Page 13 of Just Married

I blink up at him dazed. “Maybe.”

He growls. The sound is so damn sexy my core clenches, and I wonder what it is we were arguing about. When he kisses me, I lose all desire to fight. My heart cracks open a little, and I wonder if maybe this could work out. When he pulls away this time, we are both panting for breath. My panties are soaked, and I can see his erection pressing against the towel. I know if I stay here another minute we will just end up falling back into bed and even though it’s exactly what I want, I know it would be amistake.

I stand. “I shouldgo.”

“You should stay,” he says, pulling me against hisbody.

I groan when his length presses against my stomach. I want him as much as he wants me, but I don’t want any more things to regret. Reluctantly, I pull away. “Really, I think it’s best if I leave,” I say half-heartedly.

Without any more protest, he walks me to the door. I’m thankful he doesn’t push harder for me to stay because I would have given in. My willpower is shaky at best when it comes to him. At the door, he leans in and brushes a kiss on my lips—a sweet, lovers touch. The kind of kiss that comes from genuine affection and makes butterflies fill your stomach. He reaches for the hand that’s still clutching the ring. I uncurl my fingers and offer it to him again. My heart sinks when he picks it up, then practically beats out of my chest when he turns my hand over and slides the ring onto myfinger.

“I’ll see you tomorrow,beautiful.”

I smile up at him, feeling shy for some reason. This is a whole new Kingston, and I’m not sure how I feel about it. One part of me wants to throw a party, and the other wants to run the other way because it’s too good to be true. He can’t possibly be serious about this whole thing. Until I know the truth, I have to keep him at arm’slength.

My mind is running a mile a minute as I make my way back to my room. Before this weekend, Kingston hated me—or so I thought. Yesterday, Kingston married me and fucked me twelve ways to Sunday. Today, Kingston gives me the best orgasm ever in a bathroom, goes all caveman on the guy I was dancing with, confesses his love for me, and tells me he doesn’t want to get anannulment.

It’s like everything I’ve ever known has been turned upside down. Kingston has always treated me like crap. I won’t lie, every single time he was mean cut me to the quick. I started pushing back for the sake of self-preservation. If I didn’t like him, then he couldn’t hurt me. After a while, it just became second nature. I don’t know how to reconcile what I thought I knew with what I knownow.

The room is dark when I let myself in and I’m thankful. I tiptoe through the room and slide into my bed. My head barely hits the pillow when the lamp clickson.

“Are you going to tell me what the holy hell is goingon?”

I pull my blankets over my head, hiding myself from view. Hey, it worked on monsters when I was a kid… Tammy is scarier than any monster I ever thought up as akid.

“Last night I had what I thought was a one-night stand with Kingston,” I start the sordid tale. “Then I got back to our room and saw the ring on my finger.” I wiggle my finger at her, showing her the ring. “Apparently, I begged Kingston to marry me and one Las Vegas-style wedding later, and I’m amissus.”

Tammy’s mouth falls open and in a moment that is worthy of the history books, she is completely speechless. If I wasn’t so stressed I would find her reaction hilarious, but right now, I need her to get her shit together so mine can fallapart.

“Let me make sure I understand this… you had sex with KingstonBarrett?”

Inod.

“Like real for realsex?”

“Yes! Okay, yes. He fucked me bowlegged. Is that what you want to hear?” I sayexasperated.

“Wow.”

“Really? That’s your response? Did you miss the part where I’mmarriedto Kingston fucking Barrett? The man who can’t stand to be in the same room with me for more than five minutes without slinging some kind of barb my way.” I can’t keep the hysteria out of myvoice.

Her eyes get wide as if what I’ve told her is finally sinking in. “Oh. My. God. Peyton, what thehell?”

I bury my head back under the blankets and groan. “I was drunk. Drunk me obviously doesn’t make good life choices. Though, if what I remember is correct, Kingston was the best of the men I proposed to lastnight.”

“Jesus,” Tammymutters.

“I know. It’s a fucking mess. I bet Theo and Jillian arepissed.”

Tammy laughs. “Hon, they aren’t mad at you. Theo wants to throttle Kingston and he’s worried about you, but not mad. You could wreck his car and he’d still loveyou.”

“I did wreck his car,” Iadd.

“Oh yeah, I forgot about that. Well, see, he loves you no matter what boneheaded thing you do. And Jill, she’s just pissed she wasn’tinvited.”

Even though I’m a mess of emotions, I can’t help laughing at that. I’m so lucky to have great friends. At least I know, no matter how epically I screw up, they’re still here forme.

“All kidding aside, this isn’t the end of the world, Pey. When we get home, you’ll file for a divorce or annulment or whatever and this will all become one of those ‘what happens in Vegas’stories.”

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