by Penny Wylder
I take several deep breaths to calm my racing heart. Why am I so nervous right now?
“Hi,” I say.
The corner of his mouth twitches into something like a smile. “Hi.”
“Can we talk?”
“Of course.”
He steps aside, letting me into his room. I walk in. The air is humid. There’s condensation on the mirrors. He must have taken a hot shower with the door open.
“What’s up?” he asks.
He sits on the bed and pats the empty spot next to him. I sit.
“I shouldn’t be nervous about today, right?” I ask.
This will be the first time since that awkward dinner that I will spend any real time with his family.
“Of course not. I’ll be right there with you.”
I shake my head. “But you won’t. You haven’t been here with me since we fooled around in my room. I did something wrong. Or maybe I said something, but ever since then, you’ve changed. I just … I want you back. The way you were with me. I don’t think I can pull this off without you.”
I hadn’t realized how tense he was in my presence until I see his shoulders relax. He reaches for me and puts his hand on my cheek, brushing his thumb across the line of my jaw. I feel myself melting into his touch.
“I promise, I’m here for you.”
“Then kiss me.”
He hesitates. It’s only for a second but it’s there. He leans over and gives me a soft peck on the lips. But I want more. I want to feel him all over me, inside of me. I want the comfort of his weight on top of me. I try to deepen the kiss, but he pulls away.
Standing up, he says, “I should finish getting ready. We’ll have to leave soon.”
I suppress a groan and leave the room.
We get to the venue where the wedding will take place. It’s a hotel, but not like any hotel I’ve ever seen. It looks more like a castle. The wedding will happen on the back lawn which is stunning. The grass is perfectly manicured with an incredible view of the ocean. Surrounding the area where the guests will sit is a botanical garden. Everyone will be bathed in the floral scents of tea roses, gardenias, and canna lily. In the middle of the garden is a long staircase that makes a slight decline from the reception hall down to a circular path that wraps around a large cherub fountain.
With all the twinkling lights sprinkled over every shrub and sugar maple tree, it’s like a fairytale. If this were real, if it were truly my wedding, it would be a dream come true. But it’s not. Someday, when Heath finds the woman he wants to marry, this will be her reality.
I glance at him and find that he’s watching me. Looking at him, I feel a profound sadness and I’m on the verge of tears.
“What’s wrong?” he asks.
I shake my head and swallow the thickness in my throat. “Nothing. It’s just all so beautiful it’s overwhelming.
“You look sad,” he says.
I hate lying to him, but what am I supposed to say? That I’m falling in love with him and I wish all of this were real? He’d probably fire me on the spot. No, I can’t tell him how I really feel. It would ruin everything.
So instead I tell him, “Not sad, just nervous.” Which, the last part is true.
He looks almost disappointed, like he wanted me to admit I was sad.
Everyone starts to show up. I don’t know who any of these people are. I wish Mandi were here so I would at least know one person. She’s been avoiding me. I know she is, but I can’t figure out why. I’ve even tried to ambush her in front of the apartment, but it’s as if she can sense me and ends up not showing up.
People seem to be suspicious that I don’t have any family in the wedding party or friends in the crowd. I don’t really have any friends outside of Mandi, and there’s no way I could tell my parents about my fake marriage. They wouldn’t play along. They’re always worried about me not having any money and they would see this job as me getting desperate. They would want me to come home. And while they would never come right out and call me a failure, I would feel like one. Before leaving home they begged me not to move away, but I insisted I could make it on my own. I want to prove that I can. Which is why I can’t tell them anything about this fake wedding. I start to wonder if there’s also a service that provides fake families along with fake brides. There should be. I’ll have to pitch the idea to Mandi if I ever see her again.
Once everyone is in place, the rehearsal begins. It’s strange walking down the aisle. Though I’ve been married before, the ceremony wasn’t anything like this. My ex and I had gone to Reno and stayed in a circus-themed motel for two nights, which was considered our honeymoon. The chapel we were married in was called the Church-O-Love, and had a line going out the door with other couples waiting to make the worst decisions of their lives in front of an Elvis impersonating officiant. We even ordered the deluxe package which included a limo ride from the chapel to our motel. The limo itself was a nineteen-seventy something Chrysler with cracked vinyl seats and some ominous mystery stains splattered across the velvet ceiling. Not sure who in their right mind would ever consider any of it romantic. My ex and I laughed the whole time. It was all a big, funny joke. Until it wasn’t.
When reality finally settled in and I realized I was stuck with the man I’d married, the joke quickly turned into a nightmare.
I feel sick to my stomach as I walk down the aisle and people are watching me. This is the first time in my life I’ve ever felt like a complete fraud. I’m ready to run. I just want to get out of here. That is until I lock eyes with Heath. He smiles at me. More than encouraging, it feels genuine. I smile back and as long as I look at him, I know I can do this.
When I finally make it to him, he holds out his hand and I take it. The warmth and firmness of his grip calms my frayed nerves. While we’re standing in front of each other, the officiant goes over the rest of the details with the wedding party and the planner, and Heath and I are left in our own little world under a flower-draped altar.
The way Heath looks at me, it’s like no one else is around and I feel perfectly at ease. Sometimes it’s almost as if he’s in love with me. My ex never looked at me the way Heath does. It’s easy to see why things are so confusing with him. I want to say something about it, but would he even know what I’m talking about? I’ve never seen him look at anyone else the way he looks at me, but then again, it’s not as if I’ve known him for years. Maybe he looks at other women that same way and I just haven’t noticed—though I doubt it. I’m fairly certain if I saw that look on his face directed at anyone other than me, I’d rip the girl’s throat out.
I smile a little at my jealous thoughts, glad that Heath isn’t in my head to hear them.
Standing here with him under this altar, I can see myself married to him. Before I met Heath, I was certain being remarried was quite possibly the worst thing that could ever happen to me. Now that I see what life can be like with someone who is kind and good, I want it. I want it more than anything. But not with just anyone. I want it with Heath. No one else will do.
“You’re the best man I’ve ever met,” I whisper to him.
He gives me a funny look. “You don’t have to say the vows until the actual ceremony. I’ve written some down if you don’t want to write your own.”
I huff out laughter. “Those aren’t my vows. I just want you to know how I feel about you. I know this is just a job but I’m happy I met you. You’re kind, and wonderful, and—”
Someone clears their throat beside me. Heath and I both turn to the source of the noise. Heath looks annoyed that we were interrupted. The officiant, and everyone else in the wedding party, is looking at us.
“I think everyone knows their places,” the man says.
I blush even though I know no one else heard what I was saying. I was lost in the moment with Heath and didn’t hear a word anyone said. Hopefully I won’t mess anything up on the actual wedding day.
“Great,” Heath says, his mood completely changed from his somewhat qu
iet, brooding self this morning. Now he seems almost bubbly. “Let’s go to dinner.”
11
Heath
I didn’t know just how badly I wanted to hear those words from Sylph until she said them. Then I realized I’d been craving them since I started developing feelings for her. And the way she looked at me …
I know she feels it too. Maybe not to the extent that I do, but it’s there.
At dinner we sit at our own table facing our guests. I slip my hand underneath the table to touch her knee. I glance over in time to see the corner of her mouth turn up into a smile. Then she spreads her legs. Oh, okay. She wants to play.
I slide my hand up an inch, thankful for the long table cloth surrounding us. I move up another inch and her legs spread wider. Eventually, with one hand, I manage to slip my fingers beneath her skirt and push her panties to the side. Her smooth skin feels delectable, and I’m tempted to crawl beneath the table to taste her.
I’m fingering her with the crowd in front of us. My friends and family are all here, witnessing this debauchery without even knowing it. There’s something exhilarating about doing something so private in an open venue. It brings out the exhibitionist in me. Everyone is too busy talking amongst themselves to even notice that Sylph’s breathing is rushed and she’s biting her lip.
Her pussy is so wet my fingers glide right in and she feels like warm silk.
“Is this thing almost over?” she asks, her voice low and full of want.
“Not even close.”
She lets out a frustrated growl. “I want you so bad,” she says.
“You can have me.”
“I mean now. I want you right now.”
“You can have me right now,” I say.
She gives me the side eye. “How?”
I let my hand slip out from between her legs and lick my fingers clean. She lets out a surprised little chuckle. Her scent is amazing and arousing and her taste is even better. I want more.
I stand and announce that my fiancée and I are going to take a quick tour of the venue. My family looks surprised by our sudden exit, especially since dessert has yet to be served, but I’m about to get the only treat I want.
I take Sylph by the hand and lead her into the hall where there’s a utility room. Inside is full of extra vases and flower arrangements, along with mops and buckets. I put a broom stick through the handle of the door so no one can get in and lead her to the corner and lay her down on a pile of extra table clothes.
I lean down, giving her a peck on the lips. “I want you inside of me,” she says.
Sometimes, when I look at her, her beauty seems to come out of nowhere and strike me. She literally takes my breath away looking at her.
“I want to be inside of you too, but not here. Not like this. Right now, I just want to pleasure you.”
I lift her skirt and pull her panties off, tossing them into the shadows. We won’t be needing those any time soon.
She gasps. “Pleasuring is good too,” she says.
I spread her legs wide, marveling, again, at how wet she gets. “You have a beautiful pussy,” I tell her, the hunger evident in my voice.
She gives me a sexy little smile and starts rubbing her clit. “It’s all yours.”
I gently spread her pink folds with the tips of my fingers and start to explore her warm depths with my tongue. Her clit it hard. I pull back the hood shrouding it and begin to suck. She’s moaning and bucking her hips, begging for more.
“Holy shit, right there,” she says.
I continue to suckle on her and decide to add a couple fingers to the mix. Her back arches, eyes rolling back, possessed by the orgasm building up. I can feel the muscles inside of her tighten around my fingers. She’s close. But I’m not ready for it to end yet, so I slow my thrusts and give her time to calm down. Once she goes back to the quiet little moans, I start to work her over again. This time I add the third finger and hook them toward her g-spot. It’s when I add a forth finger that she can’t hold on anymore. She lets out a burst of sound that rings in my ears and her orgasm clamps down so hard on my fingers I’m afraid my hand will get stuck.
She starts furiously rubbing at her swollen clit and hunches and bears down, racked by yet another orgasm. My dick strains against my jeans. Watching this sexy woman orgasm twice in a row with her scent in my nose and on my tongue is more than I can take. I bust my load without ever being touched. Shit. The wet spot on my pants is going to be difficult to hide from our guests. But it was worth it.
Once Sylph comes down form her orgasm, she’s practically glowing. She looks at me with a radiant smile. “Are you sure those are fingers and not magic wands?” she says.
I laugh and shake my head. “It doesn’t take much to get you there, does it?” I say.
I’ve had women tell me they’ve orgasmed before, and I never really believed it. With Sylph it was undeniable and entirely addicting. All I want in life is to make her come over and over again. In fact, I’m getting hard again just thinking about it.
“Not when it comes to you. You know how to turn me on,” she says.
“We’re definitely sexually compatible. Aren’t we?”
“More than compatible. It feels like our bodies were made for each other.”
As soon as she says it, she looks stunned, like she might’ve said something wrong. Then she quickly says, “Maybe we should get back.”
She gets up and searches for her underwear. I want to tell her it’s more than just our bodies that is made each other. We belong together. Body and soul.
I don’t say that, though. Instead, I grumble and say, “If we have to. But I’m nowhere near done with you yet.”
She bites her lip. “Not a chance.”
We go back to the main room with our guests. I head to the bar for a drink while Sylph is cornered by one of my distant relatives who wants to know all about how she keeps herself looking so radiant. Sylph giggles because we both know the answer to that is sex. She gives me the nod to let me know she doesn’t need rescuing and I continue on to the bar.
Before I can get there, I’m ambushed by my siblings. They both wear the same mischievous look on their faces and it’s clear they’re up to something.
“Now what?” I say, losing my patience for them. They are always finding new ways to get on my nerves. I’m starting to wonder if it’s a game they play.
“We’ve been doing a little research on your fiancée,” Theo says.
My heart plummets. I knew they would be intrusive, but I didn’t know they’d go as far as to dig up dirt on Sylph. I’m fairly confident anything they’ve come up with I already found in my own research, so I won’t be too caught off guard. But there’s always a chance I missed something.
“Turns out your girlfriend’s best friend deals in brides for hire,” he says.
“How do you know who Sylph’s best friend is?”
“I saw the number she was texting while we were dress shopping and looked up the name,” Arora says with a superior grin.
These two are sneaky. I didn’t realize the lengths they would go to. I shouldn’t have underestimated them.
“Yes, Sylph has told me all about Mandi’s business. Seems lucrative. A bit insane if you ask me, but to each their own,” I say, shrugging it off.
I’m not at all taken aback by their revelation. I prepared myself for that information to get out. But just because her friend deals in brides for hire, doesn’t make Sylph an employee. I would’ve been more concerned about it had I not found out this is Sylph’s first job—and last if I have anything to do with it.
The twins look disappointed that this doesn’t shock me, or that I don’t come right out and confess that our relationship is a fake. But they don’t look ready to give up so easily.
Arora has a piece of paper in her hand and waves it in front of her face as if it were a fan. “Did you know she was married before?” she says with a smug look.
My breath catches in my throat and I hold it.
Now this is definitely a surprise. How did this not show up in my own research? That’s a big thing to miss.
Arora and Theo look at each other and smile. Clearly, I’m shocked by this news. It’s impossible to hide the confusion on my face. But somehow I manage to regain my composure.
“No, I didn’t know that. But I do know Sylph and if she didn’t tell me about it, maybe there’s a good reason for it.”
Sylph walks up to us right then. She looks concerned when seeing my face. “Is everything okay?” she asks.
“Does it look like everything is okay?” Arora snaps at her.
Sylph loses the sweet façade she’s been putting on for my family and glares at my sister. “What the hell is going on?”
“Maybe we should be the ones asking you that. It seems you’re the one keeping secrets after all,” Arora says.
Sylph’s expression shifts from irritated to worry. She looks at me like she’s not sure what to say. I wonder if she’s trying to figure out which lie they’ve uncovered. How many other things is she keeping from me? I don’t want to be suspicious, but I’m hurt that she would keep something like this from me.
“I don’t think you really know your future wife at all,” Theo says. “I think you bought a fake bride to get everyone off your back and now you’re about to let Mom and Dad spend a fortune on this sham of a marriage.”
I take Sylph by the hand and give it a gentle squeeze, and say, “I don’t really care what the two of you think.”
“Maybe not, but once our parents find out about all of this, I’m sure you’ll care what they think.”
I ball my empty hand into a fist and fight the urge to hit my little brother.
Arora turns her vicious stare on Sylph and says, “You’re a great actress. When you were blushing and talking about how great Heath was, I really thought you meant it. But really you’re just a gold digger like all the other dumb bitches he’s dated.”
Sylph takes an aggressive step forward and Arora backs away. My sister is used to fighting with poisoned words, but Sylph wasn’t born with a silver spoon in her mouth. I imagine she fights much differently. She looks like she might actually hit Arora. I wouldn’t try to stop her if she did.