Disclaimers: see chapter 1

He turned over and cracked one eye open to see her staring back at him, smiling. "What's so amusing this early in the morning?"

Kendall laughed and sat up. "Ok, first of all, 9:30 is not early. Second of all, you were humming in your sleep."

"I was not. You're lying about that" he grumbled as he flipped over on his side, facing away from her.

"Zach, sorry. You were humming. It woke me up" she said as she snuggled against his back, wrapping her arm over his side. "Zach, we need to get up" she whispered in his ear, lightly kissing his earlobe.

"Ten more minutes" he whispered back. They had landed late in Vegas the night before and immediately had to deal with some unexpected high rollers that decided to take an impromptu trip to Vegas. They were just about booked solid, so Kendall and Zach both had to do some finagling and some sweet talking in order to get everything worked out.

Kendall giggled and kissed him on the cheek. "Well, if that's what you want. I was going to see if you wanted to join me in the shower, but if you aren't interested…" His eyes shot open just as she was pulling her nightgown over her head while she walked toward the bathroom. She hit the door and looked over her shoulder. "Coming?" He shot out of bed and chased her into the bathroom.

"So, we've got those meetings till about 2? Then what?" Kendall asked as she tied Zach's tie. They were finally dressed, after a very long, steamy shower. He wrapped his arms around her waist as she looped the tie together.

"Whatever you want."

She tucked the tie into his jacket and laid her hands on his shoulders. "Anything?" she asked, with a gleam in her eye.

"Just name it."

She smirked at him and shrugged. "Alright. I want to get married."

She thought his eyes were going to fall out of his head when she said the word 'married'. "Zach? Zach, are you alright?" she said, laughing.

"What did you say?" he asked, shaking his head like he hadn't really understood what she said.

Kendall looped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer to her body, bringing his head down to hers. She leaned into him and whispered "I said I want to get married" in his ear.

He pulled back to look at her, to see if she really meant what she was saying. "Kendall, we don't…"

"Zach Slater, listen up. I want to marry you, that's a fact. And we're here and I don't see any reason why we shouldn't get married sooner rather than later. It doesn't have to be today, but I want to marry you before we go back to Pine Valley. I want us to be a true team when we finally go back. I love you, that's not going to change and I really don't feel like waiting till after the baby is born. Unless of course you don't want to…"

"Oh no, I still want to. I really, really want to marry you, but…"

"But what?"

"Don't you want…"

"Someone here? Who? My recently departed best friend? My new business partner and her boy-toy who used to claim to be my friend? The father of my baby? My lunatic mother? No thanks. I want this to be just us, Zach, just you and me. That's how it's been since New Year's and that's how it's going to be, and I'm fine with that. You and I will start a whole new family – a family without curses and baggage. It's you and it's me and that is all that…"

He silenced her with a kiss, a short but steamy kiss that left very little to the imagination. She was panting as he pulled back and grabbed his cell phone out of his jacket. He smiled at her and flipped it open, dialing quickly.

"Yeah, Joe, it's Slater… yeah, we got in last night… listen, I need to know when the chapel is available this week… Tomorrow night…" Zach looked at Kendall and she nodded. "Great, reserve it… say 8..." Zach smirked. "Hart/Slater… yeah, what can I say, me and the soon-to-be-missus are anything but traditional…. Thanks, oh, the future Mrs. Slater is going to need spa appointments, can you… great, yeah, the works. Thanks, Joe." Zach flipped his phone shut and dropped it back in his pocket. "Tomorrow night work for you, Ms. Hart?"

"Tomorrow night is perfect" she mumbled, assaulting him with her lips.

Kendall and Ellen, Zach's most senior casino host, spent the next day running around Las Vegas. Since this was a spur of the moment wedding, Kendall lacked the most important thing – the dress. Ellen took Kendall to several stores before she found the perfect dress.

It was an off while strapless floor length empire waist dress with lace inlay and beading down the back. Strapless was important to Kendall since she loved Zach's fascination with her shoulders and the way he would lightly run his fingers over her shoulders as they kissed or talked or did just about anything.

Zach sent dinner to the room. She found the fact that it was lobster, all ready shelled, very amusing. The waiter set the table up and handed her a note – 60 minutes Mrs. Slater was all it said, but that's all she needed.

As she slipped her dress over her head and pulled the zipper up, she heard a knock on the door. "Who is it?" she yelled as she looked around for her shoes.

"Kendall, its Joe." Kendall smiled as she headed toward the door. Joe had been with Zach forever and he was the only person Zach trusted to run the Vegas property in his absence. Joe had been to Pine Valley a few times and Kendall loved listening to him and Zach tell stories. He was one of few people that never questioned Zach or his motives, and for that, she really liked him.

She threw open the door and smiled at him as he whistled. "That man is going to keel over when he sees you, Ms. Hart" he said, walking into the room.

"Well, he better wait till after we are married so that my plan to get my hands on all his money has succeeded." Joe just laughed, knowing that the last thing Kendall Hart needed was any of Zach Slater's money.

"Well, Kendall, I was sent here to escort you down to the chapel, if you are ready."

"I can't find my shoes" she said, looking around the room.

Joe looked down at his feet and saw a pair of white heels sitting in the corner. He whistled at her and pointed down. All she could do was laugh.

"Yeah, I've heard pregnant women can go a little crazy."

"You have no idea" she said as she slipped her shoes on. Joe held his arm out to her and opened the door, leading her out toward the elevators.

"Why am I so nervous?" she asked as they stood outside the chapel doors. She was pacing back and forth. Joe kept peeking in the door to keep an eye out. Joe shut the door and smiled back at her.

"He's ready."

She took a deep breath and sighed. "Ok then."

"Last chance to ditch Slater and run away with me" Joe said, smiling.

"I'm pretty sure your wife would have a problem with that" Kendall replied, smacking him on the shoulder.

"Well, yeah, there's that… Ok, don't move." Joe snuck in the door, but quickly returned with a single white rose. Kendall took it from him and smiled, remembering her condo filled with white roses that afternoon.

Joe kissed her on the cheek and opened the door. "Count to ten then come on in" he said over his shoulder as he disappeared.

Kendall slowly counted to ten and pulled the door open. The music immediately started and the ambiance took her breath away. The room was completely bathed in candlelight. Everywhere she looked there were candles and white roses. She focused on Zach at the end of the aisle. Her heart started beating faster as he came into focus through her tears – he looked wickedly handsome in his charcoal suit. She quickly walked to the end of the aisle, smiling at Ellen and Joe as she did.

He reached out his hand to her, helping her up the small step. He took the rose from her and smiled, grabbing her other hand.

"Dearly beloved, we are here today to celebrate the union of Zachary Slater to Kendall Hart. Love is a precious gift and to find someone who is willing to give their love to you completely and wholly is a special find. The bride and groom would now like to exchange their personal vows. Zach…"

Zach looked down at his shoes and then back up at her, eyes shining. "Kendall, you weren't supposed to happen to me, we both know that. You were the last person I was supposed to find happiness with. Our unhappiness is what drew us to each other, but it seemed that fate had other ideas. I had thought that I had found true and unending love in the past, but I was wrong. What I feel for you is stronger than any other feeling I have had in my life. I would give all that I have to ensure your safety, your security, and your happiness. I will love you till the day I die with no fear, no limit, no end." Hearing those words again after all this time had tears rolling down Kendall's face. He pulled their hands up to her face and wiped them away with his thumbs.

"Kendall…" the minister prodded.

Kendall took a deep breath, trying to get her emotions under control. "I had thought that happiness was something not destined for me. I thought that true and unconditional love was something that I would only read about in books and see in movies. I never would have thought that you would be the man to bring that hope and light back into my life, but I haven't been the same since you did. You have changed me and my life and I could never imagine going back to the old me, how I was before, and I don't think I would want to. I will love you till the day I die, no fear, no limit, no end." She could barely get the words out as the tears spilled down her face. Zach leaned over and kissed her cheek.

"The rings?" Kendall looked up at the minister. "I don't…"

She felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned to see Ellen holding out a wedding band for her. Kendall smiled and took the ring from her, looking at it. It was a plain, platinum band, but made of solid material and felt heavy in her hand. 'The perfect ring for Zach' she thought to herself.

She looked down at the ring in Zach's hand and gasped – it was a beautiful emerald cut diamond with a diamond encrusted platinum band already attached. She looked up and smiled brightly at him.

"Zach, repeat after me… With this ring…"

"With this ring…" he said, pulling her left hand up and placing the ring at the tip of her finger.

"I thee wed."

"I thee wed" he repeated, sliding the ring slowly and seductively down her finger. She felt her face flush.

"Kendall… With this ring…"

"With this ring…"

"I thee wed."

"I thee wed" she said, slowly sliding the ring down his finger. As she put in place, she looked at his hand, loving how the band stood out on his finger.

The minister smiled at both of them. "I'm proud to present Mr. and Mrs. Zach Slater."

Joe and Ellen started to applaud as Zach pulled Kendall flush to him, assaulting her mouth. Without breaking contact, he pulled her up into his arms, carrying her down the aisle. Joe ran ahead of them and threw open the doors. Zach strode out of the chapel and into the casino.

"Have a good night you two" Ellen yelled at them.

People were yelling congratulations to them and clapping as they walked through the casino toward the elevators.

As the elevator doors closed behind him, Zach put her back on the ground. He ran his lips up and down her neck as he caressed her shoulders.

"I love this dress" he growled into her ear. She moaned and ran her fingers through his hair. "I thought you might" she said breathlessly as he ran his hands down her side and around her back.

Kendall saw the elevator was quickly approaching their floor. She pushed him into the corner of the elevator, smiling seductively at him. She leaned into him and ran her hand through his hair and down his cheek to his jawbone. He moaned quietly as she ran her hand over his chest and down to the waistband of his pants. She slipped her hand down the side of his leg and into his pants. As the elevator dinged at their floor, she quickly pulled the keycard out of his pants and stepped away from him.

"Last one naked has to do whatever the other one wants" she said, quickly stepping out of the elevator. It took Zach a moment to realize what she had done. He laughed loudly and stepped out of the elevator, pulling his suit jacket off and quickly undoing his tie.

TBC…