Funny thinking of it that way.They’d never spoken of being exclusive, of being boyfriend, girlfriend.Never spoken about fidelity or not being with others or living together, not as a discussion with reasoned choices and sensible thought processes.
They were going from fuck buddies—at a push, friends with benefits—to man and wife.
“I’m going to wash my hands and put my dress on.Take out the trash.We won’t be back here after.”
His brows rose.“Take out the trash?Seriously?”
“It’s a dirty husband job.”
“I will be all kinds of dirty husband for you all day long, don’t know what that has to do with trash.”
In a final word, she prodded his chest before flouncing off.“It’s a husband’s duty.”
“I don’t even take the trash out in my own house,” he called after her.
“There’s a door at the end of the hall, says ‘trash’ on it, you can’t miss it.Even you can’t screw this up, Hotshot.”
“Maybe I should call someone to pick it up.Now I get why the other guys travel with assistants.”
“Call your fictional D-cup blonde, maybe she’ll break a nail for you.”
He grumbled, but when she glanced back from the bedroom doorway, he was stooped tying the garbage bag.
He’d welcomed her into his world, now he was getting a taste of hers.
FIVE
WEDDING.Marriage.
Formal labels that didn’t quite fit their relationship.
Yet they did help her and Rourke figure out where the hell they were supposed to be in the courthouse.Choosing to do this thing in front of a judge was more them than any other option.
As they stood there, ready to get it done, said judge asked an interesting question.
“Have you written your own vows?”
Vows.Huh.
“Vows?”Rourke asked, sucking his lips and bobbing his brows at her.“Uh… yeah.We’ve done that.Are they compulsory?”
“We don’t have to,” she said.“We don’t have to say anything.Filing the paperwork is what’s important.”
“No, hey, we can do this,” he said, admiring the plunge of her cowl neck dress for the fiftieth time.
Her soon-to-be husband was only trying to rile her, probably the judge too, he’d noticed a couple of times himself.Maybe it helped that Rourke knew there was no bra underneath.Maybe he was thinking about the kitchen and Leon’s call.
“It’s—”
“No.Vows.We can do vows.”Rather than take her hands or caress her face as other men in his position might, he landed his hands on her shoulders and bent his knees to stoop closer to her level.“I choose you.Simple as that.It’s us.That’s it.You and me.Over everything and everyone else.There’s nothing without you, Radley.”
“Damnit,” she murmured.
She couldn’t swoon but did bite the inside corner of her lip.Even in simplicity the guy went one better.
He returned to full height, his hands falling loose at his sides.“Your turn.”
“Vows,” she muttered under her breath.“You’re an arrogant asshole who—” She paused to make eye contact with the judge, “am I allowed to curse?”The judge looked at the guy to his left, who shrugged.Obviously it wasn’t a frequent request.“Okay, I’ll call him a jerk instead.You’re an arrogant jerk, but you’re my arrogant jerk and you will always be my arrogant jerk.Love it or loathe it, happy or sad, there’s nothing without you, Xavie.”
