Page 70 of D’Vaughn and Kris Plan a Wedding

How exactly was I supposed to argue when she was on me like this, her body pressed against mine, her arms around me, and her scent pervading my senses? Why was I even worried about arguing when I could just sink into her arms and accept her kisses?

“Oh, um. Excuse me, Jae. Can you show me the mother-of-the-bride flowers? Those are somewhere else, right?” Mama’s voice was a mixture of airy nonchalance and urgency. I couldn’t see her, but I imagined that she was making her way to the door and probably trying to drag the poor woman with her.

“Huh?” Jae sounded so confused. “No. Everything is right—”

“Ah, yes!” Kayla added. “I would like to see those special flowers as well. Why don’t you show those to us while we give these two a minute to look at what you’ve already brought in?”

“Well—”

Whatever Jae was going to say was cut off sharply as all three voices disappeared through the door, which closed loudly behind them.

“That wasn’t obvious at all,” I laughed.

“Mmhm,” Kris hummed, her face in my neck, nose running along my skin bringing goose bumps to the surface. I shivered in her arms.

“You’re too good at this,” I murmured absently, wishing my heart would get the memo that sex didn’t equal love, that this was all fake, and that I needed to stop falling into her eyes like a lovesick puppy. Everyone was gone, leaving nothing behind but hidden cameras and the mics that Kris and I wore, yet she was performing as if we were in front of a studio audience.

“At what?” she questioned, lifting her head to look at me. A small smile played on her lips even though she looked genuinely confused.

“Pretending to be in love with me.”

Because wasn’t that what this was? She’d been playing the part of a woman so enamored that she couldn’t keep her hands to herself for weeks. Even if I wanted to believe things had changed for her like she insisted she’d wanted—like they had for me—she was doing many of the same things that she’d been doing before we’d even gotten to know each other. All I had to do was recall the baby shower, and I was reminded that this was acting. It was for a show. The only time I’d seen her “off” was right before we’d slept together, when she’d failed to conceal her jealousy behind Tanisha’s pop-up. The uncertainty I’d seen in her eyes showed me that she wasn’t as confident as she tried to appear, and to that, I could relate.

The smile slowly melted away as she stared at me. Unable to read her expression, I was once again annoyed with myself. Why did I say that? We were having a good time and I ruined it with my overactive brain. Finally, Kris shook her head softly. Then she lifted our joined hands and pressed her lips against the soft skin of my inner wrist. An imperceptible shiver ran through me. I prayed she didn’t notice.

“Nah,” she corrected when we met eyes again. “I’m actually terrible at pretending.”

My breath caught in my throat when I realized what she was saying. Or rather...what it sounded like she was saying. When was the last time I’d cleaned my ears? I needed to dust off my beeswax candles as soon as I got home. I was going off on a tangent. Shaking my head to clear away my errant thoughts, I craned my neck to face her.

“Kris—”

“I was the first person in the history of my school to fail drama,” she stated, interrupting me without shame. “Ask Rhea. The first and only kid to be kicked out of theater class.”

Laughter bubbled up out of me. “You’re silly, you know that?”

Grinning, she leaned over and dropped a quick kiss on my neck. “You love me though,” she murmured in a voice so low that I might not have heard it if it hadn’t been directly in my ear. Her voice hitched just a tad on the l-word, the slight warble making it sound like a question. Despite implying that it was an indisputable fact, she truly wasn’t sure, and God Almighty the hope in her words was so endearing that my heart ached.

“Yeah,” I sighed, pure contentment making my words sound light and breathy even to my own ears, “I do.”

Kris froze. Completely stopped breathing until the rhythmic thumping of her heart against my shoulder was the only indication that she was still alive. Painstakingly slowly, she lifted her head. My own heart was pounding out a West African drumbeat in my chest as I stared at the door across the room, too chickenshit to face her for fear of her expression being anything other than something that reflected the words I’d inadvertently admitted. I really, honestly, and truly hadn’t meant to say that.

Slender fingers grasped my chin as Kris forced my attention on her.

“Say that shit with your chest, baby.”

I licked my lips. “I—Isn’t it—It’s not too soon?”

“We’re getting married in less than two weeks.”

Well, when she put it like that...

“Okay, well...I know it’s only been a few weeks and this is supposed to be fa—”

Immediately, her brow furrowed. “Uhn-uh,” she interrupted fiercely, “I don’t want a preface. No disclaimers. Tell me straight-up what the deal is, and stand in that shit if you mean it.”

Sucking in a breath, I twisted in my seat until we were face-to-face. “Kris Zavala, I love you. Painfully. And, also I am in love with you.”

One of those panty-melting slow grins came across her face and her eyes crinkled into slits. She cupped my cheek and brushed a thumb over my bottom lip before sliding her hand to the back of my neck and pulling my face toward hers. She nibbled on the spot that she’d caressed, and then soothed the sting with a flick of her tongue. My lungs protested, but I was ready to risk it all because who needed oxygen when the woman that you accidentally admitted you loved—probably more than you should considering the short amount of time you’ve known each other, even though you said you wouldn’t acknowledge the l-word—was in your arms making love to your mouth?