What are friends for? I wouldnt have survived high school if not for you and your family. Consider this payback.
The doors to the chapel opened, and a man wearing a sparkly suit that Liberace would envy called, Powell-Bancroft?
Gage and Zoey looked from Mr. Sparkles to each other. She saw the get-a-load-of-him grin Gage fought to hide and had to bite the inside of her own cheek so she wouldnt laugh. Are you sure this is the wedding chapel and not the Salute to Siegfried and Roy? she whispered.
Gages cheek twitched, and his gaze lit with humor. Just in case, keep an eye out for tigers in there, okay? He offered her his arm. Shall we?
Her stomach swirled, and her burger-and-fries lunch rebelled. Is this the right thing to do, Gage? I mean, the last thing I want is to do anything that will hurt our friendship.
His dark eyebrows lowered, his expression cautious. Im sure. I thought about all the pros and cons driving out here. But if youre not sure, if you need more time to think
That would be so not me. Right? She raked her hair back with her fingers and gave him a nervous laugh. Impulsive is my middle name. Isnt that what my mother says? She hooked her arm in his and squared her shoulders. Lets do this.
A tinny organ played the Wagner wedding march, and Zoey squeezed Gages hand as they strode down the aisle to the vaudevillesque minister. Her stomach seesawed, her lip sweated and her knees trembled. This was hardly how she pictured her wedding day as a little girl.
She swallowed hard, forcing down the bile that rose in her throat when the minister, a show-perfect smile in place, intoned, Were gathered here today to join
Zoey and Gabe
Gage, her groom corrected.
The pearly-white smile faltered. Oh, uh Zoey and Gage in the legal bonds of marriage.
Her heart thundered, and she thought she might throw up. Maybe the hot peppers on her burger had been a mistake but shed had a strange craving for them and
Zoey, do you take Gage to be your husband? To love and cherish in sickness and The ministers voice faded to a drone as she faced her groom. Her groom. Leapin lizards! Shed spent her whole life making rash decisions, screwing up, hurting the people she loved. How could she live with herself if, in trying to dig herself out of the hole shed created with Derek, she was making matters worse by marrying Gage?
She was ready to turn and run when she met Gages eyes. Warm, genuine, encouraging. He flashed her one of his crooked grins and, as if David Copperfield had waved his hands and snatched away a silky veil, her jitters vanished. Poof! Gage had been her rock, her refuge, her home base for more than eleven years. With him, she was safe, anchored.
until death do you part? the showman minister finished grandly.
A niggle of guilt poked her. Their marriage would be temporary, not until death, but the confidence in Gages eyes filled her with a calm assurance she was doing the right thing. Warmth filled her chest. Yeah, I do.
Relief to have her vows over with buzzed through Zoey as the Liberace double repeated the vows for Gage. In response, Gages expression warmed. Absolutely, positively.
Zoey quirked an eyebrow. His answer seemed over-the-top, when a simple I do would have sufficed. But maybe Gage was getting caught up in the whole Las Vegas flash and dazzle. Or maybe he was trying to make her laugh at the absurdity of their tying the knot in Vegas like something from an episode of Friends. He surprised her again by producing from his pocket a plain band to slip on her finger at the appointed time. When she gave him a curious look, he only winked and turned to face the minister. They signed the marriage license to make it official, and the tinny organ tuned up again with Going to the Chapel of Love.
The minister gave Gage a sly grin. You can kiss her now.
Zoey sputtered, heat creeping to her cheeks. Naw. See, were not really
Gage caught her wrist and reeled her close with a firm tug. You heard the man, Zee. Shut up and kiss me.
Her stomach swooped in anticipation. To cover, she pulled a face and buzzed her lips in dismissal. Yeah, right. Were not
Capturing her nape with one hand, Gage anchored her against his long, lean body with his other arm. He silenced her startled gasp with a kiss that was far from platonic. His warm mouth covered hers, drawing on it with gentle but insistent persuasion. Zoey clutched at his T-shirt to steady herself as his tongue traced the seam of her lips and her head spun dizzily. A sensation like hot maple syrup flowed through her veins, sweet and indulgent, while Gages skillful lips teased and tantalized hers. Around her, the chapel lost focus, and the organ was drowned out by the whoosh of blood in her ears.
When he angled his head to deepen the kiss, she surrendered to the heady pleasure that swamped her and answered the tug of his mouth with her own fervor. Gage massaged her neck with his fingers, his caress seductive and hypnotizing. Heat and need coiled low in her belly as she melted into him. His kiss was commanding yet tender, powerful, romanticand unexpectedly erotic.