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“W hat are you doing? Get out! You’re not supposed to see the bride before the ceremony,” I screeched, hiding behind a curtain.

“Michaela, what are you talking about? We’re already married,” he stated like I was slow.

“I know that, but last time wasn’t like this time. This time we’re getting married because we love each other.”

“You got that right, Wife.” he grinned and pressed his lips to mine.

If I had to pick one thing I loved about Liam right from the start, it was his obsession with kissing me. He always seemed to be looking at and touching my mouth and well, I just adored it.

I loved the way he kissed me.

“Hey! Get out of here!”

“It’s bad luck. Shoo!”

Shelly came storming in, followed by my sister and my cousins, all pushing Liam out the door.

“I’m going! But we couldn’t have bad luck. I already lucked out the first time I married her.”

My heart swelled, and a chorus of awws filled the air. But Leanna, my little sis, was not swayed.

“Out!” she ordered, and he saluted.

“Yes, boss.”

I grinned. He was right, though. I really was lucky.

An hour later and surrounded by my entire family, I married the man of my dreams in the back of my parents' home on the Long Island Sound. The weather was cool and dry for early June, simply perfect for an outdoor wedding.

My parents walked me down the aisle and my mom cried as she kissed my cheek then Liam’s.

It was hard at first, but my father accepted my husband. Even lending a hand with that lithium mine we now owned in China.

Mr. Chen was persuaded to walk away, and his daughter was given the choice to stay with ODI as long as she stopped pursuing my husband, or to leave without any retaliation since she had nothing to do with her father’s plans.

She chose to stay, and I considered it a testament to my faith in my husband that I was okay with it.

Our marriage didn’t start the way I’d planned when I was a little girl, but it sure looked like I was getting the same beautiful fairytale kind of love I watched my parents enjoy for years.

“I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride,” Preacher announced.

Liam grinned, pulling me close and pressing his lips to mine. God, I loved him, I opened my mouth for him, falling under his spell as he dipped me back to the whoops and hollers of the audience.

Only one voice was louder than the rest and his Russian accent grew more pronounced the longer our kiss lingered, “Enough!”

“Adrik, hush,” Mom shushed him, and my father just growled.

“Sorry, sir, but I can’t help it. I love her,” Liam replied, his brilliant green eyes sparkling with mischief as he gazed at me.

“Love her, okay. But kiss her less,” my father returned.

“Oh my God! Adrik,” Mom scolded. “He doesn’t mean it, Liam. And as her mother, I am telling you to kiss her, and often. Just maybe not in front of her father,” she amended.

“Yes, ma’am.” Liam said jovially.

He laughed, and I laughed, so happy I felt I might burst from it.

I’d finally found peace with my parents’, a closure I never knew I needed now that I had Liam in my life.

Having their fairytale love to look up to used to feel like this impossible pinnacle I would never reach, but I’d been wrong about that. I just had to wait for the right man, and I had him now.

Boy, did I ever.

I looked at Mom and Dad, a smile on my face as I mouthed thank you to them.

“Is it over yet? I mean, congrats and all, but can we eat now?” Leanna asked, sniffing the air, and I knew exactly how she felt.

“Leanna!” Mom mock-scolded, and Dad grinned as he scooped her up in a hug.

“Nah, it’s just starting,” Liam answered, kissing my nose and winking before he turned to the crowd.

The scents of wonderful dishes served up by my favorite caterers, along with homemade sourdough focaccia, made by my mother and aunts decorated the buffet.

We wanted this renewal of our vows to be a small and intimate affair, but when we all got together, there was one thing that remained constant in every festivity we shared, and that was food.

Good food.

Loud laughter.

And the love of my life claiming me in front of my entire family.

What could be better?

“Hungry?” I asked everyone.

Cheers went up all around. I giggled and nodded, and Liam placed his hand on my back and led me to the front of the line.

“I believe the bride goes first,” he said, glaring at all my cousins who dared try to cut me in line.

I bit my lips and laughed, tugging him away from the food.

“Let them go first. I have everything I want right here,” I said, nodding at the DJ to turn up the music.

Champagne flowed.

Food was eaten.

Jokes were told.

Vows were spoken.

And a compilation of our favorite music played in the background

But best of all, I danced the night away in my handsome husband’s arms.

Our love might have started out as a desperate measure taken by an unhinged woman to try to secure her position as head of the O’Doyle family. What happened instead was the perfect merger of two strong hearts destined to belong together.

I’d do anything for my husband, and I knew Liam felt the same. He told me in a million different ways every single day.

The least of which was not in the way he supported my position as a full partner and co-owner of ODI. My brilliant husband was so thrilled by the new team of computer engineers I’d put together, he was sure that we’d advanced the release of his new nano battery by at least eighteen months.

In fact, he told me nothing I did could pleasantly surprise him as much as that. But I was about to prove him wrong.

“Husband?”

“Yes, Wife?” he said, pulling me closer as we danced to a slow song.

“You know that trip to the mine we were supposed to take in October?”

“Yeah. You still want to bring Clementine?”

“I do, but we might have to go earlier. Like before September.”

“Yeah? Why is that?”

“Because it's not safe to fly in the third trimester.”

“Oh, sure—wait. What?”

He stopped swaying, freezing in the middle of the dance floor.

“Easy, bro” Uncle Nico said, when he bumped into him. “Uh, what’s wrong with him?”

“She’s—You’re! Are you sure?”

“Yep,” I said, tears of joy dancing down my cheeks.

“YES! WOO HOO!” Liam picked me up and spun me around.

“What is it?”

“What’s happening?”

“We’re gonna have a baby!” Liam shouted, oblivious to my father who was standing a few feet away, crushing the flute of champagne he’d been holding in his hand.

I just laughed and decided to let Mom deal with him. I was too happy enjoying the look of pure adoration on my husband’s face as he cupped my cheeks and pulled me in for a long, lingering kiss.

“You crazy, wonderful, brilliant girl. You’ve given me everything,” he said, his eyes pleading with me to understand.

And I did. Because he gave me everything too.

“How can I show you what you mean to me?” he whispered, pressing his lips to my temple.

“I’m sure we can come up with something later,” I whispered.

“You bet that fine ass we can.”

My heart began to thud in my chest the way it always did when I thought of loving Liam, and just like always, he seemed to read my mind.

“I love you, Wife. And when I get you home, I’m gonna fuck you so good, you’ll never forget it.”

“Promise, Husband?”

“Always. My perfect little Sweetheart.”