Applause erupted, and I couldn’t help but smile. Trent guided me onto the dance floor as the first notes of our chosen song began to play. He pulled me into his arms, and we swayed to the music.
“How does it feel knowing you crossed off every item on my human bucket list?” I asked, my tone quiet.
“Oh, we’re not done with that yet,” he said.
I raised a brow and wracked my brain trying to figure out what we hadn’t done yet, but I knew we’d done everything on my list. “Yes we are,” I said.
“I added a couple of things,” he said, his eyes sparkling with mischief.
I laughed. “What stuff?”
Tugging me closer, he pressed his cheek to mine, his lips near my ear. “Making you a mom,” he whispered. His palm flattened against my back, the gesture naturally drawing me closer to his body.
My breath hitched, and my face heated. Yeah, that was definitely something that needed to be done before I became a vampire.
I eased back just enough to look into his eyes, and the intensity of his stare had my knees weakening. “What else?” I asked.
“That’s a surprise.” He smiled in that way that made my heart race.
“I hate surprises,” I said automatically.
“Not mine,” he responded, and all I could do was shake my head, a faint smile curling my lips. He spun me around, and then I was right back in his arms. “Seriously, Chloe, this dress… You’re absolutely stunning.”
“Thank you,” I said, his compliment warming me.
“When I saw you walking down the aisle toward me…” He groaned.
“I felt like I couldn’t walk fast enough,” I said.
He lowered his mouth to mine, and despite the “oohs” and “aahs” of everyone watching us, the noise faded away until it was just me and Trent. My eyes fluttered closed, and we both stopped moving save for our lips working in perfect harmony.
The music ended, but we didn’t stop. Trent moved his hands to my face, and he deepened the kiss, his low, throaty moan reverberating through me. I responded with a sigh, which only encouraged him more.
The DJ cleared his throat. “How about we save the rest of that for the honeymoon?”
Laughter rang out around us. Trent smiled against my lips, his thumbs caressing my cheeks, which I imagined were now red with embarrassment.
“I love you so much,” he whispered, his voice raw with emotion.
“I love you more,” I said.
“Not possible.” He winked.
Taking his hand, I reluctantly turned to face our guests, but I kept my gaze on Whitney, who was grinning like an idiot. But watching her was easier than looking at my parents. I could only imagine what they thought of our little display just now.
We took our seats at the head table, and the next two hours were a blur of congratulations, dancing, and more pictures. But the wedding reception was now officially in full swing, and based on the continuous laughter filtering around the canopy, everyone was having a good time.
The food had been divine, the DJ was incredible, and no one had said anything to me about the fact I was drinking champagne despite being underage.
I sat, watching with a smile, at my friends and family dancing and singing along—very poorly—to the music. I’d danced so much already that I insisted on taking a break, just for a few minutes.
I took a sip of ice water, letting the cool liquid soothe my throat, which was raw from a combination of crying and then laughing so much. My gaze sought out Trent. He was dancing with Aunt Beth, and she had a huge smile on her face.
It was impossible not to stare at Trent. He was downright sexy in that tuxedo, and the smile that hadn’t left his face since we’d said our vows was pretty incredible, too. Not to mention the way his eyes were ocean blue, except for when he looked at me. Then they darkened with unspoken promises of our wedding night. My heart raced just thinking about that.
“May I?”
The sound of Jax’s voice startled me from my thoughts. He held out his hand, nodding subtly toward the dance floor.
I stood and tentatively took his hand, bracing myself for any sort of unwanted emotions to hit me, but none came. He escorted me onto the dance floor and spun me into his arms. I laughed, slightly giddy from the champagne, and fell into an easy rhythm. I’d been passed around the dance floor since the reception began, but I hadn’t yet had the chance to dance with Jax. Until now.
“You look beautiful,” he said, his tone sincere.
“Thanks. You don’t look so bad yourself,” I said.
Jax laughed. “Your friend Gina can’t seem to keep her eyes off me,” he said, twirling us around and inclining his head in her direction.
“That’s because you kissed her senseless once,” I said, devoid of any humor. “She’s totally obsessed.”
He laughed again. “I should let her down gently.”
“You’re not interested?” I asked carefully.
“No,” he said.
I waited for him to say more, or to make a comment about how he still wanted me, but thankfully, he didn’t.
“You’re glowing,” he said. “So is Trent. I’ve never seen him so bright before. Then again, he’s never been this happy.”
I smiled, unsure what to say next.
“I really am happy for you two,” he said, his gaze holding me captive. “Listening to your vows and watching you together all evening… You’re good for him, Chloe. I didn’t realize it before, but I do now. He needs you.”
Tears pooled in my eyes. “Please don’t make me cry,” I said, knowing full well there was nothing I could do to stop it.
“You’re probably not going to want to listen to my best man speech, then.”
“Jax,” I groaned.
“I’m kidding,” he said and then pulled me a little closer.
From the corner of my eye, I caught Trent watching us. His expression was a mixture of understanding, unease, and confusion. At least he didn’t look mad or upset.
The song ended, and Jax kissed my cheek. “Thanks for
