I nudged her with my hip.
“Who is the better driver?”
“I’m raising this bat,” I announced, waving the bride bat, “not because it’s the right answer but because it’s the answer she believes.”
Avery elbowed me. “I’m so much better than you it’s not even funny.”
“Who’s better at keeping a surprise?” Ida asked. I inwardly winced. Garrett crossed his arms. I hefted the bridal bat.
“Of course it’s Avery,” her sister said. “She’s probably lying about this whole relationship just so she can inherit that house.”
“And last question,” Ida said. “Who do you love more than anyone in the world?” I hefted the bridal bat.
“And you both gave the correct answer!” I turned around to see Avery holding the groom bat aloft. I wrapped her in my arms and kissed her deeply to cheers and wolf whistles.
* * *
“That partyactually turned out pretty nice,” Avery said happily as we made our way back to the hotel room. Archer had texted me with an assurance that the surprise was all ready and that Avery would love it.
She was draped in party streamers from another game of Decorate the Bride in which people festooned each of us in crepe-paper streamers, wrapping paper, and other odds and ends to create wedding outfits. I picked a piece of lace out of her hair. The kiss that afternoon had reignited all my desire for her, but I was going to wait for her to come to me.
“I have a little surprise for you,” I said, pressing her close to my side as we walked down the hall.
“Is it deep-fried Oreos? I didn’t eat enough of them at the fair.”
“No, but I’m shocked and horrified that I actually ate a bite of one.”
She giggled.
“That fried bacon cinnamon roll was life changing, though. If I wasn’t so worried about making a good impression at the wedding, I would totally serve those.”
“I don’t know,” I told her. “I think you could make a killing with small-town rustic weddings. Grilled meat and firepits—all the guys would love it. During the wedding off season, you could host bachelor parties to go pheasant hunting. I remember Remy telling me that the Broughton estate is good for that.”
“That actually could be nice.” She leaned against me. “Are you going to quit your job and be part of the wedding-planning business?” she teased. “Especially because you have this super-duper surprise planned.”
“You’re going to love it,” I promised her as I unlocked the door. “It’s going to be the exact opposite of the engagement party.”
“Oh my,” Avery said as we walked into the sitting room of the suite. “You weren’t wrong about that…”
“I’m going to kill Archer,” I growled.
44
Avery
The whole room had been transformed into what looked like a fairy-tale sex palace, if there was such a thing.
“I’m going to kill my brother,” Blade snarled as he stalked into the room. “I told him tasteful, classy, and Instagram worthy, like a massage table and cucumber water—what the hell is this?”
Something hit him in the face. I looked up at the garlands of tiny crystal boobs hanging from the ceiling.
There was a path of white silk covered in rose petals and lit by little candles with phrases likeGet your freak on!andI relax best with a cock in my mouth. After the whole day—the alcohol, the crazy games, the sun, all the fried food and did I mention the alcohol?—these decorations were too much. I started giggling as Blade furiously called his brother.
“He’s not picking up, of course.”
I kicked off my shoes and walked through the rose petals.
“To be fair, it is Instagram worthy,” I said, “as long as you don’t zoom in. If this room looks like this, I have to see the bedroom.”
