Dominic

So far, so good. I arrived at the venue around 5am, just to make sure the ballroom had been set up to my liking. Everything from the entrance doors to the dais where Viv and I would stand was immaculate. The caterer had begun unloading food for the luncheon, and the bartender was triple checking his list against the mountain of alcohol I’d ordered. 

Once I’d confirmed everything was perfectly on schedule, I changed into my suit. Enzo fluttered around me like some obsessed and ugly butterfly, making sure nothing tucked strangely or settled incorrectly. 

“I just still can’t believe you’re getting married before me, man! Or at all! Much less in your freaking twenties. Are you sure there’s not some secret plot behind this that you’re not telling me?” 

“Of course not.” The lie slid from my lips smooth as butter. “I just figured it’s finally time to start building my other legacy.” 

He laughed and slugged my shoulder. “If you can’t take over the world financially, you can do it by creating mini Dominics, huh? Well, I’ll have to start brushing up on my ‘best uncle’ strategies.” 

“Don’t worry. There won’t be any Voss Juniors anytime soon. Viv would string me up by my thumbs if she thought I was even considering kids at this point. So don’t go putting that idea in her head. I don’t want to be on an episode of Wedding Night Murder.” 

I gave myself a good look-over in the mirror, straightened my tie, and checked my watch. The time had come. Enzo and I made our way to the ballroom, which was full to the brim. As I’d hoped, invitations to the wedding had been quite the hot commodity. Only a few seats were still empty. But with ten minutes until the ceremony began, I was positive that their occupants were merely running late. 

What I didn’t want to admit to even myself was that I was nervous. Hiding behind making everything Hollywood-worthy gave me a buffer, but my stomach quivered when I let myself think. What if I was doing all of this for nothing? Was the Kingsley Group going to see right through our facade of a marriage?

No. This would work. 

“You look terrified, bro.” Enzo’s whisper pulled me out of my thoughts. “Don’t get cold feet on us now!” 

I shook my head and adopted the most relaxed pose I could manage. “I’m perfectly fine, Enzo. Stop trying to put that crap in my head and make me nervous.” I looked out over the crowd, ignoring the first four rows containing my family. Their gaze burned through me anyway.

Minutes crept by like hours until the officiant took his place and nodded to the orchestra director. From the raised dais in the corner, a twenty-piece orchestra began playing the wedding march. My heart leapt into my throat. Was this how every man felt, standing in this place beneath the arch? I suddenly understood why they might run.

But I remained firmly rooted as the doors at the back of the room swung open and revealed my bride. Vivianne really did look stunning as she stepped into the light, her arm tightly wrapped around that of her escort. 

Annie had told me that Viv wasn’t planning on anyone to walk her down the aisle, so I used my resources to find her uncle and get him to the wedding. From the way she clung to his arm, I knew she was grateful to have him there. Victory for me.

One of my nieces served as the flower girl. Her little face beamed as she grabbed handfuls of flowers and threw them not only around the aisle, but at the guests sitting on either side. None of them seemed to mind; her charm won even the stoic businessmen over. 

Before I knew it, Viv was standing at my side. She released her uncle’s arm and attempted what I’m sure she thought was an excited smile…but looked more like a constipation grimace. I reached out and ran my hand along the curve of her arm, allowing a millimeter of space to remain between our skin. Then I leaned forward and whispered in her ear. “Don’t worry. This will all be over soon.” 

I stepped back to my position and we both faced the officiant. He was a small, elderly man with large glasses and wispy white hair. His hand trembled as he opened the book and found the correct page. He looked up at Viv and me with watery eyes and smiled. “Dearly beloved, we gather here to unite these two lovely young people in holy matrimony.”

As he spoke, I was hyper aware of every movement Viv made. The way she shifted from foot to foot, the way she kept glancing over at me…all of it was so distracting. I nearly missed my queue for my vows, but smoothly recovered. “Sorry, she’s just so beautiful I got lost in her,” I said, and the crowd chuckled. “I, Dominic Voss, take you, Vivian Sinclair, as my lawfully wedded wife. I vow to love and cherish you, even when you glare at me.” The crowd laughed again. Viv didn’t. Of course she didn’t. 

“I vow that I will be by your side through thick and thin, sickness and health, to laugh with you and protect you until my dying breath.”

We got through Viv’s vows, our ‘I do’s, and my heart quickened as we drew nearer to the riskiest part of the entire operation. I took the ring from the ring bearer and my hands trembled as I slid it on her finger. My hand lingered just a moment too long, probably, but something inside me suddenly didn’t want to let go. 

The stupid part.

Then we were there. The officiant closed the book and looked both of us in the eyes. “By the power vested in me by the state of New York, I now pronounce you husband and wife. Mr. Voss, you may now kiss the bride.” 

We should have discussed this moment beforehand. Even little children know what happens at the end of a wedding ceremony. But somehow, I hadn’t been able to bring myself to ask her if she would allow me to kiss her. Probably because I knew she’d say no when we were in the safety of my office. 

But I also knew this moment was vital to the success of our ruse. I stepped closer until our bodies were millimeters apart and stared down into her blue eyes. My hand snaked around her back and with my gaze, I silently asked for permission. She looked up at me, not getting the message. I leaned down, pausing with our lips a hairs’ breadth apart. “May I?”

I could see the hesitation in her face. But after what felt like an eternity, I felt her exhale and she closed the gap. That was permission enough for me. I pulled her against my body and breathed her in. She stiffened at first, but then relaxed into my embrace. My heart began pounding in my chest in a way I’d never felt before.

When we pulled apart, the room erupted into cheers. “I present to you all for the first time, Mr. and Mrs. Voss!”

And just like that, we’d actually done it. Viv and I were husband and wife, legal and binding. “Sorry for this,” I whispered, and scooped her up into my arms to carry her out of the ballroom. Her arms wrapped instinctively around my neck and when I glanced down, I saw her lips had hardened into a straight line. But amidst whooping, I carried her all the way into the hallway and kicked the doorstop on my way out. The large, heavy door swung shut and left us blissfully alone. 

“That went well.” I carefully set her back on her feet and retreated a couple of steps, half expecting her to deck me for the liberties I’d taken.

Her tiny frame indeed vibrated with fury. “I’m perfectly capable of walking!” She stomped her foot and I couldn’t help but chuckle. “Don’t you dare laugh at me, Dominic Voss! It’s important that people think we’re madly in love today, so you can get away with touching me until the reception is over. But after that, you touch me and I punch you.” 

She turned on her heels and marched up the hallway toward the changing room. I watched her go, a smile playing with the corners of my lips. In that moment, I had a realization. 

This might be fun.

There was a spring in my step as I hurried after her, catching up just before she disappeared into the room where she could lock me out. My hand dashed out and caught it, and I shot her a grin before shouting, “Everyone out! Give my lovely bride and me a few minutes to ourselves before the photos!”

The team of stylists jumped up from their chairs and filed past me, waggling their eyebrows suggestively. “Don’t worry, I won’t ruin everyone’s hard work quite yet. But only because I don’t want to put my lovely wife through another session of primping and polishing before lunch.” 

Once the last person had left the room, I locked the door behind them and turned to Viv. “We have about fifteen minutes before the photographer expects us. I thought you might like a few minutes to relax without anyone breathing down your neck.” 

I loosened my tie slightly and filled a cup from a water dispenser in the corner. Oranges, lemons, and slightly smashed berries floated inside the ornate jar and made the water fragrant. “You did an amazing job, Viv. Here.” I handed her the cup and watched as she gulped the water down. “Do you need something to eat?”

She shook her head and I took a seat, grateful for a moment of peace. I knew the rest of the day would be a flurry of responsibilities and people to act for. Weddings were exhausting. 

“You better pay me overtime for this.” Viv leaned against the counter and set her cup down. “Plus bonuses for the unnecessarily long kiss and letting you carry me out of there like an infant.” 

“An affection tax? Now that’s just unfair. That usually comes as part of the base package.” 

“Base package? Dominic Voss, you’ve barely got a bootlegged demo disc. It only has the basic features and bricks at midnight on the last day of the month.”

I began to laugh, earning myself an even more heated glare. “I didn’t realize you were a bit of a nerd, Viv. I’ll count that as the first thing I’ve learned about my new wife.” I gave her a wink and looked at my watch. Our time was up, and we needed to get back out to the crowd before they started thinking we’d run away.