Piper

My gaze glances down to the jeans and t-shirt I’m wearing and I frown.

Cade instantly notices and slides his finger under my chin, tipping my face up to his. “What’s with the frown? Having second thoughts about being my wife?”

I shake my head. “Absolutely not.”

“Then what is it?” There’s concern in his eyes and it fills my heart with warmth.

I sigh. “It’s silly, really.”

“Tell me,” he prods. “I want you to always be happy, and I’ll do anything to make that happen for you.”

“I always pictured myself getting married in a white dress,” I admit, and when Cade doesn’t say anything, I begin to regret saying anything. “Forget it. I told you it was silly.”

I try to turn away, but Cade doesn’t allow me. He holds me in place so he can stare into my eyes.

“Done,” he says coolly. “Now get that sexy ass of yours on the back of my bike so I can take you to a dress shop.”

A smile breaks out over my face, and Cade kisses my lips. Cade leads me to the bike and I happily follow along, walking on cloud nine.

After a quick search on the internet, I find a shop that rents dresses, which is perfect because Lord knows I can’t carry a bunch of things with me on the bike. It’s hard enough toting around the couple of outfits I bought at the mall.

We cruise down the streets of Vegas, and when we pull up out front of the building, Cade cuts the motor.

I throw my arms around his neck from behind as I stretch up on my tops and place a kiss on the cheek. “Stay here, please. I don’t want you to see me until I pick one and put it on.”

He turns a bit so he can face me as I hop off the bike. “Okay, but here—” he fishes his wallet out of the pocket of his jeans. “Take some money in with you so you can pay in cash.”

My lips twist as the money slides into my hands. “All right. I may be a bit, so if you want to drive around—”

“I’ll be waiting right here. Take your time. I’m not going anywhere.”

I give him one last kiss before I head inside alone.

There are beautiful gowns ranging from evening wear to every type of wedding gown you can think of. I walk slowly across the peach carpet, running the tips of my fingers along the silky material of the dresses.

“See anything you like?” A warm voice calls from behind me.

I turn to find a tall, thin Asian man wearing dark eyeliner, lavender eye shadow, and a dazzling smile. He’s wearing a dark purple dress shirt, which matches his makeup, and a silver blazer left unbuttoned, making him appear stylish yet casual at the same time.

I bite my lip nervously. “Um, I’m looking to rent a wedding dress.”

He clasps his hands together and holds them close to his heart. “How exciting. I love elopements. My name is Ken and I’d be happy to help you. Tell me, gorgeous, are you looking for a long or short dress?”

My mind flashes to being on the back of Cade’s bike and how difficult managing a long dress might be. “Short. Definitely, short.”

He twists his lips as he looks me up and down. “I’ve got the perfect dress for you. Size four, right? Come with me.”

I follow behind him, amazed. “How’d you know what size I am?”

He chuckles as he leads me over to a rack of short, white and cream dresses. “I’m very good at my job.” He shoves his hands between some of the dresses, pushing them apart as if he’s looking for the dress he has in mind. “Ah, here we go. How about this one?”

Hanging on the rack is a beautiful dress with lace cap sleeves that flares out into a perfect bell just above the knee while a black ribbon cinches in the middle. I couldn’t have picked a better one if I’d searched for months for the perfect gown.

He plucks it off the rack and holds it up for my inspection. “What do you think?”

My fingers trail down the fabric. “It’s amazing.”

He smiles. “I knew you’d like it. The dressing room is right over there.”

Once he sets me up inside the dressing room, he leaves me to it. The dress fits perfectly, which is mind-blowing that it doesn’t need any alterations.

I stare at myself in the mirror, and can’t believe I’m about to become a married woman.

“Let me see. I’m dying out here,” he says from the other side of the curtain.

I turn and shove the drape aside, and the moment he spots me he gasps and clutches his chest. “Oh, it’s breathtaking. This is the dress. Do you love it?”

I smooth the fabric down and nod. “I really do. I can’t wait to get married in this.”

“When is the big day?”

I grin. “Today. I just didn’t want to get married in jeans and a T-shirt.”

He raises his eyebrows. “In that case let’s do your hair and do your makeup. Give you the entire wedding package.”

“Okay,” I agree. And that’s all it takes for him to whisk me into another part of the store, where a vanity is set up.

He drapes me in a plastic cape to protect my dress and goes straight to work styling my hair into a fancy up-do before he moves on to my makeup.

When I glance at my phone, I feel guilty for leaving Cade sitting on the curb waiting an hour and a half on me by the time everything is finished.

Ken spins me around in the chair so I can look at myself in the mirror. “All finished, gorgeous. What do you think?”

“Wow,” is all I can manage to say in a small whisper. “I’ve never looked so grown up before.”

He puts his hands on my shoulders. “You’re a beautiful woman. Your future husband is a very lucky man.”

I smile. “Thank you.”

“No need to thank me, it’s true. And it’s been an absolute pleasure helping you. If that’s all you need, let’s head up front and we can settle the bill.” I follow him to the register, and Ken hands me a bag with the clothes I came in wearing. He types my basic information into the computer after I hand him my driver’s license. “Okay, Miss Piper, your total for the hair, make up, shoes and dress, including dress deposit that you’ll be refunded for once the dress is returned, undamaged, is four hundred and seventy-five dollars and thirty-two cents.”

I take out the cash Cade handed me, and see that he only gave me four hundred dollars. I hand that to Ken, and then pull out my debit card. “Can you use this for the rest? I’m trying to conserve money.”

“Certainly,” he says as he swipes my card and prints out a receipt. “Sign my copy of the receipt, and then sign my paperwork stating you will return the dress undamaged, and if you don’t, you’re aware your one-hundred-dollar deposit will not be returned.”

I sign the documents without a second thought, and when I’ve finished, Ken steps around the counter to walk me to the door. “Congratulations. I hope your day is very special.” He pauses for a moment. “If you’re looking to save money and need a hotel in town, don’t stay on the strip. There’s a motel right off the highway called Lucky Diamond that’s pretty nice and a lot cheaper than most places to stay around here. Plus, your man out there can park his bike right outside your door.”

“Awesome. Thank you for that, and thank you again for everything else.” I thank him again as I pass through the door and step outside.

“No, problem.”

The moment my feet land on the sidewalk, Cade’s head turns in my direction. His mouth drops open as he drinks me in.

He pushes himself away from his bike and heads my way with hunger in his eyes. When he’s close enough, he wraps his arms around my waist and I throw my arms around his neck as he hoists me into the air so he can kiss my lips. “Damn, baby. I knew you were sexy as hell, but this dress…” he growls as he presses his lips against mine. “I can’t wait to tear it off of you.”

“Don’t do that,” I tease. “I won’t get the deposit back if it’s damaged.”

“You’re keeping the dress, then, because the minute we’re alone you’re getting it.”

I laugh as he peppers my throat with soft kisses. “Don’t get carried away yet. We still need to make it official.”

“I can’t wait to make that happen. I love you, Piper.”

I stare into his eyes, and my heart clenches. There’s sincerity in his eyes and I know he means what he’s saying. It makes me feel safe saying it in return to him. “I love you, too.”

My admission causes the biggest smile I’ve ever seen on his face. He’s happy, and I’m happy that he’s happy.

He pulls back and nods. “Let’s go give you my last name.”

Cade sets me on my feet and then threads his fingers through mine, pulling me behind him toward his bike. This is it. I’m officially going to be his.