Some Like It Hotter (Sweet Life in Seattle #3) (26 page)

Elvis’s round face is pink and sweaty. “Thank you. Thank you very much.” He beams at them with a smirk worthy of the king. “Now, let’s get you two lovebirds married! That’s right, baby!” He mops his face with a towel as he comes over and situates himself directly in front of them on stage. Elvis is still grinning, but then his expression turns comically solemn. “Dearly beloved . . .”

Giovanni takes her hand again. Lindsay tries to pay attention as Elvis speaks the marriage vows, but for some reason, she starts thinking about that check in her purse. The twenty thousand.
Is this really what I want?

“Stop!” she suddenly says, and everyone looks at her with surprise. She pulls her hand away from Giovanni. “We have to stop this.”

His eyes widen and his mouth opens with alarm. “What do mean? What’s wrong?”

“I’m sorry, but I can’t marry you.”

“You’ve changed your mind?” Giovanni’s adrenaline spikes, pumping hard through his bloodstream.

But Lindsay doesn’t answer, instead, she walks over to her purse hanging on a nearby chair. She picks it up, ready to go. Thoughts of the kids run through his head, helping Joseph and Sara, but to be honest, he’s mostly thinking of himself and how much he doesn’t want Lindsay to leave.

“What are you
doing?
” he asks, not bothering to hide the squeak in his voice. “You’re not going to marry me?”

“Just give me a minute.” She rummages through her purse as he watches in disbelief.

He feels the eyes of everyone in the chapel now, looking at him with pity. He’s certain they’ve seen plenty of people jilted at the altar. Despite how nervous he’s been all day, he realizes he wants to marry Lindsay. In fact, he’s surprised how strongly he wants it.

Finally, she comes back to stand in front of him, bringing her purse with her.

“Is everything all right there, little lady?” Elvis asks with concern.

The expression on Lindsay’s face is unreadable as she reaches down and takes his hand, placing something inside it. It’s the check he gave her earlier.

“I’m giving this back to you,” she says.

He lets his breath out in a rush of disappointment. “So, you really have changed your mind.”

“I don’t want your money.”

Giovanni nods, staring down at the check with resignation.

“I can’t do this for money,” she says. “But I’ll still marry you.”

His eyes flash up to her with a surge of surprise. “You will?”

“Yes, I will.”

He blinks, smiling.

And then to his everlasting relief, Lindsay smiles too.

He barely remembers the rest of the ceremony. It’s nothing but a blur as he spends most of it recovering from the shock of what he thought was her ending things. He doesn't calm down until it's over.

“You’ve really never been to Las Vegas before?” Lindsay asks afterward, shifting position in the seat across from him.

They’re sitting outside the wedding chapel in the rental car—the one she’s been complaining about so much, and the one he’s guessing he has zero chance of seducing her in before they leave.

Even though she’s his wife now.

My wife
.

“It’s true.” He rests his hand on the steering wheel as he tries to relax. “This is the first time I’ve been to Las Vegas.”

Her lovely brown eyes consider him. “How is that possible? I thought you grew up in LA.”

“I did, for the most part, but the opportunity to come here never presented itself.”

She turns and looks out the window at the chapel they were just married in. It’s late afternoon and a limo has just pulled up in front. They watch as another couple gets out and makes their way inside. The bride is wearing a white dress as puffy as a cloud.

Giovanni realizes then he should have gotten them a limousine.
Christ, I’m stupid
. He had to set up everything online from Rome, and between the airfare, wedding, and the move to Seattle, a limousine never even occurred to him.

Of course, they could have just gotten married with a justice of the peace, but when he saw the online ad for an Elvis wedding, something made him click on it. He’d hoped it was offbeat enough that Lindsay would enjoy it.

“So, what should we do on our wedding night?” she asks, turning back to him. “How about we go out dancing and you can show me what you’ve got.”

He snorts with laughter. “Let’s not scare the poor villagers.”

“Come on, I want to see your Frankenstein moves.”

“No, you don’t.”

She leans toward him. “It might help you seduce me in this car.”

“I’d say it would do precisely the opposite.”

“All right.” She leans back and lets out her breath. “Any other ideas? I guess we could take in a show somewhere.”

“I know exactly what I’d like to do for our wedding night.” He gives her a hopeful grin.

She rolls her eyes. “Dream on.”

He sighs to himself. Memories of their night together in Berlin flash through his mind, torturing him. He does his best to ignore them as he starts up the car. “How about we go grab dinner somewhere? I could definitely use a drink.”

“That’s the smartest thing you’ve said all day.”

He starts driving out from the chapel’s parking lot, headed toward the Strip again. “I have to admit, from what I’ve seen of Las Vegas so far, it’s exactly what I pictured. Non-stop debauchery.”

Lindsay remains quiet and he glances over at her. There’s a pained expression on her face as she’s looking out the window.

“Hey, are you all right?”

She nods. “I just haven’t been here in a long time. I always swore I’d never come back.”

“Do you want to go hang out in the room? We could order room service and catch a movie on television. We don’t have to go anywhere.”

“You wouldn’t mind that?”

He shrugs. “It’s fine.”

She studies the passing scenery but then shakes her head. “No, let’s go out. You’ve never been to Vegas, and we’re both dressed up.” She turns to him, eyeing him with appreciation. “Plus, you look amazing in that suit. I should be showing off my new husband, right?”

“Are you sure?”

She nods. “I’m sure.”

“Okay, any suggestions where you’d like to go?”

She bites her lip and thinks it over. “Yeah, I know just the place. You’ll like it. It’s old-school Vegas, if that’s okay?”

“Sounds great.”

He drives following her instructions. She takes him past all the big hotels and the throng of tourists to an older part of town. The casinos are smaller, though there are still plenty of people around, everything lit up. He parks and follows her into a place called Binion’s. She leads him past the casino to an elevator in back that takes them to the 24th floor.

“Where are we going?” he asks.

“A steakhouse.”

When they arrive at the top, he discovers it’s one of the coolest steakhouses he’s ever been in. There are velvet wingback chairs and the room has crimson wallpaper. It’s older and kind of worn down, but it looks exactly like the sort of place you’d imagine the Rat Pack hanging out.

Once they’re seated, Lindsay studies the magnificent view which encompasses the entire valley. “I haven’t been here in years,” she says softly.

He gazes at her, pondering the bizarreness of this situation. Married to a woman beautiful beyond his dreams. He’s already noticed all the admiring stares from the men. And yet, surprisingly it’s her personality he feels drawn to the most.

He chuckles, thinking back to the ceremony and the way she sang along with that roly-poly Elvis.

“What is it?” she asks.

“I was thinking about Elvis and ‘Burning Love.’”

She laughs. “That was so awesome. He was dancing his ass off.”

“I guess we have ‘our song,’ at least.”

“Yes, I’d say we do.” She grins at him. “And I still think you owe me a wedding dance.”

He only shakes his head.

“Come on, if Elvis and his pot belly can put on the moves, so can you. I won’t judge.”

“You don’t know what you’re asking.”

“Just one wedding dance?”

Luckily, he’s saved from this conversation by the waiter coming over to take their drink orders. Giovanni tells him he’d like a vodka neat while Lindsay asks for a martini.

“At least you seem calmer now,” she says, once they’re alone again. “I take it you’ve accepted the horrible fate of being married to me?”

He grins with embarrassment. “Not so horrible.”

“Why were you so terrified earlier? I can’t figure it out.”

He shrugs. “Aren’t all grooms nervous on their wedding day?” He knows he can’t discuss this with her, and if she pushes him, he’ll have to shut her down. He’s never discussed his relationship with Olivia—and he doesn’t intend to start.

Lindsay considers him in that shrewd way of hers, a bloodhound hot on a scent. He can tell she’s relentless when she puts her mind to something, a trait he recognizes because he’s the same way himself.

He acts indifferent as he takes in the view outside but knows she isn’t fooled. In the short amount of time he’s spent in her company, it’s clear she’s fooled by very little. He suspects it’s the reason she was so upset when he left her in Berlin.

If only things were different
.

The waiter brings their drinks, and Giovanni notices Lindsay still has that bloodhound look on her face.

“So listen.” He leans forward. “I want to discuss the situation with that check.”

“What do you mean?” Her expression changes. “There is no situation. It’s simple. I’ve decided I don’t want your money.”

“We had an agreement.”

“And I’ve changed it. I don’t want to be paid to help with the adoption anymore.”

He takes in her earnestness. “I wasn’t trying to guilt you when I had you Skype with Joseph and Sara.”

“I know that.”

He wonders how best to phrase this, as it’s obvious she’s touchy about financial matters. “I want you to take that check back.”

“Why?”

“Because I know you need the money.”

She picks up her martini. “Why would I need money? I just married a handsome and successful surgeon. My life is set.”

“How are you going to pay for college? I assume you still want to get your teaching certificate.”

“I’ll sell some art, or I’ll play poker. Whatever.” She waves her hand in the air as she takes a sip from her glass. “I always find a way.” Her eyes flicker with something, an emotion he doesn’t recognize, but then it’s gone.

He takes a drink of his vodka but realizes he isn’t in the mood for it after all and puts it down. Judging by how quickly she’s tossing back her martini, it’s probably best he keeps a clear head anyway.

“I’m giving that check back to you,” he informs her. “Consider it a loan if you want to.”

She rolls her eyes. “Please don’t start being an asshole about this, okay? I don’t want your money. It’s as simple as that. You should be relieved.”

“I’m not.”

“Twenty thousand dollars for a bride. You really want to pay that?”

The waiter comes by to take their food order, and Lindsay asks for another martini. They both order a steak, though she barely eats any of hers. She tells him how she used to come here with her dad when she was a kid.

“You did?” He’s enjoying his meal and has to admit this is one of the best steak dinners he’s had in years.