Page 96 of #Starstruck

My mother walked me down the aisle, and just before we started, she hugged me tightly. “I am so proud of you. You look so beautiful.”

And I thought I felt beautiful until Chase turned and saw me, and the expression in his eyes was one I’ll never forget. He looked at me like I was a goddess, one he worshipped and adored. The ceremony was short and traditional, and the minister told Chase to kiss his bride.

“Why do the bride and groom kiss at the end?” Chase whispered, with everyone watching us.

He wanted to know this now? “Because Romans used to seal all their contracts with a kiss,” I whispered back, my eyes flicking toward our guests.

“I love it when you talk nerdy to me,” he said, finally doing as he was told. He dipped me back and kissed me soundly.

We were officially husband and wife.

I thought Zoe Covington had a rather nice ring to it.

We danced and ate and laughed with all the people we cared about (which included a huge number of celebrities I can’t mention by name because of nondisclosure agreements). And everywhere I went, I felt my husband’s gaze on me.

Lexi twirled me around in a circle as we danced to an old Spice Girls song. “Could you ever have imagined when we were twelve years old that someday you’d be Chase Covington’s wife?”

No, I couldn’t have. I looked up to see him dancing with Zelda, who stood on his shoes as he turned her in a circle. Every time I thought I couldn’t possibly love him more, he did something to prove me wrong. The reality of being his wife was so much better than I could have ever dreamed up.

We cut our cake, which was not gray but a beautiful traditional white buttercream with pink edible tulips. I had warned him a bunch of times not to shove it in my face. Smart man that he was, he listened. Then it came time to throw the bouquet, and to my satisfaction, Lexi caught it.

Which worked out well, considering Gavin planned on proposing to her after the reception with the ring I’d helped him pick out.

Then my new husband hinted that it was time to go, and we made the rounds to say goodbye. One of his classic Porsches was parked out front, and we were showered with pink tulip petals as he picked me up and carried me out to the car.

“You’re not supposed to carry me yet,” I said, unable to contain my laughter.

“We were already in the threshold, so I figured carrying you in this direction works, too.”

Chase had a director friend who owned a private island in the Bahamas, and now that I owned a passport, we were going to spend our honeymoon there. But tonight we were checking in to the Viceroy L’Ermitage in Beverly Hills. It was gorgeous, had views of the Hollywood Hills, and best of all, a private entrance for celebrities so no one would even know we were there.

“Let’s go upstairs and slip into something a little more married,” my husband said. He nuzzled my neck as the bellhops grabbed our luggage.

The suite was amazing, and I had only a second to take in the expensive furniture, the dark grays and white onyx marble, before Chase picked me up again and carried me into the bedroom.

“Are you nervous?” he asked as he set me down, turned me around, and pulled me flush against him, my back to his front.

“A little,” I admitted. “But I’m glad I waited.”

He kissed my neck where it met my shoulder, making shivers dance along my skin. “I’m glad the waiting is over.”

I felt his fingers run along the hundred tiny pearl buttons that fastened my wedding dress. He went to the top button and unhooked it. I heard him let out a sound of frustration. “How much did this cost?”

“Like ten thousand—” I didn’t even get to finish my sentence before Chase ripped the buttons apart.

“I can’t believe you just did that!” I protested, laughing. “I think that was handmade silk lace. Vera Wang is going to punch you in the face the next time she sees you.”

“It’s not like you’re going to wear it again. I’ll buy you a dozen more,” he promised as he undid the last few buttons.

“What am I going to do with twelve wedding dresses?”

“Don’t know, don’t care. But I have been waiting to rip your clothes off for months.”

Then he was placing a trail of warm kisses down the top of my exposed spine that made me slump against him and my eyelids flutter shut. “Wait,” I said, out of breath. “I have something I want to change into first.”

“Really?” That got his attention. “I guess I can wait a few more minutes.”

I grabbed the bag from my purse. Just before I went into the bathroom, Chase said, “Just a second. I have something for you.”

---