This is not how I expected to be spending the last few days before our wedding. I’m currently elbows deep in bleach and Lysol. Three days ago, Piper came down with a nasty flu bug, and she’s either been nauseous, vomiting, or asleep. Each day she’ll have a surge of energy and send out a slew of texts to everyone making sure the wedding is on schedule. Our moms stopped by yesterday and took her phone away from her, hiding it somewhere even I don’t know about. My mom said she’d tell me the location tomorrow so I’m able to return it to my bride.
I spent an unordinary amount of time convincing Piper I did not know where the moms had hidden her phone. Once she finally conceded that I too was in the dark, she let out a frightening laugh and said the joke is on the moms as she reached over and grabbed her tablet from the side table. Then, she sent off a message to the gang and told them if anyone rats her out to a mom they are dead to her. I won’t lie, I kind of like this side of Piper. She’s a little more feisty than usual.
Tomorrow is our rehearsal dinner and while that pre-wedding event is being handled by my parents and is at their house, we have a lot of work to do here before Saturday. I told Piper this is probably why she got sick. She insists it was Ashton’s assortment of sushi, nachos, and whatever else junk food they ate last weekend. When her mom tried to explain food poisoning is different than what she’s experiencing, she threatened to ban her from the house. Yeah, she may be a little bridezilla right now.
When I woke up this morning exhausted, I had an overwhelming need to clean this entire house—with bleach. I cannot get whatever plague Piper has contracted. With my luck, I’ll wake up on our wedding day praying to the porcelain god and look like a zombie in our wedding photos. None of that would fare well for the wedding night. Priorities.
“Son, can you put that bleach down and take off the rubber gloves long enough to come help Landon and me with this arbor?”
“Very funny, Dad. Yeah, I’ll be right there.”
I remove the gloves and toss them in the sink before taking the time to wash them thoroughly. Bleach may kill germs but it also stinks to high hell. Once I’m done with that, I head outside toward where my dad and Landon are setting up the arbor. When we decided to have the wedding here, I knew the spot we’d exchange our vows. It’s the exact location where I fell in love with Piper. Well, that’s not true. I fell in love with her every day from the moment I approached her at Country Road and kissed her senseless without even realizing who she was.
Our road to get here wasn’t easy, and it wasn’t without a little drama, but I wouldn’t change a thing. When I first decided to buy this house, I wasn’t sure where my life was headed or who I was going to spend it with. Then I encountered a beautiful redhead at the local watering hole, and my entire world turned upside down. Damn, I need to write that down. Piper wanted us to write our own vows, and I’ve been playing games on my phone instead. Put Piper in front of me and I will tell her four hundred different ways I love her. Put us in front of a crowd and I stutter and say “uh.”
I pull out my phone to tap out notes about my vows before I hear tires on the gravel behind me. Turning, I see a delivery truck pulling in. I assume it’s the tent, dance floor, and tables for the reception. I tap out the last of my notes on my phone when I hear my name shouted again. This time, instead of my dad, it’s Landon. I flip him the bird. Fucker. Obviously, I’m busy.
Satisfied my notes will make sense later, I continue toward my dad and Landon. The ceremony will be staged so Piper and I stand under the arbor with the stream that runs behind our property as a backdrop. That was my only requirement for the wedding. Well . . . and whiskey. Lots of whiskey.
“About time. I thought I was going to have to adopt Landon to thank him for all of his hard work.”
“Haha, Pop. I had a thought for my vows and needed to get them in my phone before I forget.”
“Yeah, Mr. Sullivan, Ben has to write his own vows. I have fifty bucks that says he’ll cry like a baby.”
“Oh Landon, I’m not a sucker. We all know my son is going to lose his shit the minute Piper walks down the aisle. Hell, all those guys are going to lose it when their women walk down the aisle. Myself included. When are you going to find yourself a beautiful woman to spend your life with, Landon?”
I laugh as I lift a piece of the arbor for my dad to hammer. Landon is the last of the four of us who is single. He had a little flirtation going with one of the bartenders at Country Road, but he finally accepted she is spoken for. Of course, it took him actually meeting the girlfriend for him to accept he wasn’t in the running for soul mate. Of the four of us, Landon is the one guy I would have expected to already be settled down. Just shows what I know.
“It’s not for a lack of trying, that’s for sure. I’m in no hurry, sir. My future is out there; I just haven’t found her yet.”
“Ah, Landon. You’ve always been such a good guy.” I hear the sweetest voice speak, and I smile before turning. I once told Piper she had a voice smooth as honey and I could listen to her read the phone book to me every night. She called my bluff and literally read a page from the phone book each night for a month after she moved in. Somewhere around Banning, I threw the book across the room and tackled her until she was screaming my name. We never picked up the phone book again, but her voice is still the sweetest sound of my day.
“Baby, what are you doing? You should be in bed.” She looks better, but that doesn’t mean anything. She’s been going back and forth between looking well and being sicker than a dog.
“Bentley, if I lie in that bed another minute I’m going to go insane. It’s bad enough the moms stole my phone. Now, my iPad charger is missing. Y’all have some explaining to do because I can’t be without my technology!”
My dad snorts as Landon has the good sense to turn away from Piper before laughing. “Paul, don’t mock me. I’m getting married in three days. Three! I have been lying in that bed for what feels like half my life! Oh! Oh, my goodness! It’s beautiful.”
I watch and will remember for the rest of my life, the look on Piper’s face as she realizes what we’re working on. Her hand flies to her lips, and the tears fall freely as she begins to sob. My dad nods toward Piper, and I turn to my fiancée and pull her to me. She’s shaking as she sobs. I move my hands to her head and pull her face toward me while brushing hair from her face. I plant a quick kiss to her lips before she sighs and then gasps.
“No! Oh my God! I haven’t brushed my teeth since my nap! I’m such a mess. How can you handle me?”
“You’re not a mess. I mean, you kind of are, but I love you just the same,” I say with a scrunch of my nose. “I think a shower is in order. What do you say? I’ll walk you back to the house? That okay with you guys?” I ask, turning toward my dad and Landon. Both grunt an approval; I don’t question it and walk Piper toward the house. Her sobs are gone and she’s sniffling a little before stopping to look at me with wide eyes. Her beautiful brown eyes shimmering with excitement.
“I’m starving. Do we have any food?”
“Pipe, let me get you into the shower, then I’ll get you some soup and crackers.”
“No way. I want food. Like a burger. Oh my gosh or pasta. Do we have any spaghetti stuff? I could throw down a bowl of spaghetti. No! Rosa’s! A breakfast burrito. Yes. Oh, with enchilada sauce for dipping. Yes, that’s what I want. Most favorite fiancé in the world. Can we make that happen?”
Piper hasn’t stopped talking about food the entire walk back to the house and as she opens the screen door to the kitchen, I pull out my phone and tap a message to my sister. She told me she’d be out later today to help work on some of the unfinished projects. I’m sure she’ll stop and grab some food for Piper.
“What are you doing? How do you have your phone? You’ve had it the entire time? Ben!”
“Relax, baby. Come on, it’s shower time. Yes, I’ve had it. But be grateful. Ashton will be here in a bit, and she’s bringing you a burrito with extra enchilada sauce. Plus, she’s excellent at finding my mom’s hiding places. I bet she finds your phone with no problem.”
“You really are the best,” she says as she walks into our bathroom and quickly begins brushing her teeth before turning toward me and pulling off her shirt. Damn, she’s perfect.
“What are you doing?” My voice is instantly gravelly and my shorts are straining as I look at her standing in only a pair of shorts and a lacy pink bra.
“Taking a shower. What are you doing?” I don’t have an opportunity to respond before Piper has her shorts off and her hand on my zipper.
“Apparently, taking a shower too.”
“Damn straight. I feel a lot better but still a little tense. Know any way we can work out my tension?”
I snort as Piper yanks my shorts down before turning and walking into our shower. I’m a lucky bastard to be marrying this woman. I pause before pulling my boxers off and run to lock the door. It’d be just like my sister to walk in our bedroom. I don’t need that much bonding in my life—ever. I shed my shoes, socks, and boxers on my walk back to the bathroom and step into the shower behind her. Piper is facing me when I step in, her eyes closed, and her head in the stream of water. The room begins to fill with steam and my skin tingles from the heat radiating off the water.
While Piper continues to soak her hair, I reach over and pump shampoo in my hand. Once I have enough in my hand, I clear my throat to get Piper’s attention. A slow smile takes over her face as she lowers her chin and looks me in the eye. I raise a brow and her smile widens as she takes a small step forward so her hair is no longer under the water.
I slowly begin massaging her head, causing the shampoo to lather and Piper to sigh. Her head falls forward a little as my fingers begin working out the knots in her neck. Even without the flu she’s been fighting, Piper has been tense. A wedding will do that to you. After a few minutes of massaging, I tug her head back so her hair is barely under the stream of water. Piper closes her eyes and allows me to move her back a little so I can rinse her hair. I mimic the same process with the conditioner. But, as I do, she squeezes shower gel in her hands and begins washing my chest and eventually makes her way down my abs to my very happy and excited dick.
“Piper,” my words are part warning and all sexual tension. It’s been almost a week since Piper and I have had sex, and I’m worked the fuck up.
“Mmm . . .”
I don’t respond to her purr as I finish rinsing her hair and begin washing her body. My hands stop at her nipples, tugging and pulling them. This grants me another longer and more sexual moan from Piper. I continue my work with one hand as the other makes its descent down her hollowed stomach, she has lost a few pounds with all this wedding stress and the flu, but her curves are still there. The soap rinses from her skin and mine as I quickly find the small patch of hair below her navel. I insert one and then two fingers with ease. Piper’s breath hitches at the same time I feel my balls lift, my orgasm imminent.
“Babe,” I say, but instead of stopping her, I thrust my hips into her hand. I’m going to come in her hand if she doesn’t stop. I pull my fingers from her and release her breast as I turn her toward the wall. Piper squeals and takes a step out so her legs are farther apart. Her face is to the side, and I begin kissing her as I bend my knees slightly to line up with her entrance. In one thrust I enter Piper, and she gasps into my mouth as I continue to kiss her.
The feeling is too good and I’m not sure how long I can last, so I reach around and find her little nub. Two quick flicks and Piper’s forehead is on the shower wall, her orgasm building. She begins thrusting her hips toward me and that’s my undoing. Like a goddamn pubescent teen, I come first and Piper quickly follows. Her breaths are labored, and her head is still resting on the shower wall.
“That was exactly what I needed.”
“Me too,” I agree while pulling out from her.
“And a burrito. I could totally go for that burrito now.”
I laugh and turn Piper toward the water so she can rinse off the evidence of our love making before I do the same. Once we’re both clean, we exit the shower and I grab her towel before taking mine from the rack. Once we’ve toweled off, I walk to our room and pull a pair of jeans from the laundry pile on the chair in the corner.
“When we’re married, do you think you’ll actually put the clothes away after you fold them?” Piper asks as she puts her bra on.
“Unlikely. I don’t see why. Ya know, if it ain’t broke . . .”
“Good point. I mean, we’ve lived in sin this entire time. Why change it now?” she teases.
“Hey,” I say, walking toward her now that I’m dressed, “I may not put clothes away after I fold them, but at least I remember to hang my wet towel up. I’m only one man, baby, I can’t do it all.”
I walk out of the room to Piper laughing and shouting my name.
“Bentley James Sullivan, the towel is still on the floor!”
I laugh all the way into the kitchen where I find my sister unpacking food and mumbling something about afternoon quickies. Like she’s one to talk. I’ve walked in too many times to her and Jameson’s discarded clothes across the living room and sounds from the bedroom a brother should never hear coming from his sister.
I may be getting married in three days, but the day my sister and Jameson finally settle down will be one of the happiest days of my life. My best friend and my sister. I never saw it coming. Apparently, I was the only one. Damn small-town life.