“You look like you’re about to pass out,” he said, his voice deep and close. “Take a deep breath and calm yourself.”
I breathed deep, focusing on the feeling of his hand on my thigh. I realized that he was right, that I really was about to pass out. My heart was hammering and my hands were shaking, and my nerves were getting the best of me.
“It’s okay,” he said. “It’s okay to be nervous. It’s going to be okay.”
I nodded at him. “Yeah. I’m good.”
His hand remained on my thigh. “I’ll be with you the whole way,” he said.
I nodded at his hand. “Keep it business between us,” I said.
He smirked and moved his hand. “Just trying to help.”
“Help without touching.”
He laughed and shook his head. “You’re welcome, princess.”
I opened my mouth to give him a biting reply, but at that exact moment the doors to the inner chapel opened. A group of drunk-looking people spilled out, smiling and laughing.
I watched as they slowly left the waiting room. The bride and groom looked so happy, and the people around them were clearly having a great time. They actually looked like they were in love.
I glanced at Nash and he nodded at me. I didn’t love him, not at all. We didn’t have anybody with us, no friends or family.
It was not how I had imagined my wedding would be.
An older man in a chaplain’s outfit stood in the doorway to the inner chapel and smiled at Nash and me.
“Are you two ready?” he asked.
Nash stood up. “Sure.”
“Right this way,” he said, and disappeared inside.
Nash held his hand out to me. “You ready, wife?”
I stared at his big, rough hand for a minute. If I took it and stood, I knew I’d go through with it.
Or, I could smack it away and run. I could run outside, get a cab, and be done with this whole crazy thing. I didn’t have to go in there at all, didn’t have to marry him.
This was my choice. He wasn’t forcing me; nobody was.
Nash looked at me expectantly.
My heart did flip-flops in my chest.
10
Nash
I stood across from Selena at the top of the chapel as the old guy did his thing.
I wasn’t listening and didn’t care. The chapel had a few people sitting around, acting as witnesses, and they looked about as bored as I felt.
But the only thing I was interested in was Selena. That fucking dress she was wearing was driving me crazy. I couldn’t help but look at her breasts, her lips, and she definitely noticed. She smiled, and that only made my cock that much harder. I didn’t know how many people got fucking hard at their wedding, but there I was ready to fuck Selena senseless.
And I wasn’t going to get any on my damn wedding night.
“Do you, Nash Bell, take her as your lawfully wedded wife?” the old guy asked.
I glanced at him. “Sure,” I grunted.
He smiled. “And do you, Selena Wood, take him as your lawfully wedded husband?”
“I do,” she said in a tiny voice.
“Well, by the power vested in me by the state of Nevada, I now pronounce you husband and wife. Go ahead and kiss.”
Selena opened her mouth to say something, but I didn’t wait. I grabbed her by the waist, bent her slightly back, and kissed her hard on the lips.
Shivers ran like explosions through my body as I kissed the girl. My cock was straining against my damn jeans as she put her hands on my biceps and kissed me back. We melted together into that kiss, and I completely forgot for a second that she wasn’t really my wife, that this wasn’t a real wedding.
Because that kiss felt pretty fucking real to me. It felt pretty real and pretty fucking intense, and it just kept going.
Finally, the old guy cleared his throat. I stood back up and let Selena go. Her whole face was red, and she stared at me with a look I knew so well from seeing it on so many other women in my life.
It was lust, pure lust. She wanted me as badly as I wanted her, and I knew it.
“Pictures are available up front, and the license will come in the mail within five business days,” the old guy said.
“Thanks,” I said, and handed him a twenty. He went to say something, but I was already sweeping Selena down the aisle and toward the exit.
I wanted to get the fuck out of there before I couldn’t contain myself anymore, before I pressed Selena down against a pew and fucked her until she screamed my name right then and there.
“Pictures?” the woman at reception said as we moved past.
“The works,” I said. “Add it to the bill and mail it to me.”
She nodded, smiling, and I hustled Selena out into the Las Vegas afternoon.
Once there, she whirled on me. “What the hell was that?” she asked.
“What do you mean?” I said innocently.
“That kiss,” she hissed. “You kissed me.”
“That’s what you’re supposed to do.”
“We’re not really married,” she said. I could tell that lust was gone, completely replaced with anger.
“Technically,” I said, “we are.”
“No kissing,” she said. “No touching, no staring, none of that.”
“If you didn’t want me to stare, you shouldn’t have worn that dress,” I said.
“I just wanted to look good for this.”
“And you really fucking do.”
“Nash,” she said seriously. “This is business.”
“Don’t act like that kiss doesn’t have your pussy soaking wet.
“Nash!”
“Okay, pretend all you want. But I saw that look; I felt that kiss. You want my big cock between those pretty legs. You want me to fuck you until you forget your own damn name.”
“Cut it out,” she said, but with less force.
“As soon as you admit that you want to wrap your legs around my face and let me suck that clit until you scream for more.”
“Okay, you can’t—” she said, but I stopped her. My phone was vibrating for the hundredth time that morning, and I knew exactly who it was. “What?” Selena said, annoyed.
“It’s my publicist,” I said. “I need to take it.”
“Fine.” She crossed her arms and looked away, annoyed.
I picked up the phone. “Livy,” I said.
“Where the fuck are you, Nash?” she snapped. “You get lost again?”
“Guess who got married?”
There was a pause and then she groaned. “You didn’t.”
“I am a happily married man.”
“Where are you?” she asked again. “We can fix whatever you did later.”
“I’m in Las Vegas.”
“What?” she said, clearly angry. I held the phone away from my ear as she yelled for two solid minutes. I was pretty sure she never took a breath, which was beyond impressive.
Finally, there was a pause. “Can I speak?” I asked.
“Yes,” she said, still angry.
“I’m in Las Vegas with my new wife, Selena Wood. Start crafting a press release. The pictures and the marriage license will show up at the publisher’s office in a few days.”
“Are you serious about this?”
“I am very serious,” I said.
“This is crazy, even for you.”
“Maybe,” I said. “But what can I say? I’m deep, deep in love with this girl.” I glanced at Selena, but she didn’t look at me.
“Seriously?” Livy asked, skeptical.
“Seriously. We couldn’t wait to make this official.”
She sighed. “Look, I already canceled your stuff for today. Can you meet me in New York by tonight?”
“I can, sure,” I said. “First flight out.”
“Fine.” She paused. “Don’t do anything else until I see you.”
“Bye, Livy.” I hung up the phone.
“Everything okay?” Selena asked.
“Hell no,” I said, laughing. “I just ditched out on some obligations to randomly marry a stranger. Things are definitely not okay.”
She frowned. “I thought this was what you wanted.”
I grinned at her. “I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else, wife.” I began walking toward the strip. “Come on.”
“Where are we going?”
“To get our stuff and then to fly to New York.”
She fell in behind me without saying another word.
My cock was still hard as we hailed a cab and climbed inside, speeding back toward the hotel.
11
Selena
The plane jostled slightly, but I was nestled comfortably in my first-class seat.
The day before felt like a dream. The wedding itself was completely surreal, almost as if it hadn’t happened, especially since we hustled to the airport directly after it was over.
But that kiss had definitely been real.
I kept thinking about it over and over as we waited for our flight, boarded the plane, and then sat there side by side, flying to New York. He had taken me in his strong arms and pressed his mouth against mine, and fireworks had shot down my spine. I’d thought for a second that I was going to pass out from the excitement rushing through my veins.
I’d kissed guys before. Plenty of guys. But none of them were like Nash, and none of those kisses had made me feel that way.
Maybe it was just because we were getting married. Maybe it was just a natural response to my adrenaline and my fear.