Page 60

Six Months Later: Ten Years After the Accident—Thirty Years Old

“And now, you may kiss the bride,” the officiant exclaims, and steps to the side.

The small crowd of our family and closest friends cheers and claps in the background.

True to our personalities, we wanted something small.

No press. No pomp and circumstances.

Just him and me and our loved ones in the hidden courtyard at Ravenswood, with the lush green leaves of the weeping beech tree swinging to the summer breeze.

I like to think the tree is weeping with joy today.

Ethan stares at me, a small grin tipping his lips, a lock of hair grazing his eyebrow.

Butterflies flap their wings inside me and I fight the urge to rip off the small veil I have on and throw myself at him.

His startling eyes skate over my simple white sheath dress and linger on my lips—the ruby red, the only pop of color I have on today.

He slowly lifts my veil and drapes it over my head.

“Hello, Mrs. Anderson,” he murmurs, his raspy voice sending shivers down my spine.

“You better kiss me soon, Mr. Anderson, or I won’t be responsible for my actions.”

He throws his head back and barks out a loud laugh.

“Nova, you make me so happy,” he murmurs and clasps his hand around my nape, his other arm sliding around my waist and yanking me to him in one smooth, powerful motion .

My secret alpha. The possessive streak inside him.

All my erogenous regions light up.

It’s always the quiet ones.

Ethan crushes his lips over mine and pulls me under a sea of pleasure with his drugging kiss.

He tastes like whiskey, smooth and masculine.

I can’t get enough.

Gripping his hair tightly, I kiss him back—sucking, licking, taking in his tongue as he invades my mouth.

The cheers and catcalls fade into the background and my body lights on fire, needing more.

It’s not enough. It’s never enough with him.

Abruptly, he pulls us apart, his face flushed, hair disheveled.

His eyes glaze over with passion and our chests lift and fall from our panting breaths.

Ethan’s throat ripples, a pulse thudding against his temple, and he rakes his finger down my nose, before dipping the tip into my mouth.

His eyes darken and pupils dilate when I suck it in, just the tip, and give it a quick lick, knowing we’re in front of our family and friends.

A growl rumbles from his chest.

“My wife,” he rasps, and I blow him a kiss.

“My husband.” I add a wink as well.

We smile at each other.

“Go get a room, you guys!” someone yells and everyone laughs.

I think that’s Rex, but I don’t really care.

Ethan pulls me against him, and we face the crowd.

Maxwell, Belle, and their little boy are clapping in the front row.

Ethan nods at his oldest brother.

Linus, Ethan’s dad, is next to his eldest son, and smiles proudly at us.

Ryland grins, his arm curled around Millie.

She wipes her teary eyes, her new engagement ring glinting under the sunlight.

The professor has finally proposed to his student.

Steven and Grace catcall from their spots in the second row.

Elias slinks around in the background, smirking.

Liam is busy recording with his phone.

We stroll down the aisle to a rainfall of flower petals .

“Can’t believe you cut in line, bestie!” Taylor cups her mouth and yells, her brows wagging.

Charles shakes his head in amusement and presses a kiss on her hair.

“You completely skipped the long engagement step of the process.”

“It’s been over ten years, Tay! I should’ve been first in line!” I stick out my tongue and everyone laughs.

“Looks like it’s just you and me, Lana,” Rex mutters.

He winks at us as we pass by them, but the usual lightness and levity are missing in his eyes.

In fact, there’s a weariness to them, a tension he can’t hide.

I think back to a conversation I had with Ethan a week ago.

He’s noticed the same worrying signs in Rex: the self-destructive partying, the circles under his eyes, which tell us he isn’t sleeping, the way he hides behind fake smiles and larger-than-life jokes.

After we’re back from our honeymoon, we’re staging an intervention.

And I’ll drag Olivia with me—she’s a brilliant doctor and has helped Maxwell and the other Andersons.

She’ll know how to handle and treat Rex.

I just know it.

Rex grumbles, “Loveless and single. Maybe the curse of the Andersons now falls on us.”

“Speak for yourself.” Lana shoves her brother.

“I’m a winner—whether I have someone or not. And we also have Olivia.” She points to our friend, who’s sitting in the far corner and waving at me.

I wave back and she blows us a kiss.

Rex stares at Olivia, his jaw clenching.

“Not all of us are meant to have love.”

Olivia’s eyes dart toward Lana and before she quickly looks away, her face flushing.

Interesting. Is that just doctorly concern…

or something more?

Ethan dips his head and whispers in my ear, “Let’s ditch our reception.”

“What? ”

“I have something planned. A car is already waiting outside.”

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 loud whack sound .

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

“Violence is always the 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.

Thank you for reading WHEN HEARTS REMEMBER.