A Wedding to Remember: Switched at Marriage Part 1 (8 page)

"How do you know that?" I stared at him in amazement. "Most men don't care, don't care, and don't care."

"I'm a nerd." His grin was adorably self-deprecating. And a bit heartbreaking at the same time. The guy was one of the country's richest millenials. And he self-identified as a nerd.

"This isn't a newspaper announcement," I said. "It's a press release from your office. If you don't want to list it, you don't have to put it in."

"Okay. My mistake. Leave it out. Carry on."

Billionaire entrepreneur Justin Green confirms that he eloped with his college sweetheart, and longtime love, fashion buyer Kayla Marie Lucas, over the weekend in Reno, Nevada. The nuptials took place on Friday, June 6
^th
in a late-night ceremony at a twenty-four-hour wedding chapel. The couple recently reunited and has kept their relationship quiet. Family members and friends were surprised by the announcement, but pleased for the happy couple.

Justin is very much in love with Kayla. He asks that you respect their privacy during this honeymoon period.

"Think that will hold them off for a year?" I asked.

Justin read over my shoulder. "College sweetheart?"

"I'm trying to lend an air of…what's the word? An air of not getting drunk and getting married without remembering a thing to a classmate you haven't seen in years. On a whim. To reassure the market and your board that you took this commitment, and huge life step, seriously. As you take everything."

"An air of relationship longevity." He nodded. "Of careful consideration. I see. I like it. But what about Eric? Anyone who knows you, us, will know I was a geek you'd never date. All any reporter has to do is ask any one of your friends, family, profs, sorority sisters, coworkers. The garbage man—"

"Shut up!" I leaned my head back to look at him. And got mostly a face full of beard, ruining the sexy effect of his voice and laugh. And wit.

"Or mine. They'll swear you were out of my league. And, I hate to point this out, you were with Eric."

"Off and on. I was with him off and on. I could have been with you at one point in the off phase. You and I studied together a lot." I held my phone up. "This is from your point of view. You could have misinterpreted that studying as dating."

"I see," he said again, with a tease in his voice. "Isn't this announcement lopsided? I'm madly in love with you, apparently. But you seem aloof. There's no mention of how much you love me." Whispered in my ear, his deep voice was like chocolate. Delicious and tempting.

"Again. This is an announcement from
you
. You're being modest. Unassuming. Sweet, professing your undying love. But I did say we're a happy couple. Now we just need to have your office send this out to the news outlets."

He put his hand on my shoulder just as his phone rang.

It startled Data awake. She barked and jumped off my lap.

Justin glanced at his phone. "It's my assistant. I have to take this." He held up a finger, indicating I should give him a moment.

I turned away to give him some privacy. But not before I saw the way his face softened when he picked up. "Ophelia." He caressed her name. His voice even went a little gooey in a deep chocolate way.

My heart pounded as I looked out the glass walls to the city around us and tried not to hear the intimate, familiar way he spoke to her. It wasn't as if I'd had a lot of time to think about things, but this was the first time I'd even considered that he'd given up his freedom, too.

He claimed there was no one else in his life. But maybe that simply meant there was no one else
at this moment
. That he hadn't had a chance to make his move. The way he was talking to Ophelia certainly sounded as if he liked her.

"Okay…sure…sounds good…yep," he murmured to her, and laughed.

My phone began buzzing, too. I got a text from Dex.

"About time," I whispered to myself. I'd been wondering when he would weigh in.

Just heard the news. Best wishes, Lala. Isn't that the socially acceptable thing to say to the bride? Here's what I really want to say: What the shit? Don't tell me you fell for his money? How the hell did he trick you into marrying him? Whatever con he pulled, it was epic.

Treat him well and give him a chance. You two could be adorable together. Your words. Ha ha.

Seriously, you could have done a lot worse. You've risen in my estimation. Your taste in men has improved, anyway. Brains over brawn, Lala. Good choice. Give the blushing groom my congrats.

Conned into marriage?
I turned to stare at Justin. He was still talking animatedly to the fair Ophelia. God, what a name. Poor thing.

No
, I thought.
He wouldn't. He likes her.
What have I done? What have
we
done? Is there any chemistry between us at all? Can I actually fake this?

He saw me staring at him and smiled, confused by the way I was looking at him. I slid next to him and covered his hand that was holding the phone.

You know, I wasn't a sharing person. Never had been. I certainly wasn't going to share my husband. Not for a year, anyway.

I pulled the phone out of his hand, hit "end," and tossed it to the other end of the sofa. He stared at me, surprised, but wordless, as I looked into his eyes. I saw myself reflected. But what I really wanted to see was how he saw me. How he felt. How I felt. There was only one way to find out.

Dex's taunting rang in my ears as clearly as if he'd spoken the words aloud. I slid into Justin's lap, facing him, perched over him in the position of power. I watched him swallow, hard. Watched his eyes cloud with confusion as I took his bearded face firmly in my hands and let my long hair envelope our faces. As my skirt flared around his jeans, I lowered my crotch against his and rocked and rubbed against him.

His breath caught as I lowered my lips to his and gently pressed them against his. As I rhythmically rocked against him, the boner in his jeans grew hard and long. He held perfectly still, his arms at his sides, letting me make all the moves.

I wondered as I ran my tongue over his lips, ignoring the annoying prickle and tickle of his coarse beard, for just a second, I wondered if his long, hard reaction to me was purely automatic. A simple trick of nature. He was unnaturally still.

I teased his mouth open with my tongue. He groaned and wrapped his arms around me, pulling me tightly against him as he arched up into me. His jeans were rough against the thin barrier of my silk panties. His kiss was hard and inexperienced against mine. But damningly eager and enthusiastic. Almost endearing.

As his hands slid up my waist, hot on my back, tugging at my blouse, Data barked. And barked, dancing around us.
Jealous girl.

I ignored her. We ignored her. I pushed Justin. Pushed myself. Pushed aside the racing of my pulse. The wetness of my panties. And the thought that there was any way I could possibly be turned on by him. There was no chemistry. There couldn't be. There never had been before. I must just be desperate. Distraught. Stressed. Tired.

He stuck his tongue deep in my mouth with the erotic intensity of a novice.

Data barked louder and jumped up at his legs, pawing and begging to be let up.

"Justin!" His name on her lips brought us up cold.

He froze. I pulled away and looked up across the room at a nerdy young woman, wearing a dress that looked like it belonged on her mom, or maybe her great grandmother, standing in the entry. At first glance, dressed in those matronly, boxy clothes, she could have been anywhere between twenty and fifty-five. She obviously had a key that let her all the way to the penthouse.

"Ophelia." His voice cracked. He looked as guilty as if she was the wronged party here. As if she'd actually caught us in bed.

Ophelia was definitely not so fair. Her face was dark and stormy. Her eyes were flashing and shining with hurt.

She's in love with him
, I thought.
Oh, damn, she hates me on sight. And she's in love with my husband. Isn't this a lovely cliché?

T
he story continues
…

If you liked
A Wedding to Remember
, you’ll want to read
The Virgin Billionaire
,
Episode 2 of
Switched at Marriage
, right away. It’s available now!

FLIRTING AFTER THE ALTAR…

Kayla is in over her head. Being a billionaire’s wife of convenience for a year isn’t the fantasy job she expected. Sure, the pay is good.
If
she can last the year and not get caught in the lies she and Justin are telling.

But she’s off men, so it should all be good. Until she meets Justin’s hot billionaire friend, Lazer Grayson, and the chemistry between them is immediate and undeniable.

With such intense competition from his hot friend, can Justin win Kayla’s heart?

W
ant to know
when my next book will be out? Sign up for my VIP New Release List at
ginarobinson.com
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iked it
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A Wedding to Remember
, please review it. Your reviews help others find this book and others in the series. Every review is very much appreciated!

S
till can’t get enough
of Kayla and Justin? Curious about Kayla and Justin’s college years? Get the
Rushed Series
and get a peek at what Kayla was like in college.

S
witched at Marriage
, a Romantic Comedy Serial Romance

Part One—
A Wedding to Remember

Part Two—
The Virgin Billionaire

Part Three—
To Have and To Hold

The Rushed Series

Rushed

Crushed

Hushed

The Reckless Series

Reckless Longing
—FREE

Reckless Secrets

Reckless Together

G
ina Robinson's
books have delighted readers and received positive reviews in
Publishers Weekly, Booklist
, and
Romantic Times Book Reviews
.

A voracious reader and fan of all types of romantic stories, she writes romance and women's fiction across a wide variety of subgenres—new adult, contemporary, historical, and romantic suspense. Her love stories are infused with a happy blend of romance, adventure, a bit of mystery, and humor. Readers are drawn to the light touch she gives even serious topics and the fast, fun, easy-to-read pace of her books. From college campuses to Seattle to Las Vegas to England, her settings become almost characters of their own, driving the story.

She believes in the power of true love and passion, and that every great romance should have a happily-ever-after. To get an email when Gina releases a new book, sign up to join her VIP list by visiting her website at
www.ginarobinson.com

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