Chapter 29 Shep
SHEP
“WE’RE FUCKING INSANE, you know that?” Theo laughed as we stepped off the private jet and onto the tarmac at Henderson Executive Airport a handful of hours after he’d asked me the biggest, most life-changing question anyone ever had.
I still couldn’t quite believe the way the words had so easily rolled off his tongue, or the way I’d known instantly what my answer was, without even thinking it through.
I didn’t need to. The moment I chose Theo, I’d known it wasn’t an off-the-cuff choice I’d question later.
When I chose him, it was permanent, in my heart and in my mind, and my answer had come as easily as the smooth flight from New York to Nevada.
Yes. A million times, yes.
The little we’d brought was shoved into the carry-on bag I had over my shoulder, because what else did we need besides each other?
God, if our brothers were here, they’d be gagging. I was turning into one of those sappy romantics, wasn’t I? Or maybe I’d always been that way, and finding my person had brought that out in me.
I looked at Theo, his dark hair blowing over his forehead, his eyes shining, and reached over to thread my fingers through his. That gorgeous smile was contagious, mirroring my own.
“Insane or just finally making good decisions?” I said to answer his question.
“Both. Definitely.”
As our chauffeured car pulled to a stop in front of us, I tugged Theo into my side and looked out at our destination. It was a crystal-clear night and the bright lights of Vegas were more of a glow in the distance, a promise of our future ahead.
“I like that.”
“That we’re insane?”
Theo grinned as he slid into the back seat and I followed. “That I make you a little crazy.”
I chuckled and pulled him to my side. “You definitely do that.”
He let out a sigh and settled into the crook of my arm, then looked up at me, all the love he was feeling shining out of his gorgeous eyes.
“God, I love you,” I said.
“Snuck up on you, didn’t it?”
“Sure did.” I brushed my thumb over his cheek. “Best surprise ever.”
Theo slipped his hand over my heart and purred. “Mine.”
I definitely was. My heart, my mind, and my soul—it all belonged to him now. That had never been more apparent than when he’d whispered those three magic words, “Marry me instead.”
I stared down into Theo’s handsome face as he lay beneath me, more vulnerable than ever, his heart in his eyes as he waited for my response, and everything I’d ever thought about love, soul mates, and happily-ever-afters appeared right before me.
It was Theo. It always had been. My forever had been right in front of me all this time—I’d just been looking in the wrong direction.
“Yes,” I said without hesitation, without an ounce of doubt. I wasn’t one to speak before thinking things through, without weighing all the pros and cons and possible obstacles.
But this? Easiest yes I’d ever given.
Theo gave me a heart-stopping smile, though truthfully, my heart had stopped when he asked me to marry him. “Really?”
“Yes, really.”
He bolted up, reached for the back of my neck, and stole my lips in a kiss that sent sparks shooting through my entire body. It was almost like I’d taken him by surprise, like he hadn’t expected me to take him seriously.
His mouth left mine, only for him to kiss his way down my jaw to my ear. “You ready now?”
I choked out a laugh. “Now?”
“Why not? We could hop a flight to Vegas…”
A thrill shot through me, but he was just joking. Right? “Be serious,” I said.
“I am serious.” He pulled back to look me in the eyes, and there wasn’t a trace of humor in them. “Marry me, Shep. Marry me tonight.”
WE HEADED STRAIGHT from the airport to the Clark County Marriage License Bureau, which, not surprisingly, had a line of couples when we got there close to midnight. Where else could you go to get married at any time of night or day?
“Identification, please,” the woman at the desk said when we made our way to the front of the line.
Theo handed over his passport and my driver’s license, and the woman frowned as she looked them over.
“Do you need my passport instead?” I asked, reaching into my back pocket where I’d brought it just in case, but she shook her head.
“No. You just have the same name as—” Her words cut off when she glanced back up and got a good look at my face. Then she did a double take at the ID and me again, and her mouth parted.
“We’d appreciate your keeping this quiet,” Theo said, slipping the woman a few large bills across the counter.
But that drew her attention to him, and her jaw practically unhinged.
“Oh my God,” she said, grinning widely and trying to keep her voice at a whisper, but her enthusiasm made it hard.
She pushed her chair back suddenly and got to her feet, and then she did a kind of cross between a bow and a curtsy to Theo, like she didn’t know which one she was supposed to do in the presence of a royal.
“Thank you, but there’s no need for that,” he said, reaching for her hand and clasping it with both of his while I glanced over my shoulder to make sure the couples behind us were so focused on each other that they weren’t watching the spectacle.
No such luck. The two directly behind us were watching with wide eyes, and I knew they were seconds away from busting our their phones to record what was happening.
So much for keeping things quiet. But even that wasn’t going to ruin our night. Everyone was going to find out anyway, and I’d found somewhere a little more private for our actual vows.
God. Vows. We were really going to do this.
“I just saw you on the news this week, and I had no idea you were a couple,” the woman said as she settled back into her chair and pulled up the online forms we’d filled out on the plane. “Now you’re getting married? I can’t believe it.”
“Well, if I don’t tie Shep to me now, someone might try to steal him away,” Theo said, his charming smile on display as he wrapped an arm around my waist and pulled me in close.
A soft squeal escaped her, and I could hear the surprised rumbling of voices behind us.
“I’ll get this ready for you now,” she said. “I just need to confirm a few details. Your full name is Prince Theodore Rinaldi?”
“Just Theodore Rinaldi,” he said before shooting her a wink. “Though I’ll also go by Shep’s Sexy-As-Fuck Future Husband if you want to put that down.”
“That might be a little long,” I pointed out.
“Only for you. Shepard O’Neil Winchester the third, Theo’s Sexy-As-Fuck Future Husband, is kind of a mouthful.”
“Okay, let’s debate that later. For now we’ll stick with our given names, thank you.”
“Of course. Let me get that printed out for you.” The last thing we needed was a crowd gathering. She grinned at the two of us, my tone clearly prompting her to hurry things along.
Seconds later, with the marriage license in hand, Theo and I were exiting the bureau with one thing on our minds—securing our happily-ever-after.
THE LIGHTS OF Vegas twinkled outside the car window as we headed toward our next destination, my contribution to tonight’s whirlwind of activities.
I still wasn’t fully convinced we hadn’t both been abducted by aliens to be doing something so insane.
But as I looked at the man sitting beside me, the reality of the moment settled, comforting a part of my soul that had always been a little restless and deeply alone.
Theo made my world a happier place. A far more chaotic one, but a happy kind of chaos. The type that kept me on my toes, wondering what he would do next to make me fall even more in love with him.
He was impulsive and passionate, and tonight I would make him mine. Something I couldn’t wait to show to the rest of the world when we walked out of—
“The Chapel of Flowers?” Theo said as the car drew to a stop outside of a white chapel lit up with a warm glow.
“Hey now, this was all very last minute. You’re the one who suggested Vegas.”
Theo chuckled and reached for my hand, bringing it to his lips. “I’m not complaining. I’m actually pleasantly surprised Elvis hasn’t come out to greet us.”
A wide smile crossed my lips, and Theo’s eyes widened.
“He’s not going to, is he?”
“No, no.” I laughed and pushed open the door to climb out. “No one is going to be singing ‘Love Me Tender’ tonight.”
“Are you sure? Because your smile looks…devious.”
“That’s rich coming from you. But yes, I’m sure,” I said, and held my hand out to him. “Trust me.”
Theo slipped his fingers into mine and climbed out. I pulled him into my arms and pressed a hard kiss to his lips.
“I love you.”
“Then prove it. Marry me,” he said.
“Right here. Right now.” I tugged him toward the front door. Just as I was about to pull it open, a middle-aged man in a tuxedo stepped out, his bright smile aimed in our direction.
“Good evening, gentlemen. I trust your flight went smoothly, as well as your trip to the licensing bureau?”
“It did, yes. Thank you. You must be Wilson?”
“That’s right, and you are Mr. O’Neil Winchester?”
Theo chuckled, more than aware that everyone in the country knew who I was, especially if they were expecting me to arrive.
“That’s right. I hope we aren’t putting you out too—”
“Not at all,” Wilson interrupted. But the pure happiness radiating off the man told me that he had no problem with shutting his venue down for us tonight. My hefty offer to book out the place would more than make up for any lost revenue he might incur.
“We appreciate that. The pictures I saw online of the Glass Gardens chapel were beautiful.” Especially since this was a last minute, spur-of-the-moment, where-the-hell-can-we-even-do-this kind of venue.
“Oh, just wait until you see it in person. Are you ready to head straight inside, or would you like a private room to maybe reflect—”
“We’re ready,” Theo said, squeezing my hand, and I nodded.
“Perfect. We’ve got a selection of songs for you to choose from for the ceremony if you’d like?”
I arched a brow at Theo, who shrugged.
“I’m good with anything,” he said.