“Pretty sure that doesn’t have to happen for everything to be legal.”

At least, I hoped not.

“Right. Of course. So… does that mean…?”

God, she was cute.

Too damn bad my dick worked just fine around her. Any other woman I’d met in the last three years this wouldn’t have been a problem. “No. I think we take that off the table. If you want it, or find someone, be discreet is all I ask. We don’t get recognized much, and you probably will less, but if you get caught…”

“Right.” Her nose wrinkled and I suddenly felt like scum.

She’d just been cheated on, if she thought I was offering this so I could do the same as Lincoln…

“I’ll be fine,” I told her.

So I had to live with a woman I wanted to fuck. Big deal. I’d honed my self-control years ago.

“And discreet,” she whispered, nose still wrinkled like she smelled something sour.

“I’m not him,” I told her as nicely as I possibly could. “Trust me, I haven’t been with a woman since Ava left. I’ll be fine for another year.”

Shit. The truth came out before I could stop it.

“Right,” she whispered again, and this time looked sad. “I’m sorry. This is a lot for you and it’s not fair, and…”

“It’ll be fine. You get the urge, be careful. That’s all I’m asking.”

“Okay.” She chewed her cheek. “What other rules?”

I drained my bourbon. We’d dealt with the two big ones. I wasn’t sure I had any more rules in me. “I think that’s enough for now, don’t you? When do you want to get married then?”

It was a miracle I didn’t stumble over the word.

“Well, Lincoln’s expecting me back in Boston for that charity event on Saturday…” She trailed off as a wicked gleam twisted her lips and hit her eye. “So, I’m thinking… Friday?”

Holy shit. “So the news will hit and he’ll be a fucking wreck the day of the event.”

She brought her fresh glass of wine to her lips and smiled. “I think he deserves it.”

Damn right he did. Bonus: Me getting married in a week meant I didn’t have time to panic over what the fuck I was actually doing.

“Friday it is. Cheers.” I moved toward her and tried not to inhale that scent of her perfume. Tried to not drop my gaze to her breasts. Tried not to notice the heat stirring in my stomach.

Three years I’d gone without sex. What was one more?

“Cheers.” She tapped her glass against mine. “Let’s find a chapel, then, shall we?”

“You’re what?!”

“That was subtle,” Emmersyn said, standing next to me. “Just like we discussed.”

So I hadn’t gone with the plan of easing people into the idea.

We took one step into Joey’s house, I hugged Gabby. Joey slapped me on the back and in a house full of my teammates and friends, happened to blurt out I was engaged.