“Paige.” He framed her face in his hands and waited until he had her full attention. “Nothing about that was casual.” Then he lowered his head and kissed her. Slow and deliberate, soothing and promising. It was meant to reassure, but quickly turned into a hot reminder of their night together. Her soft curves pressed against him, her hands slid into his hair, and he made love to her mouth like he wanted to make love to her body.
When he lifted his head, the shadows he’d seen in her eyes earlier were gone. In fact she looked a little dazed. Good.
“Hey, guys.” Jenny stuck her head in. “I’m doing my best out here, but I can’t hold Casey off much longer.”
He held up a finger signaling one minute, but kept his eyes on Paige. “Better?”
“Yes.”
“Don’t worry. We’ll figure it out.” He kissed the top of her head. “And we’re still going to Simon’s sister’s wedding. I’ll pick you up tomorrow at five.”
She smiled. “Okay.”
“And Paige, people don’t do that all the time.”
—
Torches burned brightly around the outdoor patio, the wedding reception in full swing. There was a band set up at one end and a buffet at the other. White and green flower arrangements adorned tables where people sat laughing over hors d’oeuvres.
Jenny had forced her to borrow a short black dress, then did her makeup and hair while Casey looked on excitedly. When she caught herself in the mirror, she saw something she’d never seen before. Not a pregnant teen or an exhausted waitress with too much on her mind. She was a woman anticipating a date with a man who made her heart beat faster, and she’d smiled at herself.
Jake was every woman’s fantasy on any day, but in black pants, a crisp white dress shirt unbuttoned at his neck, he was utterly devastating.
He handed her another drink, something pink and delicious that had her feeling bold and tingly. She kissed his cheek, easier in the heels her cousin had also provided. “Thank you. This is the best wedding I’ve ever been to,” she said, pressing into him, grinning even wider when his arm tightened around her.
He smiled. “This is the only wedding you’ve ever been to.”
She pushed the little umbrella out of the way and took a sip. “True. Do you think that’s weird?”
“Probably not as weird as how many weddings I have been to.”
The band started up again, and the groom twirled his new bride onto the dance floor and other people joined them. Simon’s sister was spun from her groom, to her father, to the groom’s father and back again. She caught Simon across the room, holding court with five adoring women all over sixty.
Jake leaned down to whisper against her ear. “Dance with me.”
It wasn’t a question and goosebumps broke out over her arms at the low command in his voice. In the space of a few heartbeats her drink was gone and Jake had swept her into his arms. His hand was hot through the thin fabric covering her lower back and she shivered again, then sighed, burrowing into his warmth. He brought their joined hands to his chest, right over his heart. Her other hand slid up his chest to curl around his neck.
He lowered his head until their cheeks were touching. “You’re so beautiful.”
“So are you,” she said, though the word didn’t come close to describing him. Rubbing her nose into his throat, she inhaled. God, he smelled delicious.
“Are you sniffing me?”
“Yes,” she answered shamelessly and did it again.
The band kept up a series of slow songs, and she laid her cheek against his chest, thinking it was all very fairy tale–ish. The light breeze over the patio, the music, the dancers. But mostly the man.
They continued to sway together and when he brushed his jaw tenderly over the top of her head, something opened inside her. Like a box creaking open ever so slowly while her heart watched with bated breath, not knowing what was inside or if it would suddenly snap shut.
She lifted her head to look up at him, feeling incredibly lucky.
“What?”
“Nothing.” She smiled but didn’t look away, skimming her fingertips up the back of his neck and into his hair.
“Have you decided about Virginia?”
“I don’t know. It’s a really big thing to offer.”
“I can do it. I want to.”
“Wouldn’t it be weird going to your family’s without you?”
“You’re not going to visit my family,” he said, and guided her to the right to avoid more exuberant dancers. “You’ve seen the website. People come from all over.”
“I know.” And she did want this for Casey.