He kissed like his personality—confident, smooth, and easy.
As he angled his jaw to kiss her more thoroughly, she found herself kissing him back, getting lost in his taste, in the feel of his mouth, of the way he lowered his hands to her waist and pulled her into him. Or did she do that herself?
He broke the kiss seconds later, pulling back. In front of her families, it was probably a solid PG.
Yet the effect was definitely not PG.
Because Tessa was not very clear about time and space. She felt dizzy and weak, sort of like she did in the bathroom earlier, the room spinning around her. Whatever Leo had just done with his lips, he’d made her forget all about this horrible arrangement for ten seconds. Or a year. Or however long it had lasted.
As she caught her breath and her balance, she realized that there was a lot she didn’t like about Leo, but their chemistry apparently was a time bomb. A sleeping bear that must never be poked again.
Duly noted.
She was left looking into the shocked faces of her sisters, who were staring, mouths agape. Juliet was biting her nails, and Vivienne was tearing up.
As Leo moved off to talk to Gia, Jack gave Tessa a hug. “I don’t know what’s going on here,” he said as he pulled back, “but I just wanted to ask you to please be patient with my friend Leo.”
“Patient?” Of all things. “Couldn’t you just say congrats?”
He chuckled. “Leo is… I honestly don’t think Leo has ever thought seriously about what he wants—besides his career. You’re going to force him to do that, whether he likes it or not.”
“Jack is right,” Noah said. “Leo’s never talked about having a wife.”
And now he had a wife and a cat that he didn’t even know about yet. “Well, thanks, guys, for the advice,” she managed, until suddenly Leo was at her side, steering her toward the door. She resisted.
“What is it?” he asked, his face pained.
“I have to throw my bouquet.”
He gave her a look that said really?
“It’s bad luck if you don’t.”
He dropped his voice. “Maybe you could define what bad luck is for a marriage that’s only going to last for six months.”
She ignored that. “Okay, ladies. Turn around.”
“Tessa, no,” Vivienne complained. “This is old-fashioned. It’s weird.”
“No it’s not,” Juliet said, elbowing her sister and extending her hands. “Throw it to me, Tessa.”
“Just be grateful we’re not doing the garter thing,” Leo mumbled.
Tessa shot him a look. “That’s misogynistic.”
“Or the lap dance,” Noah said.
Tessa startled. “The what?”
“You know,” he said. “Where they give the bride a dollar.”
“That’s called the dollar dance,” Jack said. “Geez.”
Tessa tossed her little bouquet. There was a polite scuffle. And when all the heads bobbed up, the catcher was…her mother.
“I’ll press the flowers for you,” she said, holding it up.
She wanted to tell her not to bother—that she didn’t want to commemorate this day at all.
“Bye,” Tessa said, hugging her sisters one last time. “Talk soon, okay?” Then Tessa gave Gia a squeeze, too. Leo’s sweet little sister. Tessa didn’t want Gia to think Tessa was any threat to her relationship with Leo.
“Now we can be sisters,” Gia said. “And you won’t have to sneak cannoli to me. I’m thrilled.”
Tessa hugged her back, getting a little teary. “Now we can be sisters.”
Then Tessa’s sisters walked over and hugged Gia, too. Because her sisters might individually be pains in the rear, but no one could say they weren’t welcoming.
At least something good had come of this. And now it was time to go home.
Leo offered her his hand, a look of relief on his face that this was finally over, and she took it as they both walked out of the door.
They’d done it. They’d gotten married. And that had been the easy part.
Chapter Ten
It was done.
A thick, heavy silence descended as Tessa got into Leo’s ’vette and the whirlwind events of the day sank in. If this were a real wedding, their family and friends would’ve tied cans to the rear bumper. There would be cheering and happy tears and noise. And real kisses, not just fake ones that sealed a deal. Even if the fake one made her stomach pitch and her heart pound nonetheless.
They were both quiet in the car on the way to the little house. She’d have given anything to retreat to her cozy garage apartment, sink onto her purple couch with her pink-and-green crocheted afghan, inviting Cosette to curl up on her lap while she watched Netflix and sipped a glass of wine. Instead, she’d be sifting through boxes for her sheets and trying to find Cosette, whom Juliet had brought over earlier, along with a few things for the fridge. She was probably hiding somewhere, shaking and completely confused.
What have I done?
Vaguely, she realized she’d never gotten around to telling Leo about Cosette. But who wouldn’t love the sweetest little cat in the world?
Leo pulled his car up the little gravel driveway, got out, and walked over to the side door, sifting through several keys on an old ring.
Tessa came up behind him. “Wait,” she said.
He turned to look at her. He had circles under his eyes. His thick, wavy hair was boyishly tousled after the long day, making him look very approachable and a little vulnerable.
You’d better be careful, Tessa cautioned herself. This day had held a roller coaster of emotions. It would be a shame to think that Leo was someone else just because he’d talked her out of the bathroom.
He straightened out, the keys clinking. “What is it?” he asked, not unkindly.
She hesitated. But she decided she was going to speak her truth. And maybe she’d been hanging around Lilac too much, but this particular truth was important to her, if somewhat out there. New life, new truth was her new motto. “It’s tradition to enter through the front door.”
To Leo’s credit, he didn’t heave a disgusted sigh. Just lifted a brow in question. “Tessa, have we done anything the traditional way?”
Thank goodness it was almost dark, because she felt her cheeks heat. “Well, this may be a sham marriage, but I don’t want bad luck. We’re starting something here, and I think we should do it right.”