Total pages in book: 155
Estimated words: 144435 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 722(@200wpm)___ 578(@250wpm)___ 481(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 144435 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 722(@200wpm)___ 578(@250wpm)___ 481(@300wpm)
I'm not sure that's true, but it seems like the right thing to say, considering that he just sent my entire universe freewheeling into Never Never Land. He was sober, and he still chose to marry me. What in the heck was he thinking? And why do I want to kiss that stupid smirk from his face right now?
"You wanted to stay out of the tabloids, Crue! This is not how you stay out of the tabloids! This is how you end up on the front page of every magazine in the country, including the ones usually reserved for aliens. Oh my gosh. We're going to knock aliens off the front page of the super trashy tabloids." I press my palms to my cheeks, trying not to spiral even though I'm already spiraling.
"Baby," he laughs. "It's fine. Everything is fine."
"Everything is most definitely not fine." I glare at him as I march around the room, gathering up my stuff. I need to think, and I cannot think when he's shirtless and staring at me. "I'm going to see Shelby."
"Let me get dressed. I'll go with you."
"No!" If he's there when I tell Shelby we're married, Shelby may kill him. I'll be a wife and widow on the same day. And we'll be halfway through his funeral by the time the world finds out we got married. None of that sounds like a good time to me. "I need to tell her alone."
"Fine." He narrows his eyes on me. "But if you even think about taking that ring off, our wedding won't be the only thing in the papers, Éire."
"What does that mean?"
"It means keep your ring on." He snags me around the waist, dragging me up against his hard body. His mouth comes down on mine in a hard kiss. "Or I'll spank your perfect ass in front of everyone in this hotel."
"You wouldn't."
He smirks down at me, far too freaking hot for words. "Try me, sweet girl."
I gulp, pretty sure he means it.
Holy crap. What did I get myself into?
Chapter Five
IRELAND
"We need to talk," I say, dropping heavily into a chair at the table the girls have secured in the swanky restaurant downstairs. Thankfully, none of the guys are present, and aside from an elderly couple on the far side, the place is otherwise deserted. We get to have this conversation in private.
"It's too early to talk," Brielle groans, reaching for her orange juice. It's not early at all. It's already after ten. "Can't we just eat in silence?"
"Late night?" Chastity snickers, adjusting the headband keeping her hair back. Like me, she's got wild red hair and freckles.
I love that I'm not the odd girl out for once. I got my dad's genes. Shelby got our mom's. Growing up, I was always the only freckled redhead in my class. I hated being the oddball.
Brielle pouts at her from across the table. And then she blushes. "Very late and very interesting."
Chastity holds her hand out for a high-five. Brielle smacks their palms together, earning laughter from the other girls at the table.
"I bet mine was more interesting," I mumble, trying to steer the conversation back on track before they start swapping stories about their sex lives. Some things I don't need to know. "Considering I freaking got married."
Everyone at the table goes silent. I'm surprised no one gets whiplash turning to look at me.
"Say that again," Shelby says.
"I'm pretty sure you heard her right," Dani whispers.
"Uh-huh." Resa nods, her brown eyes wide.
I pull my hand out of my pocket, flashing them my ring.
"Holy freaking shiitake," Brielle whisper-hisses, grabbing my arm before I can hide my hand under the table again…as if someone is going to repel down from the roof to snap photos of it.
"How the heck did you get married?" Chastity asks.
"It's a long story."
"We've got time," Shelby says, completely calm.
"I drank too much tequila and suggested it, so Crue woke up a judge and a jeweler and made it happen," I blurt and then grimace. Okay, so maybe the story isn't that long. Somehow, it sounds even worse condensed, though. Way too many bad decisions crammed way too close together.
"Of course he did," Dani says, trying—and failing—to keep a straight face. "He's kind of a bulldozer when he wants something, isn't he?"
"He's not that bad."
"Uh, really?" Brielle laughs, holding up my arm as if displaying the evidence. "He woke up a freaking judge, Ireland."
"And a jeweler," Resa chirps.
We fall silent as a waiter strolls over to take my order. I quickly look through the menu and pick out eggs and toast before handing it back to him.
"Was Crue drunk?" Chastity asks as soon as the waiter is out of earshot.
Crap. I knew someone was going to ask me that.
"No."
"Oh. My," Chastity whispers.
"I know! What am I going to do?" I groan, hiding my face in my hands.