Page 34 of This Woman Forever

“We go home first thing in the morning, then.”

“We do, after we’ve soaked in the bath and had breakfast with your parents.”

There are a few beats of silence, both of us contemplative. “I wish you’d have taken me away,” she whispers. “Somewhere quiet, just us.”

My heart sinks. How I wish I could change how we did this. “I wish I had too,” I admit. “But I bet your mother would’ve had something to say about it.” And isn’t the reason we’re not going on a honeymoon anytime soon because Ava can’t take the time off?

I can feel her leaning in to me more every second I turn us on the spot. “Mrs. Ward, are you falling asleep on me?” She hums as others start to join us on the floor. “I love you,” I whisper. “I love you so fucking much.”

“I know.” She finds it in herself to drag her head off my shoulder, giving me her mouth, and I read her message, kissing her as I lift her from her feet. “Mr. Ward,” she mumbles, sleepy, her lips still on my mouth. “You’re drawing attention.”

“Fuck them. Wherever, whenever, baby. You know that. Let me see those eyes.”

She looks at me, curious and drowsy, and with the mildest of smiles on her face. “Why do you always demand to see them?”

That’s easy. “Because when I look into them,” I say, doing it right now—staring into their dark beauty—“I know for sure that you’re real.”

“I’m real,” she assures me, the bridge of her nose scrunching.

“I’m so glad.” Because I hate to think where my life would be now if she wasn’t. “I didn’t tell you how beautiful you look.” I kiss her, literally holding her up now, still moving us both. “I thought it, but my beautiful girl renders me stupid every time I lay my eyes on her. It’s like I’m looking at her for the first time all over again.” She’s so fucking magnificent. “You keep my heart beating, baby,” I say quietly. “And it will only ever beat for you. Understand?”

“Just for me.” She feels through my hair, hardly able to keep her eyes open. “I need you to take me to bed.”

“Will my delightful mother-in-law allow that?”

“I don’t care. I just want you to myself. Take me to bed.”

“Deal.” I place her down and steal a quick kiss. “You don’t have to ask me twice, Mrs. Ward.” Fuck, that sounds so good. I might sacrifice my preferred lady for her official title.

“I just did.”

She did? “That’s your fucking mother’s fault.” I scan the room for Elizabeth as I turn Ava around and move her onward by her shoulders, bracing myself for her intervention.

“Oh, look at Clive and Cathy,” Ava says as I follow her pointed hand to our resident concierge and my housekeeper. The rascal. He’s had his eye on Cathy from the moment she returned from Ireland. I chuckle as they move awkwardly in a circle, but my amusement dies the second I see Dan across the floor, his attention on Kate and Sam. Fucking hell. I’m happy to see Sam and Kate together for the first time today, naturally, but Dan’s face? I glance at Ava to see if she’s noticed them, or even felt the atmosphere, because it’s thick.

“It doesn’t look like history to me,” I muse, dipping to scoop Ava up, hoping that’ll get us out of here quicker than Ava’s feet seem to want to carry her.

But then I hear something, and I still, half bent, listening. Oh no.

Now? The DJ chooses now?

“Hello, Justin,” Ava says as I straighten up to full height. The beat starts to sink into my body. Fuck, she’s tired.

Tell your body that, Ward.

Lovestoned has always been a favorite, but since the night when I looked into Ava’s eyes on that dance floor and saw what I knew was love, and then she told me—drunk or not—it’s the favorite. And as I look at her now—now that she’s my wife—I just know it’s hers too.

And I must dance with her.

Must.

Relive that night and smile because look where we are now. Married. Joined. Never to be separated. Let’s finish the day on a high.

I fix my crumpled suit, my shoulders jigging. “Oh, Mrs. Ward,” I muse, seeing some life trickle back into her at the prospect of her husband showing the world how to dance. “I’m about to tear that floor up.” I pull her back onto the dance floor and put us in the center, removing my jacket and tossing it aside as Ava laughs. That sight alone, her face, her happiness, is enough for me to keep her up for a little longer. Justin is just a bonus.

This is how she will remember our day.

“Woohoo!” Kate yells, the change in direction of music seeming to sober her up and make her smile. Her arms go up in the air, Sam laughs, and I check Dan’s whereabout discreetly, seeing him still on the edge of the dance floor, but now Joseph is with him. Talking some sense into him?

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