The Wedding Pact Box Set

by Denise Grover Swank

  “That I like beer?” she asked in surprise as she took the bottle from him.

  “No. That you like Black Raven Brewery. It’s one of my favorite places.”

  She took a sip and leaned back on her elbows, her head above the pillow. “Who knows? We may have been there at the same time and never realized it.”

  His gaze had returned to her legs before reaching into the cooler for a bottle, twisting off the cap and taking a long drink.

  “You grew up in Seattle?” she asked.

  “Yeah.”

  “Never thought about moving away?”

  “No. My father’s business is there.”

  She took another drink, scrutinizing him as she asked her next question. “Your father’s entrepreneurial business?”

  His shoulders tightened, and he took another drink. For a man who’d declined a beer, he was downing it pretty fast.

  “Are you and Noah close?”

  His gaze rose to her face, and he seemed to hesitate before saying, “Not particularly.”

  “But he came out here to find you anyway.”

  He seemed to think over his response. “He was worried.”

  “About you or something else?”

  He looked startled, and she laughed before taking another drink. She closed her eyes and let the cool liquid run down her throat. She hadn’t had a drink all evening, not wanting to lose more control over the situation than she already had. And with her stomach a ball of nerves, she’d hardly eaten either, so the beer was quickly going to her head. While part of her was screaming for her to remain on guard, the rest of her said screw it. She knew that Josh had some ulterior motive for helping her. But she knew he liked her, too, and in this moment, it was all that mattered.

  “Relax,” she said, her eyes still closed. “I don’t care.”

  “Why wouldn’t you care?”

  She turned her face toward him, her eyes searching his. “Because I trust you . . . after a fashion.”

  “How do you know I’m worthy of your trust?”

  She sat up and set the bottle in the grass next to the sleeping bag. Then she leaned toward him, her face hovering inches from his. “Because I can see your heart, Josh McMillan. You wouldn’t intentionally hurt me.”

  He shook his head, pain in his eyes, confirming her suspicions. “How can you be so sure?”

  Her fingertips rested on his cheek as she searched his eyes. “Will you intentionally hurt me?”

  “Not if I can help it,” he whispered. “That’s the last thing I want.”

  “I know.” Her lips brushed his softly and he remained still, not even breathing.

  “Megan,” he finally whispered, sounding like he was in discomfort.

  She leaned back and stared into his eyes. “I’ve coasted through most of my life, Josh, letting other people direct my path, but I’m tired of coasting. I want to take charge. I want to do what makes me happy.” She smiled at him. “I want you.”

  His eyes clouded.

  “Do you want me, Josh?”

  “It’s not that easy, Megan.”

  She laughed softly. “It’s a simple yes or no question, no reasoning or rationale allowed, at least not tonight.” Her hand cupped his neck, and her thumb brushed his cheek. “Do you want me?”

  His answer was to press his lips on hers and entwine one hand in her hair as he used the other to press her to his chest. They were a tangle of tongues and limbs as he pulled her onto his lap, her legs straddling his waist.

  She clung to him as he took control, the hand around her back sliding down to cup her ass and press her against his erection. Heat engulfed her body, and she groaned and gyrated against him, her hands sliding under his shirt. Her fingertips skimmed up his hard chest muscles.

  He leaned back and pulled his shirt over his head, tossing it behind him. When he tried to kiss her again, she placed her hands on his shoulders and pushed him back. “I want to look at you.”

  He was more perfect in the moonlight than she remembered him from the night before. She slid her hands down to his perfectly sculpted abdomen, dipping lower to the waistband of his jeans. Using the palm of her hand, she rubbed his bulge through his jeans, feeling empowered when he squirmed.

  He groaned, searching her eyes. “I thought that was my line.”

  Then she dropped her hands to her sides. “Go ahead.”

  He sat up and reached behind her back, his lips brushing the nape of her neck, his tongue dancing in tantalizing circles along her sensitive skin, sending waves of pleasure through her body. He unzipped her dress, exposing her skin to the cooler night air. She shivered and he chuckled as his teeth lightly nipped along her collarbone. His face lifted and he searched her eyes as his hands slid slowly up her back, his thumbs hooking on the neckline of her dress, then sliding the fabric down her arms.

  She sat still as he pulled her arms free, the cotton dress puddling at her waist. His gaze lowered to her pale blue lace bra, but his hands dropped to her sides instead of cupping her breasts like she wanted. She sucked in a breath. The old insecurities came rushing back. Had he changed his mind? Did he find her lacking?

  But his gaze lifted to hers, and the lust she saw there displaced her concerns. He pulled off her bra as his mouth found hers again, warm and desperate.

  Her hands wound into his hair, holding him close as his hand moved to her breast, his thumb brushing over her nipple.

  She sucked in a breath as a jolt of need shot straight to her core.

  He continued to kiss her, his tongue exploring her mouth as his other hand slipped between her legs, his fingers rubbing against her damp panties. She pressed herself into his hand, moaning softly, and as if following her unspoken instructions, his fingers moved up, sliding down under her lingerie and between her folds.

  She closed her eyes, her breath coming in rapid pants as his finger slipped inside her, the palm of his hand pressing against her mound as he rubbed her in slow circles. She couldn’t believe how turned on she was already. She wanted more than his hand. She rose to her knees, reaching under her skirt to pull her panties off.

  He wrapped an arm around her back, pressing kisses to her abdomen, then lowered her to his lap again and found her nipple with his mouth.

  She arched her back as his free hand returned between her legs. “Josh,” she said, hoping the sound of his name would convey to him everything she felt and needed. She needed him.

  He pushed her back up to her knees as he fumbled with his pants, tugging them off, then lowering her to straddle his upper thighs.

  His hand cupped her cheek, and he searched her face before kissing her again.

  Not willing to wait any longer, she reached for him, wrapping her hand around the length of him and stroking. He released a low moan and pressed into her hand. His moan and his need turned her on even more. He wanted her. Her thumb traced his tip and he tensed, sucking in his breath. His fingers slid between her legs again, bringing her close to release.

  Her sense of urgency increased as he pushed her backward, her head hitting the pillow as he moved between her legs, kneeling over her.

  “Dammit.” He froze and squeezed his eyes shut with frustration. “I don’t have a condom.”

  “I do.” She reached inside the pillowcase under her head and pulled out a foil square.

  He snagged it from her hand and ripped it open faster than she would have thought possible, then rolled the condom over his stiff erection.

  She gazed up at him, reaching for him. Needing him now.

  He lowered himself to one elbow and lifted her hip with his free hand, teasing her with his hardness before finally entering her, filling her perfectly.

  Crying out, she lifted her hips higher, helping him slide deeper. His mouth covered hers as their movements became more urgent. As their passion built, his mouth broke free, his breath hot on her neck as he held her tighter, thrusting deeper. Faster.

  She wrapped her legs around his back as she climbed higher, pressing herself again
st him with every thrust, until she finally climaxed, crying out in a gasp as her orgasm washed over her.

  He held her tighter and gave two final deep thrusts before coming. She grabbed his hips, holding him close for a moment until he rolled to his side, gathering her in his arms so they were chest to chest, him still inside her.

  She looked up into his face, and he smiled at her in wonderment and happiness. “Where have you been all my life, Megan Vandemeer?”

  “Apparently right around the corner.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  He lay on his back with Megan on top of him, his arms wrapped around her back. Her head was nestled in the crook of his arm and her hand was on his chest, her fingertips circling lightly over his sternum. They were naked on a bluff overlooking a lake. Although it was nighttime, someone could still stumble upon them, but he couldn’t bring himself to let her go. Now that they’d actually done this, now that he knew with certainty how perfect they really were for each other, he wished they could just leave this whole mess behind and run away somewhere together, somewhere that no one knew them or their problems.

  She released a contented sigh. “I want to forget about the wedding that’s supposed to take place in less than two days and just be in this moment.”

  His arm tightened around her.

  “The only thing in my life that makes sense right now is you,” she continued.

  “How do I make sense?”

  “That’s just it, I don’t know. I only know this feels more right than anything else. Ever.” She lifted her head and grinned. “Who falls this hard for a guy within twenty-four hours of meeting him?”

  “Lots of people fall in love at first sight. My parents did.”

  She blinked in surprise. “Your parents fell in love at first sight?”

  He grabbed a strand of her hair that brushed over his bare chest. “So they claim. And they were happily married for twenty-one years.”

  “Well, this isn’t love at first sight,” she grinned against his lips. “More like lust.” She kissed him with a passion that showed him how much she still wanted him.

  Was she right? Was what he was feeling no more than lust? Did he have to put a label on it? He only knew the rapidly approaching wedding spelled a likely end for their new relationship . . . and the extracurricular sleuthing he and Noah were doing amped that “likely” up to a “certainly.”

  He was more determined than ever to come clean in the hopes she would forgive him, not that he deserved it. But even Libby had told him Megan wore her heart on her sleeve. Maybe she would understand his desperation. Well, he wasn’t sure how to fix the mess he’d created, but he didn’t need a solution right this minute. While the likelihood of losing her was higher than not, he had a choice to make: he could start mourning his impending loss of her now, or he could spend every minute with her while he could.

  He chose the latter.

  He rolled her onto her back, and she giggled as he lowered his face to her neck. “So what are your plans, Ms. Vandemeer? Are we going back to your parents’ house?”

  “Oh, God, no.”

  “So we’re camping under the stars?”

  “Unless you have a better idea.”

  “I can’t think of a single one.” He pushed up on his elbow. “But we either need to get dressed or cover up with your blanket. Unless you’re a nudist like your gram.”

  She laughed. “I’m not, but getting dressed is a waste of time, don’t you think?” The sparkle in her eyes made it impossible not to kiss her.

  “See?” she said. “You just proved my point. Besides, this spot can only be accessed from the campsite, and no one’s going to try camping here now that my car’s parked there.”

  He grabbed the blanket and spread it across them, glancing back at the trail they’d used to get to the clearing.

  “I think we’re safe, Josh,” she teased. “You’re awfully uptight. Maybe Gram’s right. Maybe you are a prude.”

  “You realize that sounds like a challenge . . . ?”

  She laughed. “Take it as you will. Still, we’re safe from prying eyes. Unless we count the monstrous raccoons.” She cocked an eyebrow. “You don’t happen to have any food in your pockets, do you?”

  “Nope.”

  “Then we’re good.”

  She rolled on her side to face him. “So tell me more about your family. Is it anything like mine?”

  “No offense, Megan, but I don’t think there’s any family like yours.”

  She laughed. “Fair enough.”

  “Why do you let her get to you so much?” Her smile faded, and he was instantly sorry he asked, but he was curious to know. “On the plane you took on that flight attendant without a second thought. Your job is to fight corporations bent on deforestation. Hell, you’ll take on a wild raccoon—” his voice softened, “—but you won’t stand up to your mother.” He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “That’s such a contradiction to the woman I’ve gotten to know . . . the woman the rest of the world sees. I just don’t get it.”

  She worried her bottom lip with her upper teeth, then looked into his eyes. “It’s not that easy to answer, Josh.”

  “Then try.”

  She took a deep breath and pushed it out, looking sadder by the millisecond.

  “I’m sorry,” he murmured, running his hand down her arm. “It’s none of my business.”

  A wry smile twisted her mouth. “That’s not exactly true, is it? My inability to stand up to my mother has gotten you into this strange situation.”

  He grinned, leaning in to kiss her. “I kind of like where I am right now.”

  She pushed him onto his back and leaned her breasts against his bare chest. He felt himself stirring again—the sight of her bare curves driving him crazy.

  “I kind of like where I am right now, too.” She brushed her lips against his. “The funny thing is that she was different when I was a kid. She laughed and had fun. She was a regular mom for the most part. But then when I was in middle school, she changed. Like a light switch from off to on. She became obsessed with everything being perfect.” She forced a tight smile. “But nothing’s perfect, you know?”

  Watching her now, he considered arguing with her statement. She looked as near to perfect as he could imagine. “Perfection is difficult to reach and impossible to maintain.”

  “Exactly. Which is why she constantly found me lacking. I didn’t suit her new view of perfection. At first I was too stunned to argue, so I said nothing. All of us did, really. Kevin and I were stunned that our mother was gone and this Stepford wife had taken her place. Kevin got involved in sports. My dad took up camping and fishing, and for a while I was the one to deal with her on a regular basis. But I didn’t. I retreated. Then after a while, I guess I learned that it’s always been easier not to fight her. No one ever goes against her and wins. Ever. She’s beaten us down enough times that we’ve just stopped trying. I moved to Seattle to get away from her. I’ve never seen my dad more crushed than the day I told him I was moving away. I think he instinctively knew I wouldn’t be back much.”

  “But what about Libby and Blair?”

  “Collateral damage.”

  Josh’s mother had always been supportive and loving. How would he handle it if she flipped a switch like Nicole Vandemeer had done? What had happened to turn her against her family?

  “No more talk about my mother.” Her hand slipped into his hair, and her face hovered over his, her eyes bright and large. “You were a hero tonight.”

  “What?”

  “You probably think no one noticed in all the madness, but I did. You saved my cousin. She was drowning and you jumped in and saved her.”

  He shook his head, cringing. “It wasn’t anything. Anyone could have done it.”

  “But you did.”

  “I suspect Noah wishes I’d left her at the bottom of the pool after the way she bit him.”

  Megan tilted her head back and laughed, and Josh decided the sound of her
laugh was the happiest sound that had ever existed. “Nevertheless, you saved her. You saved me, too. I’m surprised you don’t have a superhero costume on under your clothes.”

  “I did,” he teased. “But spandex shrinks in water, so I had to hang it over the shower rod in your bathroom. I hope no one comes in and learns my secret.”

  She laughed again, straddling his waist and leaning over him, her hair tumbling over her shoulders. “If we ever go back, will you try it on for me?”

  “If we go back?”

  Her smile softened. “We could run away together—just you and me—and never look back.”

  Her thoughts so echoed his own that he couldn’t help but smile. “Do we end up in Seattle when we reach the end of our trip, or do we stay on some tropical island somewhere?”

  “It depends. Does this island include Gram’s nudist colony?”

  “God, no.”

  “Hmm . . . Just how good are you at making coconut drinks?” Her eyebrows lifted playfully as she asked the question. When he started to answer, she kissed him to stop his answer. “It’s a trick question, so think carefully first.” Then she laughed again, sitting up.

  He sat up, too, grabbing her hips and settling her on his thighs. The nearness of her drove him crazy and made his thoughts stray from their conversation. “I’m going to guess that you hate coconut, so I should probably answer that I make killer margaritas.”

  She laughed again. “I knew you were smart.”

  “The question of my intelligence is yet to be decided, but I think agreeing to be your substitute fiancé was the best idea I’ve ever had.”

  “I don’t remember asking,” she teased.

  “I have lots of things to offer that you might not have even considered.”

  Her eyes flew open in mock surprise. “You’re full of talk, aren’t you?”

  He laughed. “I’ll be happy to demonstrate.”

  The amusement on her face faded. She grabbed his face in her hands and gave him a deep, lazy kiss that reached down to his soul, stirring a longing of which he’d never believed himself capable.

  He wrapped an arm around her, his hand splaying on her back as he held her close. “I think I could spend the rest of my life with you and never get my fill.”