Chapter 12
Elliott didn”t mess around—the jet arrived, and Elliott, Finn, Sloan, and I got whisked to Denver.
Angela and Emily planned to stay another day before heading back to Los Angeles. I might”ve felt left out, except I was on a private jet and I wasn”t sure there were enough electrolytes in the world to make me feel human again.
And as soon as we landed in Denver, Elliott had a car waiting for him and Finn and another for us. Ours took us up to Sloan”s house in Estes Park. We drove through town, and nothing really matched, but it all worked together with the backdrop of the mountains to create a quaint little mountain town vibe.
His house was situated off a gravel road blocked by a gate that required a code to get through. The number of swanky vehicles—Cadillacs, Porsches, Mercedes Benz—made it look like a bougie car dealership used Sloan”s driveway for their overflow.
”The hell is everybody doing here?” Sloan asked as he unrolled the window of our SUV.
Our driver parked by the house—a sprawling two-story house with a chic rustic appeal. The house had logs for siding and a staircase that lead to the second-story front door from the driveway. The attached four-car garage with matching brown garage doors was built onto the side of the house away from view, likely so garage doors didn”t mess up the front aesthetic.
There were trees everywhere—the kind with the spiky needles that made a mess all over the ground. Except, since this was the wilderness, that was probably not considered a mess, but an ambiance that helped set the tone.
Sloan unfolded himself from the SUV, his boots crunching against the gravel of the drive. I didn”t do a full-body scan, though it took a full effort on my part to prevent it. What could I say? My eyes seemed to want to do it all on their lonesome.
”I”m sorry,” he said, stepping toward me, palms up. ”It looks like we”ve got a lot of company.”
He should stop grinding his back teeth like that, or he was going to wish he”d married a dentist and not a backup singer.
”I like company,” I assured him, hopping down from the car.
I didn”t expect the cool mountain air to be soothing, but I swear it lessened the headache I’d fought all day.
”Looks like most of the team is here,” he said.
I nodded. ”Is now a bad time to tell you I don”t really like football?”
”Maybe leave that part out when you make small talk, yeah?” he said.
Then his eyes melded with mine and lit with something… not desire. No fire. But definitely warm. Like he saw something he really liked and wanted more.
The thing was, I didn”t hate that. Didn”t hate how my body seemed to know his with a trust that didn”t involve my head or my memory.
”What are the odds you think they”ve seen us? Maybe we scoot back down to Denver? Pretend we didn”t come?” He glanced at his boots, then back up at me, catching my gaze from under his lashes.
”I didn”t marry a man afraid to face his problems,” I replied. ”Remember, you”re now Mr. Reliable. If Elliott says to stay put, we stay put. If there”s a party? Well, yay us.”
Although, if I was going to meet his entire team, I definitely would have selected alternate clothing choices. I”d also have added makeup because whatever I”d applied that morning, before we left Sin City, had probably melted off by now. Which, oh God, meant?—
”I can”t go in yet,” I whispered.
”Okay,” he said. Then he paused. ”Why not?”
”I have a lip gloss situation.” I”d chewed off any I”d applied on the plane. ”And a shoe situation.” I did. I”d worn my ratty travel sneakers and my comfiest jeans with no less than two rips on the knees. ”And a clothing situation.”
There was no way a girl wore her ratties when meeting the men of the Denver Stallions football team. Honestly, I’d figured if I dressed down, then maybe it might tamp down some of the sexual energy rolling off of Sloan, colliding with mine, and creating a bomb of sexual tension.
Of note, the clothing choice hadn”t achieved this. But it was worth the shot.
He looked down at my body, swallowed hard, and must”ve realized I was truly underdressed because he looked to the left and wouldn”t meet my gaze. This would be the worst impression in the history of accidental brides.
”Your lips look great and what you”re wearing is perfect,” he said.
I didn”t believe him one bit. Was the thin mountain air wrecking his ability to think clearly?
”Can you sneak me in the side door or something?” I didn”t mean to hiss the words. ”Or I can change in the car?”
That was a worst-case scenario. Ideally, I could grab my suitcase and sneak into a closet, get changed, and then I could meet everyone.
”Sloan Matthew Stevens,” a gigantic mountain of a dude said from the top of the stairs. ”What did you bring us home from Vegas?” He put his hand over his eyes like a visor for the sun. ”Holy shit. She”s real. Guys, she”s real!”
”I”d like to apologize now for whatever my teammates say, do, or think in your direction.” Sloan”s gaze collided with mine.
That bomb I”d been hoping to diffuse with not-cute clothes threatened to detonate.
”Maya, you look great,” he assured.
I made a sound like a combination of nuh-uh and eep.
He was a sweet liar.
But still a liar.
I stepped toward him and dropped my forehead to his chest. Then I lifted my head so I could repeat the motion.
Sloan didn”t move out of the way or move me out of the way.
He let my head rest against his chest and wrapped his hand around the back of my neck. ”One reason I love the mountains is there isn”t a dress code. Wear what you like. Don”t think too hard about it. Just be comfortable.”
Gah, this was nice.
I leaned further into Sloan”s space. Up, up, up on my toes. I didn”t stop to process the way his beard scratched lightly against my cheek, only that he smelled like a wilderness retreat I”d actually enjoy.
”Did you just sniff me?” I asked against his earlobe, still close.
”Yes,” he replied.
My insides got all kinds of tingly at that.
”You sniffed me first.” This time, he practically nuzzled the air over my neck as he inhaled.
I was a totally melted puddle of mush.
We headed inside, and Sloan paused at the doorway to the massive living area. The walls were lighter wood than the floor, and he had a nice rug in the center of the room.
Honestly, he needed a decent amount of help with the furniture placement, but I wasn”t too concerned about the furniture right then because there was a whole panel of south-facing windows that stretched from the ceiling to the floor and overlooked a totally gorgeous forest.
”Your view looks like one of the TV scenes they put on the ceiling at my dentist”s office while I”m getting a cleaning,” I said.
”Fuck a Ferrari. The guys worked quickly,” Sloan said. ”I”ve only been gone two days, and there”s a damn balloon arch.”
There was. A giant balloon arch over the door to the backyard with a sign that read: New Husband Huddle This Way.
”Turns out a lot can happen in twenty-four hours.” I shrugged with a wry smile. ”I guess we know something about that.”
”We”re having a party, baby,” the mountain of a guy from before boomed and clapped his hands.
Things got busy then, and all the guys were smacking Sloan on the shoulder and congratulating him on the fact that I was real. I slipped off to the fringes, unsure where my place was in this whole thing.
”Married, huh?” Mountain guy strode right up to me, seeing through my attempt at disappearing into the background.
”Yup.” I nodded.
”Darius.” He held his hand out to me.
It engulfed mine as I shook it. ”Maya.”
”What”d Sloan have to pay you to agree to be his wife?” Darius asked, clearly joking. ”I hope you charged extra since he grew the beard.”
”Ha,” I said.
While some guys were clearly fast and built for speed, Darius was built more like a tank. You might call him big boned, and you”d be right. But over those bones were a lot of freaking muscles.
”You want something to drink?” Darius asked.
”Um… do you have something with loads of electrolytes?” I asked, since I should avoid any more drinky drinks until drunk me could make better decisions.
Darius nodded and took off through the crowd, pushing through so they parted around him.
”Honest as all hell, I thought this was Finn fucking with us,” he said to Sloan as he passed by. ”Didn”t expect her to be legitimate.”
”He has a wife, and she”s actually in his house.” Another guy found this hysterical.
Sloan didn”t seem to find it so funny, but he went along with his friends.
I took the bottle of White Raspberry ZipZing from Darius when he returned—the irony of my beverage choice not lost on me. Darius used his thumb and middle finger to whistle and get everyone”s attention. Then he raised his glass. ”To Maya being legit.”
”To Maya being legit,” everyone echoed.
”And to Denver”s Most Eligible Bachelor stepping down, so I have a shot at the title!” another guy said with a huge grin. ”Let”s eat.”
That”s all it took to clear out the room, the guys all pushing and shoving on their way to the backyard.
”Hi,” I said when it was only Sloan and me left alone in the gigantic space.
”Hey,” he replied, glancing at my beverage with a raised eyebrow.
”It actually helps,” I said. ”Probably all the sugar.” I dragged out the last word and winked. ”How”re you feeling?”
”Fine.” He grinned. ”Except there”s too many people in my house. I think I can actively feel myself getting grouchy.”
”Let”s raise that blood sugar, then.” I handed him the partially finished bottle.
He took the bottle, took a swig, pulled a face, then draped his arm around my shoulders.
”This place is gorgeous,” I said, staring out the big wall of windows.
”My dad always talked about building a home here, a house where dreams aren”t just in the imagination but possibilities waiting on the horizon,” he said. ”Mom and Dad never got to build here like they wanted. So, I did instead.”
”Why?” I asked. ”Why didn’t they get to build here?” The view wasn’t the reason, I already knew that.
”They died,” he said, matter-of-factly. ”Random accident. Nothing could’ve saved them. I don’t like to think too much about what could’ve been. Not when I can’t change the outcome.”
”They’d be proud of you, Sloan,” I said, holding his gaze as I spoke, meaning every word.
He nodded and gripped my hand as we followed the guys outside.
”Goodness,” I said when we stepped out of the house and into the back.
There were more people out here—I”d guess these were the wives, girlfriends, husbands, and partners of the team.
The entire acreage was huge, but there was also a smaller patch of grass and a stone patio that wrapped around the house. On that patch of grass were tables with citronella candles and chairs covered with cream-colored cloth. Slightly darker beige bows wrapped around the backs of those chairs. A buffet table with two types of brisket, multiple types of ribs, and then skewers of roasted vegetables out the nose.
And an ice sculpture of Sloan that one guy used as a vodka luge for martinis.
With the accidental marriage, et cetera, I thought I”d had enough surprises for a lifetime. Turned out there was always room for an ice sculpture surprise.
”Darius may be a linebacker, but he also loves to throw a party,” Sloan said.
Another guy—they were all blending together at that point—approached Sloan for a complicated handshake thing. ”This is lit. Our little bachelor is all married, and she”s not made of plastic.”
”Maya, this asshole is T.J.,” Sloan said. ”His hobbies include fumbling the ball and making me look good just by standing there being his ugly-ass self.”
”Guilty as charged.” T.J. grinned a lopsided smile and gave me a salute instead of shaking my hand.
That was interesting. I saluted him right back.
”I take it he”s one of your close friends?” I asked, given that Sloan had called him an asshole and all, but he did it with a smile.
”Damn straight,” T.J. replied for Sloan.
”Ensuring I understand the dynamics.” I lifted my shoulder.
”And that”s what is making you an excellent wifey for Stevens.” T.J. laughed like I”d told a joke.
His laugh was infectious, and I couldn”t help but chuckle.
”That and the fact that now you have a shot at being Denver”s most eligible bachelor,” I said with a slow, sly smile.
”I like her, man. Good pick.” T.J. winked at me.
”I have a question for you,” Sloan said to his friend. ”Did anyone even try to tell Darius this party”s a bit much? Suggest something less flashy?”
”No,” T.J. answered way too quickly. ”Not when we all wanted to support you. See, the team is like a new jockstrap, Maya. Once we”re in place, there”s no stopping us from supporting what really matters.”
Sloan rolled his eyes and gestured to the party. ”None of you could”ve given me the slightest heads-up about this?”
T.J. thought for a moment. ”Nope.”
“You had time to get a balloon banner and an ice sculpture, but not to send a quick text? ”Hey. Sloan! Prepare for the invasion?” Nothing like that?”
”Right, right.” T.J. nodded. ”And you couldn”t have given us the slightest heads-up you were getting married? ”Hey, guys! Prepare to meet my new wife.” Nothing like that?”
”You know what? I”m going to check out the food,” I said. ”Leave you two to chat this out.”
I headed to the table to leave the guys to talk, loading my plate when movement at the door to the backyard caught my eye.
Finn strode through like he was ready for some serious barbecue.
Then Elliott followed, and he didn”t look like he was ready to be a jockstrap kind of friend.
I didn”t know who the third guy was—thin, wiry, and balding, wearing a Stallions windbreaker. But with the way everyone went quiet? He was important.