“Jasmine,” I began, keeping my voice even. “I’m not a bum, and cannot in good conscience live in the house, use the utilities, and not pay a dime. I don’t care how well off you are, I still need to contribute and pay my own way.”
“Look, I can totally understand where you’re coming from, but I’m the one who wanted this house. You weren’t consulted on the price point and didn’t have a say in the choosing of the house, so I can’t expect you to pay the mortgage,” Jazzy argued.
“If you’re worried that I’ll think I have some claim on the house, don’t. It’s yours, one-hundred percent, but, I’d pay rent anywhere I was living, so I’d like to split the mortgage with you, and the utilities.”
She looked like she wanted to argue, but I really was not going to budge on this.
“And, another thing,” I said, keeping our eyes locked. “I think you need to get a postnup.”
Jasmine
“A postnup, what are you talking about?” I asked, confused by the direction of this conversation.
I’d thought he was going to want to talk about making our relationship more physical again, or, and I wasn’t sure how I felt about this, giving our marriage a real shot. It was stupid, and totally against our agreement, and I didn’t think it was even what I wanted, but I couldn’t help the thought from popping in my head.
I hadn’t been expecting a talk about money at all.
“You need to protect yourself. Actually, I’m surprised Reardon hasn’t brought this up to you already. We dove in too fast for a prenup, but that doesn’t mean it’s too late for you to put all of your assets in writing, including the house.”
“Shane, I really don’t think it’s necessary,” I assured him.
Our food arrived and I thanked the server absently, not taking my eyes off Shane.
He looked completely serious.
“Well, I do. I mean, I don’t expect to wind up a bitter, angry fuck who’ll go after your money in five years once it’s all said and done. But, you should still be protected regardless. It would make me feel better.”
“Well, if you need me to talk to Reardon, and see what he advises, I will, but I just want the record to show that I object.”
“Noted,” he said, with a grin.
I found myself relieved to see it.
“Great, and, for my half of the bills?” he prodded.
Knowing I made more than him, and my arguments I’d made about me picking the house, I felt uncomfortable taking his money. But, I didn’t want to hurt his pride, and I completely understood wanting to pay your own way.
“I can show you the breakdown when we get home,” I replied, and was rewarded with a beautiful smile. “Were you thinking you give me the money and I pay it or we open a joint account for bills and have it come out automatically?”
“I’m easy, baby, whatever you think is best,” he said happily, obviously relieved that I’d agreed to his request.
We both picked up our utensils and finally started eating.
“So, now that the dirty money talk is out of the way, let’s get to the real question,” Shane said, taking a bite of his steak.
“What’s that?” I asked, my tummy tickling a little, wondering if this was it.
He gestured between us with his knife. “When do you want back in these knickers?”
Laughter bubbled up my throat and I dropped my fork.
Looking around to make sure no one heard him, I leaned across the table and whispered, “You’re crazy.”
“You like that about me,” Shane replied cheekily.
I sat back in my seat and resumed eating.
When I didn’t say anything, he asked, “What doubts do you have? Still the same as camp, about ruining our friendship or complicating our deal?”
“Pretty much.”
“But, Jazzy, what if things don’t go bad? What if we give this thing a real try? The chemistry’s there, we like each other, who says it has to end at all?” he asked, his gaze on me intense with feeling.
I took a sip of my martini as I tried to wrangle the thoughts in my head.
Before I could answer, my phone signaled a text. Eager for the distraction, I opened it, even though I normally never looked at my phone while on a date.
“It’s Zoey,” I told Shane, not meeting his eyes for fear he’d see my cowardice. “She’s reminding us about dinner tomorrow and wants us to dress up. Says it’ll be fun, like a party.”
“That’s strange. I’ve never dressed up for dinner at Zoey’s before,” Shane replied.
I put my phone away and said, “Yeah, me neither.”
“You think something’s up? Like maybe they’re doing something to celebrate us? Since they couldn’t come to the wedding…”
My eyes flew to his.
“A reception,” I guessed. “I bet the family is throwing a surprise wedding reception for us.”
“They don’t have to do that,” he protested, a look of guilt crossing his face, and I knew he was thinking of the money they’d spend.
Because when the Lewises threw a party, there was no expense spared.
“No, and I wish they wouldn’t, because it makes this whole thing feel worse. I should have guessed they’d do this, thought. They love us both and would want to celebrate our getting married.”
I sighed heavily, then looked up at him.
“See, this is why I’m hesitant. It’s not just because I’m scared, or worried about having a relationship with you. You’re a great guy and we’re obviously compatible, but you’re already so ingrained in my family, that if something went bad and we not only divorce in five years, but do so in a way that we can no longer get along, we wouldn’t only be hurting each other.”
I fiddled with the stem of my glass as I searched for a way to make him understand.
“I’ve never been in a relationship, not one that had any chance of going anywhere. The truth is, I’ve always kept myself guarded, because it always seemed like everyone who wanted to get close to me, had ulterior motives. Either they wanted to get close to my brother, or, later when Gabe was in the NFL, they used me to be able to meet him. Even women … The curse of having good-looking, well-off, and in Gabe’s case, famous, relatives, is that you never know who you can trust. Laurel is the only person who ever liked me for me, and even she ended up marrying my brother.”
“I get it, Jazzy, I really do. Obviously I’m already mates with Gabe and everyone else, so that isn’t the case with me. And, I’m not just talking about sex, although we are more than compatible, and I’m definitely hoping we have lots of it. What I want is to give this a real go emotionally and physically, with no exit strategy. A real marriage, from the behind-the-scenes stuff to rubbing it in everyone’s face when we fall in love. No divorce in five years, or ever.”
My breath caught in my throat and my eyes widened.
Everything he said sounded amazing, in theory … but could we have a real marriage when it started out as a lie and we were both using each other to get what we wanted?
How could I trust him when our relationship was completely contrived?
Shane
Dinner had been good.
We’d hashed out the finance stuff, which was important to me, and delved a little deeper into Jasmine’s worries about taking our relationship to the next level.
I wasn’t the type to force myself on anyone.
I’d laid out my feelings on the matter, twice, and both times she’d relayed her concerns. Bottom line, I had to respect her decision and keep to the original plan. The only problem was, I no longer knew if I could.
Spending this time with Jasmine, getting to know her on a deeper level, knowing how good we were together, just pushed me closer and closer to the edge.
Sex between us was fire. Pure magic. By far the best I’d ever had, not that I’d had that many. But, I’d had enough to know we were special and women like Jasmine Lewis didn’t come around every day.
She’s dangerous. Too dangerous for a bloke like me.
>
I’d been fending for myself for so long and the thought of having a family of my own was so sweet I could practically taste sugar on my lips.
I wanted everything, but I wanted Jasmine to want everything too, and I wouldn’t force her to get there.
We were on our way to Gabe’s and Zoey’s, all decked out in our Sunday best because we were pretty certain we were walking into a huge celebration with us as the guests of honor. Jasmine had decided on a pretty white summer dress and I was wearing black.
“You ready?” I asked when we pulled up to the equivalent to a parking lot full of cars.
Jasmine let out a breath and dipped her head.
“I’m going to feel so guilty if they all brought presents.”
“You know they did,” I warned her. “So, you may as well wrap your head around it now and put on your happy face. You’re a young, happy newlywed about to walk into a party in our honor. They’re going to expect joy and excitement because that’s what they’re feeling. You’ve got this.”
She nodded, but her eyes were sad when she looked at me.
“I didn’t think it through this far. I saw a way for you and I to both get what we wanted, and I didn’t take everyone else’s feelings into consideration.”
“Hey,” I said softly, reaching out to caress her exposed neck. “They love you, no matter what, and you don’t need to feel guilty for going after what you want. It’s one of your best qualities. You’re driven, a fighter. Your plan worked. Now, go in there with your head high and we’ll dance the night away.”
“Okay, let’s do this.”
“That’s my girl,” I said fondly, getting out of the car and going around to open her door.
“Hey, guys,” Zoey called, coming toward us, her face full of excitement. She paused when she took in our clothes and put her hands on her hips. “You already guessed.”
“Even if we hadn’t the cars would’ve given it away,” Jasmine said with a laugh, moving to wrap her arms around Zoey.
“I guess that’s true,” Zoey said, her frown clearing as she said, “But, you didn’t know it’s a barn dance in your honor. Happy Wedding Reception!”
“Thanks, Zoey, although, you shouldn’t have,” I said, shifting to give her a kiss on the cheek.
“We wanted to,” she replied moving her hips so her skirt swung around her ankles. “Let’s go!”
We let Zoey lead us to the barn. And as we walked up, we could see strings of lights hanging inside and outside, and a large flower wreath above the door. Once in the threshold, we were greeted by what had to be all of Cherry Springs.
While they all clapped and whistled at our entrance, I leaned down and whispered in Jazzy’s ear, “Is the whole town closed?”
She smiled up at me, her eyes bright and happy.
“It’s how we roll, you know that.”
I guess I did, but I’d never been on the receiving end before. It was pretty overwhelming.
“Shane and Jasmine,” Gabe said into a microphone.
I surveyed the barn, which was full of white tablecloths, flowers, and people, and found him standing on a small stage in the back of the barn.
“Come on down,” he continued with a grin.
We walked through the crowd, our progress slow since we were shaking hands and thanking people as weaved through tables.
When we got to the stage, Gabe helped Jazzy up and pulled me in for a one-armed hug.
“We are here to celebrate the nuptials of our dear Jasmine and my mate, Shane,” Gabe said proudly, turning back to the gathering crowd. “Zoey and I are so happy to have you all here today, and hope you’ll eat all of the food and drink all the booze before it’s said and done … no leftovers! But seriously, since we couldn’t be to their wedding, we wanted to open our home and share this momentous occasion with all of you. And to kick it off … Shane, we’re gonna need you to kiss the bride.”
Everyone stared clinking their glasses, so I looked at Gabe and said, “You got it, mate.”
When I turned to Jasmine, she was already waiting, head tilted up for a kiss. She was probably expecting a perfunctory peck, but, seeing as this was a party and all eyes were on us, I knew I had to make it good.
I put my hand on her neck, careful not to mess up her special hair-do.
That was one thing I learned during behind-the-scenes time – when Jasmine spent over an hour to get her hair just so, she didn’t want it messed up. I’d learned that one the hard way and nearly got my ass kicked.
Turning my head slightly, I shot a wink to the crowd, grinning madly when they let out a cheer, then turned my attention back to Jazzy and began to dip her slow and low.
I could see the laughter in her eyes, which only meant the kiss would be that much sweeter.
Taking my time, I lowered my head until my lips were a breath away, then tilted my head slightly and went in for the kill. Her lips parted beneath mine, so I deepened the kiss and our tongues tangled as her hands gripped my biceps.
She needn’t worry, there was no way I’d drop her. She was exactly where I wanted her to be.
Jasmine
I was still spinning from that kiss when Shane stood us back up, dropped a kiss on my nose, and turned to give a bow to the crowd.
Giving in to the fun and excitement, I dipped into a curtsy.
Shane hopped down off the stage and offered me his hand. I accepted and smiled happily at him. I was going to enjoy the night for what it was and set my worries aside until tomorrow. This party was for us and I was going to make the most of it.
If I had to return gifts and leave money around my families’ houses to pay them back, I would.
But, tonight, I’d be grateful.
“For the bride and groom.”
I turned to see Laurel holding out two glasses of champagne. Once Shane and I had relieved her of them, I pulled her in for a hug, smiling when her belly made it difficult.
“Laurel, I’m so happy to see you,” I murmured.
“I can’t believe you got married to Shane and didn’t tell me,” she replied, and I let her go so I could look her in the eyes.
“I’ll give you two a moment,” Shane said, and I gave him a grateful smile as he went to join the guys by the bar.
I looked back at Laurel and said, “I’m so sorry. Everything happened so fast, and then we were at camp and you didn’t come, and since we’ve been back … honestly, there’s no good excuse.”
Other than the fact that I didn’t want to lie to her like I had everything else. We’d been best friends forever, and I worried she’d know right away that what Shane and I had was false. We’d always thought we’d be each other’s maid of honor.
“You’re right, there isn’t one, but, I understand.”
“You do?”
“Well, yeah, I mean, Dillon told me the story and I know you guys have met with some resistance from the family. But, Jazzy, you have to know I’m always on your side, no matter what. And, I love Shane. I’ve always thought you guys would be great together.”
I let out a relieved breath.
“Thank you, that means the world to me,” I said, reaching out and taking her hand in mine.
“And now, we’re both married and our babies can grow up together,” Laurel said happily, her free hand moving to rest on her stomach.
“Uh, slow down, killer,” I replied with a dry laugh. “There aren’t going to be any buns in this oven anytime soon.”
“If you say so…”
“I do,” I said firmly, because, jeez, the ink was barely dry on our fake wedding certificate and she was already trying to knock me up.
“Come on, let me show you the cake.”
Laurel owned her own party planning business, so I knew between her, Zoey, Chloe, and Serena, they’d probably gone all out and found myself getting swept up in it all.
“Everything looks amazing, thank you so much for doing this for us. You guys must have killed yourselves pulling this off in like five days.”
/> “Anything for you, boo, you know that.”
I finally looked up and saw where she was taking me.
“Oh my God!”
Stopping with my hands covering my mouth and tears filling my eyes, I stared at the most beautiful wedding cake I’d ever seen.
It had three tiers and was unfrosted. You could see the creamy filling between the layers; it was decorated with fruit and flowers, and dusted with powdered sugar. It was simple, yet elegant, and looked delicious.
“That is amazing, Laurel, you’ve really outdone yourself,” I cooed as I moved around the table, looking at her masterpiece from all angles.
“Hey, it had to be the best cake I’ve ever made, for the best friend I’ve ever had.”
I rushed around the table to pull her to me once more, love filling me until I was ready to burst.
When I thought I couldn’t feel any more, my father tapped me on the shoulder and said, “May I have this dance?”
“Daddy,” I whispered, my vision blurring. “Of course you can.”
I put my hand in his and let him lead me out onto the dance floor.
My Little Girl by Tim McGraw came on and that was it. I was done. Tears were streaming down my face as I laid my head on my dad’s shoulder and danced.
We moved slowly, in sync, until the song was over, then my dad handed me his handkerchief and said, “I love you, Jasmine. May you and Shane have a long and happy marriage.”
“Thank you,” I managed, guilt making my stomach cramp as I wiped my cheeks. “I’d better go to the restroom.”
He led me off the dance floor and let me go get cleaned up.
When I came back out, my eyes puffy, but my cheeks free of mascara streaks, I saw Shane on the dance floor with my mother and the tears started again.
“Shoot,” I grumbled.
“May as well hold off on fixing that makeup,” Dillon said as he crossed to me, hand outstretched, “Cause it’s my turn.”
I gave him a small, tearful smile and joined him for a dance.
My family knew me well, and although I didn’t cry often, once I started, I usually had to purge it all out before finally drying up. I could be hurt, punched, or knocked down and wouldn’t shed a tear, but when it came to emotional tears? Well, those got me every time.
Too Dangerous: The Lewis Cousins, Book 5 Page 12
