Lila

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It passed in a blur. He was on the phone, but still touching her, looking at her with warmth and love in his eyes, despite the pinch in his brow and the tension in his shoulders. He was excited. He wanted this. It wasn't just a plan to beat his father.

He really wanted to marry her.

Lila was struggling to figure out how, exactly, they'd gotten to this point. A few hours ago she'd taken one look at that photograph and been certain her life was over. And now…

Now he was offering an entirely new life. For as long as it lasted.

She pushed that thought away and returned her attention to Dane, next to her on the couch, his hand on her thigh as he spoke to someone named Bert who he described as a Chaplain.

"…I know this sounds crazy, but I just… yes, you were right. Yes, you guessed, I know. Thank you, Bert. The thing is… are you available right now? No, you heard me correctly. We're pretty eager to make sure it's all legal before we face any of the pressures that are coming. Just tell me what we need and I'll make it happen." He stopped to listen and turned to look at her, offering a small smile when she met his eyes. "I know. Yes. That would be so great, Bert. Thank you. You know my building? The Penthouse. Yes. I'll let them know you're coming. You'll need ID."

As Dane sorted out all the details, Lila looked at her hand again, and the beautiful ring he'd given her. She shook her head. Somehow, she'd walked into a fairytale.

She indulged herself in just watching him while he made call after call, letting security know that his "spiritual advisor" was coming for an emergency appointment. Talking to John to make sure he could get a marriage license for them at such short notice.

"…Yes, but will it be legal?" Dane asked at one point.

Even Lila heard the answer. "So legal even the people who should know won't be able to tell." That was good enough for Dane.

"I need it here now, John. Like, ten minutes ago." There were grumbles and arguments, but within a few minutes Dane hung up and smiled. "We're on." He leaned forward to kiss her and she just wanted to sink into him, but the doorbell rang and he leapt up. "That'll be Bert—he's the one I met when I was a teenager," he said over his shoulder as he went to the door.

A moment later a large, smiling older man with brown skin and the whitest teeth Lila had ever seen, walked into the room looking around with beaming smile that somehow got even brighter when his eyes fell on her. "You must be Lila!" He had a very slight accent that she couldn't quite pick. "Yes, I am," she said.

He rushed around the couch to her. She held out a hand, but he just pulled her into his big chest, laughing, and telling Dane how beautiful she was. "I knew you had good taste, Dane, but what on earth possessed you to marry this thickhead, Lila?" Bert cackled.

She loved him immediately.

Bert demanded the story, and Dane told it. To Lila's surprise, he included the part where he was trying to protect her from his father. Bert must have seen the shock on her face.

"I've known Dane since before he left his father's… influence," Bert said with a wink. "We met when young Dane got in a little trouble over a scheme of his dad's."

Lila raised her eyebrows at Dane. He hadn't mentioned that part. "It sounds like I need to take you to lunch, Bert," she said with a laugh. "Maybe you can give me some ammunition to help keep him in line."

"Oh, that I could, that I could," Bert assured her with a wink.

"If anyone's taking her to lunch, it's me," Dane muttered and came to stand next to Lila, his hand at her back. She felt her cheeks warm when Bert beamed at them. She still wasn't used to Dane touching her in front of other people. And from the way they'd all responded, she gathered they weren't used to seeing him touch anyone either.

She put her arms around his waist and leaned into his side, and decided that she liked it. Then the door went again, and this time it was a stuttering John, pale and wide-eyed, looking like a skinny accountant with wire-rimmed glasses and a wrinkled suit on. He had a couple of pieces of paper for Dane. He barely met her eyes when they were introduced, and was only slightly warmer with Bert.

"John, could you help us out one more time before you leave?"

"What is it?" the beady little man asked, pushing his glasses up his nose with a finger.

"Can you witness the ceremony and signing for us? We need a third witness," Dane asked, surprisingly humbly. Lila also wasn't accustomed to hearing him ask anyone to do anything. He usually just ordered things done, then walked out.

But John's eyes went even wider at the request. "I really don't think I'm the right person—"

"You're exactly the right one, because I know you won't try to sell the story, or gossip about it," Dane said, squeezing her waist absentmindedly. "We can't risk anyone getting wind of this before we have all the papers filed."

John wrung his hands, but looked between them. Lila made sure her face was a subtle mix of pleading and friendly when he finally met her eyes. Then he sighed and slumped like he'd just agreed to give away his favorite puppy. "Oh, very well," he muttered. "But I'm leaving as soon as it's done."

Dane looked at Bert who nodded, then he turned to her. "So… this is your last chance, Lila. Are you sure you're okay with doing it this way. None of your family here, or friends?" He looked at her with such fear in his eyes, such pleading, she wanted to pull him into her lap and soothe him. But the question only showed how little he knew of her life and past. But this was a happy moment. She refused to let herself think about that.

"I can't think of anything that would make me happier," she said, completely honestly. "I hate being the center of attention anyway."

Dane leaned down and kissed her quickly. She felt her cheeks warm, but she couldn't stop smiling as he turned towards Bert and said, "How do we do this?"