by Brook Wilder
I had never felt so foolish in all my life.
The only plus was the fit my mother had thrown when I told her about Alice being part of the wedding party. I had never seen her so mad, but I didn’t care. My father had surprisingly backed me on the decision, telling my mother that I should have some input on what was to be the happiest day of my life. She had quieted only after he had put his objection in, and since then all of her comments had been very direct toward me.
Being the sweet person she was, Alice had taken it all in stride and continued to be unfailingly polite to my mother, which I think drove her even more crazy. This morning, I had called in the designer of my bridesmaids’ gowns and had Alice outfitted to suit her body type, slapping her hands away as she tried to hide her best assets. I wasn’t going to be the only hottie at my wedding.
“Nataliya? Are you even listening to me?”
I turned my attention back to the conversation, giving my mother a false smile.
“Of course, Mother. Whatever you think is right.”
“Grey it is then,” she answered, choosing the most severe color in the designer book. “The dark red of the gowns and the red wine we will serve will be perfect.”
“Oh yes,” the designer agreed.
I imagined she would have agreed had we chosen any color, seeing only dollar signs in her eyes whenever she was here.
The florist started up with the center arrangements on the tables, and I turned to look out of the window, studying the grey skies overhead. My thoughts were on the scene two nights ago, when Fox had literally turned me down. He had seemed… well, pissed that I had come onto him.
Had I read him all wrong?
I didn’t think so. He wanted the real Nat, not this false person that was sitting on this couch, pretending to be the person that everyone wanted.
He wanted the one that let her hair down, showed her weaknesses, and actually asked for help. He wanted the one that I struggled to be, that my mother considered weak and petty.
Why? I didn’t know, but I had a strong suspicion that it was because I was more relatable. Based on what I had seen with his mother, his admission about the girl that had gotten away, Fox was as about as real as it got. There were no frills, no false smiles to hide behind.
What I was seeing was the real man.
So why couldn’t I be that person too? Well, for starters, my parents expected a certain daughter. My ‘friends’, with the exception of Alice, expected a certain leader they could follow. My fiancé expected the perfect wife.
But Fox… He only wanted me, and that was going to be the only way I got him.
I swallowed hard, the drone of the conversation all around me. Did I want Fox? Hell, yes, I did. After that night on the couch, before I had gone and screwed it up, I hadn’t felt that way about anyone before. He made me feel comfortable, that I could show him every side of me and he wouldn’t bat an eye.
Bryan, on the other hand, had ranted and raved for a solid hour about Fox being so close to my room, so much that I didn’t even have to worry about fighting his advances. Just when I thought he was done, his phone had rung, and he had spent another hour on the phone, talking so low that I finally gave up and went to bed alone.
He never joined me.
Not that I cared. I had even stopped caring about whether we had sex or not; when we did, it had become so lackluster that, during our most recent encounter, I had nearly yawned.
And all of that had happened before Fox had come into the picture.
“And your honeymoon… I hear that Bryan has a surprise for you.”
I turned back to the conversation.
“Really.”
My mother, enjoying the attention, clasped her hands against her chest.
“Oh yes. I helped him plan it. You are most fortunate, my dear, to have a man that cares so deeply for you.”
That was the last straw.
“You helped plan my honeymoon?”
She nodded.
“He asked for my help. I can’t tell you, of course, for that would ruin the surprise.”
I got up from the couch and walked out of the room, ignoring the gasps behind me. My mother had planned my own damn honeymoon.
“Nat!”
I turned to see Alice walking toward me, concern on her face.
“Are you okay? I mean, that’s not right.”
“She might as well be getting married herself,” I ground out, crossing my arms over my chest. “Every single fucking thing about this wedding is her idea, not mine, and now I will be going on her honeymoon! What the hell is wrong with this picture?”
Alice’s expression was sympathetic.
“Maybe you should go lie down. You look exhausted.”
I was exhausted. I hadn’t been sleeping well, my nightmares full of people trying to kill me. Coupled with the stress of my feelings for Fox, I just… It hadn’t been a good time for me at night.
But sleep wasn’t what I wanted to do. I needed to get out, to get away for a while and clear my head.
“Can you cover for me?”
Alice crossed her arms over her chest, arching a brow.
“Are you about to do something stupid?”
Yes… No… I wasn’t sure.
“There is high probability.”
Alice stared at me, a deadpan look in her eye.
“Just don’t get yourself locked up or killed, okay?”
I gave her a grin, a real one.
“Thanks. I really owe you one.”
Alice grinned back.
“Don’t worry. I will be like a bump on a log in there with your mom. Go on, do something fun.”
“Thanks,” I said, hurrying in the opposite direction, my heels clicking on the floor.
I didn’t know what I was going to do, but it likely was going to cost my father an obscene amount of money by the time I was through.
I made it to the front door and started to open it when it was shut from above.
“Where do you think you are going?”
I turned, a shiver going through me as I looked up at Fox. His jaw was clenched, and my first instinct was to smooth it out for him or kiss it. Either one was going to lead to no good.
“I-I need to go out.”
He slid his hand down the door until it was level with my shoulder.
“Without me?”
I bit my lip.
“I, I can’t be here anymore.”
His jaw worked, and I waited for him to tell me no.
After the incident the other night, Fox hadn’t said two words to me, but I could feel his presence when he wasn’t around. Having him here, right now, is what I needed.
“Please,” I tried again.
“I’m going,” he said, his voice gruff.
I nodded, the relief cascading through my body.
“I would want nothing more.”
His eyes widened, and I turned away, walking out the door, so I didn’t have to answer why I had said that. Why had I said that? Had it been because I was falling for Fox Lawrence?
We walked to the garage, and I reached for the handle of the BMW before Fox’s hand laid on top of mine.
“Let me drive.”
The electricity coursing through our touching skin was almost too much to bear.
“A-alight,” I answered, pulling away before I threw myself at him. Walking to the other side of the car, I climbed in the passenger seat, watching as Fox positioned himself behind the wheel.
Even in his usual attire and scruffy beard, Fox could still pass for a model. Why had I only just realized how unbelievably sexy he was?
“Where to, Princess?” he asked, pushing the button to fire up the engine.
“Anywhere but here,” I sighed, leaning back on the leather seat.
He grinned.
“I got just the place.”
**
Two hours later, I slammed down the shot glass, feeling the burn down my throat.
“That is some good stuff.�
��
Fox did the same, a grin on his face.
“You have said that after every shot.”
I leaned against the scarred bar top and gave him a lopsided grin in return.
“Well, it’s the truth. I feel ten times better.”
Fox looked down at his watch.
“Considering it’s three in the afternoon, I would doubt anyone would disagree with that sentiment.”
I batted my eyelashes.
“It’s only three? It feels like at least midnight.”
Fox’s eyes twinkled with laughter.
“I should get you drunk more often.”
I laughed. Truly I did feel ten times better.
Fox had taken me to some run-down bar on the outskirts of town, where the liquor was strong and the burgers were greasy. I had already polished off a heart attack of a burger and fries, enjoying every mouthful, without any regard to my diet. Once again, Fox was ruining my diet and I didn’t give a shit about it.
But it was more than that. Fox was keeping the conversation lively, straying far away from any talk of death or my wedding day, in favor of stories about he and his brothers growing up.
Their mother had to be a saint for what she had dealt with.
The one thing I enjoyed, though, was the love for his family that appeared on Fox’s face as he talked about them. Where had my own family gone wrong? Sure, I loved my parents, but most of the memories Fox had shared I hadn’t experienced.
It made me like him even more.
“One more round?” Fox asked, arching a brow.
I shook my head, feeling the effects of the liquor on my brain.
“I don’t know if I can even walk straight as it is.”
Fox reached into his pocket and peeled some bills off the top of a wad, throwing them on the bar.
“Come on,” he said, extending his hand. “Let’s go then.”
I grabbed it, pushing myself off the stool and directly into his arms with a giggle.
“Sorry,” I said, my hands landing on his well-formed chest.
I could feel his heartbeat under my palm, the warmth of his skin through his t-shirt.
His hands landed at my waist to steady me, and I sucked in a breath, feeling that electricity climb over my skin.
“You alright?” he asked.
No, I was far from alright.
“Is there anywhere else we can go?”
“Are you sure?” Fox asked gently, knowing what I was asking.
Without a second thought, I reached up and brought his head down to mine, brushing my lips over his.
“Yes.”
His hands tightened at my waist.
“Damn, Nat, what are you trying to do to me?”
I met his eyes, my heart hammering in my chest. If he pushed me away now, I wasn’t sure how I would react.
“I-I need this, Adam.”
He let me go then, grabbing my hand and pulling me out of the bar so fast that I nearly stepped out of my heels in the process. Before I knew it, we were in the car and his hand was on my leg, just below the hem of my skirt, as we raced down the road. I trailed my fingers over his hand lightly, the anticipation starting to build. This was what I wanted. This was all I wanted. I wanted to forget myself, forget everything about me, and just live for once in my life.
I wanted to be Nat, and I wanted to belong to Fox, if only for a few hours.
It wasn’t long until Fox was pulling the car into a driveway of a modest brick home tucked away at the end of a dead-end street. He shut off the car, his hand resting lightly on the steering wheel while the other played with the hem of my skirt.
“Last chance to change your mind Nat.”
Like hell! Instead of answering, I pushed open the door and climbed out. I wasn’t backing out, and that wasn’t just the alcohol talking either.
Fox walked ahead of me, pulling out a set of keys from his pocket.
“It’s not much,” he warned, inserting them into the lock. “But it’s cheap.”
He pushed open the door, and I stepped inside, taking in the barely-furnished living room. He was right. It wasn’t much, but it smelled faintly of his cologne, and I felt instantly welcomed.
Fox shut the door and threw the keys on the table.
“You want a drink?”
I turned toward him, the intensity ratcheting up a notch.
“No,” I said softly. “I don’t want a drink.”
There was only one thing I wanted right now, and nothing was going to stand in my way of getting it.
His brow arched.
“What do you want Nat?”
“You,” I answered confidently, walking toward him.
There was no swagger in my step, nothing that would show him that I was anything but myself this time. When my hands collided with his chest, I sucked in a breath, feeling nervous. For the first time in my life, I didn’t know what to do.
“Easy,” Fox said, grasping my hands in his. “We will take it easy, alright? We have all night.”
“I-I’m not usually like this,” I stammered, attempting a smile.
He lowered his head.
“Me neither.”
Fox’s lips touched mine, and I was swept away by the raw emotion I was feeling, the first true taste of him causing my knees to weaken.
This was what I wanted, there was no doubt about it.
Fox’s lips moved over mine urgently, and I opened my mouth, allowing him to sweep in and take control. God, I wanted him so badly.
He let out a low growl, cupping a hand behind my head to angle me better as he ravaged my mouth, leaving me nearly breathless with each sweep of his tongue. With my free hand, I grasped at his shoulder, urging him to deepen the kiss. This was not the Nat that was normally in control; this was the Nat that wanted the man in front of her in every aspect.
Fox tore his mouth from mine, his breathing harsh.
“God, you drive me wild.”
“Please,” I begged, kicking off my heels. “Don’t stop.”
He grinned, reaching to pull his t-shirt over his head.
“I don’t plan to.”
My breath left my lungs as I took in his solid chest, the smattering of hair that cascaded from his pecs to that happy trail that disappeared beneath the waistband of his jeans.
I wanted to know where that trail went. I wanted to see what was at the end.
Putting on the bravest smile I could muster at this point, I pulled my own shirt over my head, matching Fox clothing for clothing. His eyes dilated as he looked at my lacy bra.
“You wear that for me?”
“I was kind of hoping you would see it,” I answered honestly, reaching for the hooks and sliding the bra off.
“Damn,” he said softly, his hands covering my aching breasts. “You are fucking perfect, Nat.”
My knees weakened, and I moaned at his touch, pushing my body closer into it. The sensations… Lord, they were more than I had been anticipating.
Fox dropped down to one knee, taking one of my puckered nipples in his mouth and sucking lightly. I slid my fingers into his hair and pulled him closer, the swirling sensations doing a number on my lower half. If he could do this with just one tug of his mouth… Dear God, I might not survive the rest.
Fox’s hand inched up my bare leg, sliding under the skirt I was wearing and grazing my thigh, as if to give me a chance to push him away. Instead of pulling away, I arched against his touch, giving him full access to my body.
Wild horses couldn’t have dragged me away from this.
Chapter 10
Fox
She was driving me crazy.
Nat’s moans were nearly tearing me apart, but it was her subtle movements that told me she wanted this.
Hell, I wanted this.
My hand slid up her skirt, touching her silky-smooth leg as I wandered further toward my destination, releasing one breast so that I could feast on the other. I could feel her body tremble under my touch, the wetness on her panties
as I reached the apex of her body. She was hot and ready for me, and I was going to embarrass the hell out of myself if I didn’t take it slow.