The moment turned too serious, or maybe too tense. It was hard to tell. To change the mood he reached into the backseat and pulled out a box. “Your bouquet.”
“For me?” Her eyes lit up, and her cheeks turned pink.
He’d genuinely surprised her, which made him happy he’d taken the time to do things right.
“Oh! It’s gorgeous!” She pressed her face into the pink-and-white rose bouquet and inhaled the fragrance. “You thought of everything. Thank you!”
Her happiness pleased him like nothing else had in so long. Because she was tempting enough to kiss, he had her pin a white-rose boutonniere on his lapel, her look of concentration making him smile.
When she was done she patted his chest then pulled back in a hurry, as if she’d overstepped.
“We need to look married,” he said, capturing her hands in his. “That means touching.”
“In front of other people, maybe. Not when it’s just us.”
“We need to get used to it so it’s normal for us, don’t you think?” He acknowledged it was just an excuse to touch her, but it still made sense for their purposes.
“You’re very sensible, Gavin.”
No, I’m actually all stirred up. He wondered what she would say to that. “Ready?” he asked.
She looked at the building and took a deep breath. “Ready.”
He held her hand as they went inside, the interior dark, with rich wood walls and silk-upholstered guest chairs. A floor-to-ceiling oil painting of Lake Tahoe and the Sierra Nevadas held center stage, a beautiful backdrop for photographs to be taken during and after the ceremony.
“Mr. Callahan?” A slight man with white hair approached. “I’m Reverend Sorbo.”
“Thank you for fitting us in, Reverend. This is Ms. Sheridan.”
The man nodded. “Everything is ready for you. Please follow me.”
For the first photos, Gavin and Becca were posed as if reciting their vows, with the reverend in the background between them, then he said, “Rings?”
Becca shot a look at Gavin. “Oh, we don’t—”
“Of course we do,” he said, interrupting her. He dipped into his pocket and pulled out matching bands, each carved with swirls and dotted with diamond chips.
Her hand shook as he put her ring on her finger, the photographer coming up closer to capture the moment. Gavin found he was a little shaky, as well, and chalked it up to perpetuating the lie. Sometimes he was able to set all that aside, but putting a wedding ring on her brought it to the forefront. Marriage was supposed to be revered and respected.
“Next would be a kiss,” Reverend Sorbo said.
Gavin took her hands. Her eyes were so dark they seemed black. He leaned toward her, touched his lips to hers and felt them quiver. He heard the photographer take a couple of shots, then Gavin pulled back.
“You can do better than that, young man,” the reverend said with a chuckle. “A picture’s worth a thousand words, you know.”
“Are you game?” he whispered to Becca.
She nodded. He moved in closer. Then he bent her over his arm and held that pose for the camera. Startled, she looked surprised, then she laughed. Only then did he kiss her, kissing the smile off her face, savoring the taste of her, especially when she started kissing him back making that soft little moan….
Becca forgot everything but him, the way his lips felt, the comfort of his arms holding her securely, even the scent of the light cologne he wore.
Best … kisser … ever. The thought registered in her brain gradually, just as her need for him did, which didn’t slam into her but coiled slowly, attaching her to him with heat and desire—until he straightened, taking her with him. He kept his hands curved around her arms, waiting for her to stop wobbling before he released her.
“Much better,” the reverend said.
Becca and Gavin stood in front of the grand painting for an official wedding portrait, then they were handed a CD of their photos and sent on their way. In the car they simply sat for a few moments.
“I’ll get prints made,” Gavin said after a while.
“Okay.” She felt married. She shouldn’t, since they’d only hit the highlights of a normal ceremony, and they didn’t have a license. The usual steps of courtship, marriage proposal and real ceremony hadn’t happened, either….
Yet she felt married.
She sneaked a look at the ring on her finger.
“They’re on loan,” he said, starting the engine of the low, sleek sports car he seemed too comfortable with for it to be a rental. Another surprise.
“The rings are gorgeous.” Since he’d caught her looking, she held out her hand to better admire the band. “You really did think of everything.”
“Can I let you in on a secret?” he asked, smiling and angling toward her.
“I’m good at keeping secrets.”
“I found a wedding site online and followed their checklist.”
She found that incredibly sweet. Tempted to lay her hand along his hair and kiss him, she just smiled instead.
“Are you hungry?” he asked.
“My appetite has returned.” On cue, her stomach growled. She pressed a hand to it and laughed.
“We’re a little overdressed for the casinos.” He pulled out of the parking lot and headed south.
“Does anyone care about such things? We might stand out a bit, but I wouldn’t mind grabbing a bite to eat then feeding a slot machine. I feel lucky today.”
They left their wedding flowers in the car, but even the restaurant hostess seemed to recognize them as newlyweds and gave them a quiet corner booth. She took their drink orders before giving them a wink and walking away.
Becca wondered if she should stake Gavin some cash. Julia would’ve told him what his wages would be for the following weekend, but he’d also spent funds Becca needed, and wanted, to reimburse.
This was different, however. This would be a cash transaction.
Their server placed glasses of iced tea in front of them, and then took their orders for minestrone soup and BLT sandwiches.
“Do you gamble?” Becca asked Gavin when they were alone again.
“Rarely. I’ll be happy to stay with you while you play. Unless you’d rather be alone?”
“That would look strange, wouldn’t it, since we’re supposed to be newlyweds?” She sipped her tea. “So, I think I’ll set a limit of fifty dollars to lose.”
“Do you always lose?”
“I’ve only played a few times, mostly during bachelorette parties. I can’t remember ever going home with more than I had. How about you?”
“I tend to win, mostly,” he said with a shrug. “But I play blackjack not slots.”
Becca ran a finger along the drops of condensation on her glass. They’d talked about their childhoods on the drive up earlier, but she realized she’d talked a lot more than he had. Had that been a planned maneuver on his part?
“You said that you had sisters, Gavin. Older or younger?”
He pulled out his cell phone and brought up a photo