Page 218 of By His Vow

Her eyes flicker.

“Lori, I’m getting married today and I’m hungover as fuck.”

Those words are what she needs to bring her to, because her eyes pop open and she sits up in a rush.

For a second, I’m impressed by how fresh she must feel, but then her hand darts up and she grabs her head as if it’s at risk of exploding.

“Fuck, Tate. I think I’m dying.”

“Yeah, join the fucking party.”

“What time is it?” Lori asks, still clutching her head.

I glance at my watch and my heart sinks.

We’re getting married at 11 a.m.

“Fuck. It’s almost eight o’clock.”

“Hair and makeup?”

“Will be here in less than ten minutes.”

“Oh, Christ.”

“I told you not to let me get drunk last night,” I say as I rush into the bathroom.

She doesn’t respond, and something tells me it’s because she’s fallen back onto the bed and immediately passed out again.

I’ve just finished ordering coffee and breakfast to the room when a knock fills the air.

Drawing in a deep breath, I walk across the living room, attempting to look composed and ready for the day.

I snort a laugh.

Composed and ready. What a fucking joke.

I’m halfway across the room when the couch captures my attention again.

“Addicted to this pussy, baby. Fucking addicted.”

My heart begins to race and my core clenches.

It feels so real.

But it couldn’t have been. He wasn’t here.

Was he?

It isn’t until another knock rips through the air that I’m dragged from my desire-filled trance and remember what I was doing.

“Good morning. I’m Marissa,” a fresh-looking young woman sings the second I pull the door open. “It’s your wedding day. Are you excited?”

She beams at me, her eyes twinkling with excitement.

It takes a good ten seconds before she realizes that I’m not about to join in with her over-the-top show of enthusiasm.

“Oh, well, um…”