quietly. “Because it’s who you are. I know how precious a gift that is. And I will always protect you, because I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
“You saved all the good lines for tonight, I see.” Caroline kissed his fingers, just above his wedding ring. “My romantic husband.”
“I like the sound of that. Caroline Gerard’s husband.”
“Now who’s being the sap?”
“I’ve got plenty more where that came from,” he said, kissing her neck.
The song was almost over. “Is this the only dance I get?” Caroline asked.
Jack pulled her toward the bedroom. “More later, I promise. Right now, let’s engage in some traditional wedding night revelry.”
“Opening our gifts and passing out in exhaustion?”
He picked her up and set her down on the bed. “Try again.” He unstrapped her shoes and removed his tuxedo vest and shirt. “I’m particularly hopeful about the prospect of a night of unbridled passion and unprotected sex.”
“My romantic husband has a blunt way of speaking that endears him to everyone,” Caroline said, to no one in particular.
“You promised me.” He lifted her up off the bed and moved behind her. “I was very understanding.”
“I can’t help it if I’m paranoid.”
Jack began kissing her shoulders. “I had a vasectomy, Caroline. And you’ve got an IUD. It would take a literal Act of God for you to get pregnant.”
“I thought you should have to work for it,” she said, as he slid a hand around her waist. “Gotta take the vows before we go bareback. You earned your prize. Congratulations.”
“Mean woman. Giving me all sorts of ultimatums. Run for governor or I won’t marry you. Use a condom until our wedding night. Don’t buy my children ponies. Stop making my student loan payments. Get a prenuptial for your own protection. Blah blah blah.”
“That last one was true. It’s not my fault you didn’t take my advice. What if I turn into a gigantic rancorous bitch and take all your money?”
Jack unzipped her dress. “I hid a lot of it before we applied for the marriage license.”
“That’s very conscientious of you.”
“And nice job using a GRE word to describe the type of woman you will never, ever be.”
“I try to keep you on your toes.”
“Caroline, I’d like to get laid at some point. This’ll go a lot easier if you hush up.”
“Not likely. You married a screamer.”
“I know.” He slid the dress off her shoulders and onto the floor.
Caroline turned to face him, tracing the outline of his lips with her fingers. Jack grinned at her with lust in his eyes as she undid his pants and let them fall to his feet.
“Nice garters,” he observed.
She stroked his cock through his boxers. “I figured you’d like them.”
“Yeah, I’m ready to go,” he said. “You got a problem with that?”
She gestured toward the wedding corset she was wearing. It hadn’t been all that comfortable but it looked sexy as hell. “Did this little thing produce that reaction?”
“You don’t want to know all the things you do that produce that reaction. You drove me nuts during the reception. Now you know why I had to spend so much time pretending to sit down at tables and make small talk with people. That contraption is going to look great on the floor next to your dress.” Jack kicked his pants to the side and leaned down to pull off his socks. “But you’re going to have to take it off because I’m at a loss here.”
Did he not see the hooks in the back? “What about the garters?”
“Those glorious white specimens stay on. Maybe forever.”
Caroline undid the corset and threw it on the carpet. It wasn’t a particularly difficult task. “I never would have thought a sophisticated, worldly man like you would be bamboozled by a piece of lingerie.”
“I don’t want to ruin it.” Jack traced a path down her breasts. “I’d prefer you be able to wear it again, and again, and again. So that you can take it off again, and again, and again.”
His hands charted their course further downward. Caroline ran her fingers through Jack’s hair as he removed her underwear before kissing a trail back up her body.
“I love you, my darling. My Monty,” she whispered. She smiled, pulling him up to a standing position. His blue eyes were shining with joy and desire. “You can call me Mrs. McIntyre any time you want.”
“Every day for the rest of our lives.” Jack kissed her deeply, pushing her back down on the bed, easing his boxers off and straddling