Page 17 of Hot Mess Wedding

No anything of the kind!!!

I need to pump the breaks on all of this! I need to gird my loins with all the cynicism I can summon in my cold, crusty heart. All while pretending to be head over heels in love with my hot new husband.

But for now, people are snapping pictures and grabbing postcards off my display with download codes for my books, so I’m happy. That and there is a ridiculously hunky man with his arms wrapped around me.

“Anita! Look this way,” someone calls.

“Oh my gawd, will you look at how he looks at her,” another woman remarks.

I glance up at him and he’s smiling down on me with what looks like love and devotion. You know, for a random guy I met on a plane and then accidentally married, he is a really good actor.

Of course I know it’s probably nothing but resigned amusement that this is his fate today. I smile at him and he kisses my nose.

All my cold, crusty cynicism melts away.

Oh shit!

Don’t do it, Cleary. Don’t you fall in love with this man!

Thankfully the readers get bored soon enough and we can step away from each other. I truly don’t think I can handle staring into his soulful brown eyes anymore.

Meanwhile Lola is ready to get naked with him. I glare down at my pants because we cannot do that, and she needs to just calm herself down. I should have brought her a toy to play with. I thought about it, but I could just imagine them pulling me aside during the baggage check process and holding it up for everyone to see.

I’m notthatbrave yet.

When the book signing comes to an end, Ian helps me pack up my stuff.

“I’m starving,” he growls. “We should go get something to eat.”

I’m about to agree when a woman approaches us. “Excuse me, Anita?”

I glance down at her name tag to see this is Wendy Hansen, the head coordinator of the entire conference.

“Yes, so nice to meet you.” I hold my hand out to her. “Ian, darling.” I refuse to cringe at how unnatural that endearment sounds. “This is Wendy; she’s in charge of the whole shebang.”

He nods. “Nice to meet you.”

She beams at him and I could swear the woman is blushing. I get it. He’s unfairly attractive to be standing next to us mere mortals.

“We have a mock cover shoot later, an exclusive event that we sold extra tickets to,” Wendy says.

“Oh yes, I wanted to go to that, but they were sold out by the time I registered,” I tell her.

“Yes, well, the photographers want the two of you to be some of our models.”

I consider myself a relatively intelligent person. I’m fairly well read, and I’ve been speaking English my entire life. I know that the words she says are comprehendible, but nothing about what she said makes a lick of sense.

“I’m sorry, I thought you said you wanted us to model,” I say.

Beside me, Ian chuckles. “That is what she said, sugar baby.”

“You wantmeto model withhim?” I point my thumb in his direction.

Wendy laughs delightedly. “Of course. One of the couples we’d hired missed their flight, so we have time in the schedule. You’re newlyweds. What better way to celebrate romance than with a real life one?” She claps her hands. “And the photos will be a nice memento for you to remember your honeymoon.”

“Oh. Right,” I say. I don’t even sound convinced to my own ears.

Ian grabs my shoulders and gives me a gentle shake. “She’s tired from the travel and we had a late night.” He winks at Wendy. “Also, I need to get some food into her. But you let us know when and where we need to be.”

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