Perfectly Wedded (Perfect Crush #1)

13. Vale

THIRTEEN

Vale

“ D o you think my face gave me away?” Sloan asks as soon as we arrive home. Jaz and Brax are still at the arena cleaning up from the party, which means we have a few minutes alone until Leo and Tate arrive.

She drops her purse on the counter and sorts through the mail, avoiding looking directly at me. Maybe this is her way of keeping a safe distance, the silent tug-of-war between the game we’re playing and the way my body reacts to her, almost instinctively. It’s the gentle pull I constantly want to give in to—the way we’re like two magnets drawn together. Every time I’m alone with Sloan, I want to be closer to her.

“I don’t think anyone will question tonight’s performance,” I say, grabbing a cold sports drink from the fridge to cool the fire inside me. Anything to take the edge off.

What they might question is still down the road—when things are over. Something I’ve shoved to a dark corner of my mind, avoiding thinking about. The end of us. The thought of separating from Sloan sends me into a doom spiral. Even if she doesn’t feel the same as me, imagining her with another man makes me insanely jealous. I couldn’t live in this house, or even this town, and watch her date anyone but me .

She holds up the honeymoon envelope from the team. “What are we going to do about this?”

“We’re going to Mexico,” I answer.

“Are you seriously suggesting we take this trip?” she says, her eyes wide.

“We can’t turn it down,” I say. “That would give everyone an immediate tip-off that something is wrong. What man in their right mind would turn down a honeymoon with his wife?”

She bites her lip, thinking it over.

There’s so much danger in taking a trip with her. The possibility of us getting too close or her seeing how much I want her, how badly I’m drawn to her, and risking the friendship we have. She has no idea how she turns me into a weak man when I’m alone with her.

“I’ve noticed you’ve been distant lately,” I say. “Afraid of messing up in front of everyone. There’s so much pressure when we’re here in Sully’s Beach, but if we go on this honeymoon, we’re free from that. We don’t have to pretend or even sleep in the same room. They reserved a suite, so it would be no different than here. Although personally, I think sharing a room is a perk of being your husband.”

A smirk curves her lips. “Even if I snore?”

“Even sexier,” I tease.

She swats my backside with a dish towel. “Watch it, Mr. Coco Puffs, or you’ll be sleeping on the couch tonight.”

“Oooh, I love it when we role-play with our cereal names.”

She tips her head back and laughs. “Just not in front of the kids, okay? We’ll scar Tate for life.”

“Well, Leo’s already scarred by living with two sets of newlyweds,” I add.

“I didn’t think anything bothered that man. Does he even have a heart?”

“If he does, it’s probably made of stone,” I say. We hear a door slam and the sound of boxes dropping in the hall .

“Hey, lovebirds!” Jaz shouts. “This is your warning that we’re home. So if you’re in the middle of your ‘alone time’...”

Sloan’s face immediately heats as she stammers, “We’re just in the kitchen... doing absolutely nothing!”

“How disappointing,” Jaz says as she enters the room with a sly grin, Brax following.

Sloan lifts an eyebrow. “You should be relieved.” She immediately bumps into me, her hip brushing my leg, sending energy through me. She’s blissfully ignorant of how tough it is for me to keep my thoughts straight when she’s this close.

“And thank you for a fabulous wedding shower and gift,” Sloan adds. “Best sister and brother ever.” Sloan goes in for a group hug, pulling me into the huddle.

“It was all Jaz’s genius,” Brax says, admiring his wife. “Except for the games. But that’s the only way we could get the team on board. Especially Leo.”

“Leo agreed to this?” Sloan asks, arching an eyebrow.

“Who knew, right? Turns out, if you dangle a competition in front of him, even the alpha male softens up,” Brax says. “He and Tate headed to Boots and Buckles for line dancing tonight. I think they’re feeling left out now that half the house is married.”

“Leo and Tate actually agreed on something?” I say.

“Yeah, for about five minutes... right before they were ready to murder each other,” Brax adds.

Jaz takes her sister by the shoulders. “Please don’t worry about a thing while you’re gone. I will take care of everything.”

“Since you’re getting away before the season begins, the timing is perfect,” Brax says.

“And before the press finds out,” Jaz adds. “As long as nobody from the team squeals.”

Just what we need. The press documenting our every move on our honeymoon. Another reason to take this trip now.

I turn to Sloan. “See? Nothing to worry about. Your sister thought of everything.” I wrap one arm around Sloan’s waist, noticing the way her body seems to fit perfectly into mine.

“My sister always does,” she says, pasting on a nervous smile. “What could I want more than a week alone with my husband?”

The tension in her tone is hard to miss. On our last trip, we got married. The next logical step would be... nope, not going there. We absolutely cannot end up in bed together.

We’ll have to enforce separate sleeping spaces and keep space between us at all times.

Heat rises in my chest just thinking about all the ways this could go very, very wrong. Even if she is my wife, I already agreed to rule four. Which means I can’t sleep with Sloan, no matter how much I want to.

The next day, I wake up early and quietly slip out of the bedroom so I don’t disturb Sloan. She went to bed early with a headache—another sign we need to get her on these new meds ASAP. Brax is in the kitchen when I step into the room, the smoky smell of bacon filling the house. I brush by him, grabbing an apple and a protein bar on my way out the door.

Brax looks over his coffee cup at me. “Where are you headed so early?”

“I want to catch Libby in HR before she gets tied up in meetings. Sloan still hasn’t been added to the insurance plan.”

The bacon sizzles as Brax flips the meat. “Why not take care of it when you return? She has her insurance with the university, right?”

“Yeah, but she wants to start some new meds before we leave.”

“The super expensive one?”

“How’d you know?” I say, stopping to study my brother. I didn’t think anyone knew about that drug except for us.

“Sloan texted Jaz about it in Vegas. Sounded like she was desperate to get that drug. Good thing the marriage solved that problem so conveniently.” He takes another sip of coffee as my stomach turns to lead.

Another reminder why Sloan probably isn’t interested in anything more with me. She was desperate to get her problem solved, not hop into a marriage contract with a friend. And now, I can’t help but wonder if my brother suspects it too.

I bite into my apple. “I want to take care of things now. Getting her on my insurance plan could make the difference between enjoying our trip and feeling rotten.”

“Makes sense.” He nods, then takes the bacon from the frying pan and lays it on a paper towel. “How are you dealing with things?” He studies me, and I know that look. He’s worried about something.

“Dealing with what?”

“Getting used to being married. Sloan’s had her share of setbacks. It’s not easy to care for someone with health problems.”

I slowly chew my apple, making sure my face is stone. My twin brother can read me like a book, but I need for him to believe I’m happy. That Sloan and I are in love.

“If I can deal with it as her friend, I can definitely deal with it as her husband.” As much as I hate what happened to Sloan, her injury opened the door for us meeting. If she hadn’t stopped working, Jaz wouldn’t have rented out rooms to a bunch of rowdy hockey players.

“I’m just making sure you aren’t second-guessing your decision,” he says.

“Why would I second-guess anything with Sloan?” I say, slightly defensive.

“Because a lot of people who get married in Vegas do,” he says, looking uneasy.

I frown. “Wait. Did Jaz tell you to ask me this?”

Brax turns back to the stove. “Why would you think that?”

“Because as my brother, you never question my decisions.” I wait a beat. “She set you up, didn’t she?”

Brax finally drags his eyes to me and sighs. “Only because she cares about her sister. Sloan’s made rash decisions in the past. She doesn’t always think things through. Especially when she’s under pressure.”

“We didn’t take this decision lightly, Brax,” I say, leveling my gaze. “Especially Sloan. And if you want to tell Jaz the truth, then tell her I’m fully committed to Sloan’s happiness.”

If only they knew I was the one who talked Sloan into this decision. She wasn’t drunk, reckless, or swept up by some impulsive moment. If anyone had doubts, it was Sloan—and she had every reason to hesitate.

Brax studies me for a second. “I believe you, Vale. It’s just that everything happened so fast. Jaz was worried—and rightfully so—that you married her out of pity or something. And that’s exactly what she doesn’t need right now. She needs someone to love her.”

“And I do,” I say with more intensity than I mean to. The words reverberate across my body like a struck bell. I haven’t admitted my feelings out loud before, even though I’ve known it for a while. Maybe the cynics say it’s not possible, but some connections are like that—instant and overwhelming.

I rub the back of my neck. “Sloan wouldn’t have married me if I pitied her. She’s not that desperate.”

He nods once, slowly. “You’re right. And I know you don’t rush into big decisions.” He slaps my shoulder, but it doesn’t help me feel better. There’s still a rock sitting on my chest.

He trusts me to tell him everything, and I’ve kept the full truth from him. We married for convenience, yes, but that’s only half of what’s bothering me. The truth is that I want Sloan to feel the same about me. If she did, why didn’t she date me a year ago when I asked her out? All she said was that she couldn’t, and I was left assuming the attraction was one-sided.

“Sloan is the reason I made the decision, Brax. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for her.”

Just then, footsteps pad down the hall and Jaz appears, her hair pulled into a messy bun.

“Good morning, love,” Brax says, his face softening. He pulls her into his arms and gives her a long kiss .

I clear my throat. “Get a room, you two.”

“Already have one.” Brax smirks, keeping one arm looped around her back. “I’m just showing you how to greet your wife.” Then he wraps his other hand around her shoulder and gives her another kiss to finish what he started.

Jealousy squeezes my chest tighter. More than anything, I want that with Sloan—more than playing for the NHL, more than winning the Stanley Cup. I want someone I can spend my life with. I want her.

Just then, Sloan appears in her pajamas. She blinks at her sister and Brax. “Excuse me,” she announces. “But some of us just got up, you know.”

Jaz laughs as she pulls away from Brax. “You need to take notes.”

That’s my cue to greet her like a husband. Maybe not quite so affectionately, but rule two definitely applies here.

“Hey, beautiful,” I open my arms for Sloan, but she just freezes, like she’s afraid I’m about to bite her.

“I’m not exactly huggable right now,” she says.

“You’re always huggable,” I say, closing the gap between us. When my hands find her body, I pull her into my chest and immediately feel her body soften in my arms. One hand finds the hem of her tank top, while the other strokes her spine. I nuzzle my face in her neck, smelling the faint scent of last night’s perfume. I want to brush my lips across the soft curve of her neck, to peel back the tiny strap of her tank top and kiss the skin beneath it...

Stop. Right. There. I can’t let my mind wander—for so many reasons.

Jaz smiles at us in approval. “Before you two hurry off, I wanted to let you know one more thing. How do you feel about renewing your vows?”

“So soon?” Sloan asks, surprised.

“For your friends and family who missed your actual ceremony. Apparently it’s your mother-in-law’s wish to have something official—something more than just a party,” Jaz says with a smile full of secrets.

When I visited Mom last, she told me how much she couldn’t wait for me to get married. Ever since my siblings tied the knot, she’s worried I’ll be the one left alone. My mom sacrificed her entire life for us as a single mom, but she would never wish the same for me.

“But you already threw a party for us,” Sloan says.

“That was a wedding shower. What if you could have the wedding you’ve always dreamed of?”

Sloan shakes her head. “I don’t have the money for a wedding like that.”

“I don’t mean you would pay for it,” Jaz says, taking the eggs from the fridge. “I know someone who would be more than happy to give you the wedding of your dreams. Someone who’s willing to pay for the entire thing... if they get to photograph it.”

“Who?” she asks.

“ The Star Report ,” she says. “They contacted me at the office and made an offer. They want to do a feature wedding shoot and in return will cover everything. They contacted me because Vale is refusing to talk to the press right now, and they knew I was the only one who would relay the message.”

“No,” Sloan says. “It’s really not necessary.”

Jaz puts down the eggs and faces her sister. “This is every bride’s dream, you do realize that?”

“I’m not every bride,” Sloan insists.

Jaz turns to me. “Ever since we were kids, my sister has planned her dream wedding. She wanted the white dress, the big outdoor wedding, a string quartet playing ‘Canon in D.’ She might not plan a lot of things, but this was the one thing she always dreamed of.” Jaz’s eyes drill into me. Nothing like pushy in-laws to pressure you into a very public wedding that will be all over the internet. When Jaz asked me the other day if I’d consider a simple party, I shrugged and said yes. Apparently, the “simple” part morphed into a sponsored wedding feature paid for by The Star Report .

Jaz takes her sister’s arm. “Hey, I’m doing this for you. I don’t want you to ever feel like you got shorted on your wedding dreams.”

“I’m perfectly happy with our Vegas ceremony,” Sloan says.

Jaz gives her a look. “You’re a terrible liar, Sloan. You’ve mentioned more than once how Eunice was deaf and Clarence almost fell asleep.”

Sloan looks to me for help and I shrug. “She isn’t wrong.”

“Then it’s a done deal,” Jaz says with a satisfied smile. “Vale, your mom will be so happy. When I hinted that The Star Report wanted to make a deal for a wedding feature, she was nearly frantic with excitement. She wants a repeat of everything. The vows. The kiss. The whole wedding enchilada.”

My gut feels tied into knots. This complicates everything.

It was one thing to get married in front of strangers in a shady chapel we weren’t even sure was legit. It’s another thing to do it in front of our friends and family—and the entire world, who will see the pictures.

But at this point, I don’t have a choice. If I refuse, I’ll let down my family, and it will give the press even more reason to hound us for Vegas details. Letting The Star Report document our wedding will satisfy everyone, even if it makes me the most miserable man ever. Because all I really want is Sloan. I want to wake up to her sweet smile, to trail kisses across her collarbone at night. To hold her hand as we fall asleep, her fingers curling into mine, not letting go.

But the reality is, I can never have her, no matter how good we are at pretending.