With Every Breath (Slow Burn #4) - Maya Banks Page 0,126
man was walking his bride down the aisle. Wade strode down the aisle, ignoring the sounds of surprise and laughter as he closed in on Dane and Eliza. He stopped in front of them, ignoring the confused look on Eliza’s face.
“Thank you for seeing after Eliza,” Wade said to Dane. “But that is my duty, my honor and my pleasure.”
Without another word, he swept the open-mouthed bride into his arms, ever mindful of her still-healing injury, and carried her the rest of the way to the floral arch where the pastor stood, trying—and failing—to suppress his amusement.
“Wade,” Eliza hissed. “Put me down!”
“I like you just where you are,” he said firmly. He looked at the preacher, indicating with a nod for him to proceed.
Nestled securely in his arms, her cheek resting against his chest, Eliza married her knight in shining armor. Never once did his hold waver. They recited their vows, gazes locked. It was as if the pastor didn’t exist. Those gathered faded into the background and there were only the two of them.
When it came time to recite their vows, Wade had a surprise for Eliza. Forgoing the traditional vows, he instead looked deeply into her eyes and in a gruff, emotional voice, he said, “Never did I imagine finding the other half of my heart and soul. Never did I believe in the concept of soul mates or there being only one able to complete another. I’m not worthy of you, Eliza. You are everything I’m not. You stand for what’s right. You’re rare and precious. And you have the most loving, loyal heart of anyone I’ve ever known. Though I’ll never be worthy of your love, your goodness and your heart, know this. No one will ever love you more than I will. Never will there be a more precious, spoiled and pampered woman. Every single day of my life will be spent doing whatever it takes to make you happy and I’ll spend the rest of my life trying to be worthy of you. I love you, Eliza. Yesterday, today, tomorrow, forever, eternity. There will never be another I love as I love you. I know it’s traditional to say until death do us part, but I refuse to let you go even in death. Long after our lives here are done, our love will live on. Strong, enduring, everlasting. In sickness and in health, in good times and bad. I will always be at your side.”
Eliza wasn’t the only one who cried at her wedding. There wasn’t a dry eye in the entire church. Even Eliza’s male teammates were seen discreetly wiping at the corners of their eyes.
And since he’d already defied convention by carrying his bride up the aisle, as soon as Wade and Eliza were pronounced man and wife, he kissed her until even the pastor grew fidgety and then he promptly carried his new wife back down the aisle and into the waiting limousine.
Wade had already told Dane not to expect Eliza back to work for three months, as he was taking her on an extended honeymoon. A very extended honeymoon.
He just hadn’t yet informed his new bride of that minor detail, and it caused much amusement in the DSS offices as to Eliza’s reaction when she learned she was on an extended leave of absence.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
MAYA BANKS is a multiple #1 New York Times and USA Today bestselling author whose chart toppers have included erotic romance, romantic suspense, contemporary romance, and Scottish historical romances. She is the author of the Breathless Trilogy, the Surrender Trilogy, the KGI novels, the Sweet series, and the Colters Legacy novels. She lives in Southeast Texas.
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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.