As if he timed it just right, there was a knock on her door. Vivian rushed through the apartment, incredibly excited to get to him. What she wanted to do was kiss him and cling to the Native behind the door.
This was her man.
It made her giggle, as she pulled it open. Then, she stopped. Her breath was stolen from her body as she saw him.
God, he was amazing.
Every time they were together, he was in jeans or boots. He was a pretty laid back kind of guy, but now he was dressing to impress.
The man looked unbelievable in a suit. In fact, she had never seen a more handsome person in her life.
He was perfect.
Justin didn't move as she opened the door. He couldn’t. There stood the loveliest woman in the world. From her purple eyes to the pale skin, he was captivated. When she picked that dress, he was sure it was created to drive him crazy. It hugged her body and showed the world what he already knew to be true. Detective Vivian Graves was perfect.
“Hi, baby,” he said, when he was finally able to get his voice back. “You look beautiful.”
She stepped back once the spell was broken. “You look pretty damn amazing yourself, Justin. You’re incredibly sexy in a suit.”
He absently ran his hands down the front. “Maybe I’ll put on my dress blues for you one day, and let you help me pin on my medals.”
Her mind went wild at that idea. She bet he was sexy in his Marine garb. Oh good Lord, the temperature in the room suddenly spiked. “I’m ready to go,” she stated, trying to catch her breath. It was going to be a long night, and she couldn’t wait to get him back here and naked.
That was her plan for the evening.
“Let me help you into your coat,” he stated, holding it for her. When she was in it, he turned her around and leaned down to kiss her. Vivian smelled absolutely delicious. “I love you,” he whispered, as he pulled away. When he stared into her eyes, he saw the emotion and knew that she was feeling the same way.
“I love you too.” She could barely get the words out.
“So, are you curious about tonight?” he asked.
“Yes, I am. Do you care to give me a hint?” she asked, as he led her to his truck.
He grinned and pulled a scarf out of his pocket.
“Are you going to do magic tricks?”
Justin laughed at her teasing. “No, I’m blindfolding you.”
She stared at him openmouthed. “Really? I thought you were kidding.”
Leaning over, he began to tie it around her face. He didn't want her to have a clue as to what was going to be happening. It wasn’t a far drive, but he wanted her in the dark.
“Hmmmm, this certainly feels like the prelude to some really great sex,” she teased. The laughter stopped when his lips found hers, and he kissed her.
The meeting of mouths was so full of passion and heat, that she never wanted it to end. Her hands found their way up his suit jacket and to his neck.
The kiss exploded around them. Neither could tell how long it lasted, but both were breathless from its effects.
Regretfully, Justin finally pulled away. “Later,” he promised. He grinned at the visual in his mind. He wondered if the sex would be any different as husband and wife. Watching his brother and Tori be affectionate with each other, made him think it was still going to be pretty awesome.
“We better go,” he stated. She made his heart pound like no one else, and he was desperate to get this night started. Glancing over, he was enthralled and caught in an adrenaline rush.
“I’m ready, Justin,” she answered.
As she leaned back in the seat, the conversation turned easy between them. It was like they had known each other for a long time. After a while, she had to know.
“Are you always romantic and spontaneous?” she asked.
He thought about it. “I’m always spontaneous. I’m not sure about the romance.” She was the only woman who ever made him want to be this way. “Am I doing a good job so far?”
“Yeah, you most definitely are,” she stated, grinning. When he kissed her across the knuckles, she felt her heart skip a beat. “I think you’re very romantic.”
For her, he would be. If she agreed to marry him, Justin would take that vow. It would be an easy promise to keep, since Vivian made him want to be everything that she needed in life.
Once more, they began talking. They discussed her career, her college education, and life. When they moved onto him, he talked about being a Marine. They even touched on him loving his family and hoping one day to have a life like his brother.
It moved her, because she didn't doubt that he’d get it. Justin Littlemoon was a good man. Vivian could feel it, plus, she had the dreams to back it up. When he appeared in them, he was always trying to keep her safe and protected.
That was very appealing to her, since her life now was lacking that.
When the truck came to a stop, he moved around to help her out. Leading her towards something, he stopped.
“If you could go anywhere in the world, where would it be?” he asked.
She thought about it. “I like the beach. The sand and sun are pretty awesome.”
Immediately, he began planning their honeymoon for when the case was over. He needed to know, since he was praying she’d be marrying him. He was thinking positive on this one.
“Do you like the beach?” she asked.
He spent five years in the Middle East, and he hated the sand. “I love the beach.” For her, he’d lie about it and suck it up. That told him everything that he ever needed to know. To be willing to go back into the sand, he had to be madly in love.
It was now or never.
Vivian could feel him pulling away the blindfold and once more she could see.
As she glanced around, she was incredibly confused. “Where are we?” She noticed the sign on the building. “We’re having a date at the courthouse in a strange town?”
He began to get nervous. “You could say that. Vivian Graves, I have never met a woman who I ever wanted to spend the rest of my life with until I met you. I didn't bring you here for a date.”
She stared at him, as her heart started pounding in her chest. The picture was starting to come together.
Surely, he couldn’t be…
“I brought you here to ask you one simple yes or no question.”
Now, she had no doubt. Justin was absolutely going there.
As if on cue, he dropped to his knee and pulled the ring box from his one pocket.
Her hand flew to her mouth, and she stared wide eyed at him.
“I know that this is fast, and you’re going to doubt my sanity, but I know you’re the one. You have your dreams to give you clues. I only have my heart, and it’s telling me that this is right. You, Vivian, are meant to be the love of my life forever and ever. Will you marry me and become my wife?”
She didn't know what to say. She was completely caught off guard.
“Justin,” she began, before he cut her off.
“I want you to be my better half until the day that I die. Marry me, Viv. Make that all happen.”
Everything around her stopped.
“Justin, I…”
Chapter Seventeen
This was the first time in her life that anyone had ever proposed to her. She was shocked and caught completely off guard. When they told each other ‘I love you’, she thought that was moving fast.
Apparently, her Marine wanted to pick up pace and charge full speed ahead.
She stared down at him and gazed into his eyes. They were filled with such hope for their future. Her gaze went to the ring box in his hand, and he popped it open.
The click was the only sound to be heard, until her gasp.
“I love you,” he said it again. “Marry me.”
Vivian had never seen a more gorgeous ring in her life. The little amethyst stones sparkled around a diamond center.
When he still didn't move, she touched his face. “I love you
too, Justin. Are you sure this is what you want?” In her heart, she knew what was meant to be and the dreams showed her the way, but he was taking a giant leap of faith.
“I don’t have a single doubt in my mind.”
“Yes,” she answered.
“Yes?” He began to get excited at the prospects of what was to come.
“I love you,” she replied, as he stood and pulled the ring from the box.
Delicately, he slid it onto her finger. It fit like it was made for her. Lowering his lips to hers, he kissed his fiancée. The word alone made him incredibly giddy. Never, did he believe that he would be using it in reference to himself.
Here was step one completed.
Fate was leading the way, and so far, it was doing a damn good job.
“It’s the prettiest ring I’ve ever seen,” she said softly, as she broke free from his kiss to admire it. “I love it.”
“No one will look at it and think engagement ring, so your secret is safe with me,” he answered, trying to hide the pain that he couldn’t shout it from the rooftops that she was his, and he was hers. But, he understood. In time, that would change.
“I love the color.”
“It matches your eyes,” he answered, leading her toward the courthouse.
“Wait, where are we going?” she asked. Certainly, they were going home to celebrate. Come to think of it, why did he bring her to this courthouse?
“We have a date to get married.”
“WHAT?” she stared aghast.
He actually lifted her chin to close her mouth, and then sealed it with a kiss. “Why not, baby? Seize the day and take what you want.”
Still, she stared at him. “I’m not prepared.”
“What do we need?” he asked. “We have love.”
Vivian wanted to object, but she was having a hard time coming up with something. “But…”
“Twenty minutes ago, you told me that you like romance and spontaneity. Well, here is the most spur of the moment thing that we will ever do, and if you think about it, it’s really romantic.”
Again, she opened her mouth to protest. It didn't take long to notice that she had lost his attention. A black car was pulling up to the curb.
Justin’s heart began to beat as he saw the passengers getting out. Here, his brother and Tori had come to stand by his side. It made his eyes well up with tears. Justin should have known that Julian wouldn’t stay home.
“Did we miss the wedding?” Tori asked.
Vivian objected, “We can’t get married! What about a wedding license?”
Justin grinned. “It’s inside waiting for your signature.”
“An officiant to do the ceremony?”
“He’s inside waiting for us too.” Justin wasn’t giving her a single chance to back out. There was just too much at stake for him and his heart.
“I’m wearing black.”
Shit! Justin never thought about that. Didn't every girl like to wear a white dress on their big day? Maybe he did screw this up.
“I happen to have a white dress in the car. That’s why we were a little late. I had to try it on to make sure it would fit you,” Tori said grinning.
Justin could kiss his brother and sister-in-law.
“What about flowers and a wedding ring for Justin?” she asked. It was apparent that they’d planned for just about everything.
“We got you a pretty little bouquet with purple roses to match your ring,” Julian stated. “They’re in the car.”
Justin answered the other half of the question, “I also have a wedding band for myself and one for you.” He pulled the other two boxes out of his pocket and showed her.
Tori touched her arm. “I would love to be your matron of honor, as we welcome you into our family. I always wanted more family to call my own.”
Vivian’s eyes filled with tears at those words. “Okay,” she finally answered. “We can get married right now. We have everything for a perfect wedding.”
Justin wanted to run in circles and kiss everyone. Instead, he opted to kiss his girl. When he was finished, he stared into her eyes. “I promise that I’ll be the best husband ever.”
She touched his cheek as all the fear drained away. In her heart, she found peace and knew this was the right thing to do.
“I have no doubt that you will.”
Inside, everything moved rather quickly. When Justin said that he had taken care of everything, he wasn’t kidding. The papers were there and all they had to do was sign and produce their proof of identification.
Justin had handed Tori the ring that he got for himself, and Julian the one for his new bride. Everything was going exactly as planned, and he couldn’t believe that in a matter of minutes, he was going to be a married man.
As he waited, his brother grinned at him.
“I’m happy for you, Justin.”
“Not as happy as I am,” he replied, laughing.
He knew that he should give him some advice on marriage. “Just remember to put her first, love her with everything you have, and make her your best friend in the world. If you do all that, you’ll never have a day where you aren’t madly in love.”
“Thank you, Jules, and thank you for coming here tonight. I don’t know why I thought I would have to do this alone.”
He dropped his arm around his shoulders. “I’m your brother. I won’t ever let you have big moments alone. We came into this world as one, and we’re going to navigate it as a matched set until the bitter end.”
He hugged him. “I’m very lucky that mom was super fertile,” he teased, to keep from breaking down.
Julian snickered and hugged the man.
“Yeah, we are.”
In the judge’s chambers, Tori helped Vivian get dressed. She’d picked out a long white dress that was perfect for the woman and the occasion.
“I’m not really good at this girl thing, so I hope you like it,” she stated, as she zipped up the back. “I had my best friend help me plan my wedding,” she added. Without Elizabeth, she never would have pulled off her big day.
Vivian ran her hand down the dress. “You did great.”
Tori noticed the woman was quiet. “What’s wrong? Are you having second thoughts?”
She shook her head. “I just wish my dad could be here to see this, that’s all. Justin is a really great guy. He would have liked him a lot.”
Tori understood that ache. “My brother and father died a couple days apart. When I married Julian, I had their pictures with me that day. It helped me to know that even while they were gone, I could still believe that they were watching over me.”
Vivian smiled and wiped away a few tears. “I have his picture in my purse.”
Tori grabbed it, and the woman dug it out of her wallet. “I’ll tuck him right above my heart,” she said, slipping him into the dress. Then, she stared up at the ceiling. “I know that you’re with me, Daddy. I feel you every day. If you guided him to me, thank you. You’ve given me the best gift in the world.”
If Tori had any doubts in her mind about the woman, they were instantly gone. Vivian was definitely in love with Justin, and that made her the perfect woman for him.
“I’m ready.”
Tori held out her hand and with the other, grabbed the bouquet of flowers. “Then let’s go make you a Littlemoon,” she stated. “It’s a damn fine family.”
“Will I fit in, Tori?” she asked, hoping and praying she would.
She gave her the words that Vivian had recently said to Justin in reassurance. It seemed fitting. “I have no doubt that you will.”
When they walked in together, both men were standing there, waiting for them. Each woman grinned at the sight before them. Here were identical twins, standing there in matching suits as they were ready for a wedding.
This was a sight to behold. The women looked at each other and shared a giggle. It spoke volumes and confirmed what they both were thinking at that moment.
They were lucky, lucky girls.
Vivian released Tori’s hand and crossed to Justin. When he reached for her, the emotions in his eyes were met by the feelings in hers. Tears welled up again, as they slid effortlessly down her cheeks.
Today, she was becoming a wife.
“You look so beautiful,” he stated, kissing her on the lips. “I love you so much.”
She couldn’t even find the words to tell him how she felt inside at that very moment. Instead, she opted to place her hand over his heart.
“Let’s get you two married,” the judge said, grinning.
As they moved closer, he began.
“Tonight, we come here to witness the marriage of Justin Trevor Littlemoon to Vivian Rachel Graves. Since you both already signed the paperwork, we can get right into the vows. You’re first, Justin.”
He stared into her eyes. “Vivian, you light up my life. When I only saw darkness, you were the beacon that I followed back to living. The second I met you, I was able to find myself once more. I promise to always be spontaneous and romantic. I will put you first, and remember that I married the woman who is now my best friend. You’re all that will ever matter to me, and I’ll love you until the day that I die.”
She took a tissue from Tori and wiped her eyes. His words touched her on a level that no one had ever reached before and Vivian was blessed. When she was done, her soon to be husband placed a beautiful wedding band on her hand.
And then he kissed it, as if sealing an unspoken promise.
“Your turn, Vivian,” the judge said.
“Justin, you take my breath away with your grin, your laugh, and your gentleness. I never believed that I’d find the person who completed my heart, but I did. You stormed into my life, in a few short days, and made me the luckiest woman in the world. I want to wake up every day with you, go to bed with you, and spend the middle at your side. You make me remember that love does exist, and that it’s the most beautiful thing in the world. I love you, and I promise that I’ll love you more as each day passes and what we have grows.”
He kissed the inside of her palm. When her hand was free, she took the shiny white gold band from Tori and placed it on his finger. It looked perfect there, like it was made to sit on his finger.
Blood Red Rage (LIttlemoon Investigations Book 1) Page 26