The Hero + Vegas = No Regrets

I can’t take my eyes off Sophia. I’ve spent the entire morning trying my best not to touch her, and I don’t know how much longer I’ll be able to hold back. I’m out of self-control.

“To the beautiful bride and the groom, who will spend the rest of his life knowing he doesn’t deserve her.” Bennett finishes his speech with a typical flourish.

We’re all having a drink in a roped-off area in a bar after the ceremony before we go for a late lunch. Jules admitted to Leo on the way back from the ceremony that she wanted to end her wedding day in New York, so we’re not staying the night tonight. Bennett has arranged for the plane to take us back this evening.

I can’t help but wonder if Vegas has been a spell cast on Sophia and me, and whether going back to New York will undo what’s been done between us on this trip. We’re married, but we’ve never dated. How are we supposed to navigate that? I don’t want to go backward, but I don’t know how to go forward. I feel a deep connection with Sophia, who is without a doubt the most beautiful woman I’ve ever laid eyes on. But it’s more than that. Or at least I think it is.

All I know is that I don’t want to divorce her or have our marriage annulled. You can’t start getting to know someone by divorcing them. At the same time, I don’t want to freak her out and come on too strong. She’s been through a lot recently and doesn’t always know which way is up. A wrong move from me could lead to her going cold. That’s the last thing I want.

Our group has split into three. Sophia and Efa are standing by the velvet rope, admiring Jules’ bracelet. Leo, Jack, and Byron are by the private bar, just a few feet away. I’m standing with Bennett and Fisher, where I’ve got a direct line of sight to Sophia. I didn’t deliberately arrange my sightline to have such an exquisite view, but my subconscious was all over it. I’m as mesmerized by her today as I’ve ever been. She flipped a switch in me as soon as we met, but now? And after last night? I’d do anything for her.

On the other side of the rope, a guy interrupts the girls and speaks to them. I narrow my eyes. I can’t quite tell if he’s asking them a question or making a pass or what. My phone buzzes and I take it out of my pocket.

It’s my sister.

“I have to get this,” I say to Bennett and Fisher. I step to the side, still facing Sophia. The guy is still talking to them, and they’ve all adopted blank expressions of disinterest. What the fuck does he want?

“Hey, Avril.”

“How’s my favorite big brother?” she asks.

My heart sinks. If Avril is being nice to me, there must be something seriously wrong.

“Busy. What’s going on?”

“You’re in Vegas, right? Poppy told me. And Vegas puts people in a good mood, right?”

“Just come out with it.”

“I’m going to lead with the positive.”

It must be really bad, but I stay quiet.

“I posted my own bail,” she says.

“What?” I hiss into the phone.

I step farther to the side, keeping Sophia in view. The guy outside the rope seems to be inching closer to them. Sophia looks a little bit uncomfortable, but not seriously. She’d just move if he was an issue, right? I’m not sure I know her well enough to have the answer to that question. I know all three women can handle themselves, but I don’t want them to have to. I look around and see if this guy is with anyone, but no one seems to be missing him. Why doesn’t he just fuck off?

“I’m kidding,” Avril says. “I haven’t been arrested. But I have been put on academic probation.”

“Academic probation?” I whisper-shout into the phone. “You’re smarter than your entire class put together. What the fuck is going on?”

The guy with eyes for Sophia leans farther toward her and she backs away a couple of steps.

“I thought Vegas was meant to put you in a good mood,” Avril whines.

“What kind of mood—” I cancel the call, as the guy the wrong side of the rope reaches across to Sophia and grabs her arm, trying to pull her back toward him.

How dare he even think he can touch her.

It takes me less than a second to reach her.

I step between them and tower over the guy, looking down at him, Sophia safely behind me. “Get. Your. Hands. Off. My. Wife.” I fist my hands as they itch to punch the shit out of this creep.

He steps back, wide-eyed, his palms facing me in surrender. “Woah, dude, you need to get her to wear a ring. I thought she was fair game.”

The comment makes me sick to my stomach. “Leave or get thrown out. Your choice.”

He rolls his eyes, tosses back his drink, and walks away.

I turn, and even though I can feel the stares of everyone in our group on me, I slide my hands up Sophia’s arms. “Are you okay?”

She nods. “I’m fine, really. You didn’t need to⁠—”

“I know. But guys like that—” I suck in a breath through my teeth. “That kind of thing isn’t happening to you. Not on my watch. And now, it’s always my watch.” I press a kiss to her forehead.

And then reality seeps in.

Bennett clears his throat. Sophia turns, and I take a breath before looking up. He has his eyebrows raised. “Anything you want to tell us, Worth?”

Shit. This is just what Sophia and I didn’t want—attention to be taken from Leo and Jules.

“Sorry, guys. I just saw that guy grab at Sophia and I had to step in.”

“You want to rewind to the bit where you told him Sophia was your wife?” Leo asks.

Sophia lets out an anxious laugh from in front of me. “Yeah, Worth was just being protective, weren’t you?”

“You are a terrible liar, Sophia Jones. Did you marry Worth?” Jules asks.

Sophia lets out a manic laugh. “We only just met.”

I start to chuckle. “I think the jig is up, Sophia.”

She slumps in front of me. “We didn’t want to steal your thunder, so we didn’t mention what may or may not have happened last night at the New York Loves Vegas Chapel.”

Jules squeals. “Sophia! How could you have not told me the instant you—” She stops and turns to me. “And how long has this been—” Then she turns in a slow circle, pointing her finger at everyone in turn. “Am I the last to know?”

“Sophia has become… very important to me very quickly,” I say. “I felt a connection at the brunch, but things are very new.”

“We kissed for the first time thirty-six hours ago,” Sophia says.

“When were you going to tell me?” Jules says. “Do you like him?”

“I’m standing right here.” I wave at her.

She shoos me away and steps toward Sophia. “We need a debrief. Also, how did a kiss turn into a wedding?”

Sophia glances back at me. I’m not sure what she’s going to say. Does she want me to step in to explain?

I start to speak but Sophia interrupts. I’m more than happy for her to take the lead. “It was just a spur-of-the-moment decision.”

“Are you annulling?” Efa asks, and it’s like someone’s hit me in the stomach with a mallet.

“It just happened late last night,” Sophia says. “We’re here celebrating you two. We both want to focus on that.”

“Awww, I love how you said that,” Jules says. “You both—like you’re a couple. Well, you are. You’re married.” She raises her glass. “Congratulations!”

Byron sidles up to me. “Everything okay?” he asks under his breath.

I nod.

“Sure?”

“Absolutely sure.”

“It’s just… not like you to make a decision like this on the fly.”

I nod. “That’s true.”

He holds my gaze. “Would you tell me if there was something wrong?”

I pull in a breath, considering my response. “Probably. But there isn’t anything wrong.” I glance over at Sophia, who’s talking to Efa and Jules in hushed tones. I know I’m biased, but she’s so fucking beautiful, I ache for her. I can’t wait to get back to New York and have some time with her on our own, without having to sneak around behind our friends’ backs. “I like her,” I say.

“I like my car. I didn’t marry it.”

“Which car?”

He narrows his eyes at me, like he doesn’t understand the question. “I like all my cars.” He tilts his head. “The new Lambo is probably a favorite.”

“Bet you’d marry it if you could.”

He fixes me with a stare.

“What?” I ask. “You started it.”

“My point is, you don’t go around marrying every woman you like.”

“It’s true, I don’t.”

“So, what’s the plan?” he asks.

I catch Bennett’s concerned gaze from where he’s talking with Fisher, Jack, and Leo. They’ve obviously sent Byron in here to figure out what’s going on. Dad’s gone rogue and they don’t know what the fuck to do about it.

“Do I need a plan?” I ask.

“Are you going to get it annulled? Divorce her? At least make her sign something to say she’s not going to take all your money?”

I scoff. “She’s not going to take my money.”

“Worth, do you realize you barely know this woman? Did you do it as a dare or something?”

I sigh. “On a whim. We’re in Vegas. Why not?”

Byron’s mouth presses into a hard line. I can tell he’s got the urge to punch me. But I can’t give him answers I don’t have.

“I don’t have it figured out yet,” I say. “Things will unfold.”

“Have you hit your head? Are you on an acid trip? What the actual fuck is going on?”

“Avril’s on academic probation. So I’ve got to sort that shit out when I get home. Looks like the building on Ninth I invested in is more of a money pit than I suspected, given Mason has fucked off with five hundred grand.”

“Fuck, Worth. That doesn’t sound good. So you were trying to escape and decided to get married? I mean, I get having an emotional reaction and everything, but maybe next time try and work it out at the gym, rather than enter into a potentially life-changing contract.”

“I didn’t get married because of Avril or Mason. I got married because I like Sophia. I really like her and… I went with my gut.”

There’s a beat of silence before Byron says, “Nothing much I can say to that, is there?”

“Nothing you need to say.”

“Just promise me you’ll come to me if you feel out of your depth. I know you’re used to handling anything and everything, but it doesn’t mean you have to do it alone. We’re all here for you.”

I clink my champagne glass against his. “Thanks.”

“And congratulations,” he says, an eyebrow raised.

I grin and glance over at Sophia. If she’s the biggest mistake I make in my life, then so be it.