Chapter One
She’d called it a game and laughed when he’d agreed to play. But his bride didn’t know he intended to break every one of her rules.
One year of marriage. No sex. No complications. No messy emotions.
Harrison Duval watched Stacey laugh with a friend on the dance floor, the candlelight winking in the crystals on her white dress. Her dark hair was pinned into thick curls at the back of her head. He wanted to shove his hands into it and kiss her, wanted to make a mess of those curls and her composure.
Wife . Jesus. One month ago, she’d been nothing but the one who got away. The one who reappeared in his life years later as his little sister’s college buddy. The one who brushed off his advances like they hadn’t once found themselves half naked and breathless in his father’s cornfields, the hot summer sun beating down on their bare skin.
His buddy Chase nursed his beer and nudged Harrison with an elbow. “You want to tell me why you aren’t getting your beautiful bride out of here and into a nice oversized bed somewhere?”
Harrison’s gaze slid over Stacey’s curves. His mind instantly fixed on everything he wanted to do to her and couldn’t. Not yet. “We have the rest of our lives, right?”
“Hmm,” Chase said. “You know, they make a little blue pill that might help you with that attitude.”
Blue pill my ass. Harrison grinned and punched Chase in the shoulder.
The sight of Stace was enough. The sound of her voice, the innocent way she’d squeeze his arm when she was excited, even the way she chewed on her thumbnail when she was nervous—everything about her turned him on. “She is beautiful, isn’t she?”
“Congratulations, man.” Chase slammed the flat of his hand between Harrison’s shoulder blades. “I need to get out of here.”
Harrison winced, remembering where Chase planned to go. “Please don’t tell me you’re going to find my sister.”
Chase slid his beer onto the bar. “No problem. I won’t tell you a thing.”
Hell, they all knew it was only a matter of time before Chase and Addison stopped making eyes at each other and actually did something about their feelings. “Think real hard about how much you like them balls,” Harrison warned Chase’s retreating form.
But Chase was right. It was time for Harrison to get his bride and head out. Their flight left at the crack of dawn and they should try to get a couple hours of shut-eye before the long day of travel.
He pulled out his cell and sent a text to their limo driver, letting him know they were ready. Then he made his way to the dance floor to retrieve his wife.
Her smile fell and her face grew serious when she spotted him. “Hey, you.”
He took full advantage of their audience as he drew her to him and looped her arms around his neck. “Remember,” he whispered against her ear, “you have to pretend you like me.” He ran a thumb down the curve of her neck. He wanted to taste that spot, wanted to feel her arch into him as he nibbled a path down to her shoulder, sucked at the sensitive flesh. He wanted her breath in his ear as he slid his hand between her legs and fucked her with his fingers.
“I do like you. But I don’t deserve you.”
Harrison frowned and pulled back to study her face. “You’re drunk.”
“Lil bit.”
He caught sight of flash of light from the corner of his eye. A look out the open doors of his parents’ party barn confirmed their limo was waiting for them outside.
“Hey!” She tugged at his suit jacket. “If I’m drunk, does that mean you’re going to take advantage of me?”
“Is that hope I hear in your voice?”
She giggled.
Harrison wrapped his arm around her waist and ushered her to the limo. She leaned into him and hummed a soft tune he couldn’t make out. The bridal march?
He opened the limo door for her and helped her step inside.
“Harrison, my boy!” a man called behind them.
Harrison tensed at the sound of his new father-in-law’s
She’d called it a game and laughed when he’d agreed to play. But his bride didn’t know he intended to break every one of her rules.
One year of marriage. No sex. No complications. No messy emotions.
Harrison Duval watched Stacey laugh with a friend on the dance floor, the candlelight winking in the crystals on her white dress. Her dark hair was pinned into thick curls at the back of her head. He wanted to shove his hands into it and kiss her, wanted to make a mess of those curls and her composure.
Wife . Jesus. One month ago, she’d been nothing but the one who got away. The one who reappeared in his life years later as his little sister’s college buddy. The one who brushed off his advances like they hadn’t once found themselves half naked and breathless in his father’s cornfields, the hot summer sun beating down on their bare skin.
His buddy Chase nursed his beer and nudged Harrison with an elbow. “You want to tell me why you aren’t getting your beautiful bride out of here and into a nice oversized bed somewhere?”
Harrison’s gaze slid over Stacey’s curves. His mind instantly fixed on everything he wanted to do to her and couldn’t. Not yet. “We have the rest of our lives, right?”
“Hmm,” Chase said. “You know, they make a little blue pill that might help you with that attitude.”
Blue pill my ass. Harrison grinned and punched Chase in the shoulder.
The sight of Stace was enough. The sound of her voice, the innocent way she’d squeeze his arm when she was excited, even the way she chewed on her thumbnail when she was nervous—everything about her turned him on. “She is beautiful, isn’t she?”
“Congratulations, man.” Chase slammed the flat of his hand between Harrison’s shoulder blades. “I need to get out of here.”
Harrison winced, remembering where Chase planned to go. “Please don’t tell me you’re going to find my sister.”
Chase slid his beer onto the bar. “No problem. I won’t tell you a thing.”
Hell, they all knew it was only a matter of time before Chase and Addison stopped making eyes at each other and actually did something about their feelings. “Think real hard about how much you like them balls,” Harrison warned Chase’s retreating form.
But Chase was right. It was time for Harrison to get his bride and head out. Their flight left at the crack of dawn and they should try to get a couple hours of shut-eye before the long day of travel.
He pulled out his cell and sent a text to their limo driver, letting him know they were ready. Then he made his way to the dance floor to retrieve his wife.
Her smile fell and her face grew serious when she spotted him. “Hey, you.”
He took full advantage of their audience as he drew her to him and looped her arms around his neck. “Remember,” he whispered against her ear, “you have to pretend you like me.” He ran a thumb down the curve of her neck. He wanted to taste that spot, wanted to feel her arch into him as he nibbled a path down to her shoulder, sucked at the sensitive flesh. He wanted her breath in his ear as he slid his hand between her legs and fucked her with his fingers.
“I do like you. But I don’t deserve you.”
Harrison frowned and pulled back to study her face. “You’re drunk.”
“Lil bit.”
He caught sight of flash of light from the corner of his eye. A look out the open doors of his parents’ party barn confirmed their limo was waiting for them outside.
“Hey!” She tugged at his suit jacket. “If I’m drunk, does that mean you’re going to take advantage of me?”
“Is that hope I hear in your voice?”
She giggled.
Harrison wrapped his arm around her waist and ushered her to the limo. She leaned into him and hummed a soft tune he couldn’t make out. The bridal march?
He opened the limo door for her and helped her step inside.
“Harrison, my boy!” a man called behind them.
Harrison tensed at the sound of his new father-in-law’s
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