Of course, that assumed he could convince her to talk to him.
He didn’t realize he’d spoken out loud until Ty responded. “Don’t worry. I’ll get her to talk. You’d just better figure out something good to say.”
CHAPTER 9
KERI MACKINNON WAS a colossal coward. There was no other explanation for the fact that she’d run out of the county building practically the second she’d seen Annabelle’s little sister hitting on Sean.
She’d wanted to grab Little Miss Goth by her dyed black hair and tell her he was taken. But Sean wasn’t hers. He had every right to flirt with the girl, even if Keri did have serious doubts whether she was even legal. So instead of confronting anyone, she’d jumped into the limo with Ty and Annabelle, fleeing to the reception.
Now she was hiding in one of the red, vinyl booths, afraid to look up from her lasagna because what if Sean was still talking to Annabelle’s sister? What if they were doing more than talking?
Ridiculous. She was going to woman up right now and talk to Sean. It wasn’t over between them. She had to believe that.
She stood up—for about five seconds.
Then her legs gave out. She sank back onto the bench, and then Little Miss Goth herself was sliding into the booth.
“Sorry,” she said. “I didn’t know he was yours.”
“Uh…”
“The hottie best man,” the girl clarified.
She was older than Keri had thought—probably not much younger than Keri herself, with an effortless beauty that couldn’t be hidden, even by the massive quantity of makeup she wore.
“So, no hard feelings?”
“No. I mean, he’s not exactly mine yet. I mean… It’s complicated.”
“He’s wearing a wedding band that matches yours.”
Keri gazed down at her ring, realizing she’d been twisting it back and forth. “How did you…”
“I’m a designer. I notice these things.”
“It’s not…we’re not married. I don’t even know why he’s wearing his ring.” Shut up, Keri. Don’t tell strangers with questionable motives your personal business.
But she had to talk to someone or she was going to go crazy, and the words kept spilling out. “He’s kind of…upset with me right now.”
“Why? He catch you flirting with one of the other groomsmen?”
“No!”
“Did you crash his car?”
“It’s a truck. And I’ve never even gotten behind the wheel.”
“Well, whatever it was, it can’t have been that bad.”
“How do you know?”
“Because you’re a rule-follower. I can totally tell.”
“I used to think I was. But…” Shut up, Keri. I’m serious this time.
But something about the kohl-rimmed eyes focused on Keri told her this woman wouldn’t judge. This woman would understand. “I tricked him into thinking we were married even though we weren’t.”
“Really?” Sure enough, the woman looked more impressed than scandalized. “How’d you pull that off? No, don’t tell me. I don’t want to ruin the mystery.” She leaned back against the red vinyl cushion, forehead knitted thoughtfully. “So you want to know how to get your man back. Lucky for you, it’s super simple.”
Keri caught herself leaning forward, so desperate for a way to fix things with Sean that she was anxiously awaiting advice from a virtual stranger—who thought black lipstick was an appropriate fashion choice for her sister’s wedding.
“All you have to do is—”
“Sorry, but I don’t think I should be taking relationship advice from someone I don’t know.”
The woman waved Keri’s objection away with one hand. “Don’t be silly. We’re sisters now.”
“I don’t even know your name!”
“I’m Liv. Short for Olivia. And you’re Keri. Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way…blow job.”
A surprised laugh escaped Keri’s throat. This whole conversation was completely surreal. “Excuse me?”
“Blow job.” Liv said it slower this time, enunciating carefully. “If you want Sean to forgive you, give him a blow job.”
“I was thinking more along the lines of apologizing.”
“Sure.” Liv looked extremely doubtful. “I guess that could work. Only…you know. Lead with the blow job.”
“So you’ve…tested this out?”
“Of course. It’s the perfect strategy because it works under any circumstances. You want him to do the dishes, but he’d rather sit on the couch? Blow job. You want to meet up with your girls for cocktails, and he’s suddenly needy? Blow job. You want him to forgive you for lying?”
“Blow job?”
“Exactly.”
If only it were that simple. “I appreciate your advice. Really. But what I did was a serious violation of his trust. And earning that trust back is going to take time.”
Liv snorted. “Time, shmime. That man is so into you that he passed up a no-strings-attached wedding hookup with yours truly. All you have to do is—”
“Give him a blow job?”
“Yes!” Liv glanced at something to her left, and her eyes went wide. “Don’t look now, but he’s totally checking you out.”
Keri froze. Her eyes were still pointed toward Liv, but it didn’t matter. She could feel the heat of Sean’s gaze.
“Well?” Liv demanded. “What are you waiting for?”
“You said not to look!”
“Exactly. Don’t sit on your ass and stare. March over there and get him back.”
“Okay.” Keri took a fortifying sip of her Chianti. “I’m going in.”
“Finally.”
She would tell Sean that she loved him. That if he gave her another chance, she would never break his trust again.
And if that didn’t work, there was always Liv’s technique.
She stood—and almost ran into her brother.
“Keri.” Ty wasn’t smiling. “You’ve got to talk some sense into Sean. He’s about to leave. Says he needs to get some sleep so he can hit the road early tomorrow and get back to The Towers.”
The Towers. Cliff diving.
Anger descended over her—a dense fog that obscured everything but Sean. She couldn’t believe he was back to this after everything that had happened.
And then she realized something. She really couldn’t believe it. Sean might be angry, but he loved her. He wouldn’t risk their future together for a hit of adrenaline.
Sure enough, when she did a more thorough examination of her brother, she found that hint of a grin twitching at his lips. “I call bullshit. Now tell me what’s going on before I beat it out of you.”
“Nice. Threaten your favorite brother with violence when he’s trying to make your dreams come true.”
“By telling me Sean is about to jump off a cliff?”
“I needed something that would get you over there to talk to him. What would you have said?”
“I don’t know. Something like, ‘Hey, Keri. Sean wants to talk to you.’ ”
“Well aren’t you the mature one.” He sighed. “Hey, Keri. Sean wants to talk to you.”
“See? That wasn’t so hard.”
“And yet, you’re still here.” His eyes narrowed. “You’re stalling.”
“What? No!”
“You’re definitely stalling,” Liv said. “For sure.”
Keri tried to force her feet into motion, but they didn’t remember how to work. Then Ty had his arm around her, as if he knew she needed the extra support.
“Look.” He spoke low and soft in her ear. “I’ve known Sean my whole life, and I’ve never heard him use the word love. Not even when he’s talking about that TV that takes up half his living room or his truck. But tonight, he told me he loves you.” Ty clapped her on the back. “You got this.”
Somehow, she made it to the bar. Another few steps, and she was at Sean’s side.
She cleared her throat. “Can we talk?”
He was off his stool before she’d even finished her sentence, regarding her with that same expression that had burned into her brain during the wedding ceremony. No smile. Just hot eyes.
A dangerous warmth spread through her. She couldn’t tell what he was thinking, but she knew they weren’t finished. Not when he was looking at her like that.
“Yeah. Let’s talk.” Sean’s hand settled on her shoulder, a firm pressure, guiding her exactly where he wanted her to go. “In private.”
She was vaguely aware of Annabelle’s parents’ stares. Of Liv, who pantomimed blowing her drink stirrer, like she was afraid Keri might’ve forgotten their conversation already. And then Sean was leading her into a back room, empty except for a pool table and a few chairs.
He shoved the door closed. Then he leaned back against it. He’d lost his jacket somewhere between city hall and the restaurant, and his white button-down shirt hugged his broad shoulders.
He stared at her, and she knew exactly what he was thinking. You’re not getting through that door until I’m done with you.
Her heart pounded like she was poised on the edge of a cliff, about to jump. But then she looked at Sean.
She had nothing to be afraid of. He wasn’t ever going to let her fall.
“I’m so sorry that I lied to you. I justified it to myself so many different ways, but none of that matters because I lost your trust. I hate that I did that, and I’ll do anything to get it back.”
“Anything?” The word sounded dark and silky. Dangerous.
“What do you want?”
He moved toward her. She didn’t step back, and his chest met hers, pushing her those last few inches until the back of her thighs came up against the edge of the pool table.
He took her hand. “I want my ring on your finger. For real, this time.”
His thumb and index finger curved around the wedding band she still wore, and her whole body strained toward him. “Yes.”
“Yes? Just like that?”
“Just like that.”
His lips finally curved into a smile, but his eyes lost none of their heat. “There are a few other conditions you should know about.”
“Oh really?”
Without taking his eyes off her, he reached back and flipped the lock on the door. “Yeah.”
His hands tunneled through her hair. He held her where he wanted her, and then he kissed her.
She melted. Her muscles surrendered without a fight, and Sean was there, the conquering hero. He set her on the edge of the pool table. Stepped between her thighs, where she was wet and needy.
“Wait,” she managed. “I still have to tell you something.”
He went still. “You have thirty seconds.”
“What I said before about being sorry? That was only half of what I needed to say. The other half is that I love you. I’ve had a crush on you forever, but after spending this past week with you, I knew it was more.”
“I have a question.”
“Anything. You can ask me anything.”
He nuzzled her neck. “Exactly how long have you had this crush?”
“Uh…” It was hard to concentrate with Sean brushing kisses against her jawline, but she did her best. “It was the day you hit that home run to win the CIF finals. Ty was so excited. Everyone was. Except you.”
Sean pulled back just enough so that she could see his eyes. The love. The strength.
“I could see the tension in you all the way from the bleachers. I ran down to the field and asked you what was wrong. I didn’t think you’d actually tell me. No one ever told me anything worth hearing. But you did. You sat with me on that field for hours while your friends were out partying. It was the first time anyone had talked to me like they cared what I had to say. You probably don’t remember, but I was wearing this sundress with daisies, and—”
“And I told you that you looked beautiful.”
“You do remember.”
“Of course.” His words were so soft she felt them like a caress. “I remember everything about that day.”
“You barely looked at me the next time you came around to see Ty.”
“Honey.” He shook his head, laughing in that way that meant his memories weren’t funny at all. “I couldn’t. I knew if I let myself…” He cleared his throat. “You were barely thirteen. So damned sweet and innocent. And I wanted to do a whole lot more than talk to you.”
“So it wasn’t only in my dreams that you wanted me.”
“You dreamed about—” He cut himself off. Pinched his eyes closed. “Don’t tell me that right now.”
“Or what?”
He blew out a curse. “Or we’re going to be done talking for the night.”
She gave him a saucy smile as she wound her arms around his neck. “I think we’re done for now.”
“No.” He held her securely, not letting her get as close as she wanted, but being careful not to hurt her. “I’ve got one more thing I need to say. I’m sorry about this morning. I had no right to be angry at you. Because you were right. I was in trouble, and I didn’t even know it. And maybe you didn’t go about rescuing me in the best way. But you did what you thought you had to do. And, really, I was mad at myself. I didn’t want to be the kind of guy who needed help to get his head on straight.”
“Everyone needs some help now and then.”
He nodded. “After I left this morning, I went to see a therapist. It was…” He blew out a breath. “It was hard talking about all the bad shit I’ve seen. But I can’t keep it inside anymore. I won’t let it poison our relationship.”
She threw her arms around him. “I’m so proud of you.”
“It was you. I don’t think I ever would have done it if you hadn’t asked me to.”
She swallowed the lump in her throat. “Can I ask you to do one more thing?”
“Anything.”
“If you start feeling overwhelmed or angry or depressed, I want to know about it. Because I want to help you—the right way.”
“I promise, Ker Bear. If I need help, you’ll be the first to know.”
“Before you start cliff diving?”
“You don’t have to worry about cliff diving anymore. I think…the reason I was so into extreme sports is that the adrenaline rush was the only way I could get those voices inside my head—the ones that kept saying it was my fault Ty was hurt—to shut up. But when I’m with you…” He cleared his throat. “You bring me peace.”
His words filled her with lightness. Warmth.
He kissed her again. “I want you. Right now.”
She couldn’t respond. She had forgotten how to form words. But when she tugged his shirt free of his pants, he seemed to get the message.
He undid the top two buttons of his shirt, then lost patience and tugged it over his head with one hand. His other hand stayed on her—her face, her back, the curve of her thigh—holding her against him like he couldn’t bear to let her go for even a second.
Her dress was too tight, the fabric too warm and constricting.
“Please,” she said, and somehow Sean knew what she needed.
His fingers found the hook closure of her dress. He worked it open slowly, pressing a hot kiss to the place where her neck met her shoulders.
He slid the zipper down a few centimeters. Another kiss. Another slow slide of the zipper.
He was teasing her.
“Now, Sean.” She slid her palm down the center of his bare chest, following the trail of hair that led below his waistline.
He unzipped the dress all the way. The fabric slid over her hips and pooled on the floor.
She pulled him over her, needing the firm pressure of his chest. His thighs.
He groaned. “You’re so damn responsive. Sometimes all I have to do is look at you, and I can tell you’re wet.”
“Now, Sean.” She unzipped his pants.
He was hard, and she was ready. Beyond ready.
He fumbled with the condom, almost dropping the package as
he tried to rip it open. And then he was on top of her. Inside her. One with her.
He hissed in a breath. Colors, thoughts, feelings—they all exploded inside her head. He was all she wanted. All she had ever wanted. And he was hers.
“Mine,” he said.
“Mine,” she echoed.
Dear Reader,
Thank you for reading Marriage: Impossible! If you liked it, please help other readers discover it by leaving a review at the site where you bought it.
Want a sneak peek into Sean and Keri’s wedding? It’s time to say I do, but the bride is MIA. A simple case of cold feet or something more complicated? Get your FREE bonus chapter to find out.
When I started writing Sean and Keri’s story, I didn’t intend for it to be the beginning of a series. Then Keri’s brother Ty announced his engagement, and I couldn’t help wondering how he’d gone from pining over his ex-fiancée to in love with another woman. I had to write Ty and Annabelle’s story, LOVE AND LEARN.
As you might expect, the timeline of Marriage: Impossible overlaps with that of Love and Learn. You’ll get another perspective on Sean and Keri’s relationship as well as all the juicy details of how Ty and Annabelle rekindle their high-school romance. And you’ll also meet Annabelle’s big, loud, opinionated Italian family. Turn the page for an excerpt.
Thanks for reading, and keep in touch. You can contact me via my website: http://avablackstone.com.
All the best,
Ava
BOOK 2: LOVE AND LEARN
Navy SEAL Tyler MacKinnon is that guy. The one who pitches a no-hitter in the big game even though he skipped practice. The one who can get any girl into bed with a funny story and a grin. But when Ty is hit by an IED, his charmed life is blown straight to hell.
Though his leg heals, that naive certainty that the universe is on his side is gone forever. And it’s like everyone knows it. Everyone except Annabelle Voretti, the sweet, studious girl Ty left when he made the spur-of-the-moment decision to join the Navy right out of high school. When Ty is with her, he feels like himself again. But winning Annabelle back is going to take a fight, and Ty is used to going with the flow instead of battling the current.
Marriage: Impossible (Voretti Family Book 1) Page 10
