“Oh, I got a good shot of that kiss.” She waggled her eyebrows and scooped the bouquet off the floor before handing it back to Julie.
Julie’s brows popped. I laughed, my heart still hammering against my rib cage as I pulled her into my arms.
“Do you want that one?” Julie asked, peering up at me with a smirk.
“I don’t need a picture of something that’s permanently burned into my brain.”
Her smile faded as she sank her teeth into her bottom lip, her tell when she was anxious. I pressed my thumb to her chin to release it as I held her hooded gaze. “Good wedding memory.”
“The best,” she whispered as she grazed her hands down the front of my jacket. A dazed smile broke out on her swollen lips, and my best friend had never looked so beautiful.
My best friend who was now my wife. As fake as it all was supposed to be, every second my lips touched hers was too real to deny.
“What a lovely couple,” Mandy said, beaming at the screen after we turned our heads. “I’ll print those out as we sort your paperwork.”
After Mandy scurried away, I searched Julie’s face. My gaze fell on her flushed cheeks and the mouth I could still taste, taunting me already. Her brow furrowed as she eyed the bouquet in her hands, her breaths coming as quick as mine as her chest heaved up and down.
“That was…” she said as she took tiny breaths of air. “Wow.”
“I would completely agree with that.”
We laughed as we both sobered, the spell between us this weekend coming to a head right after we’d become husband and wife.
“Are you okay?”
“I am. Maybe a little shocked. I can’t believe we did it,” she whispered, gazing up at me with wide eyes as a slow smile spread across her lips.
“We sure did.” I picked up her hand and laced our fingers together. “We got two weddings this weekend for the price of one,” I joked as I pretended the Earth hadn’t fallen off its axis from that incredible kiss.
“We did,” she said, giving me a watery smile. “I don’t know how to thank you.”
I framed her face and shook my head. “You don’t. I’d do anything to keep you safe. I love you. Wife.”
She hiccupped a laugh through her tears.
“Right back at you, husband.”
The tension eased from my shoulders at her easy smile.
“What do you say we find something to eat? Have our own wedding celebration.”
I couldn’t let her go just yet. Marrying her and just heading back up to our respective hotel rooms until we had to depart for different destinations felt wrong, no matter how fake the marriage was supposed to be.
“I spotted a taco truck outside.” Julie jutted her chin to the front door. “We can ask if they have a bride and groom special.”
“If not, we’ll make one. My wife deserves the best.”
She shook her head. “This is on me. I think I can splurge on tacos for us. Think of it as a wedding gift.”
I laughed and draped my arm across her shoulders.
“See, that means we have a good marriage—give-and-take. You needed insurance, I could use a taco.”
She burrowed into my side as we gathered up our license and photos. “Right, seems like an equal exchange.”
“We’ll take care of each other.” I pulled her tighter, pressing a kiss to her forehead as we made our way to the entrance. “Thank you for letting me take care of you.”
10
