I offer up a smile and nod as he leans in for a kiss.
When we get out of the shower, I wrap a towel around myself and start to blow dry my hair. It only takes about ten minutes to run a straightener through it, smoothing it out. Normally, I like to wear my hair in curls, but I don’t feel like spending all that time doing it today. I still feel sick, I’m hungry, and I want to get on with this wedding. I add a little cover-up under my eyes to hide the dark circles and then apply some lip gloss and mascara. When I step out of the bathroom, Levi is wearing a pair of black dress pants with a white shirt and a red tie.
He smiles as he holds his arms out at his sides. “Well, what do you think?”
I walk closer. “I think you’re downright handsome,” I say, finally reaching him and straightening his tie.
He catches my hands in his. “You are gorgeous.”
I laugh. “I haven’t even gotten dressed yet.”
“You could wear a potato sack, and I’d still drool,” he replies.
I shake my head as I pull away. He watches as I take out the white summer dress from my bag. I drop the towel and slide into the dress. It’s made of lace but has a thin cotton lining. It falls to just beneath my knees, and the top is fitting and has spaghetti straps. I spin around and sit on the edge of the bed to pull on my white wedge sandals.
Levi can’t take his eyes off of me.
“What are you staring at? Are you waiting for me to vomit again?” I joke.
He shakes his head. “I just…I can’t get over this. Today, we’re getting married. And here in a few short months, we’re going to be parents. I’m finally getting everything I’ve always wanted.”
I stand up and move into his chest. “I’m scared.”
“Of what?” he whispers as he hugs me close.
“Of everything. I’m scared we’ll get married and end up divorced. I’m scared that this baby will be Nick’s. I’m scared we’ll get to the altar, and I’ll puke all over Elvis.” I laugh, and so does he.
He pulls away, leads me to the bed, and sits down at the edge. I do the same as he turns to face me, holding both of my hands.
“First of all, our marriage won’t fail. I won’t let it. Second of all, this baby is mine—plain and simple. I’m claiming him or her, and I don’t even want a DNA test. This baby belongs to you and me. The end. And lastly, if you have to puke, squeeze my hand three times, and I’ll find you something to puke in: a flower vase, my shoe, the Elvis wig.” We both laugh, and he kisses my forehead. “I’ll do anything for you, Dani. I want you to know that. Always.”
“I love you,” I whisper, meeting his shining blue eyes. His dark hair is falling out of place, and I reach up and smooth it back.
“I love you too, Dani. More than you’ll ever know.” His hand lands under my chin, and he pulls me against his mouth for a lip-crushing kiss that makes my toes tingle and go numb. If I know anything at all, it’s that what he says is true.
21
Levi
It’s surprisingly easy to find a wedding chapel in Vegas. It doesn’t take us long to walk in and book our wedding. There’s a big book of themed weddings we can have, but we opt for the more traditional approach. Dani picks out a fresh bouquet of flowers bound together by blue ribbons, and I’m led to the front of the altar.
The music starts, and the doors open. I turn to watch as she walks down the aisle. We hired a photographer, and she kneels and snaps a few pictures of Dani entering the chapel. Then she turns around and takes a couple of me watching her walk toward me. I want to smile, to look happy in these photos, but I can’t. All I can do is watch her in awe. I’m more in love with her than I have ever been before. She’s blinding. I can’t see past her. When I envision my future, I don’t see a new house, fancy cars, or a big office. All I see is her.
She comes to a stop in front of me, and I reach out and take her hands in mine.
The man in front of us starts his speech, and I don’t pay attention to a word he’s saying. I can’t do anything but burn this moment into my memory forever: the way her dark eyes sparkle, the way her blonde hair hangs loosely over her shoulder, the way the corners of her mouth turn up in a smile. She’s breathtaking.
When it’s time to repeat the vows, Dani nudges my hand.
“I, Levi Finlay, take you, Danielle Moore, to be my lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish until death do us part.” I slide the ring onto her finger.
“I, Danielle Moore, take you, Levi Finlay, to by my lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish until death do us part.” She slides the ring onto my hand.
“I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride.” The preacher announces with a big smile.
I don’t have to be told twice. I pull her against me and kiss her hard and slow. Our tongues dance together while our hearts and souls intertwine. Her arms wrap around my neck, holding me close, and my hands are firmly on her hips, keeping her against me. My heart is beating faster and faster every minute we’re touching, and I hope it never slows.
The music starts back up, and finally, we pull away. Her face is flushed, and she’s wearing a wide smile. Her dark eyes are hooded, and I can tell exactly what she’s thinking about.
I take her hand and pull her toward the doors, wanting to get her back to the hotel as soon as possible, so I can be inside my wife.
We have to stop and sign our marriage license, and then it’s stamped and handed back to us with a note saying to file it with the courthouse. I take the piece of paper and her hand and pull her toward the doors.
Before we can go back to the hotel, we stop and have a nice lunch. I order a soy burger with a side salad, and Dani orders a grilled cheese with fries and a cup of vegetable soup.
I smile. “That’s a weird combination.”
She nods. “I really want some fries, but I figured if I couldn’t keep them and the sandwich down, I could sip on the soup. I’m still so nauseous. God, does it ever go away, or am I going to be sick for nine whole months?”
I place my hand on hers. “I think it can go either way,” I admit.
She groans and rolls her eyes.
We eat, and she’s able to keep her food down. Then, we go to the courthouse and file our marriage license, so we’re officially married. When everything is said and done, and we’re able to go back to the hotel, I’m so excited to finally be able to slide into my wife that I’m sporting an erection that looks like I’m hiding a deadly weapon.
When we walk into the hotel room, we both begin stripping out of our clothes. I use the bathroom quickly, and when I walk back into the room, she’s curled up in bed, dead asleep. My shoulders fall as I chuckle and shake my head. I pull the blankets up around her, pull on a pair of shorts, and head down to the pool with swim up bar.
I order a scotch on the rocks and sit in the lounge chair poolside before picking up my phone and calling Bennet.
“Hello?” he answers.
“Hey, man. What’s going on?”
“Hey, Levi. How’s your time off?”
“Pretty good. I packed Dani up and brought her down to Vegas. We got married today.”
“What? Congratulations! Why didn’t you tell me? Me and Maddie would’ve flown out to bear witness.”
I laugh. “I appreciate it, but it was sudden, you know?”
“Yeah, eloping usually is,” he says. “So, what else is new? When are you coming back?”
“We’re only staying the week. But, ugh. There is something else.”
“What?” he asks.
“Well, Dani thought she was coming down with the flu or thought she might have eaten something bad. But it turns out she’s pregnant.”
“Damn, Levi. I know you’re supposed to get married and have kids, but nobody said it had to
be all at once,” he jokes.
I laugh. “Yeah, the problem is we don’t know if it’s mine or Nick’s.”
“Oh,” he mumbles as the realization washes over him. “So, what are you going to do?”
“Hear me out, and just so you know, my mind is made up. I just want to see how crazy it sounds to someone else.”
He laughs. “Go on.”
“Dani and I, we came down here with the intention of getting married. We bought our rings, we filed for a marriage license, and then found out about the pregnancy. After thinking about it for a little while, I decided to move forward with getting married and raising this baby as my own, even if it’s not. I don’t even want a DNA test done when it’s born.”
“Do you love her?” he asks.
“With everything inside of me,” I say, fully sure.
“Then it sounds to me like that kid is yours regardless of who put it there.” He laughs at the way he said it.
I smile. “I agree. It doesn’t matter if the baby is mine or not. Dani is mine, and where she goes, the baby goes. Plus, I’ve always wanted kids.”
“It sounds like you have everything figured out.”
“I knew I did. I just didn’t know how crazy I sounded.” I can’t hold back my chuckle as I bring my drink to my lips and take a sip.
“Love makes you crazy, Levi. Only another man in love will understand the things we’ll do.”
“Thanks, Bennet. I appreciate the talk.”
“Anytime. Safe travels.”
Without another word, I hang up the phone. I finish off my drink and lean my head back, smiling up at the sky. For the first time in my life, I feel like I have it all.
I end up falling asleep in my lounge chair by the pool. The breeze is softly blowing, and the sun is warming my skin. I sleep deep and uninterrupted. When I wake up, the sun is falling in the sky, and I quickly make my way back to the room.
The door closes behind me, and it wakes Dani up. She shoots up and runs for the toilet. I sit on the edge of the bed and wait. All I can hear is the sound of her gagging and puking, and I feel horrible for her. This trip was supposed to be fun. It was supposed to be a little mini vacation. But she’s felt sick and miserable the whole time.
I hear the toilet flush and then the water run. Moments later, she comes walking out. She doesn’t say anything to me as she passes me by and climbs back into bed. I turn around, and our eyes meet.
“You want to go home?” I ask. “This trip was supposed to be fun. I know you’re not having any fun being sick all the time. We can head home where you’ll be able to rest and be more comfortable. Then we’ll be able to make you a doctor's appointment.”
“Really?” she asks. “I don’t want to ruin your vacation.”
I crawl up beside her and place my hand on her hip. “Nothing is ruined.” I kiss her head. “Get some rest, and I’ll book our flights. Anything special you want for dinner? I’ll bring it up when I’m done.”
She thinks it over. “I want a burger with cheese fries. A hot fudge sundae with whipped cream, sprinkles, and a cherry on top. Oh, and a big glass of iced tea.”
I laugh as I stand, heading toward the door.
We make it back to Chicago and to our apartment the following day. Dani goes straight to bed. I unpack our bags and call to make her doctor's appointment for later in the day. I figure I’ll hit up the grocery store, start some laundry, and let her sleep. Maybe, by her appointment time, she’ll feel a little better. I run my errands and head back to the apartment by three p.m. When I walk in, Dani is up and cooking something in the kitchen.
I walk in with my arms loaded down with groceries. “What are you making?”
She kisses me quickly and pulls away. “I think I found the key to escaping the sickness.”
My eyes stretch wide. “Oh yeah?”
She nods. “I know this sounds gross, but if I drink pickle juice, I feel better.”
“Okay, but what are you cooking?” It smells horrible; I can’t lie.
“It’s fried pickle chips that I’m dipping in this nacho cheese sauce. Then after I eat one, I take a bite of this Slim Jim and chocolate chip cookie. There’s something about the sour pickle and the salt of the cheese and Slim Jim mixed with the sweetness of the cookie that is amazing.”
I gag just from hearing about it. “Okay,” I mumble, bending down to pick up a bag of groceries to put away. “Your doctor's appointment is at four-thirty. You better get dressed.”
“But, I have to clean this up.” She motions toward the frying pan on the stove and the grease that’s splattered onto the stovetop.
I wave her off. “I’ll do it after I have everything put away. Go get ready.”
“Thank you.” She gives me a quick kiss, then runs off toward the bedroom.
A little while later, we’re sitting in a private room at the doctor’s office. He walks in with a clipboard. “Well, you were right. You are indeed pregnant.”
We both smile.
“Is there any way to tell how far along I am?” she asks.
The doctor nods. “We’ll be able to tell at your first ultrasound. We’re going to take a little blood while you’re here today, write you a prescription for some prenatal vitamins, and then, on your way out, you can make your follow-up appointment. The nurse will set up your ultrasound and call you with the specifics. Sound good?”
“Sounds perfect,” she says with a nod and a smile.
We both stand and shake the doctor's hand on the way out the door.
We swing by the nearest pharmacy and pick up her vitamins, then head home to relax and find something for dinner. Dani insists on her weird concoction, and I go for something easy like a salad and soup. We sit on the couch to eat and watch a movie together.
“Are you nervous?” she asks, popping a pickle into her mouth.
“About what?” I ask, holding up my fork, offering her a bite of my salad.
She leans over and takes it, chewing and swallowing slowly. “About the ultrasound.”
I shake my head. “No. I already told you, this baby is mine and yours. That’s it.”
“I know, but—”
“No buts. That’s it. It doesn’t matter if you’re one week pregnant or if you’re twelve weeks. It’s our baby.”
She nods and laughs. “You know I have to be at least four weeks before I even find out, right?”
“I’m just saying,” I laugh out. “It doesn’t matter what we find out tomorrow. It’s not changing my mind.”
She doesn’t reply; she only cuddles into my side, and we end up sharing my salad.
We wake in the morning, shower, and have breakfast. After our breakfast, we both dress and head out for the ultrasound appointment. We’re given a private room, and Dani strips from the waist down. She lies on the bed, and I stand up by her head, holding her hand as we wait for the nurse.
Moments later, she comes in with a smile. “Hello. How is your morning going?” she asks as she sits down beside the bed and pulls on a pair of rubber gloves.
Dani takes a deep breath. “Good, but it would be a whole lot better if I could see this little baby.”
“Well, let’s do something about that,” the nurse says.
I feel my brows furrow together as I watch her pull a tube of something out of a drawer and squirt it over her belly. She flinches a little at the cold goo.
“Okay, let’s take a look here and take some measurements. Just relax.”
I nod and act like I understand as I watch her guide the camera over my lower belly. Dani flinches, and then an image is projected up onto the computer in front of her.
There’s a small little flicker.
“This is your baby’s heart. That little flicker is its beating,” the nurse says, typing something.
“How far along am I?” Dani asks.
“Based on this measurement, I’d say about four weeks. You found out early!”
I see Dani let out a long breath. She looks up at me. “You know wh
at that means?” She smiles.
I return her smile. “That means we’re going to have a baby,” I reply, knowing it means this baby is one-hundred percent mine. I don’t have to worry about Nick coming back and wanting custody of his kid because this baby is mine. Mine and Dani’s.
The smile won’t leave my face as I watch the rest of the exam.
We’re given a picture to take with us, and Dani hasn’t taken her eyes off of it since it was placed in her hand. I love that we’re having a baby, but I think I love that she loves how she’s having my baby. A little version of the two of us.
“Let’s go celebrate,” I say, and I open her door and watch as she slides into the car.
“Where are we going?”
“You’ll see,” I say as I close it behind her and jog around to the driver's side.
I get behind the wheel and start driving us out of the city. She doesn’t tear her eyes away from the sonogram picture, even to notice. She leans her head against the window, keeping her eyes glued to the picture until her lids are too heavy to keep open. She drifts off to sleep. I want to watch her sleep, but I have to drive, so I force my eyes to stay on the road.
When I pull into Bennet’s driveway, it’s already full of parked cars. It looks like Damon and Jazz are here, along with Callan and Valerie. I lean over and kiss Dani on the cheek.
“We’re here, sleepyhead.”
Her eyes flutter open, and she yawns and stretches before looking at our surroundings. “Bennet and Maddie’s?” she asks, confused.
“Yep, they’re throwing us a little party for getting married and finding out about the baby.”
“That’s so sweet,” she says as her eyes begin to water. Her few tears turn to a full-on crying episode.
I get out and walk around to her side. I open the door and kneel beside her. “What’s wrong? I thought this would make you happy.”
His Every Desire (Contemporary Romance Box Set) Page 53