Page 66 of By Blade, I Love
I knew I should feel a bunch of knots in my stomach, but I felt nothing at all.
Only peace.
I felt like I was coming home after a long day at the office. Felt like I’d finally reached my destination after a long flight. Felt like the chaos of the world had finally died down—and now everything made sense.
The cobblestones were way too precarious for me to handle in heels, so I walked barefoot to the church and up the steps before I sat on the bench out front and secured the straps to my sky-high white heels. I wore a diamond necklace and the ring that he’d given me, the ring I only took off when I showered and slept.
I righted myself and approached the large double doors to the church, staring at the old wood for a moment. I still felt peace, but I also felt excitement and joy and desperation. My hand finally turned the knob, and I opened the enormous door, knowing Wolfe was already waiting for me.
It was sunset when I opened the door, and the sunlight stretched across the tile floor before I stepped inside. The enormous church was empty, the inside of the dome painted in a beautifulfresco of angels. All the pews were empty of people. Leo and I used to come to this church every Sunday morning with my father for church. We still attended as adults, just not as often.
The heavy door shut behind me, and as I stepped forward, my eyes adjusted to the darker lighting inside.
The priest stood there in his robes with his hands together at his waist, a gentle smile on his face as he looked at me.
Wolfe was seated in the front row on the aisle in a black suit. I’d recognize those enormous shoulders anywhere, the dark ink of his tattoos popping up from the collar. He rose to his feet, a behemoth compared to the small priest, and then he turned to look at me down the aisle.
His eyes immediately took me in, and even at this distance, I could see the way his stare changed. It started off indifferent and became thoughtful and deep, then gentle…and finally, mesmerized. He didn’t have that possessiveness in his eyes, like he was desperate to make me his. It was something so much deeper than that.
I walked forward, the sound of my heels fading once I reached the rug that ran down the center. It was a long walk, and the closer I approached, the more detailed his expression became. He hadn’t blinked once since he’d first looked at me, and it seemed like he might not blink ever again.
In a suit that fit him to a T with a black watch on his wrist, he looked infinitely more handsome than ever before. Tall and muscular and just beautiful.
I finally reached him, noting the way his eyes had never left me that entire time.
I half expected him to reach for me and grab me, kiss me, pull me in, and squeeze my ass.
He didn’t do any of those things.
It was the first time I saw Wolfe hesitate, like he was in disbelief, like he couldn’t believe what his eyes showed him. His eyes flicked back and forth between mine, and then I saw a hint of moisture before he blinked it away. He swallowed before he moved closer to me, his big arm circling my lower back before he gently moved my hair behind my shoulder so he could place his fingertips against my cheek. Then he did something he’d never done before. He lowered his forehead to the top of my head and closed his eyes…just holding me in the church, the world utterly silent.
He held me that way for a long time, his breaths so slow it was like he was asleep. He smelled the same, didn’t mask himself with cologne. He felt the same too, like a living fireplace that cast heat across the whole room.
He finally pulled away and lifted my chin slightly to meet his stare.
We hadn’t said a word to each other, but it felt like an entire conversation took place. He told me how beautiful I was. Told me he loved me. Told me he wanted to marry me today. Said it all with just his stare.
He let me go, grabbed my hand, and guided me to the priest.
The priest smiled as he looked at us both. “Are you ready?”
“Yes, Father.” Wolfe turned to face me directly and gripped my hand against his chest, right over his heart, where I could feel itgently beating, like he was the calmest he’d ever been. “Please make this woman my wife.”
19
FRANCESCA
We walked out of the church as husband and wife and got into his Range Rover parked outside. He drove out of the narrow streets of Caltanissetta and made it onto the country roads, heading away from the city.
“Where are we going?” I asked, knowing we couldn’t have a proper honeymoon with everything going on in our lives right now. All we had was tonight and a part of the day tomorrow.
“You’ll see.” His arm rested on the center console, and he moved his hand to my lap on top of my wedding dress. The slit in my thigh was nearby, so there was too much material for him to easily slide underneath and touch my bare skin.
I grabbed on to his hand and interlocked our fingers, while I rested my other hand on his forearm, feeling the searing heat that could cook a raw steak. I looked over at him while he drove and saw the smile that was permanently etched on his face. It didn’t fade, not even minutes later.
I noticed we were near the vineyard, so I really had no idea what his plan was. It was dark outside now, the lights fromthe neighboring villages becoming noticeable at different angles. Before he reached the vineyard entrance, he made a left turn and went a different way.
“Okay, I really have no idea where we’re going.”
