“How can I marry someone I barely know when a guy I trusted cheated on me, Zeb? I want a real answer.”
“You really think I care about any other woman? I would kill Rana right now to prove that I don’t.”
I throw the door open to find Zeb standing there with a big grin on his face. He’s not going to kill Rana. I throw my fist at his chest. Zeb catches it and then wrests my body against his and grabs my chin with his free hand. My eyes meet his and my heart nearly leaps out of my mouth.
“Gotcha,” he whispers. “Sorry…”
Zeb bends at his hips and kisses me. The first burst of soft warmth spreads through every inch of my body slowly. I whimper and lean against Zeb’s chest, falling against the firm chiseled muscles. He feels so warm… so good. His lips tease mine open and Zeb’s tongue slips into my mouth. Tasting him sends another surge of arousal through me. His grip on my wrist loosens and my hand slides against his chest.Don’t leave this man, Janelle. Don’t…
The desire to be with him feels so strong that instinctively, I pull away, only to find Zeb’s hands moving slowly to my waist. His face darkens.
“There is no other woman for me, Janelle,” he says. “No temptation can sway an honest man away from his choice – andyou are mine.”
My body trembles with nervousness. He means it. And he sees my fear so plainly that I worry he’ll take advantage of it. Zeb just kisses me again – and I kiss him back slowly. This time, he pulls away, but only because he can’t keep the words in his mouth any longer.
“I love you,” he whispers. “I love you so much it hurts, Janelle.”
“I love you too.” I don’t know why it feels so natural to say this.
He didn’t call me angel, he used my real name. That makes his words seem even more serious.
“You mean that?” Zeb asks.
“Yes.”
“Even if you think I’ll cheat on you?”
“I never said that.”
“You implied it,” he whispers. “But I’ll deal with you after we’re married.”
This time, he doesn’t let me take a step backwards. The energy between the two of us shifts as Zeb’s hands tighten at my hips. His fingers sink into my flesh. My thickness feels like a burden now that I’m too fluffy to slither or slip out of Zeb’s grasp.
“We’re just setting a date, right?”
Zeb’s face is so stern, that I know I’m wrong. If he didn’t have bad news, he wouldn’t have a death grip on my waist.Maybe I do know him well enough to marry him.
“No,” he says. “Ruger and the others left to get witnesses and a priest.”
“A priest? Are we… religious?” I squeak out. I don’t know what kind of fuck ass question this is, but I’m buying time while all the questions I have about this wedding rush into my head.
“We can have a bigger party whenever you want,” he says. “And invite your family. I’ll clean up and wear my Ranger uniform and everything.”
While the Army Ranger uniform would provoke fewer questions than a biker cut to my family members, we would still have plenty of questions to answer. And right now, there’s still the question of Rana. And a wedding dress.
“What about Rana?”
“She’s one of the witnesses,” Zeb said. “I shouldn’t have left her behind. I’m sorry.”
“What about a wedding dress?”
“You look fine in what you’re wearing.”
Men are literally insane. I’m wearing a pair of leggings that my coochie has sweat in for way too long. My armpits have long devoured my last application of forty-eight hour deodorant. There’s an oily sheen on my face. My hair looks like several birds fought over my curls to create a nest for themselves… I’m in no shape for a quick run to the grocery store, and in far less shape for a wedding.
“Are you serious?”
“You’re fucking gorgeous, Janelle. I mean it.”
