Page 54 of The Proposal Pact
I send him a mock-scowl. “Party pooper. Oh, oh, I got another version.” I stick my finger out.
“For thirty years, you’ve lived in the world filled with gray clouds. Just surviving without any joy or happiness. Until one night, you got a fateful call that led you to the door of the one that would change it all. You had no idea that breaking down my door and ripping the cord from my TV would lead you to the love of your life. All you wanted from that point on is to wrap me into your arms and kiss me sensel—”
“Jesus Christ.” Callum slaps a hand over his face. “Where did you work before coming here?”
“Software engineer.” I rock on my heels, the rubber soles of my Converse making a squeaky sound on the floor.
He gives me a look. “Well, that’s a talent wasted. Better put that imagination to a better use.”
“Aww,” I coo, batting my lashes. “You think I have a talent.”
“Mm-hmm. Many of them.”
Before I can ask which kind—because I’m curious myself—the receptionist comes back.
“Okay, this all looks great.” She scans the paperwork we just filled out. “Oh, one thing’s missing, dear.” She looks over to me. “Are you keeping your last name or taking your husband’s?”
I open my mouth to tell her I’ll be keeping my name Levidis, because what’s the point in changing it for just a year, when Callum growls out, “She’ll be Lovinski.”
A shiver runs down my spine from his tone. A delicious shiver that went straight down to a place it shouldn’t.
Seeing my questioning eyes and a hanging mouth out of the corner of his eye, he mutters, “It’ll be more believable that way.”
“Uh-huh.” I nod, still trying to get the goose bumps his words woke up under control.
Damn it, that was hot and I’m trying very hard not to find my husband hot. Why is he making it that much more difficult?
Get your fantasies under control, Soph!Callum just wants everyone to really buy this wholewe are madly in lovescheme.But did he have to growl those words like that? Like he’d go ballistic if I didn’t have his last name?
I eye the man beside me. Who are you, Callum Clover Lovinski, and what lives inside that head of yours?
“Lovinski it is, then.” The receptionist nods and leaves to process the paperwork, snapping me from my daydreaming and back into reality. And not a bad one.
“Oh my gosh! I’ll be Sophie Lovinski! That. Sounds. Epic,” I say with a grin just as a strangled sound leaves Clover’s lips.
“This is for the greater good. Repeat that ten times, Callum. This is for the greater good.”
“Are you talking to yourself? And here I thought being married to you would be boring.”
“Okay, do you lovebirds want a ceremony as well or just the paperwork?” the receptionist asks, and I look down at myself. A ceremony in my Outlaws jersey, sweatpants—is that an ice cream stain on them?—my trusty old Converse, and hangover hair and makeup.
So not how I imagined my wedding day to go. But heck if I’m going to miss it. Who knows when’s the next time going to be. So,before my Shrek can poop on my parade some more, I squeak out, “Ceremony too, please.”
Callum slowly turns his death glare my way. “I thought we were going to have one under the cave. You know, like you wanted?” he grits out, placing special emphasis on each word to get his point across.
Oh, I understand he doesn’t want to do it, but sucks to be him. You’re married now, buddy. Well, almost.
I grin wide. “The more the merrier! We’ll have two.” I link my arm with his stiff one.
“I like the sound of that,” Anne agrees and motions for us to go into the chapel-looking room lined with a few colorful benches for guest seating and a beautiful mural of the Loverly Cave painted on the wall where we are to stand.
“What are you doing?” Clover asks through gritted teeth.
“Getting married to the love of my life, you?”
“This wasn’t the plan.”
“You don’t say?”
