Page 33 of Her Irresistible Husband

The wooden doors before me finally open, and the lilting notes of Canon in D come streaming out, played by the small orchestra Wynd insisted we hire even though I would have been perfectly happy with Mrs. Garcia on the church piano.

This is it.

My wedding day.

I take my first step down the aisle of the little church where I've worshipped for years, past the faces of friends and neighbors and colleagues who've become like family. Jillian sits in the front row wearing a soft pink dress that makes her jade eyes sparkle behind her grandmother glasses, and she's crying nonstop even as she takes photos of me like the professional fangirl that she is.

Oh, Jilly.

Is it okay if I pray that she's the one to catch my bouquet later?

But in the meantime...

The two most precious men in my life are waiting for me at the end of the aisle. There's my beautiful boy Samuel, who looks absolutely dashing in his tiny black tuxedo. He also looks rather proud at being entrusted to be our ring bearer.

And finally, my Wynd.

How is it possible that he seems to get more and more gorgeous each day?

And oh, look.

He's even had his wheat-gold hair styled and combed back, and he's just so, so beautiful, my knees go weak just by looking at him, andno, oh no.

I do my best not to ruin my makeup as I make my way toward my boys, but by the time I reach the altar, I know it's a lost cause.

My shoulders start to shake as Wynd and I each take one of Samuel's small hands in ours, forming our little family circle before God and everyone we love. My tears run faster down my cheeks as Wynd lifts my veil with his free hand, and my darling boy lets out a delighted gasp as soon as he sees me.

"Mama, you turned into a panda!"

As the entire congregation erupts into laughter, my billionaire of ice pulls me close, and my heart skips a beat when I see his lips start to curve. I love that he's smiling so much more often now—

Thank You, God!

And when I look into Wynd's icy blue eyes and see that they're no longer haunted by the shadows of his past—

Thank You so, so much.

The rest of the ceremony is a blur. The next thing I know, Wynd is once again pulling me close, and as he slowly bends his head, that's when I hear him say—

"I love you, Mrs. Panda."

WYND CLOSED THE LEATHER-bound book of children's stories and looked down at Samuel, who had finally succumbed to sleep after three different tales of battle from the OldTestament. He pressed a kiss to his son's forehead before carefully pulling away. He looked down at his little boy, and his heart was...full.

Thank You.

Clare, Samuel's nanny, was already waiting outside when he stepped out of the room, and the older woman bid him good night with a warm smile.

The evening was quiet, the turquoise waters only gently rocking against the hull of his yacht. The master suite he shared with his bride was at the opposite end, and his heart began to pound at the thought of finally claiming Star as his own.

A tap of his card key had the heavy wooden door silently sliding open, and the first thing he saw as soon as he stepped inside was the siren that awaited him, her damp hair falling in waves around her shoulders, and her body clad in a sheer ivory nightgown that left nothing to the imagination.

An impish smile curved over her lips as she came to her feet. "Welcome back, master."

He raised a brow. "Are we roleplaying?"

"You know how much I love to play games," his bride teased.

He did indeed, and so he simply followed her lead, knowing that it gave Star pleasure to do so.

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