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“Are you sure this is what you want?”
Kip met Rogue’s dark brown gaze with a smile. “Do you really think that is a question I’m going to say no to?” The grin on Kip’s face was all Rogue needed to see.
It had been nearly three months since they’d met, and in that time Kip had found a way to accept Rogue taking groups out to hunt, which Rouge had to admit he was having a harder time dealing with than Kip. Not the hunting aspect, but being away from Kip for days at a time. And now that it was summer, he was booked most days.
Which was why three weeks ago, he’d finally hired the other hunting guides and moved them to Mystic Pines. Rogue only went on one trip a week, which was still too much as far as he was concerned.
Kip stood next to Rogue in the gazebo in the center of the gardens of the resort with all of the town looking up at them. They hadn’t wanted anything too over the top, but once Axom had found out, there was little chance of that happening.
“You aren’t trying to back out on me, are you?” Kip teased.
That had Rogue laughing. Like that would ever happen. “No, sweet cheeks, now that I have you standing before the minister, I’m going to make you mine.” It had been Rogue’s plan almost from the first moment they met.
Well, maybe not that first moment. Not even Rogue could have imagined falling in love with that opinionated, intolerant spa owner. Yet, that’s exactly what had happened.
“Did you two need more time to discuss whether or not you’re getting married?” Connor O’Malley, Mystic Pines’ minister, asked. “Or can I get on with the ceremony?”
The crowd behind them chuckled.
“I think we’re good,” Kip said, the glowing smile on his face testament to that.
Rogue grinned at Kip, before adding, “We’re definitely good.” Then he leaned down and kissed those sweet lips softly.
“Hey,” Axom called out from behind them. “I didn’t hear any ‘I dos’ yet. No kissing.”
Connor cleared his throat. “Maybe I should get started so you two can get to that kissing.”
There was nothing Rogue or Kip wanted more. It had been a hard and challenging road to get to where they were, but now that they were there, Rogue intended on enjoying every moment with the man he loved.
As Connor started the ceremony, Rogue leaned close to Kip and whispered. “Who would have thought we’d be standing here because you got stuck in the mud you love so much?”
Kip gave him a mock scowl. “That wasn’t my mud,” he insisted again.
“Right,” Rogue chuckled lightly. “Because your mud is clean.”
“Damn right, mister,” Kip told him. “But I told you mud had amazing healing qualities. Even if it wasn’t my mud, it opened my heart to love you, didn’t it?”
Rogue couldn’t deny that. “Then it was a good thing you got stuck in the mud.”
Kip turned to face him, both of them having missed everything Connor had said up to that point. The ceremony was a nice thing to have, but both of them were more interested in the ‘being married’ part.
Putting his arms around Rogue, Kip glanced over at Connor. “When you get there, my answer is, ‘I do, now and forever’.”
Rogue grinned. He loved that Kip did things his own way. It made life so much more interesting. Without looking away from Kip, Rogue told Connor. “That goes for me, too. In the meantime, we’re going to assume you’ve gotten to the kissing part.”
Lifting Kip off his feet, Rogue did just that.
