wrinkling her nose. “Like in ‘Pride & Prejudice?’”
“Holy crap! You knew that, too. Aric knew that, and it freaked me out. I didn’t know he was into chick lit.”
“Just your chick books because they’re stuffed with sex,” Paris teased, the corners of her mouth tipping up. “I read two of them, by the way. You’re a kinky freak.”
I frowned. Even though I graduated from Covenant College with a journalism degree it wasn’t long before I realized I didn’t work well with others. Actually, two editors discovered that and fired me. That’s when I decided to write romance novels under a pen name. I was developing quite the following.
While I didn’t want readers to know my real name, Aric thought it was funny and gifted Kelsey and Paris with books. I hadn’t heard the end of it since, both of them reciting sex scenes back to me when we talked over the phone.
“You’re never getting another sexy shower again,” I huffed, glowering at Aric. “This is all your fault.”
“I didn’t write the smut,” Aric argued.
“You inspired it.”
“I take that as a compliment,” Aric said, directing us back toward the house.
“Wait, aren’t you reactivating the security system?” I asked.
“No,” Aric answered. “If someone comes, they come. I won’t lock you away again, not unless it’s absolutely necessary. It’s the middle of the day and the house is full of people. What could possibly go wrong?”
“THIS is a lovely home,” Pemberley gushed an hour later, scanning the yard as he looked over the expansive parcel of land we called home. “Of course we’ll have to find a way to hide the hot tub. That’s kind of tacky.”
“Hey! That’s our favorite spot,” Aric said, taking offense on behalf of the hot tub. “That thing is like family.”
“Yes,” I agreed, solemnly nodding. “It’s like the dirty uncle the wedding coordinator wants to hide at a party.”
“You’re not helping,” Aric said, scowling.
“I wasn’t trying to help,” I said, laughing. “Where is this food we’re supposed to taste, by the way?” I was ready to get the boring part of the day over with so I could lounge around with Paris and Kelsey without our mothers – and their never-ending wedding list – hanging over us.
“It will be here in twenty minutes,” Pemberley replied, tugging his shirt down as he went back to his yard study. “This will work quite well once we get a tent.”
“A tent? Like a circus tent? That sounds about right.”
Aric snickered as Mom scorched me with a death glare.
“You need a tent in case it rains,” Pemberley supplied. “We can put fans inside to cut down on the heat if that’s still an issue on your big day.”
Actually, that sounded like a smart move. “You know best,” I said, smirking as I exchanged a look with Paris. “Other than the food, we’re good on everything else, right?”
“Of course not,” Pemberley replied. “You really screwed the pooch on this wedding, missy. Your mother has most of it sorted out, but there are a few things we have to discuss before the big day.”
“I can’t wait,” I deadpanned.
“Now, Zoe, this is the most important day of our lives,” Aric said, feigning seriousness. “You should put in a little effort.”
“I hate you,” I muttered.
“I have a lot to talk over with you, too, stud,” Pemberley said, winking at Aric. “We’ll have to spend oodles of time together.”
I swallowed my laugh as I mimed bending over at the waist and guffawing when Pemberley wasn’t looking. Aric waited until Pemberley shifted his attention back in my direction to shoot me the finger.
“This wedding will be really classy if this keeps up,” Kelsey said.
Pemberley ignored her. “Tell me about the bridesmaids’ dresses.”
I pointed at Kelsey and Paris. “They picked them out.”
“Oh, yeah, they’re really cool,” Kelsey said. “We went to a store together and picked out two dresses from the same designer
“Holy crap! You knew that, too. Aric knew that, and it freaked me out. I didn’t know he was into chick lit.”
“Just your chick books because they’re stuffed with sex,” Paris teased, the corners of her mouth tipping up. “I read two of them, by the way. You’re a kinky freak.”
I frowned. Even though I graduated from Covenant College with a journalism degree it wasn’t long before I realized I didn’t work well with others. Actually, two editors discovered that and fired me. That’s when I decided to write romance novels under a pen name. I was developing quite the following.
While I didn’t want readers to know my real name, Aric thought it was funny and gifted Kelsey and Paris with books. I hadn’t heard the end of it since, both of them reciting sex scenes back to me when we talked over the phone.
“You’re never getting another sexy shower again,” I huffed, glowering at Aric. “This is all your fault.”
“I didn’t write the smut,” Aric argued.
“You inspired it.”
“I take that as a compliment,” Aric said, directing us back toward the house.
“Wait, aren’t you reactivating the security system?” I asked.
“No,” Aric answered. “If someone comes, they come. I won’t lock you away again, not unless it’s absolutely necessary. It’s the middle of the day and the house is full of people. What could possibly go wrong?”
“THIS is a lovely home,” Pemberley gushed an hour later, scanning the yard as he looked over the expansive parcel of land we called home. “Of course we’ll have to find a way to hide the hot tub. That’s kind of tacky.”
“Hey! That’s our favorite spot,” Aric said, taking offense on behalf of the hot tub. “That thing is like family.”
“Yes,” I agreed, solemnly nodding. “It’s like the dirty uncle the wedding coordinator wants to hide at a party.”
“You’re not helping,” Aric said, scowling.
“I wasn’t trying to help,” I said, laughing. “Where is this food we’re supposed to taste, by the way?” I was ready to get the boring part of the day over with so I could lounge around with Paris and Kelsey without our mothers – and their never-ending wedding list – hanging over us.
“It will be here in twenty minutes,” Pemberley replied, tugging his shirt down as he went back to his yard study. “This will work quite well once we get a tent.”
“A tent? Like a circus tent? That sounds about right.”
Aric snickered as Mom scorched me with a death glare.
“You need a tent in case it rains,” Pemberley supplied. “We can put fans inside to cut down on the heat if that’s still an issue on your big day.”
Actually, that sounded like a smart move. “You know best,” I said, smirking as I exchanged a look with Paris. “Other than the food, we’re good on everything else, right?”
“Of course not,” Pemberley replied. “You really screwed the pooch on this wedding, missy. Your mother has most of it sorted out, but there are a few things we have to discuss before the big day.”
“I can’t wait,” I deadpanned.
“Now, Zoe, this is the most important day of our lives,” Aric said, feigning seriousness. “You should put in a little effort.”
“I hate you,” I muttered.
“I have a lot to talk over with you, too, stud,” Pemberley said, winking at Aric. “We’ll have to spend oodles of time together.”
I swallowed my laugh as I mimed bending over at the waist and guffawing when Pemberley wasn’t looking. Aric waited until Pemberley shifted his attention back in my direction to shoot me the finger.
“This wedding will be really classy if this keeps up,” Kelsey said.
Pemberley ignored her. “Tell me about the bridesmaids’ dresses.”
I pointed at Kelsey and Paris. “They picked them out.”
“Oh, yeah, they’re really cool,” Kelsey said. “We went to a store together and picked out two dresses from the same designer
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