Electric sparks set off everywhere their skin touched. Heat coursed through him, settling deep. He lingered, distracted as he sampled her mouth, forgetting everything but the feel of her lips against his, her soft skin…and heard Noah giggle.
Hunt lifted his head and locked his gaze with Abby’s. Her eyes were half lidded, the pupils dilated.
Damn and shit. This was bad.
He was married, and he wanted his fake wife with every breath in his body.
Chapter 17
After the ceremony, the wedding party moved to Wes and Kaylee’s place, where Wes had arranged a small reception. His brothers understood Hunt wanted to protect Abby and her son, but they didn’t know the marriage was a farce, and Hunt wasn’t about to tell them. Admitting he’d married a woman he didn’t love would only prove Levi’s point that Hunt was reckless, and it wouldn’t look good if Noah’s grandparents discovered the truth. This marriage needed to appear real.
Kaylee crossed the room, Harlow nowhere in sight. Not in this crowd, with all four uncles and their best friends within grabbing distance. It was a pass-the-baby event. Someone seriously needed to have another kid or Harlow would grow up to be the most spoiled child on the planet.
Kaylee grabbed Abby’s hand and looked at Hunt. “I’ve already talked it over with Abby. Noah’s going to stay with me and Wes this evening so you guys can have a proper wedding night.”
Hunt looked at Abby, whose expression was a stiff, unnatural grin.Great.
“That’s not necessary,” he said.
“It’s all arranged.” Kaylee looked over her shoulder to where the kids were playing, Harlow crawling all over Noah, and Noah laughing loudly at the baby’s aggressive antics. “The kids are getting along great, and we’d really love to do this for you.”
Hunt raised an eyebrow at Abby.Your call.
Abby sighed and her shoulders loosened. Her forced smile turned genuine. “We’d love that. Thank you again for the offer. Noah is already close to you from Club Kids, so this is perfect.”
Kaylee beamed. “So it’s all set.” She squeezed Abby’s hand and walked off to where Wes stood with Bran and Ireland.
Hunt leaned down. “Are you sure?” he said out of the corner of his mouth, nodding a smile at Cali, Jaeger’s wife, who was waggling her eyebrows pointedly at Abby and shooting him knowing looks.
“It’s what’s expected,” Abby whispered. “We will be living together, won’t we? Because I don’t think I can explain to Noah’s grandparents why I’m married, but not living with my husband.”
Living together had crossed his mind, but in all the preparation this week, it had also been low on the priority list of things to discuss with Abby. “Of course we’ll live together,” he said confidently, then hesitated. “Where do you want to live?”
“I think it will be best if we live at my place. It’s small, I know, but I don’t want to disrupt Noah’s life more than I already have with the marriage. Are you okay with that?”
Hunt thought about the layout of Abby’s cottage. “It’s a one bedroom?”
“Two, but Noah’s room is more like a glorified closet.”
“So we’d share a room,” he said, and gauged her reaction.
Abby swallowed. “Y-yes. If that’s okay. I can sleep on a cot and tuck it away when Noah is awake.”
He’d prefer theyshareda bed. He could keep his hands to himself.
Fine, that was a lie. No way could he keep his hands to himself. Not with Abby’s soft, feminine scent and sexy body next to him. He’d try to seduce her into his arms. “I’ll sleep on the floor. You’ll take the bed.” His tone was firm, but damn if he’d let his wife sleep on a cot.
An hour later, Abby was kissing Noah goodbye, and Hunt was standing with his brothers.
“Don’t do anything I wouldn’t,” Wes said, and triple-winked.
“You have protection?” Bran asked. “Nothing like an unplanned honeymoon baby.”
Typical coming from Bran, the most careful of Hunt’s brothers.
“This isn’t my first time at the rodeo,” he told Bran. “I’m covered.”
Not that he’dneedanything covered. He wished he needed something covered, because his wife, yes,wife, looked incredible, and his body was desperate to be near her. What was taking her so long, anyway?
