Intoxicated (Billionaire Bachelors Club #3.5)

“You really expected me to have a secret plan B? Gage, I work full time and I’ve been planning this wedding. I’m barely keeping it together as it is.” Marina blows out an exasperated breath.

“We’ll figure something out.” My wife-to-be is at the hotel Archer owns, getting ready. I’m already at the winery, in a private room Matt arranged for me to get dressed in. Our wedding is in approximately ninety minutes.

Marina is probably on her way to legitimately freaking out.

“The ceremony is almost here.” Her voice lowered to a harsh whisper. “What are we going to do? Who’s going to replace them? This is bad, Gage. Super bad. My mom is going to lose it.”

“Why?” I’m incredulous. Her mom likes to lose it over a lot of things. It’s the Italian in her. They can be sort of . . . dramatic. Marina too.

“It’s bad luck when things don’t go right on the most important day of your life.” Marina blows out an irritated breath. “No, I’m not ready for my hair to be curled yet. Hold on,” she tells someone else. Some poor, innocent soul whose job it is to take care of her today.

Good luck with that.

“We create our own luck,” I say, going for positive. “Come on, baby. It’s our wedding day. Don’t worry about the small stuff. I’ll talk to Matt. You should talk to Bryn. I bet they would step in for Archer and Ivy since they’re already a part of the wedding party.”

Marina remains quiet but I know she’s still on the line. I can hear the soft murmuring of voices in the background, all of them female. I’d guess that hotel room is full of women getting their hair done, makeup done . . . whatever. Sounds like my worst nightmare.

Glad I’m all alone in this quiet room, though I know Matt will show up any minute.

“What do you think?” I prompt when she still hasn’t said anything.

“You’re right. I can’t let this get me down. I mean, Ivy is having a baby. We should be excited. I shouldn’t act like such a selfish bitch worrying who’s going to be my maid of honor.” Marina sniffs, and I immediately feel like shit.

“Come on, babe. Stop being so hard on yourself. We’re getting married. I know you’re emotional with everything going on today but focus on the positives. You’re going to be my wife.” I lower my voice, desperate to make her laugh. “And I can’t wait to violate my wife tonight.”

She laughs softly, and I smile, relief flooding me. I can’t stand the thought of Marina upset. But I also can’t wait for this wedding to be over. So we can focus on living our lives.

Together.

Matt

I KNOCK ON the door and enter as I hear Gage say come in. He finishes up a phone call and slips his cell into his front pocket, smiling at me. But the smile looks forced. Not the sort of thing a man should be doing on his wedding day. “What’s up?” I ask. “Everything okay?”

“Naw, it’s cool. I’m thankful you let me get ready here, man. A lot simpler than being at the hotel with my future wife worried that I might see her some way, some how. She’d freak out. Bad luck and all, the groom seeing the bride before the wedding,” Gage says, waving a hand.

Marina had been on a tear the last few weeks. Wedding stress was spilling over like a pot of water on full boil and making the bride turn a bit . . . angry.

I’m trying to be kind here. Gage is my best friend. And I like Marina. Bryn’s grown incredibly close to her. Planning a big wedding is stressful. I know this. I also know my woman wouldn’t act like this when planning our wedding.

Because that’s going to happen. I’m determined to make that woman mine in the most official way. Soon.

“It’s almost over, man.” I clap Gage on the shoulder, letting him know he has my sympathy. He’s been good, never really complaining about Marina, but both Archer and I know Gage is ready for the wedding to be over so his almost-wife will return to her normal self.

“Yeah.” Gage rubs a hand across his jaw, then drops his head, staring straight at me. “So get this. Archer called me. Ivy’s gone into labor.”

“No shit?” I grin. Finally, that baby is going to be here. I have a bet going with a few others over what they’re going to have, a boy or a girl.

My bet is a boy. And I hope like hell I’m right since five hundred dollars is riding on this.

Yes, I’ve turned into a cheapskate, considering the million dollar bet I made with Archer and Gage. A bet that still doesn’t have a true winner.

But we all know it’s me. After all, I was the last bachelor standing. Those two fell for their respective women like a house of cards. I just lucked out that their relationships happened before mine.

“No shit. This throws off the wedding though. Marina almost lost it when I told her.” Gage is still watching me closely, and I almost want to squirm. I feel like I’ve done something wrong.

“Yeah, I bet.” I wouldn’t want to be in this guy’s shoes right now. Despite how ready I am to make the permanent move with Bryn, I know that for us, we don’t want a big elaborate wedding like Gage and Marina are having. Her giant Italian family, which must make up half of the Napa Valley, is part of the problem. I don’t have a big family and neither does Bryn. We could run away to Vegas and get married without offending a soul.

Well, maybe her grandma would get mad. She might sick her mean rooster on me. She’s a woman I don’t necessarily want to mess with. But I’m willing to take the chance.