I gazed over at the man in the other bed, snoring softly, his muscular chest rising and falling in a slow, easy rhythm.
Nate was a good guy. He’d planned our whole trip to Vegas. And paid for it. He’d been a perfect gentleman. I wished things could be different.
Wouldn’t it be amazing if this was real, and not just a ruse to get on a TV show? But a guy like Nate would never be interested in a flat-chested nerd like me.
I bet his last girlfriend had big tits. And she probably knew how to pleasure a man. I had no idea. I could solve complex math and physics equations.
With an IQ of one hundred and forty-five at age sixteen, I was labeled a genius.
But I knew nothing about sex beyond the mechanical and biological aspects. I was twenty-two years old, and I’d never been kissed.
But I didn’t want him to know I’d never been kissed. How embarrassing.
Today was my wedding day. Like most girls, I’d fantasized many times about my trip down the aisle. And Nate was always the groom.
But none of my fantasies involved a fake wedding in Vegas, with no family or friends in attendance.
I ran the back of my hand across my cheek, wiping away the silent tears. Someday, I would have my real wedding. My prince was out there somewhere.
A man who wanted to marry me for love. This was just a business arrangement. I couldn’t lose sight of that, or I risked getting my heart broken into so many pieces.
There’d be no hope of ever putting it back together.
I slipped out of bed and tiptoed to the bathroom, grabbing the clothes I’d laid out the night before. When I came back out, Nate was awake. He rolled onto his side and rested his head on his elbow.
“Good morning,” he said. “How did you sleep?”
“Okay. Not great.”
“How come?”
“Just nervous.”
“You aren’t getting cold feet, are you?”
“No. I’m not going to be a runaway bride.”
“Come here,” he said, patting the mattress.
Nervous tingles danced around in my belly. What did he want?
I chewed on my lower lip as I walked slowly to the bed, where a half-naked man was lying in wait, watching me with a mixture of amusement and curiosity.
“Relax, baby,” he whispered when I sat down. “There’s nothing to be nervous about. It’s not a real wedding. Well, technically it is. But you get what I mean.”
“I know that,” I sighed.
He reached out and grabbed my hand, caressing the space between my thumb and my index finger, eliciting a full-body shiver.
Every time he touched me, it was like a thousand jolts of electricity shooting through my body.
I could tell by the cocky grin on his face, he was very aware of the effect he had on me.
“Let me take a quick shower,” he said, jumping up so fast I almost went ass over tea kettle off the side of the bed.
“Then we can grab some breakfast. Your appointment isn’t until ten, so we’ve got lots of time.”
“What appointment?”
“At the spa.”
“What?”
“It’s included in our wedding package.”
“I don’t need all that, Nate.”
“Maybe not,” he said as he rooted around in his suitcase. “But I bet a massage would help you relax. And every bride deserves to be pampered on her wedding day.”
I wandered over to the window, staring down at the Las Vegas strip, already bustling with tourists. This wedding was getting out of control.
Maybe I should’ve insisted on planning it myself.
My pulse quickened when he came up behind me. He put his hand on my waist and turned me, tilting my chin up with his thumb.
I swallowed hard, trying not to think about the fact that he was in his underwear. Well, boxer shorts. But still.
“Our wedding pictures are going to be on TV. And the internet. We have to agree to that as part of our contract with the show. I want my bride looking beautiful.”
“Well, I wouldn’t want to embarrass you,” I snapped, ducking around him before storming across the large room.
“Stella, I’m sorry,” he said. “That came out wrong.”
“It’s fine, Nate. I know I’m nothing special to look at. I’m not stupid.”
He took a deep breath, inflating his cheeks before exhaling slowly as he ran his fingers through his hair. “I didn’t say that.”
“You didn’t have to. No worries. I’ll get my hair and makeup done. It’s all good.”
He opened his mouth as if he was about to say something else, but then closed it and went into the bathroom.
I flopped down on the bed, fighting back tears while his words replayed in my head.
Maybe I overreacted a bit. I had some self-esteem and insecurity issues that I needed to work through while I was on this trip.
“You need to take your dress and whatever else you need for tonight,” Nate informed me as we rode up in the elevator after breakfast.
“I’m not getting dressed in the room?”
“No. I can’t see you until you walk down the aisle.”
“Why?”
“Because that’s bad luck,” he said as we stepped out into the hallway.
“This is a fake marriage,” I reminded him.
“Just humor me, please, Stella,” he sighed. He unlocked the door and gestured for me to go first.
“Whatever,” I said.
He threw the room key on the dresser. “Are you still mad about earlier?”
“No,” I lied as I went around him and got my dress from the closet.
“Stella, I think it’s important that we be honest with each other.”
“Fine,” I snapped. “You hurt my feelings by implying that I needed a day at the spa and salon to look presentable enough to be seen with you.”
“I said I was sorry.”
“Are you embarrassed to be seen with me?”
“Absolutely not. Where is this coming from?”
“I don’t know,” I whispered, my lower lip trembling. I was quite pathetic, standing there staring at the floor.
“Can you look at me, please?”
I looked up into his gorgeous blue eyes, swallowing hard when they darkened with pure lust. Don’t ask me how I knew it was lust. It’s not like any other man had ever looked at me that way.
But I knew. And that scared the bejesus out of me.
“I think you’re the sexiest woman I’ve ever laid eyes on, Stella Crane. With or without makeup. It’s taking every ounce of restraint not to throw you down on the bed and fuck you right now.”
We stared at each other, the heat between us feeding into the sexual tension that had been building since we arrived in Vegas.
Nate wanted to have sex with me. I wasn’t sure what to do with that confession.
A light tap on the door saved me from coming up with a response.
“That’s probably Viola,” Nate said. But he didn’t move. Our eyes were locked firmly together. I’d always wondered what people meant when they talked about eye fucking. Now I knew.
“Who?” I asked in a hoarse voice.
“Our wedding coordinator,” he replied as he finally broke the spell and moved toward the door.
A tall blonde woman burst into the room. “This must be Stella,” she exclaimed, clapping her hands together.
“Hello,” I said.
“I’m Viola. I’m here to make sure everything is perfect for your big day.”
“Okay,” I said, glancing at Nate. “My fiancé didn’t tell me about you.”
“No worries, honey,” she gushed. “Where’s your dress?”
“In the closet.”
“Well, grab it and let’s go. We have a lot to get done.”
I retrieved my dress and followed the lady to the door.
“See you later, sweetheart,” Nate called out, winking when I glanced back at him.
I barely recognized the girl in the mirror. My hair was swept up in a beehive bun, with a few loose tendrils framing my very made-up face.
I’d never worn this much makeup in my life. I rarely wore any unless it was a special occasion.
My nails were perfect, thanks to my first manicure and pedicure. I was cleaner than I’d probably ever been after my euphoria bath.
And there was literally no hair on my body, with the exception of my head.
Viola convinced me that a Brazilian wax was a must for my wedding night.
Of course, I couldn’t tell her that my nether regions wouldn’t be getting any loving because we weren’t consummating our fake marriage.
But I decided to do it anyway because I thought it would make shaving easier on the road. I’d just have to keep up with it once it started to grow back.
“Time to get in your dress!” Violet squealed as she swept into the salon.
I followed her to a dressing room where my dress was hanging.
“Do you have appropriate lingerie underneath?” she asked. Was it that obvious that I was a Plain Jane nerd who didn’t dress up very often?
“Yes,” I replied.
I stripped down to my bra and underwear when it became obvious she wasn’t leaving. She helped me into my simple, floor-length gown. The sweetheart neckline went well with the push-up bra.
The lady at the dress shop back home in Sault Ste. Marie was right. It looked like my boobs were a lot bigger than they actually were. Talk about misleading packaging.
But Nate saw me in my bathing suit. He knew I was a little light in the boobage department. And he wasn’t marrying me for my body. He was marrying me so he could be a contestant on a TV show.
“It’s time to marry your prince, Stella,” Viola said.
I took a deep breath and followed her down a long hallway to a private elevator that took us downstairs. She led me outside into a beautiful courtyard with bubbling fountains and gorgeous flowers.
“Once the music starts, you’re going to follow this path around that corner, okay?” She handed me a bouquet of pink roses and smiled kindly. “Good luck.”
I nodded. This was really happening. I was marrying Nate Miller. My childhood crush.
A little voice in the back of my head was screaming at me that this was wrong. But I tuned her out. I’d made the decision to do this, and I wasn’t about to back out now.
When the first notes of the classic Canon in D by Pachelbel started to play, I walked slowly down the marble walkway.
When I rounded the corner, Nate was waiting with the minister under a fancy archway. His face broke out in a wide smile when he saw me.
For the next few moments, it was just the two of us in the world. He looked so handsome in his black suit, with a smoky gray tie that brought out the blue in his eyes.
When I reached the altar, an older couple appeared, standing on either side of us. I guess they were the witnesses.
“Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today in the presence of these witnesses, to join Nathaniel and Stella in matrimony commended to be honorable among all.
“And, therefore, is not to be entered into lightly but reverently, passionately, lovingly, and solemnly.
“Into this, these two persons present now come to be joined. Please join hands for the exchange of vows.”
The lady witness took my bouquet and I turned to face Nate. He looked as nervous as I felt. It was oddly comforting to know I wasn’t the only one having last-minute jitters.
But when I gazed up into his eyes, all my doubts disappeared.
I wanted to marry this man. Even if it was only for a little while, I wanted to be Mrs. Nathaniel Miller. The teenage girl inside me deserved this.
“I, Nate, take you, Stella, to be my wedded wife, and I do promise and covenant, before God and these witnesses, to be your loving and faithful husband.
“In plenty and want, in joy and in sorrow, in sickness and in health, as long as we both shall live.”
“I, Stella, take you, Nate, to be my wedded husband, and I do promise and covenant, before God and these witnesses, to be your loving and faithful wife.
“In plenty and want, in joy and in sorrow, in sickness and in health, as long as we both shall live.”
“Do you have the rings?” the minister asked.
My hand was shaking when Nate slid the gold band on my finger. Somehow, I managed to get his on without dropping it.
“By the power vested in me by the State of Nevada, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride.”
My heart was thrumming rapidly as he leaned in. I closed my eyes right before he pressed his lips to mine with a soft, tender caress.
My knees trembled. I felt like I was walking on air. My first kiss was perfect. With the perfect guy. And in that moment, that was all that mattered.
“I’ve got one more surprise for you,” Nate said as we finished up our steak dinner.
I drained my glass, giggling when I set it down on the table with a loud clunk. I didn’t drink. Ever. So I had a pleasant buzz going after two glasses of champagne.
“Hit me,” I said.
“No more champagne for you,” he said, moving the bottle out of my reach. “Let’s go.”
“I wanna call my dad.”
“Are you sure?” Nate chuckled. “You’re a little tipsy.”
“I need to do this, Nate.”
“Okay,” he agreed.
“Shit,” I mumbled when we stopped in front of a fountain. “I don’t have my phone.”
“You can use mine,” he said, handing me his phone. “And I think that’s the first time I’ve ever heard you swear.”
“I swear,” I announced a little too loudly.
Some people laughed as they walked by. “Congratulations,” they called out.
“Thanks,” Nate said.
“My dad is gonna wonder why I’m calling him from your phone,” I said as I opened up the video chat app and punched in his number.
“Oh well,” Nate laughed, shaking his head. “He won’t be wondering for long.”
It rang a few times. I was just about to hang up when my dad’s face finally appeared on the screen.
“Pumpkin?”
“It’s me, Dad.”
“Why are you calling me from Nate Miller’s phone?”
“I don’t have my phone with me,” I explained.
“Where are you, Stella?” he asked. “Is that a fountain behind you? And why are you all dressed up?”
“I’m in Vegas. Nate and I got married.” Wow. Champagne works wonders at loosening my tongue. It wouldn’t have been that easy to get those words out if I were sober.
“Excuse me?” he gasped, his jaw dropping so far open I could see his tonsils.
Nate slid his arm around my waist and leaned in close so he was in the camera frame. “Hi, Mr. Crane,” he said, smiling nervously.
“Stella Louise Crane, you better start explaining yourself!”
Uh-oh. My dad almost never yelled. He was a pretty easygoing guy. It took a lot to upset him. Apparently, I figured out what it took to flip his anger switch that day.
“Nate and I flew to Vegas and got married,” I replied. “Funny, eh? You got married here last week, and now I got married here this week.”
“Stella, are you drunk?”
“No,” I giggled. “Just a little tipsy from the champagne I had at dinner.”
“Stella, I’m still waiting for an explanation.”
“Well, you’re gonna be waiting for a while. Cause I’m an adult, and I don’t owe you one. You didn’t give me one when you married a cocktail waitress you just met.”
“Is that why you did this?” he gasped. “To get back at me?”
“Seriously, Dad? You think I got married just to get back at you?”
“I would certainly hope not. How did she talk you into this, Nate?”
“It was my idea,” Nate said, pressing a kiss to my temple.
My dad stared at us, a look of complete bewilderment on his face.
“Nate and I are going to be off the grid for the next four months,” I said.
“His parents know where we’re gonna be, and we will check in with them periodically. So you’ll know I’m safe. They’ll keep you updated.”
“What?”
“We have to go now, Dad. I’ll see you when we get back.”
“Stella!”
“Bye, Dad. I love you.”
I disconnected and handed the phone back to Nate as I fought to hold back the tears threatening to spill out and ruin my makeup.
“Come here,” he said, pulling me into his strong arms. I rested my head against his chest and closed my eyes until I got control of my emotions.
He rubbed his hands up and down my back and pressed soft kisses to the top of my head.
“I’m okay,” I said, pulling away. “Let’s go see my surprise.”
He led me along the canal to St. Mark's Square where opera singers filled the air with amazing music.
A white gondola boat was sitting on the platform. The rest of the boats were black. A man in a black-and-white striped shirt was standing in the boat.
“Are we going on a gondola ride?” I asked excitedly.
“Yes,” he said, squeezing my hand. “I thought it would be a nice way to end the evening.”
I lifted up the hem of my dress as Nate helped me into the white boat reserved for brides and grooms. He slipped his arm around my waist once we were settled on the seat.
The gondolier stood across from us as he propelled the boat down the canal. He asked us a few questions about where we were from before breaking out into a song.
I couldn’t tell you what it was. I was too caught up in the high of the champagne and the romance of the gondola ride.
“You need to kiss your bride when we pass under the bridge,” the gondolier said, poking Nate in the knee with his oar.
My stomach fluttered, tingles of excitement spreading through my body at the thought of another kiss.
When we passed under the bridge, Nate leaned over and kissed me softly, just like he did earlier.
But instead of backing away, he cupped the back of my head, pulling me in closer as his tongue darted out, pressing against the seam of my lips.
When I opened my mouth, he slipped his tongue inside and rubbed it against mine in an erotic waltz that sent my body into a tailspin.
I was tingling in places I’d never tingled before. And I never wanted it to end. I moaned softly when he deepened the kiss, his hand snaking around my waist as he pressed his body against mine.
“All right,” the gondolier chuckled, poking Nate playfully again. “I said kiss her, not consummate the marriage right here in my gondola. There are families here.”
If it wasn’t for the champagne buzz, I might’ve been embarrassed. People on the bridge cheered and yelled out congratulations as we sailed by.
We finished the ride in silence. Nate kept his arm around me, caressing my back as the gondolier sang to us.
It was the perfect end of an almost perfect day. The only thing that would have made it better was if it was real.
“Can we stop at the casino for a minute?” I asked as we headed toward the elevators.
“Sure,” Nate said, crooking his eyebrow. “You wanna play a little blackjack in your wedding dress?”
“No,” I giggled. “I wanna play the slots. I’ve never done that before.”
“You’ve never been to a casino?”
“Nope.”
“Okay. C’mon.”
He led me through the sea of glowing lights, and tinkles, clanks, and beeps of thousands of slot machines.
“Try this one,” he suggested, pulling out a chair in front of an unoccupied machine.
“What do I do?”
He pulled out his wallet and handed me a twenty. “Put it in there,” he said, pointing to a slot.
“Now what?” I asked after the machine ate the money.
“You can either press the bet button or pull down the arm.”
“Oh, I definitely wanna use the arm!” I pulled it toward me and watched the reels turn. The machine lit up and started beeping and clanging as three cherries lined up. “I won! I won!”
Nate chuckled as the lady next to me glanced over with an annoyed frown on her miserable face.
“It’s her first time,” he explained. “You won a dollar, sweetheart.”
“Oh. Well, I can do better than that.” I grabbed the arm and yanked it hard. Three cherries again! This was fun!
“Seriously?” the lady said, scowling at me when I reached for the arm again just as she went to pick up her drink, causing our elbows to bump. “Just use the fucking button.”
“Hey,” Nate snapped. “If she wants to use the arm, she can. Get over yourself.”
The woman grumbled under her breath before grabbing her drink and storming off.
“What a bitch,” I said.
“Wow. My wife has a potty mouth.”
“I do not!” I cried.
I went through Nate’s twenty bucks pretty quickly. After I blew another twenty of my own, he suggested we call it a night.
“C’mon, babe,” he said, reaching for my hand. “We have to be up early to catch our flight to LA.”
When we got back to the room, he took me by the hand and led me into the little sitting area by the windows.
“There’s one more thing we need to do,” he murmured, pulling me toward him.
“Nate,” I whispered. “We agreed we wouldn’t.”
“I know,” he said. “I’m not talking about that. We need to have our first dance as husband and wife.”
He pulled out his phone and fiddled with it. Some classical music started playing. He placed it on the coffee table before pulling me into his arms, circling my waist with his hands.
I wrapped my arms around his neck and we swayed to the music.
The room was dark, illuminated with only the soft glow of the Vegas strip. He leaned down and brushed his lips over mine. But he didn’t take it any further. He pulled away and turned off the music.
I swallowed down my disappointment. I really thought he was going to try to change my mind about consummating our marriage. And I wasn’t sure I would have been able to say no.
