Page 68 of Six Wishes

CHAPTER31

Time to think

Chloe

“I can’t believe you’re here,” I gently run a finger up and down the side of Van’s face. “I thought that…” I am getting emotional again in spite of myself. “That you were done with me,” I manage to finish my thought.

We are lying in Van’s bed in his hotel suite, facing each other, close enough to kiss. Instead, we are just staring at each other. A huge sense of relief is running through my veins, and I hope that I am not wrong about my gut feeling about us.

“I needed time to think,” Van murmurs as he leans into me and places a soft kiss right above my eye. “I’m sorry I hurt you.” He places another kiss on my other eyelid. “I will fuckin’ kill Brian if he touched you.” He says it so casually, then gives me the softest kiss on the tip of my nose, that I almost miss what he just said.

“Oh my God,” I push at his chest and laugh when he tries to hold me still. “You better leave Brian alone.” His fingers dig into my ribs, and I start laughing so hard, I almost can’t breathe. “Stop it, Van,” I try to say in between fits of laughter, but he doesn’t care.

“Tell me he didn’t touch you anywhere, and I’ll stop,” he continues digging his fingers into any soft spot he can find, and my body is contorting in laughter.

“He didn’t…” I start but my throat closes in laughter. “Stop…”

“Tell me what I want to hear first,” he doesn’t let up. I may pass out from lack of oxygen at this point.

“He never…” I try again. I don’t know how he’s expecting me to say anything when I can’t stop laughing.

Finally, just as abruptly as he started, Van stops his torture on my poor and abused by his stabby fingers ribs. He pushes me on my back and forces my legs open, then lies on top of me.

Once again, I am struck by how perfectly our bodies align. The palms of his hands come over mine, our fingers intertwining on each side of my head.

“I love you, Van,” my face is serious now. “I love you so much. I was crushed at the thought that I may never see you again. I would never have let anyone touch me in any way while my feelings for you ran so deep.”

Just when I think that nothing could surprise me anymore, he goes and does it. “I want to marry you.”

My head snaps back, digging into the pillow and the mattress underneath. “You what?” I sputter.

“I want to marry you,” he states again, louder and clearer now.

“What, like, now?” I am completely flabbergasted. Is this a marriage proposal and I missed it? I mean, I’ve never been asked for my hand in marriage before. Maybe this is how it’s supposed to be.

“I’ll do it now if you want,” he shrugs and grins at me, his teeth glistening in the faint light coming from the lamp on his nightstand. “We are in Vegas after all.”

“We… You… I…” I have no idea what to say.

“Are you going to give me all the pronouns you know, Chlo?” Van teases me and pushes his pelvis into me. I can feel his hard cock against my stomach. If we do it again, it’ll be our third time since we walked in. We squeezed another quick one as soon as we hit the bed, shortly after he fucked me into oblivion over the back of the couch in the living area.

“My mom would kill us both, Van, if we went back home married!! Are you crazy?” I screech as I try to get him off me, but he is too heavy.

“I think she’d be happy for you to have scored such a catch. That’s me,” he winks at me. “I am the catch. Your catch.” He drops a hard kiss on my lips.

“Van,” I try to stay calm because I can tell he is not joking about this, and I am not ready for what he’s got in store for me. “If my mom didn’t kill us, your mother would for sure!”

That seems to stop him in his tracks. “Shit, you’re right. Unless,” it’s like a lightbulb lit inside his head, “we make it romantic. Super romantic…”

“Van,” I insist for him to listen to me here. “My cousin and his wife eloped to Las Vegas. When they got back and told their parents, the moms cried like someone had died, then they forced them into having this insane wedding reception. It was wild!”

“Which cousin?” Van gets distracted by his own curiosity.

“Ridge, Hunter’s brother?” I remind him. “He and Brooke got married here. Actually, I think it was in this hotel that they spent their wedding night. Also, Brooke’s best friend met her husband in the lobby here.” I stop talking to mull things over. “Now that I am saying everything out loud, this place seems to be a good omen. We should do it!”

My eyes go to his, and I almost burst into incontrollable laughter when I see the look on his face. That’s total panic I see there.

“Get married?” His voice comes out a little higher than it was a few seconds ago. “Here?”

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