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“You know I can’t tell you anything,” he replied. “Not until we get married.”

She dug her fingers into her hair and ran them through, closing her eyes. “I can’t take it. There’s too much pressure.”

Cullen didn’t speak for a long time. And then he sighed deeply. “Ivy,” he said, his voice strangely quiet.

She opened her eyes and saw him standing there, watching her. There was barely concealed emotion etched on his face.

“I’m sorry that I’m not stronger,” she told him.

“I’m going to tell you something,” Cullen said, and then he seemed to realize where he was, and he grabbed her by the hand and pulled her towards the bathroom.

“What are you doing?” she said.

“I don’t know if this room is bugged,” he replied, and then he took her into the large bathroom and turned on the shower and the sink, allowing the water to run.

As the water ran, he held his hands on Ivy’s waist and leaned in to whisper in her ear. “I’m taking a big chance by telling you this before we’re married,” he said.

She nodded. “I understand.”

“No, you don’t. But maybe you will,” he continued, his breath hot on her ear, his lips touching her skin at times as he spoke.

“I’m listening,” she said.

“I’m protecting my father,” Cullen said. “My history with him is long and extremely complicated. But he’s still my father and I owe him a debt of loyalty. I won’t turn him into the authorities. I won’t reveal his whereabouts to the FBI or the CIA or anyone else who wants to harm him.”

“But why are they after him in the first place?” she said.

Cullen stopped talking and looked around, as if someone might actually be in the bathroom with them. Then he put his lips to her ear again and his breath chilled her with heat. The chill ran up and down her spine.

“My father deals in secrets,” he said, his voice lowering.

His father deals in secrets. Kind of like his son
, she thought, but stayed quiet.

Cullen continued. “My father is not an evil man and he hasn’t hurt our country. But not everyone sees it that way.”

Ivy pulled back and looked him in the eyes. “Clearly not,” she said. “And your opinion’s not as important as what the FBI thinks.”

Cullen grinned slightly. “Maybe not.”

She sighed. “You still haven’t told me very much about what he’s actually accused of doing.”

“Even admitting that I know why they’re after me could come back and bite me in the ass.”

Ivy nodded, chewing on her lower lip.

So much was still unknown. There were questions about his father, questions about Cullen’s character and even questions about what he’d done as a surgeon.

Cullen Sharpe had a lot of haters for someone who was innocent. But then again, Cullen had never claimed to be completely innocent.

There would never be enough answers for all of her questions. She felt lost and frightened at the enormity of the decision before her.

And then she looked into his liquid eyes and couldn’t help but smile. “I still want to marry you,” she said. “I love my dress and if we don’t get married, I’ll miss my chance to wear it.”

Cullen laughed and she could tell that he was truly happy with her response. Maybe he was even relieved.

“No time like the present, then,” he said.

***

The wedding ceremony took place on a pristine lake, on a beautiful gondola. Ivy couldn’t believe that, once again, Cullen had somehow managed to pull off something that should’ve taken months to organize.

The ceremony was short and sweet, and it was just the two of them, the minister and two witnesses that had been brought along to make the ceremony totally legal.

As they stood in the floating gondola, turned towards one another, the minister ran through his routine.

It was all so surreal that Ivy could hardly keep track of what was happening. It was as if her mind was always two steps behind what her body was doing.

And then, suddenly, the moment of truth had arrived, forcing her into the present as if she’d had a bucket of ice water dumped over her head.

“Do you take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband?” the minister asked.

Ivy swallowed. Here it was.

There was no getting around it. An answer had to be supplied.

She stared into Cullen’s blue eyes and wondered what he was thinking. And then he gave her a kind smile, and she saw that his eyes were a little watery.

Why I do believe, he’s actually feeling emotional
, she marveled. This realization kicked her voice into gear.

“I do,” she answered, her heart leaping in her chest.

And then the minister read the vows for the husband, and asked Cullen the question. “Do you take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife?”

Cullen didn’t hesitate. “I certainly do,” he replied, looking at Ivy again with a smile. His blue eyes shimmered and she grinned back at him.

After that, came the pronouncement of their union, and the kiss.

Oh my, his kiss. Kiss me forever like this, Cullen,
she wished
.

His lips never disappointed, and this occasion was no exception. As his strong arms wrapped around her and she felt the gondola rise and fall with the tiny waves, Ivy swooned.

She genuinely swooned.

After that, she was just stunned, reeling from the fact that it had actually happened.

I’m a married woman now. And the whole thing has been such a whirlwind.

That was the word that best described the last few hours.

Whirlwind.

Ivy looked down at her finger and saw the engagement ring and wedding band, and realized that she’d actually done it.

“I’m married,” she said aloud, and Cullen laughed as the minister chuckled too.

“That you are, young lady,” the minister said.

Wind blew her hair and the clouds moved quickly across the sky overhead.

The gondola drifted in the crystal clear water of Lake Las Vegas, and the minister and two witnesses congregated towards the front of the boat to give Ivy and Cullen their privacy at the back.

Cullen sat down and held hands with Ivy, just the two of them, and as the wind blew against her face, Ivy thought she’d never felt happier and freer in her entire life.

This was meant to be
, she decided.

Cullen looked dashing and gorgeous in his tuxedo, and Ivy loved her dress just as much as she’d thought she would.

Looking out at the water, Cullen took a deep breath and let it out. His shoulders seemed to loosen and he grinned. Something in his face seemed lighter, easier.

“You’ve made me very happy today,” he told her, and there was a surprising amount of emotion in his voice.

Ivy flashed back to the way he’d gazed into her eyes during the ceremony. It had been brief and simple, but she wouldn’t have changed anything for the world.

Cullen Sharpe was the man she wanted to spend her life with. She wanted to learn his secrets, his intricacies, and love him despite his flaws.

He was like a beautiful series of tunnels and caves with pools of still water and glowing beauty that could be explored for years upon years. But the water was deep and there were extremely dark places where you could get lost and drown.

It would take a lifetime to learn all of his what he held inside, and Ivy knew that.

She accepted this about Cullen, despite the fear and danger that came with the territory.

But does he feel the same about me?

Ivy didn’t know for sure. Sometimes, like during the wedding ceremony, she’d felt certain that he did love her. But other times, when he retreated, or when she thought about the things people accused him of—Ivy was less sure.

Perhaps this was all manipulation, tactics, games to win at whatever war Cullen was fighting.

Much of it was beyond her.

“You’re thinking too much,” Cullen said, as the wind whipped his dark hair across his forehead.

Ivy laughed. “I’m trying to use my brain less, thanks.”

“Good idea,” he said. “Today is for living.” He caressed her cheek and then leaned in for another kiss.

When his lips met hers, she knew she was a believer.

And as the gondola ride came to a close, they were met at the banks of the lake by their limousine, and then taken to the Icarus Casino.

It was yet another flurry of activity when they got to the casino, as they were met by large black man in a suit named Dennis Charles. Dennis said he was the Senior Executive Host at the casino, and he and Cullen clearly knew one another from previous occasions.

Dennis led them to what was called a high roller suite, where there were private gaming tables and some dealers there to accommodate them.

Employees of the casino served Ivy and Cullen champagne and were at their beck and call, while Cullen and Ivy sat down at the blackjack table.

“Have you ever played?” he asked her, giving her a mischievous sidelong glance.

“I mean, not really,” she said, feeling nervous.

Cullen grinned. “Then this is a great way to learn,” he said, turning to the host. “Is my marker ready?” he asked.

The host nodded and produced a slip of paper. “Just need your signature, Mr. Sharpe.”

Cullen signed the paper and then the host called out to the dealer. “Changing one hundred thousand,” he said.

Ivy tried not to let the shock register on her face, but the female dealer noticed and suppressed a grin.

“Did I just hear that right?” Ivy whispered.

Cullen chuckled. “We play five hundred dollars a hand minimum,” he said, as the dealer counted out stacks of chips and slid them towards Cullen, then held her hands up and turned to the host.

“Deal,” the host nodded, and then stepped back with his hands behind him, watching now. His eyes were unblinking and cautious.

Ivy picked up her champagne glass and drank, but her hand was shaking.

Meanwhile Cullen pushed out a stack of chips to the small betting circle, before turning to her. “Now you put up your bet,” he said.

“I’ll just watch you,” Ivy told him.

His gaze darkened. “That would be a very poor decision,” he said softly.

Her stomach fluttered, but she cut out a few chips and pushed them into her own betting circle. The stack she’d put out was half of the height that Cullen had bet.

The dealer quickly dealt their cards. Cullen helped walk her through the rules of the game, helping her decide when to hit or stay, when to split, double down. All of the rules and strategies buzzed in her head as she continued to drink champagne and the dollar amounts staggered her.

In a short amount of time, their stack of chips dwindled down to almost nothing, and Cullen was only too happy to sign another marker for another hundred thousand dollars.

He didn’t seem upset at losing so much money in such a short time.

Is this our money we’re losing? Or is it still just his?

Wouldn’t it be ironic if I became rich, only to be broke the next day because me and my husband gambled his fortune away at blackjack on our marriage night?

But soon after starting on the new stacks of chips, both Cullen and Ivy began winning hand after hand.

By the time Cullen decided he’d had enough playing, they’d won back all their earlier losses.

“How much did we make?” she asked him softly as he tipped the dealer a thousand dollars and then told the host to cash him out.

“Not much,” Cullen shrugged. “About seventy-five thousand, I think.”

She stared at him, aghast. “That’s a lot of money where I come from.”

He smiled. “Things change.”

And then they went next door to dinner at the prestigious, award winning casino restaurant where they were treated like royalty.

Waiters brought over plate after plate of delicious food, wine, desserts, and by the time Ivy and Cullen were leaving the restaurant, her stomach felt like it would burst and her head was swimming from the alcohol.

A limousine took them back to their hotel, and she lay with her head on Cullen’s shoulder on the ride, sighing in contentment.

“Everything bad feels a million miles away,” she said.

Cullen put his hand on her thigh and rubbed it softly. “That’s because it is. And I’ll never let anyone hurt you again. You’re going to be protected.”

She smiled, closing her eyes. “We’re married, Cullen. Married.”

He chuckled. “Yes, Ivy, we are.”

“Did you ever think you’d be married?”

He didn’t answer for a long time. “You’re tired,” he said, not responding to her question.

“I’m drunk,” she said, snuggling further into his shoulder.

“We’re almost back to the hotel. You can sleep soon.”

“I don’t want to sleep. I’m awake.”

“Sure you are.” He rubbed her leg and kissed the top of her head.

***

They got back to the room and Ivy changed into a small v-neck sleepshirt. Cullen washed up in the bathroom and she climbed into the soft warm bed and let her body relax.

It had been a very long day, and one that had been filled with so many ups and downs. But in the end, she wouldn’t have traded it for the world.

From the bed, she could look out the large picture window and see the many blinking, flickering lights of Las Vegas, and it was beautiful. Everything with Cullen was beautiful, she thought.

It was truly a different world. He had access to so much that was out of reach of most people.

But all of those beautiful things came at a very steep cost.

The bathroom door opened and Cullen stepped out, wearing a tight white t-shirt and white boxers.

He looked strong and fit and clean. His body was streamlined, muscular, and she marveled yet again at his perfection.

Gracefully, he moved across the floor and then slid into bed next to her.

“Are you awake?” he asked.

She nodded. “Yes.”

“How does it feel to be Miss Sharpe?”

Ivy shook her head and laughed. “Unreal.”

“But it is real.” He reached out and stroked her cheek. “You know that.”

“Of course.”

“And that means you have certain responsibilities. It’s not all eating good food, drinking good wine and riding in limousines.” His tone had shifted.