“I’m the maid of honor for your upcoming nuptials, and I know literally nothing,” she complains.
“Uncle Ned took my coat and said security would handle it for me. Since when do I rely on security?”
“Look at my dress,” she says as if that will explain everything.
“What about it? I love that little black dress,” I say as I admire the way it hugs her curves. “You look sexy.”
“This dress is something I wear out on the weekends!” she says like it’s blasphemous. “It’s not supposed to be my maid of honor dress for my best friend since we were in diapers. The maid of honor dress was supposed to be something we shopped for together, fought over, maybe even stole out of the arms of another shopper who wanted the same thing but I wanted it more.”
I laugh like I know she planned for me to. “You always know how to keep me calm,” I say. “I love you, JB. I’m so glad you’re here.”
She kisses my cheek. “I am too. I guess I just thought when you got married, you and I would have so much fun planning everything together, you know? But your dad is Mr. No-Fun these days.”
“He agreed to a private ceremony at least,” I say. “I could never face a huge crowd of people and exchange vows with someone I barely know.”
“But you know him biblically,” Jamie reminds me with a wink.
I do. And I like him.
“Just being near him gets me hot,” I say. “He takes over a room with his energy.”
“He is incredibly sexy,” she agrees. “Not just physically. I was surprised by how down to earth he was when I met him.”
That’s the thing about Declan. He doesn’t act like one of the greatest hockey players to have ever played the game. He’s not arrogant or entitled. If anything, he seems lonely. I still don’t know much about his childhood, but I’ll be meeting his parents after the wedding. They don’t know this whole thing is fake, though. I don’t know if that’s a good idea or not, but Declan and Cameron formed a united front when it came to keeping it from their mom and dad, and I figured they know their parents best.
There are a few reporters camped out at the courthouse, but not too many, thanks to my uncle’s idea to have Declan arrive in a rental car and go in through the back. Uncle Ned and his wife—my aunt Gloria—drove Jamie and me here, and we strolled in through the front with barely any fanfare. One of the reporters tried to approach me, but my uncle quickly deterred him.
“You ready?” Dad steps through the front door with what’s almost a smile on his face.
I haven’t seen my father truly, genuinely smile since Mom died. But today, he looks happy. His gray hair is combed back from his face with some sort of product, and his eyes are bright and alive. His suit is stylish as always, but it’s not the same dull blue he wears every day. It’s a dark gray, and his matching tie completes the outfit nicely.
“You look beautiful, darling.” He kisses my makeup-clad face. “Mom would be so proud.”
I hold up my wrist to show him her bracelet. “She’s here with us, Dad.”
Tears fill his eyes, and I catch Jamie Beth staring at us like we’ve both lost our minds. She’s right. We have.
“Dad.” I stop him as he tries to guide me down the hallway. “Before we go any further, let’s return to the world of reality first. Declan Wild and I are not in love.”
My father doesn’t even miss a beat. “I know you’re not yet…”
“Dad.” I grit my teeth. “This is a business arrangement. On both sides. Okay?”
“Okay.” He once again begins guiding me down the hallway. Jamie Beth trails along behind.
“But I can tell you like him,” he whispers in my ear.
“How can you possibly tell that? You’ve barely seen us together.”
“Because I’m your father. Fathers know these things.”
And just like that, he’s almost smiling again.
Declan’s wedding attire should be embalmed and held up in fashion magazines. Good Lord, the perfection—between his three-piece charcoal gray suit, his ridiculously expensive-looking silver cuff links that just keep drawing my attention to his strong wrists, and don’t even get me started on the way his dark hair is styled all wavy-like. He’s sex on a stick, and when he puts his hands in his pants pockets and strides ahead of me into the courtroom, I don’t even try not to stare at his perfect ass. He’s got a muscled ass, and I remember how it felt to grip it when he was driving deep inside me.
He turns around then and catches me staring.
I flush with heat, not so much because I was looking but because I was remembering us in bed together.
He gives me a second look, and then a grin spreads across his face.
Shit. He knows exactly what I’m thinking. I can tell by the way his eyes flash with heat and how he licks his lips slowly.
He sticks to the rules, though. Instead of flirting with me like I wish he would, like I wish he could, he nods politely. “You look beautiful, Mia.”
“Thank you.”
Next to me, Dad fully smiles, and on my other side, Jamie Beth whispers, “You two are so screwed.”
She’s right. We are screwed. I certainly am because after we go through the whole ritual of Jamie Beth walking down the aisle to stand on the left side of the justice of the peace while Cameron stands behind Declan on the right, Dad walks me straight up to Declan and shakes his hand.
“Welcome to the family, son,” my father says to Declan.
Oh. God. I turn toward where Uncle Ned is sitting on one of the wooden benches of the courtroom. I give him a pointed look, but he just smiles at me affectionately.
I keep turning my head until I see Luke, Chase, and Cooper across the aisle with Brayden, Leleila, and Savannah.
And then, there are some others.
An older couple, who I assume are Declan’s parents, are in the front row. They’re sitting with an older woman and another older couple I’ve also never seen before.
Four other couples, plus a dark-haired guy, are sitting directly behind Luke’s row. Two of the guys have a little of that aura that swirls around Declan, but I obviously can’t be trusted to recognize a public figure, considering I slept with Declan and didn’t know who he was.
I force my gaze away from all of these strangers and say to my father, “Go sit down. We’ll take it from here.”
Dad kisses me on the cheek and then takes his seat next to my uncle.
I turn back to the front and look up at Declan. “You ready to get hitched?” I ask him with a smile.
An emotion crosses his face, but it’s gone too fast for me to pin down what he’s feeling.
He shifts his attention to the justice of the peace and gives him one of those practiced smiles famous people seem to have mastered. “We’re all set to get started.”
As we’d instructed, the justice goes through the vows quickly and with no personalization. I’m prepared, and I’m doing just fine with all of it…
Until Declan presents me with a ring.
I’d seen our wedding bands. They’re simple white gold with no ornamentation. I approved of them, and Declan did too.
What I wasn’t prepared for was the engagement ring he pulls out of his pocket.
I barely suppress my gasp.
“You okay?” he murmurs so only I can hear.
I nod quickly. Too quickly. I can’t take my eyes off the ring in his hand.
From the antique-style setting to the square-cut diamond and delicate diamond-encrusted platinum ring itself, I don’t want to admit how well he seems to know me.
“I…” I watch as he gently slips both rings on my finger.
When he raises his gaze to meet mine, the vulnerability in his dark gaze slays me. In that moment, I want to give him far more than a fake marriage. I want to get to know him. I want to hang out with him and go on real dates and give whatever this is between us a chance.
“Ms. Carroll?” The justice prompts me. “Do you take this man to be your husband?”
I look into Declan’s eyes, and as I say the words, they feel far too real. “I do.”
My hand is visibly shaking as I slide Declan’s ring onto his large finger. His hands are so masculine and so strong. And I remember what they felt like all over my body.
“And Mr. Wild, do you…”
“I do,” Declan says so fast he cuts the justice off.
Behind him, I hear Cam cough out a choked laugh.
“By the powers vested in me by the state of Montana, I now pronounce you husband and wife.”
And before the justice even mentions kissing, Declan sweeps me into his arms and covers my mouth with his.
We had planned this. We knew his parents would need to be convinced on some level, and we didn’t want anyone to derail our plans. So, I was anticipating a kiss to seal our marriage.
But I wasn’t expecting this.
Because Declan doesn’t let me go quickly like I thought he would. His kiss is soft but intense, and I meet him more than halfway. His hand tangles in my hair and he angles my head so he can slide his hot tongue into my willing mouth.
I’m considering climbing him when he breaks the kiss.
I’m sure my eyes are wild as I struggle to rein in my emotions.
Because that kiss…that wasn’t just for show.
Was it?
Chapter Thirteen
Declan and I don’t have time to talk about the kiss. Or the engagement ring.
We walk down the aisle together, and the second we exit the courtroom, a reporter hounds us with a microphone pointed at our faces.
Declan deftly avoids any questions by saying our wedding is a private affair. The security at the door hands me my coat, and then he leads us to the back doors and out to Declan’s rental car. We’ve just climbed in when Jamie Beth comes rushing out of the courthouse.
“Can I ride to the reception with you two?” she asks.
She climbs into the back and spends the entire ride peppering Declan with questions about the four additional couples at the courthouse.
“My other cousins flew in without warning me,” Declan says, a hint of a smile in his voice. “Colton found out about our wedding from Cam, who can’t keep his damn mouth shut. Although, I’m sure Brayden would have said something too. The younger Wilds are close, and those guys seem to tell each other everything. It’s annoying as hell.”
He doesn’t sound annoyed, though. He says it with affection, and I get the sense he loves his family very much.
“I’m no sports fanatic,” Jamie says as she props her elbows on the backs of our seats and leans her head in between us. “But is one of your cousins Dylan Wild?”
“Yep.” Declan nods. “My other cousin, Colton Wild, plays for the Cougars also.”
“They’re on the same team?” I say. “That’s awesome.”
Declan nods. “They were drafted together. They’ve done super well. I’m proud of them.” He chuckles as we pull into the driveway at Wild Ranch. “I’ve been in the pros for so long that I always think of them as kids. Even though they’re both married with kids themselves now.”
He pulls up to the main house at the ranch, and I exclaim at the large white tent set up in the open field directly next to the house.
“Is this for the reception?” I ask him.
He nods, and his cheeks flush almost shyly. “It connects to the back porch, and there are space heaters running inside to keep it warm. I know we’re just doing this marriage for business reasons, but I still wanted you to have a fun party after. It’s been a lot to take in—getting to know me and all the Wilds in such a short time. You’ve handled it all so gracefully.”
I smile at him. “That’s sweet of you to say. Although to be honest, neither you nor your family has been any kind of a hardship. Quite the opposite.”
The air thickens inside the truck as we stare at each other. My hands itch to touch him. I keep them crossed on my lap, forcing myself to resist him.
When a throat clears behind us, we both jerk to awareness.
“Let’s go hit the party, shall we?” Jamie Beth opens the door, and the moment is broken.
As soon as we reach the tent, Declan is swarmed by Wilds. His parents come first, and he introduces me carefully to them.
“This is my wife, Mia.” He puts his arm around me in what feels like a protective measure.
It takes me by surprise, but then I see the way he and his father are engaged in a staredown. It almost looks like Declan is warning him to behave and be polite.
“So you’re marrying my son for above-board reasons, I assume?” Tyler Wild asks me. “He’s quite successful and has a lot going for him. We don’t need a gold-digger.”
His father doesn’t pull any punches apparently. His eyes assess me suspiciously, and while I’m not exactly a fan of his bluntness, I can’t blame him.
“Dad.” Declan’s voice is steel. “This is your only warning. I don’t want to have to ask you to leave.”
But I force a smile. “Of course, sir. Your son is a wonderful person. I consider myself lucky to have met him. I only want the best for him,” I finish lamely.
As I say it, though, I realize it’s true. I do want the best for Declan. He returns my smile, and I feel he wants the same for me. And, just like that, peace sweeps through me at the man I’m choosing to go through this fake marriage with.
More Wilds crowd closer to us, and Declan introduces me to Colton and Dylan and their wives, Sky and Jasalie.
“Nice to meet you, Mia.” Colton kisses my cheek.
Dylan follows suit, and then they, in turn, introduce me to their cousins, Michael, Michael’s younger brother, Ayden, and his wife, Bella, plus Colton’s best friend, Jenson, and his wife, Olivia. Michael and Ayden are both dark-haired and look so similar.
“We’ve been so excited to meet you!” Bella says as she hugs me. “And I don’t care what the rumor is going around tonight—I think you two are for real.”
Before I can react, Sky and Jasalie beckon all the women over to a private corner of the tent.
Sky’s got fiery red hair and green eyes that feel like they see right through my charade, and Jasalie’s tall and thin with straight blond hair. They’re super friendly, and they welcome me into the family warmly. Then, they turn serious.
“We heard what’s going on,” Sky says to me in a quiet voice.
“Oh, crap,” I say too loudly.
Jasalie laughs softly. “If you weren’t living on Wild Ranch, Declan no doubt would have been able to keep it from his cousins. But…”
“I know,” I interject. “He told me he had to tell Luke and Luke’s brothers. But you guys don’t even live in Montana.”
“If it makes you feel better, Declan didn’t say anything to us,” Bella says. “Cam did. And only the cousins know. And their wives, of course. But for what it’s worth, you can’t do better than Declan. He’s honorable and trustworthy.”
Savannah has joined our group, and she nods immediately. “He’s the best brother-in-law in the world,” she says fondly. “I have to say, though, your kiss at the altar looked pretty real to me.”
I flush with heat. “What can I say?” I put on one of those smiles I’ve seen Declan use with the public. “We’re great actors.”
Jasalie’s gray eyes flash with amusement, and I get the feeling she doesn’t buy my lie for a second. But, all she says out loud is, “I think you two will do very well together.”
Olivia nods, and I like her right away. She’s down to earth and kind. “Everything will work out the way it’s supposed to,” she says with such confidence I believe her. “It always does.”
A small army of children rushes us before I can answer her.
Sky scoops a tiny red-headed toddler into her arms. “Luke hired a nanny for all of us for the night, but we wanted our kids to have some fun before going to bed. This little guy is Kent. We named him after Colton’s late father.”
“He’s adorable,” I tell her.
“Thank you.” She kisses his chubby cheek. “Kent, this is your aunt Mia. Can you say hi?”
“Hi,” he says with a big smile.
“Hi, Kent.” I pat his head gently.
“Colt and I have two sons now,” Sky says with a laugh. “Kent’s my oldest. They’re a wonderful handful.”
“I bet they are.” A pang of envy slices through my chest.
I’ve always wanted to be a mother. But after my mom passed away, my dream of being one myself got pushed to the back burner. Maybe because I pushed the dream there on purpose. Something about losing my mother made me cautious. And once you get cautious, it’s hard to be fearless about stepping into the future.
“Oh, look!” Sky says with a smile. “Kent’s reaching for you, Mia!”
I come out of my head to see that her son’s got both of his arms outstretched in my direction. “Mi-mi.”
I swallow hard. Only my mom ever called me that pet nickname. Not that any of the Wilds would know that.
“Here.” Sky extends Kent into the air and toward me. “Why don’t you hold him for a minute? Believe me, he’ll get squirmy in about two seconds, so a minute is generous.”
“Oh. Um, I don’t know…”
“Mi-mi.”
Aw, hell. I take Kent into my arms and snuggle him against me. He wraps his chubby arms around my neck and giggles.
I break into a laugh right as a photographer wanders by. The photographer is the only guest allowed to carry a camera. My uncle hired him to “take a few photos” that will need to be pre-approved by both Declan and me before they will be released to the press. He focuses his lens directly at me. Right behind the camera, I catch Declan walking past with Cam, Luke, and Michael. Declan glances over just as the photographer snaps a picture of me holding his nephew.
My eyes lock with my husband’s. Surprise registers on his face, followed by an emotion I can’t read. Then, he breaks the eye contact and turns away, almost as though he’s…annoyed.
Declan (Wild Men Book 8) Page 7
