"Because you're in love with me," he said.
What was the se
nse in denying it? "If I am," Lucy said, lifting her chin, "it's my problem."
"Dammit, Lucinda!" Joe shook her, just a little. "It's not anybody's problem, because I love you, too."
"You said that. But I understand. I-"
Joe swept her into his anus and kissed her until she was clinging to him.
"You are an impossible woman," he said when he finally drew back. "You don't understand, any more than you know what I'm thinking. Sweetheart." His voice gentled. "I love you, Lucinda Barry. I adore you. I'm not going to live my life without you."
Lucy's eyes locked on his. She wanted to believe him, oh, she wanted to...
"Sweetheart." Joe took a breath. "Will you marry me?" Her mouth opened, then closed. He laughed and leaned his forehead against hers.
"I never thought I'd see it happen. My Lucinda, speechless. "
"Oh, Joe." Tears glittered in Lucy's eyes. "I love you so much..."
He put his hand under her chin, gently raised her face to his. "Then say you'll be my wife. My love, my only love, for the rest of time."
"Yes," Lucy whispered. She laughed, even as the tears spilled down her face. "I will, my darling Joe. I will, I will."
Joe drew her close and kissed her. "You never lied to me. In my heart, I knew that, all along."
She sighed and laid her head against his chest. "Never."
"I even knew you'd never been with another man," he said gruffly. "I just wouldn't admit it, not even to myself." he stroked his hand over her hair and she closed her eyes with pleasure. "The thing was, you scared me out of my skin, honey."
Lucy drew back. "I scared you?" she said in disbelief.
"Uh-huh." Joe kissed her again. Her lips clung to his, and her hands stole up his chest. "It's not every day a guy falls head over heels in love." He took her hands in his, pressed kisses into the palms. "I want you to know something, honey. Even if those things had been true, even if I hadn't been the first..." He took a deep breath. "I'd love you, anyway, Lucinda. Because you're a part of me."
Lucy leaned back in Joe's embrace, smiled, and looped her arms around his neck.
"I'll probably never be much of a cook."
Joe grinned. "We'll live on coconut-chocolate pom-poms, and belni filled with whipped cream."
"Mmm. The basic food groups. Sounds fine to me."
His smile tilted. "How do you feel about short engagements?"
Lucy laughed softly. "I think they're the very best kind."
Joe swung her into his arms and kissed her. Still kissing her, he carried her up the stairs.
It was a hot July afternoon, but a cooling breeze fanned the patio behind Joe Romano's Pacific Heights home throughout the wedding ceremony and the reception.
Lucy stood in the center of Joe's bedroom, and looked at herself in the mirror. "Mrs. Joseph Romano," she whispered, and smiled.
Her gaze went to the terrace windows, and her smile broadened. The guests were all gone now. Lucy's mother and stepfather, Miss Robinson, Matthew and Susannah... Almost all gone.
Nonna Romano was still on the patio, in earnest conversation with Joe, who had his arm around her.
Lucy looked in the mirror again. She was wearing Nonna's wedding gown. Nonna had smiled when they'd told her they were getting married-after Joe spent half an hour explaining that Lucy didn't entertain men at parties.
"But is your Lucinda truly not Italian?" Nonna had finally asked, and Joe had sighed and said that truly, she was not.
"And she cannot cook?"
"No," Joe had replied, putting his arm around Lucy. "But she loves me, and I love her, and that's all that matters."
Nonna had smiled. "In that case, Joseph, go up to the attic and find the big white box that holds my wedding gown."
"Uh, it's very sweet of you, darling," Joe had started to say, "but-"
"It's wonderful," Lucy had said. "And I'd be honored to wear it, Mrs. Romano."
"Call me Nonna," Nonna had replied, and then she'd shot Joe a cool look. "What's the matter, Joseph? You think my wedding dress will be too big for your bride? I was not always this size."
"No," Joe had said quickly, "no, of course not..."
Lucy smiled at her reflection and ran her hand down the gently flared skirt of the gown. Nonna must have been just about her size when she married Joe's grandfather. But she couldn't possibly have been this happy, or this deeply in love. No one could have been. No one ever would be. What she and Joe shared, what they felt for each other...
There was a soft rap at the door. Lucy turned around. "Come in."
The door opened and her husband-her handsome, wonderful husband-stepped into the room.
"Hi," he said softly.
Lucy smiled. "Hi, yourself."
Joe closed the door behind him. "I'm sorry it took so long, but Nonna-"
"No, that's fine. I'm sure it's not easy for Nonna to think of sharing her favorite grandson with-" Lucy's brows lifted. "What's funny?"
"I wasn't comforting the old witch," he said, "I was hearing her confession."
"Her what?"
He grinned as he undid his tie and tossed it aside. "We've been had, Blondie."
Lucy put her hands on her hips. "I told you not to call me that anymore," she said, trying for, and failing, to sound insulted. Actually, she loved it when Joe called her "Blondie." It reminded her of that first kiss, that first wicked kiss. "What confession?"
"It was all a setup." Joe shrugged off the jacket to his tux, tossed it on a chair and began undoing the studs in his pleated white shirt. "The old schemer planned everything. Seems she'd figured out that the candidates she'd been lining up for the position of Mrs. Joseph Romano weren't ever going to pass scrutiny." The studs gone, he peeled off his shirt and tossed it after the jacket. "She says she interviewed a dozen women before selecting you."
Lucy forced her attention away from her husband's gorgeous, tanned, muscled chest. "A dozen women," she said, and cleared her throat.
"Which probably means closer to two dozen." Joe undid his belt, opened the button at the top of his fly. "She'd drawn up this profile. Well, of course, she didn't call it that."
"Of course," Lucy echoed as he toed off his shoes and socks. She could be cool about this, if he was, even though they hadn't made love in the month since he'd asked her to marry him. But they'd slept together each night, she nestled in his arms, aware of his heat, of his hard body.
Joe's smile was slow and sexy as he came towards her. "She decided I needed a woman who was beautiful." Lucy's heart kicked as he took off her bridal veil. "And bright."
He turned her so that her back was to him. One by one, she felt the brush of his fingers at the long line of tiny, satin covered buttons that went from her gown's neckline to its waist.
"A woman who could stand up to me and not back down," he said, his voice just a little hoarse. He pressed his open mouth to her bare shoulder as the gown slipped down, and she caught her breath. "And who was incredibly sexy."
Lucy spun around in his arms. "Your nonna never told you that!"
Joe grinned. "No." His smile tilted. "But you are, you know, Mrs. Romano."
"Are what?" she said softly, and wound her arms around his neck.
"Incredibly, deliciously, magnificently sexy."
Lucy laughed as her husband lifted her in his arms. "You're just trying to get into my good graces," she said.
"You want me to say I'll let you feast on that special dessert, made of angel food cake, whipped cream and melted chocolate."
Joe kissed her until she was breathless. "Forget the cake," he whispered, and carried his bride to their bed.