He hands over the license, giving me a quick smile that doesn’t reach his eyes. “You can have the room for the next four minutes for pictures if you’d like, but then we have other business to conduct.”

I nod in acknowledgement, waiting to turn back to April until he’s left the room.

“Smile!” Cara says with more enthusiasm than anyone else feels.

I obey, turning and holding my arm out to April. She steps up to me, but keeps a few inches of distance between our bodies. We both smile, or at least I think I’m smiling. I don’t feel joy or happiness about what just happened. I feel like I married a woman who was even more unsure about doing it today than she was when she showed up at the clubhouse on Friday. I know she feels obligated to her unborn child, not me, but I’ve had nothing but time to think, time to plan to make it up to her since she took off Saturday night.

I consider myself lucky when she follows me out of the building rather than her sister. She doesn’t say a word when we make it to the SUV, and it’s a small win that she doesn’t shove me away when I help her into the vehicle.

She doesn’t give me her eyes. Doesn’t open her mouth so I can hear the sweet tinkle of her voice. She’s somehow gorgeous, the flowers on her dress bringing out the green in her eyes, but she also looks exhausted, the hint of shadows under her eyes. I feel like the biggest jerk alive considering that I’m the reason those are there.

“Can you take me back to the hotel?” she whispers right before I turn out of the parking lot in the direction of the clubhouse.

I flick the blinker in the other direction. “Will you let me explain?”

We drive for a full mile before she answers.

“Yes.”

It’s only one word, and she doesn’t seem happy about it, but it’s the opening I need.

She doesn’t seem surprised that she doesn’t have to tell me where she has been staying. If she was, I’d explain that I all but threatened Thumper if he didn’t tell me, and he was willing to beat my ass before I promised that I wouldn’t bother her. Tension was thick in the air at the clubhouse yesterday, everyone with their own opinions about this situation but no one willing to open their mouths and speak about it.

I guess I should be grateful for the silence, but hell, I could’ve used someone to talk to about it. Legend and Grinch weren’t options. They don’t know a damn thing about women except how to get them wet and leave them satisfied. All the other guys probably had the same opinion that Dominic and Kincaid had. Marriage is sacred and shouldn’t be fooled around with.

So I spent the day alone, sending text after text to April’s phone on the off chance that eventually she would respond. More than likely she turned her phone off and ignored every one of them.

She waits for me to help her down from the vehicle when we arrive at the hotel. The walk through the lobby is silent, as is the elevator ride to the fourth floor.

The room is spotless. You wouldn’t think she’s been here for nearly two days walking in. The bed is in pristine condition, and not a single droplet of water is on the sink just outside of the lavatory.

“Nice room,” I tell her as I walk deeper inside.

She stands near the door, arms wrapped around her middle, and it makes me take a seat on the edge of the bed. I don’t want her to feel intimidated by me, and I know looming over her wouldn’t be good for either of us. For her, it would seem like a flex of power. For me, I can’t risk getting another scent of her shampoo. Drooling right now wouldn’t benefit my cause.

“Please sit,” I beg.

She doesn’t look at me as she crosses the room and curls up in the chair on the other side of the room.

“Nova and I were in a casual relationship. Well, I wouldn’t even call it a relationship. We would meet up for… to have fun.”

“Sex,” she clarifies. It’s only the second word she’s said to me today since repeating her vows.

“Yes. I went over there to tell her that it was over, that I was getting married, and we couldn’t see each other again.”

“And that couldn’t have been handled with a phone call? You know what? It doesn’t matter.”

“It does matter. I promised you there wouldn’t be other women, and I plan to keep that promise.” She drops her eyes again as if she can’t stand the sight of me. My arms ache with the need to go to her, to force her to look me in the eyes so she can see the sincerity there, but I stay on the bed. “I probably could’ve ended things with her with a phone call. Nova isn’t a bad person. We’ve been very casual for months, and I just felt like she deserved to hear what I had to say face-to-face.”

Tags: Marie James Romance
Source: readsnovelonline.net