Page 16 of Marry Me, Right Now

MORNING LIGHT

The sun was streaming in the windows, and I was overwhelmed with the feeling of contentment and peace. I couldn’t open my eyes yet, but I was filled with a sense of warmth. Then I felt the weight. Mia was in my arms, snuggled against me as if she belonged here, curled into my chest as if it were her home.

I had been trying so hard to keep things professional between us, but at every turn, I was struck by the fact that her sweet little body called to me on a deep, primal level. I couldn’t look at her without thinking thoughts that would have made her blush.

I had no idea how we ended up asleep on the couch,

curled up together, but I was absolutely stricken by the thought of her being embarrassed when she woke up.

I took a moment to gauge our positions, our limbs, and my potential velocity.

Then I sat up smoothly, maneuvering her so that she was lightly draped on my shoulder, instead of intimately curled into my chest. Once she was sort of sitting up, I arranged her on the couch with pillows under her head, then slipped out.

I quickly washed my face and brushed my teeth, then went back to the kitchen to make coffee. Good grief, I thought, I don’t even know how she likes her coffee. I was struck once again by the absolutely ludicrous nature of our undertaking, but I had to try. Letting that house go to my childish brother was simply not an option.

As I puttered in the kitchen, I watched Mia beginning to stir on the couch. She finally sat up, looking around and blinking. “How do you take your coffee?” I asked.

She looked over at me, not exactly startled, but a little put off at where she was. “Just a splash of milk, please.”

I brought her a mug, sitting at the far end of the couch with my own. I didn’t think I should bring up our time cuddling unless she did.

“Wow,” she said, pushing her in her face and taking a big swig of coffee. “I’m sorry. Must have passed right out last night.”

“No worries. So did I, apparently.”

“But I think we got a lot of work done and took a lot of notes.”

“We have an appointment with my lawyer in an hour, since there is always paperwork to deal with.”

Mia froze for a second, then seemed to take a deep breath. “Will he know this isn’t a real wedding?”

I shook my head. “Not his business. He would never say a word. It will be legally real, and that’s all that matters to him.”

“Oh.” She suddenly looked uncomfortable. “I guess I’ll need to know the budget for the wedding. I’ll be as cheap as I can, but since this is all last minute...”

“Shh,” I cut her off. “Mia, my family is used to spending a ridiculous amount of money on weddings, birthdays, or any event that warrants a party. They’re nuts. So whatever we spend, it’s taken care of, and will be less than anyone expects.” I chuckled. “Unless you really feel that you need elephants or something.”

She looked horrified. “I couldn’t spend very much. Trust me, I’ll keep it as reasonable as possible.”

“You don’t have to.”

“Yeah, I do.” I looked at her quizzically. Taking a deep breath, she turned slightly to face me. “Listen, I feel disgusted at the thought of wasting money. I grew up pretty poor at some points, and it’s just not right to spend money like it doesn’t mean anything.”

I nodded, thinking. “Okay. I hear you. But my family will expect some kind of show.”

“This whole relationship is a show.” She laughed so hard I had to join her.

“You’re right. So, how about we do a fairly small, medium-fancy wedding, that’s just the level of fancy that you’re comfortable with, that costs what my family expects, but not so much that you’re upset?”

She shook her head. “I don’t know. I’ll figure it out.”

I tried to lean back to give her a little space, realizing that my body was always trying to get closer to her.

“Would it be okay if I had two of my friends over as soon as I move in on Friday?” she asked. “I’m going to have to announce the news, and start answering all of their questions, so I might as well get started.”

“Of course. Would you like me to be here?”

“No. Well,” she thought for a moment. “What if you were here to meet them, then had to go? That way they can grill me. I’ll take notes of anything you’ll need to be prepared for.”

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