Twisted Reality (Blind Reality #2) (17 page)

“I wouldn’t—”

“You would’ve. You reminded me daily that we weren’t going to consummate our marriage … that after the ninety days was up, we were going our separate ways. I took advantage of you and didn’t want to suffer the consequences. I figured if you knew, you’d hate me.”

“I hated that I didn’t remember, Joey.” He cups my face with his hand, his fingers pushing into my hair to hold me. “I was only fooling myself when I told you we couldn’t be together and hated that you listened to me. You kept your distance when I pulled you to me. Each time you backed away, I had to move next to you. Until I met you I didn’t believe in soul mates or love, but you walked into my life and shocked the shit out of me. Now I can’t picture my crazy, dysfunctional life without you.”

“I could never picture my life with you. I felt cheated that we were matched on the show because look at me—”

“Babe, I look at you all damn day long and believe me, I’m not the only one. You’re so fucking sexy, gorgeous, and smart and mine. All fucking mine.”

He doesn’t wait for a response, pulling me forward until our lips are crashing together. Our tongues touch, sending the most wonderful feeling through my body. I never want this feeling to go away. I crave it. I crave him.

My hands tug at his shirt, moving until I can feel his skin against my hands. My fingers roam over the planes of his abs and down around his back until they’re pushing into the waistband of his shorts. Josh bends slightly before rising, making sure I can feel his erection growing. I have to touch him. I have to taste him.

Dropping to my knees, I work the zipper of his shorts to free his cock. He hisses and dives his hand into my hair after the first swipe of my tongue. Taking him into my mouth, I look up to see the hunger in his eyes. With his free hand, he’s caressing my face and each push and pull into my mouth causes his eyes to flutter.

“Joey.” My name falls from his lips in a hushed sound. He’s trying to keep our activities on the down low from my parents and the unsuspecting guests that are starting to arrive. I block out their voices and concentrate on my husband. Josh undoes his shorts and widens his stance to keep his pants up, but to give me better access.

“I can’t …” he says, pulling me up by my arms, forcing me to let go.

Wiping my mouth with the back of my hand, I wonder why he’s made me stop.

“Go to that tree and face it.” He nods at a tree, any tree, really.

I do as he commands and can see people mingling with my parents in their backyard. They’re here for Josh and me, and we’re too busy fucking in the woods to be with them.

Josh comes behind me and swats my ass. I let out a little yelp and he leans forward, reminding me to be quiet. His hands ghost down my sides, causing goose bumps to rise and a small chill to take over my body even though I’m heated. The button on my shorts is undone. Josh pulls my shorts down, painstakingly slow, letting the warm air coat my skin.

“Hold on, baby. It’s going to be fast and hard. My cock is dripping and my balls are about to burst.”

He wasn’t lying.

By the time we make our appearance the yard is filling up. My mom eyes me warily and brushes some bark off my shoulder. As soon as my aunts, cousins, and every other female member of my family and friends sees Josh, I’m no longer visible. It doesn’t matter that he’s holding my hand, or kissing me on my temple—these women are focused on him and only him. I could be standing here naked and they’d not see me. And the best part about it, all I have to do is tell Josh I need something and we’re moving on.

My parents dote on Josh all day, introducing him as their son and not son-in-law. My father says it with pride while my mother gushes on how she set us up. She wishes. As I sit now, watching Josh with my dad and the other men here, I see how much he has longed for a normal family. If normal is what we are. I mean, my mother did sign me up to be on a reality show where I had to marry a stranger.

Josh comes to me, kissing me on the cheek. “Have you seen the present table?”

I can’t help but laugh because he’s like a kid in this aspect. “I have.”

“Who gets to open them?”

“We do, tonight after everyone leaves.”

Pouting, he nuzzles into my neck. “Why do we have to wait?”

“Because it’s rude to open a present at a reception. What if we already have the item, or don’t like what they chose for us?”

Josh sits back up and implores me to look at him. When I do, he has a “are you kidding me” expression on his face.

“What?”

“We have nothing. We’re guaranteed to love everything.”

Shaking my head, I wonder how men survive in this world. “Would you like me to tell everyone that you live cheaply and ruin the Hollywood stigma that we all have where everyone lives in luxury?”

He looks around the yard for a few seconds before shaking his head. “Better not. Your dad might think I can’t take care of you.” Josh places his arm around me, using his hand to bring me closer to him. There are only a few instances when I appreciate this more than ever and this is one of them, because walking into the backyard is none other than my former best friend—the one who was to be my maid of honor, but decided screwing my fiancé was more important—and the dirt bag himself, Tony.

“What the fuck is he doing here?” Josh blurts out.

I glance at him, wondering how he remembers what Tony and Erin look like. He’s seen one picture of us when we were younger.

“What?”

“Did you invite him?” Josh points toward the house and my mouth drops open. Standing there with gift in one hand and holding his wife’s with the other is Bronx. And my mother is gushing over him.

“Well this just got interesting.”

T
here are a lot of things I can take in life, but Bronx Taylor showing up at
my
reception at
my
in-laws’ house is too much to take. At one time in our lives we got along. We are competitive actors vying for the same roles. I used to consider him a friend, not in the sense that we were hanging out, but in the way where we’d grab a beer after an audition or chat when we ran into each other … until Jules got in the middle. I blame her, mostly, but his quickly earned reputation of sleeping with casting directors, producers, and directors didn’t help his cause. Once he set his eyes on Jules, our so-called friendship went downhill fast.

That’s when I learned that having friends in this business was tricky. Sure I trust Rob, but that doesn’t mean I’m divulging my secrets to him. I keep a lot of my shit bottled up because I don’t want him slipping up one night or using something I tell him to his advantage. Not that I think he would, but it’s better safe than sorry.

When Bronx entered the house and Joey went all googly-eyed, I started to think she was nothing more than a fan girl gone crazy and wondered if I should second-guess everything, but when he spoke to her that wonderment turned to pure jealousy. They knew each other and it seemed better than Joey and I knew each other. I hated that. Still do. To make matters worse, he fucking stole her from me after the show. He knew damn well that all he had to do was open the door and I would’ve come out, but he just had to play the hero.

My blood boils as he and Rebekah talk to my in-laws. The way Ava puts her hand on his arm and throws her head back and laughs does nothing to calm me. I down the rest of my beer and mutter some obscenities meant for only Joey to hear, except when I look at her for a reaction—something from her to tell me I’m overreacting—I see her eyes are focused elsewhere. I try to follow her gaze, looking in the general direction as to what has my wife so upset, and that is when I see
him
. The man I want to thank for being so fucking stupid as to cheat on Joey so I could have her. He’s getting a damn pat on the back for being a spineless piece of shit.

Another glance at Joey shows me that she’s equal parts angry and upset and that’s something I can’t tolerate. This is supposed to be a happy day for her, not one filled with drama and bullshit from exes.

“Hey,” I say, trying to get her attention. When she turns her head to look at me, it’s her eyes that tell me she’s about to fall apart and it’s because of my sexual prowess. I do what any self-preserving man would do and kiss her. It’s not chaste by any means. I make sure the onlookers see me putting my tongue in her mouth so they know she’s fucking mine.

“What was that for?” she asks, breathlessly and with fluttering eyes.

“One: I don’t need an excuse to kiss my wife. Two: because you’re beautiful. Three: because I fucking love you.”

“Is there a four, five, and six?”

“Are you being greedy?”

“Yes, because I’m freaking out on the inside. I’m afraid that my fairytale is turning into a nightmare and you’re going to vanish into the house with that wench over there.”

She says nothing about her ex, only her former best friend. Joey trusted her and her friend committed the worst possible betrayal. Taking her face between my hands, I make her focus on me.

“There isn’t a woman in this world that can make me leave you, Joey.”

“Even Jules?” she asks, catching me off guard. I thought I had squashed everything she’s been feeling about Jules, but apparently not. Maybe those thoughts will never go away. Sort of like mine where Bronx is concerned.

“Especially Jules. What can I do to show you that I’m not going anywhere?”

“I don’t know, Josh. Every time I think things are the way they should be, shit like this happens. My ex is standing over there like he was invited and he brought
her
with him.”

“How do you think I feel with Bronx here?”

“I know,” she sighs. “We should go over and say hi.”

“To which evil?”

She shrugs. “I’ll say hi to Bronx and Rebekah, you go over to Tony and Erin.”

“Can I punch him?”

“Yep,” she replies, standing. I know she’s putting on a brave front for everyone when she really wants to go inside and hide. I don’t blame her because that is what I want to do right now. Instead of going toward her ex, I take her hand in mine and follow her to our former roommates. I’m promising myself that I’m going to be nice.

Bronx is the first to extend his hand toward me. I do the right thing and shake it, gripping it hard enough that he knows I won’t take any of his bullshit. I figure that while I can bury the hatchet, so to speak, for the day and let him enjoy the party, he still needs to know that he’s not going to get a chance to eat my cake.

“You guys, I’m so happy you’re here.” Joey hugs Rebekah first, making me happy that Bronx wasn’t her first choice. Maybe I’m worrying for nothing.

“When we heard about the party we couldn’t resist,” Bronx says, pulling my wife into his arms. Okay it’s a hug, but still …

“Thanks for coming,” I add, trying to be pleasant. “You look lovely as ever, Rebekah.”

“Thank you, Josh. I’m enjoying married life, that’s for sure.”

Bronx smirks and I imagine it’s what I do as well when I hear Joey say the same thing. Knowing your spouse is going to bed with you every night is definitely a perk of being married. That and I get to wake-up every morning with her in my arms.

“Are you going to say hi to Tony and Erin?” Ava asks Joey, who shakes her head. I don’t want Joey to feel uncomfortable at our party, but I also don’t want these bastards to know they got the best of her.