Page 62 of The Troublemaker

Cason

“You, my sweet wife, look amazing.”

Fuck, man. I love calling her that and want to continue calling her that long after our thirty days are up, which are closing in on us quickly. As she stands in front of the mirror in my bedroom, she scrunches up her nose in concern and turns left and right, looking herself over.

“We’re just setting ourselves up for disaster, Cason. Nothing good can come from this.”

I shrug, but I’m not dismissing her worries. I understand them. “I don’t know, maybe they’ll see that inner light inside you glowing like I do, and realize you’re doing exactly what you’re supposed to be doing.”

“They’ll never approve of me choosing to be a chef over a lawyer,” she says.

Okay, what I was getting at was her choice in a husband, but that answer will do, for now. We can talk about that choice when the night is over. It’s well past time the two of us had a sit down and a serious discussion, because no way can I quit this girl. She’s everything I ever wanted and never knew. We’ve already made it past the two-week mark, heck we’re actually almost finished with our third, and man, I’ve got it so bad for her. I’ve never in my entire life felt this way before. Never let down my walls with any woman.

“Hey,” I say and put my hands on her shoulders. I spin her until she’s facing me and drop a kiss onto her forehead. “I will not let you out of my sight. I promise. Let’s go and show them how happy we are, eat some food, drink some wine, and then get back here so I can take this dress off your gorgeous body, and put my mouth all over you.”

“Well, when you say it like that, what’s a girl to do?”

I smile, and she lifts her chin to me, offering me her mouth. I cover her lips with mine, once again messing up her perfectly applied lipstick. I moan into her mouth, and break the kiss before I get a boner.

“Do you think my hair is okay?” she asks. “Maybe I should have put it up.”

“Maybe you should just leave it the way you like it best.”

“You’re right. You’re always right.”

That’s news to me, but one thing I am right about is this woman and what she means to me. No more screwing up, no more saying the wrong thing and fucking everything over. With her, it’s so easy to be myself and say all the right things, so easy to open myself emotionally, because in my heart I know I’m not going to hurt her and she’s not going to hurt me.

“Let’s do this,” I say and put my hand on the small of her back to lead her outside.

“Do you think everyone will show up?” she asks.

“Of course, they will. They’d do anything for us.”

“I don’t want them to be uncomfortable.”

I laugh. “I’m sure some of your parents’ friends watch hockey, and the guys will be a big hit. I guarantee it, and that will take some of the pressure off you.” I frown and ask, “Do you think they’ll be upset that I didn’t ask my parents?”

She swallows hard and the sound travels. “It’s best not to involve them, right? Isn’t that what you said?”

I search my memories, but can’t really remember. “Ah, yeah,” I say. Honestly, I wish I had invited them. I want them to get to know Kinsley, and her asshole parents. They should at least know the parents of their daughter-in-law. Especially if I can convince her to be mine forever.

I open the car door for her and she slides in. I drop a soft kiss onto her forehead, not wanting to mess her lips up again, and she smiles up at me. My fucking heart swells in my chest. Jesus, I’m so crazy about this woman.

Her eyes are latched on mine as I circle the vehicle and climb in. Her hand searches for mine as I negotiate through traffic and in no time at all, we’re at her parents’ place. I pull behind Cole’s car and smile. He usually takes it out when he’s going to events, and maybe he’s driving it tonight to flaunt it in my face, tease me with something he doesn’t think I’ll ever win.

He told you not to fuck it up with Kinsley.

Yeah, he did and that still confuses the hell out of me.

“Are you okay?”

I turn to Kinsley. “Yeah, why?”

“You’re looking at that car the same way you look at me.”

“How’s that?”

“Like you want to make love to it?”