Power Couple: A Marriage of Convenience Romance (The Nashvegas Series Book 1)

by Laramie Briscoe

  “Oh my God, I haven’t slept that long in forever.” I feel like I should, but I make no move to get up. There’s something nice about laying here with him, without a care in the world, and no other place to be.

  “Me neither.” He puts his phone down, rolling back toward me. “Not even on the day we woke up married.”

  I laugh along with him because it’s true. For a moment, we get really quiet, just staring at one another.

  “I’m sorry things were awkward with us this week,” I apologize, mentioning the downright painful FaceTime sessions we’d had. The only time we came together to speak longer than a few minutes was when I asked if my stuff could be delivered at his house.

  “Why was that?” EJ asks, taking possession of my fingers again. “I bet we said a whole ten words to each other all week, even the texts seemed off from the person you were in that hotel room last weekend.”

  Now’s the time to come clean about some of the things my parents said, over the phone and in texts, both before and after I asked to have my stuff sent.

  “When I asked my mom to have some of my stuff sent here, she didn’t really care.” This is totally embarrassing for me to explain, but if we’re going to be married, he’s going to have to deal with my family too, although hopefully on a very limited basis. “I still lived with my parents, since I’m not home very much. Everything in that room, is all the stuff I own, minus furniture.”

  “No shit? Wow!”

  “Yeah, and she told me she wouldn’t help me move. Like didn’t even lift a finger or box a t-shirt up. Which didn’t matter anyway since it was already boxed up. So there’s that. But when I told her I’d be coming down here to stay with you, she thought it was funny, said I shouldn’t get too comfortable, because there’s no way this will last.”

  Those last words taste awful in my mouth and I console myself by running my fingers along his.

  “Did that bother you?”

  “That she said we won’t last? Yeah, because she and my dad? They hate each other, but they stay together for the kids. I have one younger sibling not eighteen yet, and two older siblings. None of us are especially close, and I’ve heard them for at least the last ten years say how they’ve stayed together for us. It hurts, they probably would have been much happier apart and so would all the kids.”

  “It bothers me for you.” He turns so that his arm goes around my waist. “My parents have always been very open in how they feel about each other. They’re the real deal.”

  “I don’t have that experience, and that’s why I pulled back on you,” I admit softly. “I’ve never known two people to love each other unconditionally, to have a really good relationship and work through the bullshit without hating each other. We jumped into this so quickly and I’m worried that we’ll not only hate each other, but we’ll resent each other because the record company is asking us to stay together.”

  Getting those words out is the absolute best feeling I’ve had since this started. Being honest with him feels really good.

  “I can’t speak for our future, Bri, because I don’t know it. I don’t have some sort of crystal ball that will tell me where we’ll be in a week, a month, or a year, but I can tell you we’re gonna have to work at it. Probably harder than other people because we don’t know each other. What I can tell you, is that I’m as committed as I was a few days ago. Are you with me?”

  “Yeah.” I smile slowly. “I am.”

  “Good, then what we’re gonna do is what we would have done to begin with. You’re gonna go get ready, I’m gonna get ready, and we’re going on a date, if that’s cool with you?”

  My heart speeds up as what he’s saying sinks in. “A date?” I haven’t been on a date in a long time. It’s hard to date when you’re on the road and people don’t understand the schedule you keep. You’re not in the same city for long periods of time, not where you can take phone calls or even go out in regular intervals. But if the two of us are committed, and we’re doing this. We’ve gotta go all the way.

  “Yeah, it’s what I would do if I were trying to woo you, and make no mistake about it, Bri. I’m tryin’ to woo the fuck outta you.”

  This guy? He makes my heart flutter in ways it’s never fluttered before, makes me smile in ways I’ve never thought about smiling. “Okay, then I would love to go out on a date with you. What should I wear?”

  “We’re real casual here in Nashville, jeans and a t-shirt. Probably not flip-flops, given the way it’s raining outside, but I promise to take you to one of my favorite burger places. Sound good?”

  “Sounds great.”

  “I only have one and a half bathrooms in this house, so we’ll have to either share the shower, or take turns,” he jokes.

  “We can share if you want, we’re both adults.” I find a boldness I had no idea I had.

  “I’m game if you are,” he says as he gets out of the bed, stripping his clothes as he walks to the door beside the bed and opens it. “Come join me when you’re ready.”

  As my eyes travel down his body, and I get an eyeful of a man I don’t even remember having in the first place, I sigh, wishing like hell I did remember. EJ Thompson has a body I’d kill to explore, and I’m really pissed I don’t remember doing it last time.

  Getting up, I leave a trail of clothes in my wake as I open the shower door, climbing in behind him. When he turns around, his eyes immediately make a trip up and down my body. Everything becomes sensitive, everything peaks and I fight to cover myself from his gaze, but then I do the same for him, realizing quickly he likes everything he sees, just as much as I do.

  “We should hurry.” His voice is deep, strained. “I’m starving.”

  It’s on the tip of my tongue to ask if it’s only food he’s starving for, or if it’s a taste of the two of us together.

  Chapter Nine

  EJ

  "We have to park a little way down here and then walk back," I apologize as we park on the street, about a block down from my favorite burger joint.

  "That's okay, Everett, I like to walk." She smiles as she reaches for the door handle.

  "Wait," I stop her with the urgency of my voice. "If my mom heard you opened your own door, I'd never hear the end of it. Don't you touch it, I'll come around."

  She sits back, curling her hands in her lap. "Whatever you say."

  Getting out, I take a deep breath, before walking around the front of my SUV. With her view hidden, I adjust my jeans. Taking a shower with her was torture, and the way she calls me Everett? It runs through my body, straight to my cock. For the fiftieth time, I wonder how that night between us was. I'd love to know the sounds she made, how she touched my body, what she sounds like when she gets hers. It downright pisses me off that I don't have these moments in my memory bank. As I get around to the passenger side door, I open it, giving her my hand to help her out. For a few seconds I wish she'd worn a dress or a skirt, so that I could see her bare legs. Instead, she's wearing a pair of jeans, fashionably ripped. At least they allow for me to see a little bit of the skin. The shirt she wears shows off her smooth stomach, and as I turn her to walk down the sidewalk, I clasp my fingers around her side. Her skin is warm to the touch, and I notice the gasp of air when our flesh touches.

  "So this is your favorite place?" she asks, putting her purse around her body.

  Moving my hand around her waist, I slide it down, to grasp hers as we stroll. She entwines her fingers with mine, and I can't help the smile that spreads across my face as she grips them tight. "My favorite burger place," I correct her. "Wouldn't say it's my absolute favorite all-around place, but I think you'll like it. Even though you're a big pop star," I say those words as I hold our hands up and shake my head, "I think you enjoy the simpler things in life."

  She ducks her head, laughing. "You're pretty spot on about that. I'd rather eat a burger and drink a milkshake than have a five-course dinner any day. Now don't get me wrong, I love diamonds, high-end shoes, and dresses than cost more than most
people make in a year." She looks up at me. "But only sometimes. The rest of the time, I'm a jeans and t-shirt kinda girl who just wants to spend some time with this guy she calls a husband."

  A stupid smile breaks out, one of those that you're almost embarrassed to have because it's so wide and goofy looking. But she's acknowledged I'm her husband, and that makes me happy. "I wanna spend some time with you too. It's right here." I point to the small restaurant. There's a bit of a line, but the people here know me.

  We go in and stand in front of the hostess. "How many?" she asks, not even looking up.

  "Two, can we get in the garden?" I ask, referencing the outdoor section where they offer beer on tap too.

  She looks up, giving me a smile. "Hey, EJ. Sure, anywhere in particular out there?"

  I nod my head to where Bri stands next to me. "Private if you can, although I know most people won't bother us."

  "No problem, let me go ahead and take you two out there. Right this way."

  "C'mon." I pull Bri along with us.

  "Is this your first time here?" the hostess asks, glancing at my wife.

  "It is, but Everett assures me this is his favorite burger place, so I'm really excited to give a try."

  She takes us out to a semi-secluded area. "Here you two are, and EJ's not wrong. Our food is very good. I hope you enjoy it!"

  Within a few minutes, our waiter comes, giving us menus and taking our drink orders. We're sitting next to one another, when I look over, seeing my phone.

  She's looking at hers too. "We should probably document our date. The record company would probably want us to, and to be honest, I'm kind of excited to. When we're together at this time next year, I'd like to look back and see how much we've grown, how we're more comfortable with each other. I dunno." She shrugs. "I'm that girl that likes pictures and video."

  "Then I can easily be that guy."

  Pulling her cell to her, she scoots closer to me, holding her arm out. "Smile for me, Everett."

  That fuckin' name again.

  "This look good to you?" She shows me the picture and I'm struck with how well we complement one another. Her with her cute little nose, dark eyes that seem as if they can see right to my soul, and those fucking plump lips that I'd love to have wrapped around my cock. She's perfect for me. Whether she knows it or not.

  "I love it, now let's take one for me."

  I pull her close, holding her in front of my body, wrapping my arm around her neck. When she tilts her head to the side, I bury my face in the spot she's exposed, kissing the soft skin at her neck, as I snap a picture. After we both post our pictures, we put our phones down, order our food, and have something I haven't had in a long time. Meaningful conversation.

  "Did you want to go to college?" I ask her as I take a drink of my beer.

  She nods, drinking her water. "At one point I thought of giving this up to go to college, because I thought I'd like the experience, but in the end I couldn't. Contracts had already been signed and there was no way for me to get out of them. I'm hoping to, later on in life, ya know? Like when this either slows down or I don't have a career anymore."

  I flinch. "You really think at some point you won't have a career anymore?"

  "We're not like rockers." She pulls her lip between her teeth, before picking up a fry and popping it into her mouth. "For most of us, there's a shelf-life. I don't know if I have one or not, but we'll see how things go. I'd like to have longevity, but it remains to be seen if I can make the jump."

  Putting my burger down, I reach across the table, cupping her face. "I think you can make the jump. I've heard you sing. It's not manufactured. You're a lot like my mom, you can do whatever you want to. I firmly believe that."

  She grins. "Everett James, you're doing a really good job at wooing the fuck outta me."

  I laugh, leaning in to give her a soft kiss, just because I can't help it.

  As we're leaving, there are flashes of lightning in the distance. "Well I guess we won't go down to Broadway tonight." I point to the light show. "You okay to go back home?"

  "I'm fine with that." She holds my hand tightly as we walk back to the SUV.

  Helping her in, I stop for a second as she spreads her legs for me, letting me stand in between them. "Thank you for the date tonight," I tell her, pushing back the hair from her face.

  "Thank you, I've had a great time."

  This time, she initiates the kiss, her sweet lips pressing against mine, her head tilting to the left, while I tilt to the right. Slowly, I coax her mouth open, letting my tongue explore the crevices I can't fully remember from our night of debauchery in Vegas. She fists my shirt in her hands, pulling me as close as I can get. I press my body against hers, wanting so bad for there not to be clothing between us.

  Another part of me doesn't want to scare her either. She's young, probably not as experienced, and while I'm patient in most things, I'm a demanding man in bed.

  She's the first to break the kiss, panting as she buries her head in my chest. I'm just as affected, tilting my head back, I suck in oxygen. "We should probably get home," I manage, licking my suddenly dry lips.

  "I think that's probably for the best."

  As I drive home, we're both quiet, and when the rain starts falling, it creates a romantic ambience. The only light is coming from the dashboard, a muted blue, the only sound coming from the radio playing softly in the background. But the two of us? We're touching each other. At first we were holding hands, then somehow hers ended up on my thigh, running up and down. Mine's doing the same, and I want to move past this, but I'm not sure where her head is.

  Parking in the garage, we make our way inside, throwing our stuff on the kitchen counter. "Thank you for a really fun night," she whispers.

  The tension is there between us, crackling like the energy of the storm outside. "If I'm misreading this, you've got to tell me."

  It's the only warning I give her as I close the distance between us, palm her ass, and wrap her legs around my waist. I realize quickly the bedroom is too far, so I adjust taking us to the couch. My lips are on hers, and we're kissing just like we did earlier.

  "I want you," I tell her as I break the kiss, smearing my lips along her jaw line. My hands are working up the back of her shirt, going to work on the hooks of her bra. We separate long enough for me to get rid of the bra and the shirt. "God, you're gorgeous, Bri," I moan as I use my hands to lift both her tits, so that her nipples are within my reach. One I circle with my tongue, the other I worry with the pad of my thumb.

  "Everett." She grasps my hair in between her fingers as she holds me tightly to her.

  Her hips grind against mine, and fuck if it's not taking me to heaven and back and I'm not even inside her. Turning over, I lay her down on the couch, covering her body with mine. She's widened her thighs so I have room.

  "Oh my God." She thrusts up into me as my teeth make an appearance, lightly scoring her flesh. "This feels amazing." She runs her hands down my back, slipping them under my shirt. "But I'm not ready to have sex with you yet."

  I can respect that. I'm a grown man who knows that she and I have moved at the speed of light. "That's fine, we've got the rest of our lives," I pant as I thrust my jean covered cock into the cradle she's made. "But let me at least make us both feel good right now."

  "Yes." She pushes my shirt up as far as she can.

  Leveraging my body off of hers, I reach back, getting hold of the collar, and pull it off. With sure movements, I unbuckle the belt at my middle to give my cock some room to breathe. "Take those jeans of yours off, Bri. I won't go any further than what you want me to." The words are a promise to her.

  She unbuttons, slipping her jeans and underwear down her thighs, I grab them, pulling them the rest of the way before taking her shoes off, and then retaking my place between her thighs. We're rubbing against one another. My lips are everywhere, kissing at her neck, throat, lips, then down her chest, taking each nipple in turn before letting it go. She's touching me
everywhere, scoring her nails up and down my back, pushing against the erection that's tenting my boxers.

  Grasping her around the waist, I lift her up into a sitting position as I move down to the floor on my knees.

  "Everett, what?"

  "If you have to ask, then you haven't experienced this enough," I whisper as I put my hands on her knees, spreading them. "Tilt up to me," I instruct her as I take a bite of the inside of her thigh, sucking so that I know she'll have a hickey there tomorrow. Call me petty, but I want anyone who looks at her to know she's mine.

  She does as I ask. With my middle and forefinger, I run along the wetness coating her body, before lightly pressing them into her opening. "Ohhh," she breathes out, relaxing immediately.

  And that's when I go to work, diving face first into the best thing I've tasted since I started going down on women. She squirms so much that I have to use my free arm to drape it across her stomach, holding her still. "Let me work, babe."

  The endearment is easy on my tongue. I've always heard it around my house and always thought I'd come up with something more original when I found the woman I wanted to make mine. Fuck it. Babe fits her perfectly.

  She stills, which allows me to suck roughly on the flesh I so badly want to sink into. But I will respect her wishes. Now that my hand is free, I move it to the tent in my boxers. I'm thrusting against the air, wanting so badly to fuck something, and tonight my hand is going to have to do.

  Bri makes another noise that goes straight to my cock, which jumps in response. And right there, with my face buried between her thighs, her taste on my tongue, and her fingers tightly gripping my hair, we come together in a melody of grunts, oh god's, and one long drawn out fuuucckkk from me.

  And as I try to pull my shit together after it's all said and done. I realize there's no other place I'd rather be.

  Chapter Ten

  Bri