“You getting cold feet?”
I finished the final button and our eyes met in the mirror. “Six months ago, hell, two months ago, if you told me I would be getting married any time before now and the turn of the next century, I would have told you that you were betting on the wrong horse. I’ve had the odd girlfriend here and there but no one who’s made me want to get down on one knee. Not even close. Marrying you? To help as many families as I know you’re going to? I can’t think of a better reason to get married. And getting a hot bride is just a cherry on the cake.”
“Hot bride?”
I shrugged. I hadn’t said anything that wasn’t true. “Hot bride who thinks I’ve got good lips. Pucker up, sweetheart, you know I’m using them on you later.”
She spun and pushed me. “You’re ridiculous. I was hallucinating. I mistook you for Val Kilmer in Batman. Now, that’s a man with good lips.”
“I like my dark knights Christian Bale-sized, as you know.”
“Yeah, because you wish you had Val Kilmer’s lips.”
“You want a reminder of just how good my lips are?” I stepped forward and she tipped her head back to look me in the eye. “Our last unmarried kiss before we leave?”
She shook her head. “You wish you got to kiss me again.”
A smile tugged at the corners of my lips. “Maybe I do, Cream Puff.”
My phone buzzed, interrupting our little dance. “It’s the car,” I said.
“Then we better go.” She picked up her bag and skipped past me, the skirt of her dress lifting to show off her perfect legs as she did. I had to fight the urge to catch her hand and pull her back toward me, push my hands into her hair and kiss all that cherry red lipstick off her. But as usual, she was two steps ahead of me.
In under an hour, that woman was going to be my wife.
Twenty
Tristan
I took Parker’s hand as we got to the front of the oak-paneled room where we were going to be married.
My parents and all my friends—together with their partners—were gathered to witness my marriage. The irony wasn’t lost on me that Parker and I were going to be married before some of my friends who were desperately in love. It wasn’t love that drove Parker and me. It was need. Although over the last weeks, we’d transitioned from near strangers to partners in crime, housemates, and friends. And now we were about to become husband and wife.
I’d agreed to Parker’s plan before I knew much about her, but now I was about to promise to love, honor, and cherish her. It didn’t feel as alien or uncomfortable as I’d expected it to when she’d first suggested it. I liked Parker. I respected her. I admired her passion for what she did and the way she worked so hard to achieve great things, despite having a father as wealthy and powerful as Arthur Frazer. She could have spent her time making charitable donations and flitting from party to party. But she hadn’t taken the easy route. She’d worked hard to create a legacy as hard won as her father’s had been. He should be so very proud of her and by the look in his eye, he most certainly was.
The registrar cleared her throat and quiet descended on the room.
My heart thudded against my ribcage and unexpectedly, I was a little nervous. Not because I didn’t believe we were doing the right thing. Not because I thought anyone was going to object when the time came. It just hit me that, whatever the motivation, I was about to be married.
I was about to be someone’s husband.
Parker was going to be my wife.
The officiant started to speak and I looked over at Parker. She must have sensed my gaze because she looked over at me and as she did, my heartrate evened out. When we were asked whether or not we knew of a reason we shouldn’t be married, we both answered that we didn’t.
We had chosen the simplest, most straightforward vows. There would be no honoring or obeying. No til-death-us-do-parts.
I agreed to take Parker as my wedded wife.
She agreed to take me as her wedded husband.
We signed the register and just like that, in less time than it took to eat lunch, we were married.
It felt completely natural and unforced, but I swept my thumbs over Parker’s cheekbones and pressed my lips to hers.
I pulled back slightly and whispered, “You have great lips, wife.” I enjoyed her blush at the memory of the night she’d given me the compliment, but before I could tease her about it further, we were surrounded in a circle of handshakes, hugs, and congratulations. My heart swelled in my chest as I felt the love and good wishes from the people around us. I didn’t drop Parker’s hand for a second.