Page 145 of The Reason I Married Him
“Not going to happen, Preston.”
“Says the girl who stuck her tongue down my throat last night.” I playfully bump her shoulder.
Her jaw falls open in shock. “You started it.”
“But man, did you finish it.”
“Ugh, you’re infuriating sometimes, you know that? We both got carried away. We’re both apparently very horny, so it was bound to happen. Trust me, not happening again, and since we understand how to kiss each other, I don’t believe there’s a need to kiss each other good night anymore.”
“You don’t think so?” I ask.
She shakes her head as we start heading toward the inn.
“The point was to get used to each other, and we’re used to each other now.”
“Yes, your excitement over my proposal really showed that.”
She points her finger at me. “Your fault, remember that. I could have been all giddy and excited if you had let me in on the secret. Any reaction is a product of your missed opportunity to communicate.”
“It’s called spontaneity. Can’t we have any?”
“Remember . . . I don’t like surprises.”
We walk up the back steps to the inn, and I open the door for her.
“How are we supposed to have an eventful marriage if you don’t like surprises?” I ask her as we walk through the back hall of the inn to the main living space, where a few people enjoy coffee and treats.
“I don’t want it to be eventful. I want it to be mundane and boring. I want to know what every day is going to be like. I want a schedule, a routine. I don’t want anything to throw that off.”
I shiver. “You know, the way you talk like that, it really gets my gears going.”
She looks up at me with a comical expression. “Gears going? I can practically hear the dirty talk now.”
“There they are,” a voice says just as we move to the front of the inn. When I look up to see who it is, I’m met with the same woman I saw outside of The Hot Pickle. What’s her name again?
Amalie?
“Congratulations on the engagement,” she says, rubbing her hand over her pregnant belly.
“Thank you, Amanda,” Aubree says while stiffening next to me.
That’s right, Amanda. And the husband is Matt, who doesn’t seem to be . . . oh wait, there he is, carrying a plate of treats in one hand and a cup in the other.
“Quite the proposal. I especially liked how you shook hands. It really screamed romance.”
Man, either she’s a rotten bitch spoiled to her very core with mold growing on her bones and algae seeping into her heart or the baby that’s growing inside her is an itty-bitty alien from a far-off planet implanted inside her...andis making her act like an absolute rude ass.
The alien thing would be interesting to talk about, but I’m probably going to be realistic about this and chalk up her attitude to moldy bones and algae heart.
“I was caught off guard and nervous from everyone staring at us,” Aubree responds as she moves in closer to me, definitely not the normal, confident ballbuster. What kind of hold does this girl have on Aubree? Just like the last time they engaged, Aubree has lost all her confidence around her.
“You never were one to enjoy being the center of attention. That’s probably from when you were growing up, never wanting to be in your dad’s violent path, always attempting to blend into the background.”
Who does this woman think she is? Just saying Aubree’s personal business like that.
“You would think your fiancé would know that about you and plan a more private proposal.” She glances over in my direction with her nose curled.
Yeah, it’s the fucking moldy bones on this one. No alien is that fucking rude.
