“Don’t go spreading that around.”
“Fine, but what do we do about the house?”
“I want to build a life with you, Kat. I don’t care where it is.” Pausing, I add, “As long as you let me arrange the kitchen the way I want it.”
“So needy,” she teases and I pull her close, gripping the back of her neck as I slant my mouth over hers.
I’ll show her needy.
“Kitchen.” I enunciate. “Mine.”
“If you insist.”
“I do.”
“Speaking of that…” She shifts until she’s mostly straddling my lap, my body too big in the chair for this to work like it’s supposed to. “I think you should marry me.”
I can’t quite stop my eyebrow from creeping up my forehead, her grin growing wider at my surprise.
“I definitely plan on marrying you, Kitten.”
“Right now?” she asks with a hopeful twinkle in her eyes.
“I’m sure we could throw something together quickly,” I start but she shakes her head.
“I want to go to Vegas followed by a month-long honeymoon.”
“I want you to have the dress. It doesn’t have to be long or formal but something white I can peel off you when we escape back to the room.”
“I’ll even throw in a garter.”
“Now we’re talking.”
53
TOM
ONE MONTH LATER
“Ican’t believe you got married in Vegas,” Royce says from his pool chair next to mine at the Waldorf Astoria, my wedding ring gleaming in the sun and a smile on my face I can’t wipe off.
“It was pretty perfect honestly.”
“Yeah, but likeVegas.”
He shakes his head and applies another round of sunscreen even though he’s nestled under one of the umbrellas.
“How are you so pale? You live in Nashville.”
“And you pay me to be in front of a computer. I don’t understand where this confusion is coming from.”
“Where are the guys?”
“I think Grimm is at the gym, Jace is sleeping off his night…somewhere, Samson, the girls, and his mom are at one of the kid shows, and Ozzy hooked up with one of the girls from the spa so he’s getting a massage.”
I chuckle as Kat, Emerson, Bailey, and Kinsley make their way across the patio, Kat dropping down onto my chair between my legs. Kinsley does the same with Royce but smooths out the white glob on his nose before leaning back into him.
“I’d almost be upset by this”—Emerson motions between us—“but the distractions are fantastic here.”
