“The bags are already in the car.” He clenched his hands on my hips.

“Then why aren’t we already walking to the car?” I breathed at his ear, making him shudder.

“Because I’m trying to get control of myself so I can walk.” His answer made me giggle, and he groaned as if in physical pain. “That is my favorite sound in the world. I’ve missed it so fucking much, baby.”

I lifted my head just enough to meet his gaze. “I promise you will hear it every day for the rest of our lives.”

His dark eyes were tormented. “Are you happy, my heart?”

The question surprised the hell out of me. “Ryan, this is the happiest day of my life. I get to spend the rest of my life with my best friend. How could I not be happy?”

“Earlier—”

I covered his mouth with my hand. “I was just worried this wasn’t going to be perfect for you. I don’t want you to have regrets. Ciana isn’t—”

“I don’t want to talk about her,” he cut me off, his face going blank at the mention of her name.

“But—”

“No. This is our day, and I’m not going to spend it thinking about her.” He pushed a few strands of hair that had fallen from my braid back from my face. “I love you, Nova.”

All thoughts of Ciana fled for the moment at those words. “I thought…” I licked my lips. “I thought you were punishing me by not saying that last night or today.”

His brows pinched together. “I haven’t said it?” I shook my head, unable to speak through the lump filling my throat. “Fuck, baby. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hold back the words. I’ve said them a hundred times in my head since I first saw you last night.”

That brought a smile to my face, but before I could comment, we were surrounded by our parents. It made our quick escape impossible, because the moms wanted a million pictures. Ryan didn’t put me down during them, until finally, Anya promised that after one more—as long as I was standing in it—we could go.

Grumbling to himself, he placed me on my feet. Surrounded by our parents, my brother and friend, as well as Maria and Guzman, we smiled for one last group picture before Ryan started throwing out orders to Nardo and Otto that we were leaving. With one final wave, I was back in his arms, being carried out to the car waiting on us.

As soon as we boarded the jet, Ryan didn’t even give me two seconds to greet poor, shocked Oliver before he was carrying me to the bedroom. I waved over Ryan’s shoulder while Nardo laughingly filled in the flight attendant on my sudden rise from the dead.

The door barely closed behind us, and I was pressed up against the nearest hard surface. Ryan’s control had finally snapped again, making the flight to Fiji almost as memorable as the honeymoon itself.