Page 5 of Clear Shot (Lauderdale Knights #9)

Hana

We’re up late making plans.

Johan and Sloane decide to host a dinner for us after we get married since we want to make sure this doesn’t look like a marriage of convenience to outsiders.

I texted Claudia, and she and Anders are going to stand up for us.

We’re also going to say we’re planning a real wedding for next summer since the visa thing will come into play no matter what.

It’ll be a little tricky to spin our friendship over the last year or so as dating but Aiden says not to worry about it, he’ll tell the guys we were keeping it on the down low until we knew it was serious because he didn’t want it to impact his relationship with my brother.

There are a lot of details to sort out, but by the time he leaves at two in the morning, it feels like we’ve worked through most of them.

I don’t get a lot of sleep, tossing and turning as I try to wrap my head around the fact that I’m getting married.

To Aiden.

Who wants to sleep with me.

Who wants to “see what there is to see.”

I don’t know what that means, not in this context.

Do we get married and then start dating? It seems ridiculous but it also feels right. Like this was supposed to happen all along.

“You okay?” Sloane asks me as I make a cup of coffee. “You look tired.”

“I barely slept,” I admit. “I tossed and turned all night and finally just gave up.”

“You’ll sleep well tonight.” She smiles. “And I think he’s here.”

I grip her hand. “Am I doing the right thing, Sloane? Tell me the truth, from the outside looking in.”

“I think you are. It’s win-win because you’ve always had a thing for him. You get to stay in the US and spend time with the guy you’ve always wanted to spend time with.”

“But the reasons we never wanted to get involved are still valid. We’re both focused on our careers. He’s divorced and never wanted to get married again. I always date the wrong guys—usually bad boys who break my heart. And Aiden fits the bill with both of those things.”

“This was his idea,” she says slowly. “So it boils down to how much you want to risk to stay in the US. Is a new life and maybe even citizenship here worth the risk of a broken heart?”

“The short answer is yes.”

“And the long answer?”

“Terrifies me.”

“It’s going to be okay. Johan and I will be here for you no matter what. And though your brother is pretty laid back, I know for a fact he would intervene if he truly thought this was a bad idea.”

I know that too.

“It’s not the wedding I dreamed of as a little girl,” I admit softly.

“No, but tonight will be fun—we’ve invited our inner circle.

And Johan is going to talk to Felix and Jordan today at practice to make sure they keep their mouths shut about the visa thing.

I mean, people will know you had to elope so quickly because of the visa but we’re sticking to the story that you’ve been involved for almost a year. ”

I nod absently.

We’ve planned out answers to any questions we think people might ask.

The only issue for me will be my father and grandmother.

They won’t be happy about this at all. The idea of me getting married without them in attendance will upset them but Johan has promised to help me navigate that by telling them we’ll have a wedding next summer.

I can’t think that far ahead, though.

Right now, I have to get through today.

Like making a decision about what to wear.

It’s not a real wedding, but it’s a legal one, and we’re going to take pictures, so I want to look nice.

The only white dress I own is an off-the-shoulder summer dress with a silky sheath covered by a white lace overlay. It’s October, so if we were anywhere else, it might look ridiculous, but this is South Florida where it’s summer about ten months of the year.

I don’t own white heels, and I don’t want to wear sandals, so I opt for a pair of pale pink peep-toe stilettos. I put pink dangling earrings in my ears, switch to a small silver evening bag, and make sure to put my passport in it.

That’s it.

There’s nothing else to do but go downstairs and greet my fiancé.

The man who’s about to become my husband.

Everything is happening too fast, but there’s no slowing down or backing out.

By the end of the day, I’m going to be Mrs. Aiden Barbeau.

Getting married is easy.

The logistics of it, anyway.

Fill out some papers.

Sign some stuff.

Smile for the officiator.

Kiss my new husband.

Kiss…Aiden.

We’ve kissed before. Before we decided to friend zone each other.

But now we’re married and it’s weird.

His lips are warm, firm on mine without being aggressive. Fingers trail my arm and I stare into shrouded hazel eyes.

My husband.

A man I don’t really know.

“You okay?” he asks quietly.

I manage a little nod. “You?”

“I’m good.” He slides an arm around my waist and we turn as our little group of friends—Johan and Sloane and Anders and Claudia—clap and smile and take pictures.

This shouldn’t feel so real.

I have to remind myself that this is a business arrangement.

Except…we’re married. And we discussed sex.

Which makes it real.

Married with benefits?

Is that even a thing?

“Are you freaking out?” Claudia whispers to me as we hug.

“A little.”

“I don’t know if it helps, but you guys look really cute together.”

“I don’t think it does.”

“He’s a good guy.” Her eyes twinkle. “And a hot one.”

I nod. “He is that.”

“It’s going to be okay,” she says, searching my face. “You’ll see. We’ll find you a job or I’ll hire you myself—and if you’re not happy, you can walk away.”

I know that intellectually, but my emotions are all over the place.

We’re married.

It’s legal. Binding. A commitment despite the prenup I signed and the one-year expiration date we agreed to.

It was so easy when we were talking about it, but now we’re walking out of the courthouse hand in hand—a ridiculously large diamond on my left ring finger—and everything feels off-color. Like my world has tilted on its axis.

The thing is, I don’t know if it’s a good tilt or a bad one.

“You look like you’re not breathing,” Aiden murmurs against my ear. “That will eventually go bad for you.”

“Just a little overwhelmed. I’ll be okay in a minute.”

“See you back at the house!” Johan calls to us as he and Sloane get into his truck.

We’re going over there to get my things so I can move into Aiden’s condo. I’ve been there once, and it’s spacious, if not a little barren. He’s definitely got the bachelor chic vibe happening and has already told me I’m welcome to decorate or change anything I want.

“Do you have a fully stocked kitchen?” I blurt, suddenly a little nervous.

He glances at me. “You mean pots and pans and stuff? Yeah, I have the basics. I’m no Gordon Ramsay, but I can hold my own in the kitchen.”

Thank God.

I hate to cook.

“Was that a look of relief?” he asks, chuckling.

I can’t help but grin. “I’m a terrible cook and hate doing it. I was having visions of trying to figure out how to make meals for us.”

“Don’t worry about that. I cook sometimes, but I use a service that makes me custom meals based on my nutritional needs. I can have her double up so there’s enough for both of us. And when I’m not traveling, I’m happy to cook.”

“Whew.”

We may have just broken the ice.

“I also have a cleaning service that comes once a week,” he adds. “So you’re not responsible for upkeep of the house in that way.”

“But I should be responsible for something,” I protest.

He shrugs. “You can drop off or pick up my suits from the dry cleaner if it’s important to you.”

“What else?”

“I’ve been a bachelor for a while, so I’m pretty self-sufficient.

I do laundry, order groceries, bills are on autopay.

I don’t need anything from you, Hana, so we don’t have to overthink this.

Let’s just get you moved in and figure out what’s next.

Hockey takes up a lot of my time so you’ll be on your own a lot. ”

“I’m planning to start job hunting immediately.”

“Take some time to breathe,” he suggests softly, reaching across the center console for my hand.

“You’ve been through a lot of life changes in a short amount of time.

It doesn’t hurt my feelings if you take a few weeks to just wrap your head around everything.

And that gives us a little time to find our footing as a couple since we don’t want anyone to know the truth about us getting married.

Besides, you might have to go back to Slovakia for a little while, so you don’t want to be in the middle of the interview process if that happens. ”

“Did the team attorney give you any updates on my visa?”

“We should know something tomorrow.”

“Okay.”

Why does that sound ominous?