Page 6 of Perfectly Wedded

Anthony motions toward his girlfriend. “Have you met Demetria yet?” The raven-haired beauty sidles up to him in a black dress so tight, it might as well be a second skin. With her green eyes, she looks like a feral cat.

“Yes, I know the woman you cheated on me with,” I say with a tight smile.

Anthony clears his throat.

Vale stands, easily towering over my ex. “I’m Vale MacPherson.”

“You look familiar,” Anthony says, studying Vale, before shaking his hand.

“He’s a hockey player,” I gush, turning toward Anthony with a smug grin. “A media darling. Women line up for him.” I throw an exaggerated smile Vale’s way, making it seem like I’m wildly in love. His hand tightens at my waist, pulling me closer, and I lean into him, maybe a little too eagerly.

“There’s only one woman I care about.” Vale’s eyes cut slowly to mine. “Guess that’s what happens when you’re in love.”

I nearly choke on my drink.Love?Like that wouldn’t totally ruin our friendship.

Anthony clears his throat. “You’re dating?”

“We are,” Vale says, his thumb making slow circles on the curve of my waist, driving me crazy.

“She didn’t force you to attend tonight?”

“Force? Um,no.Have you seen how hot she is?” Vale’s eyes trail down my body, leaving scorch marks in their tracks. Even though I know it’s all for Anthony’s sake, my skin is burning up. Vale pulls me into his chest so that my back is pressed into hisgranite-cut abs, and my sad sap of a heart rockets against my ribs. “We’re celebrating tonight.”

“No better place to celebrate than Vegas,” Anthony says. “What’s the occasion?”

Vale’s fingers brush my waist—torturously slow, like he knows exactly what he’s doing to me. “We’re celebrating her full recovery... a weekend away forus.” This might be for Anthony’s benefit, but it’s working so well, my heart feels like it could launch me to the moon.

Vale stares down Anthony as he circles his thumb along my waist. “Do you remember when she was laid up for months? Oh wait, you wouldn’t remember, because you weregone.”

I have to bite my cheek to keep from laughing—and inwardly, I’m pumping both fists. Gutsy move, insulting my ex.

Irritation flickers across Anthony’s face before he straightens his shoulders. “Have you heard our good news?”

“That Demetria won her last competition?” I grab my water, trying to hide my disgust over the fact that he’s her coach, even though it’s unprofessional for coaches to date their clients.

“No,” Anthony says. “Demetria and I just got engaged.”

For a moment, my knees go weak, like I’ve been gut-punched.Engaged?

When we were together, Anthony always told me he would be a bachelor for life, even though I stupidly thought that I could change his mind. I’m not in love with Anthony, and I don’t want him back. But it’s still devastating.

Vale gently pulls me closer, as if to remind me he’s here. “How coincidental,” he says, filling in the awkward silence. “Because we also have news.”

My face snaps toward Vale. Is he referring to my health relapse or that I’m back to working at my underpaid coaching gig? Because both of those pale in comparison to Anthony’s announcement. “Uh, Vale, we don’t have any news.”

He gives me a confident smirk, and I know he’s up to something. “We don’t have to hide it, sweetie. Everyone’s going to find out eventually.”

Sweetie?I almost bust out laughing. Vale has never called anyonesweetiebefore or any other pet name.

“Find out what?” Anthony asks, looking from Vale to me. I sip my water and avoid Demetria’s glare.

Vale spins toward Anthony. “Sloan and I are engaged too,” he announces as if it’s the most natural thing in the world.

The words hit like a bomb, andI choke on my drink, spraying it everywhere, while trying to smile and nod like this isn’t a total shock.

“Oh, I’m so sorry,” I stammer, fumbling for my napkin, and offering it to Demetria to wipe away the mess. There’s no way I’m going to touch the cleavage real estate falling out of that dress.It’s like an entire state.

“My fiancée gets choked up whenever I tell people,” Vale remarks, patting me on the back. “It’s just so emotional for her. Isn’t it,sweet cheeks?” He tweaks my face, and I give him a glare that warns him to never call me that again.

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