Hot Commodity (Banks / Kincaid Family #1)(8)

The truth finally sank in. They were getting married. Married!

What in God’s name was she thinking? Yeah, okay, the move would totally aggravate Vivian. But it would affect her too. She’d have a freaking husband.

Olivia opened her mouth with every intention of calling it quits when he threw her for a loop and lifted her hand to his mouth. His lips brushed gently over her knuckles; he caressed her with his hot moist breath. She could only watch in entranced fascination.

No one had ever been so tender with her before. But his sweetness affected her more than anything else ever had or probably ever could. As he turned her palm up and kissed the pulse on the inside of her wrist, she blinked repeatedly, falling under some kind of spell that bound her to him in the most unexplainable way.

"I can’t wait until you’re mine," he said, licking the skin and causing a shot of pure adrenaline to rush through her. He lifted his face and sent her a smile that had her drowning.

"Wedding or honeymoon first?" he murmured, his eyelids heavy with desire.

Forgetting all thoughts from the moment before, Olivia licked her lips and listened to herself say, "Wedding."

He smiled, making her loins swell and tingle.

"Then let’s get married," he announced and linked them together at the elbows.

Their stroll down the sidewalk resembled the way Dorothy and her crew had looked on their trip to Oz. They skipped along jauntily, arm in arm over a concrete sidewalk instead of a yellow brick road, and sang the Dixie Cups’ version of 'Chapel of Love' instead of stressing over lions, tigers, and bears.

He was the first to spot a wedding parlor. "There," he said pointing. "All night weddings. Let’s go."

But as they neared the chapel, another sign caught Olivia’s attention. Her eyes lit. "Elvis!" she screamed and tugged on his hand. "Ooh! Can we get married by Elvis? Please, please, please!"

"Yeah," he said, glancing that way. "Yeah, let’s get married by the king." He dropped his voice and wiggled the corner of his top lip, doing a mediocre Presley impersonation.

Olivia was so excited she threw her arms around him and kissed him. His lips instantly caught hers, and soon he was the aggressor. His fingers tangled in her hair as he held her captive, stroking her mouth with his until she melted against him, limp and dazed and so totally alive, everything inside her could burst out at any moment. She couldn’t remember another time in her life she’d felt so free and exhilarated.

When he finally broke away, breathing hard and looking dazed, she laughed and kissed her way down his neck.

"Holy damn," he panted. "You trying to kill me, woman?"

"I’m trying something," she answered and slid her hand over the front of his pants. He shivered.

"That’s it," he said, stepping back and snatching her wrist. "We’re getting married right now." He grinned and tipped an imaginary hat like some cowboy would to a woman in an old country western movie. "Don’t you worry none, little lady. I’ll make a decent woman outta you yet."

She threw back her head and laughed. He interlaced their fingers and tugged her across the street, breaking into a slow jog as they dogged traffic.

They were both winded and laughing by the time they stepped inside the building, where Elvis’s "Can’t Help Falling in Love" played in the vestibule.

Keeping his hand securely latched around hers, Olivia’s groom pulled her toward the front desk.

The lady behind the counter grinned. "Let me guess. You two want to get married?"

When Olivia’s groom cheered, "Hell, yeah," the woman pulled up a pamphlet from behind the counter and described all the packages and wedding themes they offered. Within minutes, they decided on the Blue Hawaii ceremony.

As the receptionist shoved the paperwork at Olivia’s fiancé, she turned to Olivia. "Do you need a ring, sweetheart?"

Olivia glanced at the man beside her. "Do I?"

He lifted his face. "Well, yes." Then he turned to the receptionist. "Get her the biggest damn ring you got."

The woman cleared her throat discreetly. "And how will you be paying for this, sir?"

A wallet appeared in his hand; he tugged out a gold-faced credit card. After getting her paws on the plastic, the receptionist spun energetically toward Olivia. "Come on, sugar," she said, motioning Olivia to follow. "Let me show you the rings we have."

Olivia only needed to take one look before she saw the wedding band of her dreams. A one-and-a-half carat, marquis-cut white diamond embedded in thick platinum twinkled up at her, and she had to have it. Surprisingly, it fit. Once she tried the jewel on, she didn’t want to take it off, but the receptionist coaxed it from her finger.

"Just a few minutes more," she assured Olivia. "Then you can wear it forever and ever. Okay, sweetie?"

Olivia followed it longingly with her eyes as it was tucked safely back into its box.

After the paperwork was finished, she signed her name where she was told, and before she knew it, she found herself standing next to her groom, waiting for the wedding march to begin.

She glanced up at him standing next to her and found herself studying his jaw. He was such a handsome man. At that moment, she really did want to spend the rest of her life with him, just so she could stare at him all she wanted.