Page 3 of Hot Blooded

“Oh, my god!” I hiss out, my eyes snapping shut. “What did we do?”

“I’m not really sure but it appears like we’re in Vegas and we took a tour of one of the wedding chapels, leaving with a memento and a sordid story to tell. If we could actually remember it.”

My eyes slew her way, panic hitting me like a ton of bricks. Or like what Hank is gonna do when he finds out. He’s gonna kill me.

She nods and that’s when I realize that I said it out loud. “Yeah, unfortunately, he’s not gonna be happy.”

“I’m pretty sure that is an understatement.” He is going to beat me to death and then leave my body somewhere nobody can find it.

Hank’s a good guy, don’t get me wrong. But he doesn’t let anyone mess with his baby girl.

And I married her. Without even asking or getting permission from him.

I’m pretty sure that homicidal fire chief might be his new nickname when we get back to Wildwood.

“Why are you here?” She asks me, her green eyes still fuzzy from sleep and what I have to assume was a massive amount of alcohol.

“I’m here for the same reason everybody comes here. To have some fun.”

Her full lips twist. “What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.”

“Yeah, don’t act like women don’t have the same things happen to them in Vegas.”

“We don’t come here looking for that.” Her eyes narrow and she points a slim finger tipped with a short, red nail at me. “That is what you’re saying, right? You came here to get a little action away from home that you didn’t have to pretend you were really interested in her for.”

“And what are you doing here?” I ask with a huff. Mainly because she’s not wrong.

“I’m celebrating.”

“What?”

“I just graduated from college.”

My eyes close and I feel sick to my stomach. She’s so young. What the hell did I do?

And why can’t I remember what would have to be the best night of my life?

She sighs. “Okay. So here’s what we’re going to do.”

REVA

Brushing through my hair, I take a deep breath. “What happened here last night?”

I’m not sure if I’m expecting an answer or not, since Tom has been ignoring me since I told him I wanted to get ready and go out to the place that we got married last night. Maybe they can help us get out of this disaster. Because if I go home like this, my Dad will lose his shit.

“I’m not sure,” his deep voice says and I shiver all over. That voice. Ever since I turned sixteen I’ve dreamt about that deep voice. Tom used to come visit my Dad but after that one time when I came home the first year of college, he never came back while I was home. It’s been years since I saw him and he’s still as damn gorgeous as I remember. His deep brown eyes a sharp contrast to his sun-streaked light brown hair. He’s tall and so muscular he looks like he can bench-press a curvy girl like me. And I like it. A lot.

But I can’t. I cannot stay married to Tom because if I do, it won’t be long until he figures out that I want him. He would never coerce me but he wouldn’t need to.

I would gladly give in to him. Over and over again until I couldn’t even remember my own name. Until I was so stuck that I’d never want another man. Guaranteed, Tom could never want me the way I want him and I’d be waiting for the other shoe to drop the whole time we were together.

And my Dad would completely lose his shit. And he’d be disappointed in me. This is a cluster-fuck of the worst kind. I want him. I want to stay with him but if I do that, it will ruin their relationship and I’d be so damn tempted that I doubt if I’d last a freaking weekend with him without jumping him.

“Are you still in there?” he calls and then he knocks lightly at the door and opens it, his big body filling the doorway. Broad shoulders almost touch both sides of it and his head almost has to bend over. The man is huge and built like a damn truck.

But the smile that’s on his face is gentle and sincere. “It really is nice to see you, Squirt.”

“You’re the one that stayed away.”