Page 57 of Doctored Vows

I’ve been sleeping for almost three hours.

My eyes bulge when I flick through the planner in my head and land on an important task I was meant to undertake this evening.

“I have to go.” Maksim’s groan when I dismount him makes me want to forget the promises I made. If they were pledged to anyone but Zoya, I would. As my skirt slips down my thighs, covering me, I snatch up my shirt and place it on before diving for my phone. “I’m meant to be preparing pre-club… snacks… and… cocktails.” The gasping delay between my words is easily excusable. Maksim is naked from the waist down. His cock—still sheathed by a condom that exposes he mercifully finished before I collapsed from exhaustion—is impressive enough to hang heavy on his thigh, and unlike earlier, his chest is exposed since the buttons on his dress shirt are undone. “No undershirt today?”

I realize I spoke my inner monologue out loud when Maksim’s eyes stray to a white A-frame shirt dumped near the pants he kicked off during our escapades, and he says, “I knew you had plans, so I didn’t want you to have a sleep crinkle in your cheek.”

My throat dries when I take in the ridges and bumps of his stomach a second after his smooth pecs. “I guess it’s lucky I slept on your chest and not your stomach.”

His smirk reveals he appreciates my underhanded compliment, but he keeps my focus where it needs to be, which also exposes he understands Zoya’s importance in my life. “Doc?”

“Yeah?” I reply while fighting to take my eyes off his delicious body.

He waits for me to finish my long appraisal, before saying, “Get a move on before I add more items to my terms.”

I snap my eyes to his face so fast I make myself dizzy. “We can add more?”

His agreeing murmur isn’t something I’ll ever hear and not squirm. “Especially if it entails anything similar to what we just did.”

I can’t talk. Think. I can’t do anything.

I’m too busy calculating how much paper I’ll need for the terms I want to add.

A clink of laughter from next door snaps me from my wicked thoughts.

“I should go?” I grit my teeth before changing my question to an affirmation. “I better go.” My second attempt shows progress, but I give it another shot since it’s still imperfect. “I’m going.”

When I lean in to farewell Maksim like he did me this morning, I fight with all my might not to drop my eyes to his cock.

I miserably fail, and the chuckle of my husband when I limp for the door, groaning like a child, proclaims how satisfied he is with my devastation.

When Zoya exits Aleena’s room, I pretend I didn’t max out all my phone storage by airdropping her photos of my “wedding” to my phone.

“All settled?”

She looks as exhausted as I feel. “Finally.” Her flop onto the sofa wafts up her familiar scent before her deep exhale blows it away. “Today was…”—a hundred words roll through my head as she takes time to find the right one—“amazing.” Her eyes are on me, heartfelt and misted. “Thank you so much.”

“Don’t thank me. I didn’t do anything.”

She smacks my words back into my mouth with a cushion before saying, “No prenup, baby. So any gift from Maksim today was also a gift from you.”

I’d groan over her reminder Maksim didn’t protect his assets with a prenuptial agreement if I wasn’t so damn appreciative of how special he made Aleena’s day. He didn’t just assist in the pre-hen party preparation. He went all out for the entire event. Food. Drinks. Limousine transfers to and from a DJ gig at a nightclub that’s been sold out for months. He even had four of the hotel’s security team escort us, so if anyone got out of hand, they were moved on before Aleena’s friends and bridal party felt uncomfortable.

“I’ve seriously had the best day of my life. I never would have predicted that would be the statement that ended my day when I woke up this morning.”

Zoya hums in agreement as if she had similar thoughts before she nudges me with her shoulder. “Then what are you still doing here? Why aren’t you taking full advantage of the alone time before we fly home tomorrow? I love Gigi, but you know as well as I do that if Maksim makes you scream like you did earlier today, she’ll take his head off with a baseball bat.”

“Z!”

“What? It was so hot I’m seriously reconsidering my stance on sex club parties.” She stands on the couch, arches over it, then shakes her ass. “You don’t have to participate, but what are your thoughts on this pose? Too risqué or tastefully nasty?”

Laughing, I spank her backside before leaping up from the sofa and making a beeline for my room.

“Are you seriously staying here? He had one request, Keet.” She holds her pointer finger in the air to emphasize her statement. “One!”

“It’s late.”

Zoya scoffs at me. “Don’t act like he isn’t awake, awaiting your return.”

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