Tangled Vows (Willow Brook Falls #3)

38. Shayla

38

SHAYLA

O ur first family Thanksgiving went off without a hitch. Easton and I hosted everyone at our house. My mom and sister joined us, and our families meshed quite beautifully as though Easton and I had been together for years instead of months. Easton and Makenna had only met once—aside from our run in at the grocery store—shortly after we’d gotten married, but they hit it off immediately. Makenna could be shy at times, but she took to Easton immediately. That meant she felt safe with him. And I realized, I did too. Maybe not with my heart, but I had the feeling he would always protect me. That was what he did. He was a protector. You could see it in the way he cared for his family, in the way he cared for my family.

Our family.

We were now united as one. What was his was mine and mine, his. At least, for the time being.

With full bellies and several containers of leftovers, we bid my mom and sister goodbye. I would see them in the morning for Mom’s chemo appointment, but still, I hugged them extra tight and for longer than usual.

“I’m so happy for you,” my mom said, a serene smile spreading over her lips.

“Thank you,” I replied, trying to keep the tremble out of my voice.

“Shayston, the hockey world’s new power couple,” Makenna teased, a playful glint in her eyes.

“Shayston?” I quirked a brow, silently asking her to elaborate.

“That’s what they’re calling you online.” I gave her a quizzical look, and she rolled her eyes, the quintessential sign of teenage irritation. “You know, like Bennifer, Brangelina, Kimye,” she offered, and I shook my head with a chuckle. It wasn’t lost on me that none of those couples were still together. By this time next year, Easton and I would likely join their ranks, and that thought quickly sobered me. I swallowed down the lump that formed in my throat before forcing a smile.

“You need to stay off the celebrity gossip sites. It’ll rot your brain.” That earned me another eye roll. Makenna was the last person who would peruse those sites. She didn’t care about celebrities unless it was the latest chess world champion. But as an eighteen-year-old college student, she was still immersed in pop culture, whether she wanted to be or not.

We said our goodbyes, and I returned to the kitchen to find Easton and Roni already cleaning. David and Max were setting up a game of Monopoly at the breakfast nook. I went to the sink to start on the dishes, but both siblings shooed me away.

“You did most of the cooking. Let us handle this,” Easton said, handing me a glass of wine. “Relax. Kick your feet up. Pick out what monster you want to be,” he added, pointing to the game board. I shot him a questioning glare, and he grinned like the Cheshire Cat. “It’s a Godzilla themed Monopoly set.”

“She can’t be Godzilla. That’s always my piece,” Max said, staking his claim, and I giggled. It made sense considering how his room was decorated. The kid was obsessed. I had to admit, it was pretty cool. Easton spared no expense to make the room special for his nephew.

Easton and Roni finished up and joined us just as Max was divvying out the money. To absolutely no one’s surprise, Max kicked our asses. He was competitive and ruthless, traits I’d witnessed from Easton when he was on the ice.

“It’s getting late. We should probably turn in for the night,” Roni announced as the game pieces were packed away.

Roni, Max, and David retired to their rooms, leaving Easton and me alone. Silence fell between us, and I busied myself with putting away the freshly washed dishes. I felt Easton’s gaze on me, but I couldn’t look at him. Today felt too real, like our families joining solidified our places in each other’s lives. And it felt good, right even, but I couldn’t let myself want it.

“Thank you,” he said finally.

“For what?” I asked, continuing with my task, despite my heart leaping in my throat.

“For making today special. For welcoming my family into our lives without hesitation. I know you weren’t expecting them when they showed up, and I feel like a complete ass for forgetting to tell you they were coming.”

“Don’t worry about it. It’s not a big deal,” I assured him. “This is your home. You can?—”

“ Our home,” he corrected, his gaze intense. “You live here now too.”

“Right, I just…” I began, but my voice trailed off. “This is a big change, and there will be growing pains along the way, but we just gotta make it through the next year, maybe even less, then things will go back to normal.”

His eyes darkened then, and his jaw hardened. An indiscernible emotion fell over his features before he shuttered them and nodded his agreement.

“Yeah. I guess you’re right.” Without another word, he turned on his heel and walked out.

What the hell? What did I say? He seemed upset, but I couldn’t fathom why. Baffled by his abrupt change in mood and wanting to give him some space, I hung back and finished putting away dishes.

The room was dark and quiet when I entered. Easton lay on his side, his breaths even. I retreated to the bathroom and quietly shut the door so I wouldn’t wake him. Turning on the shower, I stepped inside and let the luxurious rainfall showerhead relax my tight muscles. There was another, more insistent tension that needed to be relieved, but I couldn’t risk doing that in here in case Easton heard me. When I stayed upstairs, I could perform all manners of self-care without worry, but Easton was too close now. As bad as I needed the release, it would have to wait until I was completely alone.

The bed was empty when I awoke the next morning. Easton didn’t have practice until later, so I wondered where he was. Slipping out of bed, I padded to the bathroom and began my morning routine. When I entered the kitchen thirty minutes later, Easton was nowhere to be found. There was fresh coffee in the pot, so I poured a cup and began sipping from it.

Grabbing a banana from the fruit bowl, I lazily peeled it as I replayed our conversation from last night. Something was nagging at me. I couldn’t figure out what I’d said that had made him do a complete one-eighty. He’d been appreciative and kind one minute and surly the next.

I was still contemplating his reaction as I began to take a bite. Just then, Easton walked into the room, rubbing a hand towel over his damp head. He wore gym shorts slung low on his hips and sneakers. His chest glistened with a light sheen of sweat. The towel in his hand was one he kept in his home gym. He must've been working out, and that was why I didn’t see him.

I paused with the banana in my mouth, teeth poised to sink into the soft flesh. He had yet to notice me, and I didn’t want him to catch me standing there, staring at him while I stuffed a phallic-shaped fruit into my mouth. So I quickly bit off a chunk and chewed.

He looked up as he drew closer and paused, dropping his hand to his side. Uncertainty flitted in his gaze, and the skin around his eyes tightened.

“Hey,” he offered with a subtle nod.

“Hey,” I returned, then took another bite of banana to avoid asking him what his problem was. This man was infuriating when he taunted me, but now I missed it. I didn’t like this somber version of Easton whose eyes didn’t dance with mischief. I couldn’t believe I was saying this, but I wanted the old one back.

He went to the fridge and pulled out a bottle of water, guzzling half of it in one go. His throat bobbed as he drank it down. I found the motion oddly sensual. I turned away and nibbled on my food.

“Are you going shopping this morning?” he asked.

“Absolutely not,” I declared, and his lips quirked. “There’s no deal worth fighting that crowd for.” The tension fell from his shoulders as he released a breathy chuckle. I wasn’t fond of crowds under normal circumstances, so going into to a store on Black Friday sounded like torture.

His expression sobered, and he took a step toward me. I fought the urge to retreat at the serious look in his eyes.

“Look, about?—”

“Good morning!” Max chirped as he skipped into the kitchen, cutting off whatever Easton was about to say. Roni shuffled in after him, decidedly less energetic.

“Mornin’, Roni,” Easton greeted, and she grunted, heading straight for the coffee pot. Max chattered away as Roni prepared her coffee and finally perked up after taking a sip.

“I have practice later. Will you and Gramps be okay for a few hours while I’m gone?”

“We’ll be fine,” Roni assured him as she sipped her coffee. “I think we’re going to do a little exploring and probably grab lunch while we’re out.”

“If you’re planning to head into the city, there’s a science museum and a trampoline park,” I informed her. Both places were popular among my friends’ kids, and I figured Max might enjoy them too.

“That sounds great. Do you want to join us?”

“I can’t,” I replied with a grateful smile. “My mom has an appointment today, and I need to be with her.” She nodded her understanding. She and Easton had lost their beloved grandmother to cancer and knew the toll it took on someone.

“We’ll catch up later, then,” she said with a wink. Easton didn’t know it, but we were taking him out for his birthday tonight.

The house was empty and quiet when I arrived home, granting me a much needed reprieve. It was wonderful spending time with Easton’s family, but their visit had turned our arrangement on its head. Sharing a bed with Easton had been … interesting. The last few days had been stressful, and I just needed a break. I needed to unwind and clear my head for a moment.

I shed my jacket and shoes by the door and dropped my purse on the kitchen island before heading toward Easton’s bedroom. A nice long soak in the tub was in order. If I remembered correctly, I still had some lavender scented bubble bath that was supposed to be great for stress relief.

I pulled my duffle bag out from beneath the bed. It was full of all the personal items I’d cleared from upstairs when Easton’s family showed up. Rifling through the bag, something familiar and bright purple caught my eye.

Bingo.

It wasn’t the bubble bath. It was something better. My ultimate stress reliever. I pulled out my favorite battery-operated boyfriend and glanced longingly at it. I chewed on my bottom lip while I debated on using it. Checking the time, I saw that I had almost an hour before Easton got home from practice and his family was probably just now eating lunch. I had plenty of time.

Grabbing some lube, I stripped out of my clothes and climbed into bed. The thought of doing something naughty while my husband was gone while also recognizing the risk of being caught sent a thrill down my spine. Slipping between the sheets, I settled on my back and took a deep breath, releasing it slowly to help me relax and connect with my body.

Closing my eyes, I imagined Easton here with me, touching me, skimming his fingers across my skin. I followed the trail I envisioned him taking with my hands. It felt good, but something was missing.

Cracking open one lid, I eyed his side of the bed. I wanted to feel close to him, to let his intoxicating scent wash over me as I imagined him consummating our marriage.

No. I couldn’t. It would be wrong. What if I made a mess of his sheets?

I groaned at that thought, my decision made.

Crawling across the bed, I rested back on his pillow, a wicked grin curving my lips with the satisfaction of being on his side of the bed. I was already growing slick with excitement at the prospect of making myself come where he slept. This was by far the most scandalous activity I’d ever engaged in, and part of me hoped he could tell what I’d done.

Adding a small amount of lube to the tip of my favorite toy, I dragged it down my center, shivering as it glided over my clit. Being in Easton’s space, being so close to him yet unable to give into my desires was nearly unbearable. I needed this. If I didn’t do something to sate this need, I would do something rash like try to seduce my fake husband.

I moaned when the head of the toy slid inside me. I worked it in slowly, imagining it was Easton filling me instead. My toes curled when it was fully seated inside me, the vibrating protrusions brushing against my clit as a low hum filled the room.

I worked the toy in and out slowly, my other hand coming up to play with my nipple, wishing it was Easton’s mouth instead of my fingers. My body heated, and my skin flushed at that thought. I grew hotter by the second as my stomach tightened, and my release began to build.

It was too warm under the blankets, so I kicked them off. Relief washed over me as cool air caressed my overheated skin. Goosebumps spread over my arms, and my nipples puckered. I was getting close wrapped in Easton’s scent, imagining his hands and mouth on me. I was so lost in the moment, in my lurid fantasies about Easton, that I didn’t hear the door open.