by Grey, S. R.
“I was just thinking about something.”
“Yes?”
“I was thinking that I may be an all-in kind of guy, but you’re an all-or-nothing kind of girl.”
“Is that good?”
“It’s great.” I have to breathe her in then, so I bury my face in her hair and allow us to be just us—me and Lainey—for a while.
Eventually, though, I have to ask her some particulars regarding the wedding, which I’m kind of hoping will happen sooner rather than later.
“What kind of wedding do you think you want?”
“Hmm…” She purses her lips, then says, “I don’t think I want a big production. That just seems so…I don’t know…all-consuming or whatever.”
“How do you mean?”
“I’ve watched Aubrey the past couple of months, with her upcoming wedding, and that level of planning holds no interest for me.” She reaches out and touches my face, rubbing lightly at my stubble. “I’d rather put that energy into our relationship,” she murmurs.
I laugh. “I knew there was a reason why I wanted to marry you.” Then, in a more serious tone, I say, “Can I make another proposal?”
“Why the hell not. You’re sure full of them tonight.”
“That’s right. I’m all-in here”—I point to my chest—“remember?”
She smiles, and I go on. “We have home games this week, and only two at that. Why don’t we get married sometime during the next couple of days?”
Now that I’ve asked and she’s accepted, I can’t wait to make her Mrs. Solvenson. I guess I’m as all-or-nothing as she is. That’s what makes us so right.
Lainey is fully onboard with tying the knot right away, so we start planning. I share some info I have on a tiny chapel just outside of Las Vegas. “I think it may be perfect for us,” I say.
“How so?” she asks.
“For starters, every time I’ve ever driven by I think about how it’d be a cool place to get married. I have to warn you though that it’s kind of small and humble. But if that’s what we want, something—”
“Intimate, but special,” she finishes for me, and then proclaims, “Then it’d be the right place.”
“Exactly.”
We laugh at how in-synch we are now, and lying back on the sofa, I take her with me.
Yeah, this is going to be perfect, our eyes say when our gazes meet. Being this close, I have to kiss her, which I do for a good, long while. Eventually, though, we get back to planning, seeing as the wedding is so soon.
“What about the invite list?” I proffer.
Lainey thinks it over, tapping a finger to her lips, plump from so much kissing.
“Well,” she begins, slowly sitting up. “I obviously want Aubrey to be there. Our dream since we were little girls has always been to be each other’s maid of honor.”
I’m fine with that, of course.
Sitting up next to her, I say, “Brent should be my best man. And Benny and Dylan need to be there.”
She nods in agreement. “I’d like to invite Eliza, as well.”
We share a look, and then promptly lose it.
“Just don’t throw her the bouquet,” I say once we’ve recovered. “And I’ll be sure not to toss Benny the garter. The last thing we need is to start our marriage with Coach T gunning for my balls.”
“Hey!” She reaches over and cups said balls. Shit, that feels good. “No one guns for these except for me, especially after we’re married.”
The old me would’ve bristled over this show of possessiveness, but the new me welcomes it. There’s no one I’d rather trust my balls to—or my heart, for that matter—than Lainey soon-to-be Solvenson.
There’s No Stopping Us Now
Nolan and I pick up our marriage license the next day. When we get in the car to leave the bureau office, I call the ad agency and give them the bad news that I won’t be taking the position. Even without Nolan asking me to stay, I feel this is the best move for me. My heart was never in Chicago. I was simply trying to run away, and we all know how that works out. You simply take your problems with you.
“Are you ready to go see the chapel?” he asks when I finish the call.
“Yes.” I smile over at him as I put my phone away. “Take me to church, Nolan.”
He starts laughing, since the Hozier song of the same name—a tune we both love—comes on the radio at that exact second. He turns up the volume as he drives us out to the quaint little chapel he told me about.
“Oh my word, it is perfect,” I gush out a short while later.
I’m stepping from the car and taking in a picturesque white frame chapel with a cute bell tower and a tall steeple.
Taking Nolan’s hand, I say. “Let’s go talk to the pastor.”
To our delight, the pastor, a kindly old gentleman who looks like Colonel Sanders, agrees to marry us the next day.
“Are you sure this isn’t moving too fast for you?” I ask Nolan when we’re back in the car. I guess there’s some part of me that fears he’ll panic and back out.
But when he turns to me and replies, “Lainey, there’s no such thing as moving too fast, not anymore. My love for you is no longer defined by time,” I know he’s in it for the long run.
“I love you so much, Nolan,” I whisper in return.
He takes my hand, kisses the back. When he pauses, staring down at my fingers, looking aghast, I’m quick to ask, “Uh-oh. Is there a problem?”
“I’d say so! We need to get you a ring.”
“Oh.” I start giggling.
“Why are you laughing? This is serious business, lady.”
I’m laughing since it’s kind of amusing to see Nolan so invested. But there’s no need to share that tidbit.
Composing myself, I reply, “I just never thought it would be a wedding ring that would have you so concerned. But you’re right. We need to get a ring. Not just for me, but for you too.”
We wait till we’re back in the city to hit up a jewelry store. I go with a solitaire cut in platinum with little diamonds on the sides, and Nolan opts for a simple platinum band. We’re having such a great time, but unfortunately my groom-to-be has to head home. He has a game tonight against the Blues and his routine, which cannot be altered lest it mess with the good hockey juju, requires him to take a nap and eat his usual game-day light snack.
Since there’s still much more to do, I enlist Miss Wedding Planner herself, Aubrey, to go dress shopping with me. She’s totally up for that, which is no longer the surprise it once would’ve been. Aubrey was a little shocked, of course, when I first informed her of this über-fast marriage. But when she saw how truly happy I am, she finally conceded that Nolan must be right for me.
So dress shopping it is.
The great thing about Vegas is that weddings are big business. Finding what I need is a snap. I not only pick out a dress that I love, but I choose flowers and a photographer, as well.
By five o’clock, we’re done and back at Aubrey’s.
“I just don’t know how you do this wedding stuff day in and day out,” I say to her as I flop down on her sofa and kick off my heeled sandals. “I’m whooped, and my whole body is achy.”
Aubrey arches a brow. “You sure that achiness isn’t from too much Nolan?”
“Oh my God, is that a sex joke?”
Aubrey looks sheepish as she sits down next to me. “I guess it is,” she says, giggling.
I’m not surprised at the joke, as she and I are pretty open about sex. What I’m shocked over is she’s teasing around about me having sex with Nolan.
“So you really don’t hate him anymore,” I quietly inquire. “You’re not just onboard with this because of me?”
“Lainey, I never hated him.”
“Okay, well, you disliked him profusely, then.”
“Fair enough,” she declares. “But I don’t dislike him profusely anymore. And it’s not just a new development because of the wedding. I was coming around even before, as you kno
w.”
“I did notice,” I say, recalling the time she brought him up when I first mentioned moving to Chicago. “But I’d love to know what changed your mind?”
She smiles. “First of all, I could tell he was changing from some things Brent mentioned. And you were changing too, Lainey. But it’s good that I have come around because I couldn’t be hating on the man about to become my brother-in-law, right?”
“True,” I agree. And then, because she’s Aubs and I have to share good things with her, I say, “God, I really can’t wait until tomorrow is finally here. After the ceremony, Nolan and I can start living our lives as husband and wife, forever and ever.”
Aubrey’s quiet then, so I ask, “You’re still onboard, yeah?”
“Of course.”
“What’s wrong, then?”
“Nothing,” she says on a sigh.
“Come on,” I press, wondering what could possibly be bugging her after she seemed so fine with everything.
Finally, she tells me. “It’s just, are you sure you’re okay with such a rushed wedding? You know Mom and Dad are going to have a fit that you’re doing this without them.”
“I’ve actually thought about that,” I confess. “But I think they’ll be okay with it. You know me…and so do they. I’ve always been the unpredictable wild child, so this is kind of par for the course.”
“It is,” Aubrey agrees. And then, eyes widening, she says, “Oh my God. You’re not pregnant, are you?”
I assure her I’m absolutely not, and she visibly relaxes. I try then to explain why I want to get married so quickly.
“It’s not a bad reason,” I say. “This is just how Nolan and I want things to be. At first, I thought it was just him, seeing as how once he’s in, he’s all-in. But then I realized I felt the same way. We’re both like that. Hell, we have been from the start. We slept together within hours of meeting each other, Aubrey. And trust me, we were both very much all-in on that one too.”
Eyes snapping to me, Aubrey points a finger my way. “I knew it!” she says. And then narrowing her eyes, she asks, “Did Brent know about you and Nolan? I’m asking only because he always used to act so shifty when I’d bring you guys up. Not so much anymore, but definitely early on.”
With a sly smile, I finally admit, “He may have caught me coming in on New Year’s morning.”
“May have or did, Lainey.”
First, I make sure she won’t be pissed at Brent, and once she agrees, I admit, “He did. He caught me on a classic walk of shame.”
Rolling her eyes, she says, “I doubt that. You’re pretty much shameless, little sis. Like Nolan.”
“And that, big sis, is why he and I are so perfect together.”
She can’t dispute that, not one little bit.
Spreading the Love
The game against St. Louis is a rout. We win big, 8-3, with me scoring two of the goals and assisting on a third.
“That was one hell of a game, Solvenson,” Dylan says to me afterward when we’re in the locker room.
I’m in my stall, waiting to be interviewed, and he’s standing next to me. The press is still talking with Brent, but I’m up next.
Wiping the sweat from my forehead, I share the truth with my friend. “I was feeling extra motivated tonight.”
Looking over at me pointedly, he replies, “Think maybe that has something to do with your secret plans for tomorrow?”
I can’t help but break into a big, fat grin. “I think it does, my friend. I think it does.”
Out of the players, only Brent, Benny, and Dylan, all of whom are invited to the ceremony tomorrow afternoon, are aware of my impending nuptials. I figure I’ll share the news with the rest of the team afterward. If I let it slip ahead of time, especially here in the locker room, all the guys will show up at that tiny church out in the desert. And though a part of me would be totally fine with that, I want to keep this small and meaningful, like Lainey and I agreed.
The next day arrives, and it’s time to make Lainey Shelburne my wife. I can’t wait!
Brent, who happily agreed to be my best man, offers to drive me out to the church. Lainey is already there and has been since morning. She left with Aubrey and Eliza earlier so she could dress and get ready in one of the little back rooms at the chapel. This is all hearsay, however, since I haven’t been allowed to see her.
“There will be no seeing the bride before the wedding,” Lainey informed me last night when she refused to stay over at my house, which will be her house, as well, after today.
I told her as much, but she insisted, “Some traditions are worth preserving, Nolan. And this is one of them.”
I left it at that.
“So you ready for this, man?” Brent asks, interrupting my reverie as we leave the city limits and drive out into the more desolate parts of the desert.
“Bro, I am more ready for this than you could even imagine.”
Brent glances over at me. “That’s a pretty strong statement from a man who was opposed to love and marriage until just recently.”
“Yeah…” I blow out a breath. “I guess it took a Shelburne woman to make me finally see the light.”
Brent chuckles. “That’ll happen, my friend. That’ll happen.”
He would know.
We’re quiet for a bit, till we come upon a small diner on the side of the road. It’s the only thing for miles and the sign out front declares it as the Area 51 Café.
Brent slows down considerably, for some unknown reason.
Glancing over at the café, with an inexplicable huge grin on his face, he mutters, “Shit, I almost forgot.”
“Forgot what?” I ask, perplexed.
He reaches under his seat and pulls out a rectangular box, one wrapped in crazy Day-Glo green paper.
Tossing it over to me, he says, “A little extra gift from me and Aubrey…for you and Lainey.”
I shake the box, but can’t figure out for the life of me what it could contain. Nor do I have the slightest idea why Brent’s still smiling like a crazy man.
“What is it?” I flat-out ask. “And what’s with the glow-y green paper.” An odd choice for a wedding gift, that’s for sure.
“Dude, it’s a surprise. And you’ll see soon enough that the paper fits the gift.”
“Whatever that means,” I mutter.
“Just open the gift tonight with Lainey. It’ll all make sense then.” He shoots me a smug grin. “And, Nolan, you can thank me later.”
Area 51 Revisited
The chapel interior is absolutely stunning. There are flickering candles everywhere and beautiful flowers bestowing a fragrant aroma. Nolan and I couldn’t have chosen a more suitable venue to commit ourselves to one another.
And so that is what we proceed to do—commit ourselves to one another, before God and the pastor, before Brent and Aubrey, and before Dylan, Eliza, and Benny.
“I love you,” I murmur against Nolan’s lips when he starts kissing me after we’re declared husband and wife.
He says it back, and then deepens the kiss. Our friends whoop and holler.
“Save it for tonight,” Benny yells out.
“You go, girl,” Eliza chimes in.
The pastor just chuckles and lets us go to town. I could definitely kiss Nolan all day and into the night, but our friends are waiting.
Reluctantly, we break apart. “We’ll continue this later,” he promises, his sapphire eyes blazing with desire.
“Tonight,” I murmur, “and into tomorrow too.”
“For the rest of our lives,” he amends, kissing me once more.
Ah, love…
The pastor turns us around then and introduces us as Mr. and Mrs. Solvenson. There’s more cheering, and we take a bunch of pictures over the next hour. After we leave the chapel, our small group convenes for an amazing celebratory dinner at Aubrey and Brent’s house. But it’s when we return to Nolan’s place—well, mine now too—that I begin to feel like we’re really married.
<
br /> That makes me so happy that I start to cry.
“Aw, baby.” Nolan takes me in his arms. “You’re not having second thoughts now, are you?”
“No, never.” I lean my head against his strong shoulder. “I’m just so happy right now. I’m overwhelmed, but in a good way.”
“I hear you, sweetheart,” he whispers. “I feel exactly the same way.”
And then he shows me that he does.
The first time we’re together as man and wife, Nolan makes slow, sweet love to me.
The second time, it’s more frenzied.
Afterward, as we’re lying entangled in the sheets, I notice a gift we forgot to unwrap.
“Wonder what’s in that one,” I say to Nolan as I jerk my thumb toward the mystery present from Aubrey and Brent. “Though why they chose such an obnoxious green wrapping for a wedding gift is beyond me.”
“It supposedly matches the gift in some way,” he informs me. “But what I can’t figure out is why passing a diner named after Area 51 made Brent suddenly remember the damn thing.”
My eyes widen as I recall an incident Aubrey once told me about. It occurred back when she and Brent were first embarking on their relationship, back when it was strictly professional. Well, mostly.
I start giggling.
“What is it?” Nolan asks. “Do you know what’s in the box?”
I start laughing so hard then that it takes me a full minute to recover. When I do catch my breath, I say, “Yes, I think I have an idea of what the gift could be.”
“Okay, let’s see if you’re right.” Nolan slips out of bed and pads over to the dresser to retrieve the present.
He’s completely naked, so I watch with appreciation as his glutes tighten with each step. Damn, that man’s ass is beyond fine. And those wide shoulders, gah! He turns to face me, and I look down. Yeah, that part of him is pretty stunning, as well.
He clears his throat, cocking a brow when he sees the lust-filled look I’m giving him. His actual cock goes up a little too. Just wait till he sees what’s in the box.
