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The wedding night was another affair to re and Darien lifted Jade into his are, that being the place she’d wanted to spend their first night as husband and wife He hadn’t put up a single argument

Sheena and Lisette had set the decor on the sly, lighting candles and leaving rose petals everywhere, as well as opening the s to allow a gentle breeze to float through the s over the rapids outside added a soothing element to the sensual ambience

Darien took her straight to bed She didn’t complain

As he thrust slowly and deeply into her, she whispered, “Thank you for loving me”

“I waited nearly nine years for this day to come” He kissed her, then added, “And now you’re finally mine”

“For all of eternity,” she vowed

Epilogue

The next day, following brunch at the castle—to further celebrate the ht before—Jade took her red rose to the south woods and placed it on Jinx’s grave She had another bouquet for her parents’ burial place

Despite having an eternity in front of her, she swore to herself she would not forget her past, her friends or her family They were, after all, the people who had helped to shape her life andwith the people still presently involved in her daily activities

Returning to the village, she stopped into the tavern Michael bowed and she sneered at him

“Stop that,” she said

“But you’re the queen now”

“I’ at the newly sanded and polished bar, she added, “I was glad to see you at the wedding I was afraid you wouldn’t come”

He poured her a glass of merlot and set it in front of her “And I was afraid you were going to badger ured, what the hell? You’re into peacekeeping and I can support that effort”

With a shake of her head, she said, “I wouldn’t have badgered you I would’ve understood if you hadn’t wanted to couilt you into it I wanted you to be there of your own accord”