The car begins to move, and I lean forward to gently touch Hadley’s knee because I can. “Go on, we’re amongst friends, they can share our joy.”
The glint in Hadley’s eyes is pure venom, and I love it.
Did I mean to become someone’s husband? No.
Do I hate that it’s Hadley? Well, no.
My rule has always been to keep her at a distance for reasons that I don’t care to think about today. So be it, fate threw us a wild card by making us husband and wife. I'm going to soak in these accidental nuptials that mean I get to have her close. I might as well. Call it selfish. My reasons to keep her away are still valid, but maybe I should have always kept her close with a difficult escape, à la marriage.
Hadley takes a deep breath. “Connor and I are husband and wife. Our night was unforgettable…clearly.” Hmm, I could do with a little more enthusiasm in her tone, but we’ll work on it.
“No shit.” Briggs looks at me in awe. “That’s what you two got up to?”
“What can I say? Sprinkles here always had her heart set on me, and I caved.” I sit back with ease and satisfaction.
“But you two wanted to kill one another yesterday, so is this like… what is this exactly?” He’s confused, as he should be.
Hadley crosses her arms and keeps her sight fixed on me. “Please, Con, do tell us the romantic tale of how I became your wife. It better be good, since you seemed to woo me in the span of only a few hours.”
“Alcohol,” Isla deadpans an answer.
I cluck the inside of my cheek with my tongue and point to Isla before I spew out a story. “Cute. But I’m positive it was Sprinkles here reliving the time I was forced to walk her home after my uncle ended my impromptu party. I was sixteen. I kissed her cheek when I said good night, to make her dreams come true, and told her she smelled of cupcakes with sprinkles, the kind she would bring me when she baked.”
“You never said that,” Hadley interjects with surprise in her tone.
“I was thinking it,” I explain. “Anyway, since then she vowed that I would be her husband, and last night, somewhere between her attempt to give me a lap dance and her request to search for cupcakes with sprinkles, I gave in. I mean, what’s better than having a wife who can bend and smells of cupcakes, am I right?”
Briggs scoffs a laugh. “You better come up with a better story when your parents find out.”
“I would kill to have a front-row seat at that family dinner.” Isla nudges Hadley’s arm.
“But seriously, you two are going to end this thing, right?” Briggs hands me a bottle of water.
“Nope,” I state proudly.
Hadley throws him a sweet overdone smile. “I’m moving into Connor’s house that he bought a while back. It’s the off-season, so I’m sure I can keep him occupied and make him feel so incredibly lucky to be my husband that it may feel like irritation, so much so that he will be begging to leave our happy house.”
I grin at her humor. Two can play our game, and I’m ready.
“Right, I guess we need to… celebrate?” Briggs isn’t sure.
“Yeah, we should get a few photos for the happy day. I guess you don’t have any wedding photos?” Isla’s voice raises an octave.
I reach for my cell phone in my pocket. “Funny you should mention that. I was scrolling through my phone, piecing together what happened last night—I have the receipt for the ring, by the way. Tiffany’s in the hotel, not bad taste if I may say. Anyhow, I came across this gem of a photo.” I unlock my screen, swipe, and show Hadley and Isla my phone.
Hadley’s eyes bug out as she examines the evidence from our night. We are in a Vegas chapel, and if it weren’t for the fact that our eyes are clearly in a haze of alcohol, then it would be kind of believable. Because I’m looking down at her with affection while she peers up with admiration and an arm wrapped around my neck, with cheap plastic flowers in her hand.
“Oh boy,” Isla mumbles.
My wife’s breath catches as I take the phone back, and the fact that I’m calling her my wife hits me for a second.What the hell am I doing?This woman annoys me, and she can never know the things in my head, but I guess I’m making her villain fantasy come true, because I’m tying her into marriage with me… and that just fuels my pleasure from this situation.
Arriving at the airfield, we park on the tarmac near the plane.
“I’ll ask the staff for champagne,” Isla offers and still seems uneasy about this situation as she gives me a death glare mixed with a smile. As she should, she’s Hadley’s best friend.
“We’ll go first then let you two love birds make a grand entrance,” Briggs suggests as the car door opens.
“Sure, make sure Shawn gets a front-row seat,” I call out as Hadley and I continue to give one another an icy stare.
