14. Josh

This dinner is a fucking shit show, and that’s before I’ve even tasted my damn appetizer. I storm out of the room in a rage because if I don’t, then I am going to show my father exactly what I have learnt from hockey over the years, and it isn’t how to hit a fucking puck. Anger bubbles to the surface of my skin, and to stop myself from going back in there and letting him win, I smash my fist into the wall beside his office.

“Hey, those hands belong to me now, twenty-two, so you better not be wrecking them,” Hallie jokes, walking towards me, looking as sweet and sorry as always. I can’t fucking believe I dragged her into this mess.

“Not now, Hals,” I snap, ignoring the pain now ricocheting down my arm, as I try and fail to control my temper.

Of course she ignores me, coming to a stop by my side, and pulling my now aching fist up in front of her to inspect. “Peter Pan never stops fighting with Hook, eh?” she murmurs, tenderly brushing her fingers over my knuckles until she is satisfied that they are fine.

“Yeah, well, he’s a fucking asshole,” I curse back, moving until I can lean on the wall and drop my head back to take a breath.

“Oh, he’s a major asshole,” she agrees, before adding, “But so is Hook.”

My eyes snap down to her and I find her grinning at me wildly, and I can’t help but return it. “Brat,” I smirk.

“Psycho,” she tosses back instantly, and I blow out a breath as I shake my head at her with a laugh. “Now what’s wrong? Why are you so on edge? So your dad didn’t care about the wedding,” she shrugs, searching my stare for answers that I’m not used to having to give, but I can’t deny her what she wants, not when she has put so much on the line for me.

So instead of trying and failing to explain how my dad makes me feel, I reach into my pants pocket and pull out the small device that Lincoln Blackwell gave me. The one I need to get into my father’s office without being detected so he can search through his files and try and find some useful dirt on him. Flicking my stare up and down the corridor to ensure we are still alone, I lower my head to hers and slip it into her hands so she can see it.

“I need to plug that into my dad’s computer without him realizing so Lincoln can hack in and make a copy of all of his files,” I say in a low gruff tone, hoping she doesn’t question me too much about it, not here, not now.

Yet instead of her saying what I think she is going to say, she simply asks, “Is his office door locked?” She nods slightly to the door just behind me on the left, and I shake my head no. “Then let’s do this,” she demands, before throwing her arms around my neck.

Panic floods my entire system as the hair on the back on my neck stands on end. “Hallie, what the hell are you doing?” I whisper, letting my hands fall to her hips to keep her in place, so her body doesn’t touch mine too much.

“Acting like I want to fuck you.” she tosses back without pause, rolling her eyes at me in the process, and I almost choke on my damn tongue.

“I beg your pardon?” I splutter in response, as her hands come to my cheeks and force my stare to hers, her body pressing fully against mine, and I bite back a grunt. Fuck. First there was her wearing my jersey with no pants, then this morning with her rubbing her ass on my morning wood, and now this? A good man only has so much restraint, and I’m not a good man.

Yet she looks at me like I am the crazy one here as she states, “Come on, what else would we sneak into his office for?”

My hands tighten around her waist, willing her to stay still considering how long it’s been since I have had a girl pressed against me, as I grit, “And why would us pretending to fuck be the answer?” It takes everything in me to not act on her crazy statement, especially when I can feel the scrape of her rings against my cheek, and all it does is remind me that technically she does belong to me now.

“Well, doesn’t he have a camera in there?” she questions, and it’s only then that I realize she is right.

“Fuck, yeah he does have a camera in there,” I mutter back, feeling this plan falling apart before it’s even got off the ground.

“Does it have sound?” She questions me further, but I’m already shaking my head.

“No, all the cameras in the house are video only, god forbid one of his conversations gets picked up by anything” I toss back without thinking, and her smile only widens.

“Perfect,” she quips, before shoving me forcefully against my father’s door like we are locked in some sort of lover”s tryst, while she feels around for the handle. The door gives way before I can even move to help her, and she forces me inside before closing the door behind us, never once letting me go. “Now pretend to kiss my neck and back me up to his desk,” she commands quietly, and I can’t help but laugh at how crazy she is acting right now, but is it so crazy that it might actually work?

“You’re insane, you know that right?” I tell her for the millionth time in our lives, as I spin her around and start leading her back towards his desk.

“So you’ve been telling me since I was nine,” she muses with a smile, before she adds, “Now can my fake husband please fake kiss me?” I let out a deep sigh before leaning my head down and pressing my lips to the side of her neck, making her yelp in surprise. “I said fake kiss, Joshua, do you have any idea how sensitive my neck is?”

Fuck. Does she have any idea how hard she is testing me?

My head drops to her shoulder as I grit my teeth and grip her waist even tighter, as her back bumps against the desk, and I force myself to look back at her. “Okay now what?” I ask, keeping my head low, knowing that the only camera in here is behind us in the left hand corner. From anyone watching it, all they would see is my back and given our position, I know what they would presume we are doing in here.

Hallie huffs in annoyance. “For the love of god,” she groans, throwing her head back to look at the ceiling in despair. “Pick me up and put me on the desk dammit. Come on Josh, I know your reputation, stop acting like a little virgin and pretend you’re gonna fuck me.”

Never did I think I would hear such words come from my little sister”s best friend”s mouth, and even more so I never thought I’d be intrigued by them. What the hell does she mean she knows my reputation? I don’t have a reputation, not one I am aware of anyway, and all I can do is respond how I would any other girl, ignoring the fact this one is actually my wife.

“I mean I could definitely think of a better use for your mouth right now other than your attitude,” I snap back, feeling my pants getting tight as I lift with her with ease and place her on the edge of my father’s desk.

“Atta boy, that’s more like it,” she winks, pulling me in between her open thighs and then purposely knocking into my father’s computer. “Okay, now guide my hand on where to put it,” she demands innocently, but all it does is paint a wicked picture in my mind.

“Please stop saying stuff like that to me,” I beg, holding onto my restraint by a thread, as I move to fake kiss her neck this time, and help guide her hand to where the device needs to be. “I’m sorry about this,” I add in a whisper.

“About what?” she whispers back, her hand finally feeling around to where she needs to insert the device.

“About touching you,” I confirm, ensuring I am putting on a perfect show while not overcrowding her too much. “I know how much you hate it.”

Her head flicks back from mine, eyes trailing over my face before she admits, “You’re touch doesn’t bother me, Joshua.”

My hand flexes over hers at her words and at the sound of my name. Hallie has always had an aversion to touch, granted she manages it very well, but her admission still leaves me confused. “Since when?” I demand, more bite in my tone than I intend but it doesn’t faze her.

“Since always,” she shrugs, like it’s nothing, and then I watch as her eyes flick up to the camera in the corner, before she leans in and breathes against my neck. “Okay it’s in, but I can’t see the screen to see if it’s working.”

When I told Lincoln I was going to try and do this today, he said the program would only take a few minutes and that I’d know when it’s done, so I’m presuming we do in fact need to be able to watch the screen. My mind is still reeling when a plan hits me, and without another thought, I push Hallie back onto her elbows so she can see the full view of the monitor, and then drop to my knees between her legs.

Her eyes widen in a panic, as she gasps, “Joshua, what the hell are you doing?”

There is a wicked grin on my face now, as I lift her skirt, thanking the gods she wore one today, before I place her legs on my shoulders, careful not to touch her too much despite what she just told me. “I’m selling the sex, Hals,” I wink, ducking my head under the fabric so to anyone watching it looks like I am eating her out. “Now make sure you scream nice and loud for your husband,” I tease, bringing my hand up and tickling the outside of her thigh with my finger until she yelps. “That’s it, good girl.”

Then I have to grit my teeth to force myself to ignore the alluring scent of her, moving my hands until I can grip the desk beneath her thighs, so I don’t touch anywhere else as she gasps, “I hate you.”

All I can do is smile as I respond, “No, Hals, you really don’t.”

“Oh god,” she groans, and I crick my neck before I give her something to really moan about. Especially when all I can focus on to help me ignore the black lace panties she is wearing, is the sight of my wedding ring.

She’s my wife.

My wife.

And here I am on my knees for her, again.

Yet we are just faking it, again.

This marriage is only one day old and it’s already becoming a real problem.

Ignoring my basic instinct, which is screaming at me right now, I remind myself she is just my friend, and I keep focus on the task at hand as I ask, “Is it working?”

Her body, now covered in goosebumps, moves slightly, and I can only assume she is nodding, until she finally gasps out, “Erm, yeah, it’s working, just give me it a minute.”

A minute? A minute with me on my knees and my head up her damn skirt. Does she have any idea the kind of torture this is? Her skin is tanned and smooth, and as always she smells like cotton candy, and right now I really want to fucking indulge. What kind of fucked up plan did we concoct here? I blow out a harsh breath to try and calm my racing heart and her body jolts.

“Joshua.” Her tone is laced with warning, but all it does is make my cock jump. “Stop, I’m sensitive,” she pleads, and god the images it puts in my head of what I could do to make her truly sensitive.

What the fuck is wrong with me?

She’s your best friend you fucking animal, not one of your random hookups.

I inhale a deep breath, ignoring the candy scent I can practically taste on my tongue as I grit, “Tink, not once have I ever been on my knees for a girl and she has asked me to stop, so please refrain from trying to ruin the said reputation you told me about.” My words are meant to be a joke to pull us out of this awkward position we have found ourselves in, but her entire body flinches.

“Manwhore,” she practically snarls, lifting her foot to dig her heel into my back, and I think about returning the pain.

“Brat,” I hiss, using my fingers to pinch her outer thigh and she cries out my name once more.

“Joshua,” Her entire body jolts again, taking me with her, and bringing me closer to those lacey panties I am pretending to not imagine her without.

“That’s it, call out my name, Tink,” I praise. “Let the whole house hear how good a husband I am to you.” Again my words are meant as a joke, but all I can do is stare at those damn goosebumps trailing along her inner thigh.

“That’s it, forget the dick punches, I’m going to slice the damn thing off,” she almost shouts, and I smother my laugh against her skin without thought, making her grasp again.

I’m quick to apologize gruffly before I add, “You know they make plenty of sex toys right? You don’t have to chop my dick off and keep it.” My focus now solely on those damn panties, an image searing itself into my brain for all eternity.

My wife’s pussy is just behind that scrap of fabric.

The thought is maddening.

“Okay, it’s almost there,” she tells me, and I know if we don’t get back to dinner soon, then my father will come looking for us.

I don’t care if he finds us here, but I do care if he finds us in this position. I don’t want anyone seeing Hallie like this, least of all my father.

“Then I guess it’s time for a big finish,” I muse before warning her, “I’m going to touch you, Hals.” Then before my words can really register or I can second guess myself, I lean in and press a soft kiss to her inner thigh, unable to resist it any longer.

“Oh my god,” she squeals, clamping her thighs tightly around my head, giving me a glimpse at heaven, before opening them back up instantly. “Oh my god, sorry, fuck I’m sorry,” she pants, as she knocks something on the desk over. “I’m done, I mean, it’s done, we can go,” she panics, pulling her legs from my shoulders.

I lean back, removing the fabric of her skirt from over my head and placing it neatly back down, and when we lock eyes, her face is stained with a scarlet blush. I can see panic and confusion in her stare, and before it fully takes flight I rise to my feet and lean in, pulling her in for a hug.

“Thank you, Hals, I couldn’t have done this without you,” I tell her honestly, pushing away all thoughts of me on my knees for her, and remembering who she truly is to me.

She isn’t some random hook up, or a fucking bunny desperate to bag a hockey guy. She’s Hallie, my best friend, a steady rock in my life since before I can remember. I can’t fuck that up just because of a buzz of attraction when her legs were wrapped around me, that’s stupid, and unreliable. I don’t look at her like that, I see past the gorgeous exterior, and know the true girl behind those sparkling green eyes, and I won’t ruin that friendship for anything.

Taking the device from her, I slip it back into my pocket, and help her down from my father’s desk, knowing that I will look at it in a whole new light every time I am forced to come in here from now on. With that in mind I look at her and smile as I ask, “Ready to go back to hell with me, Tink?”

Replacing her surprise with a smile, she places her hand in mine and smiles, “I think I’m already there, Peter.”