AllFreeNovel
Share Us
She’d put her black mini-dress back on. Her suitcase had been brought up from the front desk, where she’d left it, and she’d teased him with a glimpse of a leather corset, but she decided she wanted to be able to show their mothers a wedding photo so it had been stashed away again. She’d look good shimmying out of that dress in a bit, and weird and free would at least make for a good story.
And it did. They laughed, and drank, and stumbled out two hours later feeling pretty damn good.
Even though it was the middle of the night back east, Laney texted her sister a picture of them in front of the show poster—both of them flushed and happy. Evie was apparently awake, because she called Laney just as they arrived back at the Venetian. From the half of the conversation he was privy to, he gleaned that their infant niece Ava was teething and waking everyone up at all hours. So Evie was happy to hear about a bit of adult fun in Vegas, but before Laney could wiggle out of the conversation, her too-clever older sister had cottoned on to their secret plan.
“Maybe,” Laney said into the phone, biting her lip. Kyle wrapped his arms around her waist and eased her to sit on a stone bench overlooking the man-made canal outside the hotel. “It’s just time, you know? And planning a wedding in Wardham when we don’t live there—”
She nodded along, still worrying her lip as her sister talked. Kyle braced himself for Evie to talk Laney out of the plan, so when she murmured a few last words and hung up the phone, he didn’t say anything. She didn’t either, for a minute, just leaned against him.
“There’s something about a hot summer night,” she said suddenly. Her gaze was fixed straight ahead and he couldn’t get a read on what she was thinking from her profile. God, she was gorgeous. Her normally porcelain skin glowed in the lamps overhead, and her shiny hair floated around her head in a loose up-do. Like she’d been spun from gold.
He’d been in love with her all his life and woke up every day thinking it wasn’t possible to love her more. And then she’d tell him how she’d helped rebuild someone’s face, totally off-the-cuff, like that was something people could just do, and he’d fall a little deeper. Or he’d find her cuddling with Buddy on the couch, whispering secret thoughts to their furry companion. And now here they were, about to do something just for them, and he couldn’t resent her for having second thoughts, because she just wanted to make their families happy. Deeper. Just like that.
“You want to go for a walk?” he asked, not sure what he wanted the answer to be. Yes, to soak up more of this city that didn’t sleep. No, because the privacy of their room beckoned, where they could celebrate their love even if they weren’t going to act on the license in his pocket.
As if she hadn’t heard his question, she pushed off the bench and headed to the railing. There weren’t any gondola rides to be had at this hour, and while people were out and about, quiet sounds filled the warm air around them. The water below Laney lapped gently against the walls of the canal. In the distance, cars sped up and slowed down. And ten feet away from him, Kyle’s almost-wife sighed.
“What I want,” she said, turning back to face him, her hands outstretched, “is to marry you tomorrow at three in the afternoon. Invited guests will include Elvis and any hobos we stumble across on the way there.”
He leaped up and took her hands, twirling her into a close embrace, her back nestled against his front. “And our families?”
“They’ll get to see the pictures.” She hummed a few bars from an old Alan Jackson song, one of her favourites, and he rocked her in his arms.
“Want to dance?” She nodded and he spun her into position. They did this pretty often—usually in their kitchen, not in the courtyard of a hotel, but spontaneous dancing was spontaneous dancing. Sort of their thing. And a total turn-on for Laney. Ergo, a no-brainer for Kyle.
The hem of her dress slid up and down his thigh as they turned and twisted together. The temptation to drop his hand and play with the bare skin of her leg proved irresistible. Instead of batting his hand away, she hooked her leg around his, freezing them in a locked together stance. She stroked her fingertips up and down his neck for a moment, just staring into his eyes, and what could have been totally cheesy was actually totally perfect.
“You want to take me back to your room for that striptease, high roller?” Laney desperately wanted to lighten the mood. She didn’t know how Kyle dealt with all the big feelings he had.
“Is that your way of dodging around whatever heavy thoughts are in your head?”
“Wow, got it in one. Impressive.” She licked along his jaw. “Can I distract you by promising Canadian rules for the stripping?”
He laughed. “Sweetheart, you naked is awesome, but it’s not new and shiny anymore. I’m not so easily distracted. Talk to me.”
Where to start. A weird ache made itself known in her chest and she sighed. “You know what my sister said? ‘Is that the kind of wedding you want to tell your grandkids about?’”
“Ahhh.” He kissed her forehead and smiled down at her. God, he undid her with his constant understanding. “Well, it’s the kind of wedding I’m happy to tell my mom about, which I think is sort of the same question. Point is, is it the kind of wedding you want?”
“Just you and me?” This was steadier ground. “Absolutely. Because that’s what it might be for us—there might not be kids and grandkids. But…” She hadn’t trailed off because the words were hard to find. She just didn’t know if she was being silly or not. He waited, just being the usual big, strong, rock of her life. “I do want a dress.”
He teased one finger under the skinny strap and tugged it down, taking her bra strap with it. He kissed her bare shoulder, sending shivers down her spine. “I like this dress.”
“I want a lacy dress and flowers. Maybe blue shoes.” He licked along her collarbone to the hollow at the base of her neck, and she sucked in a needy breath. “Can we go shopping in the morning?”
“We can do whatever you want, wife-of-mine.” He found her mouth, kissing her with abandon. Around them, the Las Vegas night faded away and she moaned, unable to hold back.
“Let me take you to bed, Laney,” he whispered, pressing their foreheads together. “I’ll show you just how perfect we are, no matter what.”
Back in their room, they quietly stripped and brushed their teeth side-by-side. There was no urgency, just a heady promise that their bed was waiting for them. And when they tumbled into it, hot with the knowledge that the next day was their wedding day, the love they made was sweet and slow and, indeed, quite perfect.
Laney woke first. They hadn’t drawn the blackout blinds, so warm sun hit her face around eight and she sat up like a shot. Holy crap, we’re getting married. She looked at Kyle, flopped out on his stomach, sleeping like a baby. An overgrown, gorgeous baby with a tight butt and slightly unruly golden brown hair, now starting to fleck with silver threads. When did that happen? She pressed a gentle kiss between his shoulder blades and reached for the phone to order some breakfast.
She heard the knock as she was getting out of the shower, then the low rumble of Kyle’s voice as he tipped the waiter.
“You smell yummy,” he said as they kissed good morning.
“Special wedding moisturizer.”
