“Did I pass the test?”
She managed a small smile. “Yes. You’ve got a bumpy road ahead. Let’s pray your love will hold you together. Now let’s get this dress gussied up for your big day, hmm?”
The next two days were a blur.
The wedding had been small. Just her family and his. Not all of her family. Her father hadn’t shown up. She’d hoped he’d have a last minute change of heart—but he’d stayed away. As had her brother Harland. It surprised her to see Harland’s wife, Sonia, in the church, sitting next to Darren’s wife, Tracy. Darren, Marshall and Stuart filled up the front pew with their mother, who sat next to Aunt Hulda.
Maxine, Beverly and Mike rounded out Carolyn’s side of the church.
Carson’s side was even sparser than hers. His dad hadn’t come either, just his brothers. Agnes and her husband Ed were in attendance as well as an older couple who lived across the road from Carson’s trailer. Plus a few of Carson’s drinking buddies had shown up, acting as if they were attending a funeral, not a wedding.
Because Thomas walked her down the aisle, Father Dorian skipped the “who gives this woman to this man” spiel.
Her gaze briefly registered on her sister Kimi, serving as maid of honor, and then she looked across the altar to see Carson’s twin Cal flanking him. Then her eyes locked onto Carson’s and that’s all she’d seen. Him. Standing there in his western cut suit, hat and boots, looking so proud and yet anxious as he waited for her, ready to pledge his forever love for her in front of God and everyone.
After they’d repeated their vows and were introduced as husband and wife, they’d had a small cake and coffee reception in the church basement.
And now here they were. Home. Their home.
“Caro? You all right?”
She turned and smiled at her husband. She couldn’t believe this black-haired, blue-eyed handsome devil was completely hers. “I’m perfect.”
“Yes, you are.” Carson picked up her hand and kissed it. “As beautiful as you look in that dress, I need to strip it off you.”
“Now?”
“The second we get in the house.”
Her belly fluttered as it always did when that wicked gleam entered his eyes.
“Stay right there.” In a flash he was out of the truck and on her side, opening the door. He slid one arm under her knees and the other around her waist, lifting her out with ease.
Carolyn wrapped her arms around his neck and held on. Pressing a kiss to that strong jaw, she murmured, “Carrying me across the threshold is romantic.”
“Mmm-hmm. And it’s also tradition that brings good luck.” He managed to hold the screen door open while opening the inner door. He kicked the door shut behind him and kissed the top of her head. “Welcome home, Mrs. McKay.” Keeping her in his arms, he headed down the hallway to the back bedroom. He hesitated inside the doorjamb. “What’s all this?”
“I added a few things.”
Since Carson had stayed at Cal’s last night, Carolyn and Kimi had shown up early to redecorate the bedroom. Carson had already cleaned out half the closet and given her half the drawer space in the built in cabinets.
Since this was now her home too, she wanted the bedroom to reflect them, not just him. She’d bought new sheets, cream-colored linen with pale lilac and mint green flowers, and added a chenille bedspread in the same soft green. Then she’d rummaged through the closet that held her mother’s abandoned sewing projects and found four fabric panels that she added to the front side of an old, tattered quilt. She made matching pillowcases and a new curtain out of the leftover scraps. This morning she’d finally assembled all the new pieces: the layers of bedding, window coverings that actually covered the windows. The space did look very Better Homes and Gardens, if she did say so herself.
“Do you like it?”
He nuzzled her cheek. “This looks so damn nice I’m afraid I’ll dirty it up.”
“Isn’t that what we’re supposed to do in our own bed? Get as dirty as we want?”
Immediately after she said that she felt Carson’s hardness pressing into her hip.
“I like this raunchy-talkin’ side of you.” His lips grazed her ear. “How about we test that out right now?” He lowered her feet to the floor.
Before she could twine her arms around his neck and kiss him, Carson faced her forward, toward the bed. “What—”
“As your husband it’s my right to peel this wedding dress off you, and I’m takin’ my time.” He placed a soft kiss on the nape of her neck. “You looked beautiful today, Carolyn.”
Her entire body trembled.
“So perfect with the fancy hairdo and the lacy gown. But what’s beneath all this finery is what I want.” He stilled behind her, his fingers gripping her hips, his breath flowing over her damp skin.
The zipper made no sound as he slid it down to the rise of her bu**ocks. Then the rough tips of his fingers followed her spine, over the clasp of her bra to the band of her crinoline slip. As he pressed soft kisses across the sweep of her neck, setting every nerving ending alive, he slowly dragged her dress down. Tugging the lace at her wrists to release her arms, then pausing at her hips to caress that sensitive section of flesh with the back of his knuckles.
“Everything about you is so soft,” he said, kissing the ball of her shoulder.
Carolyn turned her head and brushed her mouth over his temple. “And everything about you is so hard.
“Some things harder than others.”
She smiled.
“Lose the slip, sugar.”
One quick tug and the slip covered her dress on the floor.
“Hang on to my arm. Step out, I’ve gotcha. One more. Now stay just like that.” Carson picked up her wedding dress and moved it. “Let me see you.”
Her nerves didn’t make sense. She’d been naked with this man before.
But never as his wife.
A kiss landed on the small of her back.
When Carolyn turned, Carson was on his knees before her. A shiver started at the top of her spine and worked its way down, setting off goose bumps as his hot gaze catalogued every inch of her.
She’d worn a plain white satin bra, a small pair of white satin underwear, a lacy white garter belt with white satin garters and the sheerest white stockings she could find.
“Is this new?” He traced the garter belt with the tip of his finger, stopping at the tiny pink rose at the top of the garter.