I’m not responsible for other people’s actions.

Roma repeated the mantra twice as she emptied the freshly churned batch of cannoli-crunch gelato into the serving pan. Although the overwhelming sense of responsibility to take care of her family had eased in the two months of counseling sessions she’d attended at the center with Lucas, it still snuck up on her from time to time.

Nonna can make her own decisions. If she wants to get a tattoo on her ass, that’s her choice.

“You have a visitor.”

She turned at the sound of her newest employee’s voice, careful not to let the interruption trigger her temper. “Thanks. I’ll take this out to the freezer case with me if you’ll rinse the canister and the paddle.”

“Sure thing.” The young woman’s resilience shone in her snappy salute and bright smile. Delia would be a valuable addition to the center’s staff when she finished her degree next year. “Oh, and you’re supposed to bring your purse.”

“What?” Roma set the pan back on the worktable as she sifted through her mental to-do list. None of it required cash, a credit card, or the condom she’d replaced after yesterday’s mid-afternoon tryst with Lucas. “Why would I need my purse?”

“I have no idea. You carry the gelato. I’ll grab your purse and then come back to rinse the churn.” Before Roma could protest, her too-efficient assistant hurried into the office.

“This better be good.” Hefting the pan again, she headed for the front of the shop.

Lucas’s wicked grin and casual hip-on-the-counter pose with his sexy legs crossed at the ankle heated her body from the inside out. He followed her to the freezer case and kissed the back of her neck after she placed the pan in the empty spot. “I can say, without a doubt, it’s much better than good.”

A wonderful shiver raced from her spine to her breasts. “Horny all the time. I wouldn’t have you any other—”

“Here’s your purse.” Delia plunked Roma’s purse on the counter and headed back through the kitchen doorway. “Have fun! See you tomor— Um, later.”

“Tomorrow?” Her curiosity piqued, Roma raised an eyebrow at Lucas over her shoulder. “Where are we going?”

“It’s a surprise.” He pulled his key ring from the pocket of his shorts and guided her toward the front exit. “No hints.”

Humid September air swamped her as they stepped onto the sidewalk, but it was nothing compared to the rising temperature of her libido. “You know I don’t like surprises—unless they have to do with sex.”

At his truck, he chuckled and opened the passenger door for her. “If this is going to work the way I want it to, you’ll have to cooperate. Besides, I wouldn’t plan something you’d hate, would I?”

He had a point, even if she did enjoy sparring with him. “We’ll see.”

They drove west out of town, his frequent glances in her direction a warning that their plans included something she probably wouldn’t do under normal circumstances. Then he seemed to focus on the road when they headed north on the highway toward Medina, but his thoughtful expression didn’t budge.

Her tummy wobbled a bit as he slowed at the outskirts of the county seat and again as he parked in front of the courthouse. “Were you snooping in my desk? You found my speeding ticket, didn’t you? I already paid it online.”

His laughter filled the cab of the pickup. “Your ticket, your problem, amore mio. We’re here for something else.”

The Italian words made her heart race, even if his accent needed a lot more work. “Oh? What would that be? We talked about a couple minor home improvement projects, but I doubt those require a building permit.”

“We’re here for a different kind of permit.” He unbuckled his seat belt and linked their fingers together as he turned to face her. “I don’t see any reason to put this off since we’re both here to stay. We live together and we love each other. So…what do think about getting married? No engagement. No fancy wedding. Just you and me, making this official. Right now.”

A moment of panic almost sent her fleeing from the truck, but she squeezed his hand and breathed through the irrational fear. I trust him.

He locked gazes with her, unable to hide his own trace of anxiety from her. “It’s just a piece of paper, right? And I don’t expect you to change your name. I just want us to take the next step. We deserve to be happy as much as anybody else. Married-for-fifty-years kind of happy.”

A hard swallow dislodged the lump in her throat. “That’s more romantic than Ben and the boys’ proposal to Shelby the redheaded orthodontist at the gelato shop last week.”

“I know. Sorry for being such a sap.” He cupped her cheek with his free hand. “I just love you so damn much and I want to be the one who makes you happy.”

Fighting joyful tears, she crawled sideways onto his lap and covered his mouth with hers for a kiss that reached every part of her. Maybe if he stopped talking, she wouldn’t cry.

His breath tickled her skin as he nibbled a path to her ear. “My dick’s happy. Say yes so the rest of me can be happy too.”

She wiggled her ass against his growing erection. “Okay, I’ll marry you. I can think of better things to make you beg for.”

“I would if I had to.” He nuzzled her neck and groaned. “Save the teasing for the honeymoon. Delia and Addie are closing tonight, and we have an appointment with a judge in thirty minutes.”

“Then we better get moving. I hear the license takes at least fifteen minutes.”

“You hear, huh?” A smirk told her he wasn’t fooled. “Or you did a little research yourself?”

She’d googled the requirements for a marriage license in Medina County after witnessing Ben’s proposal, but Lucas didn’t need to know it. Give the man a break. He’s proven he isn’t the enemy. “Okay, fine. I was curious. Come on. Let’s get to it if we’re doing this.”

His self-satisfied grin said everything he could’ve thrown back at her but didn’t. “I’m glad we’re on the same page.”

Twenty-five minutes later, they stood in front of the judge in her chambers. She accepted a piece of notebook paper from Lucas and seemed to read the contents before placing it in the open book she held. “Lucas. Roma. It’s nice to meet you. I’m Judge Bruner.”

Roma passed the license to her. “Good to meet you too. Thanks for performing the ceremony.”

“It’s the favorite part of my job.” Judge Bruner set aside the license and adjusted the glasses perched on the bridge of her nose, magnifying the crinkled outer corners of her eyes. “If you’re ready, we’ll get started.”

“Ready.” Lucas spoke the word in unison with Roma.

With a firm nod, the judge looked down toward her book and the paper resting in the middle. “Lucas Calloway, do you willingly give your heart to Roma Denata as your wife? Do you promise to love and cherish her? And stay true to her for as long as you both shall live?”

He met Roma’s gaze, his eyes hiding nothing. “I do.”

“And, Roma, do you willingly give your heart to Lucas as your husband? Do you promise to love and cherish him? And stay true to him for as long as you both shall live?”

Roma let happiness heal the scars her painful past had etched on her soul. “I do.”

“Will you be exchanging rings?”

Lucas withdrew a vintage red-velvet jeweler’s box from the side pocket of his shorts. “Yes, Your Honor.”

“I know that box.” Roma grabbed it from his open palm and flipped open the lid. A pair of matching white-and-yellow gold bands, each etched with intricate spirals and flourishes, rested in the pillowed slots. “These are Nonna and her first husband’s rings. How…”

“I talked to her about us getting married yesterday. She gave them to me.”

“You asked for her approval?” Her voice cracked on the last word and the tears she’d managed to keep at bay escaped.

He brushed his knuckles along her cheekbone. “I wanted her to know how important you are to me, that I’m committed to you.”

She wrinkled her nose and blinked up at him, unable to temper the emotion his admission sparked. “I love you.”

“Then wear this ring and show me you know we belong together and to each other.” He took the smaller band from the box and slipped it onto her finger.

The etchings caught the light, reminding her how intertwined her life had become with his the day they’d met outside her shop. She removed the larger wedding band. “Wear this ring to show me you love me as much as I love you.”

“Always.” He helped her slide the circlet of gold past his knuckle and into place. “May I kiss my wife yet, Your Honor?”

 Judge Bruner chuckled and closed her book. “By the authority vested in me by the State of Ohio and the Municipal Court of Medina County, I pronounce you husband and wife. Congratulations, Roma and Lucas. Now you may enjoy that kiss.”

Happier than she could ever remember, Roma grabbed his shoulders as he lifted her high enough that she could wrap her legs around his waist. His lips met hers for a firm but mostly chaste kiss and then he hurried toward the exit. “Thank you and have a good evening, Your Honor. Time for the honeymoon.”

Roma leaned in to whisper in his ear. “What do you think about a quickie in the truck before we head home?”

His hand shifted on her ass, nearly setting off tremors in her lower belly. “You’re determined to get us arrested for public indecency, aren’t you?”

“I can’t help I want to fuck you.” After a light nip on his earlobe, she gave the spot a lick. “Hot, hard, and ready to come.”

“The feeling’s mutual, but are you sure you can’t wait fifteen minutes? I put a bottle of champagne on ice, and trying to drive home after coming inside you… I’d rather collapse on the bed and enjoy those amazing aftershocks.” At the exit, he grinned in the direction of the gawking security guards. “We just got married.”

The elation in his voice assured Roma of their happily-ever-after far more than the chorus of congratulations that followed them out the door. This was the feeling she had been cheated out of until Lucas Calloway had annoyed his way into her life.

No regrets.

She tightened her hold on him as he carried her outside. “This was the best surprise.”

“Second best.” He stopped at the bottom of the stairs for another quick kiss. “The morning I met you wins that honor, hands down. I finally saw myself as human because of you.”

“I kind of like when you’re an animal.” Her nipples tightened with the slow drag of his chest against hers when he lowered her feet to the ground. As much as she wanted to do something about the desire rippling over her skin, she tugged him toward his truck. Only getting naked with him for hours would appease her hunger. “How about seeing if we can make it home in ten minutes, Mr. Denata?”

He winked at her and grinned. “Hmm. Lucas Denata. It has a nice ring to it. I can live with that compromise, Mrs. Denata.”