“Why? If this marriage is going to look real, we have to kiss.” That’s not true, but I like kissing her. She makes me hot, and my whole body comes alive just with a kiss. “Why don’t you want us to kiss anyway?” I ask her.
“I think kissing is going too far,” Marian says.
“I like kissing you,” I tell her.
Her gaze drops to my mouth, and I know that she also remembers how hot our kiss was.
“I didn’t say I didn’t like it. I just said it’s going too far,” she says.
“Do you have another rule?” I ask her.
“I’m sure I’ll think up another one,” she says and smiles coyly.
“I have a rule, too,” I tell her. “We must live together as though it was a real marriage.”
“Okay,” Marian says. “But I must tell you that my business keeps me very busy. And most times, I’m also working during the weekends.”
“Understood. My own business also keeps me very busy, but we must make time to be together.”
“Fine,” she says, surprising me. I thought she would fight me on this. But I want to get to know her better. She fascinates me, and I don’t know why.
“You can show me that guest room now,” I tell her.
I carry our cups to the sink and rinse them off and then put them away.
“It’s nice to see that you’re domesticated in the kitchen,” Marian says with a smile.
“I do love cooking. I find it relaxing. What about you, do you cook?”
She lets out a small laugh. “The last time I had guests over for dinner, I bought takeout food from a seafood restaurant.”
“In that case, you picked the right guy to marry.”
Marian folds her arms across her chest, making her breasts pop out. “There’s another rule. You’re not allowed to say stuff like that. It will make me start thinking that this is real.”
I raise my hands as if in mock surrender. “All right, I won’t.”
“I hope you’ll be comfortable here.”
“It’s nice, thank you.” The guest room is spacious and the bed large. I look at the bed and imagine throwing Marian on it.
She stares at the bed too and then looks at me. The same desire I feel is reflected in her eyes.
My phone rings, breaking the sexual tension in the room. I fish it from my pocket and glance at the screen. It’s my brother, Ace.
“Hey, man, your phone has been off most of the day,” Ace says.
I think fast and decide this is the perfect moment to let him know that I’m a married man. “That’s because I was looking around my new wife’s house.”
There is shocked silence from the other end of the phone.
“I did the Vegas thing and got married.”
“I know you’re kidding,” Ace says.
I chuckle. “You can talk to her if you want.” Before he can answer, I give Marian the phone.
She takes it and smiles. “Hi, it’s Marian, and we’ve met before. I’m not sure if you remember. I’m Jason and Brooke Cooper’s friend.”
She listens for a few minutes and then speaks. “He’s not joking. We are married.” She shoots me an amused look. “Sure, I would love to come for dinner.” She hands me the phone and then with a wave, she leaves the room.
“You and Marian are coming for dinner tonight.” Ace is too bossy.
I don’t blame him. I would probably be the same way if he dropped that kind of news on me. “There’s no argument from me. You know I love Lexi’s food, and seeing Luna is a treat.”
***
We take Marian’s car to Ace and Lexi’s home.
“Nice place they’ve got here,” Marian says.
“Yes, I like it too. They also have a place in Santa Monica,” I tell her. It’s a family-oriented condo complex that is perfect for Luna.
“You make me want to go to Santa Monica,” Marian says.
I chuckle. My love for my hometown is evident every time I talk about it. “You’ll like it. The first time Ace took Lexi there, she said they had to get a place even if it was just for the weekend.”
“Describe your place for me,” she says.
“It’s an apartment block that overlooks the ocean, and there’s a pathway that leads to the beach. I like to take a walk in the mornings when I’m in Santa Monica.”
“You’re playing with me to make me want to go,” she says, laughing.
“I’m not, I swear.”
We take the elevator to the second-floor apartment.
The elevator comes to a stop, and I take Marian’s hand, and we walk to the front door. I knock, and seconds later, it flies open. Ace stands there looking at us as if we’ve just landed from space.
“Can we come in?” I ask him.
Marian giggles.
“Hi, and welcome,” Ace says, but his gaze is on Marian. We give each other a man hug, and then he kisses Marian on the cheek. “Welcome to the family.”
Luna is at her favorite spot by the large window that overlooks the play area down below. When she sees me, she scrambles to her feet and comes running with all the strength of an NFL player, and throws herself at my legs.
Laughing, I pick her up, and she throws her hands around my neck. “Hello, baby girl,” I tell her. “I’ve missed you.”
“Uncle Clan,” she says.
Luna still can’t say my name, and she’s shortened it to Clan. Lexi appears in the kitchen doorway and comes and gives both of us a hug.
Luna tugs my hand and pulls me to her play area to show me her Barbie dollhouse. I go on my knees, and for the next couple of minutes, Luna and I are in our world as we play with her Barbie dolls, taking them to bed and giving them dinner.
After a while, I kiss her on the forehead and leave her to continue playing. I join Lexi, Ace, and Marian in the living room. I sit on the couch next to Marian.
“Marian
