Dear Future Ex-wife

“Congratulations to both of you,” Carl says with a genuine smile. “May you have many happy years together.”

We clink glasses and drink.

“Thanks for coming,” I say.

We have nothing in common with them, apart from their interest in Queen Takes King.

Carl smiles. “I’m a sucker for a good wedding.”

Sonja is glowing at his side, squeezing her fingers around his bicep. “Me too,” she coos. “Our wedding was the happiest day of my life.” Sonya presses her red lips together and appraises us. “You both look stunning. Such a lovely couple.”

I force another smile. “You’re too kind.”

All of the niceties and fakeness of this day are driving me nuts. I want to rip this dress off, put my tired feet in a pair of sandals, and get drunk on the beach with Nate while we play strip poker, minus the poker.

We exchange a few more pleasantries before Carl pats Nate on the back.

“We’ll talk more when you get back.”

Nate nods, thanking him one last time.

After they walk away, Nate leads me away from the crowd. “I think they bought it.”

My heart sinks. For me, this is very real. I love Nate. I’m in love with him.

“Seems that way,” I choke out after a long pause. “But who knows. He could be testing us to see if we screw up.”

“And I know how much you hate to fail tests.”

“Speak for yourself, Mr. Valedictorian.”

“What can I say?” He lifts a shoulder. “I have it all—money, looks, and brains.”

“And an ego the size of your hard drive.”

“Speaking of things that are hard,” he says with a wicked look in his eyes.

“Which reminds me,” I shoot back. “Your present is waiting for you.”

He wiggles his eyebrows.

I laugh. “Don’t get too excited, hubs.”

“We’ll see who’s excited,” he challenges and smacks a kiss on my cheek. “C’mon, we have to say hello to a few more guests. Then, we can pound champagne and fuck our brains out.”

“Ooh, that’s romantic.”

Nate laughs.

“Also, not going to happen,” I add for good measure.

“I love it when you tease me, wifey.”

After we eat dinner, we cut the cake and take bites of all six layers. Nate tried to smash the red velvet in my face, but I dodged him with skill. Our guests had a good laugh from our theatrics.

With all of the routine stuff out of the way, we get on the dance floor. Callie and Lola are sandwiching Stefan between them. Reid watches Jules dance, lurking with a glass of scotch in hand like a legit stalker. They need to get it on already. When they’re in the same room together, you can feel the sparks. Amelia is busy sampling pastries with Dylan. And Willow is talking to Alec, clinging to his tattooed arm like she needs him to hold her up.

Surprisingly, everyone is getting along, which is a welcome relief. Jules hasn’t stabbed Reid yet. Nate and I haven’t been exposed as frauds. Callie hasn’t offended anyone or caused a scene. Lola isn’t ass-out drunk. And my dad is on his best behavior. That’s a win in my book.

“Dance with me, wife,” Nate says with the most adorable smile.

He moves his hands to my hips, and his fingers tap against my sides. His light touch feels good over the thin fabric. I love the way he handles me, how he makes me feel.

We dance to several songs, Nate’s muscular body molded to mine. As the tempo picks up, he spins me around. I throw my arms in the air, grinding my backside against him. But after the song ends, I gasp, surprised when I feel his erection poking into me. Is he really hard? We’re in the middle of the dance floor, of all places.

I lean my head back on his shoulder and look into his eyes. “Please tell me that’s not what I think it is digging into my ass.”

“Okay,” he says with laughter in his voice. “Then, I won’t tell you.”

“Nate,” I warn.

“What? I can’t help how and when my body responds to you. In my defense, I’ve been wanting to fuck you since I was in high school. And apparently, my body is reverting back to the old days. It’s like I’m a teenager again when I’m around you. I can control myself with other women, but not you, Queen. You drive me crazy.”

He nuzzles his face against my neck and peppers soft kisses along my skin. Surrounded by people, who sneak glances in our direction, I’m sure someone will notice his erection. So, I let Nate wrap his arms around me. We stay that way, slowly moving our hips to the beat until the situation is under control.

After a while, I slip from Nate’s grasp and turn around to face him. His eyes are intense, piercing through mine. Both of us are heavily buzzed, maybe even a little drunk. And now, I’m so damn horny I can’t think straight. Drunk and horny around Nate is a bad combination.