“Hot tub?” she asked in a breathless voice.

“Damn, I thought you were going to say bedroom,” I said deflated.

“Tomorrow night.” Nat rose to her full height, which in heels barely reached my chin, and pulled my head down for a kiss. “You get me tomorrow night, maybe if you’re good I’ll bring the cane.”

“So if I’m good, I get caned.” I grinned. “I’m dying to know what I get for being bad…”

“Oh the things these walls have heard,” Demetri announced coming back into the room.

“That was quick.” I snorted.

“Right, said no girl EVER after spending a night with me.”

“That was fast!” Alyssa announced waltzing into the room.

Demetri’s eyes narrowed. “You heard our conversation.”

“Gotta take the ego down a notch.”

“No.” Demetri crossed his arms. “What I got, or need, is to lock the love of my life in the bedroom until she’s so dehydrated she begs for—”

A confused expression washed across his face.

“In my head—” He licked his lips. “The rest of that was a lot more romantic. And now I kind of feel like—”

“Ted Bundy.” Nat coughed.

I laughed. “Demetri lures them in with his smile, dehydrates them and—”

“Makes wild passionate love to his prisoner.” Alyssa wrapped her arms around Demetri’s waist. “Sounds about right.”

“Damn straight,” Demetri muttered.

“But—” Alyssa released him and started walking to the back door. “I wouldn’t know. It’s been a while and, oh look—” She held up her left hand. “Naked.”

“I wish I was nak*d,” Demetri said longingly. And then as if finally noticing my pants were off, began stripping. “No way in hell am I wearing these a second longer.”

“I think they’re sexy.” Alyssa grinned.

“No.” Demetri pointed and then hopped on one foot as he tried to peel them off. “You just want to torture me.”

“Watermelon!” Alyssa shouted.

“Damn it!” Demetri crashed into the couch, the pants dangling from his feet as his Armani briefs flashed every last one of us. “You know the rules, Lyss!”

“Of fruit?” Nat asked, her face appearing as confused as I felt.

“Let it go, Lyss!” Demetri was still fighting a losing battle with the pants while Alyssa danced around the living room in triumph. “I hate my life.”

“Did you guys go into the bedroom to get high or something? What the hell are you talking about?”

“Two days ago—” Demetri finally stood. “We were playing the alphabet game, moved on to guessing fruit, I couldn’t spell watermelon.”

“Dude.” I sighed. “It’s water and melon… did you even get a diploma?”

“Not the point,” Demetri argued. “The point is, I was upset over the whole ordeal and told Alyssa she wasn’t allowed to talk about it for at least forty-eight hours, so clearly she’s pulling out everything in her arsenal to either drive me crazy or get me to do one thing—”

“Take a spelling workshop?” Nat offered.

“No.” Demetri grinned. “But here’s the thing about girls. It’s always important to be one step ahead of them, so Lyss…” He stalked toward her. “You’ll get your question, and I’ll get my answer… and it’s going to be soon, but you don’t get to know when. You don’t get to make that plan. Just know, you and I are a package deal… and when I pop that question — and you know I will — I want tears. The really happy ones that girls get when they don’t know what else to do. I also want a scorching kiss, and for the love of God, I want to elope.”

“Are you asking me now?” Alyssa asked in a small voice.

“Nope.” Demetri kissed her cheek. “It’s better that you know it’s coming, because the anticipation will damn near kill you — hell, I can’t think of a better lesson after making me dance to Backstreet Boys and then telling everyone I’m spelling-challenged.”

“He’s good at math!” Nat said from beside me. Dear sweet Nat, always looking at the positive. I wrapped my arm around her and hugged her close. The very fact that she was carrying our child was still so surreal. I hoped to God our baby would have Nat’s optimism, her encouragement, just everything.

“Hot tub?” Demetri asked.

“Sure.” I gave Nat one more squeeze then kissed her hand.

“What was that for?”

I shrugged. “Just because.”

“Because I can spell watermelon and other really big words?”

“Hate you guys,” Demetri called from ahead of us.

“Yeah, big words like, gun, cat, dog—”

“Ass. A-s-s,” Demetri sang and then popped the champagne waiting for us at the hot tub. Alyssa and I clinked glasses while Nat and Demetri tapped water bottles.

All in all it was the perfect ending to the perfect bachelor party. But, to be honest, I just wanted to go to bed… because the sooner I closed my eyes, the sooner I could open them, and the sooner I’d be looking at my wife.

Chapter Thirteen

Nat

I tossed and turned all night. The minute my alarm went off at six a.m., I was ready to go crazy. I jolted out of bed and hit the alarm on my phone, then stared up at the ceiling. In less than twelve hours I was going to be married.

Why the heck was I freaking out? I was already pregnant. Maybe it was just because it was a lot of pressure. I mean, who could actually say they were marrying a freaking rock star? Alec and Demetri were still mega famous — and I was just… plain old me. I still couldn’t wrap my head around it, even though Alec said they weren’t any different from anyone else.

I believe Demetri’s words were, ’We still shit.’

Which was really all kinds of helpful, and totally Demetri, so I couldn’t blame him for his crass attitude. It was just—

“Good morning!” Alyssa burst into the room. “It’s time!” She jumped onto my bed and gave me a hug. I didn’t know what I would do without Alyssa. She was seriously my best friend, next to Alec.

“Morning.” I smiled back.

Her grin seemed forced. She released me and looked down at her hands. Confused, I watched her smile fade and then tears begin to well in her eyes.

“Hey.” I nudged her. “Aren’t I supposed to be the emotional one?”

She gave a sad smile. “Yeah, sorry. I’m just being dramatic, overthinking things.”

“Overthinking what exactly?” I tucked my knees under my chin and waited.

“We sort of got in a fight.”

“We, being you and Demetri?”

Alyssa nodded. “Last night, after the hot tub, you were tired so Alec put you to bed and Demetri and I stayed up late to… talk.”

“And when you say talk what you really mean is—”

“Make out in the hot tub.” Alyssa laughed. “Anyways, we really did get to talking and he said he wasn’t sure he wanted to get married yet.”

I tensed. “What do you mean?”

“I don’t know!” Alyssa threw up her hands. “He’s so hot and cold lately! The other day he’s all bragging about popping some huge question and then he says he isn’t ready and gets mad at me for bringing it up!”

“Hmm.” I licked my lips. “You know Demetri, Lyss. He may have really come a long way since the whole running his car into a building and getting high every night, but he’s still immature, maybe he’s just afraid he’s going to fail you in some way.”

Alyssa was silent for a while then whispered, “Impossible. That man is… well, he’s incredible.” She looked up at me through glossy, tear-stained eyes. “He’s my hero. I can’t imagine my life without him, I can’t imagine breathing without having him next to me. Sure, he’s not perfect. I mean, he’s ridiculous most the time, but he’s caring and wonderful and loving, I just…” She sighed. “I just want him to be so in love with me, so infatuated that he has no reservations whatsoever, you know?”

I laughed.

Alyssa glared.

“Sorry.” I kept laughing. “It’s just… we don’t live in a perfect world, Lyss, alright? The guy’s gonna freak out. I don’t care how much money he has, or how famous he is, he’s still going to worry about providing for you, and where you’re going to live, and kids, and everything else that goes with adulthood. He’s still going to panic. Trust me, money doesn’t equal security, just like fame doesn’t equal happiness.”

“You’re right.” She exhaled. “I think all those chick flicks ruined me. I want that big gesture.”

“Ah, you’ve clearly been spoiled, haven’t you?”

“Nat.” Alyssa rolled her eyes. “Alec threw you a freaking concert and then walked you through your school and proposed in front of the entire town… Pretty sure my expectations are high.”

I didn’t know what Demetri had planned but I did know he was competitive — no way was he going to let Alec outdo him on the proposal front. But maybe insecurity on Alyssa’s part was good — it made the end so much sweeter. “Just trust him, Lyss. Can you do that?”

“I have no choice.” She shrugged. “He literally holds my heart in the palm of his hand.”

“As it should be,” I whispered.

“Love sucks.”

“But it’s worth it.” I grabbed her hand. “So worth it.”

She released my hand and stood. “Okay, I’m done ruining your special day. Let’s get you beautiful.”

“You mean I’m not beautiful now?” I asked in a mocking voice as I straightened my AD2 t-shirt.

“Uh, no. And P.S. I may have packed you a Justin Bieber night gown in order to piss Alec off on your wedding night.”

“Poor man won’t sleep with the Biebs in the same room, you know that.” I laughed.

“Jaymeson’s idea, blame him.”

“Those British.”

“Just that one.” Alyssa laughed. “Just that one.”

Chapter Fourteen

Alec

“I screwed up.” Demetri paced the room in front of me. “Holy hell, I think I’ve lost her. I couldn’t think! She was guessing too damn much and I just lost it!”

“Wait, back up.” I straightened my bowtie in the mirror. “What exactly happened?”

Demetri made wild motions behind me. “She was all ’I really love you, Demetri ,and I think it’s time for us to get married. You think this summer we can pick a date or something?’”

“Okay,” I interrupted him. “First things first. Drop the whole high, girl-voice thing. I get that you’re talking about Alyssa, but right now you sound like a pre-pubescent eleven-year-old with a fever.”