my train dragged across the pavement and through all kinds of dirt and grime, I was chastising myself for not knowing how to tell this man no a little better.

My gaze lifted, and my heart stopped.

When my pulse started back up, it drummed in my ears and stole my breath.

Amongst cracked pavement, the fading sound of sirens, and the taste of urban air, the yellow lights of a carousel blinked bright beneath the overcast sky. It sat static, alone and beautiful.

I walked closer, the train of my dress forgotten. My eyes burned, and a tear slipped down my cheek. Nico’s familiar presence brushed my back.

The first drops of rain fell from the sky and they chimed like music off the golden carousel.

His deep voice slipped into my thoughts. “Do you like it?”

Do I like it?

Slowly, I turned to look at him. Confusion passed through his eyes when he saw my expression. “What’s wrong?” He brushed the tear from my cheek.

The rain was warm and light, and I blinked it off my eyelashes.

“I love you,” I breathed.

His gaze burned around the edges, as the mantra of my pulse filled the space between us.

Love me too. Love me forever.

He stepped forward until his tux brushed my dress, slid his hand to my nape, and pressed his words to my ear. “And I love you, Elena Russo.”

Nico might have been a bad man, but where he lacked in morals, he more than made up for as a husband.

He loved me forever.

The End