Page 83 of The Forever Game

“What is it, boo?” He gazes at my reflection, his eyes warm with appreciation as he runs his hands lightly over my hips. “You still want to do this, right? Because damn, woman, you looksofine.”

I can’t help a soft laugh. “Of course I want to.” I spin, tweaking his bow tie, then wincing. “I’m being stupid.”

“What do you mean?”

Against my will, my lips form a little pout, and I tell him, “I don’t have something old or borrowed. And I know it’s dumb to want the old, new, borrowed, blue thing, but… I’m only planning on getting married once, so…”

His smile gets all soft and mushy as he gazes down at me, then lightly pecks my nose. “We’ll find something.”

I look around the hotel room and raise my arms out wide. “What? I’m not about to shove a hotel toothbrush down my bra.”

He snickers and shakes his head. “First of all, no oneborrowsa toothbrush, and second…” He looks around, patting his pockets while he thinks, then stops and stares down at his hand.

“What?” I try to decipher the smile on this face.

With a little wiggle, he slips off his signet ring. Holding it between his thumb and forefinger, he grins at me. “My father gave this to me when I turned eighteen, just like his father gave it to him… and when my youngest son turns eighteen, I’m supposed to do the same.” He takes my hand, and my fingers start to tremble at the idea of watching Asher’s eventual son grow into a young man, knowing that the boy will be my son too. It makes my eyes burn as he slips the ring onto my middle finger. “I don’t wear it that often because the guys always hassle me about being a rich prick, and the whole signet ring thing doesn’t help. But for some reason, I slipped it on yesterday…” He raises my hand to his lips and kisses my knuckles. “And now I know why.”

His wink turns my insides to putty, and if I hadn’t just applied my lipstick perfectly, I would pull him in for a panty-melting kiss.

But that part can come later.

Right now…

“Let’s go get married.”

“As you wish, my love.” He pulls me out the door, and we head through the hotel lobby and casino.

We get cheers and congratulations as we pass happy strangers.

For a second, I feel bad that none of my family and friends are here to see this, but there’s also something super special about just being with Asher—my person. He’s the one I was always meant to be with. It just took us a minute to figure it out.

Resting my head on his shoulder, I play with the buttons on the cuff of his tux until we pull up to the Amore Chapel. It’s small and quaint and obviously new, although it’s built like a chapel from the eighteenth century—white wooden panels with a pale blue trim.

I grin up at the steeple and thread my fingers between Asher’s.

He looks like a giddy schoolboy as he bounces on his toes by the reception desk and gives the woman our names.

She’s already got the paperwork waiting for us, and we walk down the aisle hand in hand. No big pomp and ceremony, just the way I wanted it.

The man who marries us is sweet and gentle, his voice quiet, and the lady who checked us in can’t stop smiling as she bears witness to our nuptials.

Our vows are simple—the standard “I take you to have and to hold.”

Asher’s face as he says them to me is radiant, and I hope I shine just as brightly as I promise to stay with him for better or worse, for richer, for poorer.

My voice trembles when I say, “I do.”

And his eyes are glistening when the minister pronounces us husband and wife.

There’s no big applause or cheering as he pulls me into his arms. It’s a quiet, intimate kiss filled with promise and belief.

“I love you,” he murmurs against my mouth, and I cling a little tighter, deepening the kiss once more… until the minister clears his throat.

“We have another wedding in fifteen minutes. You might want to…” He rolls his finger in the air, and I start to laugh, then kiss Asher once more before taking his hand and practically skipping down the aisle.

The receptionist greets us, throwing confetti in the air as we walk through the foyer.

I spit the white circles out of my mouth, giggling as Asher does the same. We complete the paperwork, making everything official, and I sign my name below Asher’s, a thrill whistling through me.

---