Vegas, Baby: The Complete Series by Fiona Davenport

4

Addilyn

“We should get married!” I didn’t know where the idea came from, but I instantly knew it was the best one I’d ever had. Knox was the hottest, sweetest guy I’d met in my entire life, and I had never experienced the kind of attraction he aroused in me. And holy cow...the thought of this sexy god’s babies had my ovaries exploding. Yeah, best idea ever.

But what would he think about my proposal? I peeked up at him through my lashes to see him staring down at me with a thoughtful expression. “You want to get married?” he clarified, his gaze serious and assessing. However, I saw a glimmer in his eyes that made me think he liked the idea.

I nodded enthusiastically and clapped my hands. “There’s a chapel here, right? I mean, it’s Vegas!”

Knox rubbed his chin, and a slow smile began to spread across his handsome face. “As a matter of fact, my sisters run the chapel here at the Lennox.” He trailed his finger along my bottom lip, then the top, before leaning in and replacing it with his mouth. I immediately melted into him, feeling drunk from the effect his kiss was having on me. This man could freaking kiss. His tongue ran along the seam of my lips, and I parted them obediently. He deepened the kiss, and I moaned at the taste of his whiskey and something delicious I knew was all him. The arm he had around me slipped down, and he splayed his hand on my naked back. The touch of our skin practically burned, and my body was near to bursting into flames. By the time he pulled back, I was panting and ready to rip my clothes off and beg him to take me right then and there.

“Alright, baby,” he rumbled. The low timbre of his voice sent shivers through me. That so did not help my current state. I gulped down several large breaths to try to get some control over myself. Luckily, Knox slid out of the booth, and while he gently tugged me up after him, the empty space between us allowed me to think a little more clearly.

I just needed to wait a little longer. A wedding meant a wedding night. I shook my head and tried to focus on anything else. I couldn’t think about that right now or I’d probably melt into a puddle of need. Knox wove our fingers together and led me out of the restaurant. I silently followed, my attention on his very fine ass. When he stopped, I almost rammed right into him but caught myself at the last moment. He guided me around to stand in front of him, then released my hand and gently pushed me toward a store in the hotel lobby.

“What are we doing here?” I asked, my brow furrowing. Things were a little fuzzy, but I was pretty sure this wasn’t the chapel.

“You need a dress, baby.”

“Oh! Good point.” My insides went all soft and gooey that this big, strong man would think of something like my needing a wedding dress. I threw him a bright smile and sauntered into the store, making sure to put a little extra sway in my hips. For which I was rewarded with a low growl and a muttered curse. Good. I was glad to know I wasn’t the only one having a hard time keeping my hands to myself.

I supposed it shouldn’t have surprised me to find a store that carried formals and wedding dresses inside a Vegas hotel. The clerk handed me a glass of champagne, and I downed it immediately and held it out for a refill. Was I really doing this? My core pulsed, and my heart skipped a beat. Yup. This was totally happening.

Thumbing through a rack at the back of the store, I debated on what style to go with. Super revealing and sexy so that he wouldn’t be able to keep his hands to himself. And perhaps see a little more of that possessive beast that was so damn hot.

Or something sweet and virginal since my parents and family would eventually see the pictures. And...well...I was actually a virgin.

Then I spotted the perfect dress with a mixture of both; somewhat demure but also incredibly sexy. The top was made of lace appliques, leaving peeks of skin here and there. It had cap sleeves, and the front was split, creating a deep, plunging V that went all the way to the waist. The two sides were held together with sheer, nude-colored fabric. The skirt was made of layers of tulle and looked quite innocent until I took a few steps, then my legs peeked out from the two, almost waist-high, slits. As I studied myself in a mirror, a wicked grin curved my lips. I couldn’t wait to see Knox’s reaction.

I picked out some incredible sky-high glittery heels, but when I tried them on, I almost killed myself trying to keep my balance. That third glass of champagne the saleswoman had handed me probably hadn’t been the best idea. I shrugged and went with some equally as gorgeous shoes that were a couple of inches shorter and had a chunkier heel.

Since I wanted his first glimpse of the dress to be when I was walking down the aisle, I had the clerk bag it up. Then I started to prance from the store but stopped and giggled when my head started spinning. Ooops, I was clearly a little bit tipsy! I giggled again and tried to walk a little more sedately. Knox was waiting for me in the lobby, wearing a black suit that looked as though it had been made just for him. It was similar to the one he’d been wearing when we met, but this one had a matching vest and he had a silver tie tucked into it. Plus, he’d switched out his shoes for shiny dress shoes. “Wow!” I breathed. “My fiancé cleans up goooood.”

Knox grinned, and I would swear his chest puffed up a little. His eyes did a sweep of me and he frowned until he caught sight of the bag in my hand. He seemed to understand right away and simply held out his hand for me to take once more. We walked to a door marked “Employees Only,” and he swiped a card, waiting for the light to blink green before opening it and gesturing for me to enter first. It was a long hallway, bare except for the maroon carpet on the floor and several doors. I wasn’t sure how many doors we passed since the stark white walls made me a little woozy.

We stopped at a door that was labeled Chapel of Dreams, and he rapped his knuckles on it a couple of times before twisting the knob and walking right in. A young blonde was sitting behind a desk facing the door and was pecking on a keyboard as she stared intently at the screen.

“Hey, Amanda,” Knox greeted her as he drew me closer into his side. The woman’s head darted up in surprise, obviously unaware of our entrance.

“Knox!” She smiled as she greeted him, but there was only mild interest in her gaze, so I didn’t feel the need to stake my claim on my man.

“Amanda, this is my fiancée, Addilyn.” He kissed my temple, then glanced down at me. “Amanda is Aurora’s, one of my sisters, assistant.” I gave her a little wave, and she smiled in return.

Knox frowned suddenly and asked, “My sisters aren’t here?”

Amanda shook her head and grinned. “Lia’s baby shower was this afternoon. I suspect everyone except Lia was tipsy from champagne and carted away by their husbands.” Lia...how did I know that name?

Knox snorted and rolled his eyes. “Well, then it’s their own damn fault they are going to miss my wedding.”

Amanda stood suddenly, and her eyes became big and round. “Wedding? Wait...did you say fiancée?” She squeaked the last word.

Knox held me a little tighter, and I instinctively snuggled into his warmth. Dang, he felt good. It made me a little drowsy, but I managed to pay attention. “I did,” he answered. “Since my sisters aren’t here, I’m assuming there are no weddings scheduled tonight?”

“Ummm, well, no but—” Amanda stuttered.

“Great, I’m going to escort Addilyn to the bride’s room, and you can track down an officiant.” Without waiting for a response, he walked us toward another door.

“But…but…Knox! Your sisters will kill me if I let you get married without them!”

He froze and spun around, his expression dark and scary. I wondered if I was supposed to be afraid, but all I felt was another set of tingles between my legs and butterflies in my stomach. I had no idea cavemen would make me so hot and bothered.

“Let me?” he growled. Fucking hell...I was going to come from his voice alone. “With the exception of Drew and Autumn Lennox, there is no one in this hotel who doesn’t answer to me.” Amanda visibly shrank, and I pinched Knox’s arm, drawing his attention. I glared at him, and he sighed. “I’ll handle my sisters, Amanda. Don’t worry. Just find me that officiant.” I pinched him again, and he sighed even louder. “Please.” I beamed up at him and felt almost giddy at the thought that we were already reading each other like an old married couple.

Amanda mumbled her agreement, and the next thing I knew, I was alone in a beautiful dressing room, still reeling from the thorough kiss Knox had given me before leaving. I hung up my dress, then grinned and did a little twirl, holding my arms out like I was Maria von Trapp on top of the mountain. It only took a few spins for me to get dizzy and laughingly stumble over to the pink brocade chair in front of a white marble vanity. My stomach lurched a little, but gratefully, it quickly settled back down. I looked up and froze at what I saw.

The woman staring back at me in the mirror was almost unrecognizable. My brown eyes sparkled, my cheeks were flushed, and my mouth looked like I’d slept with a hanger in it. I’d never believed in love at first sight, but after meeting Knox, it was glaringly apparent how wrong I’d been. And now, I was going to marry that sexy man. Then he would take me to bed and sate this raging lust consuming me. And maybe, in the not too distant future, he’d agree to make a family. Which reminded me...I needed to remember to tell him I wasn’t on the pill. What had been the point? I shrugged at myself in the mirror, then rose to my feet and began to get ready.