Page 193 of Dangerous Encore

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"No."

There's no arguing that point with her. I learned that lesson the hard way. "Myparents."

"Are loaded and can flyanywhere."

"Still. A destination wedding is asking a lot of people. Bella and Joel have a two-month-old."

"That's true… We can run itbythem."

"Yeah."

She looks up at me and arches a brow. "Do you somehow object to marriage inparadise?"

I guess I do. But it's not the tropical beaches that get my shoulders up atmyears.

Not that I really dobeaches.

I certainly don't mind hitting the beach with Piper, watching her run around the waves in a tinybikini.

But I'm not naturally a beachperson.

It's sandy and sticky and messy. Why deal with that shit when there's air conditioning and privatepools?

"The location doesn't matter to me." Every word of thatistrue.

"Okay. Hawaii is perfect. We can do December. Early December. Or… we could do it sooner. September. Or evennextweek."

"You reallywantthat?"

"I don't know. I have mydress."

She does. She went crazy looking at dresses when she was helping Lacey pick hers out. She absolutely had to have this fancy silk dress—she describes it that way. I've never seen it. Traditionandshit.

Supposedly, it'sperfection.

And necessary, in case we decide to do something last minute, the way Mal andLaceydid.

"If we're doing Hawaii, we can book a package. We won't need to spend a lot of time planning." I stare back into her eyes. "We can do it wheneveryouwant."

She nods, but there's something in herexpression—

She doesn't buy what I'msaying.

I try to muster up the enthusiasm to sell it better, but itwon'tcome.

My brain can't seem to dissociate marriage from myparents.

And there's no fucking way I'll let us getlikethem.

I'd rather lose her than have herlikethat.

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