An Heir for the Billionaire (16 page)

"I think I can make the descent a little more interesting." Damon placed his hand on her bare thigh, just under the hem of her short blue jean skirt. His hand began to slowly inch its way up towards the apex between her legs. As his hand cupped her mound and his fingers slipped into her panties, searching out her increasingly wet heat, what was going on outside became the least of her concerns.

*****

"This is amazing! Vegas? Really?" Katrina attempted to contain her excitement as they exited the airport and headed towards the black Escapade that Damon's secretary had ordered the previous day for them. It was no wonder Damon had been so busy the other day and left her to her own defences at the ranch for so long. He'd planned a lot.

"Really," he confirmed.

"So are we going to be married by one of those Elvis impersonators?" The idea was both tacky and extremely cool in her mind. They used to joke when they were young that one day they were going to elope and get married by Elvis, not because they were fans, but because it was so perfectly tacky and fun that it suited them. Or at least it had back then. Looking over at the new Damon - or Damon 2.0 as she'd nicknamed him - in his black button down shirt and jeans that easily cost a month's salary at her old job, it seemed a little out of character.

"Would I do something so tacky for our wedding Katrina," he asked, his face unreadable as he unlocked the Escalade and opened the passenger side door for her and motioned for her to slip in.

She frowned, not entirely sure as he closed the door behind her and made his way around to the driver's side of the vehicle.

"You know, I'm really shocked you're not blacklisted from renting a vehicle considering the condition you returned the Ferrari in," Katrina commented as he slid behind the wheel.

Chuckling, Damon started the vehicle and pulled out of the parking slot. "It was only a few scratches."

"A few dozen gouges. And don't forget the dent."

"I still say that dent was there when I picked it up."

"Uh-huh. So where are we heading now?"

Damon didn't respond until they were leaving the airport and headed for the hub of Las Vegas. While he'd been close-lipped on most of the plans, he did inform her that they were staying in a suite at
Caesars Palace
. That was exciting all in itself as far as she was concerned.

"We're going shopping. Getting you a wedding dress and then tonight is the wedding. We should have some time to do a little gambling if you want before the ceremony."

"Ceremony done by Elvis?"

Damon ignored the last question.

She didn't have a chance to ask any more questions as she became distracted by the casinos and bustle of the people around them. People ranging from homeless to those wearing ten thousand dollar suits walked the sidewalks as they drove down the strip.

"We should go see a David Copperfield show," she commented as her eyes spotted a billboard featuring his face and advertising his show.

"Whatever makes you happy babe." He slowed the vehicle and parked in front of an elegant bridal boutique. The dress in the front window caught her eye straight away; an off the shoulder Victorian styled dress with layers of ruffles, beads and lace.

Damon's eyes followed her gaze and he smiled. "Found it already?"

"Don't know yet." Not waiting for him to get out and open the door for her, Katrina opened her door and hopped out of the Escalade and made her way into the bridal boutique. There were hundreds of stunning dresses on racks and on display, but the dress in the window called to her. Walking to the front window, she fingered the white satin and lace.

"It's Vera Wang. Beautiful isn't it?"

Katrina heard the soft voice of the sales lady behind her and nodded, not bothering to look.

"It would look stunning on you. Would you care to try it on?"

Vera Wang, aren't those rather expensive?
She was about to say no and continue to look, but Damon stepped in.

"Yes. Please. She'd like to see how it fits."

"Damon..." She was about to protest, but she loved the dress. Trying it on wouldn't hurt. Right?

"We have a duplicate out back that I think will fit you, follow me please."

Katrina had the urge to protest a second time, but the dress was so beautiful. She had to at least try it on. Damon was smiling down at her when she lifted her eyes to meet his. She was about to protest to him that it would be expensive, but thought twice, knowing what his response would be to her protest on a money basis.

"This way, Ma'am."

Katrina followed the middle-aged, yet strikingly beautiful sales clerk into the dressing room.

"If you need any assistance, please let me know," the sales clerk said, hanging the dress up on the wall exiting, closing the door behind her.

After stripping down to her panties, Katrina grabbed the dress. Not being able to resist, she looked at the sales tag pinned to the back of the dress. Twelve thousand dollars!
Unless this makes me look like a Goddess I'm not getting it
, she silently vowed stepping into it and pulling it up.

She began to pull the zipper up on the dress, but got halfway and was in dire need of assistance. Shit. She flung open the door to see Damon leaning against the wall, one ankle crossed casually over the second. A wide smile broke out on his face as his eyes swept over her.

Her eyes went wide as her mouth dropped. "Damon, you shouldn't be outside the door. It's bad luck to see me in my wedding dress before the wedding."

"Oh, come on. I'm only here to help, now turn around and let me help with the zipper."

The damage was done she supposed. Spinning around she lifted her hair and waited for him to zip her up. Damon stepped up to her back and she resisted the urge to lean back into him as he gently tugged the zipper up and the bodice tightened around her torso and breasts. The bodice fit well, but if she gained even a single pound it would be too tight around the stomach, but all-in-all it was a nice fit. As good as it was going to get without being altered. She stepped up to the three-way mirror as she released her hair, letting it cascade down her back.

"You look stunning. Like a fairytale princess." Damon said walking up to her and placing his hands on her shoulders and catching her eyes in the mirror.

"I think you're overstating a bit."

"I don't."

Her mind flashed back to their prom. She'd worn a pink princess gown and insisted that he wear a matching pink cummerbund and bow tie.

"What are you grinning about?"

"Our prom."

"The pink cummerbund and tie?"

She nodded. He'd fought with her for days over having to wear pink, but she'd won out in the end.

"You
wanna
know a secret?"

Her grin widened. "Of course. Love secrets."

Reaching into his pants pocket Damon pulled out his wallet, flipped it open, reached inside and pulled out a well-worn photo, crumbled at the corners.

"That's not..." Excitement bubbled within her. She still had some pictures of the prom, but they were packed away in her mother's attic. He passed it to her and sure enough, it was. Two grinning, younger versions of themselves looked back at her.

"I can't believe you still have this and you carry it with you?"

His face reddened as he nodded. "Yeah, I do." He shrugged. "Memories."

"All these years, always with you?" Her eyes remained glued to his.
Oh God, not again
, she groaned inwardly as the tears threatened to appear in her eyes. She'd never laughed or cried or felt so many emotions in such a short period of time in her life as she had with him in the past five days. It was like an emotional rollercoaster, but it was good.

His face reddened further and he cleared his throat. "Yeah." He shrugged. "You know... It..."

She nodded. "I know. Damon-"

A knock at the dressing room door interrupted them, spoiling the moment. Damon stepped away from her and opened the door for the sales clerk. "We'll take the dress, can you have a couple of alterations done by seven tonight?"

The clerk beamed. "Of course! We have a stunning matching veil."

"Then by all means, let's see it."

*****

Damon pulled Katrina against his side and kissed the top of her head as they waited their turn at the
Graceland Wedding Chapel
. "Last chance, we can have our wedding in Bangor if you want."

She shook her head and looked up at him. "Not a chance."

Katrina looked radiant. Happy. The look of love and admiration in her gaze filled his heart. There was no doubt in his mind this had been the right decision. In fact, it was easily the best decision he'd ever made in his life. He'd fucked up when they were young, but at least they were able to make it right. He just had to win this cancer battle. She deserved more than a year. She deserved a lifetime of happiness and he'd do whatever treatment traditional, non-traditional or otherwise to give her the life she deserved.

The chapel doors burst open and a young happily married couple that was lucky to be over the age of twenty burst through the doors. Music flowed from the chapel and the Elvis minister followed behind the couple, exiting the chapel. The Elvis minister who looked nothing like the real Elvis approached Damon and Katrina.

Oh Damn, this is so tacky
, Damon chuckled to himself, but glancing down at Katrina it didn't matter. She was smiling ear to ear, embracing the tackiness of the situation.

"Katrina and Damon," the minister asked as he approached.

The nodded in unison.

"You kids ready to get hitched at the Graceland Wedding Chapel?"

They nodded in unison a second time, and then looked at each other, both fighting to keep from laughing out loud at the craziness of it all.

"Then follow me. You got the plus package right. The plus package includes photos of your glorious union into marital bliss and photo key chains."

They exchanged amused grins behind the ministers back as they followed him. Katrina's arm linked with Damon's as they walked towards the wedding arch, walking to an alternate fast tempo beat of
Here Comes the Bride
.

"Are you sure you want to do this here?" Damon whispered to her as they approached the arch. She nodded enthusiastically.

Laughing, Damon shrugged. "Okay. You're the boss."

"Ooooh, I like the sound of that," she whispered back.

****

Katrina didn't hear much of what the Elvis minister was saying; her focus was on Damon. Her heart was racing and she felt like a giddy schoolgirl. This was easily the craziest thing she'd ever done and she couldn't be happier about it. He looked so handsome and, from time to time, he'd looked down at her, catch her eyes and give her a sexy heart-stopping grin or wink.

"I'm told that you both have written your vows," Elvis stated glancing from one to the other.

"We have," Damon confirmed.

"Then by all means, Katrina would you please say your vows."

Once they finished with getting their marriage licence the previous day, they'd separated to different parts of the house and took several hours to write their vows. Katrina had gotten up several times during the previous night to make adjustments to hers while Damon slept. There was so much that she felt and wanted to say, putting it into a few lines of prose seemed to be an impossible task.

Damon lifted her veil and pushed it back so they could look eye to eye without the thin white barrier and then took her hands in his. As their eyes locked, to her horror she realized that she'd forgotten her lines. She hadn't brought her lines with her and with a silent curse she realized she was going to have to wing it.

He frowned, "Are you okay Kat?"

Katrina nodded and gave him a nervous smile. Taking a deep breath in, she slowly released it and began. "Damon, I spent years looking for the one person I was meant to spend my life with, but he never showed up. I realized when we reconnected at the reunion that the reason he never showed up was because I'd already had him - he'd been you all along. You knew me better than anyone when we were young and that hasn't changed despite the years that have passed. I loved you back then and I love you now and I'll love you on our fiftieth wedding anniversary. I know we have a rough road ahead, but fate brought us back together for a reason. You're my Price Charming. You always have been and always will be. I love you."

Oh God, that was awful
, she groaned inwardly.

Elvis smiled and nodded towards Damon. "And Damon, please give your vows."

Katrina could see the nervousness in him as he took a deep breath in and released it. She squeezed his hands in reassurance. "Katrina, you know that I've spent years being consumed with all the wrong things. It has taken me a long time, and a huge wake-up call to see that I had what was most important in life a long, long time ago. You mean more to me than anyone on this earth ever has or ever will. I feel fate jumped into our lives to bring us back together and do now what we were meant to do a decade ago. I promise that I will devote the rest of my life to making you happy and giving you the family that you want and deserve."