“I don’t know.” She tried not to stammer. She glanced at Mike.
He raised an eyebrow, his expression thoughtful.
“Everyone’s nervous the first time,” the other man said, cracking a smile at his own joke. “Sally, get them something to drink,” he called over his shoulder. “It’ll calm their jitters.”
The man’s assistant, an overly made-up woman, handed them each a plastic flute filled with champagne.
Mike threaded his hand through Amber’s, but said nothing.
The fact that he hadn’t run for the hills made Amber wonder what he was thinking. She took a large gulp of the bubbly drink.
“Which package do you want? All of them include a small bridal bouquet, music, souvenir certificate and holder, garter and minister. That’d be me.” The man spoke by rote and clicked his pen with each item on the list. “The least expensive one is the Traditional. For two hundred and eighty-one dollars, you also get a bigger bridal bouquet and a boutonniere for the groom.” He almost sounded bored.
“What about photos?” Mike asked, speaking up for the first time.
Amber nearly choked. “What?”
Mike shrugged and leaned closer to her. “It’s Vegas. Let’s just do it,” he said, his gaze delving into hers intently.
She licked her lips, which had suddenly gone dry. “Come on,” she said, certain he was teasing. “Even the tables in Vegas have limits,” she said in an effort to see how far he’d take things.
Because the notion of marrying him on the spur of the moment held too much appeal.
“That doesn’t mean we can’t set our own.” He raised an eyebrow, challenging her. “You’ve said it’s a place where anything can happen.”
“But…you don’t live here!”
He met her gaze, holding on. “We’ll figure it out later.”
“I don’t got all day,” the man said.
Mike turned back to him. “A bride should have full-color glossy memories of her wedding day,” he said.
“One photo is included. Anything else is extra.”
Mike shot Amber a look. “Are we doing this?” he asked.
She’d grown up a gambler. And she liked him. Really liked him. His sudden adventurous streak appealed to her reckless nature. And he made her feel so good…
“Why not?” she asked, suddenly into this as much as he was.
“Throw one more photo into the package,” Mike said, reaching for her right hand.
“Are you sure?” she asked him.
Mike met her stare, his eyes warm and sexy. “Make it legal?” He toyed with the large stone on her finger. “I’m sure. Are you?”
Amber hadn’t a clue what his reasons for pursuing this were, but she knew her own. She liked him, he obviously liked her and a big man was waiting to have a talk with her somewhere right outside the door. But more important, their impossibly romantic day had cast a spell over her, leaving her in a happy, dizzy haze.
Besides, these wedding chapels existed in the casino for a reason. Even her parents had married in one. Her head spun and she no longer knew whether it was alcohol induced or if she was losing her mind. Nor did she much care.
She glanced up at his handsome profile. Her white knight. Her cop savior. “Why not?” she heard herself repeating.
“Credit card,” the minister said.
She wondered if Mike would declare it a joke now.
He whipped out silver plastic.