“
Damn it, Jacob, I’m freezing my butt off.”
“I came as fast as I could, considering I thought it would be wise to walk the last few yards.”
Isabella whirled around, her smiling face lighting up the silvery night with more ease than the fullest of moons. She leapt up into his embrace, eagerly drinking in his body heat and affection.
“I can see it now. ‘Daddy, tell me about your wedding day.’ ‘Well, son,’” she mocked, deepening her voice to his timbre and reflecting his accent uncannily, “’The first words out of your mother’s mouth were I’m freezing my butt off!’”
“Very romantic, don’t you think?” he teased. “So, you think it will be a boy, then? Our first child?”
“Well, I’m fifty percent sure.”
“Wise odds. Come, little flower, I intend to marry you before the hour is up.” With that, he scooped her off her feet and carried her high against his chest. “Unfortunately, we are going to have to do this hike the hard way.”
“As Legna tells it, that’s what you’re supposed to do.”
“Yeah, well, I assure you a great many grooms have fudged that a little.” He reached to tuck her chilled face into the warm crook of his neck.
“Surely the guests would know. It takes longer to walk than it does to fly . . . or whatever . . . out of the woods.”
“This is true, little flower. But passing time in the solitude of the woods is not necessarily a difficult task for a man and woman about to be married.”
“Jacob!” she gasped, laughing.
“Some traditions are not necessarily publicized,” he teased.
“You people are outrageous.”
“Mmm, and if I had the ability to turn to dust right now, would you tell me no if I asked to . . . pass time with you?”
Isabella shivered, but it was the warmth of his whisper and intent, not the cold, that made her do so.
“Have I ever said no to you?”
“No, but now would be a good time to start, or we will be late to our own wedding,” he chuckled.
“How about no . . . for now?” she asked silkily, pressing her lips to the column on his neck beneath his long, loose hair.
His fingers flexed on her flesh, his arms drawing her tighter to himself. He tried to concentrate on where he was putting his feet.
“If that is going to be your response, Bella, then I suggest you stop teasing me with that wicked little mouth of yours before I trip and land us both in the dirt.”
“Okay,” she agreed, her tongue touching his pulse.
“Bella . . .”
“Jacob, I want to spend the entire night making love to you,” she murmured.
Jacob stopped in his tracks, taking a moment to catch his breath.
“Okay, why is it I always thought it was the groom who was supposed to be having lewd thoughts about the wedding night while the bride took the ceremony more seriously?”
“You started it,” she reminded him, laughing softly.
“I am begging you, Isabella, to allow me to leave these woods with a little of my dignity intact.” He sighed deeply, turning his head to brush his face over her hair. “It does not take much effort from you to turn me inside out and rouse my hunger for you. If there is much more of your wanton taunting, you will be flushed warm and rosy by the time we reach that altar, and our guests will not have to be Mind Demons in order to figure out why.”
“I’m sorry, you’re right.” She turned her face away from his neck.
Jacob resumed his ritual walk for all of thirty seconds before he stopped again.
“Bella . . .” he warned dangerously.
“I’m sorry! It just popped into my head!”
“What am I getting myself into?” he asked aloud, sighing dramatically as he resumed his pace.
“Well, in about an hour, I hope it will be me.
”
”