I held my breath as he eased inside me, one hot, thick inch at a time, and we moaned in sync as he buried himself deep. “I love you,” I whispered, pulling him closer.
“I love you too,” he said as he began to move. “And I don’t care what the odds are. I’d bet on us every time.”
He covered my mouth with his, and I surrendered—to the sinuous motion of his hips, to the friction and heat between us, to the driving rhythm of his cock deep inside me, to the final throes of our shared release, where it was impossible to tell where he ended and I began.
I felt no fear in my heart—just love and belonging and hope.
When our energy was finally sapped—it took a while—we finally collapsed and snuggled close.
“If anyone comes to the door in the morning, we’re not answering it,” Hutton said gruffly. “I’m not sharing you.”
“Deal,” I said. “We can stay in bed all day, and then go get the rest of my—shoot!”
“What?”
I’d forgotten about fucking Mimi—I’d promised her a story by tomorrow. I sat up and put a hand on his warm, breathing chest. “I have to tell you something, and you’re not going to like it.”
“Now?” He yawned. “Because I’m really fucking content, and if it’s like a big brunch or something you want me to attend in the morning, I’d rather not know.”
“It’s not brunch. It’s Mimi Pepper-Peabody.” I told him about her overhearing me at Plum & Honey, and then accosting me at work.
Hutton propped himself up on one elbow. “Wait. She’s trying to blackmail you?”
“Not exactly. I don’t think she wants money or anything. She just wants a story.”
“Well, fuck her. She can’t have ours.” He lay down again. “I’ll fucking buy that stupid tabloid tomorrow and put it out of business.”
I laughed. “I know you would, but you know what? I’d rather have the satisfaction of telling Mimi she has no power over me anymore.”
“Good. She’s the one who’s going to look like an asshole anyway, since we actually are getting married.”
“True.”
“When do you want to do that, anyway?”
“Get married?” I thought for a moment. “You know, unless you want to wait, we could just keep the wedding date Millie set aside for us at Cloverleigh Farms.”
“I don’t need to wait. I know what I want.”
I smiled at the conviction in his voice. “Then let’s do it. We can let everyone know tomorrow to save the date.” I snuggled up to him again.
“Oh yeah. I forgot there would be other people involved. I don’t suppose I can convince you to elope, huh?”
“No, but I don’t need a three-ring circus either. Just our families.”
“And the Prancin’ Grannies.”
I laughed. “And the Prancin’ Grannies.”
The next afternoon, Hutton and I met Mimi at Plum & Honey. I told him he didn’t have to be there, but he said he wouldn’t miss the opportunity to see me tell Mimi to go fuck herself—although I didn’t plan on using those words. I wouldn’t need them.
When she slid onto a chair across from us, she looked surprised. “You’re here together?”
“Of course we are,” I said. “And we only have a few minutes because we’re heading to Cloverleigh Farms to finalize plans for our ceremony.”
Mimi’s jaw dropped. “Ceremony? As in, you’re really getting married?”
“We’re really getting married. Last Sunday in August.”
“But you said it was fake! I heard you!”
“You must have misunderstood,” I said calmly, taking a sip of my coffee.
Mimi scowled. “I did not. You admitted it to me in the tasting room at Abelard.”
“I’m sure I have no idea what you mean. You were drinking that day. Perhaps you’re confused—wine can do that to you.”
“I wasn’t confused,” Mimi insisted. “You told me you’d made the whole thing up to take me down a notch. Now you’re saying it’s real?”
“Exactly.” I snapped my fingers twice. “Keep up.”
She sat back and folded her arms over her chest. “I could still leak the story.”
“You could,” I agreed, “but you’re the one who will look like a fool when we tie the knot.”
Mimi pouted. “This isn’t fair. I’m not the one who lied, but I’m being punished.”