“Fuck yes, Clara.”I looked down at her—her hair messy, mouth full of my cock, and eyes on me.She dug her nails into the backs of my thighs then, sending sparks skating beneath my skin.I groaned again, the pleasure coiling deep inside me until I couldn’t hold it back anymore.
I came in her mouth like she wanted.She took all of it, wiping at the corner of her mouth as she pulled back with a grin.
“The best vacation ever just got better,” she said with a wink.
I didn’t know things could feel so good.Our days washed away out from under us, mimicking the rush and pull of the water at the base of the cliffs.We fucked across every square inch of the house each night after Mia went to bed.I don’t think I checked my phone at all during the first few days we were there, which meant I missed out on snapping plenty of pictures, but they were all etched into my heart.
We visited the state park, chased down a few tide pools, stopped by an aquarium so Mia could touch an eel.Each day had a new itinerary, new delights, new flavors and sights.But we couldn’t outrun the blowback for long.By the middle of our trip, Archer called me while Clara and I were prepping for dinner during Mia’s nap.
“You’ve been extremely MIA,” Archer said in lieu of a greeting.
“It’s called a honeymoon,” I reminded him, tucking the phone between my ear and shoulder as I chopped carrots.“I’m not supposed to be attached to my phone.Can’t a guy have a vacation?”
“I don’t like this marriage stuff anymore,” Archer said.“You weren’t supposed to be off doing fun things without me.”
I couldn’t fight the laughter.“Oh my God, you are such a whiny baby right now.”
“How would you like it if I got a wife and up and leftyoubehind?”
I snorted.“I suggested you do that, actually.But you refused.”
Archer huffed.
“Are you jealous?”I wandered away from the kitchen, ignoring Clara’s curious glances.“You know, there’s still time for you to go find your own Mrs.Nightingale.I’ve heard Zoey’s got a thing for you.”
Clara gasped and shot to my side, looking up at me with wide eyes.She couldn’t hear Archer’s side, so she didn’t know how sarcastic I was being.
“Please.She’s sexy, but I’m not on the market.”
“But you’re single,” I reminded him.
“Listen, that’s not why I called,” Archer said brusquely.“I’m not trying to rain on your perfect honeymoon or anything, but you guys need to do something with this Haley Reeves situation.”
I’d specifically silenced all email and text threads from our reputation ambassador at work, so I had no idea what had transpired since we flew west.“How bad has it gotten?”
“It could be worse,” Archer started.“Nothing’s caught on fire yet and nobody died, buuut I’d say you two need to make a post or something already.This shit is circulating everywhere.It blew up.It’s on the fucking nightly news for God’s sake.”
I didn’t have words for that.I didn’t think that many people would care about the wedding, but maybe Haley had been the gasoline on top of the burning embers of public interest.
“All right.I’ll have a look tonight.Promise.”
“And…have fun.Just don’t forget about your dear old brother holding down the fort.”
I snorted.“You miss me, don’t you?”
“I didn’t say that.”
“Love you, Arch.”
When I swiped the call off, Clara was clawing at my shirt for answers.“Is he going to go on a date with Zoey?”
“No, he didn’t say anything like that.I think he’s a little jealous we’re having such a good time but not jealous enough to actually do something about it.”
She frowned, wandering back to the kitchen.“Well that’s a bummer.”
“Not all the Nightingale men are cut out for marriage, I guess.He wants us to do something about the Haley Reeves article.We need to post something.Our social media hiatus has come to an end.”
Clara’s smile slowly faded.“Crap.I’ve been enjoying our bubble.”
