“I ordered you something through room service.”
She chuckled. Despite how infuriating Drake could be at times, he still knew her like the back of his hand. “Thanks,” she mumbled.
“We need to discuss this.” He sat on a chair on the other side of the room, far away from the bed.
“Not if you’re going to yell.”
“I won’t.”
Love scooted back and leaned against the headboard. “Let’s talk, then.”
“We’re going to have to carve out some time to fly back and get this taken care of. In the meantime, we just act like nothing has changed. We keep avoiding your mother’s questions, and go back to Michigan like nothing happened. I’m not sure we would be granted an annulment, because of the...” He scratched the back of his head.
“Sex?” she interjected.
“Right.” He shifted in his seat. “Once it’s done, we can tell your mother that it was a big misunderstanding and we’re not married.”
Love stared at the ceiling, unable to say anything at that point. She wondered if he was going to actually address the fact that they’d had sex, since he’d had a hard time even saying the word.
“I’ll take care of the court fees,” Drake continued. “I did some research on the process.”
As he explained the process, Love didn’t let on that she’d done her own research on the way to the chapel earlier. They didn’t even have to appear for a hearing in certain cases, and they definitely had grounds for an annulment because they’d been intoxicated at the time of the marriage.
Love picked at the comforter. “We can split the fees. I think we should hire an attorney to take care of everything else.”
He nodded. There was a soft knock on the door. Drake disappeared and came back minutes later with the room service tray. They quietly ate lunch. It was the first time they didn’t say anything to each other. They’d always been able to talk, to laugh at and with each other. Now, they were in a sea of awkwardness, and she couldn’t take it anymore.
“Drake, don’t you think we need to talk about the fact that we had sex? I don’t want this to be a thing between us, one that we can’t get past. I need you in my life.”
He shrugged. “What can I say? We had sex. After all these years, one night of tequila and we did it. I guess I just don’t know what to say about it.”
Love turned, to find him picking at his food. “I remember.”
Drake gave her a sideways glance. “Me, too.”
Over the course of the day, she had been able to recall the details of last night, all the way up to the rushed wedding at the gaudy chapel. They had spent the evening visiting casinos on the Strip and drinking. She wasn’t sure when it happened, when something had changed between them. She just knew it did, and all of a sudden, they couldn’t deny the attraction, couldn’t stop touching and kissing each other.
“It was my idea to get married.” While they’d watched the fountain display at the Bellagio, Love and Drake had kissed. Things had heated up quickly, and Love recalled how she’d announced that she wasn’t having sex again until she was married. That’s when Drake had proposed by singing “Suitelady (The Proposal Jam)” by Maxwell. The rest was history.
“We were pretty twisted,” he said softly. “I’m not even sure how I let it happen.”
Love wasn’t sure why she felt deflated at his comment, but it stung.
“I wanted you,” he admitted. “In a way I never thought possible. It was a need I couldn’t shake away, or convince myself it didn’t exist.”
She peered up at him, caught his gaze, before he averted it.
“I remember that part,” he added. “I’m not sure how I can forget it. It certainly can’t be undone.” He stood and joined her on the bed. “But you’re more important to me than anybody in my life. I’m willing to try.”
A lone tear escaped down her cheek and he swiped it away with his thumb. “I hate myself for doing this, for depriving you of your first wedding. I know how much you wanted that. And you deserve it, with someone who is going to love you and treat you well.”
Love closed her eyes. The dig at Derrick was clear. Yet she couldn’t help but feel sad that Drake blamed himself. “It’s not your fault. I wanted it, too. You were sweet, gentle and tender. And I appreciate that.”
He squeezed her hand. “We can do this, right?”
Love didn’t know if they could or not. She only knew that she would work hard to make sure it wouldn’t destroy their friendship. Instead of answering him, she pulled him into a hug. One of his hands swept up her back and rested on the nape of her neck. Prior to yesterday, that would have been a normal Drake thing to do. But in the aftermath of the night before, it was doing all kinds of things to her body.
Her instinct was to pull away, but she couldn’t let herself do it. Not only would pulling away shine a bright light on the way they had changed their relationship with their actions, but she had to admit it felt good to be in his arms. Drake was the only man who made her feel safe. Her father didn’t even have that title. It was only Drake. Regardless of what they did or didn’t do with each other, she needed him like she needed her next breath.
“Yes, we can do this,” she answered finally, holding on to him even tighter.
After an uneventful family dinner, Drake and Love had settled in for cocktails and conversation with her mother and her aunt. The dance was in full swing, and all around them the Nelson clan was mingling and catching up.
Love and Drake had both let out a sigh of relief earlier that Gloria had kept her mouth shut during the organized program, especially when the MC asked if anyone had any announcements. Now, as they sat at a high top table with her mother and her aunt, Love watched Drake interact with various members of her family. They absolutely loved him, and he managed to charm most of the women in the room with his deep dimples, smooth dark skin and beautiful white teeth. He was dressed in a navy suit with an azure-blue shirt that fit him to perfection, and she noted the way random women had responded to him all night.
“You want to go play?” he whispered in her ear.
She choked on the water that she’d just taken a sip of. “What?”
He flashed a knowing grin. “The slots?”
“Oh.” She wiped her mouth with a cocktail napkin. “Nah, not right now.”
Love enjoyed the slots. But if heading to the casino floor was anything like the walk into the banquet hall that evening, she’d pass. Drake was a gentleman, so it was second nature for him to keep his hand against the small of her back as they walked. Since her navy blue, knee-length dress was cut low in the back, every so often the tips of his fingers would brush against her bare skin, stirring her nerve endings. It also didn’t help that he smelled like spice mixed with a burst of citrus.
Absently, she wondered if it would be this way forever, now that she’d been with him. As much as she wanted to act like it never happened, separating the Drake that held her hair up while she hurled in the toilet in college from the Drake that made love to her at her favorite hotel on the Strip was proving to be harder than she thought.
“Drink?” he whispered.
She could smell the cognac on his breath, and fought against an urge to lean in closer to his warmth. Exhaling, she told him no. She’d stick with water. “You don’t have to hang around if you don’t want to.”
“I’m fine.” He finished off his drink. “Your mother did a good job with the dinner.”
“She did.” Love grinned