Page 11 of Just Married

Jill cuts in, “Tammy is over there dancing with some guy that looks like jailbait. Oh! And Pey is dancing with a real hottie!” she says excitedly. Then sucker punches me right in the gut when she adds. “I think she might getlaid.”

My head flies to the dancefloor, looking for my wife and one dead man walking. When I see his hands all over her body, I lose my mind. I jump up so fast my stool falls to the floor in a crash. I break through the crowd and roar my rage when the man kisses her neck. Theo grips my shoulder, trying to hold me back, but I shrug him off. Nothing is going to stop me from stomping this little piss ant into thefloor.

I grab Peyton and rip her away from the man. Shocked, she pushes against my chest trying to get away, but I hold tight. I refuse to let her get away from me, not after another man has had his hands onher.

“Hey dude, let the lady go,” the idiot unwiselysays.

“Fuck you,” Isnarl.

Peyton thrashes in my arms, putting more effort into getting away. “Get off me you… youjerk!”

“Kingston, why don’t we take this somewhere a little more private?” Theo says trying to talk reason into me. I hadn’t noticed the crowd that’s surrounding us untilnow.

“Yeah, Kingston,” Peyton screeches, finally breaking free of my hold. “Listen to your brother. Take your little pissing contest elsewhere. I’m dancinghere.”

“No fucking way am I leaving you here with thisasshole.”

Said asshole makes a grab for Peyton and my vision turns red. “Get your motherfucking hands off my wife!” Ishout.

Shocked gasps come from behind me, and Peyton looks at me with murder in her eyes. Jill and Tammy dart between Peyton and me, they grab her arms and drag her away, shocked expressions on their faces. Theo grips my arm and drags me away. I follow reluctantly, mostly because I’m shocked at my own stupidity. When Peyton glances back at me the look on her face is sobering. She looksdestroyed.

* * *

“What the fuck, Kingston?”Theo shouts for the hundredth time since we got back to the hotel. “I told you to pursue her, not fucking marryher.”

I run my hands through my hair in frustration. “I know that, Theo. It wasn’t the plan. I mean, marrying Peytonwasthe plan, but not likethis.”

The expression on his face would be hilarious if this situation weren’t so fucked. “You planned to marryher?”

I start pacing the room, unable to stay still through my agitation. “Of course I did. She’s it for me.” I stop my pacing and meet my brother’s gaze head-on. “It’s always been Peyton for me.Always.”

“Okay, I get that, but why here? Why now?” heasks.

I resume pacing and raking my fingers through my hair. It almost feels like a betrayal to tell Theo the details, but he’s Peyton’s best friend… and if the way she acted this morning was any indication of what she remembers of last night, I’d have to guess she won’t be telling him the right version of thestory.

“After you told me to go for it last night, I went and danced with her. Things got a little hot and heavy on the dancefloor, so we found a secluded corner. I stopped it before things went too far.” Theo snorts and shakes his head disbelievingly. “When I quit kissing her, she started crying, then slumped to the floor. Theo, she looked so fucking sad, I’ve never seen her look like that before. I sat with her and held her while she cried. She started talking about bridesmaids and weddings and not wanting to be a bridesmaid again. She proposed to me. I swear I told her no. I was taking her up to her room when she started asking random men to marry her. She was determined. I just knew if I took her upstairs, she would’ve bolted as soon as Ileft.”

“You should’ve called me or Jill or Tammy,” he practicallyshouts.

“Look, I know, okay?” I slump down onto the couch, elbows on my knees, head in myhands.

Theo sits beside me, putting his hand on my shoulder. “You really screwed the pooch on this one. You know that,right?”

“Yeah. I know. Somehow, I’m going to make this thing with Peytonwork.”

“By ‘thing’ you mean marriage?” Theoquestions.

I give him a dirty look. “Fuck yes, I mean the marriage. Now that I have her, I’m not letting her go… I just have to convinceher.”

Chapter Six

Peyton

Iwipemy sweaty palms on my pants, then lightly knock on the door I’ve been standing in front of for the past ten minutes trying to find my courage. You can do this, Peyton. I say to myself for the millionth time since I got on the elevator to come up here. When he doesn’t answer right away, I knock again. I’m about to tuck tail and run away when I hear the lock click. I glance down the hall toward the elevator and wonder if I can make it there before he opens the door. Then the door is open, and it’s toolate.

Kingston stands in the doorway looking like an Adonis, bare-chested with little water droplets covering his perfectly tanned skin. I will my eyes not to go any lower than his chest. I argue with myself about how bad of an idea it is, but I stupidly don’t listen. My mouth runs dry when I see that he’s standing there wearing only atowel.

I know I saw him naked this morning.God, was it just this morning?But there’s just something about a mostly naked man fresh out of the shower. I know I’m staring, but I can’t seem to help myself. Kingston is the epitome ofsexy.

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