by Parker, Ali
I laughed at her disgruntlement, knowing she was happy for me. All of them were. We talked about Vegas and our plans for the future. We feasted on the many treats Mira had made, not needing a real dinner. It was a very relaxed setting, and I enjoyed it immensely.
We hung out for hours until the sun began to set low in the sky, casting the area in gorgeous warm colors that perfectly suited a wonderful evening. Mira left after a while before Richie said his goodbyes.
“I’ll see you two in the morning,” Khloe said, covering her yawn with a hand. “I don’t know about the two of you, but I was up very late last night.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Doing what?”
She grinned. “Watching a movie.”
“Alone?” I asked.
She shrugged. “A good girl should never kiss and tell.”
“You’re not a good girl,” I retorted.
She walked away, leaving Trent and me alone on the patio. We were both exhausted. The high of getting married on a whim was starting to fade. It was back to reality. Fortunately, I didn’t have to work tomorrow, but it was going to be a busy day. There was a lot to be done, especially now that I was going to be moving into the house with Trent.
“I know it’s early, but are you ready to turn in?” Trent asked.
I laughed. “We’re already an old married couple. In bed by eight.”
“This old married couple has had a busy couple of days and an even busier several weeks ahead of them. I think we can get away with going to bed early.”
“I am beat and would love to go to bed—with my husband,” I added.
“I’ll get Leia taken care of and join you soon,” he said, rising up from his chair.
He extended his hand, lifting me up and giving me a quick kiss before we parted ways. I walked through the house, marveling at the luxuriousness, and wondered if he would miss it. The house in Fresno was still a million-dollar home, but it did not compare to the one in Tahoe.
I was going to do my best to make it a home he loved coming to every night. It would be a real home with pictures of us and Leia. There would be little hints of us that would make it warm and inviting. I smiled as I imagined me setting up the house, building my little nest that might one day be a place for children.
I changed into my simple pajamas and crawled into bed, waiting for Trent. He came into the room a few minutes later, moving slowly and looking like a man that had been going too hard for too long.
I pulled the covers back and patted the spot next to me. “Get in here.”
He grinned and stripped down to his briefs before climbing into bed. “Did you miss me?”
“I did. Is there anything I can do to help your leg?”
“That obvious, huh?”
“Yes, I can get some ice for it,” I offered.
“I’ll be fine,” he insisted, which wasn’t a no.
I gave him a quick kiss and jumped out of bed. “I’ll be right back.”
“Sade, you don’t have to do that.”
“And you don’t have to buy me things, but you do. I want to do this. I want you to feel better, but most importantly, I want to take care of you. I don’t remember much of our vows, but I think there was a part in there about in sickness and in health.”
He laughed. “I’m not sick.”
“But you’re hurting, and I’m going to make it better. I’ll grab some ibuprofen while I’m there.”
It felt good to take care of him. I didn’t want him to be hurt or sick, but I liked the idea of nurturing him. When I returned a few minutes later, he was nearly asleep. His head was propped up on the pillow, the blanket up to his waist and his chest exposed.
“Thank you,” he said after taking the meds and allowing me to put the bag of ice on his leg.
“You’re welcome.”
I climbed into bed beside him, throwing my arm over his waist and scooting close to him.
“I feel better already,” he said in a low voice.
“Good.”
We lay together for several minutes. “Goodnight, wife.”
“Goodnight, husband.”
I closed my eyes and let myself drift off. I felt safe and complete in his arms and completely content. Everything was right in my world.
Chapter 57
Trent
I was thrilled when I woke up with Sade in my arms. I had a brief glimpse into my future and knew she would be in my arms every morning for years to come. My wife. I had a wife I loved dearly, and she loved me. We were going to be sharing a home and making a life together.
Every time I thought about it, I got a feeling of inner warmth and peace that was indescribable. I dropped a light kiss on her head and disentangled myself from her sleeping body. I needed to check on Leia, and I had a lot to get done. As much as I hated leaving the warmth of her soft body, I wanted to do what was necessary to ensure I got to sleep in the same bed as her every night.
I tiptoed out of the room and down the hall. Leia was on the back porch, having used her doggy door to go outside. I opened the door and accepted her good-morning kisses while rubbing her head and belly.
“How you doing, girl? Are you ready to move? You’ll love the backyard. There’s no beach, but you can run and run and run.”
The dog seemed happy with the news. Then again, she always seemed happy. I gave her a few more ear rubs before leaving the door open and going into the kitchen to make some coffee. I took the coffee and went outside to sit on the patio to enjoy the fresh air.
Truthfully, I was going to miss the lake and the gorgeous views, but I was looking forward to the view of Sade beside me all the time. That more than made up for the lack of a lake in my backyard. I stared out at the water that looked like it had a glass top and let myself get lost in the daydream.
My ringing phone snapped me back to reality. I grabbed it and winced when I saw the name and number on my screen. It was Justin. He’d talked with Sade yesterday, but he hadn’t exactly been thrilled with the news of our marriage. I had a feeling I was about to get my ass chewed.
“Good morning,” I answered in a cheery voice.
“Trent, it’s Justin,” he announced as if I didn’t already know that.
“Yes, sir. How are you?”
“I’d be a lot better if someone could explain to me why my little girl eloped to Vegas without a word to any of the people she loves,” he stated.
I cleared my throat. “It was a spur of the moment thing.”
“Is she pregnant?”
I nearly spit my coffee out. “No, sir!”
In truth, I wasn’t sure. I’d have to talk to her about that situation. Things always got so heated between us, birth control was the last thing on our minds.
“Then why in the hell would you deprive her of the chance to be a real bride? Why in the hell would you deprive me the honor of walking my only daughter—hell my only child—down the aisle? Why would you deprive her mother the thrill of shopping for a dress and planning a wedding?”
I felt awful. “I’m sorry, sir.”
“Stop calling me sir, goddammit!”
I heard a woman in the background and muffled arguing. “Justin, I’m sorry. We were thinking we could have a big ceremony or a reception once we moved to Fresno and got settled.”
He scoffed. “That’s like closing the barn door after the horses escape.”
“If she wants a wedding, I will give her the best damn wedding she can have,” I said, starting to find the courage to stand up to him. “If she doesn’t want a wedding, then I will respect her wishes. I will do whatever it takes to make her happy. She’s what matters most in my life.”
There was silence for a few very long seconds. I half-expected him to order me to do a hundred push-ups. “Fine, but she owes me a dance at the very least.”
I smiled. “I’ll make sure she knows that. Honestly, I’d like to have a celebration. I’d love to see her in a beautiful gown, but if that’s not what she wants, I won’t pressure her into doing it.”<
br />
“I sure as hell will.”
I laughed. “Good luck with that.”
We talked a bit more about the coming move and his new job. Apparently, they were going to be leaving their house in Texas in the care of a company that would take care of the cleaning and selling of the property. They were both anxious to get to California. I knew that was going to make Sade very happy.
We ended the call. I needed more coffee after the grilling. I headed back inside and found Sade standing in front of the toaster. I walked to her and wrapped my arms around her waist, nuzzling her neck with my mouth.
“Good morning,” I whispered.
“Good morning to you. Who were you on the phone with? Things looked a little heated.”
I grimaced and stepped away from her to pour myself another cup of coffee. “Your dad.”
“Oh no,” she gasped.
“It’s fine. I think he’s okay now, but he was not happy to start with.”
“Because of the marriage?”
I laughed. “Yes, but mostly because of the lack of a wedding. He says you owe him a dance, and he is going to pressure you into doing something big.”
She groaned. “Great.”
“Hey, if you don’t want to put on a beautiful dress and walk down the aisle and all the other traditional things, you don’t have to. We’ll do whatever you want.”
She nodded. “Maybe once we’re moved and settled and my parents are settled, we can think about it. I don’t regret what we did. It was the right thing to do for us.”
“I completely agree. I told your father I would do whatever made you happy. You know you have unlimited money at your disposal to plan a wedding that would rival Will and Kate, or you can do something small. I am completely on board with whatever you want to do.”
“You don’t have an opinion one way or another?” she asked, looking at me over the rim of her coffee cup.
I shrugged. “Not really, although I would like to see you in a beautiful gown. But I only want that if it makes you feel good. I don’t want you wearing something you hate and have you completely miserable. You are most beautiful when you’re happy.”
“Thank you. You always know just what to say.”
I chuckled. “I certainly try. Now, how about I make you a real breakfast? Then we need to get loaded up and on our way back to Fresno.”
“You’re coming with us?” she asked with surprise.
“Yes, I need to be there to sign some papers on the house, and well, I want to. Richie can handle things here.”
She grinned. “Works for me.”
I grabbed what I needed to make breakfast. Khloe joined us in the kitchen, and she and Sade talked about the move and what it all meant. After all of us were fed, it was time to get down to business, and that meant I needed my PA.
We showered and dressed for the day, leaving Sade to pack her things while Khloe and I went into my office to have a conference call with Gabe and Richie. We spent the next thirty minutes going over hotel business and coordinating schedules. I was going to be doing a lot of telecommuting. Once we were through with the call, I went in search of Sade.
She was out on the patio with Leia curled up next to her on the lounge chair. “There are my two favorite ladies in the world,” I said, walking out to give them each a kiss on top of their heads.
“All done?” Sade asked.
“I am. Are you packed?”
“Yep.”
“Khloe’s grabbing her things and then we can go. Are you sure you don’t mind me crashing at your place?”
She rolled her eyes. “You’re my husband. You’re not crashing at my place.”
I laughed. “Oh yeah. I forget that now and again.”
She giggled. “Me too.”
“I’m going to grab my stuff.” I looked at Leia. I hated to leave her behind but was hoping she could come soon.
It was twenty minutes later when we were piled into the back of the SUV and on our way to the hangar once again. The commute was getting old. I was really looking forward to settling into the new house. We boarded the helicopter and headed home. Home was Fresno now. That was where I belonged.
By the time we got back to her condo, I was inundated with phone calls from the realtor, the bank, Richie, and Gabe. I would have loved to chill out for the day, but I couldn’t.
“He’s got the closing docs!” Khloe squealed from her place at the dining table where she had set up her laptop to work.
I was sitting on the couch with my own laptop, trying to address the many concerns Gabe had about the carpeting I had ordered for the new hotel.
“Here?” I asked.
“Yep,” she answered. “He’s at his office and ready for you to sign.”
“Let’s go,” I said, closing my laptop and getting up from the couch.
“Me too?” Khloe asked.
“Yes. We have more business to take care of, and I have found riding in the back of a chauffeured car is a great time to do it.”
She nodded and shut down her laptop. “I’ll grab my shoes.”
I went into the bedroom and found Sade folding laundry. I loved watching her do something so domesticated. I pulled her into my arms for a hug and dropped a kiss on her forehead. “I’d love for you to come with us.”
“Where?”
“The realtor’s office to sign some documents. You’re my wife, and I want your name on the house as well. He’s pushing things through very fast. The title company is already working on the docs. I would love for us to make this our first official act as a married couple.”
“In that case, I’d love to,” she answered with a smile.
“Great!”
Khloe and I went over my schedule for the week as we were driven to the office. It was going to be busy. Sade and I signed the paperwork, and the realtor promised to pull some strings to get the closing done in a hurry. I had no doubt in my mind he would do exactly that. After all, there was a fat commission check at the end of the road for him.
“Why don’t we grab some lunch, and we can start the hunt for a permanent driver?” I said to the ladies.
“You should go car shopping too,” Khloe chimed in. “Sade needs a car, and it will be better if she has a big scary man with her.”
“No!” she protested. “You guys have plenty to do. I can look for a car later.”
“Baby, I want to be living in that house within two weeks. You need a car. Unless you’ve changed your mind about letting me hire you a driver?”
She shook her head. “No, I don’t need a driver. How ridiculous would that be, to show up at work in a chauffeured car?”
I laughed. “I do it every day.”
“But you’re you. I work at a lab making a step above minimum wage. No way.”
“Okay, okay. Khloe, add car shopping to the schedule today.”
She smiled and nodded while Sade glared at her. I wanted to buy her something nice as well as safe. I would pay cash, and the process would be exponentially sped up. She’d be driving us home in her new car today if I had my way.
Khloe had pulled up the addresses of three different car lots. Sade had actually thought she was going to be driving some used car that could break down at any minute. It took a little persuading, but we drove off the lot in a brand-new Mercedes E class.
“You like it,” I teased from the passenger seat of her new car. “You can admit it.”
She giggled. “I do. It drives so smooth.”
“It’s an awesome car,” Khloe said from the backseat. “I’m going to hit my boss up for a raise so I can buy one just like it.”
We all laughed and enjoyed the ride as Sade took the long way back to her condo. I liked seeing her happy, and I especially liked knowing I didn’t have to worry about her breaking down and getting stranded near a dark alley.
Chapter 58
Sade
I was excited to drive to work. I loved my new car. I would have never, ever expected to be driving such a nice car, but Tr
ent was not a man to be ignored. He had some very serious demands about the safety features he wanted, and the Mercedes checked all of the boxes. It made me feel truly loved to know he was so worried about my safety.
My lips were still tingling from the very intense goodbye kiss I had gotten before I left the condo. It made me very excited for the end of my day when I would get to go home to his waiting arms. I really liked the idea of being married and knowing I had a partner for life.
I walked into the break room to put away my purse and was nearly pounced on by Holly. “You fucking eloped!” she nearly shouted.
I scowled. “Shh.”
She grabbed my hand and looked at my ring, her eyes going wide. “Oh my god! You actually did it.”
I smiled. “I did.”
“I can’t believe you eloped. In Vegas. That’s so cliché and goes against everything I thought I knew about you.”
I giggled. “I know. That’s why it’s so awesome. It was completely out of character for me. I have never been happier. I don’t regret it for a second.”
She threw her arms around me and gave me a bear hug. “I’m really happy for you. Does this mean you’re going to be quitting here?”
I shook my head. “No. Why would I quit?”
“Uh, because you’re one half of a billionaire couple.”
I hadn’t quite seen it like that. “No. I’m just Sade and he’s Trent. We both have jobs we love, and neither of us is looking to run away and retire to the south of France or wherever it is billionaires retire to.”
She laughed. “I would. I would quit in a heartbeat.”
“I love my job. I worked way too hard for too many years to just walk away.”
“I think you’re crazy, but whatever makes you happy,” she commented.
I smiled. “I am filled with happiness. My cup truly runneth over.”
She groaned. “Oh, you’re going to be one of those glowing, sappy newlyweds?”
“I am. Damn straight I am. Have you seen my husband?”
She burst into laughter. “And you’re so humble.”
