Sinful Ever After (Romance Collection)

by Vivian Wood

  “Aha!” she says, finding the remote. She flicks the huge flat screen on and sits down beside me. “Yeah, we would’ve taken the hospital by storm.”

  She looks at her phone, which is buzzing again. I stare at it, frowning.

  “Is that Luca?”

  She glances up at me. “Yes.”

  I pout. “Let me guess, he’s saying I don’t know what I saw.”

  After a moment, she flips her phone over and sets it aside. “Pretty much, yeah.”

  “I know what I saw.” Wrapping myself more snugly in the blanket, I sit back.

  Luna flips the channel on the television and mutes it. “Okay. You have to explain it to me again. You two fought yesterday night?”

  Nodding, I scrunch up my face. “Yeah. I took him to see my old house and we got into it.”

  Her eyes narrow. “Your old house?”

  “Yeah. I’m planning on buying it. Or I was, until all this happened.” My mouth turns down at the corners. “I wanted to show him what my next step was. Little did I know, he got all up in arms about it.”

  She looks thoughtful. “So… you’re telling me that you basically showed my brother the future… but you haven’t outlined his part in that future to me. Where does Luca fit in to the vision you have for your future?”

  My cheeks color. “Well… I don’t know. I figured we would just… umm…” I pause, thinking about it. “I actually haven’t given it that much thought. That would mean that I had planned part of his future, which I don’t feel like I have any right to do.”

  Luna leans back, stretching. “Yeah, that’s not how normal wives behave. And you are his wife, Cate. Until those annulment papers are signed, at least. Everything you do affects Luca.”

  Her words give me pause. “I… I guess I’d never thought of it that way.”

  “So you took him to rub his nose in a future he won’t play a part in.” She gives me a frank look. “Not your best move. What happened next?”

  “He told me not to buy my old house and that it wasn’t a good investment. And then we started to fight about how I planned to spend my money…. Which somehow morphed into us arguing about whether or not he belonged with someone more like Madisyn.”

  “Yeesh.” She makes a face. “That sounds tough.”

  “It was. We ended up breaking up during the argument. Except your brother is a bullheaded jerk so he insisted I still go to Madisyn’s wedding with him.” I sigh. “And then lo and behold, we’re not at the wedding for twenty minutes when I catch him cheating on me. Or… maybe not cheating, but—”

  Luna holds out her hand. “Hold on, hold on. According to his texts, he was sitting on the couch and Madisyn jumped on top of him.”

  I huff. “Which is what a cheater would say!”

  “Has Luca ever given you any reasons to distrust him, though? And before you say that I’m on his side, just know that I am pointing this out not because he’s my brother, but because you clearly love him.” She crosses her arms.

  I wrinkle my nose. “Being in love is horrible. It’s like…” I start to get tears in my eyes, just saying the words aloud. “I opened my heart to him, Luna. I tried to let my defenses down. And just when I do, Luca pushes me away.” I sniffle. “That’s why I know that love sucks.”

  “No, love is a gift.” She gives me a look, rubbing my hand. “And since you didn’t answer me, I’m going to assume that you have no reason to distrust Luca in particular. It sounds like you’re just taking out issues you’ve had in the past on him. Which is funny, because I would accuse him of the same thing.”

  I tilt my head. “Huh?”

  “He’s all worked up over you not including him in your big purchasing decisions because Madisyn screwed him over so badly, financially and otherwise. You left Luca out and there was no space in your life plan for him. And you were hurt in the past so you are lashing at my brother.” She purses her lips. “You two are actually perfect for each other, if you would quit being so silly about everything.”

  I scowl at her, wiping at my eyes. “I thought we were supposed to hide out and eat ice cream today.”

  “We can.” She cocks her head. “But if you think I’m not going to try to help you see what is right in front of your face, you’re crazy.”

  I don’t know how to argue with that, so I just change the subject. “You are a total pain in the behind. I hope that the tables are turned sometime soon.”

  Luna looks at me for a few seconds, then slides over and hugs me hard. “I love you. You know that, right?”

  Surprised, I just hug her back. “I love you too.”

  “I just want what is best for you. Always. I hope you realize that.”

  “I do, Luna.”

  When she finally pulls back, she tucks a strand of hair behind my ear. Her lips quirk. “Tell me that you’ll think about what I said. Then I’ll hand you the remote and go get us some ice cream.”

  “I will.” My quick response makes her narrow her eyes. “No, really. I will. I just need some time to cool off before I can even consider Luca’s point of view.”

  “Hmm.” She stands up, grabbing her phone. “All right. I’m going to go raid Dr. Smith’s freezer. You’re in charge of the remote. Pick something good.”

  While she pads off to the kitchen, I stare at the remote.

  Is what she said right?

  Am I being unfair to Luca by painting everything with the same broad brush?

  And if I am, what am I supposed to do about it?

  A sigh on my lips, I shake my head and start browsing through the channels.

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Luca

  I glance at my phone for maybe the thousandth time. Adjusting my bow tie again, I try not to pace around the ancient stone floors of the cathedral. I’m not normally anxious, but the stakes here are high.

  “Stop fidgeting,” Owen says, looking up at me from his place in the first pew. He closes the hymnal in his lap and sets it aside, rising. “I’m wearing a tuxedo because you asked me to and I’m not fussing with it. I’m sure you can do the same.”

  Yeah, fuck it. I start to pace.

  “This was a terrible idea,” I lament. “Cate is going to hate it when I ask her to marry me again. Why did I let Luna talk me into this?”

  “Because Luna promised she has softened Cate up for you for the last two days.” Owen looks thoughtful. “I don’t know why you and Cate are so spiky with each other. She’s perfectly nice to me.”

  I shoot him a glare. “It’s not always like that with us. Besides, I’m trying to leave that spikiness behind.”

  He trots up the steps to the altar, looking around a little. “Do you think that is part of your thing? I mean, that’s one of the reasons your sex is hot, right?”

  Raising my eyes up to the cathedral’s vaulted ceiling, I sigh. “Can we talk about something else?”

  He shrugs. “Sure. This whole day is just about you two.”

  I pace some more, though it’s not helping my stress level at all. “Let’s go over the plan again. Luna is going to get her here. Then…” I trail off, frowning.

  Owen comes over to me, standing in my way. He puts a steadying hand on my shoulder. “Then everyone else will fade into the background. I’ll be right outside. It’ll just be you two in here until you call to me.”

  I take a deep breath. “That just leaves the key piece to me, then. I have to figure out what the fuck I’m going to say to her.”

  He raises his brows. “Yeah, now would be a good time to practice whatever you’re going to say.”

  My mouth turns down at the corners. “I love her. Even when she’s being mouthy. Even when she’s crying. I still love her. That’s the main point I want to focus on.”

  “That’s a good one.” He smiles ruefully. “I wish I had what you have, man.”

  I eye him. “What about you and Chloe?”

  I only have to mention her name and his cheeks color. Instantly, Owen turns from a confident man into a bumblin
g fool.

  “Oh, Chloe and I are just friends,” he says firmly. He clears his throat, clarifying. “We could never be anything more than that without damaging our friendship.”

  My phone buzzes in my pocket. I pull it out, glancing at the screen. As expected, it’s Luna.

  We are in the parking lot, heading to you.

  I glance up at Owen. “Luna says that they’re here. This conversation is paused, but it’s not over.”

  He rolls his eyes at me. “Whatever you say, man.”

  Owen heads to the back of the cathedral, disappearing through one of the dark wood doors. I head to the end of the first pew, sitting down.

  My heart beats loudly in my ears.

  Will Cate listen to what I have to say?

  Or will she just give me the cold shoulder?

  When I hear Luna’s voice at the back in the cathedral, I tense.

  “Just come on,” Luna says. “I know it’s not one of your church days, but I think you’ll find it worthwhile…”

  It takes an inhuman amount of inner willpower not to turn around. Especially not when I hear Cate’s voice.

  “I don’t think—” She stops mid-sentence. “Luna, what is your brother doing here?”

  “Don’t be mad,” Luna says. She raises her voice to call out to me. “Luca, I got her here!”

  I rise, turning to face them. Cate looks breathtaking in a simple black gown; Luna is dressed fancy too in a lemon-colored dress. Dressing up is part of what I asked Luna to do.

  Cate is pale, a distrustful frown on her face. Luna bites her lip, walking backwards toward the rear of the cathedral.

  “Luna!” Cate snaps. She turns to see my sister retreating. I watch her swallow heavily as her gaze returns to me. “What do you want?”

  I approach her slowly, seeing her sizing me up as I get closer. She licks her lips nervously and tucks a strand of her hair behind her ear.

  “I want to tell you that I’m sorry. Sorry for the fight, sorry that I ever made you walk into Madisyn’s wedding with me.” I pause, frowning. “I didn’t actually want to go. But I was worried that if I didn’t keep that date as a tentpole, our relationship wouldn’t be able to bloom.”

  Her eyebrows rise slightly. “Is that what it is? A relationship?”

  I prowl closer. “That’s what I want it to be. We were obviously drunk when we wed, but… I think my subconscious knew something I didn’t.”

  Her eyes narrow as I take the last few steps to stand before her. “What would that be?”

  I reach out and take her hand. Looking her in the eye, I kneel.

  When I pull out the ring box, her look of shock almost makes me smile. I just hold the ring box, not quite ready to open it yet. I have to explain myself first.

  “I think I knew that there was a spark, Cate. You knew it too. But we both had reservations. Things that had to do with our pasts. I was still worried about Madisyn. You were guarding your heart because you’d been hurt.” I smile ruefully. “We were both dim. But especially me.”

  Cate, for her part, is staring at me like I’ve gone mad. “Luca—”

  “Cate,” I interrupt her. “I love you.”

  Her eyes go wide. “You do?”

  I nod. “I realized it a while ago, I think. But I’ve never felt it more strongly than when you ran out of Madisyn’s wedding. I was furious with her for plotting to break us up, yes. But I was even more mad at myself for letting us both be put in that position.” I take a deep breath. “I realized then that I am pretty obsessed with you.”

  Her cheeks stain with color. “You are?”

  Expelling a breath, I nod again. I snap open the ring box, then take her hand again.

  “Cate De Rose, you mean so much to me. We may fight, we may disagree on so many things… but at the end of the day, there is no one else who I would ever want to call mine.”

  Her eyes fill with tears. “Oh, Luca… I feel the same way.”

  I pull the ring free of its box, holding it up to her, an offering. “Will you be my wife? In truth this time.”

  She presses one hand to her heart. “Yes, Luca. Yes.”

  My heart soars. I am too tongue tied to say anything, so I just slide the ring on her finger. I’m about to stand up when Cate launches herself at me, kneeling to kiss me.

  Her lips are hot and sweet under mine. I twine my hands around her body, sinking my fingers into her hair as I kiss her breathlessly.

  Her grin mirrors my own as she pulls back, tears on her face. “I love you, Luca Leone.”

  I brush some of her hair back from her face, relishing this closeness.

  “I love you too, Cate.”

  She looks at the huge diamond on her finger. “You didn’t need to get me this, you know. I would’ve said yes without it.”

  I kiss her again. “I know. That’s something that I love about you. I just wanted it to be official. I figure we can do it properly this time. A big white dress, this cathedral, me in a tux… the whole nine yards.”

  She sucks in a breath. “You mean it?”

  I chuckle. “If it makes you happy, we’ll do it. I would marry you on a beach. I would marry you in a ditch. It doesn’t matter to me. We have all the time in the world to decide.”

  Standing, I help her to her feet. She beams up at me, her tears drying. “I love that, Luca.”

  I stick my elbow out, offering it to her. She takes my arm and I usher her toward the back of the cathedral. “Owen is here somewhere. I think we should tell him and my sister first… then we should go somewhere.”

  Cate’s brow knits. “Like to your house?”

  I smile, shaking my head. “No. Somewhere more exotic than that. And while we’re on our mini-vacation, I’ll contact my real estate broker about buying your old house.”

  Her steps falter. “You said it was a bad investment!”

  I stop, staring down into her face. “It’s meaningful to you. That’s all that matters.”

  She frowns. “I don’t need to you to buy things for me, Luca. That’s not why I married you in the first place.”

  I cover her hand where she touches my arm. “I know. But I can. And I will. Then we will never argue about that again.” I smirk. “Although I’m a hundred percent certain that we will find new things to fight about.”

  Her lips lift. “I’m still paying the down payment on the house. You can put up a fuss if you really want to, but I feel pretty strongly about it.”

  Pulling her close, I seal my lips over hers briefly. “I would expect nothing less, princess.”

  A little chill slips down her spine even as the nickname makes her smile. “It’s a deal.”

  And with that, we head to the back of the cathedral, both bathed in the glow of our own love.

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Cate

  As I walk down the aisle of the cathedral, the audience is standing up, looking at me in my wedding finery. I wobble a little, but Carmine is right beside me. He pats my hand and wheezes a little, smiling at me.

  I only have eyes for one person, though. I can't stop staring at Luca. His dark blue, tailored tuxedo and crisp white shirt perfectly accentuate his tan and the bold lines of his face and body.

  Even from this distance I can see the stubble on his face. My heart squeezes. Luca is normally fastidious; he must have been so busy this morning that he’d forgotten to shave.

  I force myself to smile and nod at the people on either side of the aisle. I don’t really see anyone’s face, but I know they are there. I can hear people whispering and see a few waving at me.

  We had wanted a smaller wedding, but that had been impossible, considering Luca's social prestige and my grandmother’s friends. Mostly the cathedral is packed with people who know the Leones, but I don’t mind. As long as my grandmother is here, and Harper and Luna are acting as my bridesmaids, I’m not too stressed.

  Luca's mother and father had put up an unholy stink about it when we broached the mere idea of a small, intimate wedding. They
also turned up their noses at my wanting it to be in a church though.

  Luca put down his foot and told them we would bend on the guestlist but I got to pick the place. So here I am, walking down the aisle.

  I smile at my grandmother and her friends as I reach my spot by the groom. They smile back at me, which is the little bit of encouragement that I need right now.

  Luca's mother, liberated by my husband’s departure and excited by the prospect of a grandchild, had even quit drinking. She had been sober for three months now, and a far better person for it. Luca's father is, well, he is still an asshole, but he is making an effort to at least be respectful to Luca and Luna.

  I reach my groom’s side. Luca beams at me.

  All other worries and thoughts cease. All I can see is this man before me. Luca takes my breath away.

  The wedding ceremony goes by in a blur. All I remember is when the priest asks Luca and I to join hands and recite our vows. When Luca gently slides the wedding band onto my finger, and his eyes gleam with unshed tears as he speaks.

  “Cate, you have been a revolution in my life. No matter where we’ve gone, or what we’ve done, we’ve always been able to come back to each other. You are kind, beautiful, smart, strong, good, and loyal. I vow to love you, honor you, respect you, support you, and protect you. I vow to be faithful and kind. I vow to never forget how lucky I am to be marrying my best friend.”

  He stops for a second, gathering his breath. My heart swells; my eyes blur with tears.

  “I only have one regret, which is that it took me so long to figure out that I was in love with you. I think, in my mind, I kept seeing you as that scruffy little girl that Luna first brought home… and then one day, I looked and I suddenly saw this incredible, beautiful woman before me.”

  I beam. “I’m glad you changed your mind,” I quip.

  He laughs. “Cate, I know you’ve had to struggle before, but no matter what comes our way, I vow that you won’t struggle alone ever again. Your troubles will be mine, your joys my own. Everything I have is yours.”