The Sheikh's Virgin Bride(76)

“I’ll miss you.”

“I miss you already,” she’d said, beaming at him.

He’d closed in again, kissing her within an inch of her sanity before he’d stepped back and released her hand.

“If you keep doing that, it’s going to be a much rougher night,” Kaye had breathed.

“Just a little preview for tomorrow,” he’d said, with a cheeky gleam in his eye.

“Can’t wait!”

“Me either. Goodnight, my love. See you at the altar.”

“Goodnight.”

As Kaye thought back to Amir’s passionate embrace, her heart began to beat a little faster. While the day itself would be full of celebrations and fun, she very much looked forward to the evening ahead. It seemed that, with Amir, there was always something to look forward to.

There was a gentle knock at her door, and Kaye walked over to answer it, finding her mother on the other side.

“Ready to get dressed?” she asked.

Kaye nodded.

“Let’s do it.”

It was a far cry from the professional help she’d had with Jen on her team, but together, Kaye and her mother managed to curl and pin her hair in a delicate wave that flowed over her shoulders. Her dress was also very simple—just a long, white, fitted strapless gown. She slid into it easily, her makeup earth-toned, her feet bare. When she turned to face her mother, she found her with tears in her eyes.

“Mom,” Kaye murmured, her tone comforting.

Her mother grasped her hands.

“I’m just so proud of you, Kaye. You’ve come so far since your days living in Indiana.”

“I wouldn’t be who I am without them,” Kaye reminded her.

Her mother dabbed her eyes to stave off any makeup mishaps.

“Yes, well. Let’s go see if your father is ready, and we can get this party started.”

“How much did he have to drink last night, anyway?”

“Not enough to be dead to the world today, but enough to have a good time,” her mother said with a smirk.

Kaye laughed.

“Sounds like the perfect amount to me!”

They headed toward the beach, where an altar had been set up beneath a white gazebo just for the occasion. Peeking out from the lobby, Kaye could see Amir waiting in the gazebo, though he couldn’t see her. He was wearing a white linen suit, and looked as handsome as ever. She took a deep breath, excited to get going.

Her father approached, then, standing on the other side of her.

“Ready?” he asked.

It was so similar to the previous wedding, when Merle had hired an imposter to play her uncle. Kaye found this time to be so much better. She squeezed her dad’s arm.

“Absolutely. Let’s go.”

A string quartet began to play, and Kaye and her parents walked out to see the crowd. Some of the attendees were from Kaye’s side, but the vast majority was Amir’s enormous family. All of them grinned at her in admiration as she walked past, but she hardly noticed.

She only had eyes for the man before her.

As they reached the steps, they took them one at a time before Kaye’s parents released her into Amir’s waiting grasp.

“I never want to sleep another night without you again. Pure torture,” he whispered, and she smiled up at him.

“Ditto,” she agreed.

They turned to face the local priest they had found, an old man with a melodious accent. He gazed at them affectionately before he began the ceremony.

“Ladies and gentlemen, it is with great pride that I marry the couple from one of my favorite new reality shows.”

That elicited some laughs from the crowd.

“Oftentimes, we believe that love is something that is contrived, that isn’t real. We marry and discover that love is difficult, that it is something to be fought for, and fought with, for many years. There is never going to be a perfect day in this world. Life can have challenges that may be too much to bear. When these arise, it is love that sees us through. It breaks through barriers, and it finds a way through the walls we build up. It is the greatest gift of mankind.”

He glanced at Kaye and Amir.

“I believe that you have written vows for each other. Now would be the time to say them.”

He looked at Kaye first, and she pulled out a sheet of paper, not wanting to get her vows wrong. It was one thing to do it for a TV show, but it was entirely another when pledging her life for real.

“Amir, when I first met you, I thought you were quite the hunk. You were the only reason I was crazy enough to take a job on a reality show and marry a complete stranger. Your kindness, your humor, the man you are behind the camera when they weren’t telling you to be more macho, was the man I fell in love with. You may not have rescued me from a drunk guy at a bar, but you have in so many other ways, more than you’ll ever know. I love you.”

“I love you, too,” Amir whispered.

“And now you, Amir,” the priest said.

The Sheikh gazed down at Kaye, adoration shining in his eyes. This time, he required no document to read from. He spoke directly from his heart.

“Kaye, I knew from the moment I met you that you were someone special. Your laughter, your smile, your determination to live your dreams, all drew me to you like a moth to a flame. I am enchanted by you, body and soul, and I pledge to make you the happiest woman in the world for all the days of our lives.”