Page 65 of Just My Luck

“Are you sure?”

Fuck, why did she have to be so pretty?

“I’m sure.” I nodded with confidence. “If we’re late, I’m sure one of the Bluebirds is going to come pounding on the door in search of us. We should probably get going before we skip over fashionably late and are justlatelate.”

A tendril of soft brown hair slipped from her updo. She sighed and flipped it away, but it dropped right back into place. “I still can’t believe we’re doing this.”

I clasped my hands in front of me. “It’s part of the show, right? Making people believe this is real?”

She swallowed and nodded. “Yeah.” Seconds stretched between us as we stared at one another. Finally, Sloane gently cleared her throat. “Do you think we should... practice?”

Flashes of Sloane’s skin, dewy and slicked with sweat, as my cock pumped into her raced through my mind. “Practice?”

She shrugged. “People expect us to be comfortable around each other. We are married, after all.” Her nose scrunched. “I don’t know... don’t you think it will be weird to kiss in front of everyone?”

I frowned. I hadn’t thought about having to kiss Sloane in public. So far, outside of the actual ceremony at the courthouse, any affection between Sloane and me had been very, very private. Touching her—kissing her—in public seemed extremely dangerous.

I managed only a weak, noncommittal shoulder jerk.

Sloane exhaled. “What if we try once? Right now. Just to make sure we don’t seem awkward around each other.”

My blood hummed. “You want me to kiss you right now?”

Her tongue darted out, wetting her lips, and she nodded.

I stepped forward, crowding her space as she peered up at me. Even in heels, I towered over her slight frame. Testing the boundaries, I brushed the back of my fingertips down her bare arm. “Is this okay?”

“Yes.” Her single-word response—throaty and full of desire—shot through me.

I clasped her hand and the wrist. “And this?” Slowly I pulled her hand to my mouth, brushing my lips across her knuckles.

She nodded. “Yes.”

Dropping her hand, I traced the lines of her neck with my fingertips before encircling her throat. My hips moved forward, pressing into her as my dick twitched behind my zipper. Sloane melted into my touch. “Can I tell you a secret?”

Her throat moved beneath my hand, and she nodded, her eyelashes fluttering down as she closed her eyes.

I leaned forward, my lips brushing against the shell of her ear. “I don’t think I will have any issues kissing my wife.”

Before she could respond, I pulled her mouth to mine. She opened for me with a soft moan, allowing our tongues to tangle and brush against one another. My other arm wrapped around her as I deepened the kiss, delving into her mouth and savoring her. One leg moved against me, desperate and needy for more.

Had it not been for remembering how drop-dead gorgeous she looked, I would have hiked that fucking skirt up and railed her against the kitchen island without a second thought.

Sloane deserves more.

With a tug of my teeth on her lower lip, I released her before I let that kiss carry us too far. My fingertips toyed with the loose strand of brown hair as Sloane stared up at me with wide, curious eyes.

A smile formed on my lips when I realized our kiss had stunned her silent. “Do you think that will do?”

Her voice was breathy and light. “That should do it.”

I popped a playful kiss on her lips and walked toward the door, feeling a unique and unfamiliar sense of lightness. “Perfect. Let’s go.”

Wedding showers werea fascinating study in female relationships. While the Bluebirds had organized it, women from all over town were present. I knew Sloane didn’t have family outside of her grandfather Bax, but you would never have known that.

Bug had opened the King family estate to host the afternoon garden party. Sloane had informed me that the bride and groom were supposed to arrive fashionably late, so by the time we drove up to the house, cars lined the driveway. A massive floral swag with white and pale-pink flowers hung at the front door, welcoming the guests.

From beyond the door, we could hear soft chatter and laughter. Sloane stared at the massive oak front door, then turned to me. “Ready?”

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