“Well, it’s true.”
“What else do you like about me?” she presses, tilting her head and giving me a doe-eyed look.
After studying her critically for a long moment, I put my finger to my chin and tap. “Let’s see… I love your empathy. How you always care about people. I love your zeal to protect people.”
Her smile grows sappier.
“Oh,” I reply, giving her a sly grin. “I also love that thing you do with your tongue on the underside of my cock.”
Jaime bursts out laughing, but then leans in to whisper hotly into my ear. “I’ll do that very thing when we get back to the hotel.”
Just the promise of that makes me want to grab her and run out, but I’m enjoying our banter too much.
“Want to know what I like about you?” she inquires.
“Do I ever,” I drawl, leaning in closer.
A little of the drunk cuteness slips off her expression, but a smile remains in place. She leans in and rubs her nose along mine for a second, a move that causes my heart to hammer because of the care behind it. Pulling back, her hand comes to my cheek, and she says, “I like that you don’t try to pretend to be something you’re not. You’re genuine and grounded, and I like the security of that. You’re a good man, Cage, and I’m a very lucky girl to have found you.”
I’m speechless. That she sees so much good in me.
“Oh,” she says as an afterthought, her hand dropping from my face. She leans in closer. “And you’re really good with your tongue, too, so bonus!”
I should be laughing at that, because she always makes me laugh, but I’m still stuck on the fact she thinks she’s lucky to have found me. I feel the same exact way, like this was fated to be. Granted, I didn’t quite start this with the intention of us becoming anything, but I know now that it’s something very special.
“I wasn’t looking for this,” I say honestly. Her eyes stare into mine. “And yet, I can’t imagine never having met you.”
“It’s weird, right?” Her eyes are bright, shining with hope and excitement. “How deeply we connected and so quickly.”
“Some people believe in love at first sight,” I murmur, noting a tingle of expectation crawling up my spine. “Do you believe in that?”
She shakes her head. “No, but I believe in soul mates. That there’s that perfect person for everyone out there.”
I tilt my head. “You think that’s us?”
Jaime doesn’t answer immediately. I like that she takes a moment to think about it, because it’s a serious question. But then she nods, ever so slightly. “I do think that might be us.”
This is real.
This is fucking happening.
My heart has just rolled over and committed itself to this woman, and it’s never going to accept anything less.
I’m overwhelmed with the understanding Jaime is mine, and I’m never letting her go.
So I suggest what any sane, semi-drunk man would at this moment. “We’re in Vegas. We should get married.”CHAPTER 15CageWaking up long before Jaime, I do nothing more than roll on my side to stare at her. But I’ll need to get her up soon so she can hydrate and get something to eat. Before we went to sleep last night—or I should say in the early morning hours—I made her drink two bottles of water. It’s getting close to noon now, and I’m hoping she’s slept through most of her hangover.
Hard to believe she’s my wife, but we did it. Found an open chapel, did a quick ceremony—sans Elvis—and became husband and wife.
It’s going to be very easy to blame the alcohol this morning. The truth is, I wasn’t nearly as intoxicated as Jaime was. I was clear-headed enough to know my proposal wasn’t a whim. It was a calculated move to tie her to me, because in my mind, she’s going to have a lot harder time leaving me as my wife when she finds out the truth.
After the ceremony, we came back to the hotel suite and consummated our marriage. It was beautiful and special things were said. Despite the alcohol in our veins, I believe they were uttered truthfully.
Heart still pounding from the high of climax, Jaime put her hands on my face and said, “I love you. It’s crazy and it has just been a matter of weeks, but I know it deep down. I love you, Cage.”
Fuck, I loved her back. And I told her the same. Told her I loved her like mad crazy and some other things that are very un-Cage like, but it’s the main reason I have zero regrets about the quick marriage. She was destined to be mine, and now I have her. Fuck if I’m letting her go.
And now… it’s time to tell her the truth. I’m hoping she’s feeling as good about what we did as I am, and it will make her forgive me a bit easier. But if she doesn’t, I’m just going to relentlessly work on her until I wear her down. It could take days, weeks, God forbid, even months, but I’m not going to give up no matter how mad she is.