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Gaping at him, I look at the crowd behind us. “B-But, the food, the venue, our family—”

“They’ll be here when we come back. I’ve secured us a rare meeting and a private tour of the Drak Yerpa Monastery and the monks there. Then we can go to the Jokhang Temple to tie the cloth.” His throat ripples. “Tibet. The first bucket list item we’re completing together.”

Ethan presses a kiss on the back of my hand. Electricity courses through me from the point of contact. “I got the confirmation last night—this was the only time they had for the private tour. Maxwell will handle everything here if you want to go, but we need to leave now.”

He quickly adds, “I’m the luckiest man either way and happy whatever we decide to do. Because you’re by my side.”

Warmth flows through me and I smile. Dinner and dancing I can do at any time, but a once in a lifetime trip to Tibet? “Well, you know what I say, ‘Don’t wait to live…’”

“Because the clock keeps ticking,” he finishes, and we grin at each other. “And just to let you know…you are married by thirty. You were never behind.”

“How can I be behind when I’m with you?” Of course he remembers everything I’ve said in the past.

He cocks his head toward the exit. “So, are we ditching our own wedding reception?”

Excitement flows through me and I nod.

He chuckles. “I love you so damn much, Mrs. Anderson.”

I shriek when he suddenly lifts me up and throws me over his shoulder.

My ice monster. My caveman. My Ethan.

Raucous laughter sounds behind us.

“You go, Ethan! Go get your woman!” Rex yells, followed by more cackling.

“We aren’t objects. You don’t get to ‘get’ us. No wonder you’re single,” Lana says, followed by a loudwhacksound.

“Ow! Violence is never the answer,” Rex complains.

“Violence isalwaysthe answer.” Elias scoffs.

My skin heats as Ethan all but tosses me into the backseat of the limo. The driver closes the door and my husband advances on me, his hands quickly working off his bow tie, the earlier teasing glint in his eyes morphing into a ravenous intensity.

“Just because we’re skipping the reception doesn’t mean I can’t have dessert first,” he murmurs, shrugging off his jacket.

I gulp and clench my thighs together, arousal quickly firing inside me.

Ethan hits a button and the privacy screen rolls up.

“Strip, wife. Fuck, I can’t believe I get to call you that and we’re finally doing our bucket list together.” He tosses his dress shirt on the floor, and his rippling muscles make my mouth water.

“Keep looking at me like that. I’m going to make you scream so hard, your voice will become hoarse. Take off that dress, Nova. Let me see those beautiful tits. I think it’s time we make some new marks on you.”

My nipples harden on command. I can’t think when he looks like he’s going to swallow me whole.

I pant, my fingers moving to the zipper on the back of my dress.

But then a random thought barrels into my mind.

“B-But Ethan, we only had seven things on the bucket list…this is the last item.”

He pins me to the leather seat, his face hovering inches above mine. His lips curve into a devastating smile, dimples showing, and he murmurs, “We’ll add more items to your list. Every day is an adventure as long as I’m with you. I love you.”

Then he kisses me and shows me how much he loves me.