Page 33 of Vegas Love (Love 1)
I take her hand in mine. "I wondered when you were going to notice."
"I thought we were supposed to be going to a hotel. The one you wouldn't tell me about because it was a surprise."
"Well, Mrs. Sexy Crawford," I say and she starts giggling. "You'll have to wait and see."
"Are we going to your brother's house?"
I keep my mouth shut, even though I'm dying to tell her, and just shake my head as we drive past the entrance to his place.
A couple miles later, I turn right and pull up to a gated entrance where a guard waves us through. "Are we going to a party or something? But, Cash, we planned it all out," she pouts.
I wind up into the hills overlooking Malibu, pull through another gated entrance, go down a long drive, and then the tile-roofed stucco home comes into view.
"Wow, what a beautiful house," she says as I pull to a stop in front of it. "Why are we here? Whose house is this?"
I shut off the car, go around to her side, open the door, and help her out. She looks confused and slightly irritated about our change of plans, which is cute. It means she has no freaking idea what I'm about to tell her.
Which is practically a miracle with all the back and forth texts and calls I've had with my family about it.
"But I thought we were going to a hotel?" she says. "This house is lit up like a freaking Christmas tree. Why are we here?"
"Just making a quick stop."
I take ahold of her hand and lead her up the terra-cotta steps of the home's grand entrance.
"Those might be the biggest wooden doors I have ever seen," she says. "They're amazing. Whoever lives here is very lucky. The whole place looks gorgeous."
"Why don't you ring the doorbell," I say, not able to hide my grin. So far, her reaction is everything I had hoped for.
"Why are you grinning?" she asks as she presses the doorbell. "Is this some sort of a surprise thing? Are people going to jump out at me?"
"Hmmm. Weird. The lights are on but no one's home," I say, pushing the door open and revealing the two-story entry. "Sweet, it's not locked. Let's go in."
"What? We can't just go in!"
"Why not?" I quickly sweep her off her feet and carry her over the threshold, setting her down under the massive iron chandelier.
"Cash! Whose house is this?"
"Don't worry about it. No one's home. Let's just take a peek," I say, leading her though the house as she gushes, her head on a swivel.
"Look at the intricacy of the beamed ceilings and the iron stair railings." She leans around me, looking out the great room windows. "And, ohmigawd, what an amazing view this home has!"
"I thought you said we shouldn't be here?" I tease, taking her hand in mine as she gazes out at the soft pink and orange clouds scattered above the ocean. "You enjoy the view. I'll be right back." I step into the kitchen and open the large stainless steel wine refrigerator then go back outside and hold a bottle of champagne out toward her. "Look! I scored!"
"Cash, what are you doing? Put that back! We have to get out of here."
"Calm down. I know the owner."
"You do? Ohmigawd. This is exactly the kind of house I want! Do you think they would sell it? We should at least find out who their designer is. Is this a private home or did you rent it out for the night?"
"We'll be spending the night here. I thought it would be quieter than a hotel. Come help me find some champagne flutes." I give her a smirk. "Unless you wanna drink straight from the bottle, like we did on the night we first met."
"If you know the owner and it's okay that we're here, I'm going to let you find the flutes, while I look around. This house is amazing."
"I thought you would like it," I tell her as I follow her out on the terrace, popping the champagne bottle and handing it to her. "Drink, Hotass."
She gives me a kiss then takes a drink. "I'm in love."
"You better be, since you're officially my wife now."
"I mean with this house." She looks out over the property. "Look at this view, that pool, and over there," she points, "is a fire pit. And there's a spa."
"And enough privacy that you could swim naked all the time." I slide my hand down her backside and give her ass a little spank. "Speaking of that, we should get this honeymoon started."
"Um, can I see the rest of the house first? Just a real quick tour?"
"You mean you're turning down wedding sex with me to look at a house?"
"I'm not turning down sex. I think for safety reasons, I should be aware of my surroundings. You know, in case there was a fire or something. Then we can commence with the wedding sex."
"Fine," I pretend pout. "I'll give you the grand tour first. Then I'm going to do what I've wanted to do since you walked down that aisle--strip off your clothes and fuck you silly."
"I'm cool with that," she grins, pulling me up the stairs, oohing and ahhing at every turn.
When we're back in the great room, she says, "Cash, I want to buy this house. Can you call the owners? Do you think they'd sell it?"
"I don't think so. The owner loves this house. Besides, Hotass, this isn't the time for house shopping. This is our wedding night." I pull her close and kiss her neck.
She looks at me with so much emotion that I feel bad for teasing her. "But--you don't understand. I have to have this house. I can't leave for Greece until I buy it. It has every single thing I want. Privacy. Land. It's big enough for a family."
"We looked at a lot of houses that had privacy and land. What makes this one different?"
"Do you not feel it too? Is it just me? This house feels like home. Everything about it is perfect down to the furnishings. It's like someone picked them out just for me. For us. The mix of antiques and new pieces combined with the soft, rich colors are so perfect for the space."
I can't keep it in any longer. "My family will be glad to hear you say that."
"Your family? What do you mean?"
"My mom worked with her designer to furnish the space. It's our wedding gift from them."
"But why would they furnish someone else's house?" she asks, squinting her eyes. "And why do you keep grinning?"
"They furnished it because it's our home."
Her eyes get huge, then fill with tears. "Ours? But how?"
/> "It came on the market the day you signed the contracts for your new movies. The second I stepped in the front door, I knew it was everything you wanted. It felt like home, so I made an offer on the spot. It's my wedding gift to you."
"But I broke up with you right after that."
"I still bought it, Ashlyn. I wasn't giving up on us."
She buries her face in my chest and hugs me tighter than she ever has before. "I love it. Now, I don't know if I want to go to Greece. I want to stay here forever."
"Oh, we're going to Greece, but when we come back, we'll be coming home." I lead her into our master suite. She didn't notice it the first time I showed her, but this time she's drawn to the bedside table.
"It's your seashell!" she says. "The one like me."
"That's my addition to the mix. And this." I hand her a picture frame, causing her to burst out laughing.
"Ohmigawd, this is hilarious! This is from our first wedding! I remember when you threw me over your shoulder."
"Most of your head is cut off--I guess that's what happens when you have drunk people as your photographers--but what I love about this photo is your beaming smile. And look at that hot ass, there on full display. It's no wonder I look so happy."
She sets the picture down, wraps her arms around me, and pulls me onto our bed. "I can't believe you and your family did all of this. I love you," she says.
"I did it because I don't just love you, Hotass," I murmur in her ear as I'm unzipping her dress. "I Vegas love you."
The End
Books by Jillian
The USA TODAY bestselling series,
The Keatyn Chronicles(r)
Stalk Me
Kiss Me
Date Me
Love Me
Adore Me
Hate Me
Get Me
Fame
Power
Money
Sex
Love
That Boy Series
That Boy
That Wedding
That Baby
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Jillian Dodd is the USA TODAY bestselling author of The Keatyn Chronicles series and the That Boy Trilogy.
She grew up in Nebraska, where she developed a love for storytelling, Husker football, and Midwestern boys.
