by Parker, Ali
I very carefully moved, reaching for my phone and turned it on, quickly turning it to vibrate. There were several messages from Richie and Khloe. They’d apparently spread the word about our elopement. There was a message from Mira, along with another from Ashley at work.
I should have known Richie wouldn’t be able to keep the news a secret. I didn’t care who knew. Hell, I would take out a front-page ad in every paper in the country. I was proud as hell to be married to Sade. I quickly sent a message to Richie, letting him know we would be back home around lunch. Then, it was a text to my pilot, letting him know when we’d be ready to head home.
I put the phone back on the nightstand and rolled to my side to watch her sleep. Her hand moved up, sliding under the pillow. It was glaringly naked. I wanted her to wear a ring. I wanted the world to know she was mine.
“You’re watching me sleep,” she mumbled, not opening her eyes.
“I like watching you sleep. Hell, I like watching you do anything.”
Her eyes opened, and she looked at me. “Are you really my husband?”
“I am.”
She grinned. “I wasn’t sure if it had been one of those wild dreams that lasts forever. Married. We’re actually fucking married.”
My brows shot up at the F-bomb. “Are you okay with that?”
“Yes. I am still in shock. Not shock. Like that feeling you would get if you won the lottery or got an A on a test you were convinced you failed. I’m in a happy state of disbelief.”
“I texted Richie and let him know we’d be home after noon.”
She yawned. “What time is it?”
“Nine.”
“What? Oh my god! I never sleep that late!”
“You were up late,” I reminded her.
She grinned. “Yes, I was because we are on our honeymoon.”
“I want to give you a real honeymoon once things are settled. For now, would you settle for a brunch?”
She giggled, nodding. “Brunch sounds delicious.”
“We can take a walk along the Strip,” I suggested.
“Sure, if you’re up for it.”
“I’ll be fine,” I assured her.
“I guess we’re doing the walk of shame,” she said, sitting up.
“The walk of shame?”
“We’ll be wearing last night’s clothes,” she said with a laugh. “My makeup is probably smeared over my face, and I imagine my hair is a mess.”
“Sorry, I didn’t think about the logistics to our overnight stay. I’ll call the concierge and have something picked up for us to change into. What kind of makeup do you need?”
She smiled and shook her head. “I don’t need any makeup. I’ll shower and be just fine. I don’t mind wearing the same thing. I just think it’s kind of funny.”
“All right,” I said, already planning to make the call.
She got up and went into the bathroom. I immediately called down to the front desk and asked for clothing to be delivered. Fortunately, the hotel had a variety of shops in the lobby. It was high-end designer stuff, but I didn’t mind the hefty price tag. I wanted her to be comfortable while we did a little shopping.
I planned on putting a ring on it. When we landed back in Tahoe, I wanted her to be able to flash a ring that made it all real. Without a ring, it didn’t feel real. The concierge personally delivered the packages to the room right behind the room service I had ordered.
When Sade came out of the bedroom, she was wearing the fluffy white robe. “I smell coffee.”
“I had room service bring up some coffee and fresh fruit.”
She reached for the carafe, poured herself a cup, and sat down in one of the chairs. That was when she noticed the bags sitting on the floor. “What’s that?”
I shrugged. “New outfits for the day.”
“Trent!”
“I wanted you to be comfortable, and I wanted to be comfortable.”
She got up and opened one bag, pulling out the sundress and the sandals I had asked for. “Oh my god, these shoes!” she exclaimed.
“Do you like them?” I asked, not sure if it was a happy exclamation or a disgusted one.
“Yes, but seriously? These are like a five-hundred-dollar pair of shoes!”
“Please don’t tell me I can’t buy my wife nice things,” I moaned.
She laughed and put the shoes down, walking toward me to drop a kiss on my lips. I pulled her into my lap. “Does that mean I can?”
“I don’t think I’m going to be able to stop you.”
I winked. “Nope.”
“Thank you. The shoes and the dress are gorgeous. You’re going to spoil me at this rate.”
“I plan to do exactly that. I like to spoil you.”
“I’m going to get dressed. I cannot wait to wear those shoes.”
I smiled, patting her on the backside as she walked away. I loved seeing her happy. I knew I would have to ease her into the opulent lifestyle I planned on giving her, but I was determined to give her anything she wanted and everything she needed. I would always take care of her.
She came out of the room, dressed and looking wonderful as always. “I like it.”
“I love it, and these shoes? Khloe is going to be so jealous!”
“I’m going to hop in the shower. We can grab a real breakfast or lunch when we’re out.”
“Sounds good,” she said.
I quickly showered, anxious to do a little shopping with her. Mostly, it was the jewelry store I was interested in. It didn’t open for another hour. I was going to surprise her and take her in. If I told her my plans, she would assure me she didn’t need a ring and so forth.
I was buying her a damn ring.
We opted to carry our clothing in the bags from the hotel as we strolled down the Strip. I steered her in the direction of the jewelry store. We walked past it without her saying a word about it.
“Are you ready for an early lunch?” I asked when we came upon a café a block away from the jewelry store.
“Sure, if you’re hungry.”
“I am,” I said, checking the time again.
I was anxious to buy the ring. I couldn’t explain why it was such a big deal to me, but it was. We ordered BLTs and fries, enjoying a casual lunch. Once we were finished, I led her back the way we had come.
“Are we meeting the car somewhere?” she asked.
“Not yet.”
“I can see that look of determination in your eyes. What’s going on?”
I laughed. “You are truly my wife when you know when I’m up to something.”
“Damn straight. So, what’s going on?”
I stopped in front of the jewelry store. “I want you to have a ring. Will you please let me put a ring on your finger?”
She smiled. “Yes. Go crazy, but not too crazy. Remember, I’ll be wearing it at work. I don’t want a small planet sitting on my finger getting in the way of things.”
I chuckled. “Duly noted. The size of a baseball is okay, though?”
She laughed and shook her head. “Will you be wearing a ring?”
“Would you like me to wear a ring?”
“Yes.”
“Then I will.”
We walked into the store, and three eager salespeople jumped at the chance to help us. I gravitated toward the simple bands.
“Um, not quite that plain,” she said, steering me over to the diamond rings.
I breathed out a sigh of relief. “Thank god. I would get you the prettiest band if that’s what you wanted, but I am thrilled to buy you something sparkly.”
She was already looking at the men’s rings. I didn’t care for jewelry and hoped she wasn’t leaning toward any of the flashy bands.
“Can I see that one?” I heard her ask, pointing through the glass case. The man pulled out a box and placed it on the glass top. She looked at me and smiled. “What do you think?”
I looked at the black band with blue and white accents. It wasn’t flashy, and there was no sp
arkle, which was perfect for me. “I like it.”
“I think it will match your style, and it isn’t going to blind anyone.” She giggled.
“Now, let’s find you a ring.”
We looked at several styles. Each time one was put onto the case, I studied her face to see her reaction. None of them were giving her that wow factor.
“That one is pretty.” She pointed to a ring that looked very similar to the one we had picked for me.
“Do you like it?” I asked.
The salesman pulled it out of the case. I saw Sade’s face light up, and I knew we had found the right ring. It was pretty and dainty and had bright blue sapphires in the band and around the diamond setting. It was subtle and classy and absolutely perfect for her.
“I love it,” she said breathlessly. “It’s unique and stylish, and I love the art-deco look.”
I smiled. “We’ll take them both,” I said to the salesman and pulled out my black AmEx.
The salesman quickly rang up the sale. I slid the ring onto her finger, watching her face light up. She put my ring on my finger.
“Congratulations,” the salesman said. “When is the wedding?”
“Last night,” I answered with a laugh. “We like to do things out of order.”
The man nodded and handed me the small black bag with the empty boxes inside. We walked outside, and Sade immediately held out her left hand, the diamond sparkling in the sunlight.
“It feels so real now,” she gasped.
“Which is exactly why I wanted you to have a ring. And me too.”
“We’re really married,” she said, her voice full of disbelief.
“We’re really married.”
I hailed a taxi and asked to be taken to the airport where my helicopter was waiting for us. The whole ride over, Sade stared at the ring.
“This ring is stunning. Thank you.”
“Don’t thank me for giving you a wedding ring. You’re my wife.”
She giggled. “Sorry. That is really going to take some getting used to.”
I put my arm around her, and my eye immediately caught on the ring on my own hand. I had never worn a ring. It was going to feel a little strange for a while, but every time I looked at the ring, I was going to think of her. I would remember the trip to Vegas and the way she had looked when I slid the ring on her finger.
I was already thinking about the earrings I would get her to match the ring, along with a necklace. I smiled thinking about the protest she would wage, but I would prevail. She would soon realize how much joy I got from giving her things.
Chapter 56
Sade
My face hurt from smiling so much. It felt like I had been smiling since yesterday. I had, I supposed. I couldn’t stop. There was so much to be happy about. Everything was perfect. I looked to my left, smiling at Trent as we flew back to Lake Tahoe. He looked back at me and smiled.
I wondered if he knew just how awesome he was. I was going to make it my mission as his wife to remind him all the time. I wanted him to know just how special he was to me. I knew there would be struggles and eventually some arguments, but I made a promise to myself just then that I would remember the moment he slid the ring on my finger.
It was so much more than a ring. It was a symbol of his love, and seeing the love in his eyes when he put that ring on my finger was something I would forever cherish. Even when he left the seat up on the toilet or did something that made me crazy, I would remember that moment, and all of my frustrations would be forgotten.
Bentley was the first to congratulate us when we touched down. He had been grinning like a fool as we walked toward the car. He embraced Trent and then gave me a hug as well.
“You ready for this?” Trent asked when the car came to a stop in front of his house.
I grimaced. “I’m not sure if she’s going to be mad because we did it without her or thrilled that we did it in general.”
“I guess we’re about to find out.”
He pushed open the front door, and before we could even get all the way into the house, Khloe damn near tackled me.
“You bitch!” she yelled while hugging me. “I hate you. I can’t believe you did that!”
Her hugging contradicted her words. I had a feeling I wasn’t the only one confused about what she was feeling. She didn’t seem to know whether she was happy or sad either. Richie appeared in the foyer and embraced Trent.
Khloe finally released me and stepped back, her hands going to her hips as she glared at me. “I’m still mad at you.”
I smiled. “No, you’re not.”
“I am too. You went off and got married. Married! That isn’t something you just go and do. We didn’t get to look for dresses or fight about the ugly bridesmaid dresses or hunt for venues. You skipped a lot of steps!”
I shrugged. “I know. It’s because I wanted to get right to the good part.”
She rolled her eyes. “This new sappy you is making me sick.”
“You’ll get used to it.”
“So, what the hell happened?” she asked.
I smiled. “He asked if I wanted to go gambling, and I suggested we get married instead. You know the rest.”
She shook her head. “You crazy bitch. Come on. We’re celebrating.”
She hooked her arm around mine and dragged me toward the kitchen. Trent and Richie followed. Mira was in the kitchen, arranging cheese on a platter.
“Oh, you’re back!” she exclaimed.
“Hi, Mira,” Trent said, looking at her with apprehension.
Mira smiled and walked around the center island to pull him in for a hug. “I’m very proud of you. Congratulations.”
The relief was evident on his face as he hugged her back. “Thank you.”
“I’ve made a cake and some snacks,” she said, going back to her all-business personality.
“Oh my god, this is beautiful,” I exclaimed as Khloe dragged me into the dining room where a two-tier cake sat on the formal table. “Trent, look!”
He joined us in the dining room. His eyes went wide when he saw the wedding cake on the table with glasses of champagne surrounding it. I nearly cried. It was perfect. Mira came into the dining room and deposited the tray of various cheeses onto the table.
“Did you make that?” I asked with shock.
She smiled. “I did—with Khloe’s help.”
Khloe laughed. “Yes, she allowed me to measure out the sugar.”
“Mira, it is stunning,” I told her. “Just absolutely perfect. Thank you.”
“I had no idea you had such talents,” Trent exclaimed.
Mira waved a hand. “I make cakes for family and friends on occasion. It’s a hobby.”
“You could make a lot of money,” I blurted out.
Trent scowled at me. “Don’t give her any ideas.”
Mira only smiled. “I like my job here.”
Nails running across the floor alerted us to Leia’s impending arrival. “Brace yourself,” Trent warned a second before the dog came skidding into the dining room.
Trent greeted her before I dropped down to give her a proper greeting as well. I was rubbing behind her ears when Khloe’s hand snaked out. She grabbed my left hand and nearly toppled me to the floor.
“Oh my god!” she squealed, holding my hand close to her face. “This is gorgeous!”
“Thank you,” I said. “We picked them out this morning.”
“You have one too?” Khloe asked, spinning around to look at Trent.
He held up his hand and waggled his fingers. “I do.”
“Oh my god. You guys are really married!”
Richie clapped a hand on Trent’s back. “Congrats. I’m really happy for you.”
“Thank you.”
“Let me get my phone, and you two must cut your cake,” Mira said, rushing out of the dining room.
“I hate to cut it,” I said in a low voice. “It’s so pretty.”
“I took several pictures already,” Khloe
said. “We’ll add them to the photo album of your wedding. Oh wait, we can’t. You didn’t have a wedding.”
“Sorry, maybe we can do something later,” I told her. “We were both anxious to get the deed done.”
“I get it. I’ll probably be mad another week or so, and then it’ll be cool.”
I laughed. “Good to know.”
Mira returned a minute later carrying a large, scary knife and her phone. We posed for pictures with the cake before cutting it. We decided to take the cake, along with the cheese platter and champagne, out to the patio to enjoy the fading afternoon.
“What made you decide to get married?” Richie asked.
I looked at Trent and then back at Richie. “I don’t know exactly. It just seemed right. I think I knew a couple of weeks ago he was the man I was going to marry one day. I guess I figured, why wait?”
“Exactly,” Trent agreed. “I knew she was my wife. I wasn’t sure she knew it, and I was prepared to wait, but Sade had other plans.”
“Sade never does anything spontaneous,” Khloe said.
“Hey! I can be spontaneous.”
Khloe raised an eyebrow. “You had your entire future planned the first day I met you. I remembered thinking you were going to be a real stick in the mud. Fortunately, you are regimented but fun, and I love you.”
“Thanks, I think,” I mumbled.
“I think it’s a romantic story,” Mira chimed in. “When two people fall in love as quickly as the two of you did, it makes sense. It’s very sweet.”
“Thank you,” I said, shooting a glare at Khloe.
“Well, I can tell you all Trent plans nothing,” Richie added. “He is a hard man to keep up with, bum leg and all. He is always on the move and always jumps before looking. He’s a wild man.”
I laughed, looking proudly at my husband. “Yes, he is, which is one of the many reasons I love him.”
“Oh no,” Khloe groaned. “You’re going to get them started again. We’re going to be sitting here all night listening to them list each other’s many virtues.”
