Just then, Adam walked up. “This is for you and Abby, courtesy of Blue Casino.” He handed Hunt a bottle. “Feel free to bust it out tonight. You look a little nervous.”
Hunt glanced at the Dom Perignon. Nervous? Damn straight he was nervous. He had to somehow keep his hands off his beautiful wife for an entire evening, without even the blessed distraction of Noah. Hunt choked out a laugh and thanked Adam.
Levi pointed at Hunt. “Remember what I told you.”
Bran, Adam, and Wes all sighed.
“Levi,” Wes said. “Give it a rest.”
Levi bristled, but he shook out his shoulders and let out a breath. “Here.” He shoved a small box at Hunt’s chest. “It’s from Emily.” He coughed. “For your wedding night.” Was that the sound of Levi’s teeth grinding? “They’re scented candles and some other frilly stuff Emily thought you guys might like.”
Just hearing the words “scented candles” come out of Levi’s mouth was gift enough.
“Thank you,” he said, trying not to laugh at his gruff older brother. Emily might actually domesticate Levi, given enough time.
Champagne under one arm, scented candles in hand, Hunt made the rounds and said goodbye to his friends and family. On the outside, he was a man eager to get his bride alone. On the inside, he was a man eager to get his bride alone, but wasn’t actually allowed to touch her.
Good times.
Hunt went to retrieve Abby, who was having a hard time saying goodbye, and Kaylee latched on to his arm, pulling him aside. “I don’t know what all is going on with you and this whirlwind wedding, but try to make it work. I really like Abby, and I think she’ll be good for you.”
Hunt’s face froze for half a second. Until he remembered no one knew what he and Abby had agreed to. “I married her, Kaylee. I’m going to take care of her.” And that was the truth, even if the marriage was fake.
“It’s not that. Abby has shit going on; we all know it at Club Kids. There’s something off about the grandparents…” She shook her head. “I don’t know what I’m saying. Just try to not mess it up, okay?”
Hunt’s heart pounded and his chest tightened. Real or not, this marriage would need to stand—at least in the short term.
Hunt leaned down and kissed Kaylee on the cheek, which earned him a loud shout from Wes.
“Back off the brunette!” Wes said.
“I got this,” Hunt said to Kaylee, and she smiled. But Hunt’s chest didn’t loosen. He was making promises he wasn’t sure he could keep.
He walked up to Abby and Noah and ruffled the boy’s hair. “Be good tonight, okay? If you need anything, have Kaylee call us.”
“Bye, Mom. Bye, Hunt.” Noah ran off to where he’d been playing with Adam and Harlow and a stack of foam blocks.
Abby looked up, amused. “It seems we’re not needed.”
He grabbed her hand. “Guess not. Ready to go?”
She nodded, and Hunt gestured for her to precede him.
Abby walked out the front doorway, and his gaze lingered on her perfectly molded ass and bared shoulders in the sundress. He was a man; he liked beautiful women. But he was inherently attracted to Abby, and that was the biggest problem of all.
Hunt huffed out a sigh and followed her out the door.
It was going to be a long night.
Chapter 18
As soon as Abby and Hunt returned to the house, she took off her heels and started putting away clothes and dishes she hadn’t had time to put away before her harried rush to the chapel…
She wasmarried.
Abby had been in love, she’d had a child, but she’d never been married. And now she was married to Hunt Cade, a man who didn’t love her.
But he liked her. She felt it every time he looked at her. And she liked him too.
