by Jessie Evans
When they did, he tried to pull away, to reach for his discarded t-shirt to clean them both up, but Aria wrapped her legs around him, holding him prisoner.
“Not yet,” she said, fingers tracing lazy patterns on his back. “I don’t want you to leave yet.”
Nash relaxed, but stayed propped up on his arms, smiling at the flushed redhead in his arms. “You’re even prettier after you come.”
Aria grinned. “I feel prettier. That was…” She wrapped her arms around him, lifting her head to press a soft kiss to his chest.
“It certainly was,” Nash agreed, kissing the slightly damp skin at her neck. “If we’re that good at it our first time, think how fucking amazing we’ll be in a year or two.”
Aria sighed. “We’ll be ready to join the fucking Olympics.”
“They should have a fucking division,” he said, moving his lips further down her throat. “Adults only, after hours. I bet more people would tune in.”
Aria giggled. “That’s kind of gross. I don’t like watching other people do it. Liam used to want to watch porn together. It grossed me out.”
Nash pulled back to meet her eyes. “I’m not into porn. Never saw the appeal. Now you, on the other hand…” He paused, letting his eyes wander from her eyes to her lips, down to where her breasts were still pink from his kisses. “I don’t think I’ll ever get enough of you. Hope that’s okay.”
Aria’s smile faded into a more serious expression, but for the first time since he started talking long term, she didn’t look anxious. “That was the best sex I’ve ever had,” she finally said. “Ever.”
“Me too,” he said softly. “I had no idea it could be like that.”
“Me either,” she said, resuming her idle caresses up and down his back.
“I think it proves we’re a pretty good fit, don’t you?” he asked, surprised to find himself starting to grow a little thicker, simply from the feel of her fingers running lightly across his skin. That’s how she profoundly she affected him.
He was going to be hopelessly addicted to bedding Aria March by the time the sun rose tomorrow morning.
Aria looked up, meeting his eyes. “I think we’d be pretty stupid to do anything to mess this up.”
He nodded, breath catching as she dug her fingernails into the thick muscles of his ass. “I agree.”
“I say we go for it.” Her voice trembled, but Nash knew this time it wasn’t from nerves, but excitement.
“That’s what I’ve been saying all night.” He grinned. “You should probably get used to me being right. I’m a pretty smart guy.”
Aria hummed beneath her breath. “Smart, manly, and blessed with the prettiest cock in Georgia. Is there anything wrong with you, Mr. Geary?”
Nash thought for a moment. “I have really stinky armpits after I work out.”
Aria giggled.
“Seriously,” he insisted, deciding her giggle was one of his new favorite sounds. “They’re nasty. Biohazard stinky. And sometimes, when I can’t sleep at night, I get up and eat an entire pint of ice cream. All by myself.”
“No,” Aria said with a mock gasp. “How terrible.”
“It is. That much sugar and dairy at once isn’t a good idea,” Nash said, pressing a kiss to her bare shoulder. “Hard on the system.”
“Anything else I should know about?” she asked, cupping his face in her hands, a fond smile on her face that made him feel warm all over.
Nash lifted his eyes to the ceiling, thinking seriously on the question for a moment before glancing back down at his wife.
His wife.
Aria was his wife, and likely to stay that way in light of what they’d just decided. If there was anyone who deserved his complete honesty, it was her.
“I know everyone disagrees now and then,” he said slowly, trying to think of the best way to put his aversion to mega conflict, “but I don’t deal well with shouting matches or name-calling or any kind of ultimatum. I’d rather talk something out and come to a compromise. I think it’s important to respect the person you love, even when you’re mad at them.
Aria nodded, shifting gears with him with an ease that made his heart feel even lighter. “I agree. And no fighting in front of the kids. Save it for grown up private time.”
“Absolutely,” he said, sighing before he added, “And while we’re talking about my flaws, I’ll confess that I’m also stubborn as hell and hold a grudge like nobody’s business.”
“So I’ve heard,” Aria said with a wry smile, making Nash grin.
“Yeah, but I’m working on that,” he said. “Forgiveness can be a good thing.”
“Forgiveness can be a very good thing,” Aria agreed, shifting her hips, drawing his half-erect cock a little deeper inside of her.
She lifted one eyebrow. “Are you…”
“Just about,” he said, stroking slowly in and out of her.
“Already?” Her lips parted as her breath began to grow faster. “That’s pretty impressive.”
“You’re pretty irresistible,” he countered, capturing her breast in one hand, teasing her nipple with his thumb.
“Prove it,” Aria said, a wicked look in her eyes.
And so Nash did, two more times before they finally fell asleep, sated and spent, and perfectly tangled in each other’s arms.
Chapter Eleven
One Week Later
“I hate both of you,” Melody abruptly announced.
Aria paused, blinking in surprise when she realized her littlest sister was staring straight at her. It was early on a Sunday afternoon, and the three sisters were prepping for a wedding reception they were catering in an hour.
“What? Why?” Aria asked. “What did I do?”
“You haven’t stopped smiling for days,” Melody said, her voice uncharacteristically cranky. “You’ve even been humming. You never hum. And Lark is so blissed out she’s practically floating through the kitchen. It’s disgusting.” Melody flopped down on her stool and grumpily resumed folding homemade ravioli for the baked pasta dish.
“You’re only twenty-two, you’ll find someone,” Lark said, laughing as she slid a pan of chicken breasts into the oven. “Don’t be jealous.”
“I’m not jealous,” Melody protested. “Both of you are so in love it’s just a little…sickening to behold, that’s all.”
Aria set her icing tube down and went to give Melody’s shoulders a comforting squeeze. “I know how you feel. I was there just few weeks ago. I promise I’ll try to be less sickening.”
Melody sighed. “No. I’m glad you’re happy. You totally deserve it.” She squeezed Aria’s hands. “I guess the meeting with your lawyer went well?”
“It did. She’s got a lot of experience and feels pretty confident about our chances, so Nash and I are hoping for the best. But what about you?” Aria hurried on, not wanting to think or talk about the lawyer, or upcoming hearing. “What’s up? Why so glum?”
Melody heaved another tragic sigh. “My date last night stunk worse than road kill in August.”
“I told you to stop letting Nana set you up with boys from church,” Aria said, snagging the stool next to Melody. She picked up a piece of ravioli and folded it in half before crimping the edges. “Boys from church are evil.”
“Boys from church are not evil,” Lark protested as she drifted from one end of the kitchen to the next, blissfully attending to the items on her list.
Melody was right; Lark did seem to float these days.
“No, they’re evil,” Melody said. “At least this one was. He made me split the check with him, even though I only had an entrée, and he had an entrée, appetizer, salad, and two glasses of wine. Then he tried to grope my thigh under my dress before we’d even kissed.” She shuddered. “So gross.”
“You should let me set you up with the new nurse at Mason’s practice,” Lark said. “He’s only a year older than you and totally adorable.”
“But what if it didn’t work out?” Melody asked. “Wouldn�
�t that be weird for him at work?”
Lark paused with a dollop of sour cream halfway to the bowl in front of her, nibbling her lip thoughtfully. “Well…maybe. And he has red hair, and I know you have a thing against redheads.”
“What?!” Aria turned to give her littlest sister an outraged look. “And what do you have against redheads, may I ask?”
“Not you,” Melody said, blushing. “Boy redheads.”
“What’s wrong with boy redheads?”
“I just don’t think they’re attractive in that way,” Melody said.
“What if my next child is a boy with red hair?” Aria said, not willing to let Melody off the hook. “Are you saying he’s going to be shunned by girls for the rest of his life because of a little ginger in his bloodline?”
Melody glanced up from her ravioli, blinking in shock, while Lark abruptly stopped stirring her pea salad to shoot Aria a stunned look.
“What?” Aria said, not understanding the strained silence. “I was just teasing. Mostly…”
“No, you weren’t,” Melody said, still sounding stunned though a smile was spreading across her face. “You’re already thinking about more babies! With Nash! Oh my gosh, you’ll have the cutest babies!”
Aria rolled her eyes, but couldn’t keep the smile from her face or ignore the warm, gooey, happy feeling practically oozing from her pores.
The past seven days had been the best week of her entire life, bar none, including the week she first arrived in Paris when she was a teenager. She and Nash were falling so hard and fast it would have been terrifying if it didn’t feel so amazingly, perfectly right. He was the lover she’d always dreamed of, a friend she could be completely herself with, and the father she’d always wanted Felicity to have. In fact, he was so wonderful with Felicity it made Aria tear up at times. Normally, she wouldn’t like being caught off guard by such intense emotions, but this uncharacteristic random tearing didn’t worry her.
Sometimes it was okay to cry, especially tears of gratitude.
“So when?” Melody demanded. “You’re not pregnant now, are—”
“God, no. Relax,” Aria said. “I just got Felicity sleeping through the night. I need some rest. We’re not even thinking about babies…at least not until next year.”
“Next year!” Lark clapped her hands. “Mason and I are going to start trying next year, too! We could have cousins the same age!”
Aria lifted her lightly floured hands in the air, gesturing for her sisters to take it down a notch. “Nothing’s a go, yet. Nash and I are going to wait and see where we are work wise in a year. We’ll make the decision then.”
She returned to folding ravioli, hoping that would be the end of the conversation.
She hadn’t meant to mention something so private in front of her sisters. She and Nash had talked about having another child, but they’d been naked at the time—a condition that had occurred an impressive number of times over the past few days, considering they had full-time jobs and a baby in the house. But the words had just slipped out. She wasn’t as guarded as she had been in recent months. Hell, in recent years. Now that her lie with Nash had become such a wonderful truth, she didn’t feel like she had anything to hide.
Though she did, of course.
She and Nash were both still hiding the real reasons behind their sudden marriage from their families. Living a lie had made things a little awkward when they’d gone to his sister’s house for dinner last Saturday. Aria could see how much Nash hated deceiving Raleigh and Alexandria.
They’d ended up having a great time—his sisters were warm, welcoming people who told hysterical stories about their enormous family—but after they’d arrived home, Nash and Aria had both agreed that they couldn’t keep their secret forever. They decided to tell their families the truth on their first wedding anniversary. They figured that would be long enough to prove to everyone that the marriage was going to stick, and they both hoped to have a happier announcement to make at the same time, something that would take everyone’s mind off of the fact that they had been lied to.
A baby. With Nash.
The thought turned her on way more than it should. But there was just something sexy about imagining making a baby with Nash—aside from the actual sex involved in the making, of course.
Making love with Nash was the most spiritual thing she’d experienced in years, and what could be more spiritual than creating a new life together? Just thinking about it was enough to make her chest fill with happy bubbles, and her body ache to be in Nash’s arms, to have every inch of him pressed against her, to feel his breath warm on her lips as he told her he loved her in that special way he had, that way that erased every scrap of doubt she’d ever—
“You’re humming again,” Melody muttered with a mock glare in Aria’s direction.
“Sorry.” Aria grinned.
“It’s all right.” Melody stood and wiped her hands on her apron. “I’m going to step outside and see if the waiters are here yet. You hum until your little heart’s content.”
“Take your phone,” Lark called as Melody headed for the door. “Get a shot of the venue for our website. It looks gorgeous today.”
“Got it,” Melody said, grabbing the phone as she headed for the door. “See you two lovebirds in a bit.”
Aria exchanged a loaded look with Lark as Melody disappeared. “You think she’s okay? She’s usually so obnoxiously optimistic.”
“She’ll be fine,” Lark said. “She’s just having a hard time right now. I don’t imagine it can be easy for her. A few months ago, she had the steady boyfriend and you and I were the ones who looked like we’d never make it to the altar.”
Aria nodded. “Kind of blows your mind, doesn’t it? How quickly things can change?”
“Totally,” Lark agreed, putting the first tray of baked ravioli in the oven, “and they’ll change for Melody, too. I’m sure of it.” She turned, snapping her fingers the way she did when she’d just remembered something. “By the way, did Nash give you his brother’s phone number?”
Aria shook her head. “No, was he supposed to?”
“No, I just thought you might have it. I forgot to get it on the paperwork,” she said with a wave of her hand. “But it’s no big deal. I’ll get it from him when he clocks in today.”
Lark had graciously agreed to hire Nash’s younger brother, Nick, for some part time work. The black sheep of the Geary family, Nick was back in Summerville from Atlanta, having been kicked out of his apartment for infractions Aria wasn’t entirely clear on. Although he’d most recently been working as a tattoo artist, Nick had food service experience, and Nash thought working would help set his little brother back on the right track.
As the black sheep of her family, Aria could empathize, though she had yet to meet Nick. Besides, she would do anything she could to help Nash out. His happiness was becoming her happiness, and the man himself so much a part of her that she only felt completely whole when they were together. She’d never felt this way before, not even in the throes of her obsession with Liam.
That’s what it had been. Obsession, not love. She could see that now.
Love wasn’t painful or misery-inducing. Love didn’t make you feel desperate or unworthy. Love lifted you up and made you freer, happier, and better than you were before. It wasn’t so much that she was more whole now that she and Nash were together, but that she felt like the best version of herself for the first time. The way Nash loved her just made her soul shine a little brighter.
Aria sighed. “Isn’t love the best thing ever?”
Lark laughed and threw a wilted leaf of lettuce Aria’s way. “Now you’re grossing me out.”
“I am not! You’re way grosser!” Aria returned the leaf and followed it with a strawberry, laughing as it sailed down the front of Lark’s shirt. “You and Mason give each other googly eyes that are totally barfy.”
She and Lark spent the next several minutes exchanging insults and bits of food, until they
both dissolved into fits of laughter.
Because love did that, too. It made you laugh, and smile, and spread rays of happiness around you like sunshine.
Chapter Twelve
Melody hurried outside, shedding her apron as she went, tossing it on an empty serving cart by the door. She’d get it on her way back inside. Right now, she wanted to feel the wind blowing through her thin, chiffon skirt. She needed to cool off after being stuck in the hot kitchen all afternoon.
“And stuck listening to Happy and Happier, the love zombies,” she mumbled under her breath, which immediately made her feel guilty.
This wasn’t like her. She loved her sisters and she loved love. The fact that her sisters had both found love should be wonderfully, inspirationally romantic. She should be twirling through the kitchen, high on happiness right along with them.
She didn’t know why she was feeling so sour inside. Yes, she’d had a string of bad dates, with a string of allegedly “nice” boys. Yes, she’d been feeling lonely and sad and like something important was missing from her life, but that was no excuse for being a grump.
Melody decided to apologize to Aria and Lark when she got back to the kitchen, and immediately felt better.
She picked up her pace, her usual spring coming into her step as she headed up to the staff parking lot.
Lark had hired two extra waiters for the wedding today—a gala affair with nearly five hundred guests—so Melody didn’t have to take her turn as server and could concentrate on helping Aria bring out the desserts. All twelve of them. This bride’s mother had a sweet tooth and the cash to afford a decadently elaborate spread. It was going to be spectacular, and Aria had promised to make extra dark-chocolate-covered strawberries for the sisters to share when the wedding was over.
That was where Melody should direct her focus. Dessert was definitely something a girl could count on.
The thought of sweet berries covered in chilled chocolate made Melody grin as she reached the staff parking lot to find the regulars—Natalie, Mitch, Manny, George, and Sadie-Lynn—already assembled, nursing their final cigarettes before they suited up. A young, coffee-skinned woman with black hair in tidy braids, who Melody assumed to be the new female server, was locking up her car, but there was no sign of the other newbie.