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For the first time ever it occurred to her that Axl might have the same fears about putting his heart on the line as she had. It made her feel tender toward him and overwhelmed with love.
“I do,” she told him, fully aware of the irony of those words. She leaned into him, gripping the front of his tuxedo shirt so she could give him a soft kiss. “I never thought, in a million years, that a guy like you, with a girl like me…”
He cupped her cheeks and he kissed her over and over. “Hey, California, haven’t you noticed that we have very similar personalities? It could work, you know. You and me. I want it to work.”
“Thank you for not wanting to change me,” she said, and she meant that with everything inside her. “For thinking that I’m enough.”
“You are more than enough. You’re everything.”
Her heart swelled to the point she thought it might explode.
“And hey, I want you to know I appreciate that you see in me stuff no one else does. That you think I’m, you know, normal.”
She’d never seen him look vulnerable but he did now. The marine turned cop had his own insecurities, she realized. She gave him a soft kiss. “Axl, there is nothing abnormal about you at all.”
“What do we do now?” she asked, when he didn’t seem inclined to do anything other than brush his lips over hers again.
“I say we cancel the wedding and figure out how we can date long distance and really get to know each other.”
It sounded like a plan to her. “Do you think that will work?”
“It will if we want it to.” He ran a finger over her bottom lip. “You look stunning, by the way. You blew me away. For a second, I couldn’t breathe when I saw you.”
She believed him, and it was the greatest, most amazing compliment. She felt her cheeks burn. From modesty, arousal. From love. “Thank you. You wear a tux well. You’re the hottest groom I’ve ever seen.” She meant that.
“I am so turned on right now by you, by knowing you care about me. Does that make me an asshole?”
She laughed. “No. I’m sitting here hoping we can still have a wedding night, even without the wedding.”
His eyes darkened. “Hell yeah.”
“I guess I’m going to get fired,” she said, wrinkling her nose. “And I don’t even care.”
“Maybe not. This right here.” He gestured to each of them, to the lake, and their guests. “This is TV gold. You can’t even write this shit.”
He probably had a point. “I guess we have to go back.”
“I could start the engine up and we can just drive. Go to Canada and have a fake honeymoon in a cabin in the woods.”
It was tempting. “As much as I’d love to, I think we might owe everyone some sort of explanation.”
“You mean telling everyone go home doesn’t cut it?” He gave her a grin.
“No.” Leighton shook her head at him. “Now drive, Ice Man.”
“Ten bucks says they start calling you Runaway Bride at work.”
Leighton laughed, her heart full. She was so happy to be with Axl, she didn’t even care. “They can bring it. I’m ready. I’m not going to keep my job anyway. I kind of think there might be other options I’d like to explore. Maybe a floral shop or a tea shop or a dress shop. In Minnesota. At some point.”
The look he gave her set her inner thighs aflame.
“I’m ready too then,” he said.
Fourteen
“I’m not going to lie,” Jesse said, standing by the bar under the tent. “This is the best wedding I’ve ever been to.”
Axl laughed. “Thanks, man.” After apologizing to everyone there wouldn’t be an actual wedding, they had made the decision to go ahead with the dinner and dancing. It was all paid for, no reason not to enjoy it. Especially since he and Leighton weren’t ending a relationship. They were just getting started.
