White Wedding: A Christmas Romantic Comedy (Blackwood Cellars Series Book 3)
Page 25
“They’d better be. It’s all worth it, right?” The neediness in her voice made Victoria cringe.
Not really.
But she wouldn’t dare burst Missy’s bubble. “Absolutely.”
Missy sighed. “Right now, I’m just so tired.”
“If you want to hide out and avoid your guests, I can grab you a chair,” Rafael said. “Even the happiest brides get wedding fatigue.”
“No, I’m fine.” Missy wiped her eyes again. “The real reason I came back here was to thank you. Especially you, Victoria. I know I was kind of a bitch, but…” She crumpled the handkerchief into a ball. “It wasn’t easy, competing with you. No matter what demands I made, you always acted so calm and poised. It drove me insane. Sorry if I made things difficult for you.”
“It’s all right,” Victoria said. And she meant it. Not only had she risen to the challenge of coordinating the wedding from hell, she’d used it to reboot her life.
And she was in a better place than she’d ever been before.
Chapter 34
As Victoria unlocked the door to her suite at the resort, she stifled another yawn. On the drive over to Escondido, she’d blasted the air-conditioning in her car, hoping the chilly air would revive her. But by the time she checked in, she could barely keep her eyes open. She asked the clerk to set aside a key card for Rafael, who was still unloading equipment over at Tres Hermanos. Finding her room took another ten minutes because the complex was so huge.
She barely glanced at the suite, though she was pleased at the sight of the enormous king bed and the french doors leading to an outdoor balcony. Tomorrow morning, she and Rafael could sit outside and greet the day with coffee and pastries. A delicious start to a day of wickedly indulgent fun.
Setting her rolling suitcase against the wall, she stripped off her formal attire and headed for the bathroom. After a long, hot shower, she changed into an alluring black negligee she’d purchased from La Perla.
As she examined herself in the mirror, she liked what she saw. A woman taking charge of her life. Charting her own career path. Choosing a partner she loved rather than one chosen for her. The future might be a little frightening, but it would be infinitely better than the life she’d led before. And she’d be facing it with Rafael at her side.
For the first time in years, she was happy.
She stretched out on the bed, luxuriating in the soft pillows and the silken sheets. Leaving the bedside light on, she grabbed her latest mystery, hoping the twisty story would keep her awake.
But the lure of sleep was hard to resist.
Rafael glanced at the clock behind the check-in desk. One thirty. Later than he’d hoped, but he’d taken his time at the restaurant, thanking everyone on the staff. Based on the feedback he’d gotten, Tres Hermanos could expect a lot more upscale catering jobs in the new year. Which suited him just fine, since he’d decided to use the positive reviews to his advantage.
Now that his brothers were no longer furious at him for screwing up, he’d had the courage to ask them for a huge favor. Come January, he’d be spending two afternoons a week attending a French pastry class at the local community college. Not a sea change, but a small step in expanding his horizons.
And one day, he fully intended to visit Paris, with Victoria at his side, to try those pastries firsthand.
Once he received his key card, he dragged his tired ass to the suite, located in a building overlooking the pool. At the center of the room was a king bed, where Victoria lay sprawled against the sheets with her eyes shut. An open book was at her side. He set down his overnight bag and reached for the book, placing it on the nightstand.
“Victoria?” he whispered. “Are you awake?”
She blinked and looked up at him. “I was reading and I must have dozed off. But I’m up now.”
She looked gorgeous, wearing a sexy confection made of black lace that barely covered her curves. As much as he wanted to run his hands over her body and devour her sweet little mouth, he needed to clean up first. He leaned down and kissed her forehead. “I’m going to jump in the shower, but I won’t be long.”
She propped herself up on her elbow and gave him a sultry smile. “I can wait. I promise.”
In the bathroom, he stripped down and cranked on the shower. As the warm water cascaded over him, the exhaustion hit him like a wave. He couldn’t remember a time when he’d felt so bone weary. Not just from the job, but from everything he’d been through over the last few days. He closed his eyes, but snapped them back open so he wouldn’t pass out.
As he toweled off, he tried to think sexy thoughts. How he’d drive Victoria to the brink of ecstasy and hold her there until she begged for release. The way he’d feel when she cried out his name and clutched his shoulders. The satisfaction he’d receive in giving her so much pleasure. If he crashed out now, he’d be letting her down. He put on a fresh pair of boxers and nothing else, then eased out of the steamy room. Victoria was curled up on the bed, eyes closed, her long, dark hair spread out behind her.
He lay down beside her, softly brushing a strand of hair from her face. “Victoria?”
She opened her eyes and reached out to caress his cheek. “Rafael? I’m sorry. But I’m so tired. Can I make it up to you tomorrow?”
He pulled her close, nuzzling her hair with his lips. For tonight, just holding her in his arms would be enough. “Of course, mi amor.”
They’d have tomorrow. And the day after that.
They had all the time in the world.
Thank you for reading White Wedding!
I hope you enjoyed Victoria and Rafael’s story.
If you did, please consider leaving a review wherever you purchased this book.
Thanks! Your support is much appreciated!
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Books in the Blackwood Cellars Series
Blue Hawaiian (Book 1)
Red Velvet (Book 2)
White Wedding (Book 3)
The Blackwood Cellars Series
Blue Hawaiian
Broke, single, and jobless, Jess Chavez feels like the family screwup when she flies to Maui to attend her perfect older sister’s destination wedding. But sparks fly when she reconnects with her roguish ex, Connor Blackwood. A secret fling sounds like the perfect escape from family drama, as long as she can keep from falling in love again…
Red Velvet
When April Beckett’s plus-one bails right before a big family wedding, her best friend, Brody Blackwood, offers to take his place. Now they have to convince everyone they’re lovers—while sharing a cozy cottage in the Northwoods. But what happens when their fake relationship starts to feel real?
White Wedding
When Victoria Blackwood is tasked with planning her ex-fiancé’s Christmas wedding, she doesn’t think her life could get any worse. Until she discovers the caterer, Rafael Sanchez, is the lover she ghosted five years ago, after a steamy fling in Baja. To pull off the perfect wedding, they’ll need to keep things professional. But it won’t be easy, not when the fire between them burns hotter than Christmas in July.
Acknowledgments
Coming to the end of the Blackwood Cellars trilogy is a bittersweet feeling. I loved writing this series full of messy families, fun hijinks, delicious food, and steamy shenanigans. To everyone who read the books, tweeted, shared photos on Instagram, wrote reviews, sent me messages, and lifted me up with encouraging words – thank you! You have no idea how much your support has meant to me.
As with the first two books in the series, White Wedding wouldn’t have been possible without an awesome team of professionals: my cover designer, Bailey McGinn; my copy editor, Serena Clarke; and my proofreader, Sandra Dee.
As always, my long-standing writing group has been a constant source of support (and wine!). Thank you, Lolly Rzezotarski, Jennifer Motl, Lisa Minneti, Rufina Garay, Shlomo Levin, Steve Shrok, and Virginia Small.
I’m very grate
ful to all those writers who read earlier drafts of White Wedding and gave me valuable feedback: Jen Ficarra, Argentina Ryder, Jennifer Rupp, Liz Czukas, Liz Lincoln Steiner, Jennifer Motl, Michelle McCraw, and Ofelia Martinez. I’m also very grateful to my good friend, Jackie Dhein, for her expert advice on working in the field of catering.
Thanks to Liz Lincoln Steiner and Liz Czukas for the best group chat/venting sessions ever, to Amy Reichert for our delightful breakfasts at Blue’s Egg, and Tricia Quinnies for all our coffee and critique sessions at Fiddleheads.
I want to give a special shout-out to the extended Luna family, who partly inspired the Sanchez clan in White Wedding: my father, Mario Luna, my mother, Dulcie Luna, my aunts, Sally and Connie, and their gregarious husbands. All of them have passed on by now, but if they’re looking down on me, I hope they’d be pleased to see I finally accomplished my dream of becoming a published author. Thanks to my brother, John Luna, for always being there for me and for understanding the joy and stress of the creative process.
Last, but never least, my wonderful family offered me just about the most love, support, and encouragement anyone could ask for. Mike, Tasmine, and James, I never could have done this without you.
About the Author
Carla Luna writes contemporary romance with a dollop of humor and a pinch of spice. A former archaeologist, she still dreams of traveling to far-off places and channels that wanderlust into the settings of her stories.
When she’s not writing, she works in a spice emporium where she gets paid to discuss food and share her favorite recipes. Her passions include Broadway musicals, baking, whimsical office supplies, and pop culture podcasts. Though she has roots in Los Angeles and Victoria, B.C., she currently resides in Wisconsin with her family and her spoiled Siberian cat.
For sneak peeks, giveaways, and recipes from the Blackwood Cellars books, sign up for Carla’s newsletter:
www.carlalunabooks.com