Momentary Marriage(44)

All week, he’d been in a foul temper, knowing he was snarling at his employees—hell, at his doorman, but unable to stop himself. And every day Kelsey’s wedding crept closer.

In the beginning, he hadn’t thought she’d really go through with it, but now he had to admit—it was really happening.

For years now, he’d beguiled the monotony of his life, the ordinary sameness of his world with dreams of winning Kels. Silly ideas of sweeping her off her feet, of making himself so much a part of the fabric of her life that one day she’d turn to him in realization. He—ordinary, always-there, Doug—was her real hero. Not all these guys she flirted with and went out with.

He was her white knight on his steed, charging forth to make her world a better place.

They were heady dreams in which he was transformed from his humdrum persona into Superman. No more dull Clark Kent. When Kelsey realized his love—she would be his ticket out of himself. No more boring, average Doug.

What a joke, he thought savagely, gulping down half a cup of still-scalding coffee in one sweep.

“Shit!” Grabbing the towel, he wiped at the burned spot at the edge of his mouth.

How did a man handle the death of his own pathetic dreams?

“Hey!” he yelled toward the closed bedroom door. “How many damned clothes are you wearing?”

Her door opened then and Amy pranced out, looking so much like his fantasy of running tights and jogging bra that he almost swallowed his coffee-singed tongue.

“Don’t get your knickers in a twist,” she told him with a smirk as she propped her foot on an end table and leaned forward to stretch. “It’s not like you’ve got someplace important to be.”

“Shit! Why do I put up with this?” Doug demanded, glaring at her, trying not to notice how faithfully her running tights hugged her butt.

“Put up with what?” she looked up at him in a teasing, scoffing tone.

“Disrespect!” he bellowed, frustrated with the tangle of his thoughts, the mess in his head. Hell, he didn’t even feel like himself today.

Standing there in her snug running clothes, she looked like a spunky, sexy slice of hormonal heaven.

Amy smirked at him again. “What are you going to do about it? Spank me?”

Goaded beyond belief, he could only stare at her, his head feeling like it was about to blow off his body. God, he wanted to spank her. Wanted to yank down those tights, lay her across his lap and paddle her ass with his bare hand.

Then he’d kiss her better. Oh, so much better.

He wanted to kiss her smirky mouth, to plunge his tongue between her moist lips again.

“Huh?” she said, smiling up at him with that sassy glint in her smile. “What you gonna do?”

“This,” he said between gritted teeth, crossing the small kitchen and taking her by the arm. Yanking her upright, Doug jerked her into his arms and kissed her hard and long.

Instantly, he felt himself harden. Soft and so female in his arms, Amy tasted like fresh, willing woman. She smelled clean and sexy, her lips opening beneath his after her momentary surprise.

To his shock, she immediately wrapped her arms around his midsection, pressed her body to his and thrust her tongue in his mouth.

Doug reared back his head in shock. With Amy still locked in his arms, her flushed face raised to his, he shuddered with the most powerful bolt of pure lust.

“So…what you gonna do,” she whispered, touching the tip of her pink tongue to her lower lip and looking up at him with hunger in her beautiful eyes.

“God,” he groaned, lowering his mouth to hers again.

****

Jared closed another box with strapping tape, lifting it to the stack by the door.

“You really didn’t have to help me with this,” Kelsey said again. “I know how busy you are.”

“Never too busy to help a damsel in distress,” he said, well aware that she’d never admit to needing rescue. He’d cancelled his appointments today and put on his rattiest jeans to come help her pack because he wanted to be with her.

They’d be married the day after tomorrow, if everything went as planned. As the time grew closer, he felt as if he were holding his breath. He was so close to calling her his own. Once she was committed to him legally, he’d be on more solid ground.

“Moving is distressing, all right,” Kelsey said, glancing around her small apartment. “It’s always a pain.”

He’d have been more than happy to move in here with her, but Jared suspected she’d offered to live at his apartment because she wanted some space of her own. His place was at least twice the size of hers.

He hadn’t asked, but he suspected she planned on keeping the lease on her apartment, as well.