Page 31 of Pucking Curves

“You mean to my own house?”

He narrows his eyes on me, and I have to fight the urge to smile. “You’re sleeping in our bed tonight, little bird. With me.”

“I have my own bed, Archer,” I say…though I’m not sure if I’m reminding him or myself. The truth is that I want to stay with him. I want to pretend that we’re real and possible and not just some Vegas mistake. I want to give him the chance he asked for last night, the one I think he wants just as badly as I do and maybe for just as long. But that’s dangerous because the more time I spend with him, the more the lines blur. And the less I remember why I’m not allowed to have him.

“Yeah, you do,” he agrees, a growl in his voice. “It’s inourbedroom atourhouse.” He sinks his hand into my hair, craning my head back. The way he tugs sends a jolt straight to my clit. “Do not make me remind you here and now just how much you like sleeping with me, baby.”

I bite my tongue, resisting the instinctive urge to defy and challenge him. There’s only one way that’ll end…with me sprawled over my desk while he proves that he can and will win this argument even if he has to play dirty to do it. He may obey the rules on the ice, but when it comes to me? I’m not sure there’s a single damn rule in the book he isn’t willing to violate six ways to Sunday if it gets him what he wants. Which is, apparently, me in his bed.

“Why are you fighting this?” he asks, his lips inches from mine. “We both know you want to be in bed with me, riding my cock again tonight,wife.”

My stomach dips and spins again. Images from last night race to the surface of my mind, making it hard to think. He’s right. I do want to be with him. I want him all over me again, that gritty voice in my ear while he whispers filthy things and sends me flying to heaven.

“Micah,” I manage to whisper the reminder. Barely.

“I told him about us today.”

My heart plummets all the way to my toes, anxiety rising in a tidal wave. “Archer! What? Why?” I slip out of his arms, my hair sliding through his fingers. “Have you completely lost it? Oh my god. No wonder he’s blowing up my phone today. He’s probably on the way here right now.” I plant my hands against Archer’s chest, pushing, but I might as well be trying to move a mountain. He doesn’t even budge. “You have to go before he finds you here and murders you!”

“Wren, baby.” He grabs my arms, hauling me back into his embrace. “Breathe for me.”

I inhale a sharp breath. It doesn’t make me feel any better. Micah is going to catch him here. There will be bloodshed. And it’ll be all my fault for not insisting we annul the marriage as soon as we woke up in Vegas.

“I didn’t tell him that we’re married, little bird.”

“You didn’t?” Is that…disappointment I feel? Yes. Yes, it is. I don’t even know why! But I’m curiously, oddly disappointed. Because I feel guilty for lying to Micah? Because I don’t want Archer to regret marrying me?

Oh, God. I’m spiraling. He worked sex magic on me last night, and now I’m losing it just like he is. Because, dammit all, I don’t want to be a mistake he regrets. I want this to be real with every fiber of my being. And, for a split second, I thought that maybe it could be.

“I told him that you’re mine, and that we’re going to be together.” He grimaces. “I skated a thin fucking line around the truth, but I didn’t lie, and I didn’t tell him that we’re married, either.”

“How…” I lick my lips and try again. “How did he take it?”

“You mean after he finished telling me to keep my hands off you?” Archer quirks a brow and then shrugs.

“So he’s mad,” I whisper, not really surprised. As far as Micah is concerned, I’m not dating a guy he knows and trusts. I’m dating a hockey player. I’m signing myself up for a lifetime of making this sport my life when it almost killed me once. He isn’t going to be reasonable.

“He’ll get over it, Wren.” Archer tips my head back, stroking my cheek like he’s trying to soothe me. “I don’t want to sneak around behind his back or lie to him. I respect both of you too much for that. I know you don’t want to sneak around, either. This ensures we don’t have to do that. We can ease him into the idea of us.”

“Until we annul the marriage,” I mutter, the thought making my stomach hurt.

“Stop looking for an escape hatch, little bird,” he growls. “It’s pissing me off to know you don’t want this the same way I do.”

My stomach flutters. So does my heart. “I’m not looking for an escape,” I whisper. “I just don’t want to be something you regret.”

“You think I could? I already told you that I’m going to convince you that we aren’t a mistake, baby girl,” he murmurs, dipping his head to brush his lips across mine. “You’re going to fall for me.”

I whimper softly…but I don’t tell him that I don’t need convincing. I’m already there. I was there months ago. Admitting that seems massive, though. It seems huge.

Are we ready for that? I don’t know. We’ve only been anusfor two days!

“Are you finished for the day?” he asks before I can figure out what to say.

“I just need to finish up some paperwork.”

“Go ahead,” he murmurs, turning me toward my desk. “I’ll wait for you.”

“Where are my panties?” I grumble, searching through my overnight bag. My stuff is spread across the foot of the bed, every item of clothing in it strewn around. The five pairs of panties I packed are mysteriously missing, however.

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