It would be hard for any woman to turn away from this.
The man’s eyes are cloudy with a sweltering command.
I breathe through my pursed lips, and he doesn’t let me escape his hold, not that I’m trying.
“A secret marriage can’t last that long in this town. We have snooping neighbors too.”
He plants his long finger against my lips. “I’ll make the owner and the agent sign an NDA. We can say the owner dropped the marriage clause if anyone gets wind. I doubt anyone knows about the clause except us and those close to us. It will buy us time, at least until the bureaucracy is in order and you have the keys. Maybe people will find out later—or not.” He shrugs.
“Then they will wonder what the fuck we do with our marriage next?” I nearly screech.
He grabs the back of my neck to pull me in, and his warm breath crawls down my skin. “We can play the part until we have clarity about u— It will be easier then,” he whispers, and it causes a ripple to dive down my body to between my legs.
“Playing a part isn’t what we wanted last night.” Disappointment is apparent in my reply.
“I do want us to discover what we are… just… this is a little unconventional.”
His lips skirt to my temple. “You’ve always been the spontaneous one. An explorer. Don’t stop now.”
The answer is dancing around inside of me. The moves getting heavier, a turn coming natural to the rhythm. Your body sways alone or with someone, it’s a flow.
…one that flows out of my mouth.
“Yes,” I whisper. Then all the uncertainty of this unusual breakfast morning fades, and I surrender to him with confidence. “Let’s get married.”
14
HAILEY
Pacing outside the courthouse, I wonder what the hell I’m doing. I stop mid-stride and pull out my lip balm to spread a layer onto my lips. It’s sunny out, mid-afternoon, and a weekday. Some county clerk just walked by and dropped a paper and smiled hello when he swooped down to pick it up. This is a normal workday.
Except for me. It’s my wedding day.
This isn’t how I planned to get married. Not in a million years. It isn’t me. I’m missing the long white dress; instead, I’m in a short white cotton dress that I would wear to a BBQ, paired with a light jean jacket. I get points for the white, right? My parents and brother aren’t here. Nor friends. My macaroon cake is nowhere to be seen. Sadly, no dog carrying rings, either.
It’s all okay because this isn’t supposed to be real.
Still, leave it to Oliver to handle everything, and it took only a few days for today to happen.
During the last few days, every time my mind would rocket a thousand thoughts a minute, including backing out, my feelings took over.
I begin to pivot back and forth from nerves, an explosion of adrenaline littering my insides. All I have to do is say one word to stop this, but it also only takes one word to ensure it happens.
That’s what has me concerned, perhaps. It’s the latter that is screaming inside of me of what I should do.
Oliver has offered me the key to a dream, but it’s my dream. I’m not sure why he is insistent if he gets nothing out of this except an escapade and a wife that he can add to his health insurance policy if he wanted. He has hammered me to a wall with no way to run… and I wouldn’t want to anyhow.
Fanning my face, I remind myself that we are just two people who enjoy one another, and we’re still going at our own pace. Marriage is just on paper. We can even ignore that little detail, right?
My eyes zip toward the sound of fast steps to find Oliver with a swaggering grin highlighted from the sun, and his appearance sweeps away any concerns that I have. He’s wearing dark jeans and light blue button-up with his sleeves rolled. It’s an image, that’s for sure.
“Sorry I’m late. There was a family of ducks stuck on the road halfway between Everhope and my office in Lake Spark. The police officer didn’t seem so concerned that people had places to be.”
“Not everyone is Sheriff Carter,” I wisecrack.
Oliver is a man who is so calm that it spreads straight to me. “True. I would say that I miss his presence right now, but that’s not what this is.” Right, it’s not the real deal, just a logistical marriage. “Ready?” he asks.
“Sure.”
