Wooing His Accidental Wife (Unexpected Lovers Book 5)

by JB Heller

  Contents

  Epilogue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Epilogue

  Also by JB HELLER

  About the Author

  Wooing His Accidental Wife- An Unexpected Lovers Story

  Copyright © 2020 by JB Heller

  All rights reserved.

  Published by- Author JB Heller

  Cover Design by- Tall Story Designs

  Editing by- Creating Ink

  Proofreading by- Jenn Lockwood Editing

  Formatted by – JeBDesigns

  No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without the written permission of the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

  My eyelids flicker open as rays of sunshine blanket my face. I squint into the light, my temples throbbing as I shift in bed to dodge the bright beams. A delicate feminine body is curled around me, preventing me from getting very far.

  I drop my head back onto the fluffy pillow, then throw the arm that isn’t curled around my current bedmate—a woman I love to hate—over my eyes. She grumbles something as she snuggles in tighter against me and I give her a little squeeze, then I drift back off to sleep.

  I’m woken sometime later by Adley, and not in the way I would have liked. She’s pacing at the end of the bed, staring at her hand as she mutters, “No, no, no, no, no.”

  Propping myself up on my elbows, I glance at the clock on the bedside table to find it’s after ten, then shift my attention back to Adley. “What’s wrong?”

  Her head swivels towards me, her eyes wide and terrified.

  “Ads.” I clamber over to her, then grasp her arms as I search her gaze. “What’s wrong?”

  She swallows, then holds her trembling left hand up between us. I glance at it, seeing nothing out of the ordinary. “I’m not following, babe, did you hurt your hand?”

  Adley grits her teeth and shakes her head. “Look!” she says, waving her fingers in my face. “There’s a ring where there absolutely should not ever be a ring.”

  I take another look, and sure enough she’s sporting a new ring. I release my grip on her arms and drop back onto the bed. “I don’t know why you’re freaking out about a new ring. You’ve got one on nearly every finger.”

  “Oh, my God,” she mutters, then demands, “Show me your hand.”

  I lift one and wave it around in the air above me.

  “Not that hand, you idiot. Your left hand.”

  Dropping my right, I lift my left and sunlight glints off a silver band around my ring finger that definitely wasn’t there yesterday. “Oh.”

  “Yeah, oh,” she mocks. “What the hell happened last night?”

  I fixate on the ring I’m now wearing as snippets of our evening filter through my thoughts. We had dinner with my baby sister, Tia, her fiancé, and our friends. Tia got tipsy and started taking her clothes off, so Bates had to take her back to their room. Then my twin, Danika, wanted to go dancing, so we went to a club in the hotel… What happened after that?

  We ordered more drinks, danced a little, drank some more. Obviously, a lot more because, after that, I’ve got nothing. I scratch my temple, drawing a complete blank on the rest of the events of the night.

  “We need to fix this,” Adley says, hands on her hips as she stares at me sprawled across the bed.

  I tilt my head to the side, watching her carefully. “There’s nothing to fix.”

  Her perfectly sculpted eyebrows shoot up as she gapes at me. “Wha— Of course, there is!” She points at the white gold filigree band on her ring finger. “We got married, Dax. What about that do you not understand? We need to get it annulled, like, yesterday!”

  I frown and shake my head. “Yeah, that’s not going to work for me.”

  Adley’s eyes narrow into slits as she attempts to murder me with a glare. “Excuse me?” she hisses.

  God she’s cute when she’s sassy, which is all the freaking time. She can’t help it really. Try as she might to be a tough-as-nails badass, she’s just too damn adorable. I smile at her, patiently, as I explain, “See, I only ever planned on getting married once. And as you’ve so eloquently pointed out, we did in fact, get married. So—” I shrug then sit up, my legs hanging over the side of the bed “—it’s a done deal as far as I’m concerned. Annulment-shnnulment.”

  Her little hands clench into fists at her sides and she takes what I’m assuming is supposed to be a menacing step toward me. There she goes again, being all cute and shit. She’s like an angry kitten attempting to maul your hand because you dared to pet it.

  “Dax Matais Riley, this is not up for discussion,” she hisses.

  Her full naming me just makes me grin even wider. Her shoulders are stiff, and her gaze is crazed—a regular morning-after with Adley. Except, now she’s my wife. And I really like the sound of that.

  “Why are you smiling? Stop that,” she demands.

  “I would if I could, but I can’t,” I sing-song.

  She squeezes her eyes shut, takes a deep breath, then begins muttering to herself about my mental state.

  “What was that?” I ask. “Speak up. I didn’t catch what you said, wifey.”

  Her eyes fly open as she grinds her teeth together then snaps, “There is something seriously wrong with you.”

  My grin widens into a full-blown smile. “Meh, normal is overrated.”

  She shakes her head and turns her back on me, pacing across the room while flexing her fingers. She’s so cute and tiny. I’ve always enjoyed watching her when she’s in a mood.

  “Stop looking at me like that,” she growls.

  “It’s not my fault you look hot as fuck when you stomp around all pissed off and cranky.” I stand and move toward her. “Come back to bed, Ads. We don’t have to meet the others for another hour or so.”

  “You can’t be serious.”

  Stopping less than a foot from her, I tug her into my arms, securing them around her waist as I hold her to me. “Oh, I’m deadly serious.”

  She rolls her eyes. “You’re so annoying.”

  My lips curve on one side. “But you like me.”

  “Pfft, do not.” She keeps her arms stubbornly crossed between our bodies, then shifts her gaze away from me and out of the floor-to-ceiling window to the view of the Vegas strip.

  Dipping my head, I trail the tip of my nose up the side of her neck, then whisper in her ear, “I don’t know why you keep saying that. We both know you do, otherwise you wouldn’t keep falling into bed with me.”

  Her jaw clenches, and she remains silent, but her body is lax in my arms, so I’m not too worried about her reaction to my closeness. Adley has always fought this thing between us. Over the years, I’ve become a pro at reading her mixed signals and knowing when it’s time to back up and give her space. This is not one of those times.

  I smooth a hand up and down her spine while keeping the other locked on the small of her back. “I’m not going anywhere, baby. You’re officially stuck with me, Mrs.
Riley.” Fuck, that sounds good. I really, really like it and, apparently, so does my dick. I gently roll my hips into her, showing her what those words do to me.

  Adley drops her forehead to my collarbone and groans. “How can you be horny at a time like this? And don’t call me that. I’m not now, nor will I ever be a Mrs. anything.”

  “Oh, baby, I beg to differ. That ring on your finger says it all. You’re mine now and I’m not letting you go.”

  I’m a man with a plan. I haven’t always been this detail-orientated guy who has everything planned out meticulously, but it’s who I became after my pops died and I inherited the title “Man of the House” at nineteen.

  It wasn’t an easy transition, but I didn’t exactly have a choice in the matter. Looking back, it was for the best. Amá’s happy. Well, happy enough for a woman who lost the love of her life way too soon. Tia’s about to marry a hotshot baseball player. And Danika, she’ll be just fine. My twin always manages to land on her feet.

  I figure it’s my time now. I’ve been half in love with Adley since I was seventeen and she practically lived at our house, hanging out with Tia. Apart from a couple of stolen kisses, nothing ever eventuated between us. She had this wall up around her even then.

  After pops died, I moved any thoughts of girls, fun, and living my own life to the side and stepped up. I formulated a plan and stuck to it. No deviations whatsoever. I went to college, worked when I wasn’t studying my ass off, and spent as much time with my family as possible. Then there was law school, I shudder at just the memory. I was basically a walking zombie. The only way I was able to be present while surviving on four hours of sleep a night, working thirty hours a week, and studying was by mainlining the strongest coffee I could get my hands on. I may still be a tiny bit addicted. It could be worse though; it could be drugs.

  My plan was successful, so it all worked out well enough. But then there’s Adley. She’s always been a big part of my plan; I just didn’t know how to make that part happen. Her walls are thick and made of steel-reinforced concrete.

  For the last two years we’ve been screwing around, nothing serious, God forbid, or she’d have a coronary. I’ve been stuck trying to figure out how to get to the next level for longer than I’d like to admit. Then we woke up married in Vegas, and boom… My new plan has fallen into place.

  I’m going to woo the shit out of her. But first I need to set a few things in motion.

  Since we woke up that morning in Vegas, Adley’s avoided me like I’m carrying the nastiest STD known to mankind. It sucks. Nevertheless, she needed some space, so I gave it to her. We’ve been back home for nearly a week now, and my little sister’s wedding is today, so it’s time to get the ball rolling.

  I slide my hand into my pocket, taking comfort in the cold metal and slight weight of my wedding band. I want to wear it right now and show everyone that Adley is mine. But today isn’t about us, it’s about Tia and Bates, and I’ll be damned if I ruin that. Besides, nobody knows anything about the extracurricular activities Adley and I have been getting up to. It’s our little secret. I’ll need to stop being a such a dick to her when we’re around others though. To lessen the shock when we finally do drop the married bomb on everyone.

  I only do it to rile her because she’s so damn cute when she’s riled. Nevertheless, I should knock that shit off so our friends stop thinking we actually hate each other.

  I glance at my watch, noting it’s time to get moving.

  My gaze catches on Bates, my soon to be brother-in-law, straightening his tux in front of a mirror. I frown. The guy looks way too chill for a playboy about to tie the knot.

  “Okay, boys, it’s show time,” I announce, clapping my hands to gain all the guys’ attention. “You ready to marry my baby sister, cabrón?” I ask, my focus solely on the man of the hour.

  He nods, but there’s something about the look on his face that makes me narrow my eyes at him. “You better not be having second thoughts, or I’ll have to kick your ass.”

  “Yeah, you could try,” he scoffs. “I’ve got a good sixty pounds of muscle on you. But there’s no need to get your panties in a wad. I’m not going anywhere—at least, not without your sister.”

  That placates me, so I nod then slap him on the back as he strides past me on his way out to the pool deck in his back yard where the wedding ceremony is being held.

  It’s freaking freezing out here, but fortunately someone had the foresight to set up large gas heaters on either side of the short aisle. I take in the sight before me, flowers cover a massive metal hoop that creates the archway type thing that Bates is now standing by as he awaits my sister. Archer, his best friend, stands at his side, and Atticus beside him. I’ll join them after walking Tia down the aisle.

  I take my place behind a temporary wall of ivy, keeping an eye on the time. Footsteps alert me to the bridal party’s approach. I lift my head, and my heart squeezes at the vision that is my baby sister. Pride for the woman she has become infuses me, along with bittersweet pain that our father isn’t standing here in my place.

  I swallow down the lump in my throat and pull her into a tight hug. “Pops would be so proud, Titi, just like I am. You look beautiful, manita.”

  She chokes back a sob and squeezes her eyes closed. “Thank you,” she murmurs, then takes a deep breath.

  I press a kiss to her temple before stepping back and offering her my arm just as the string quartet plays the opening notes of “Perfect” by Coldplay. Lennon, Bates’s sister steps out from behind the wall and makes her way down the aisle where she will join her man, Archer. Next is my twin, Danika, then the most breathtaking of them all, my wife. They each take their place, and it takes genuine effort to drag my gaze from Adley. I force myself to glance at Tia.

  “You ready?” I ask.

  Her smile is blinding as she nods. “So ready.”

  We step around the ivy wall and into view of the small crowd of friends and family, and as I lead my sister toward her man, my gaze finds and locks on my wife, my future.

  Adley.

  As soon as the ceremony is over, and the photo’s have been taken, I turn my attention to attempting to steal Adley away for a moment of one-on-one time. She, however, has other ideas and is clearly doing everything in her power to make sure she’s not alone with me, because she’s gone.

  The moment the last photo was taken, she bolted, literally. In six-inch heels, to boot. I’m mildly impressed and slightly turned on by her agility on the stilts, but I shove that down. Sex is not our issue, it’s everything outside of it that we struggle with.

  Frustration burns in my gut. Despite the fact that there’s no more than fifty people here, including wait staff, she’s managed to give me the slip.

  Marrying Ads might not have happened the way I’d have liked, but it happened all the same and I’m not mad about it. What I am mad about is her pushing me away at every turn. Every time I think I’m making headway she goes and throws another wall up between us.

  I scan the small crowd for a third time and still come up empty, so move my search inside. Stalking through the huge, glass, sliding doors that open into a large sweeping living area, I make my way toward the hallway that leads to the guest bathroom. The door is closed when I get there, so I wrap my knuckles against the wood.

  “Just a minute,” a female voice responds. Adley’s voice.

  I remain silent as I lean against the opposite wall, cross my ankles, and slide my hands into my pockets as wait her out. A few minutes pass before she finally opens the door, a startled gasp lodging in her throat when her gaze lands on me.

  I arch a brow and cock my head to the side. “So, you’ve taken to hiding in bathrooms to avoid me now?”

  Her dark brown eyes narrow at the same moment she straightens her shoulders and places her hands on her hips. “Pfft, don’t flatter yourself. I had to pee, it’s a normal bodily function that, like everything else in my life, has absolutely nothing to do with you.”

  My lips
curl into a smirk as I push off the wall and stalk toward her, backing her into the bathroom she just exited. I kick the door closed behind me then reach back to flick the lock, never allowing my gaze to stray from hers.

  She shifts nervously, her arms migrating from her hips to cross over her chest, creating a barrier between our bodies. But she doesn’t look away from me, keeping her eyes locked on mine.

  I shake my head and grin down at her. “Once upon a time, I might have believed you. But we’re long past that point, aren’t we, Ads?” Her jaw locks, and I bend to bring us eye to eye. “I’ve given you space to process, to freak out or whatever the hell you needed to do to come to terms with this. But your time is up.”

  “Oh really?” she snarks. “And what exactly is it you think is going to happen now other than an annulment?”

  My fingertips trail over the smooth expanse of her cheek as I tuck a loose strand of her dark hair behind her ear. “Oh, baby, that’s not how this is going to go.” I love the slight tremor that ripples through her body at my touch. Gripping the back of her neck, I tug her closer, until our mouths are just a breath apart.

  She loves it when I get bossy. It’s one of the things that surprised me the most when we started hooking up. Her miss independent attitude flies out the window when I get dominant. The way she melts for me when I say just the right thing is how I know she feels everything I do. She’s just afraid. But I have no idea why.

  She swallows and with what seems like herculean effort, then drags her gaze away from mine as she murmurs, “It has to be.”

  I straighten and slide my hand around to the front of her throat, then glide it up to grip her chin between my thumb and forefinger. Gently tipping her head back, I try to make her to meet my stare, but she’s a stubborn one and refuses to shift her gaze from where it’s locked on the floor.