by Toni Aleo
Looking from the gorgeous ring to his even more gorgeous face, Lacey still couldn’t believe this was happening. Quickly her eyes went back to the ring and then back to his eyes as she tried to comprehend this moment. Was this really happening? Was he really asking her to marry him after being apart for so long? Holy shit! He was, and there was only one thing to say, or better yet, scream.
“Yes! Yes, of course!”
With a huge grin and a sigh of relief, he slid the ring on her finger before standing and pulling her into his arms for a long, explosive kiss. Tangling his fingers in her hair, he lifted her off the ground, holding her so close that she was convinced they would become one. Which is what she wanted. She wanted to be one with Karson for the rest of her existence. Parting, he looked deep into her eyes, his face so happy and carefree. She knew she matched his expression. Her face hurt from smiling so hard, but it was what she wanted. She wanted a lifetime of smiling and being so damn happy with Karson.
Her heart and soul.
“Pack a bag,” he commanded as he placed her on her feet.
Confused, she asked, “What?”
He laughed. “Pack a bag while I get the tickets.”
“For what?” she giggled as he pulled his phone out of his pocket.
“We are going to Vegas.”
“For what?” she asked again, the insanity of it making her laugh.
Looking at her with the straightest face, he said, “To get married.”
“Be my forever.”
Lacey giggled, her eyes bright and playful as she leaned into him, her book falling into his lap as she kissed his cheek. They were at the coffee shop, lying on the bean bags as she studied and he played on his DS. He didn’t know why, but as he watched her, her brows furrowed and her mouth in a straight line as she concentrated, he needed to know that she would be his for the rest of his life. Things were about to get crazy. He would be leaving soon, and he needed to know that when he came home, she would be waiting for him.
Still giggling, she said, “I am your forever.”
His eyes turned serious as he cupped her face, kissing her nose. He needed to hear her say it; he needed to know that she was going to be with him forever. Through the draft, his rookie year, the lows, the highs. He needed to know that, no matter what, Lacey Martin would be his.
Running his thumb along her cheek, he said, “No, forever. Like, promise me that you’ll be mine forever.”
Her eyes matched his as she nodded slowly, her mouth turning up at the side. “I am and will forever be your forever.”
“And I am yours. Forever, Lacey.”
“Promise?” she asked, her lips curving even more, her hair astray from where she had been running her fingers through it in concentration.
Karson smiled as he held her close. “I promise that we will spend the rest of our lives together.”
“No matter what?”
“No matter what,” he promised. “It’s you and me to the end.”
“Forever?”
“Forever,” he agreed.
It was funny that Karson thought of that exact moment as he watched Lacey make her way down the aisle. He could still remember it like it was yesterday. The way her hair was a mess from her fingers running through it every second from the stress of finals. The way she smelled of Calvin Klein, her favorite perfume at the time. His shirt hanging off her thin shoulders and the way she got upset anytime he moved away to give her more room. She didn’t want him anywhere but with her, and he was completely fine with that. He loved being near her and still felt that way. The time apart was hell and he never wanted to be apart again. This was their chance for their forever, and nothing or no one was going to stop him from making Lacey Martin Mrs. Karson King.
His heart.
His soul.
His bride.
And man, what a bride she was.
He wanted to be irritated with her for making him carry the massive wedding dress on a late-night flight to Vegas, but when she said it was her mom’s dress, his irritation evaporated, especially now, seeing her in the dress. It was a little big on her, the main reason being that they couldn’t find a seamstress so early in the morning, but he didn’t care. He didn’t care about the dress, the way her hair was elegantly done in curls along her shoulders, or that her makeup was soft and classy; no, all he cared about was hearing her say those two little words.
The words that would seal their fate.
Their forever.
Yes, she was stunning, and he was one lucky bastard, but this all seemed like a dream. After all this time, all it took was for him to try to steal a cab from some chick to find his happiness. The last two days had still seemed unbelievable to him, but it just worked. They just worked. Of course, he jumped the gun insisting they go to Vegas and not considering the fact that he had a game that night, but after one call to Elli Adler, it was all taken care of.
It was as if this was all meant to be. That he was supposed to stand in the Chapel in the Clouds in Viva Las Vegas and marry the love of his life. Would everyone freak as soon as they found out? Hell yes. Did he care? Not in the least. Not when he was staring into a pair of pale green eyes that honestly took his breath away every single time.
She looked so perfect, beautiful in her mother’s dress. It was floor-length and poofy as all hell with crystals and lace everywhere. She was gorgeous, especially with that look in her eyes that said she loved him more than anything on this planet. Staring into those eyes, he knew that if this was the last thing he saw, this vision of brilliant beauty, then he would die a happy man. A complete man because he would have had Lacey as his wife.
Taking her hand, he kissed her knuckles before he said, “You look like a dream.”
She smiled sweetly, her eyes glazing over with tears. “Worth carrying the dress on the plane?”
He nodded slowly, his own eyes filling with tears. “Yes, and I want you to know that your mom would be in awe of your beauty in that dress.”
A single tear rolled down her cheek as she nodded. “She’s here,” she said, patting her heart.
He couldn’t trust himself to speak, so he covered her hand with his and nodded as the officiant said, “Ready to get started?”
They both nodded as Karson slowly wiped away her tears. Looking deep in her eyes, he asked, “Ready to become Mrs. Karson King?”
Her mouth curved in a grin, and she had a look in her eyes that said that no one knew how perfect this was but them, and she was right. This was their forever.
“I’ve been ready.”
“Me too.”
“So am I,” the minister joked, and they all shared a laugh before he got started by speaking of the foundation of love and how sometimes spontaneity is the best way of proving true love. Karson completely agreed with that. Was this practical? Nope and maybe a little crazy, but as he got in lost in her eyes, he really didn’t see any other way of doing this. He had to be married to her, and it had to be now. Not tomorrow, not the next day, or a month away, for that matter. When he knew what he wanted, he made it happen. He was impulsive and just a touch crazy, but he liked that about himself. He knew that this was right; he just wished he had found Lacey again long before this. His stupid fear kept him away, but that would never happen again, not when he was loved and supported by the love of his life.
“Now, it says you two have your own vows, so don’t let me hold you back from saying them. Please, Lacey, speak your love.”
Karson grinned as Lacey took in a deep breath before squeezing his hands hard. She was shaking slightly, and he could tell she was a little nervous. He wanted to think he wasn’t, but he could feel his own nerves shaking him from within. She could still turn and run from him, and if she did, it would honestly break him. It would make sense, though, if she did. Her family wasn’t here, nor would they be very happy when they found out about their little elopement. He didn’t care, but he knew she did. She may be upset with her father and brother, but they were just that. Her family
. The only family she had, but that was about to change. He was about to become her family, if she’d have him.
“You want to do this, right?” he found himself asking.
“Isn’t that something you should have asked before paying for this?” the officiant asked and Karson laughed.
“Probably,” he agreed as he looked back at Lacey.
She nodded quickly, causing his stomach to flip as she squeezed his hands. “Of course! I’m just nervous. It all seems so unreal.”
“I know,” he agreed. “But if you don’t want to, we can wait.”
“No, I want to, right now. I don’t want to wait,” she promised.
“I don’t either, but I know your family isn’t here.”
“Neither is yours, but this is what we want. We are doing this.”
His heart was pounding in his chest as he got lost in her eyes. He wanted to believe that she wanted to do this, but he swore he could see the sadness in her eyes. She’d probably dreamed of some ritzy wedding on the river, and all he was giving her was an elopement to Vegas.
Was it enough?
“I want this, Karson, I promise. Yeah, no one is here but us and Mr. Preacher Man, but in a way, this is what I want. I want us. That’s all I need. I’m just freaking out because I don’t know what I’m going to say to really express my feelings. I want to do this right. We only get one chance at this, you know?”
“Yeah, this is it for me.”
“Me too,” she agreed. “And it’s perfect, don’t you think?”
He looked around the room that was made almost entirely of glass. The sun was coming up, and the lights of Vegas glittered beneath them. In front of him was the love he thought he had lost but thankfully found, and boy, did she look gorgeous. Yeah, this was what he wanted; he wanted her. It wasn’t ritzy, and their families weren’t here, but it was them. It was impulsive and crazy, but that was their love. So he nodded, leaning his head against hers, closing his eyes tightly. “I do.”
“Then let’s do this,” she said, a grin pulling at her lips.
He took in a deep breath, not really understanding how he got this lucky, when the preacher said, “Not to rush you two, but you only paid for an hour.”
Karson shook his head as he laughed, leaning back to look at Lacey’s shocked eyes. “Jeez, only an hour? Cheap bastard I’m marrying.”
He laughed harder, shaking his head. “I figured a quick wedding gave us longer in bed.”
Heat burned in her eyes as she nodded, her mouth curving up in a seductive way. Tearing her heated gaze from his, she looked at the preacher and said, “I retract my last sentence. He is the smartest man I know.”
“I’m glad. Please proceed.”
Lacey met his gaze and shook her head, a nervous laugh leaving her sweet lips. “I don’t know if I’m going to make it without crying!”
He laughed. “I might not either. You are so beautiful, Lacey. I’ve dreamed of this moment my whole life.”
Her eyes softened, and he could feel every ounce of her nervousness leave her body as she smiled sweetly. Taking a step toward him, she wrapped her arms around his waist as she looked up into his eyes. “I love you, Karson King.”
“I love you,” he whispered. “More than anything in this world. I promise to love, support, and be there for you, no matter what. It’s me and you, baby, to the end. And nothing, or no one, is going to stand in the way of that. I promise you, I’ll kill every spider you see… Wait, you’re still scared of spiders, right?”
She scoffed. “Is an ice hockey puck frozen?”
That had everyone laughing as he nodded. “I got you then, love. I’ll kill all those spiders and chase away every bad dream. I promise to love you with my whole damn heart and to always tell you you’re beautiful, even when you don’t think it. I’ll never go anywhere without promising to return, and even when I’m long gone, I’ll love and think about you constantly. I’m yours, Lacey. Always have been, always will be. So please, be my forever.”
Lacey was completely breathless as she got lost in Karson’s intoxicating caramel eyes. He looked dashing in a black dress shirt that was unbuttoned at the neck, his slacks hugging him in all the right places. His hair was brushed to the side, his eyes so full of love that it made her own heart ache with love for him. While a part of her couldn’t believe she was doing this, the other part knew there was no other way. She was his. Completely. And she didn’t want to wait to be his wife. She wanted him more than she wanted her next breath.
His eyes were swimming in tears, and she could see herself mirrored in them. She never really thought she was gorgeous, but that morning, she felt like she was. She had waited her whole life to wear her mother’s dress and standing in it felt right. Yeah, it sucked that her mom wasn’t there, but wearing her dress made Lacey feel her presence. It was a piece of her mother, and she had always known she would wear it when she married Karson. Even when she was going to marry Ethan, she had picked out another dress, saying that she didn’t want to wear something so old-fashioned, but it was a complete lie.
This dress was for Karson.
It was a masterpiece too. She’d always loved the ivory color of the dress. The way the skirt was draped to the ground while gathered tight along the waist to the bodice. It wasn’t flashy but still elegant, with crystals and lace covering her breasts and small, thin straps holding the dress up. It was stunning, and she knew that Karson loved it. His eyes spoke volumes; she always knew what he was thinking—when he was lying and when he was completely entranced by her love. Since the moment she’d appeared in the doorway, she’d seen that he was consumed by her, and she didn’t want anything else but that.
Reaching up, she slowly ran her thumb along his cheek to catch the tear that had escaped and smiled. She had waited for this moment for the last nine years, and there was no way she was going to allow it to be ruined with her nerves. She was ready.
She was ready to be his wife.
“I spent the whole ride here wondering what I was going to say as I stood here in your arms, looking into your eyes. All I could think was that I love you. That’s it. Nothing else. I couldn’t think of the pain, the emptiness I felt, or the anger that consumed me for the last nine years… None of that. Only love. I’ve loved you my whole life, and I never want that to stop. We’ve been apart for nine years, and I’m pretty sure this doesn’t happen, Karson. People don’t find their one true love again after being apart for so long, but we did, and I am convinced my mom sent you back to me.” She paused, her heart heavy with emotion as she swallowed around the sob in her throat. Taking in a deep breath, she said, “When I looked into your eyes, it was as if my love for you never went away, and I knew there was no other option but to love you again and for the rest of my life. I was made to love you, born to be with you, and I plan to never be apart from you. I’ve never loved anyone but you. You were my first real love, and now, you’ll be my last. So yes, I’ll be your forever because you are my forever.”
Cupping her neck, he leaned his head against hers as another tear slowly leaked out of his eye. The last time she’d watched tears rolled down his perfectly chiseled face was before she’d watched him walk away. But now, she knew they were tears of joy, happiness, and completion because they were about to become one.
“Okay, let’s get to the fun stuff, shall we?”
Without looking away from each other, they both nodded as Lacey slid her hand up his chest to his face, cupping it as she waited for the words that would be the start of their forever.
“Do you, Karson Jett King, take this woman whose body you now hold, to be your true and wedded wife? And do you solemnly promise before God to love, cherish, honor, and protect her; to forsake all others for her sake; to cleave unto her, and her only, until death shall part you?”
His eyes glittered with love as he promised, “I do. Forever.”
She found herself gasping for breath as she fought back the tears. She didn’t want to mess up her makeup and look like
a drowned cat in their wedding pictures, but she wasn’t sure she was going to be able to hold them in. She had waited for this her whole life.
“And do you, Lacey Arielle Martin, take this man whose body you now hold, to be your true and wedded husband? And do you solemnly promise before God to love, cherish, honor, and protect him; to forsake all others for his sake; to cleave unto him, and him only, until death shall part you?”
The tears fell in steady streams as she nodded slowly. She’d always imagined when she promised herself to Karson that her family would be there to support them, but that wasn’t the case. She wanted to be sad they weren’t here, but she wasn’t. She wanted this. She wanted to marry Karson.
“Forever, I do.”
They were supposed to stay for lunch, but as soon as the photographers were done taking pictures of the new Mr. and Mrs. Karson King, Karson insisted on having their lunch delivered to their room. She laughed as he dragged her out of the venue and to their suite that doubled as a romantic retreat. When they had gotten to the hotel early that morning, he’d looked at her and then said to the host that he wanted the best room they could offer him. What they got was a huge suite with marble floors and counters, a view that was to die for, a tub she wanted to soak in with Karson, of course, and one huge-ass bed. Apparently Karson was ready to break-in the bed because he didn’t waste any time pushing the card in and throwing the door open.
“Someone is in a hurry,” she teased as she started to go in, but he stopped her.
“You have no freaking clue,” he groaned before swiftly picking her up into his arms, causing her to shriek in surprise.
“Karson!”