The audience rose, but Weslee had eyes for only her groom. The awed expression on his face melted her heart, and she had to check the impulse to break out into a run to get to him quicker.
* * *
Logan stared at his beautiful bride as a wave of emotions slammed into him. His eyes stung and, for the first time that he could remember as an adult, he felt like crying. He didn’t, but a burning sensation pressed against the back of his eyes and his chest tightened as love for this woman filled every part of him.
“Dang, she looks beautiful,” Jace said under his breath. “You’re one lucky son of a gun.”
Logan couldn’t agree more. He felt bad about ever giving his married friends grief about handing over their man card to tie themselves down to a woman. Giving his heart to Weslee was the best decision he’d ever made.
His eyes locked with hers, and she curved her lips into a soft and sexy smile as if she could read his thoughts. He smiled back, not caring if everyone present saw how much he loved her. It’s not that he’d tried hiding his feelings, he had just grown very impatient with only telling her how much he loved her. Waiting to show her how he felt about her had been difficult, but he loved her too much to push for more.
The wound in his thigh twitched, reminding him of how close he’d come to dying. Thinking of it still had the power to humble him. Without Weslee’s actions that day, he would’ve died. The amount of blood loss for a man his size had been significant. The trauma surgeon had estimated Logan had lost forty percent of his blood volume and had been minutes away from his heart stopping. He hated to think about missing out on a life with Weslee, especially as her husband.
The walk down the pathway seemed to take forever. Finally, she was near enough he could hold out his hand. Euphoria washed over him as she placed her hand in his. “Hi, beautiful,” he whispered as he lifted her hand to his mouth and pressed a lingering kiss to her knuckles, all the while maintaining eye contact with her.
“Hello, handsome,” she whispered back.
He knew he wasn’t supposed to kiss her yet, but he couldn’t help it. Grinning, he pulled her to him and kissed her soundly on the mouth. The audience chuckled, and he heard his mother mutter that her son never did anything the conventional way.
Cannon, a former SEAL and Navy chaplain, cleared his throat. Logan and Weslee drew apart and faced the man who had the authority to make them husband and wife. Cannon grinned and addressed everyone in attendance. “I guess since these two are anxious to get to the kissing part, I’ll have to skip the lengthy oration I had planned.”
“My future husband and I appreciate that very much,” Weslee said, making Cannon, the wedding party and the audience all laugh.
Logan was tempted to lay another kiss on her sassy mouth when Cannon started the ceremony by welcoming everyone. “We are gathered here in this special setting to celebrate the love between Weslee and Logan, by joining them in marriage.”
Although he tried to listen to each word spoken by the chaplain, Logan was distracted by his beautiful bride. With Cannon’s prompting, they each repeated their vows. Then it was time to exchange rings. As much as Weslee loved the ring he’d made from one of his bracelets, it wasn’t practical. His mom had come up with an idea of how to preserve them. She’d taken both of the bracelets and had them framed along with a quote by Thomas Jefferson that talked about the price of freedom. It now hung on the wall of the bedroom he would soon share with Weslee.
Jace nudged Logan and handed him the ring. Logan had designed the diamond ring himself. He’d wanted Weslee’s ring to be as unique and special as she was. Without a doubt, he knew she was the only one for him. His hands were surprisingly steady as he slipped the one-of-a-kind ring onto his bride’s finger, repeating the words that bound them together.
After Weslee slipped his ring on, Cannon finally pronounced them husband and wife. “Now, you may kiss your bride,” he said to Logan.
As the crowd clapped and cheered, Logan held Weslee’s face in his hands and touched her lips softly, reveling in the feel of his wife’s silky mouth. My wife. Just the thought that she was finally his sent his pulse skittering. Remembering they had an audience, he checked the banked passion that begged him to deepen the kiss.
“We’ll finish this later,” he murmured against her lips. After giving her one last tender kiss, he drew back and swooped her up in his arms. “Let’s get this party started,” he said, carrying his wife down the pathway.
His groomsmen all hooted their approval as the DJ started the playlist he and Jace had come up with. The reception was set up on the back terrace and pool deck of their house. The food was delicious, but it was the chocolate chip cookie dough that was the most popular. Logan even caught Inez tasting the specially made dessert that was safe to eat since it didn’t contain any raw eggs.
The celebration was amazing, but Logan was anxious to get his wife alone. They planned to leave soon after their first dance as husband and wife. Until that time, he and Weslee made the rounds, visiting with each guest. They posed for wedding photos, cut the cake and then it was time. As the DJ asked the crowd to clear the dance floor for the bride and groom’s first dance as husband and wife, Logan led Weslee to the center of the floor. He didn’t bother with a formal dance hold, wanting her as close to him as possible.
“I love you,” he said, gazing into her eyes as they slowly swayed to the original soundtrack of Perfect.
“I love you, too.” She fingered the hair of his neck and gave him a secretive smile that hinted at things to come. “I can’t believe we’re really married.”
“I can’t believe you made me wait so long.”
“Good things come to those that wait,” she said, giving him that smile again.
“I’m glad you brought that up,” Logan said as the song neared the end. “What about those wedding-date negotiations?” Now that they were married, he felt like it was only fair that she told him a little more about the promises she’d made to him.
A spark of mischief flickered in her eyes. “Sorry, Lieutenant Steele, but that’s classified information.”
Giving her a roguish smile, Logan leaned down and brushed his lips over hers. “There’s one thing you forgot, Mrs. Steele,” he murmured against her mouth.
“Oh?” she whispered back.
"I now have security clearance."
She giggled softly as Logan caught her mouth in a kiss, his lips moving tenderly over hers with thorough deliberation. The sweet scent of her skin flooded his senses as Weslee pulled back, wrapped her arms around his neck, and whispered something only he was authorized to hear.
Logan’s breath stilled and then he laughed, knowing his life would never be the same, except this time the thought didn’t scare him. Sweeping her up into his arms, he kissed her again as he carried her off the dance floor. Good things do come to those who wait, and she was definitely worth the wait.
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Thank you so much for reading The Rogue Warrior. If you liked, I hope you’ll consider leaving a review for it on Amazon and GoodReads. I’m excited about the books I have coming out. Another book in November and more in 2019! If you’d like to receive updates on my books, as well as notices about new releases and sales on books from authors like me, please sign up for my Newsletter and receive a FREE copy of Catching Caytie just for signing up.
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Cindy
Also by Cindy Roland Anderson
Individual Titles
Fair Catch
Discovering Sophie
Georgia Moon Romance Series
Under a Georgia Moon
Just a Kiss in the Moonlight
Blue Moon Kisses
Snow Valley Romance Series
An Unexpected Kiss
Catching Caytie
Operation Kiss the Girl
Destiny Came Knocking
Caught Kissing t
he Cowboy
Country Brides & Cowboy Boots Series
The Cowboy’s Accidental Bride
Under the Mistletoe: A Timeless Romance Anthology
Forgotten Kisses
About the Author
Cindy Roland Anderson is an Amazon best-selling author who writes clean, contemporary romance with a combination of humor, romantic tension and some pretty great kissing scenes. She and her husband live in northern Utah, and are parents to five children, and grandparents to six adorable grandchildren. She is a registered nurse and has worked in the NICU as well as the newborn nursery. She loves to read, almost as much as she loves writing. And she loves chocolate…probably a little too much. Be sure and sign up for Cindy's Newsletter and receive a free copy of one of her books. You’ll also get notified first of her latest book release and the chance to receive an advanced copy of that new book before anyone else.
To see all her works please visit Cindy Roland Anderson's Author Page
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