Page 98 of Fair Trade

“Guys, really. Get a room,” Daisy complains.

“Wow, another meal with a show. I’m here for it,” Isa cheers.

“It’s our bachelor and bachelorette party. Let us live. Especially since we’ve decided to get married again. And all you losers are invited,” Nick says between soft pecks, never once taking his eyes off my lips.

“Oh my gosh. There will be a wedding this time? You’re really getting married again?” Daisy asks excitedly.

“Yeah. For real this time,” I say before I have a chance to stop my kiss-drunk brain from spilling.

I pull back, eyes wide, only to meet Nick’s amused ones.

“What do you mean for real this time?” Isabella asks.

“Shit,” I whisper, panic stiffening me in Nick’s arms.

He runs a warm hand up and down my back. “No use in lying now. Besides, you’re marrying me for my money now, so we should be in the clear.” I smack his chest as he chuckles. “It’s okay, Angel. I trust them.” He nods at the four sets of eyes that are trained on us, and I turn in Nick’s arms to face them.

“So… funny story.”

fifty-one

“I knew it!” Isabellaexclaims.

Mateo shakes his head.

Luisa and I told them everything. From how we first met to working together as adversaries—on Luisa’s side since I was clearly smitten from day one—and getting married in my lawyer’s office.

We left out the information about what my asset was, since I don’t think this is the appropriate time to open that can of worms for Daisy. We also spared them the kinkier details, of course. My poor sister had to place her hands over her ears when she heard about the one-night stand.

I swear Mateo had to keep Isabella from climbing over the table as she hung onto every word of our story.

And if I’m not mistaken, I believe I saw a smirk on Luke’s face.

But it was gone once Daisy’s somber tone was unmistakable. “So, in the beginning, when you guys acted like you couldn’t stand each other, you really weren’t secretly dating?”

Luisa shakes her head. “No. We never dated before getting married. Actually, we went on our first date a few weeks ago after we said ‘I love you’ for the first time.”

Isabella opens her mouth to ask another question, but Daisy speaks first. “You guys weren’t in love when you were acting all moody, like you were seconds away from biting each other’s heads off, right before getting married?”

“Well, that’s debatable on my end, to be honest. I now know I loved her long before I married her, but I didn’t know it at the time.” I lift Luisa’s left hand and place a kiss on her wedding ring. “But I’m sure Luisa was closer to planning her true crime interview outfit from prison than actually admitting her growing feelings for me.”

My wife shrugs. “Very true.”

Daisy deflates, her eyes scanning back and forth on the tablecloth, as if the world’s answers are written on them.

“Everything okay, Daisy?” I ask, worried.

Her head snaps up. She scans our small crew while putting her fake smile back on display. “Yep. Just thought it was normal for couples to be a bit off before getting married. Only finding their footing later on like you guys did. But it seems like you guys were playing a completely different game from the one I pictured.” She forces a laugh.

Luisa’s fingers tap on the table a few times before she stops and straightens in my lap. “Daisy, you don’t have to answer this if you don’t want to. But…” She looks around the table, meeting everyone’s eye before settling on my sister’s. “Why are you marrying him?”

Daisy’s eyes widen, but my focus is on the glass of water that’s threatening to shatter in Luke’s white-knuckle grasp.

He catches me staring and loosens his hold, but not before giving me a subtle shake of his head.

“Wh-what do you mean? Why does anyone get married? I mean, well, besides you guys.” She fake chuckles as she pulls the neck of her sweater down an inch. “Because I love him, of course.”

Luke stands abruptly.