“Good.” I’m thankful to hear my sister is okay. The timing on all of this wasn’t the best, but hey, it’s definitely going to be memorable. Especially if the baby is born today of all days. Talk about a celebration. A wedding anniversary and a birthday for the family—you can’t beat that.

“I was wondering.” Marina sinks her teeth into her glossy lower lip. Damn, she’s sexy when she does that. It’s been a while since I’ve had her naked and beneath me. Not only because of stress, but because she actually wanted us to keep our hands off each other for a while.

It’ll make the wedding night that much better, she’d insisted.

Whatever. I went along with it, but we’re done with that. I’m eager to take her back to the hotel room and strip that dress off her. And whatever else she’s got going on beneath it, because I know it must be complicated.

I’m more than up to the challenge.

“Wondering what?” I ask.

“Maybe before we go to the hotel, we can stop by the hospital to see Ivy and hopefully the baby? We won’t be leaving here for another few hours, and I’m guessing the baby will be born by then,” Marina says.

“Another few hours?” Shit. How long is this reception supposed to last?

“Well, we haven’t cut the cake yet, and I haven’t tossed my bouquet. And you need to throw the garter. So yes. A few more hours to go at least,” she stresses.

At least. Well, that sucks. I’m ready to bail. “But I’m ready to get you alone now,” I whisper, squeezing her hand as I step in closer to her. So close our chests brush and our legs momentarily tangle.

Her smile turns sultry. “I know. Trust me, I want to get you alone too but just a few more hours here. I promise. Then we’ll go to the hospital, then the hotel. They probably won’t let us stay long at the hospital anyway. We’ll be lucky to see Ivy, what with visiting hours and all that.”

Yeah. I need to do the right thing and try and see my sister. At the very least, hopefully see the baby and Archer.

“You’re right.” I glance around and notice that no one is really paying any attention to us. Lowering my voice, I say, “Let’s sneak off for a quickie.”

Her jaw drops open. “Are you serious?”

“As a heart attack.” Just thinking about it has me hard. “I want you, Marina. It’s been too long. I don’t know if I can wait another two or three hours or whatever it is before I get you naked in bed.”

She glances down at herself, then up at me. “It’ll take twenty minutes just to get me out of everything I’m wearing.”

I can only imagine what she’s wearing. I bet every bit of it is sexy as f**k. “Can’t I just toss up your skirt?”

Her cheeks go the faintest shade of pink. “God, Gage you’re awful.”

“You love it. It’s why you married me.” I kiss her, letting my lips linger on hers. She needs to know how much I want her. A quick grope and fumble will at least take the edge off. “Come on, baby. Let’s sneak off somewhere. We’ll disappear for ten minutes tops. No one will notice we’re gone.”

“You’re only giving me ten minutes?” Her eyebrows rise.

I laugh. “So greedy. How about you get five, and I get five.”

“Now only five?”

Lowering my voice, I brush my lips against her ear. “I can make you come in less than five and you know it.”

She shivers and I smile. “You’re awfully confident in my skills then, giving me only five minutes.” Still, she doesn’t deny that I can make her come in less than five because she knows it’s true.

“I’m already half-cocked. Emphasis on the word cock,” I whisper, making her laugh.

“Fine,” she says but she doesn’t sound put out. She’s just as excited as I am. “Let’s go.”

“Where?” I let Marina take my hand and pull me off the dance floor. The music changes, a fast song comes on and three quarters of the crowd stands, ready to flood the dance floor. Perfect.

“There’s a room just down the hall. The room where we all waited for the ceremony to start,” she tells me as we walk side by side, nodding and smiling at guests as we pass. Her family is nowhere in sight, and my parents already left to be with Ivy and Archer, so I think we’re in the clear.

“Ah, I got ready just down the hall too,” I say. “Let’s go there. Less chance of someone trying to bust in don’t you think?”

“There’s a lock on the door, Gage.” She rolls her eyes and smiles at me. “There’s no way I would fool around with you at our freaking wedding reception without a locked door.”

We both laugh over that, not paying attention to where we’re walking until I bump right into someone.

A visibly upset, teary-eyed Bryn.

“Sorry,” she mutters when I reach out to steady her after sending her stumbling back.

“Bryn.” I give her shoulders a little shake, forcing her to look up at me. “Are you okay?”

She sniffs and flashes me the fakest smile I’ve ever seen. “I’m fine. Great. Sorry to run into you. I’ll let you guys go.” She extracts herself from my grip, looking ready to dash away when Marina reaches out and grabs her arm.

“Bryn, what happened?” Marina shoots me a look, one that says she has to find out what’s going on, and I feel my erection deflate just like that.