Beautiful

“Of course I do! Did you hear the hope in her voice? She was nearly in tears, she was so happy. I can’t suddenly be like, ‘Oh, yeah, I don’t want to do the famous British Steam Yoga I prattled on about.’ We’d look insane.”

I walked into the bathroom and heard him laughing behind me. “As opposed to how we look right now?”

Jensen followed me in and watched as I unpacked my toothbrush and squeezed some toothpaste on top. I wasn’t all that bothered about my impending yoga fail, or the fact that I’d essentially agreed to give a concert at karaoke tonight. It wasn’t that we would be spending the next four days with the woman Jensen had married. It wasn’t even that it would be so hard to pretend to be married to Jensen on this short leg of the trip.

It was that I was sort of looking forward to it.

I knew myself and my own heart. It tended to dive first, think later. Working like this, as a team—a kissing team, for God’s sake—I was doomed.

“Hey.” His hands slid around my hips, fingers clasping together at my navel, and he rested his chin on the top of my head. As delightful as this was, it wasn’t really helping.

I met his eyes in the mirror. “Hey.”

I watched him watching me, and we both bit back a laugh. What in the world were we doing? I hadn’t let myself give much thought to how this would go tonight but

we

would

be

sleeping

together.

I shoved my toothbrush in my mouth and began vigorously brushing.

He straightened a little, giving me room. “I don’t remember the last time I watched a woman brush her teeth.”

“Is it as good as you remembered?” I asked, mouth foamy. I bent down to spit and came back up, filling a glass with water to rinse.

He opened his mouth to say something, but I beat him to it after spitting again. “I kissed you.”

“You did.” He nodded, leaning back over me and resting his chin on my head again. “And then, if you remember, I kissed you.”

“Was it rubbish?”

He shook his head. “Pippa?”

“Yeah?”

“Thank you.”

I laughed. “For what? Laying one on you? I can assure you, it was my pleasure.”

He shook his head, his eyes holding mine in the mirror. “For making this easier.”

I grinned up at him, leaning back into his embrace. “Easier on you.”

His eyes narrowed, not understanding.

“Jensen, we’re sharing a bed tonight; I can barely touch my toes, let alone do yoga; and I am completely tone-deaf. This is going to be a disaster.”

“You said it earlier: we’ve got this. Hanna and Will have been looking forward to this part of the trip for weeks. Let’s tough it out.”

I stared at his eyes in the mirror. “Why is she being so nice?”

His expression straightened, and his eyes grew a bit unfocused. “Becky was always nice, but . . . yeah, I don’t know.”

We met downstairs for dinner, walking—self-consciously—hand in hand toward Will and Niall, who were waiting near the front desk.

Will turned, grinning down at our linked hands. “This,” he said, arms outstretched. “This is what I’m here to see.”

“Making the best of a bad situation!” Jensen said cheerfully, pulling me into his side and planting a loud kiss on my temple.

“Oh no, what bad situation?” Becky asked, coming out of complete, bloody nowhere, and we all jumped. We would definitely need to put a bell on her.

Will barked out a laugh. “Holy shit, Jensen, I am living watching you do this over and over lately.”

Jensen stuttered out a few things. “No, no, nothing . . .” He blinked down at me. “We just . . .”

“Pippa’s just found out she’s pregnant,” Will blurted.

Both Jensen and I turned to him in shock.

“Will!” I yelled, smacking his chest. What on earth? “Are you crazy?”

Will’s brows shot up. Still looking a bit tipsy from the rather extensive beer tasting earlier, he leaned in, whispering without subtlety, “What? Shit. No good?”

“We’re on a winery tour, you twat!” I hissed, eyes wide. “I’m not preten—” I stopped when Jensen squeezed me roughly into his side. I smiled through clenched teeth to a bewildered Becky. “Will’s joking, that clown! I’m not pregnant.”

“See?” Will said, rocking back on his heels. “I told you I could get them to see the bright side. So you didn’t get that house in Beacon Hill that you’d offered on. But at least your new wife didn’t get pregnant on your honeymoon, right?”

Jensen narrowed his eyes at Will.

Hanna came down the stairs and sidled up to her husband, correctly reading the situation. “Are you causing trouble?”

“What? No.” He bent, kissing her as a distraction.

“You’re looking to buy in Beacon Hill?” Becky asked Jensen quietly, giving me the impression that Beacon Hill must be a pretty fancy area. Cam came up beside her just as she added a hushed “Wow.”

“Jensen’s about to make partner,” Niall said. “Hard work pays off.”

Turning from Hanna, Will added, “Got the job and the girl.”

Becky looked up at Jensen, her eyes glassy again. “I’m so glad. And this is so amazing because Cam is a real estate agent! He can definitely find you a house in Beacon Hill!”

I felt Jensen’s arm tighten around me. Without him even needing to say it, I could tell this was the last place he wanted to be right this second.