I moan into her mouth, and she takes my breath away when she sucks on our kiss, making it impossible to break. It’swet, messy, us. Our teeth scrape and our lips seal us together. That tongue of hers tickles mine, and my response is to give her a good thrashing back, exploring her mouth, my hands strengthening around the mold of her face, and the sound of her murmurs only heightening everything inside of me that is about to burst to the other side of the door.
Pulling away, I give a short kiss then another. “I love you.” I’m almost panting. “The moment I got stuck with you on a road trip, I knew it was the start of our unraveling. Leading us straight to where we are meant to be but ignoring the obvious. We’ve been complete fools coming up with ridiculous reasons. All we had to do was grab from the start what we are meant to be.”
“We made it even more complicated for ourselves because we had the pressure of a secret somewhat-fake marriage that made us anxious to admit how we really blatantly always felt. Wait, does this mean that neither one of us has any intention of going anywhere?” she asks coyly.
I yank her close with my arm snaking around her middle. “Not a chance. I would just tie you down anyhow. There was no way I would give you a divorce, even if you told me that’s what you wanted. You’ve made me so fucking insane that it’s borderline psychotic, and I’m okay with that.”
Hailey howls a tiny laugh. “That’s uh… kind of hot?” She’s questioning herself. “Or do I need to be concerned?”
I shake my head. “Nah. I now have what I’ve been waiting for.”
She looks down at her fingers now playing with my shirt. “You know, we didn’t even have a wedding cake,” she laments.
“We had birthday cake.”
“Nor a honeymoon,” she volleys.
“Later.”
Her eyes gleam with a soft innocence when they catch mine. “Our newlywed phase has kind of been unusual.”
“Sneaking through yards is a good basis for the adventure that we will have in our marriage. Meh, the living-separately part is going to have to change pronto, though.”
Her fingers curl around the fabric on my chest. “I like the sound of that.”
“What else? Have we missed something?” My enthusiasm to get us moving on the full-on marriage train is trying to speed us up.
“I guess not. Our families have already met, we both want a dog one day, and I can change my name soon.”
“All positives.”
We’re there. No need to say more. This is us now.
Our mouths crash together at the same time, electrifying every molecule inside of me. I need her naked inourbed with that ring perfectly set on her finger and my own, too. Hoisting her up, she squeals delightfully then wraps her legs around my waist, and I begin to tread my steps in the direction that we need to go. Our mouths stay connected, but I feel her smile against my lips.
The doorbell repeatedly getting pushed startles her. We stall and our kiss stops, then both our heads move cheek to cheek to stare at the closed door. Her skin is warm and the corner of her mouth wet and swollen.
“Can the earth stop interrupting us?” Hailey chastises the world.
“Oliver!” Carter’s voice is directly recognizable.
“Silly us.” Hailey’s voice is full of dismay. “We forgot the little detail that your brother had a meltdown.”
I loosen my hold on her, and she slides down against my body. Whatever excitement my dick had has vanished due to the doorbell.
“I might as well face him now,” I suggest.
“I hear you in there! Open up before I break down the door.” Clearly, he hasn’t calmed down.
My jaw goes slack, and I take a beat. “Let’s get this over with.”
25
HAILEY
Carter’s stare slices through Oliver and me when he steps through the door and storms right to the living room.
Oliver flashes his eyes at me and tips his head in the direction of the living room, and we walk together toward the dreaded conversation.
