Dangerous Temptations(49)

"Well, enjoy it," Staci chimed in. "It's going to be the best day of your life."

Alex entered my mind, and I tried to push him out, but no matter how  much alcohol I consumed, I couldn't. His face. His voice. His lips and  how they felt on me.

I pulled my phone out and looked again. He hadn't left me a voicemail  last night. It was stupid for caring, especially since I hadn't called  him back from his previous five messages, but the fact that he was  leaving them comforted me.

Maybe I was too late.





I BARELY HAD enough time to recover from the Friday wedding events  before we had to get up and start prepping for the wedding. We spent  most of rehearsal giggling and drinking as we waited for the groom to  show up. Apparently, he was having a last-minute bachelor gathering and  had to be dragged out of the strip club.

This family drank like a pro.

By the time our makeup and hair were done, it was time to take  bridesmaid pictures. Brittainy looked absolutely stunning and I've never  seen her happier.

"You look so beautiful." I smiled as her mom locked her grandmother's necklace around her neck. It was her something old.

"You do, too, Mac." She reached out and grabbed my hands. "Thank you for  being here. Thank you for being in my wedding and getting me through  this. I've been so stressed out about everything, it was nice to just  laugh and let loose for a few hours."

"Of course. I wouldn't miss it for anything."

"All right, ladies. We need you outside for pictures quick," the photographer announced, pointing to the door.

We spent the next hour posing for pictures. I watched quietly nearby as  she took several alone and then with her parents. She looked so happy,  so gorgeous. I had almost everything picked out for my wedding,  including my wedding dress, and now it would just sit. I had no use for  it and that thought made me sad.

Perhaps I just wasn't the marrying kind. I had absolutely no examples of  what a marriage was growing up, and I wasn't even sure I'd be any good  at it.

The wedding ceremony was absolutely stunning. I cried as they said their  vows and again when they had their first kiss. Her new husband, Oliver,  was the absolutely best guy in the world for her, and I felt incredibly  blessed to witness their union     .         

     



 

"Stop crying." Staci nudged me, grabbing my attention, as she handed me a glass of wine.

"I'm not crying because I'm sad," I explained, grabbing the glass. "I'm  really happy for her." She sat down next to me as we watched the  newlyweds dance to their first song.

"You're crying because you were supposed to have that and now you aren't."

"I always thought William was it for me-the whole fairytale. But I  really just wanted someone who got me. Who loved me for all my broken  pieces and helped me be a better person. When I met William, I forgot  that. I forgot it because he was never around. And somehow, in the midst  of our relationship, I just accepted he wasn't."

"You aren't broken, Mac. We all have flaws," she reassured.

I shrugged, knowing she was partially right. My head felt like a tornado  had blown through it. I wanted Alex, but I wasn't certain the damage  done could be repaired. I didn't know if taking the risk of getting hurt  by him again was something I'd be able to recover from again.

"You miss him." Her voice was soft, genuine, and low.

I nodded, sipping my champagne. "Yes," I whispered just loud enough so  she could hear me. "So much that it's starting to be physically painful  from how much my chest aches when I think about him."

"You are the queen of denial, Mac, but you can't deny how he makes you  feel. And even though I've never met him in person, I can tell by the  way you talk about him he just isn't going to sit around and wait for  you to make up your mind." She flashed me a knowing grin.

"I know … " I said harshly, keeping my head down.

She stayed silent a moment before asking, "I'm going to grab some cake. Want some?"

"No, thanks." I forced a smile in return.

I continued sitting and finishing the rest of my champagne when the  dance floor cleared and the start of How Do I Live came on through the  speakers. I narrowed my brows in confusion and looked around, wondering  where everyone was going.

My heart throbbed in my chest as soon as I saw Alex walking across the  dance floor toward me. He looked incredible in a sleek, black tuxedo.  His hair was perfectly styled and his mouth looked delicious as he  flashed me his legendary shit-eating grin. It felt like my breath was  being sucked out of me the closer he got.

My body trembled when he stood in front of me and smiled. "May I have  this dance?" He put his hand out, waiting for me to grab it. I glanced  down to prevent him from seeing the stupid grin on my face. I tilted my  face to look back up at him and nodded.

I placed my hand in his and let him guide me back to the dance floor. My  heart continued to race, my body on fire at just getting to feel his  skin against my skin. I couldn't believe he was really here.

He spun around and pulled me to his chest as he grasped my hand. I  looked up at him as he smiled down at me, the look in his eyes intense  and filled with lust.

"You remembered," I whispered.

"Remembered what?"

"This song." I smiled. "That it was my favorite part of the movie."

"Of course I did." His lips curled up. "I remember everything you've  told me, Mac. Even the things you haven't told me, but showed me. I'd  never be able to forget." I smiled and lay my head against his chest.

We continued dancing in silence before he finally spoke up. "I've been asking myself that same question … "

I pulled my bottom lip in between my teeth as I cautiously asked, "What question?"

I leaned back and looked at him as he flashed his eyes toward the  speakers and then blinked back down to me. "How I'm supposed to live  without you. Or Breathe. Or Survive." I felt him tighten his hold on me.  "All of it."

I swallowed as I saw the pain in his features. "And have you come to a conclusion?" I asked leery.

"Yes." He grinned and lowered his face to mine. "I'm not. I refuse to." I  blinked nervously as I bowed my head. He cupped my jaw and brought my  eyes back up to him. "I can't, Mac. You're it for me. Since the moment I  heard your laugh, felt your lips, knew what it was like to hold you-I  knew."         

     



 

He leaned in, pulling my chin toward him and closed the gap between our  mouths. His lips brushed against mine, sending shivers down my entire  body as he deepened the kiss, reminding me exactly what I was missing.

I wrapped both arms around his neck, pulling him closer to me-if that  were even possible-and sunk deeper into him. His lips were warm and  soft, his body against mine molded perfectly to me, and I was an idiot  for pushing this man away.

His hands on my lower back held me firmly against him. He slowly broke  the kiss but kept our faces close together as he leaned his forehead  against mine, mingling his breath with mine.

"How'd you know I was here?" I asked, pulling back slightly to look at  him. I hadn't even noticed a few more couples had joined us on the dance  floor.

"A little birdie told me." I looked around and saw Staci leaning up  against the bar with Britt. When our eyes met, she smiled and winked at  me. Of course, she was the master of deception.

"Adding wedding crashing to your resume now?" I teased.

"Whatever it took," he said confidently, leaning down and kissing me  gently on the lips as the song ended. "But I'm ready to get the hell out  of here now."





Chapter Thirty



Just as the song ended, he dragged me off the dance floor and led us  into the elevator, nearly ripping my clothes off. I clung to him for  support, needing him like my next breath. His mouth on me was hot,  greedy. His taste alone sent shivers down my body, heating my arousal  for him even deeper.

"You remember what we did in the elevator that first night?" he growled,  pulling both of my arms up over my head and wrapping his hands around  my wrists. "You remember how much you begged for it?" he spoke under his  breath against my ear.

I inhaled deeply, desperate for him to touch me and panted, "Remind me."  Those two whispered words fueled the challenge in his eyes. He pressed  his hips into mine, pinning my body to the wall. His mouth covered mine,  greedily and passionately as our bodies reunited.

One of his hands slid down my body as the other held my wrists. I felt  him cup my breast as I moaned in his mouth, his cock pressing hard  against the fabric of my clothes. His lips moved down my jawline and  landed just below my ear as he whispered, "You begged me not to stop.  You begged for it right there and now."

My eyes fluttered closed as I felt his hot breath against the flesh of  neck. My entire body tingled in response as he pulled the lobe in  between his teeth and nipped it.