I want to press my lips against that flutter. I wantto hear her breath hitch when I put my mouth on her skin. I want to kiss her slowly, everywhere, take my time with her until her pulse is going fast for a whole different reason. Sink into her heat and softness and make her mine in truth, fuck whatever complications come after.
Dangerous thoughts.
“Yes,” she whispers. “Do you? It’s not too late to change your mind.”
My thumb skims over the glittering stone. It feels like a victory, that she likes it. It’s the way I feel after a hard-won game, except warmer. Deeper.
“Not a chance,” I tell her. “My mind is made up.”
Chapter 14
Twenty Four Karat Cake
LILA
We decide to FaceTime my family from Slade’s house. My stomach is knotted with dread at having to make this call and deal with all of them, but with Lucky laying across my feet and Slade standing next to me at the kitchen island, I feel like I can do this without throwing up.
We have to be close to each other to both fit in the video frame, but if he notices the fact that our bodies pressed up are tight against each other, he doesn’t say it.
“Ready?” he asks.
I nod. I scheduled this call through the family lawyer, who will also be present, so they all know something significant is happening.
“Wait,” I say. “We need to set a date. I know we can go back down to the courthouse for the marriage itself any time, but we’ll have to tell my family a date.”
“About that…” Slade’s fingers tap on the stone countertop. “I was thinking we could get married at Rosemont.”
Surprise moves through me. “You want to have the ceremony at your family’s estate?”
He shrugs. “Feels right. My sister Josie will be flying in for this. And Walker and Sadie will have the kids there. Be easier to wrangle everyone if we do it at home.”
“We only need one witness,” I say faintly. “I didn’t realize you wanted your whole family there.”
Hesitation flickers through his expression. “Is that okay? We don’t have to, if it’s too much. I just…” He scrubs a hand down his jaw. “I know what this is. But you’re going to be my wife. Even for a little while. Seems worth doing right.”
I think I understand. He’s spent more than half his life moving between cities, between teams, between temporary apartments and temporary arrangements. It’s got to be hard on your psyche, never settling down. Maybe he wants to do this one thing in the place that has always been permanent. The one place he always comes back to.
“I’d love to get married at Rosemont.” I look at the ring on my finger. “But that doesn’t leave us much time to plan something.”
“My brother had a wedding planner who put everything together last-minute and it all came together. If you just want someone to take it all off your plate.”
“Okay,” I say, relieved. “Truthfully, it’s music to my ears. You’d think in my line of work I’d want to be involved in every little detail, but…”
He understands instantly. “You’ve got a lot on your plate already. Let’s let someone else handle logistics. “
“Exactly.” The designer in me has me saying the next thing immediately. “We can keep the budget low?—”
He shakes his head. “Nope.”
“Nope?”
“This wedding can be anything you want. Budget isn’t a concern.”
He said the same thing about the house renovation. And the vet bill. And the locksmith. And the ring. I’m starting to see a pattern. I’m beginning to think Slade Rhodes has two modes: not doing something at all, and doing it without any regard for what it costs.
I’m about to object, because there’s a difference between a client telling you there’s no budget to speak of, and your husband-to-be telling you to spend all his money on a wedding. Seven years of financial independence and I still feel the reflex to object to someone spending money on me.
I try to keep a straight face as I say, “What if I want an ice luge you can take shots out of?”
