by Dylann Crush
Teddy leaned down toward her ear. “I know what you’re thinking. He doesn’t fit the mold. What would Dad think?”
Reagan twisted around to look at him.
“You can sit around waiting for someone to hand you your future on a silver platter, but that’s not going to happen, sweetheart. Look at Cal and me. Do you think Mom and Dad wanted to see their only son get hitched to his boyfriend? You’ve got to start looking out for yourself.”
Reagan opened her mouth to respond as Cal came crashing through the door.
“Got them!” He opened his hand to show the two titanium bands in his palm.
“Good. Showtime, guys.” She stood, went to kiss Teddy on the cheek again, and stopped herself, remembering the lip gloss. She gave him a hug instead. Could he be right? Did Zach deserve a second chance?
She’d think about that later. Right now, she had two grooms to usher down the aisle. She linked her arms through Cal’s and Teddy’s and moved toward the door. They deserved their happily ever after and had fought like hell over the past several years to secure it, risking their family, Cal’s job, basically everything. Did she have the energy and stamina to follow in her brother’s footsteps and take a crack at her happily ever after?
As the trio approached the candlelit walkway leading to the ceremony site, the harpist began to play. Reagan released their arms and joined their hands together. Teddy turned and sent an air kiss in her direction then whispered something to Cal who grinned and squeezed his hand. Reagan sighed. The months of planning, the hellacious road trip of the past few days—it had all been worth it to witness this moment. The couple strode down the aisle as the intimate group of family and friends gazed on.
Reagan elected to watch the ceremony from the back as opposed to taking a seat in the front row next to her parents. That way she could keep an eye on Zach as he discreetly moved around the edges of the ceremony, capturing the moments on film. Zach, who looked absolutely stunning in his fast-fashioned tux and who, as she’d previously had the pleasure to discover, looked even more incredible out of it. Warmth spread through her mid-section and rose, flushing her face. Maybe it was the soothing sound of the surf or the faint fragrance of all the flowers in the air. Whatever it was, Reagan felt the stress and tension of the past six months drain from her limbs.
With a content smile on her face, she listened to Teddy and Cal exchange their vows. All too soon, the officiant announced the marriage. Everyone stood and clapped. Reagan took one last look at her brother and Cal, their joy evident in the way they wrapped their arms around each other and made it official. Would she ever find someone who would look at her with the same love and tenderness?
She smiled and turned to walk the short distance to the open-air bungalow where the reception would take place. There was still work to be done, family photos to coordinate, and a plated dinner for fifty to oversee. And at some point, she knew deep down, she’d have to figure out what she wanted to say to Zach. Hopefully, by the time he finished her extensive list of family and reception shots, she’d have a chance to come up with something. Working with her dad had taught her there were always two sides to every story. It would only be fair to give him a chance to share his.
24
Zach switched one lens out for another, trying to find the right combination to capture the candlelit reception. He’d worked his way through Reagan’s detailed list of required photos. She’d had Teddy hand him the piece of paper. Obviously, she was still pissed and didn’t want to talk to him. That was okay by him because he hadn’t figured out what to say to her yet. Everything he came up with in his head sounded stupid and trite. Or sappy and unoriginal. How could he put into words what the past few days had meant to him without coming across as a complete douche bag?
Words weren’t really his thing. Pictures? Those he could work with. Nothing made him happier than capturing a moment on film. The emotion, the feeling of being present in one specific instant, he could do that. But taking those same feelings and putting them into words—he’d never mastered that process.
That was why it was so important to get the wedding pictures right. If he did an outstanding job, she’d be able to see how much he cared. He stepped around a few people seated on the edge of the dance floor to snap a shot of Teddy and Cal dancing their first dance. Scazzoli would shit bricks if he saw all the film Zach was getting. Good thing the scumbag would never get his hands on it. Zach scanned the place for Reagan and caught a glimpse of gold shimmer heading toward the beach. It might be his only chance to catch her alone. He snapped a few more shots then started down the path after her.
The gold dress had about done him in when he saw her in it. The taut strapless gown stretched over her curves, emphasizing her ample assets and setting off the highlights in her hair. Made him ache in places he didn’t know existed and long for a cold shower to douse the burning lust coursing through him. He racked his brain, trying to come up with something to say. Too soon, he saw her silhouetted with the sun setting behind her. He stopped and zoomed in.
At the sound of the shutter click, she turned and caught him. Her eyes narrowed. A little muscle along her jawline ticked.
Zach rose to his feet and closed the distance between them. “Reagan, I’ve been trying to think of what to say to you all day.”
“How about I’m sorry I lied to you? Or gosh, I’ve been a real ass, can you ever forgive me?”
He rubbed his hand along the back of his neck and grimaced. “Yeah, those both sound good.”
She waited, hands set on her slim waist, just over the curve of her hips, drawing his eyes to the damn dress. Looking at her like that made it hard to think. Made things hard, in general.
Zach reached for her hands, his fingertips brushing her waist as he twined their fingers and brought her hands to his lips.
“I’m sorry.” He kissed her hands. “I made a stupid decision, and I should have told you about it. When I considered selling the pictures, I didn’t know what I was doing. That guy threatened to sell me out over some work I did a few years ago if I didn’t get him what he wanted. I didn’t think about you as anything more than someone I used to know.”
“And now?” Her gaze lifted to meet his.
He swallowed the giant lump that formed in his throat. The anger in her eyes was gone, replaced with something that looked like apprehension and maybe, just maybe, a little bit of hope. “Now?”
“Yeah, Zach. What about now?” She glanced over his shoulder toward the reception. “I should get back.” She made a move to pull her hands away.
“Wait.” He held her in place. This was his chance. If he screwed this up, he had no doubt she wouldn’t give him another shot. He put a finger under her chin and tilted her head so she’d meet his gaze. “Now I can’t imagine a day going by without being with you. Believe me, I wasn’t looking for this. But there’s something going on between us, and I want to figure out what it is. I’ve never done this before.”
“What?” She smirked. “Stood on a moonlit beach?”
He rolled his eyes and let out a breath. Sarcasm was a good sign. “No. I’ve never had a real relationship. I want to try that with you. That is, if you’re up for it.”
“No more lies.”
“No more lies,” he repeated.
“No more thoughts about leaking pictures.”
He drew a cross over his heart with his pointer finger. “I promise.”
“And no more stealing my cupcakes.”
It was his turn to smirk. “I won’t steal them, but maybe we can share every once in a while?”
Her eyes narrowed, and her mouth screwed into a scowl.
“Only if it’s Sweet Sal’s. How’s that for a compromise?” he asked.
She didn’t answer for a long moment. His heart thumped, reverberating through his chest cavity.
“I’ll have to think about that,” she finally said, giving his hands a squeeze. “Come on, I need to check on the dessert bar and make sure they have enough chee
secake set out.”
“So we’re good, then?”
She rose up on her tiptoes and planted a smacking kiss on his cheek. “Good for now. But come by my bungalow later, and we’ll make it great.”
His chest expanded. She was going to give him another shot. “You got it.”
Reagan moved past him. He gave in to temptation and patted her perfect ass.
She whipped her head around. “What was that for?”
“A sign of things to come.”
Her mouth spread into a grin. She shook her head, sending her curls bouncing. “I’m looking forward to it.”
His feet remained rooted to the spot, unable to move until the mesmerizing sway of her hips had disappeared through the palms. That went better than he’d hoped. Maybe they did stand a chance. He waited for a few minutes for his pulse to return to normal then made it back to the reception in time to snap a few shots of Teddy and Cal dancing their last dance. The two men walked through a pathway of sparklers to exit the reception and retire to their bungalow. Zach captured as much as he could then took a seat at a table on the outer edge of the area to break down his camera and put his equipment away.
The chair next to him scraped along the parquet floor as someone slid it out and sat down beside him. “Got everything you needed?” Simon asked.
“Yes, sir. I clicked through and think the family will be happy with the shots. I’ll do some editing, of course, then post the files on my secure server so they can pick out the ones they want.”
Simon shook his head. “We’ll do things our way.”
Zach leaned back in his chair. “What do you have in mind?”
He held out his hand. “You give me the SD cards, and the senator’s people will handle the editing.”
“That’s not how I do business, I—”
“That’s how we do business.” He slid a folded check across the table. “I’m sure you’ll find the payment more than sufficient to make up for any inconvenience.”
Zach peeked at the amount on the check. They’d never talked about a fee to cover the event. He had trusted Reagan to make sure it was fair. The amount on the check wasn’t just fair, it would cover rent on a place of his own plus some new equipment.
“Your call.” Zach popped open the camera and handed over the memory card. “I do need to tell you something, though.”
“And what might that be?”
Zach cleared his throat. Making nice with Senator Campbell would ease the way for a potential future with Reagan. “The press thinks Senator Campbell is having an affair. Asked me to get some proof.”
Simon’s eyes narrowed. “Is that so?”
Shrugging his shoulders, Zach cast his glance wide. Maria hovered at the edge of the bar near Senator Campbell’s elbow. She’d been unusually attentive to Reagan’s dad. Could she be the other woman? The hair color matched the photo Scazzoli texted him. Didn’t matter at this point.
“I wanted to pass the info along. I’d hate for anything to get in the way of his bid for the White House.”
“And I’m supposed to take the warning from a guy like you, a man who’s already tried to blackmail the senator’s family, as truth?”
“We both know I didn’t try to blackmail the Campbell family. Baldwin acted on his own. I care about Reagan and wouldn’t do anything to hurt her.” His hands curled into fists, the unfairness of the situation he’d thought he put behind him flaring again.
“Stay out of trouble.” Simon offered his hand for a brusque handshake, then disappeared across the dance floor.
Was that his way of making peace? At least he hadn’t escorted Zach to the dock right away. That meant he’d have another night to spend with Reagan, to try and make things up to her. He zipped his bag and slung it over his shoulder. Stopping by the dessert table on his way out, he snatched two plates of cheesecake and a couple of napkins. A few bottles of champagne that hadn’t been uncorked for the toast sat on the end of the bar. Zach wrapped his finger around two clean champagne flutes then nabbed a full bottle of champagne. Hopefully he and Reagan would have a need for a private celebration later.
Reagan heard the tap-tap on her door and padded across the tile floor to answer. Zach held out a bottle of champagne to her, his hands full of plates and glasses.
"Someone planned ahead," she commented.
"That's me, the consummate planner, right?"
She let out a laugh. The day she caught Zach making plans would be the day she choked on her words.
"What, you don't believe me?" he asked, feigning surprise.
She set the bottle of champagne down on the dresser and took the glasses from his hand. "It's not that I don't believe you, it's just that ever since I've known you, you've kind of flown by the seat of your pants."
He set the cheesecake down next to the glasses and picked up the bottle. "Can I pour you a glass?"
"May as well. I'll need something to wash down those two pieces of cheesecake."
Zach narrowed his eyes. "You mean one piece of cheesecake. There's one for you and one for me."
Reagan dipped a fork into a slice and took a bite. "It's really good."
"Give me some of that." He tried to catch her hand as she lifted the fork to her mouth with another bite on it, but she beat him to it. Smiling, she let another decadent bite melt on her tongue.
"I'll take the other one then." Zach lunged for the plate sitting on the dresser, but Reagan got there first.
"You want it so bad? Here you go." She dipped her finger into the dessert and trailed it down his cheek.
“You going to kiss it off later?” He took her finger into his mouth and sucked the sweet dessert from her skin.
She considered his challenge. “That’s not enough to kiss off you.”
“Well, what are you going to do about it?” He seemed to be waiting for her to make the next move, probably not expecting her to smash the entire piece into his face, smearing it from his chin to his hairline.
Reagan casually anchored a hand on her hip.
Zach stood still and took the abuse. "I guess I deserved that." He lifted one of the napkins to his face and swiped the cream cheese away from his eyes.
Through a haze of chocolate ganache, the heat of his gaze roamed over her. Her mouth quirked into a half-grin and she glued both of her hands to her hips, daring him to retaliate.
"Do you forgive me now?”
“A little more groveling wouldn’t hurt.”
He groaned. “I said I was sorry. I don't know how else to show you I really mean it. Can we try? See where we end up?”
“Long distance? You’re in LA, and I’m in Chicago. At least for now.”
Zach continued to wipe at the cheesecake on his face. Globs of it dropped onto the floor. “Looks like I'll be relocating. I might spend a few months in Chicago to help my dad before I pick a place to set up shop. Can I see you when we get back?"
"Give me the napkin." She took it from his hands and attempted to wipe the cheesecake from his cheek. Though she’d taken great satisfaction in catching him off guard, the least she could do was help him clean up. Focused on getting a chunk of chocolate from where it had clung to his eyelashes, she didn't see him grab the other piece off the plate until it smashed into her face.
"Zach Anderson! You're going to regret that!" Reagan swiped some of the cake off her cheek and smeared it across his mouth. He caught her fingers with his lips and sucked the gooey topping from each digit.
Her stomach clenched, the all too familiar burning sensation radiating out from a specific spot in between her legs that she got when Zach was around.
"You were saying something about me regretting something?" he asked, invading her personal space. He held her wrist in one hand. The other went around the back of her neck and he pulled her mouth closer to his.
Hell, she was done fighting the attraction. She leaned in, letting her mouth meet his first. Teddy was right. No one would hand her a platter of happiness. If she wanted it, she'd have to cl
aim it for herself.
So she did.
Zach slowed their frenzied mash up of mouths down. Way down. He pulled back to the point where his lips barely touched hers. He exhaled across her lips, the faint scent of vanilla drifting up to her nose from the remnants of cheesecake still decorating their cheeks.
"What do you say, cupcake? You up for making this more than a road trip fling?”
"You obviously are," she said, sliding her hand down to the waistband of his tux. The ridge of his erection pressed into her hip and a chill ran through her as she considered how many hours they'd have together before he had to sneak across the beach to his bed.
“You seem to have that effect on me.”
His fingers found the zipper at the back of her dress. Goosebumps scattered over her skin as he slid the zipper lower and lower. The bodice of her dress fell forward. She pressed her chest against the coat of Zach’s tux.
“Now you’re shy?” he asked.
She shivered and let her dress fall into a puddle around her ankles. In nothing but a lacy thong and a pair of gold strappy sandals, she stood in front of him, her thighs quivering with anticipation. Zach’s gaze traveled up and down her body, leaving a trail of warmth in its wake.
“You’re so beautiful.” His finger twisted around a strand of her hair. He nudged her backward. When her legs bumped against the edge she let herself fall back.
Propping herself up on her elbows, she watched him slowly undress. First, the bow tie. Next, his shirt buttons. He tossed both onto a chair and went to work on the waistband of his pants. She licked her lips, enjoying the sight of him easing his pants down, one leg at a time. His shoes clattered to the floor and he stood before her—a chance at happiness.
Not the kind orchestrated by her family to improve her dad’s standings in the polls or to secure a sizable campaign donation. With his multiple tattoos, unconventional hair, and extra--ahem—hardware, Zach embodied her dad’s version of a nightmare. No longer willing to sacrifice herself for the greater good of the family, Reagan reclined on the bed. If she had to choose between helping her dad’s campaign or getting lost in Zach’s arms, she chose Zach.