“Yes, ma’am.” He swats me on the ass.
It doesn’t take us long to pack up our bags. Our family thought of everything, as there was a garment bag for my dress to bring it home in. I know my family can read me like a book. They know this is more for me than just making sure Lexi stays with Evan. It’s also embarrassing as hell to know my parents, my brother, and my . . . in-laws set this up. They’ll have a pretty damn good idea about what went on in this room last night.
“I called downstairs. They are calling us a cab.”
“Great. I think I’ve got everything.”
“Not everything,” he says, snaking his arm around my waist.
“What did I forget?” I ask, my eyes roaming around the room.
“This,” he breathes as his lips meet mine.
“We have to go,” I laugh when he sighs in frustration, resting his forehead against mine.
“Thank you, for everything. For helping me prepare for Lex, helping with her, giving up who knows how much time of your life to make sure I can keep her with me.” He tightens his grip on my waist. “For last night. I won’t ever forget it. Every single fucking second is burned into my memory.”
I love you. “We better go,” fall
s from my lips. I have to remember to keep my feelings from him. When we walk away from this, neither of us needs to have feelings of guilt. I’m going to enjoy this time with him, with Lexi, and when it’s over, I pray I can keep my composure and go back to how we were before last night. Before all the foreplay. Before I gave him my heart.
The cab ride is quiet. Evan has his arm around me, my hands resting on his chest. He draws circles on my knee. “It’s going to be hard not touching you,” he says wistfully.
“What do you mean?”
“When we get back to our families. It’s going to be hard for me to keep my hands off you. I just . . . want you close.”
Wow! “Is there a reason you don’t . . . don’t want to? In front of them, I mean?”
The hand on my leg moves to lift my chin up to face him. “No. I don’t want to hide this connection we have. I know it’s our agreement to do this for Lexi, but I just . . . you’re my wife.”
“I am. There is no reason for you to hide anything, Evan. We’re not doing anything wrong.”
“I know that, but I wasn’t sure. I mean this . . .”
“This is between us. We know this is temporary, but we have a strong connection.” It kills me to say the words, but I know he needs reassurance I’m okay. “We’re consenting, married adults. It doesn’t matter what they think.”
“Not so worried about them, more about you. I wasn’t sure you would want this, want them to know this.”
“Evan, they put us up in a hotel room for the night with one bed. Yes, they said for appearances, but my brother bought us a box of condoms. They can see the chemistry between us. It’s natural with as much time as we have spent together. You said it before, we enjoy our time being married, enjoy the benefits of being married, and then, when we know Misty’s parents are gone, we go back to the way things were.” Without you knowing you hold my heart in the palm of your hands.
He leans in and kisses me. “So you’re okay with me kissing you in front of them?” He kisses me softly. “You’re okay with me standing behind you with my arms wrapped tight around your waist?” Another kiss.
“Yes,” I say, breathless from his kisses.
“I’ll try to be as respectful as possible,” he says as the cab pulls up to his grandparents’ house. “Let’s go see our girl.” He opens the door and climbs out, offering me his hand.
Our girl. He doesn’t even realize he said it. Those two words cause my heart to swell and crack all at the same time. No matter how bad I want her to be, she’s not my girl. I know I will get to see her still when this is over, but I want that claim. I love her.
We find our parents and Lexi sitting around the kitchen table. Evan drops our bag and rushes to take her from his mom. “Hey, baby girl,” he whispers to her. She coos and grins at him, and he visibly relaxes. In two long strides, they’re next to me. “We missed you,” he tells her, including me again.
Reaching out, I offer her my finger. “Hey, Lexi girl,” I say, leaning in to kiss her cheek. She latches onto my hair and shrieks. Silly girl.
“Have you eaten?” Carol asks.
“No, we packed up and left right after I talked to you,” Evan tells her.
“Well, have a seat. We had biscuits and gravy. There’s plenty left over.”