Page 134 of The Obvious Check

She doesn't wipe away the single tear that slides down her cheek, and I take a moment to memorize how absolutely perfect she looks right now.

“You may now exchange rings,” Erik instructs, shooting Dash a look.

Dash passes me the ring box, his expression unreadable, and I flip it open, pulling out the delicate gold band I picked out with her this morning.

Savannah lifts her left hand, and I slide the ring onto her finger, my chest aching at how right it looks there. Then Dash hands her a second ring, and with trembling fingers, Savannah slides mine on, her hands cool but steady.

Erik claps once and grins. “Now for the good part. By the power vested in me by the internet, I now pronounce you husband and wife.”

Savannah barely has time to react before I cup her face and pull her in, pressing my lips to hers in a deep, lingering kiss. She gasps softly against my mouth before melting into me, her hands gripping my lapels like she's afraid to let go.

Applause erupts around us—claps, cheers, a few wolf whistles from my teammates—but none of it registers.

It's just her. Just us.

I kiss her once, twice, then pull back enough to whisper against her lips, “We did it, Mrs. Bright.”

Her breath hitches, and she presses her forehead to mine, her voice barely audible.

“We did.”

Chapter 31

“Cade this is ridiculous,” I say, clutching onto my husband as he fumbles with the key. “Just put me down and open the door.”

“Oh, please. You weigh nothing,” he says just as the door unclicks. I push it open and catch his green eyes sparking with boyish excitement. “And I’ll be damned if I don’t carry my wife over the threshold, straight to our bed for the first time.”

He punctuates his declaration by slamming the front door shut with his foot and navigating through the apartment like he's done this a thousand times before, but when we get to the bedroom, it looks different.

“Cade,” I breathe out in shock. “When the hell did you have time to do all this?”

Electric candles flicker across the room, casting a golden glow across the rose petals scattered across the navy sheets.

“Before we left for the courthouse,” he murmurs against my ear before nipping at my lobe. I squirm in his arms and giggle in a move that nearly sends us both crashing to the floor.

“Okay, seriously, you're going to break your neck,” I say, trying to wiggle free from his grip.

“Carrying my wife to our bed is completely non-negotiable.” He steadies himself, tightening his hold as he moves toward the bed with renewed determination. When we finally reach it, he gently sets me down on the bed and gives me a soft, lingering kiss before stepping back. “You're literally my fucking dream come true.”

I roll my eyes and push him away so he can’t see the smile tugging at my lips. “You’re ridiculous.”

“Ridiculously happy,” he counters as he takes his shoes and jacket off. Then he relaxes back onto the headboard. My gaze trails the buttons of his fitted white shirt, and I think about all the lean muscle and hard abs underneath. Cade’s built like a fighter. A fighter who only wants to fight for me even though I haven’t asked him to.

When our gaze connects, I realize he’s been watching me this entire time. “What are you thinking?” he asks, and when our gazes connect, I feel it deep in my soul. Cade has this way of looking at me that makes me feel like I’m the only thing worth looking at.

I smile faintly. “It’s just, it all feels so surreal, you know?” He doesn’t say anything, just waits for me to elaborate. “A month ago I was sleeping in my car, worried I had no future, no possibilities, and now…” I trail off because the enormity of it all is suddenly crashing down on me.

“And now you're here, married to some psycho hockey player who's completely obsessed with you,” he finishes for me, his voice softer now, loaded with sincerity. He tips his chin, beckoning me to him. I bite my bottom lip and crawl over his body until I’m straddling him.

Grinning, he reaches for my hand and threads our fingers together. “I know it wasn't the fairy-tale wedding you probably imagined as a little girl, but… I'm really fucking glad you're here, Savannah.”

I glance down at our joined hands and brush my thumb over the simple gold band across Cade’s finger. The smooth metal is proof that this isn’t some elaborate dream. It's real. He's real.We'rereal.

“Me too,” I whisper, barely audible. “I'm glad I'm here too.”

“So, Mrs. Bright,” he drawls, his voice dripping with amusement. “What’s the first thing you want to do as a married couple?”

I lean down just enough so our noses touch. “I think getting out of these clothes would be a good idea. Kind of hard to sleep in,” I tease.

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