“Oh craaap,” he whispered tearfully, melting as she chuckled tenderly, moving to hug him. “Did you have to say thatnow? I mean, woman, I need some iota of dignity – don’t I?”
“I kind of like this side to you, my Devoted Warrior…” she whispered to him as the magistrate pronounced them husband and wife.
Drake didn’t wait to kiss the bride.
He was already there.
15
STEFFI
One week later
Drake had told her all afternoon not to worry about this charity auction, claiming it was a small event, but as they pulled up to the building, she knew he had exaggerated. There were cameras, news crews, media personnel everywhere… and the limo should have been a hint. Heck, the fact that his tux and her dress were in garment bags, on hooks in their bedroom for three days, should have been a clue. Honestly, the fact that he bought her those strappy little heels and wanted to make sure she felt confident in them should have tipped her off… but no.
This was big.
Huge.
“I’m gonna have the driver let me out here, and you can sneak in through the staff entrance…”
Her eyes shot up to his, her blood pressure surged, and it wasn’t until she saw his smile, that flicker of understanding, that she realized that it was HIM who wanted to sneak past all of this spectacle. He was teasing her because it was his coping mechanism.
“If you can do this, then I can too,” she whispered nervously. “Together…”
“Together,” he breathed tenderly and leaned forward to kiss her – only for Steffi to jerk back slightly in alarm.
“Before you go rubbing your face on mine – I need those people out there with their cameras to get a good photo of us. You can’t be rubbing off my lipstick yet.”
“You said ‘yet’…” he taunted in a hushed, private voice that made her blush with all sorts of memories of them together this last week – and she couldn’t love him more. They spent mornings together in the kitchen, trying recipes from her cookbook, spent evenings talking about nothing, and hours enveloped in each other’s arms, not talking at all. “I’m all about those ‘yets’, my darling wife.”
“I know you are, Dreamy Walker,” she shot back in a hushed voice just as the door to the limo was opened for them. “But it’s showtime.”
“You should start with that in the bedroom…”
“Would you go?”
“Can’t we stay? It’s cozy in the limo…”
“My clodhoppers were promised a dance…”
“Can’t disappoint the clodhoppers…” he chuckled, winking at her, before emerging from the limo slowly, putting his butt practically in her face. That man was obsessed with the idea of her checking out his rear, she thought, rolling her eyes at his playfulness that knew no boundaries. As he stood up beside the car, Drake turned to her, leaned forward to make eye contact, and winked.
“Oh, I noticed,” she whispered, smirking. “Super-hot view, husband.”
“I know,” he beamed – and they shared a laugh as she placed her fingertips in his hand, trying to emerge gracefully from the limo in the expensive gown he’d purchased. There was no label,no signs of a price tag, but the way it was wrapped in tissue paper and carefully hung on a velvet hanger -she knew it was pricey.
“Drake! Drake!” immediately, the shouts came. “What are you wearing tonight, Drake?”
“Clothing,” he replied easily, smiling at Steffi. “My bride is wearing clothing, too. I’d offer to flex my muscles or pose for you all, but we all know that if I let go of her hand, she’s gonna race after Jenkins – that man is sexy as could be and I cannot compete.”
And a ripple of laughter surrounded them as her husband made a complete jokester of himself. Drake lobbed a few more comments, shielded her from several prying questions, and then interrupted the flurry of attention.
“I promised my bride a dance, so if you’ll excuse us – I’ve got some money to spend tonight and a woman I will never disappoint while I breathe…” Steffi’s eyes met Drake’s, and she melted at the adoration in his gaze. “I love you,” he whispered, seemingly not caring who heard him as he leaned down to press the softest kiss on her lips.
“Drake…” she whispered shyly as a blast of flashes exploded around them, everyone trying to get a picture of them kissing. It was invasive, annoying, and a lot to handle. The urge to run was strong, but Drake kept her grounded as he clung to her arm, his eyes warm and understanding.
“Sorry, babe – I couldn’t resist,” he replied tenderly. “Now, how about that dance?”