by Layla Hagen
“I’ll just change, and you can pack this up too,” Josie said.
She busied herself for longer than necessary inside. I didn’t feel too guilty, because Josie had enjoyed the kiss. It had been there in her body language, the way she’d kissed me back. The way she’d pressed her thighs together.
I poured myself another glass of water while Josie changed, even though she’d pulled the curtains all the way together this time.
Dammit, I was a jerk. What was I thinking, convincing myself it was okay to kiss her just because she liked it? Why wouldn’t she enjoy kissing? That didn’t mean it was okay for me to do it.
But ever since we’d decided to go through with this, it was as if a switch had gone off in my brain. Every time I looked at her, all I could think of was that she was mine. Which, of course, she was not. But I was beginning to realize I’d have to constantly make an effort to remind myself of that. She was my best friend, and I knew better than to push that line.
Chapter Nine
Josie
The next day, I met Tess and Skye early in the afternoon. We headed to Soho, in Lower Manhattan.
Many people swore by Fifth Avenue, but I loved Soho more. It used to be full of galleries, but a lot have been replaced by shops. The city kept reinventing itself constantly, as if it was determined to keep the sense of wonder alive among its residents.
Soho boasted an old-world charm, with its narrow cobblestone streets—even though I had to be careful not to misstep with my heels. The buildings with wrought iron facades housed artsy cafes and shops ranging from mainstream brands to unique boutiques.
I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t looking forward to this. Was it nerve-wracking? Sure. But I also felt an excitement I couldn’t even begin to describe.
Skye and Tess were waiting for me in front of the store. I’d never seen them more excited. I was so happy they were shopping with me, because they had excellent taste in clothing. They could get away with wearing anything.
Skye was curvy and tall. She’d been like that as a teenager too and often said that was why she wanted to go into the lingerie business. She wanted to create sexy things for curvy girls. She waved at me so enthusiastically that a few chocolate brown strands bounced around from her high ponytail.
Tess was tall too, but willowy. Her light brown hair was interspersed with blonde strands. She didn’t follow trends. She knew what she liked and made no apologies for it. I loved Tess and Skye to the moon and back. I’d do anything for them. If they hurt, I hurt. If they were happy, I was happy. Right now, I was feeling extra guilty for deceiving them.
The store had bridal gowns on the ground floor and evening wear on the top floor. Despite intending to head straight upstairs, I couldn’t tear my eyes off the white dresses. I loved bridal gowns in any shape.
My heart gave a mighty sigh as I glanced at a rack. Belatedly, I realized Tess was watching me. Shit. The cat was out of the bag.
“Andrea, what do you have on the rack in my friend’s size? She and my cousin have recently realized they’re the loves of each other’s lives and are getting married in two weeks.”
“That’s so romantic,” Andrea said. “And you’re so in love that you can’t wait to get married and are willing to let any silly childhood dreams slide by just to tie the knot. What’s your size?”
“Six.”
“You go upstairs and pick what you like. I’m going to check what I have ready-to-buy in your size in the bridal selection.”
Twenty minutes later, I entered the changing room with seven evening dresses. They were all to die for. How was I supposed to decide?
A few minutes later, my problem escalated, because Andrea told me she’d found ten wedding dresses in my size. She’d hung them on a rack in front of the changing room.
They were all absolutely stunning, and I knew before I’d even tried them that I was a goner.
One by one, I paraded the dresses in front of Tess and Skye. A mermaid-style one with a sweetheart neckline stole my heart. I looked like royalty wearing it.
“This is the one, isn’t it?” Tess asked.
Skye clapped her hands. “Look at her dopey smile. Of course, it is.”
Between their laughter and the beauty of the dress, for one moment I forgot altogether that this wasn’t real.
I was being silly.
“I still want to try the rest of the evening gowns,” I told them before taking refuge in the changing room.
I could easily tell Tess and Skye this wasn’t what I was looking for, that I’d had an image of my perfect dress in mind for years, and instead of settling on something that wasn’t what I’d envisioned, I preferred no bridal dress at all. They’d understand.
But we were getting married in one of the ballrooms. We had two hundred guests. I couldn’t show up in a cocktail dress. It would raise eyebrows.
I twirled in front of the mirror, grinning like a fool. I wouldn’t let this dress pass me by. I opened the curtains to the changing room again and announced, “You’re right. This is the one.”
They cheered and came to hug me. I felt overwhelmed with emotion and a little guilt but hugged them back just as hard.
“You just need shoes,” Andrea said. “I’ll be right back.”
“And keep Saturday before the wedding free,” Tess said.
“Why?”
“For the bachelorette party.”
I swallowed. “We need a whole day? I’d planned to move into the new house on Saturday.”
“Change your plans, girl. We’re kidnapping you and treating you to the whole bridal program.”
“Should I be afraid?”
Skye placed one hand on her hip. “Is the Arctic freezing? Yes.”
“Okay, then.”
“We’ll help you pack your stuff. I can’t believe you’ve agreed to marry Hunter before you’ve lived with him. What if he’s one of those guys who leaves his stuff everywhere?”
I gave a nervous laugh. This is the type of thing I should know.
“I’m pretty laid-back about everything.”
Tess raised an eyebrow. “Have you met yourself? You’re crazy exact about everything.”
“No, I’m not.”
“The shelves in your bookcase have labels with the first letter of the authors’ names.”
“Isn’t that normal?”
“It is if you’re a bookstore. You get my drift?”
“Well, it’s all about compromise,” I muttered, but I couldn’t quite meet Tess’s eyes.
Chapter Ten
Josie
Leonie was a lifesaver, as usual. She’d informed me that she’d take care of packing up my stuff while I was at work, as well as moving everything over to the house. All I had to do was separate everything in three piles: take with me, put in storage, throw away/donate.
Tess and Skye had offered to help.
Two evenings into the packing process, I realized packing was code for interrogation.
“Did he already make space for you in his closet?” Tess asked.
“Umm....” Shit. Every time I thought we were on safe ground, something new came up. I didn’t even know what Hunter’s closet looked like.
“I’m going to help him do it,” I said vaguely. “He just moved in the house, so nothing’s set yet.” Now that I came to think about it, what would our arrangement look like? I slept in a different bedroom, but all my clothes would be in his closet? My toiletries in his bathroom? There was more than one bathroom in the house, but we had to make it look as if we were sharing a bedroom and a bathroom.
The thought of showering in his shower, entering his room on a daily basis felt far too intimate. What if he slept naked? Nope... I would not think about that. Yet now that I’d let that thought in, it was all I could think about. A bout of heat coursed through me.
We somehow had to manage this, because there was no way I could keep my clothes in my bedroom. I’d have to move everything back and forth every time a Winchester came to visit, a
nd they liked to drop by unannounced.
On Saturday, I was all jittery on the subway ride to the house. Leonie had already sent all my stuff there yesterday. I only had time for a quick tour before Tess and Skye picked me up for my bachelorette party. I couldn’t wait. Sure, I was liable to get drunk and say something I wasn’t supposed to, but I needed to blow off some steam.
Besides, Hunter and I had fabricated some more details about our relationship at the beginning of the week. We’d had dinner together and plotted. It had started out fun. We each came up with potential questions Tess and Skye would throw at me.
By the end of it, I was breathless and needy and thoughts I should never have about my best friend were now permanently branded in my brain. It had started benignly enough, but then I’d somehow dug my own grave.
“What if they ask me intimate details?” I’d asked.
Hunter had winked. “Just tell them I’m the best you’ve ever had.”
“Always so humble.” My cheeks had heated up. Even now, I blushed as I remembered the conversation.
My face still felt hot as I knocked at the door. Hunter welcomed me with a lazy smile, gesturing for me to step inside. He was wearing a very thin shirt—it was practically transparent. I had to make a concerted effort not to trace all those muscles with my gaze. Damn it. The man looked like sex on a stick.
“Wow, this looks incredible,” I said the second I stepped inside the house. It had been completely empty when the real estate agent had shown it to us, and was unrecognizable with all the furniture. The living room was split in two areas: the kitchen, complete with an island and barstools and a glass table, and the living area, defined by a celestial blue couch with three seats.
“Leonie outdid herself. She already unpacked everything.”
I still wasn’t sure how we were going to handle having separate bedrooms but keeping all our clothes in one place. It seemed like a lot of hassle and a lot of bumping into each other.
We didn’t have time to talk logistics, because both of our bachelor parties were starting in a few minutes.
Skye and Tess arrived first.
“Ready?” Tess asked, rubbing her palms together in excitement.
“Depends, are you going to tell me what we’re doing?”
They both vehemently shook their heads. I turned to Hunter, who was watching us with an amused expression.
“Fiancé, don’t you have anything to tell them? A warning? A lecture?”
“Afraid you can’t handle your own bachelorette party?” he asked lazily.
Tess snickered. “You talk as if you’ll be able to handle yours.”
Hunter’s eyes flashed.
“Okay. Here are some ground rules. Don’t get my girl too drunk. Don’t let anyone come on to her. And whatever you do, don’t torture her with questions.”
Skye smiled indulgently. “Awww, that’s so sweet. Completely useless, but points for trying.”
***
Hunter
My cousin Ryker was a master at organizing events. He’d scheduled a full day. We’d started with a rafting trip on a river just outside the city and were finishing the night by going to a bar. It was just the three of us: Ryker, Cole, and me.
“Didn’t think I’d see the day you married,” Ryker exclaimed when we downed the second round of tequila.
“Ryker, don’t start,” Cole said.
“Why not? Need to understand what changed his mind.”
“Why?” I asked.
“So I don’t run the same risk.”
I laughed, twirling the empty glass.
“When you know, you know, and there’s nothing you can do about it.”
Ryker looked glum at my explanation but didn’t pry any further. I couldn’t help wondering what Tess, Skye, and Josie were up to. I’d been wondering for the better part of the day, but every time I took out my phone, I shoved it right back in my pocket.
I lost the fight after the third round of tequila and excused myself from the group.
The music was loud enough that I had to step outside to make the call. My vision was blurry when I looked at the screen, but I somehow managed to pull up Josie’s number.
Only it wasn’t Josie who answered. It was Skye.
“You’re one lovesick fiancé,” she remarked.
“Can I talk to Josie?”
“Nope. It’s a no-man zone tonight. If you speak to her, you’ll convince her to bail on us.”
“What makes you think that?”
“Because you sound like you’ve had just enough tequila to want to bolt on Ryker and convince Josie to bolt with you, and we can’t have that. We still have plans. You’ll have your fiancée all to yourself tomorrow, but tonight, she’s ours.”
“What exactly do those plans entail?”
“You know. Just fun.”
That wasn’t reassuring at all, but Skye refused to tell me anything more. My thoughts were running amok as I headed inside, back to the guys. Ryker had suggested a strip club, but I’d firmly put my foot down. Not my style.
But what about Josie? Had my cousins gotten her a stripper? The thought drove me insane. I didn’t want any man to put his hands on her, let alone other body parts.
Fucking hell. Why was I feeling possessive? She was my friend. She was helping me out. That was all.
I was lying to myself, and I knew it. This past week, it had become clear just how close to each other we’d be over the next few years, and this morning... fuck. We were going to live in the same house.
“There you are. Tell me you haven’t called Josie,” Ryker said.
“I haven’t called Josie.”
“You’re a shit liar.” He dragged a hand over his face dramatically. “Skye will hand me my ass.”
“Why?”
“Because we were supposed to keep you entertained enough not to call Josie.”
The corners of my mouth twitched. “Skye was the one who answered the phone, so you’d better be thorough in preparing your defense.”
***
I arrived at the house at three o’clock in the morning. Josie wasn’t there yet. Despite the long day, I felt full of energy. The light buzz from the alcohol had evaporated, and I was too restless to sleep.
I heard noise at the front door about an hour later. It sounded as if someone was scratching the lock. I didn’t see anyone through the peephole but opened anyway. Josie was bent, holding the key in her hand. She straightened up, batting her eyelashes.
“Umm... had a little trouble finding the lock.”
“They got you drunk.”
Josie pouted, lacing her arms around my neck as I scooped her up in my arms. “They invited all my closest friends. We were twelve. It was crazy. And Tess and Skye were merciless, Hunter. Merciless. I thought I was safe once we’d gotten to the club, but then after we had a few shots, they were at it again. I made a fool of myself.”
“What did they ask?”
I laid her on the bed in the guest room, sitting at the edge. “Why I fell for you, what I like best about you, how I knew you were the one.”
“What did you tell them?”
She wrinkled her nose, turning on one side with her face to me, hugging the pillow. “That you’re probably the person who knows me best and you’ve charmed me since you were a teenager, and that I’ve dreamed about having mini Hunters forever.”
“Fuck, you’re sweet.”
“My head’s swimming.”
“Close your eyes. Go to sleep.”
“I should probably change....”
“I’ll help.”
She narrowed her eyes. “I’m not drunk enough to get seminaked in front of you.”
She was out in a few seconds, but I didn’t move from her side. Had she meant any part of what she’d told my cousins? Or did she just tell them that to appease them? It was probably the latter, but her words tugged at me for reasons I didn’t understand.
The warmth of a home and the love of a woman were things I hadn’t eve
n let myself think I might have one day, because they’d always felt so far out of reach.
I honestly couldn’t see myself in that position. A father. The head of a family. Did Josie see me in a different light?
When Josie turned on the other side, her dress rode up higher—and then even higher when she rolled onto her stomach. Holy fuck. She was wearing a thong that basically covered nothing. I didn’t want to look, but I couldn’t not look.
I had to get out of there. Now.
I darted out the door, taking refuge in my own bedroom. Jesus Christ. This was my life from now on. This gorgeous woman would be living with me for three years. I’d be tempted every single day, and I’d have to fight that temptation.
No matter how close she was, Josie was out of reach.
***
I slept like a rock. Next morning, I was surprised to find Josie was already awake... mostly. She was lying on the couch, knees pulled up to her chest, staring into space. She looked cute, in long pajama pants and a top. I couldn’t erase the image of that perfect ass of hers from my brain.
“Morning, drunk girl.”
“My head feels like it weighs a ton. Took a shower, but it didn’t help.”
“Alcohol will do that to you.”
“Why are you so chirpy? You had your bachelor party.”
“But I came home earlier.”
“Boo, that sounds like a boring party.”
“Want to take a grand tour of the place?”
She groaned. “I should, right? But I just want to stay like this forever.”
“You need water.”
I brought her a large glass from the kitchen. She reluctantly pushed herself to a sitting position, crossing her legs on the couch.
“I know the house anyway,” she mumbled. “The agent gave us a tour.”
“Yes, but it didn’t have any furniture back then.”
“You’re right. Okay, let me finish this up and you can give me a tour of the kingdom.”
I chuckled, helping her up after she emptied the glass. We covered the rooms where Leonie had set up home offices for us, then the guest room she was sleeping in and the one where I’d put the treadmill once it was delivered before coming to the master bedroom where I’d taken up residence.
