“I hated that I didn’t remember, Joey.” He cups my face with his hand, his fingers pushing into my hair to hold me. “I was only fooling myself when I told you we couldn’t be together and hated that you listened to me. You kept your distance when I pulled you to me. Each time you backed away, I had to move next to you. Until I met you I didn’t believe in soul mates or love, but you walked into my life and shocked the shit out of me. Now I can’t picture my crazy, dysfunctional life without you.”
“I could never picture my life with you. I felt cheated that we were matched on the show because look at me—”
“Babe, I look at you all damn day long and believe me, I’m not the only one. You’re so fucking sexy, gorgeous, and smart and mine. All fucking mine.”
He doesn’t wait for a response, pulling me forward until our lips are crashing together. Our tongues touch, sending the most wonderful feeling through my body. I never want this feeling to go away. I crave it. I crave him.
My hands tug at his shirt, moving until I can feel his skin against my hands. My fingers roam over the planes of his abs and down around his back until they’re pushing into the waistband of his shorts. Josh bends slightly before rising, making sure I can feel his erection growing. I have to touch him. I have to taste him.
Dropping to my knees, I work the zipper of his shorts to free his cock. He hisses and dives his hand into my hair after the first swipe of my tongue. Taking him into my mouth, I look up to see the hunger in his eyes. With his free hand, he’s caressing my face and each push and pull into my mouth causes his eyes to flutter.
“Joey.” My name falls from his lips in a hushed sound. He’s trying to keep our activities on the down low from my parents and the unsuspecting guests that are starting to arrive. I block out their voices and concentrate on my husband. Josh undoes his shorts and widens his stance to keep his pants up, but to give me better access.
“I can’t …” he says, pulling me up by my arms, forcing me to let go.
Wiping my mouth with the back of my hand, I wonder why he’s made me stop.
“Go to that tree and face it.” He nods at a tree, any tree, really.
I do as he commands and can see people mingling with my parents in their backyard. They’re here for Josh and me, and we’re too busy fucking in the woods to be with them.
Josh comes behind me and swats my ass. I let out a little yelp and he leans forward, reminding me to be quiet. His hands ghost down my sides, causing goose bumps to rise and a small chill to take over my body even though I’m heated. The button on my shorts is undone. Josh pulls my shorts down, painstakingly slow, letting the warm air coat my skin.
“Hold on, baby. It’s going to be fast and hard. My cock is dripping and my balls are about to burst.”
He wasn’t lying.
By the time we make our appearance the yard is filling up. My mom eyes me warily and brushes some bark off my shoulder. As soon as my aunts, cousins, and every other female member of my family and friends sees Josh, I’m no longer visible. It doesn’t matter that he’s holding my hand, or kissing me on my temple—these women are focused on him and only him. I could be standing here naked and they’d not see me. And the best part about it, all I have to do is tell Josh I need something and we’re moving on.
My parents dote on Josh all day, introducing him as their son and not son-in-law. My father says it with pride while my mother gushes on how she set us up. She wishes. As I sit now, watching Josh with my dad and the other men here, I see how much he has longed for a normal family. If normal is what we are. I mean, my mother did sign me up to be on a reality show where I had to marry a stranger.
Josh comes to me, kissing me on the cheek. “Have you seen the present table?”
I can’t help but laugh because he’s like a kid in this aspect. “I have.”
“Who gets to open them?”
“We do, tonight after everyone leaves.”
Pouting, he nuzzles into my neck. “Why do we have to wait?”
“Because it’s rude to open a present at a reception. What if we already have the item, or don’t like what they chose for us?”
Josh sits back up and implores me to look at him. When I do, he has a “are you kidding me” expression on his face.
“What?”
“We have nothing. We’re guaranteed to love everything.”
Shaking my head, I wonder how men survive in this world. “Would you like me to tell everyone that you live cheaply and ruin the Hollywood stigma that we all have where everyone lives in luxury?”
He looks around the yard for a few seconds before shaking his head. “Better not. Your dad might think I can’t take care of you.” Josh places his arm around me, using his hand to bring me closer to him. There are only a few instances when I appreciate this more than ever and this is one of them, because walking into the backyard is none other than my former best friend—the one who was to be my maid of honor, but decided screwing my fiancé was more important—and the dirt bag himself, Tony.
“What the fuck is he doing here?” Josh blurts out.
I glance at him, wondering how he remembers what Tony and Erin look like. He’s seen one picture of us when we were younger.
“What?”