Camden
I heard Riley’s car pull into the driveway, the sound of the engine reminding me that we needed to look into getting her a new car. Her old college clunker was not nearly safe or reliable enough to get her to and from work anymore. I smiled at the idea of trying to convince her to get a newer vehicle, knowing she’d argue with me and I’d be able to persuade her using my favorite negotiation techniques—the kind that involved her naked on the bed and giving me everything I want from her.
When the front door closed, it snapped me out of my daydream and I schooled my features, trying to look calm, cool, and collected.
“Hey, babe,” she called out.
“Hey, in the family room.”
I heard her heels clicking against the hardwood floor. I couldn’t tell you why, exactly, but that sound totally turned me on. It was like she was announcing her entrance, giving me and my body a warning.
She walked right to me, toed off her shoes, sat in my lap, wrapped her arms around my neck, and kissed me hello.
My hands instinctively came to her ass—only to make sure she didn’t fall off my lap, of course.
Her kiss was short but effective, her tongue just barely brushing over my bottom lip, teasing me. But when she pulled away, she looked tired.
“Everything okay?” I asked, smoothing my hand up her back.
“Yeah, I think I’m just overly tired. All the traveling and today I was absolutely swamped, and then I went right from work to hang out with Hadley. I think I just need to go to bed.”
“Did you have fun with Had?” I reached up and pushed a lock of hair behind her ear, waiting for her response.
“I always have fun with Hadley. She’s my favorite.”
“Good. What did you end up doing?”
“Dinner and shopping. Oh, I’m sorry I ditched you for dinner. Did you manage all right?”
“Yep, called Justin and we met at a bar.” I didn’t tell her that Jasper had come with us and that I’d instructed Hadley to keep Riley out for a few hours. “Did you get anything while you were shopping?”
I was prying, but I wanted her to confess to what she’d bought. Kind of wanted to see it too.
“Wedding stuff. Nothing for you to see.”
“I thought I couldn’t see the dress?”
“Well, I can’t show you what I’m going to wear under the dress either. That’s a surprise too.”
Mission accomplished.
“Riley Smith, did you bring sexy things back into this house? And are you keeping them from me?” I asked, running my hand back up her back, trying to coax her closer.
“Oh no,” she said, standing. “You are not going to see what I bought. It’s for the wedding.” She crossed her arms over her chest and I could’ve sworn she was one second from tapping her foot on the ground.
I held up my hands as if to surrender.
“Okay. I won’t see it until the wedding, but it better be worth the wait.”
Her shoulders relaxed and her hands dropped to her sides.
“You know it will be.”
“Yeah,” I agreed. “You ready for bed? I’ll rub your back until you fall asleep.”
“Hmm,” she moaned, making it difficult to not revert to the images of all the sexy things she might have in her bags. “You’re the best.”
I stood and took her hand, leading her up the stairs to the bedroom where I listened to her tell me all about her day. She told me how Rose didn’t fire her, and how Hadley opened up about being sad that Riley was moving on with her life and seemed to be pulling away from their friendship. Women were strange creatures. Justin and I never busted each other’s balls for being absent. If I hadn’t seen him in a while and I thought about him, I called him up and we went out for a beer. But Riley loved Hadley, so I knew she’d be upset if her best friend told her something like that. The fact of the matter was both Riley and Hadley were prime. I was lucky enough to lure Riley into my snare and keep her, but someday someone was going to snatch up Hadley too. It was inevitable.
She was a little wild and a lot crazy, but that was part of her charm.
Plus, she was hilarious.
Riley told me a story about an old woman in the dressing room, but I couldn’t really understand her through all the laughter, so I just watched her while smiling, nodding when I thought it was appropriate.
Riley fell asleep approximately three minutes after I started rubbing her back, which was pretty typical, but I waited a few extra minutes just to make sure she’d stay asleep. When I was confident she was out for the night, I rolled toward my nightstand and picked up my phone, tapping out a text.
**Nice work, tonight. She didn’t suspect a thing.**
I waited for a reply, but it didn’t take long.
**Don’t thank me yet. Wait until your wedding night. I set you up so good, Camden. Don’t you forget who shouted her last name to you when she was blowing you off. None of this would be happening if it weren’t for me.**
**I realize this. And I am grateful.**
**Just remember: my birthday’s in September and I like diamonds.**
**Haha, noted.**
**She loves you, Cam, and that makes you damn lucky.**
**I know that too. See you Saturday?**
**Wouldn’t miss it for the world.**
The next two days were a strange juxtaposition of passing slowly yet still not filled with enough time. There was so much to do, so many loose ends to tie up. I was afraid we wouldn’t get everything done, but somehow we managed. Thursday and Friday, Riley left for work like normal and I got up and readied myself for work just like I always did, but after she kissed me goodbye and drove away, I took off my suit, changed into jeans, and went to work on the plan that had a very short window of opportunity.
Truth be told, Friday night I probably didn’t get much sleep at all. I was too wired. Too nervous, too anxious, too excited, too scared out of my mind. But I was also so fucking happy.
When the sun rose on Saturday, part of me wanted to shake her as soon as the light filtered in through the window. I wanted to wake her up and shout my news to the rooftops with her, but I reined myself in—barely.
We’d worked everything out, planned every detail practically down to the minute, and I knew I needed to let her sleep as long as possible. The minutes ticked by slowly, but I cherished every one as I watched Riley sleep.
Finally she roused, eyes fluttering open, back arching, arms stretching over her head.
She finally met my gaze and smiled back at me with the warmth of so much love in her eyes.
“Hey,” she said, her voice still scratchy from sleep. “How long have you been awake?”
“A while,” I answered, opening my arms and watching as she scooted toward me, wrapping one arm around my middle and resting her head in the crook of my shoulder, just like I knew she would.
“Feeling okay?”
“Yeah, just thinking.”
“About?” she prodded.
“Us, the wedding, life.”
“So nothing too heavy for a Saturday morning,” she said with a laugh.
Her laugh. It was the best sound in the world. I never thought myself to be excessively sentimental, but I loved the way she looked when she laughed and how it made me feel. If Riley was happy, then everything was right in my world.
“Marry me,” I asked her quietly.
The side of her mouth tipped up into a small smile. “I’ve already agreed to that. Are you sure you’re feeling okay?”
“Marry me. Today.”
“Today?” Her head pulled back and she examined me closer, her brow furrowing in the middle.
“Go with me to Vegas. Marry me. Today.”
“We can’t get married today.”
I expected the resistance at first. Riley was a planner and needed control over all aspects of her life, so I was prepared for a small fight.
“Why not? You’ve got a dress, and some sexy things to wear under it. I’ve got a suit. Why wait?”
“What about our parents?”
I gave a shrug. “We’ll have a reception sometime this summer.”
“You don’t think your parents will be mad you got married without them?”
“They’ll get over it. Besides, the only person I really want at my wedding is you.” I leaned forward and kissed her gently. She kissed me back, but I could tell her mind was reeling.
“We can’t elope.”
I brought my hand to her face and rubbed my thumb over her bottom lip.
“We can. I want you to be my wife. Let’s be wild and crazy, throw caution to the wind, just like we did during halftime on the Jumbotron. Trust me.”
“You really want to just get on a plane and get married?”
My heart began thundering as she started to actually consider it. I wanted her to say yes, to agree to focus on us and do something for just the two of us.
“I really want to be your husband.”
“Today?”
“Today.”
Her eyes darted wildly between mine, back and forth, as she considered my words. I knew she was weighing everything in her mind, trying to justify leaving all our friends and family in the dust and doing something so incredibly huge without them. But finally she gave me the answer I was looking for.
“Yes,” she whispered.
“Yes?”
“Yes,” she said excitedly, nodding and smiling, eyes filling with tears.
I rolled over her, kissing her, hoping to show her what it meant to me, the relinquishment of control, the fact that she’d give up everything for me, even if I knew shortly she’d realize she wasn’t giving up anything.
She kissed me back, her knees bending and pulling up to capture my waist, allowing my hips to sink between her thighs. Fuck, how I wanted to peel her clothes off and sink into her, to take that moment and brand it with more than just a kiss, but we had to get moving.
I kissed down her throat and chest, then grabbed her hands and pulled her to a sitting position.
“We’ve got to get a move on. I’m going to start packing while you get in the shower.”
“Is this really happening?” she giggled.
“Yes, get up,” I said, tossing a pillow at her.
“Shouldn’t we check flights?”
“Babe, it’s Vegas. They’ve got flights all the time to Vegas. We’ll book one when we get to the airport.”
“Oh my God,” she cried, covering her face with her hands. “Hadley’s going to kill me.”
“She’ll be fine. Get. Up.”
She threw the covers off her body and went to the bathroom, mumbling to herself about her whole family hating her. But she was smiling, so I knew it was all right.
I heard the water turn on and could tell Riley had gotten in a minute later, so I grabbed my phone and sent off a text.
**Operation Vegas Shenanigans is go for green. I repeat, Operation Vegas Shenanigans is go for green.**
**Read you loud and clear. Bridal squadron is on the move and our ETA is eleven hundred. All soldiers present and accounted for. Over and out, old buddy.**
**You totally ruined the military theme of this whole operation by calling me old buddy.**
**Beggars can’t be choosers, Camden. I am far from a military man.**
**Right, but your sign off sounded more like a trucker than a navy seal. I’m just saying.**
**Shut up and get your bride to Vegas.**
I had to laugh. It was going to be a great day.
I helped Riley pack, which turned out to be more of a production than I’d anticipated. Packing for a quick trip was not the same as packing for your wedding. That was obviously an oversight on my part. She was putting things in her bag I’d never even seen her use before. Who knew eyelash curlers were even a thing? And more contraptions to straighten, curl, or dry her hair went into the bag than I even knew she owned. Needless to say, by the time we got out the door, we were pressed for time. I couldn’t let it show though. No, there was still one more surprise in store for Riley, and I desperately wanted to watch her enjoy it.