My Unexpected Vow: California Billionaires Book 2 by Harlow James (top 10 inspirational books txt) 📕

can speak fully. “What the hell, Hayes? What are you doing in here?”

“Where’s your toothpaste?”

She looks at me as if I’m crazy. “My toothpaste?”

“Yes.”

“Is this some other pet peeve you have that I haven’t discovered yet?” She opens the first drawer in the middle of the cabinets and pulls out a tube of toothpaste with a bright pink plastic toothpaste squeezer around it. “Here.” She hands it to me, but all I can do is grin. “Why are you smiling like that? Seriously, you’re freaking me out a bit, Hayes.” She leans down to turn on the faucet and rinses her mouth, placing her toothbrush back in the holder.

“Come here.” I hold out my hand and wait for her to grab it, then lead her out of her room and down the hall to mine, pulling her into my bathroom and reaching for my toothpaste.

“Oh my God,” she says through her laughter as I hold up my own tube of toothpaste that has a dark blue squeezer around it. “What is this about?”

“Do you remember when we had dinner with my parents on Valentine’s Day?”

“Yes,” she replies with a lift of her brow.

“Well, my dad mentioned something about how being married means you get to fight over the toothpaste.”

She chuckles again. “What?”

Holding up my tube that matches hers, I say, “Well, it looks like that isn’t something we have to worry about.”

“I guess not.” Her smile is infectious as she studies me. “But I’m sure there’s something else we can find to fight over.”

“Do you want to fight with me?” I walk toward her, tossing the tube on the counter before gripping her hips and pulling her into me, loving the feel of the silkiness of her camisole under my palms and fingers.

“I mean, we had years of practice leading up to this. I almost feel as if it’s only natural for us at this point.”

“You know what they say about fighting, right?”

She shakes her head. “Please, enlighten me.”

“Fighting leads to make-up sex.”

Her arms wrap around my neck. “Well, we haven’t had as much practice with that, Mr. Weston. Perhaps we’ll need to invest more time in that art form.”

“With pleasure, Mrs. Weston,” I say as my heart rate picks up. It’s the first time I’ve called her that intentionally, while we’re alone—and God, it sounds right.

“As much as I’d love to practice again, I’m about to fall asleep standing up. Perhaps it can wait until tomorrow or our next fight?” Her playfulness makes me smile as I watch her step away from me and head to my bed.

We settle under the covers and then nestle into our favorite spooning position. “Sounds like a plan. Goodnight, Waverly,” I whisper in her ear, planting a soft kiss just underneath it.

“Goodnight, Hayes.” And within a few minutes, her soft snores fill the room, and tug on my heart a bit too.

Chapter 15

Waverly

“You lost Shayla,” Chloe declares the second she and Shayla arrive at the table where I’m already seated in the restaurant with Emma beside me. When the girls suggested lunch, I eagerly invited Emma along as well.

“How do you know?” Shayla asks.

“Look at her. She’s glowing, smiling, and clearly thoroughly fucked. They had sex.” Chloe gestures to me with her hand.

My smile fades as I start to survey the room and hope there aren’t too many people eavesdropping on our conversation. “If you lower your voice and take a seat, I’ll confirm your suspicions, although I’m afraid to say you both lost.”

Simultaneously, Chloe and Shayla take their chairs at the table across from us and settle in. Emma obviously already knew about the developments between Hayes and me since she’s my best friend and I texted her the second I could after it happened. But I prepared her for the inquisition that would happen once they arrived.

“How did we lose?” Chloe continues.

“Well, I believe when we tried on our bridesmaid dresses, you both had specified a date by which the sex would happen, but it happened a few weeks after that,” I state proudly as my smile returns and I flip my hair over my shoulder.

“After Hayes punched her ex in the face,” Emma adds proudly.

Chloe practically jumps out of her chair. “He punched Brett in the face?”

“Yup. Went all caveman on him. He’s a keeper,” Emma replies.

“I knew Hayes was a good guy. And well, when he told Wes he was interested in pursuing you, we kind of figured it would take a little while longer, so we changed our dates around.”

“Wait, how do you know that?”

“Wes told me when he got home from the tux appointment with Hayes and Silas,” Shayla explains.

“Yup,” Chloe chimes in. “So if I could have a date now please, I would appreciate it greatly.”

“Ugh, you two are ridiculous,” I say while rolling my eyes, and then briefly recount what happened to lead up to my first night with Hayes, the first that has only transpired into many since then.

“Yes, I won!” Shayla shouts and then remembers we’re in a restaurant. “Shit. Sorry.”

“I demand a do-over,” Chloe says. “Nope, better yet, now let’s bet on when she gets pregnant.”

I start laughing just as Shayla shoots her friend a perplexed glare. “Yeah, that won’t be happening anytime soon. I’m not ready, and we’ve barely talked about it… kids that is.”

“But you’ve discussed it?” Shayla pries.

“Yeah.” I smile wistfully thinking back to our date when I put Hayes on the spot but he answered in the best way—that all the ideas and events surrounding marriage were never a blip on his radar until he married me.

“Oh God, look at her. She looks just like you did when Wes showed you his big ol’ dick and you went and fell in love with him,” Chloe teases her best friend, and we all chuckle.

“Waverly? Are you in love with Hayes?” Shayla asks, her eyes full of hope.

“And more importantly, how big is his dick?” Chloe adds, coming in hot with the important questions.