Page 19 of Love You Already

I snort as I remember just how forceful he was in bed. It was a solid balance of dominance and curiosity. Never would I have guessed that he'd basically just been fired or that he was furious by his actions.

“The driver I had suggested that little hole in the wall bar on the strip. I went inside, hopeful for a reprieve before having to pack up my life to move to Houston. What I found instead was a bombshell who I couldn't stop looking at. From there, you know the bulk of the story. We drank a little, fucked a lot, and explored the city in between rounds. Remember your favorite part?”

My cheeks hurt from how big I smile at the question. “Sure as hell do. Being witness to those weddings was a blast. Especially since people seemed shocked to have you there.”

Lachlan grins back at me. “Yeah, it was something. I thought for sure they'd bust my cover and then we'd have to rush away before fans showed up. I'm not a huge deal in the NHL, though I'm a big enough name that people might have still acted foolish or put you in danger.”

I frown at the idea. “That must be hard. Not having all the privacy the rest of us do.”

He nods. “It is. If I could play without all that, I would. Considering I just signed a three-year deal with Houston, I don't see that happening anytime soon.”

I turn over the idea of him being closer. He would definitely be the perfect fit for a fake boyfriend — barring whatever news he has for me. The proximity is enough where he could pop in when the nagging got to be too much, while the distance would be healthy enough for me to not have to worry about seeing him all the time to keep up the ruse. Life would go on as it has been, which is exactly what I want.

“OK. That makes sense. So, you got traded to Houston, realized I was close somehow, and decided to show up?” I bounce my shoulders to tease away some of the tension creeping back up his shoulders. If I thought I could get close without climbing him like a tree again, I'd go rub away those wrinkles along his brow.

“Yes and no. There's a little thing in between that went down. Well, not little.” He takes a deep breath, then puts his hands behind his head as he rushes out, “We're married.”

I'm distracted by the curve of those muscular arms. At first, I don't hear him. It's like a slow-motion moment in a cartoon where the character sees what is going to happen, they know the train wreck is near, yet they can't stop the eventual crash.

“Married?!”

He bites his lip as he nods. I'm distracted again, so I do the only thing I can think to do. I cover my eyes like a little kid as I work to regain my composure.

“You ok, Rose? I know this is big news but if you faint, I'm pretty sure Bridgett will stab me,” he teases, though I do hear a hint of worry in his tone.

“I'm fine. You're just too... you're too hot to watch when you talk. I can't process the words when I'm drooling over your looks.”

The room is dead quiet for a second before his deep chuckle bounces around the small space. He goes on for a while before he gets hold of himself.

“Sorry about that. It's just... I don't think you realize how refreshing it is to have someone be brutally honest with me. Not when I'm used to people lying to get to me. You're the breath of fresh air I needed and though this is a sticky situation, I'm happy it brought me back around to you.”

I sigh as I rub my eyes. Thank goodness I wasn't a makeup girl. I'd have raccoon eyes in no time with how much eye rubbing I see in my future.

“I know this shouldn't even be a question I have to ask but humor me. How did we end up actually married, Lachlan? It feels like a joke because I'm pretty sure there's a million and one forms needed to get married. There is right? Like we couldn't just magically poof and have a whole ass marriage?!”

My eyes are still covered. I don't realize he's approaching me until his hands are on mine. I jolt at the touch. He coos at me as if he's calming a wild animal. I kind of feel like one actually with the way my body always reacts to him.

Lachlan slowly pulls my hands down, revealing inch by inch of him. His smile is soft, though worried.

“Remember how we were witnesses to a few weddings? But then that one girl said we made a cute couple and suggested we stand up there to pose. Then we started talking like fake vows to each other and stuff. When the Elvis impersonator played along, we joked about how funny it was people chose to get married this way.”

I nod as I recall every detail of that night. It went exactly as he describes, down to the jokes we made the rest of the night before going back to the hotel because we couldn't keep our hands off one another.

The worst part is that it was my idea to go to the chapels. I'd told Lachlan that seeing one in person had been on my bucket list somewhere around the third round of sex. He'd forced me into clothes, claiming he needed more carbs and hydration before making me scream his name again.

We never would have wound up at the chapel, none of this would have happened, had I not been selfish. If I hadn't mentioned the damn things at all.

Lachlan continues telling the story as he lets me process through my emotions. “When we paused to go sign all the paperwork for the ceremonies we witnessed, they added in our marriage certificate too. That's why they asked for our full names and why we had to show our IDs. We thought it was weird even back then.”

“Yeah. I didn't know though since I'd never done it.”

“Exactly! In the midst of our fun, we had no clue that the wires were crossed and instead of witnessing six marriages with Elvis, we witnessed six and experienced one of our own. The chapel mailed the paperwork to the address I listed, which is my agent's office. It's what I use anytime I do anything for the public.”

I nod along. “For safety reasons, I'm sure.”

“Right again,” he says with a squeeze of my hands. He holds them between us as his thumbs rub across the tops. It's calming enough that I didn't realize we were even still connected until the squeeze.

“Did you find out when the papers showed up to your agent? That should have been months ago. Why the delay?”

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