Chapter 1
Malik
She was electricity on fire.
That was the only way to describe Kait in her cream-colored dress. Her long, straight, brown hair looked like it was woven from silk. It was perfectly done up in a layered updo that hung softly over her milky exposed shoulders. Her dark hair and light skin gave her elegant form a shock of contrast.
My eyes were drawn up from her wonderful curves, past her perfect breasts, over the soft shadows that licked her collarbone, to the face I'd seen in my mind and heart every time I laid down.
Even after all these years Kait Sutherland was still the most stunning woman I'd ever seen.
She stood beside her brother as the priest went through each part of his reading, first in English, then again in Spanish. Had this been her wedding, I never would've found the strength to show up.
Laughter reverberated through the ornate arched chambers of the cathedral when Kait's brother, Brendan placed a large joke ring on his wife-to-be's finger. Brendan was always a trickster that wore his heart on his sleeve. It didn't matter that Brendan didn't know his wife's native language, he got a laugh from her family anyways. Humor rarely needed translation.
Brendan was a great guy. If it wasn't for him I'd never have met his sister. So many memories of the time we spent together flooded back to me. There was nowhere in the world I wanted to be more than up there next to him on the most important day of his life.
He was my best friend.
And I used to be his best friend.
I took another step back. One more step would take me out of the church completely. Just because I wanted to be up there with him, didn't mean he wouldn't punch me in the mouth if he saw me. And after the pain I caused, a punch in the face was the least of what I deserved.
Brendan quickly placed the real ring on Mariela's finger before he got an elbow to the ribs from his sister. Kait rolled her eyes, as she always did with her brother's antics, but flashed a warm smile regardless.
Fuck, that pearly, amazing smile...
It had been forever since I'd last seen her, or heard her voice. Eight years felt like eighty. I was only twenty-five, but seeing her on that altar with those blood-orange flowers in hand, made me feel so much older.
It was like looking at a life that could've been.
Should have been.
How could I have possibly stayed away for so long?
Family, that's how. My thick eyebrows furrowed beneath the weight of old, black thoughts.
I wasn't a wedding guy, or even a relationship guy, in general. My flings rarely lasted the week. At any sign of attachment, I'd break it off immediately and move on.
I was tanned and jacked from serving abroad, and now that I was out of the Marines and my hair was longer, I was a fantasy for every girl that came my way. I was a romance book cover that married women took home with them when their husbands were away.
And that was fine by me. I never had the head for love anyways, at least not anymore. I enjoyed the meaningless sex for the distraction that it was. I'd rather be someone's favorite mistake than invest myself and get hurt when it all eventually fell apart.
I hadn't been able to take my eyes off Kait the whole time. It was insane, but allowing myself to care about any of the women I fucked felt like a betrayal. I had enough long, hard cock for everyone, but only enough heart for one woman.
And that woman hated my guts.
The priest joined the bride and groom's hands and allowed Brendan to kiss his beautiful wife for the first time. The place exploded with joy around me. The cavernous church seemed to glow and sparkle with life as everyone rose to their feet, clapping and cheering.
I watched as Brendan dipped Mariela toward the crowd and kissed her again. I was a jaded, cynical, broken mess of a man, but even I was getting choked up at the overwhelming display.
What did that crazy love feel like?
Kait was her brother's groomsmaid and stood to his side of the raised platform. The rest of the wedding party waited in the wings a few steps down. It made her look all alone even though she was surrounded by people. The smile lines on her face were warm and genuine, but there was a heaviness there that went overlooked by everyone else.
Kait's dark eyes might have looked black in the low light, but I knew better. Their rich chestnut hue would forever be burned into my soul. That's how I knew that something was wrong, she had a slight sadness about her. Kait was the opposite of her brother in that regard. Where Brendan wore his emotions plainly for the world to see, Kait hid hers away.
Had someone hurt her? The thought made my eye twitch and my fists clench, anger bubbled inside me. I knew I had no right to be protective of her after how I left so long ago, but that wasn't a feeling I could ever stop. It'd be easier to try to stop breathing.
I'd spent the last eight years trying to stop caring about Kait Sutherland, and if that had worked I wouldn't be here. I loved Brendan and his wedding wasn't something I wanted to miss, but if I was being honest with myself I'd admit that I wasn't here just for him.