With Every Breath (38 page)

When he stopped laughing, he leaned over and brushed his lips over hers, tasting her sweetness, inhaling it, absorbing it into every part of him. So she became the air he breathed.

“As soon as you're out of this place, I'm taking you home and we're getting married. I don't care if I have to carry you down the aisle. I'm not waiting.”

She lifted one brow. “You in a hurry?”

“Hell yes, I'm in a hurry. I don't want to give you any time to change your mind and back out. The sooner I get my ring on your finger the better I'll feel.”

“In that case, I guess I better set my mind to getting out of this damn hospital as fast as I can,” she said teasingly. “That way
you
don't have time to get cold feet and change your mind.”

“That will never happen,” he said fiercely. “You're stuck with me forever. Every rotten, bad tempered, impatient part of me.”

Her smile lit up the entire room and she slowly pulled his hand to her mouth so she could kiss his palm.

“Guess it's lucky for you that I'm wildly in love with rotten, bad tempered and impatient.”

EPILOGUE

ELIZA
eased down in the comfortable chair, careful not to wrinkle her wedding gown. She still wasn't fully recovered and had only been out of the hospital for four weeks, four weeks where Wade hovered and refused to allow her to lift so much as a finger. As adamant as he had been in the hospital that they marry the moment she was released, he'd done a complete one eighty and argued that they should wait until she was stronger.

She was just as determined they marry as soon as possible. She belonged. She was loved. And she was deathly afraid that one morning she would wake up and it would have been just a dream.

She gazed at her reflection in the mirror, stunned that the pretty, feminine face looking back at her was really
her
. She'd asked Gracie, Ari, Ramie and Tori to give her a moment alone. The women had overwhelmed her, sharing in the excitement and joy of the day. Gracie had teased her and said that only Eliza ever had a hope of taming Wade while Ari had dryly commented that only a man like Wade ever had a hope of taming Eliza.

The preparations had exhausted her, though she'd never admit to it. Wade would have called off the wedding, or worse, he would have had her in bed and brought in a justice of the peace to marry them so Eliza wouldn't overexert herself. This was her wedding day. A day she'd dreamed of since she was a little girl fantasizing about a fairy tale ceremony and marrying her knight in shining armor. There was no way she was forgoing something she'd resigned herself to never having.

A soft knock sounded at the door and she called out a come in. She slowly turned, surprised to see Dane enter the bridal chamber. She swallowed hard. She and Dane hadn't had the opportunity to really talk since she'd been shot a month ago. Wade had surrounded her, ensuring her every comfort and need and any visits from her coworkers were light and brief.

She couldn't bring herself to meet his gaze, guilt heavy in her heart.

“You look beautiful, Lizzie,” Dane said quietly. “Just as a bride should.”

She lifted her head, tears obscuring her vision. “I'm so sorry, Dane.”

His expression immediately became one of concern. He crossed the distance and sat down in the chair across from her. He collected her hands in his, squeezing in a comforting manner.

“Why are you sorry?”

“For deceiving you. For lying to you. For not trusting you and coming to you from the start. For not being honest with you from the start. You are my dearest friend, but I haven't been a friend to you.”

“Lizzie,” he said gently.

She refused to look at him.

He cupped her chin and forced her to look at him. “Lizzie, look at me.”

Reluctantly she once more met his gaze and her heart squeezed when she saw the camaraderie, the unconditional support, the friendship reflected in his eyes.

“Do I wish you had come to me? Do I wish you had told me about your past when we started working together? Absolutely. But I understand. You need to know something, though. Never. Never have I thought less of you. You are one of the strongest persons I've ever met. And there is no one I'd rather have at my back than you and nothing will ever change that.”

He leaned forward, gathering both her hands in his. “Know this, Lizzie. I will always have your back. If you ever need a friend, help or just a shoulder to cry on, I'll always be there.”

“Damn it, Dane, if you make me cry and ruin my makeup, I'll kick your ass.”

“Hate to tell you but you're hardly in any condition to kick a toddler's ass.”

She glared at him and he scowled in response.

“You should still be in bed recovering. Stubborn fool woman. No idea what you're thinking getting married so soon after getting out of the hospital. You'll be lucky if you make it down the aisle. Wade should have damn well handcuffed you to your sick bed.”

“One overbearing alpha male is quite enough,” she muttered.

“You aren't walking down that aisle alone, Lizzie.”

Her eyes widened in surprise. “What?”

“I know you planned to walk the aisle by yourself because you don't have a father to give you away. Not going to happen. I'm giving you away and it's not open to negotiation.”

A knot formed in Eliza's throat and she tried in vain to swallow the obstruction. The tears she'd tried so hard to keep at bay trickled down her cheeks. Makeup be damned.

“You truly are my dearest friend,” she whispered. “There's no one I'd rather walk me down the aisle than you.”

To Eliza's shock, she saw a glimmer of moisture in Dane's eyes. His hold on her hands tightened.

“He's a good man, Lizzie. I admit we had our differences but we have one thing in common. The most important thing. We both care very much for you. I know he'll take care of you and protect you when I'm not doing it on the job.”

Another knock on the door sounded and Tori peeked her head in. She flushed in embarrassment when she saw Dane was inside with Eliza.

“I'm sorry to interrupt,” she said nervously. “But it's time, Eliza. Gracie, Ari and Ramie are lined up and I have to hurry back so I don't hold up the ceremony. You've got two minutes.”

“Thank you, Tori,” Eliza said with a smile. “And thank you for standing up for me.”

Tori smiled back. “You're important to us all, Eliza. You've done so much for us all. How could we not be present on your big day?”

With another quick glance at Dane, she hastily ducked from the doorway, shutting it behind her.

Dane stood and then assisted Eliza to her feet. “You ready, Lizzie?”

She smiled. “I've never been more ready in my life.”

He walked her slowly out of the bridal chamber, the same room Gracie had waited in when she married Zack. Who would have thought that Eliza would follow suit? If someone would have told her she would be getting married so soon after Gracie she would have laughed herself silly.

Eliza paced herself, hating the lingering weakness and how quickly she fatigued. It seemed to take forever to get into the vestibule and to the closed doors leading into the sanctuary.

“Take your time,” Dane murmured. “Whether you want to admit it or not, you shouldn't even be on your feet much less going through a ceremony and reception.”

She bared her teeth, impatience gnawing at her. She wanted the doors to open so she could see Wade and assure herself he hadn't changed his mind. Just as she was getting positively jittery, music swelled and reverberated through the church. The doors opened and she realized she'd been holding her breath. Her gaze immediately locked onto Wade and all the air escaped her lungs leaving her shaken.

He was here. He loved her. He was marrying her.

She paid no heed to the tears streaming down her cheeks as she made her first haltering step on Dane's arm. She had eyes for no one but Wade.

Wade stared, utterly transfixed by the vision of his bride slowly making her way toward him, Dane hovering close by to ensure she didn't fall. Damn it but she hadn't sufficiently healed enough to even be out of bed much less endure a wedding ceremony. Wait, the plan was for her to walk by herself down the aisle, a plan he'd been vehemently opposed to. Apparently Dane hadn't been any fonder of the idea than Wade had been. He grudgingly gave the man credit for looking out for Eliza when she was being too stubborn for her own good. The fool woman was convinced that Wade would change his mind and no longer want to marry her. As if!

Good intentions or not, no way in hell another 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.

Discover great authors, exclusive offers, and more at
hc.com
.

BY MAYA BANKS

Slow Burn Series

KEEP ME SAFE

IN HIS KEEPING

SAFE AT LAST

WITH EVERY BREATH

Surrender Trilogy

LETTING GO

GIVING IN

TAKING IT ALL

Breathless Trilogy

RUSH

FEVER

BURN

The KGI Series

THE DARKEST HOUR

NO PLACE TO RUN

HIDDEN AWAY

WHISPERS IN THE DARK

ECHOES AT DAWN

SOFTLY AT SUNRISE

SHADES OF GRAY

FORGED IN STEELE

AFTER THE STORM

WHEN THE DAY BREAKS