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I had no issue showing complete indifference to the mostly male clientele that came through our doors, except for one. Mica Petrov. The guy got under my skin. He was charming as hell. Stupidly good looking with his blue eyes and dark hair.
I walked rapidly back to the front of the house, stopping to set the alarm. “Don’t forget to change the codes on your house and alarm system tonight.” There was a pause and I could hear the smile in his voice. “You going to rob me?” “No!”
“Because you’re you and I’m me.” “That’s not an answer.” “Well, that’s the answer you’re getting.” “You’re like a baby Krista, all teeth and claws.” “I’m going to take that as a compliment.”
Time for full disclosure. “I think it’s a terrible idea for me to get involved in this situation.” She tilted her head to the side. “Because you want to fuck him.”
His eyes hardened. “If you marry me, Yazimoto will never come near you again.”
“Mica, what would you do?” “Handle it.”
A muscle ticked in his cheek. “If you cheat on me, I reserve the right to sleep with you.”
“If you’re wearing my ring, you’re mine. Not to be touched by anyone.”
Her voice sounded small. “I don’t know what to do now. I don’t even know why I called you.” “You’re coming home with me,” I instructed, my voice gruff.
“Charlie’s safety is my priority.”
“Baby Krista.” He caught up with me. “Where are you going?”
I almost had a conniption when I realized how many clothes I had bought. My face flushed hotly as I thought about how much of his money I had just spent. “I’m so sorry. We need to take some of this back.” He didn’t seem fazed as he started the car. “You needed clothes.” “Not this many!” He glanced at me. “You’re going to be my wife for a year. You need to look the part.”
To be honest, I didn’t give a shit about my car. I wanted her to believe in herself. She would learn to drive a stick shift even if it cost me my transmission.
My voice hardened. “Who are you planning on wearing those for?” “They’re just for me.” I could live with that. “Good.”
“I’m going to be all over you tonight.” “What?” I squeaked. He looked apologetic. “I’m an affectionate guy when I date someone. Everyone in there knows that.”
Each time I got hugged, I got separated from Mica. And each time we got pulled apart, he found my hand and yanked me towards him, so I could once again glue myself to his side.
And then he smiled, one of those fucking fabulous smiles that changed his face. It was at that moment that I knew I was officially in over my head.
“Everyone who knows me knows that I was against marriage. When I met Charlie at Krista’s office, she was the only woman who didn’t care that I was a hockey player. She gave me shit almost every time I saw her, and I usually deserved it.”
“Are you Zoey?” “I am.” “You look different.” “I changed my hair. It used to be black.” “You’re with Ryan Parker.” She smiled an impish smile at me. “Mica is one of our best friends.”
“I’ve never seen Mica act like he’s acting tonight.” “What do you mean?” “The guy hates PDA.”
“He told me that everyone would expect him to be demonstrative.” She giggled. “That’s what he told you?” “Yes.” She shook her head, amused. “I don’t know how he acts when he’s alone, but in public, he was extremely private about that kind of stuff. I saw him hold hands, but it was usually against his will.”
I turned back to Charlie and pressed my forehead against hers, my breath uneven. “I want you.”
Me: Ryan, you have wheels? Ryan: You need a ride? Me: If you’re sober. Ryan: Ha, ha. Barely. Yeah, will be there in 15 minutes.
Ryan interrupted my thoughts. “Zoey sure likes Charlie.” “Oh yeah?” “She invited Charlie to come to the next game with her.” I mentally made a note to put Zoey in my will. “Thank her for me.”
He laughed. “Is that your Facebook relationship status?” “Nope. My status is that I’m married.” He swung another look at me. “Is it complicated because the marriage isn’t real?” I felt my expression harden. “My marriage is real.” I could tell he was working to keep his expression neutral. “I can see why it’s complicated.” “Shut up.” He laughed. “It’s okay, buddy. It happens to the best of us.”
“Are you in my bed?” Oh shit, I’d forgotten about that. “Yes, sorry.” “Who’s your bed partner?” “When I got home from my walk…” He interrupted. “Were you with the dog walking group?” “Yes. When—” “Is that the dude’s dog?” “Yes, Mica…” “So he was on the walk?”
“Hello?” “I can’t come home.” “I know.” “I asked, but they don’t love that idea.” It threw me that Mica would even consider coming home, much less ask for permission. “You need to play hockey. Don’t even think about that.”
“You need to change the alarm code for our house.” “I already did.”
ushered her in, and a pitiful meow sounded. I bent down to stick my finger in the case. “Who’s this?” She grinned. “That is Ikea. I couldn’t leave her.”
She looked around the room. “Is this your room?” I flushed. “I took up camp in Mica’s room.” Her grin broadened. “Oh, okay.” “It’s not like that,” I rushed to explain. She shook her head, trying not to laugh. “You don’t have to explain anything to me.”
“Tell me about the doorbell.” “Who told you?” “Ryan. Why didn’t you tell me?” She sighed. “You have enough to worry about.” “My job is to worry about you. What’s going on?”
“The guy knows you’re married, right?” “It’s not like that,” she rushed. “He’s just being a friend.”
In three strides, I was across the room. She stood up, and I captured her face in my hands, looking her over. “Are you hurt?” She shook her head. “I’m okay.”
She covered her face. I expected her to rush to Sniper’s side, but she turned to me, wrapped her arms around my waist and put her head on my chest. I crushed my arms around her. She felt amazing.
“You got me a dog,” she murmured. “I did.” “I love dogs.” She glanced up at me. “Why would you do that?” I wanted to kiss her. “So you’re safe when I’m gone.”
He followed me inside. “You gave your wife an amazing gift.” I cracked open a beer and handed it to him. “The gift was for me. I need peace of mind when I travel.” Charlie’s laughter drifted in through the open balcony doors. That sound was worth every penny.
Sniper was cockblocking Andrew. I think I loved this dog.
That was the first time she had ever made a move towards me, and I wasn’t going to waste it. I closed the gap between us and caught her face in my hands. I gave her a kiss that made her sigh heavily before I lifted my head.
“You’re mine,” I told her. “You’re my wife, and this body is mine.”
Usually, women and their routines got in my way and annoyed me, but Charlie applying eye makeup in my bathroom felt right.
“Jealousy can enhance the flavor of the dish, but too much and it spoils the meal.”
“Is my face really that bad?” he asked. “No, it’s fine,” I lied, glancing up to look at his wound. It looked horrible. “I can barely notice anything.” The doctor looked over his shoulder at me, a huge grin on his face. “If you want his face back to normal, don’t make me laugh.”
I glanced at him. He had a long thin bandage over his cheek, and his eye was swollen shut. “It hurts me to look at you.” A smile played on his lips. “Were you worried?” “I cried, didn’t I?” “Baby Krista showed emotions.” I started the car and glanced at him. “It was only for show.” His smile widened. “You’re a pretty convincing actress.”
“Am I going to live?” His tone was dry. She lifted her chin. “Yes, but I thought your bride was going to collapse. She was that upset.” That made him smile.
Ryan’s laughing expression caught my eye. “You have it bad.” “Define have it bad.” “You have feelings for her,” he accused. “Like real emotions that make you do things you’d never do.” I paused. “I don’t know what I’m feeling.” “Ha.” He pointed at me. “I knew it.” “I just said, I don’t know what I am feeling.” “Which is guy code for feeling things you can’t define, so you are making over-the-top gestures to articulate them.”
“Didn’t say you weren’t, but you have to see things from Charlie’s point of view. She doesn’t want to fall for someone that will not get invested.” “I’m invested.” “For how long?” I glared at him. “How the fuck do you know all this?” “Chicks talk.”
I was almost certain she wanted a future with me. I could never make a promise like that to her, not when I didn’t think I could keep it. “I can’t.” He sighed and looked over the tree that hung over the edges of his vehicle. “Well, then keep on buying her big-ass trees and see if that keeps you in the game until you can.”
Ryan made eye contact. “You also need to get gifts. Lots of gifts.” My mind was already thinking about all the gifts I could buy Charlie. “That will not be an issue.”
Her voice was soft. “My mom and I used to love Christmas. It was our favorite holiday.” She looked down at her lap. “But after she passed away, I did my best to avoid the holidays. It felt too painful, you know?” I was going to kill Ryan. I tried to think about how I could get rid of the tree before she came into the house, but the damn thing was so big, there was no way I would pull that off.
She kept talking. “Lately, though, I miss Christmas. It’s a nice reminder of her, you know?” Thank fuck. We were back in the game.
