A Little White Wedding Chapel, the same venue where Brittney Spears tied the knot so many years ago, was just as garish in person as Cadence imagined it would be when she’d seen it online. But standing in front of a justice of the peace, holding the hands of the most gorgeous man she’d ever laid eyes on, while Elvis sang, “Love Me Tender,” in the background, Cadence couldn’t think of a place she’d rather be.
It had only taken a few minutes at the courthouse for them to get their certificate, thanks to fake IDs that would pass as real anywhere on the globe. As far as she knew, the government actually thought she was born a year earlier than she had been, and Aaron was born in the 1990s, not in 1829. The woman who’d given them the documentation had made the remark that they had to be the most stunning couple she’d ever waited on, and if they had a baby, she’d die to see pictures. Cadence had only grinned—unable to wipe the sappy smile off of her face from the moment she’d slipped into the white dress she was wearing. She should’ve never doubted Aaron when he suggested this. He was full of great ideas, but this one was the best.
“Do you Cadence Josephine Findley take Aaron Joseph McReynolds to be your lawful husband?” the older man before her was asking with a smile on his face. “To have and to hold from this day forward, until death parts you?”
She didn’t hesitate at all to say, “I do.” Looking into his smiling blue eyes, she felt more alive in that moment than she ever had before. What those decades to come might bring, she didn’t know for certain. Maybe there’d be another Vampire Armageddon. Maybe they’d spend the majority of them lying on the beach, sipping drinks out of a coconut. Maybe they’d have lots of kids or only a couple. Either way, she’d spend them with this man who always knew how to make her toes curl. Whatever the circumstances, she had no doubt in her mind she’d be happy, as long as he never let go of her hand.
Aaron slid the ring he’d picked up while she was out onto her finger. It was nothing compared to the bands they’d picked out for the wedding they’d been planning for over a year, but it would work for now.
“And do you Aaron Joseph McReynolds take Cadence Josephine Findley to be your lawful wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, until death parts you?”
Without pause, Aaron said, “I do,” and Cadence beamed at him. This wasn’t his first wedding, she remembered, and he had said those words—or similar ones before—but that marriage had ended in death only a year or so after its inception, and she was certain this one was the one that would last into eternity.
Cadence fumbled for the ring she’d stuck on her thumb for safekeeping and managed to get it onto his finger without dropping it, nearly jumping up and down with excitement once it was on.
“Then, by the powers vested in me by the state of Nevada, I hereby declare that you are husband and wife. You may kiss the bride.”
Aaron pulled her close, and Cadence rose up on her tiptoes to find his lips with hers. Just like the very first time he’d kissed her, sparks of electricity shot down her spine, and Cadence was glad for his strong arms around her because her knees felt wobbly.
The kiss went on so long that the justice cleared his throat and joked, “We do have another appointment in a few minutes.”
Laughing, Cadence and Aaron broke apart, but she knew it was a “too be continued.” As soon as she could get him back to their hotel room, she’d find his mouth again.
She took the bouquet of white roses that had come with their package from the witness, a nice lady with bleach blonde hair that looked like she had stepped right out of 1962. Cadence raised the flowers high in the air as Elvis played them out, singing “Can’t Help Falling in Love with You.” Cadence danced her way down the aisle, holding Aaron’s hand as he chuckled at her enthusiasm.
In the back seat of an Uber on their way to the hotel, she did her best to keep her hands off of him, but it was so damn hard. She couldn’t remember a time she’d seen him look quite so sexy. A man in a suit was always a turn on to her, but no one could wear Armani quite like her man, and more than once, Cadence urged their driver to go faster. Aaron behaved himself, more amused at her antics than anything else, but by the time she found herself in the elevator, patience had left her, and Cadence was tugging off his tie even though they were not alone on the ride up. She cursed the fact that their room was on an upper level, despite the magnificent view.
Less than three hours after she’d come back from Aurora’s cry fest, Cadence found herself lying in her husband’s arms, a satisfied grin on her face as she listened to his heart beat and thought about everything that lay before them.
“Do you think you’re going to be able to keep this a secret?” he asked, gently rubbing circles on her inner arm with his thumb.
“No,” she admitted, and they both laughed. She shifted so she could look into his eyes. “I’ll try. But with Cass’s superpowers, she might be able to figure it out.”
He nodded and pulled her closer. “As long as she doesn’t tell your parents, that should be okay.”
“Yeah. But she’ll tell Brandon. And he’ll tell Elliott.”
“Maybe Elliott already knows.”
Cadence sat up slightly, her eyes wide. “You told him?”
He shrugged. “Not exactly. I just asked his opinion, whether he thought you’d go for it. He knows you pretty well.”
“True,” she admitted settling back down against his chest. “Did he say I would?”
“Yeah.”
She ran her hand down his chest marveling at how sculpted he was. “He wasn’t upset that he was going to miss it?”
“No, he said as long as we didn’t eat any cake without him, he didn’t care what we did.”
Cadence giggled; that sounded about right. “He doesn’t know for sure, though, does he? Just that you were thinking about it?”
“He doesn’t. But I think he’ll be able to tell pretty quickly if you can’t control your face. And you can’t.”
She sat up again. “Can you blame me? Look at you! And you’re mine!” She leaned down and kissed him, reveling in the thought she was the only woman who’d ever be able to do that again. After a moment, he pulled away from her, and she leaned back, her eyebrows knitting together.
“Aren’t you supposed to catch up with Ashley and Aurora soon?” he reminded her.
Cadence glanced at the clock. The afternoon had gotten away from her a little bit. She had promised the other two she’d go to dinner with them. “Yeah....”
“Well, then you’d better behave yourself, Mrs. McReynolds.”
The sound of her new name had Cadence excited again. She ran her fingers down his chest, across his abdomen, while she explored his neck with her lips. Utilizing her IAC, she replied, “I think I’m gonna be late....”