Page 14 of Perfectly Wedded

“Don’t worry, I wear something,” he says. “But if you’re concerned, I can always wear a shirt tonight. Wouldn’t want to make youtoouncomfortable.” His eyes flash with mischief, clearly enjoying how flustered I’ve become.

My cheeks are melting off my face like hot lava. “Oh, please. I’m not worried about that. Just make sure whatever you wear covers the essentials.” I cross my arms, pretending to be calm, even though the thought of Vale shirtless is doing dangerous things to my imagination. “What do you want to do?” I ask, moving to the bed and grabbing the remote. “Watch something on TV?” Anything to distract my overactive imagination.

“Never thought I’d hear that on my wedding night,” he says with a low chuckle.

“Do you have a better suggestion?”

“A few,” he says, taking off his suit jacket and unbuttoning the top button of his shirt. “But you wouldn’t be interested.”

“Try me.” My eyes land on the space of his skin where the shirt opens, taunting me. I’ve never been interested in seeing a man unbutton his shirt... until now. Vale is the only guy who could make me feel this way about one open button.

He notices my eyes lingering on his neck and his lips curve on one side. “They all involve going out. Maybe a casino or a show?”

“Oh,” I say, feeling deflated. Vale wasn’t suggesting a date with me alone. Why would he? We’re not a real couple. If we went out, we could blend into the crowd and forget that we’re actually married.

“Are you hungry? We could order food.” I toss my stilettos next to the bed and root through my luggage, tossing clothes on the floor until I find my nightgown atthe bottom.

As soon as I unfold the black silky fabric, Vale’s eyes lock on it, lingering just a second too long before he quickly glances away. His jaw tightens, and I catch the subtle shift in his posture, like he’s fighting the urge to look again.

Of all the nightgowns I could have packed, why did I bring this one? Oh, right—because I foolishly assumed no one would ever see me in it.

“I’m still full from earlier,” he says, his eyes fixed on a blank wall to his right, like it’s the most fascinating thing in the room. He’s clearly trying not to look at me—or my nightgown. Is he embarrassed by the thought of seeing me in it? I haven’t been working out much since the accident, and my body’s softer now, not like the fit girls he’s probably used to.

“You don’t have to avoid looking at my nightgown, you know. It’s not going to bite. Unless you’re embarrassed or something.”

“Me, embarrassed? Nah, just trying to give you space.” He leans back casually, crossing his arms like it’s no big deal. It almost seems like he’s trying a little too hard.

“We’re just sharing a room... as friends.”No big deal, right?I rub my forehead, a familiar throb of pain behind my eyelids, most likely from a headache. “You know, I’m not feeling great. I think I’ll head to bed instead.”

“Are you okay?” he asks, frowning.

“I’m fine, Vale,” I say, heading for the bathroom, cutting off any further questions. The last thing I want is to burden him with my problems. I’ll just take some medicine that’ll knock me out, and he’ll never know the difference.

“Are you sure? You suddenly look...” His voice trails off, concern creeping in.

“Yes,” I snap, not meaning to, but I can’t help it. “Just tired.”

He hesitates, his eyes searching mine for a moment longer. “Okay,” he says finally, his voice softening. “I’ll just grab my toothbrush and clothes from the other room.” Before I can say another word, he’s out the door like I’ve just come down with food poisoning.

I sigh, slumping against the bathroom counter. Maybe he’s already regretting his decision to marry me, but there’s no turning back now. We have to play the part of the perfectly wedded couple, no matter how miserable I feel. Because as much as I want Vale, as much as I long for something real with him, I know I’ll never truly have him as my husband.

SIX

Sloan

What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas—unless, of course, you get married and have to drag your Vegas decision home with you. That’s exactly how it feels when I’m caught sneaking out of our hotel room after waking up next to Vale. Suddenly, I’m frozen, like a deer caught in the headlights of an oncoming car.

Of all the things to happen in the “marriage capital of the world,” getting caught by my husband trying to escape was not part of the plan.

“Forgive me, I’m operating on zero caffeine right now,” I say, before turning back to Vale. “But, seriously, why were you sleeping next to me?”

He raises his hands, his voice soft. “Just to be clear, nothing happened. But I was worried about you last night. You weren’t feeling good, and I wanted to stay close, to make sure you were okay.” He pauses for a beat, studying my face. “Are you?”

I wave him off, pulling his coat tighter around me like some kind of shield protecting me from making any more terrible decisions. “I’m fine. Just a little groggy from the headache.”

I can’t admit that I forgot about our wedding last night. He’d freak out. My temporary memory lapses really know how to pickthe worst moments. If Vale knew, he’d feel responsible, like this entire situation is somehow his fault—even though we both signed up for this insanity.

He gives me a look like he’s not buying it, but lets it slide. “You want to get coffee and then go shopping?” He pulls on a shirt that stretches across his chest in that annoyingly perfect way, showing off muscles that should be illegal. My eyes linger a little too long, tracing the hard lines of his abs disappearing just above the waistband of his joggers.

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