“The ship for normal has sailed already. You slept together and you’re married. Play it by ear.” Zeke grabbed his bottle and slid it across the coffee table towards me. “I have to go. Training a new bartender today and I told her to come in early.” He wiggled his eyebrows and I knew he’d have her in his bed by the end of the week and if she was smart, she’d make it another three weeks before getting the hell out of dodge.
“What about Maddie? I thought maybe you two were…?” They seemed cozy at the barbecue, flirting and laughing together the entire afternoon.
“Maddie is great. Gorgeous and she’s got her own thing, but I’m not sure about a single mom.”
“I’m a single dad,” I insisted as though he didn’t already know that. “Does that mean I shouldn’t date?”
“Settle down, mama bear. I’m just saying that I’m not sure how to deal with a chick who has a kid. Will her expectations be more because of him?”
It was, honestly, more than I expected from Zeke and that made me feel like an ass. “Maybe, but only if she likes you. And I think you should let Maddie worry about her expectations, she seems like the kind of woman who’d tell you if you weren’t meeting them.”
“True enough.” He grinned. “See you around, man. Kiss Norah for me when she gets home.”
“Yep.”
“And that pretty little wife of yours.” The sound of Zeke snickering was the last thing I heard.
Vivi
I didn’t know if it was Belle Musique or being away from Chicago, or maybe it was all the orgasms I was having, but my words were finally flowing. Freely and beautifully, they flowed onto the page as the story of Kade and Amber came together. Never had two characters been through so much drama and bullshit even before they touched one another. It was coming out longer than I had originally intended, but it was good.
It was good news for me, since everything else in my life had turned into a big ol’ crap sandwich. That’s probably why I’d spent the past—almost—week hiding out in my own personal space. It was good news for Sweeter Nothings but it meant every morning I woke up and made a conscious decision to be a coward. And I was totally okay with that.
For now.
The time would come when I could no longer hole up in my house and avoid my neighbor who also happened to be my husband. Either I would run out of food or Nash would run out of patience. But that was a day off into the future and for now, I was free to hide behind my laptop in the comfort of my backyard. With fresh salsa.
“I thought I heard the distant clicking of erotic romance being created nearby.” Maddie’s voice rang out, interrupting my nonstop thoughts and I looked up with a small smile.
“Maddie. Come on in. What are you doing here?” Even my promise to make connections here as I settled in, had gone by the wayside when Aunt Mae had revealed my new relationship status.
“At first, I thought you were avoiding my calls and ignoring me. But then I read this morning’s Gazette.” She held up the town newspaper which was more of a town schedule and gossip rag, but everyone subscribed to it out of fear they’d be left out of something really juicy. “Now I know you must be having lots of honeymoon sex. Right?”
I sucked in a breath at the same time I reached for my sunglasses. “What are you talking about?”
Arms crossed in her most intimidating mom stare, Maddie waited me out. I hadn’t said a word out loud to anyone but Lollipop in days so really, she just hadn’t realized she was outgunned. “News of your marriage made the front page of the Gazette.” When she was close enough, Maddie tossed the paper my way. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
My eyes scanned the front page but they didn’t need to go far because there was a photo of Nash and me during the would-be prosperity ceremony. Our lips scant centimeters apart, the shot taken a breath before they met. It was hot. Sensual, even. And my worst nightmare. “Because I only found out a few days ago myself.”
“Damn,” she whispered. “Are you okay?”
“Yep, hiding in my house like the coward I am. On the upside, I am making really good progress with Sweeter Nothings.”
Maddie’s brown eyes lit up and she leaned forward, waiting for more details. “You’re not gonna tell me that too?” She leaned back with a fake pout. “I need to rethink this whole friendship thing, then.”
I laughed and shook my head. “I haven’t had any real friends in a long time, Maddie, so you’ll have to be patient with me. Now that I think about it, I should have called you instead of freaking out alone.”
“That’s what girlfriends are for. But seriously, what do you plan to do about the marriage?”
I scooped up a big helping of salsa on a chip and shoved it in my mouth like the lady I was raised to be. “Sowwy,” I apologized with a full mouth. The one time in my life when I actually listened to Aunt Mae’s weird advice and recited the entire alphabet as I chewed, had really come in handy. But it was a stalling tactic and we both knew it. “We can’t get an annulment because we’ve been sleeping together. I know, I’m seeing a pattern myself,” I told her before she could scold me again about keeping secrets.
“So you have been bumpin’ uglies? How is it? Can you answer that now that he’s your husband?”
I grinned. “It’s so amazing that I’m thinking about continuing to do it while we figure out the whole marriage thing.” The truth was that Nash’s naked body was all I thought about in my free moments. Well, that body and his big strong hands cupping my breast or stroking my leg. His perfect mouth pulled into a twisted grimace in the moments before his orgasm crashed over him.
“That good huh? Well honey, I’m happy for you. Now don’t screw it up.” Her smile took the sting off the words but my curiosity got the better of me.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Did she really think I couldn’t keep a guy like Nash? “You ever think that maybe he can’t keep me?”
“What the hell are you talking about? I meant don’t screw it up by pretending you two don’t want each other. I saw that kiss at the Solstice Celebration but more importantly, I saw you two at the barbecue. Laughing and joking with that light in your eyes. I even saw the tension after some lover’s spat.”
“Oh.”
Maddie burst out laughing. “It’s clear, I hit a spot?”
“Yeah,” I admitted. “The people I was closest to over the past almost decade screwed me over and it takes a while to shake that off.” That was something else I refused to waste more energy on. “We can’t stay married just because we like each other, Maddie. That’s crazy.”
She shrugged and stole a chip, swiping it through the salsa. “This is delicious, did you make it?”
“Yep. First yield from my salsa garden.” I pointed over to my summer hobby with a proud grin.
“People get married for way worse reasons all the time and those people don’t have things like chemistry, attraction and actually liking each other, going for them. You guys do. At least give it a try.”
Her advice sounded appealing but unrealistic. “I don’t know. I’ll consider it but not until after my book is complete.”
“Hmm, well that’s the other thing I came to talk to you about. There are rumors swirling that the town is getting together for a potluck celebration for Belle Musique’s resident artistes.”
I thunked my head on the table, thankful I’d shoved my laptop aside. “Why me?”
Maddie leaned over the table and reached for my hand, brown eyes earnest as she looked at me with her blonde hair haloed by the sun. “This is something most of us wish for, Vivi, to find someone who likes us just the way we are. Who thinks we’re gorgeous and smart and funny. Nash thinks that about you, give it a shot.”
“We’re friends,” I insisted but the words were starting to sound weak even to me. “We’re not dating.”
“You eat dinner together two or three nights a week,” she shot back.
I glared. “This is why I don’t have friends.”
“Because you don’t
like the truth?” Her eyes sparkled and I could see her fighting a grin.
“Absolutely.” I stuck out my tongue and she laughed.
“Fine, I can see you have your stubborn hat on so I’ll let it be. For now. But think about it before you miss out on something great.” She stood with a wistful look in her gaze. “Just ask yourself why this can’t work. And don’t come up with candy ass ‘he’s my neighbor’ answers.”
“You’re bossy.”
She grinned. “I’m the boss at work and at home.”
“The perfect set up for a dom-sub love story,” I told her jokingly, but the way her skin flushed told me maybe I was right. “Thanks for stopping by, Maddie. I promise to do better.”
“Don’t worry about it,” she said with a mischievous smile. “Newlyweds need plenty of alone time.” Then with a wave, she tiptoed through my yard until she reached the gate. “See you later, Vivi!”
“Not if I see you first, Maddie.” She laughed and I returned to my laptop. Well I tried, but all this talk of Nash had him fresh on my mind.
Nash
“Hey.” I stood on one side of Vivi’s front door while she hid halfway behind the other.
“Hey,” she said, straightening her posture and pushing the door wide. “Come on in. Dinner will be ready soon. Soon-ish.” Vivi clarified her words with a smile that seemed to kickstart dissolving the tension in the air between us.
Stepping inside her house seemed different now that we were married. Shit, that was still a trip to think about. After Nanette’s rejection I’d kind of given up on the whole marriage and babies thing, content with my growing baby girl. But now that the decision had kind of been taken from me, I didn’t feel as stifled as I thought I would have. “Smells good.”
“Thanks. I figured spicy gumbo and ice-cold beer was perfect for tonight.” Her smile was brittle and her eyes darted around the room nervously.
While it was refreshing to see Vivi feeling as skittish as I was on the inside, I didn’t like the newfound tension between us. Or the way she’d been avoiding me all week. I knew that finding out we were accidentally married had shaken Vivi because I was left shaken too. But not enough to ignore her. “I guess you’ve already seen a lawyer?”
Vivi froze at the stove and turned to me with a shocked expression on her face. “Why would you say that? I wouldn’t do that without telling you first.” Her words were sharp and short before she turned back to the stove and the tension that had dissipated bubbled up again between us.
“You’re obviously avoiding me, Vivi. It’s not hard to figure out why, or assume you already took steps to remedy it.” It wasn’t how I planned to start the evening, but things were so tense, I figured it was best to get it out of the way early. Clearly, I was wrong.
“I’m not avoiding you, Nash. I know this is hard for you to understand but I have actual work to do too.” She kept her back to me, giving me plenty of time to take in her shapely legs on display in frayed denim shorts and a thin green shirt that made her green eyes look bigger and greener.
“I never said you didn’t have work, Vivi.”
“You didn’t have to,” she said, angrily slapping rice into a large serving bowl. “And I haven’t heard from you either but I’m not slinging accusations.”
“Fine, Vivi. I’m the bad guy.”
She glared at me and grunted as she set the gumbo on the table. “No one is a damn bad guy, Nash! This is a crazy situation and I apologize I didn’t handle it the way you think I should. Now, can we please eat?”
Okay. That wasn’t how I expected dinner to go so I took a seat and dug into the delicious food. Vivi was an amazing cook and both Norah and I had probably gained weight since she moved back to town. “Thanks for dinner. It’s delicious.”
“You’re welcome.” Her words were short and clipped. A clear sign she was annoyed with me.
I let a little more silence settle between us but it was fucking killing me. “How’s the book coming along?”
“Good. I’ve made good progress this week and my second first draft is nearly complete.” She took a few more bites and looked up at me reluctantly. “And how is your latest work of art?”
“I just started a bookshelf but it’s coming along. Lots of detail so it’s a challenge. Not that it’s all that easy with Norah around all day but it’s good.”
“That’s great, Nash. Is this for someone crazy famous?”
I grinned and chewed another mouthful of spicy gumbo. “Maybe. But if I tell you,” I trailed off, making her laugh.
“Pretty sure threatening to kill your wife is a crime, even for a famous artiste.” Her smile was the one thing I’d grown used to over the last few months—big and unreserved and full wattage. Finally, she realized what she’d said and her eyes grew wide and her mouth dropped open. “That was weird.”
“This whole thing is weird, isn’t it?” She nodded and her smile was sheepish. Embarrassed. “But it doesn’t have to be, Vivi. I don’t want it to be.”
She nodded and pushed her bowl away. “What do you want, Nash?”
“Hell, if I knew.”
She grinned and stood. “How about we start with another beer?”
My grin spread slowly, hotter when she bent over inside the fridge giving me a long look at that perfect heart-shaped ass. She caught me and shook her head with an affectionate eye roll. “Another beer sounds good.”
We drank nearly half of our bottles in silence before Vivi groaned. “I don’t like this weirdness between us.”
“Me neither. But we can’t avoid this forever, right? Maybe we should contact a lawyer and see what our options are?” I was relieved to see her expression was just as put off by that idea as I was. But the fact was that we couldn’t stay in this limbo forever. “Maybe we can just get one lawyer to handle it and split the fees?”
She nodded as she sucked back the remainder of her beer. “Ugh, I just wish we could ignore it. Wouldn’t that be fantastic?”
“We’d be married forever but yeah, it might be fantastic. For me and Norah because you are one hell of a cook.” I grinned to let her know I was joking, but the idea of staying married to Vivi didn’t leave me with that choking, suffocating sensation I’d felt over the years when women got a little too close or started dropping too many hints about commitment.
“More beer?”
“Yes, please!” This conversation was surreal and we both needed a break. “And a shot of something stronger if you have it.” She laughed and that sound was amazing. Relaxing. Normal.
“Definitely. This doesn’t have to be weird. Right?” Her smile was bright but I saw the worry in those beautiful green eyes and I wanted to rinse it away. “Right?”
“It is weird, Vivi. But weird doesn’t have to be tense or weird or wrong. Let’s just not let it be weird.” And that smile of hers, where her lips pulled wide and those eyes sparkled like gems, beamed across her face and I hoped like hell I didn’t just lie to Vivi.
She lifted her bottle in the air with a smile. “To not letting it be weird.”
“Cheers.” It felt good to relax and laugh with Vivi like old times, even if old times were like a week ago. We talked and we drank, laughing at everything and nothing.
“I’m glad you came over tonight.” She stood and I wondered if she was about to kick me out.
“Me too. That gumbo was so good I might have another bowl.” Later.
“You’ll have to help me clean up to earn another bowl,” she said and turned to carry a stack of dishes to the sink.
“I could,” I told her and stood, taking my dishes to the sink where she was already rinsing them off. “Here you are.”
“Thanks,” she said, breathlessly. “I thought you wanted another bowl?”
“I do. Later.” Suddenly, I knew what would help us make things less weird. Well, that and the fact that my cock was already swelling in my shorts. She really was beautiful, even more so when she was make-up free and a little bit mussed.
The momen
t between us was silent and charged. Held in limbo while we both mentally debated whether this was the right thing to do or another gigantic mistake. Before I could make up my mind, my lips were on hers and her hands were under my shirt, fingers cool against my overheated flesh as they caressed my muscles. My hands went to her hips and lifted her up on the counter and I stepped between her legs, gliding up her thighs until my thumbs landed on the warmth at the center of her. That little gasping sound she made went straight to my cock and I needed to taste more of her.
My lips skidded up her neck and I slid my hand into her waistband until my fingers found slick heat and she gasped again. “Nash!” I pressed two fingers into her wet heat and she hit her head on the cabinet behind her, not giving a damn as she surrendered to pleasure. Her green eyes tore into me as she grabbed my wrist and rolled her hips against my hand, taking her pleasure. “So fucking hot.”
She smiled as her muscles clutched around me and she fell apart, pulsing so fucking tight I thought she might break a finger. Or two. “Oh, yes! Yes,” she moaned again, smiling bigger as her hands made quick work of my pants and wrapped around my cock.
“Fuck.” I tore my mouth from her sweet skin and stared at her, flesh all pink and glistening as her chest heaved. And then I was on her, hands attacking her clothes until she was naked before me. Gloriously beautiful and wanton and naked. “Fuck, Vivi.”
“That’s the idea.” She jumped in my arms and I lifted her up because I couldn’t do anything else. I wanted her too bad when she wrapped her legs around my waist and licked her way from my shoulder to my neck and then nibbled her way up my ear. She fucking nibbled my ear. “Give me what I want, Nash.”
“What do you want? Tell me.” Because the sound of Vivi’s husky voice in my ear while I fucked her was one of the best things on Earth.
Accidentally On Purpose: An Accidental Marriage Boxset Page 10
