Take Me (Take a Chance #4)(32)
Author: Diane Alberts

“Not even—?”

“Not even.” He shrugged. “I know it doesn’t seem like it, since I was an idiot and said I loved you, but I’m not really into love and relationships. So this is a blessing in disguise. You can rest easy. I’ll be fine. No. I am fine.”

“What if I’m not?” she asked, her voice barely a whisper. She clenched her skirt again and licked her lips. “What if I’m miserable?”

His heart leapt but he wrestled it down. “Why would you be miserable? You got the role of your life. Be happy. Celebrate. Get drunk—but don’t get married again until I get the divorce going.”

She shook her head but didn’t laugh like he expected. Tears filled her eyes. “I don’t want to get married again.”

“Well, neither do I.” He took his hands out of his pockets. “I have to go get in the pictures and stuff. Thanks for coming. You don’t have to come to the reception.” He hugged her, maybe a little bit longer than necessary, but hell, he couldn’t help it. He loved her. “Good luck with your career. I expect updates letting me know how everything is going.”

She clung to him when he stepped back. Or maybe that had been his imagination. She looked up at him with those shining bright blue eyes. God, Puss in Boots had nothing on her. “Right. I will.”

“Good.” He opened his mouth, closed it and swallowed hard. There was nothing more to say. “Bye.”

He turned on his heel and headed for the door, his entire body as rigid as a board. Shit, this was what a broken heart felt like. He felt bad for teasing Garrett about it last year. Man, this sucked donkey nuts. He rubbed the spot over his heart where he ached and flexed his jaw. He needed a stiff drink or ten.

“Mike!” Morgan called out, her voice tinged with desperation. “Look at me.”

He froze mid-step. “Why?”

“I need you to look at me when I…” He heard the rustle of fabric as she approached. “I h-have to tell you something.”

He grabbed the pew next to him, unable to stand straight. “Okay.” He turned around and met her eyes. What he saw there gave him reason to breathe again. Gave him reason to remember why he’d married her. Why he wanted to stay married to her.

“I don’t want to get married again because I want to stay married to you. Even though I didn’t want to love anyone or be married, you made me change my mind. You said all along that maybe we knew what we were doing when we woke up married and I think you’re right. I think Drunk Morgan was the smartest she’d ever been.” She broke off and laughed nervously. “And now I’m referring to myself in the third person. That’s fabulous.”

His heartbeat, which had dropped to his feet like an anvil at the beginning of their conversation, now boomed in his chest. “Morgan? What are you trying to say?”

She held out her hands. “That I want to be your wife, and I…I love you. And I hope you love me, like you said last night. Well, screamed, actually. But I hope you’re willing to take a chance on me. To give me the chance to be your wife. Your real wife.”

The dam inside of him broke. He stumbled forward and caught her in his arms. “Hell yeah, I love you. I just can’t believe you love me, too.”

He swooped in and held her tenderly, dropping a kiss on her head, cherishing the fact that she loved him like he loved her. Who would have thought a drunken night in Vegas would lead to a marriage he hadn’t even known he wanted, but could no longer live without?

He rested his cheek against hers. She tightened her fists on his jacket, tugging him closer. “I wish we weren’t in a church right now. I can’t kiss you in here.”

“Seriously?” He pulled back and looked down at her in surprise. His little hellion couldn’t kiss her husband in church?

“Seriously.”

“I think He would approve.” His grip on her hips tightened. “But we could not be inside.”

“I like how you think, husband.” She grinned up at him, her blue eyes sparkling and pulling him in deeper than he already was. “But don’t you have to find Brianna for the pictures? Do you have time?”

“When it comes to kissing you, I have all the time in the world.”

Grabbing his hand, she tugged him toward the doors. “Then let’s go.”

When she lifted her skirt to walk faster, he caught sight of her boots. His mouth dried out. “You wore your boots under that? I might be a dude and therefore clueless about fashion, but even I know that’s not right.”

She winked at him over her shoulder. “I know how much you like them and I wanted to make you happy.”

His heart sped up. “You know me so well, babe.”

“Well.” She fluttered her lashes at him. “You are my husband. It’s kind of my job.”

“Speaking of being your husband…” His grip on her tightened as they walked out the doors and into the fresh air. “I have a request pertaining to your upcoming role.”

She stopped walking so abruptly that he almost crashed into her. He caught her shoulder with his free hand and righted himself. She nibbled on her lower lip. “You want me to turn down the part. I can. I’d been thinking about it already, since we’ve just gotten—”

“Stop right there.” He scowled. “Don’t even think about it. You are not, I repeat not, turning down that role. If you even threaten me with that again, I’ll divorce your pretty little ass so fast you won’t know what hit you.”

She blinked at him, her mouth in a perfect o. “But—”

“No buts.” He swung her in his arms and kissed her forehead. “I would never ask you to do that, and I won’t accept it from you, either.”

She wrapped her arms around his neck and blinked back tears. “Then what do you want?”

“I want a real wedding when you come back.” He nibbled on her ear and maneuvered her toward the side of the building, where they wouldn’t be seen. Even though his face was buried in her neck, he knew she was smiling. He could feel it.

“Really?”

“Yes. I want to see you in that white dress, walking down the aisle toward me with a white veil and a pair of white cowboy boots.”

She let out a bubble of laughter. “Boots?”

“Yeah.” He lifted her up in his arms, hugging her close. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders. “I’m happiest when you’re wearing boots.”