His Stolen Bride (Chicago Sons)
Page 19
“The problem is, my earlier deal stands,” he said.
“You had a deal with my father?” What secret angle had she missed? She braced herself for what he was about to reveal.
“My deal was with you.”
She didn’t respond. He was talking in riddles.
“Vegas,” he continued. “The deal was that I’d keep you safe from Gerhard by marrying you in Vegas.”
“Is that a joke?”
“But I don’t think I presented it right,” he said.
She was growing more confused by the minute. “It was pretty straightforward.”
They got married and foiled Vern’s plan.
“No.” Jackson shook his head, taking a step forward to bring them close together. “It wasn’t straightforward at all. What I should have said back then was I love you, Crista Corday. Will you marry me and spend the rest of our lives together? Let’s do it in Vegas, because I can’t wait another second for you to be my wife.”
His face went blurry in front of her and she blinked, realizing her eyes had teared up.
“What did you say?” she rasped. “You’re not playing me?”
“I’m not playing you.” He cradled her face with his palms. “I’ve never been more serious in my life.”
“Because—” Her voice broke. “Because I couldn’t take it if you were. Money I can lose.”
“Trust in this, Crista. I love you with all my heart.”
He kissed her, and joy sang through her chest. It was long minutes before he broke the kiss.
“I love you,” she answered, breathless. “And I’ll marry you in Vegas or anywhere else you want.”
His arms went around her, and she hung on tight.
“You love me?” he asked.
“More than that. I trust you. I trust you with my heart, my soul and my life.”
There was laughter in his voice. “And the diamonds, because the diamonds are very real.”
“The diamonds aren’t real.” How many times did she have to say it?
“Maybe you’ll believe it when you start turning them into jewelry designs.”
“Maybe.” If diamonds showed up in her workshop, she’d concede they were real.
“In the meantime, my friend Tuck is waiting at the airport with his jet.”
“Oh, right. Your friend Tuck who has a jet.”
“I told him he could be the best man.”
“And you brought Ellie for maid of honor?”
“I brought Ellie. Though I don’t know what you’ll do for dresses and flowers.”
“They have stores in Vegas.”
“That they do. I’m sure we can find anything our hearts desire in Vegas.”
She burrowed against his shoulder, drinking in the solid warmth of his body. “The only thing my heart desires is you.”
He rocked her back and forth. “I am so monumentally glad to hear that.”
The motel room door opened.
“Are we going to Vegas?” asked Ellie.
Crista grinned. “We’re going to Vegas.”
“Bachelorette at the Lion Lounge,” Ellie sang.
“You’ll have maybe an hour before the wedding,” said Jackson. “I’d suggest you spend it shopping.”
“You will need a dress.” Ellie sounded disappointed.
“So will you,” said Mac, his arm going around Ellie. “Something slinky. I’ve always had a thing for bridesmaids.”
“Too much information,” said Jackson.
Mac just grinned.
“I hope you have a thing for brides,” Crista whispered to Jackson.
“I have a thing for one particular bride,” he whispered back. “From the first second I saw her, I knew she had to be mine.”
“But this time,” she said, smiling up at him. “It’ll be my dress. My wedding. But with you, Jackson. Forever.”
* * * * *
Pick all the books in the CHICAGO SONS series from New York Times bestselling author Barbara Dunlop.
Men who work hard, love harder, and live with their fathers’ legacies…
SEX, LIES AND THE CEO
SEDUCED BY THE CEO
A BARGAIN WITH THE BOSS
HIS STOLEN BRIDE
Available now from Harlequin Desire!
***
If you’re on Twitter, tell us what you think of Harlequin Desire! #harlequindesire
Get rewarded every time you buy a Harlequin ebook!
Click here to Join Harlequin My Rewards
http://www.harlequin.com/myrewards.html?mt=loyalty&cmpid=EBOOBPBPA201602010003
Get rewarded every time you buy a Harlequin ebook!
Do you want to earn Free Books and More?
Join Harlequin My Rewards points program and earn points every time you shop.
You can redeem your points to get more of what you love:
Free books
Exclusive gifts and contests
Book recommendations tailored to your reading preferences
Earn 2000 points instantly when you join—getting you closer to redeeming your first free book.
Don’t miss out. Reward the book lover in you!
Click here to sign up
Or visit us online to sign up at
http://www.harlequin.com/myrewards.html?mt=loyalty&cmpid=EBOOBPBPA201602010001
We hope you enjoyed this Harlequin Desire story.
You want to leave behind the everyday! Harlequin Desire stories feature sexy, romantic heroes who have it all: wealth, status, incredible good looks…everything but the right woman. Add some secrets, maybe a scandal, and start turning pages!
Enjoy six new stories from Harlequin Desire every month!
Connect with us on Harlequin.com for info on our new releases, access to exclusive offers, free online reads and much more!
Other ways to keep in touch:
Harlequin.com/newsletters
Facebook.com/HarlequinBooks
Twitter.com/HarlequinBooks
HarlequinBlog.com
ISBN-13: 9781488001840
His Stolen Bride
Copyright © 2016 by Barbara Dunlop
All rights reserved. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of publisher, Harlequin Enterprises Limited, 225 Duncan Mill Road, Don Mills, Ontario, Canada M3B 3K9.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental. This edition published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.
® and ™ are trademarks of the publisher. Trademarks indicated with ® are registered are registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office, the Canadian Intellectual Property Office and in other countries.
www.Harlequin.com