Page 6 of Run Game
I hold out my hand, admiring the beautiful engagement ring. He didn’t even ask what style I liked, yet he couldn’t have nailed it any harder. It’s a shame I’ll be giving it back in the morning after we hit the courthouse.
I fasten the straps of my white stilettos before choosing a simple pair of diamond studs for my ears. I decide to forgo any other jewelry, opting for a short, fluffy veil with a jeweled clip in my long, black hair. If I ever planned on getting married for real, it would be exactly like this. Well, my best friend would be standing beside me, but other than that, this is like a dream.
Guilt washes over me when I think of Mads. This will for sure be the only wedding I ever have, and I didn’t even bother to tell her. It would be as easy as shooting her a quick text and she’d be here in minutes, even if this whole thing isn’t real. She’d dress up right beside me, all the while telling me how ridiculous it is that I’m marrying Dalton for a few hours. But when it came time to stand at the altar, she’d be there to hold my bouquet. Or my puke bucket. Whatever.
I’m an asshole.
I guess it’s better this way. I can do this to say that I was, if only for a night,‘wife material’, then move on with my life. Maybe this will help me through the hang-ups Ihave about dating. Probably not, but a little delusion never hurt anyone.
I look over myself one more time in the mirror before there’s a soft knock on the door. Front Desk Lady pops her head in, prompting me to turn toward her. “Look at you,” she says, like a proud mother. Not that I know what that is. “Your fiancé is going to lose his mind when he sees you! He’s out there, pacing like a caged lion. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a groom so nervous, and I’ve been here twenty-seven years. He sure does love you,” she tacks on.
“Oh,” I say. “We’re not really?—”
“Off you go!” she interrupts, opening the door fully and ushering me into the hallway. “Can’t keep a man with an ass like that waiting long. Someone will come and snatch him right out from under you.”
I chuckle quietly as I make my way toward myfiancé.
Let’s. Fucking. Go.
THREE
DALTON
I stand at the altar,wiping my sweaty hands on my tuxedo t-shirt as I wait for the doors to open. I know it hasn’t been long, but I feel like I’ve been waiting for hours.
Fuck. What if she ran? What if she had time to think and realized that this shitisfucking crazy?
“This your first marriage?” Elvis asks from beside me. I almost forgot he was here, which is no easy feat since he’s wearing a sequined jumpsuit and smells like a ham hoagie.
I give him a tight nod. “First and last,” I tell him. “She’s it for me.” I mean every single word. I don’t know how she did it, but Dia has made me want to be a one-woman man. I’m still not sure how I’m going to convince her to stay married to me, but that’s a problem for future Dalton. Tonight, I just need to get these rings on our fingers.
I snap back to the moment as the doors swing open. I feel like I got hit by a three-hundred-pound linebacker straight in the chest as all the breath is forced from my body. Dia looks like a fucking angel in a short, fluffy white dress and heels that make every curve in her gorgeous legsstand out. In her hand, she carries a bouquet of pink roses and white daisies. It’s all in perfect contrast to her tan skin and black hair. I’ve never seen a more beautiful creature, and I know with absolute certainty that I never will again.
She walks toward me by herself, and in this moment, I feel a pang of guilt that she doesn’t have Mads or any family by her side. I vow to myself that no matter what happens tomorrow, this woman will never face a single thing alone. Even if I can’t convince her to give us a shot, I’ll always be there. She deserves way more than this life has given her so far.
I can’t help but reach out for her when she’s close enough, encasing her small, shaky hand in mine and bringing it to my lips.Is she nervous?Fuck, maybe I shouldn’t have been so pushy. Maybe she doesn’t really want to do this. Or maybe she’s only doing it because she knows that by this time tomorrow, she can act like this wedding never happened. She schools her expression before looking at me with a cute little eye roll.
There she is.
I stand straight, giving her a cocky wink before turning back to The King as he begins.
“Thank you. Thank you very much,” he says to a room full of absolutely nobody. “We are gathered here today to join these two hound dogs in holy matrimony.” Dia chokes on a laugh next to me, covering her mouth with a fist. She recovers quickly, disguising it as a cough as he turns to her. “Dia Spencer. Do you promise never to step on Dalton’s blue suede shoes? To always love him tender and never make him spend the night at the Heartbreak Hotel?”
She tucks her lips into her mouth, clearly trying to keep her laughter at bay. She almost falters, but manages to keep a straight face before giving her answer. “I do.”
He turns to me. “Dalton Davis. Do you promise to be Dia’s teddy bear? To never give her a suspicious mind and to always be her hunka hunk of burnin’ love?”
That fucking does it. Dia bursts out laughing, taking me with her as I look for the breath to speak. Tears run down both of our faces as we try to reel it in, but every time we look at each other, it just makes it worse. This shit is so fucking ridiculous, I can’t help but continue laughing. Finally, she takes a deep breath, exhaling from her plump, pursed lips as she taps at the tears pooling above her cheeks. I pull myself together, looking from her to Elvis before giving him my answer.
“I do.”
We’re still trying to keep ourselves under control as he hands me the dainty platinum band to slip on her tiny finger. When she slides my ring on, I immediately notice how heavy it feels. I kind of love it. It’s a reminder that I’m hers, if only for tonight.
“By the power vested in me by the state of Nevada,” Elvis says, “I now pronounce you husband and wife. Dalton, you may kiss your bride.”
Holy fuck, I forgot about the kiss.
I look down at my wife, weaving my hand into her hair before slowly leaning in. My heart pounds in my chest with anticipation as I wait for some sign that she wants me to stop. But when she licks her lips, I can’t fucking hold back anymore. I close the final few inches between us as I press my mouth to hers. Sparks go off behind my eyes as she opens wider, letting me massage her tongue with mine. The entire world fades away as she moans into my mouth before reaching up, fisting my shirt in her hands so she can pull me closer. The kiss begins to turn frantic as I try to figure out how I’m going to get out of this chapelwithout fucking her right here with the King of Rock and Roll as a witness. Holy shit. What is she doing to me?
