Page 68 of Bound Lies

“There’s no point in delaying the inevitable.”

I glance between the blaring neon lights of the chapel, Elvis, and Kieran’s annoyingly gorgeous face.

A spontaneous Vegas wedding was always something I imagined doing on a dare, not under fake names with the guy who kissed me senseless and then emotionally flatlined less than a second later, but here we are. It seems nothing about my life is going to plan, so I might as well just roll with it.

“Fine. Let’s do it.”

The chapel is even tackier than I imagined, and I have to cover my mouth with my hand to stifle my laughter as I take in the red velvet carpet and the flower arch at the end of the aisle made out of plastic roses.

“They really spared no expense,” Kieran mutters under his breath, and my eyes start to water as I try not to laugh.

We hand over the fake IDs Kieran arranged for this very moment, and just like that, I find myself standing in front of Elvis about to commit to spending the rest of my life with Kieran Sullivan.

If it weren’t for the ungodly amount of champagne I consumed over dinner, I’m pretty sure my entire body would be shaking with nerves.

“Breathe,” Kieran mouths before plastering an easy smile on his face.

He looks completely relaxed and unfazed as Elvis launches into the vows with the enthusiasm of a man who’s done this a thousand times before.

Kieran plays along flawlessly, repeating the vows with such sincerity that I almost forget that he’s only playing a part.

I’m the one who almost fumbles the words, my mouth going dry halfway through as I repeat the vows after Elvis.

This isn’t real.

But as I look into Kieran’s eyes, it feels real, and that terrifies me.

“By the power vested in me by the state of Nevada and the spirit of Rock 'n' Roll,” Elvis declares. “I now pronounce you husband and wife!”

Kieran takes a deep breath, and then he’s bending down and pressing his lips against mine. Even though I figured this would happen, it still takes me by surprise, and my entire body freezes as he kisses me.

“You’re on camera,” he murmurs against my mouth.

I throw my arms around Kieran’s neck and part my lips, allowing him to deepen the kiss.

His arm snakes around my waist as his hand finds the back of my neck, and my body immediately melts against him as his tongue brushes against mine.

It takes everything I have not to moan.

He tastes of champagne and chocolate from our dessert, and it’s intoxicating.

The tacky chapel and Elvis impersonator seem to disappear around us. All I can focus on is the feeling of his hard body pressed against mine. Of how much I want to tear open his shirt and run my hands all over his skin as his mouth devours mine.

But then it’s over, and Kieran pulls away, leaving me practically gasping for air and desperate for more.

My hands rest on his chest, and it takes me a moment to catch my breath.

“Congratulations!” Elvis’s voice sends my reality crashing down around me.

I’m in a daze as Kieran leads us back outside onto the Strip.

The air feels cooler somehow, and I take a breath as if trying to ground myself back in reality. But that’s hard to do when my lips still tingle from the kiss we just shared.

“The entire thing was recorded, just in case anyone questions the legality of the marriage,” Kieran explains.

“Right…”

This was evidence, nothing more.