by S. E. Rose
Eventually, I see Zach tapping Lee on the shoulder.
“May I cut in?” he asks Lee.
“Of course,” Lee says as he leans in and kisses my cheek. “Thank you for the dance…and for everything else.”
I nod and give him a warm smile before pulling him for a hug and kiss. “Lee, you’ll find the right one. I promise,” I whisper in his ear. He just nods sadly before being whisked into an embrace from Zach. Zach says something to him that I can’t hear, and Lee nods.
I’m swept into Zach’s arms. “That’s the first time I’ve seen Lee really laugh in a long time,” he murmurs in my ear. “Thank you.”
I look up at him. “He deserves to be happy. He’s a nice guy,” I say quietly as Zach leads me to the far corner of the gazebo near the water. We sway in silence for a few minutes. I lay my head on his chest and his arms come around me. I close my eyes and commit this moment to memory. I feel protected, cherished, and completely content.
“Guys, I’m gonna call it a night,” Lee says from the table. “I think it’s time I pack and get the hell out of here.”
We all stop and walk over to him. “You sure?” I ask him.
He nods and gives me another hug before saying his farewells to Harrison, Grant, and Zach. “I’ll see you all in two weeks,” he says as he heads off toward his room.
We all glance at one another and with nods we walk toward our own rooms.
“What time is your flight tomorrow?” Zach asks me.
“Ten a.m.,” I respond. “I should pack. When is your flight?”
“Eight a.m. tomorrow,” he says, a sad smile on his face.
“See you in two weeks then,” I say to him with an equally sad smile on my face.
“Two weeks,” he repeats as he leans in and gives me a slow kiss on my lips before pulling me into an embrace.
Epilogue
Two Weeks Later…
“Exactly how many spa treatments did you book for us?” I ask Grant as I plop down on the couch in our villa.
“Well, we are here four days…so four,” he says matter-of-factly as he pours us champagne and sits down next to me.
“When does everyone else arrive?” I ask him.
“I think this afternoon. Harrison said he had dinner reservations for us all at some restaurant on the strip at seven tonight. Oh, yeah, I forgot to tell you, Harrison brought his little sister, Aggie,” he says.
“Oh?” I ask.
“Yeah, he figured you might want some…how did he put it, ‘estrogen company’ I think were his words,” he says with a laugh. I roll my eyes.
“Well, in any case, I’m sure we’ll have a great time,” I say to him.
“So, have you spoken with Zach?” he asks me. I shake my head.
“Nope. I mean just texts that we arrived home safely. We knew we’d see each other in two weeks. We did try to talk a few times, but we just keep missing each other. My schedule’s been crazy with a new case at work,” I point out. “What about you and Harrison?”
He grins but doesn’t answer. “Oh really?” I ask.
He shrugs.
“Do tell,” I prod.
“We’ve been…talking,” he admits. Now I feel like a bad friend because I’ve been up to my eyeballs in a new case, which is the only reason I was actually able to come on this long weekend. I apparently had worked about four weeks of time in two weeks, and my boss said I needed to take off for a long weekend or I was going to burn out.
“And by talking, you mean sexting?” I ask with a smirk.
He smirks, and I roll my eyes.
“So, how’s Lee and your family?” I ask him.
“Well, don’t beat around the bush or anything,” he says. I give him a pointed look. “Fine. Everyone is fine. My grandmother is out on bail…wow, not words I ever expected to hear out of my mouth. And Lee has been holed up at the island house. I think he needed to stay away until the Maggie stuff blew over.”
“No shit. That Maggie stuff is out of control,” I note.
“No fuck. Who’d have thought she’d try to rope Felicia into marriage so fast, and then Felicia dumped her ass for that hot Italian male model,” he says.
“Yeah, didn’t see any of that coming,” I admit.
“Me either. Beth said to say hi by the way,” he adds.
“Oh? How is she handling her newfound wealth?” I ask.
“She’s…adjusting? I mean, it was a lot to take in. She’s just going to put it aside in trusts for the kids and retirement for them,” he says. “She’s as shocked as the rest of us. It’s really Lee’s and my parents that are the most shocked.”
“I bet. I mean if my own mother was going to screw me and my kids over, I’d be pretty shocked too,” I say, leaning my head on Grant’s shoulder and curling my legs up under me.
“Yeah, to say they were surprised is the fucking understatement of the century. I can’t believe she was even looking at ways to reclaim their inheritance,” he says, downing his champagne and pouring us each another glass.
“How are you?” I ask him.
I feel him shrug beneath my head. “I’m…adjusting,” he says.
I squeeze his hand in mine, and he squeezes back.
“OK, enough serious shit. Let’s go have an amazing weekend! We need it! And by ‘we’ I mean ‘me,’” he says with a laugh.
I giggle and get up. We link arms as we make our way to the spa.
“Please tell me this isn’t a couples’ massage again?” I ask him as he checks us in. He grins, and I roll my eyes.
“Seriously, didn’t you learn your lesson last time?” I say with a huff as he hands me the form to fill out for my spa treatment.
“Oh, come on, it was funny,” he says with a giggle. “Plus, it ended with a week of great vacation sex for us both, so stop complaining already.”
I roll my eyes and try to concentrate on my form.
“You can go through there to the ladies’ dressing room when you finish with that,” the woman at the reception counter says to me. I nod and glance back at Grant as he hands his form to her, and she instructs him toward the men’s dressing room.
“See you in ‘our’ room,” I say to him and he smirks as he walks in. I roll my eyes and go to change.
This time I’m the first person in the room. I make myself cozy, well as cozy as one can get in those damned disposable undergarments, and the door opens. I pop my head up but just see the masseuses enter.
“My friend should be in momentarily,” I tell them.
“Sure. Why don’t you lie down, and we’ll get you started,” says an older woman. I comply as she sets a warm eye cover over my eyes. I snuggle down and start to relax as she massages me. Before I know it, I’m asleep.
“Miss? I need you to get up, so you can rinse off for me,” she says as she shakes me awake.
“Oh…uh…sure,” I stammer, a bit embarrassed that I passed out. I get up and look over to see Grant still getting massaged. A warm towel covers his face except for his nose, and the sheet covers his whole body up to his neck. I can barely make out his features in the dimmed lighting of the spa room.
I follow the woman over to a small room with a shower. I sigh, at least it’s not out in the open like last time.
I get in and remove my undergarments, rinsing off and letting the hot water run over my hair.
Suddenly, the door to the shower swings open. Before I can turn around strong arms come around me, and I squeal.
“Gotcha,” I hear whispered in my ear as a kiss is laid on my neck.
“Zach!” I cry out as I spin around and look into the amused eyes of the man that I haven’t stopped thinking about in two weeks, one day, and four hours.
“I knew it!” I say, playfully slapping his chest. He grins and leans down so our noses are touching.
“I couldn’t resist,” he admits, placing a kiss on my nose.
I roll my eyes.
He hugs me to him, and I squeal. “Hey! You’re getting me all dirty again,�
�� I groan as his body mud mask rubs off on me.
“I guess I’ll need to clean you off,” he says with a smirk and a wink. I can’t help laughing.
Zach
Reagan’s arm is wrapped around mine as we enter the restaurant. We spent the afternoon…relaxing in the villa. Harrison and Grant walk in after us, and we find Harrison’s sister, Aggie, and Lee already seated at the table.
“Oh, hey,” I say to Lee.
“Hey, man. Aggie and I are just catching up, it’s been years,” he says as he smiles at her.
Reagan squeezes my arm, and I look down at her. “What?” I mouth.
She grins and shakes her head.
We have a pleasant dinner, and I notice that the more we drink the more Aggie and Lee scoot their chairs together.
It’s as we leave that Reagan squeezes my arm again. I lean down so she can whisper in my ear.
“Lee and Aggie,” she says excitedly.
“Really?” I ask her.
She nods excitedly. “They are perfect together. I love her! She just graduated from grad school and is working at a museum. She loves all the same things Lee loves. They are perfect for each other!” she says a little too loudly.
I grin down at my little matchmaker and pull her more closely against me as we walk down the strip to view all the madness that is Las Vegas on a Friday night.
We make it up to the villa, which is really just a two-story penthouse at the Bellagio. The views are amazing.
I walk out onto the balcony with Reagan, grabbing a champagne on our way out as we lean over the railing and look out at the city.
“I missed you,” I say to her.
She looks up at me. “Really?” she asks.
“Yes, really,” I say.
“Me too,” she admits, as she blushes.
“I think we should do something about that,” I state.
“Like what?” she says.
“Like, maybe we stop making this a vacation fling,” I announce. I’ve spent the last two weeks pondering this and my need for her is greater than my need to focus on my business, and that is a problem. It took me ten days to realize I need her, and another four to build up the balls to tell her that in person today.
“Oh?” she asks.
I take her champagne and set it down on the table near us. I cup her face in my hands and look down at her.
“I really like you, Reagan. I want to date you. I want to spend more time with you,” I tell her.
Her eyes water. “Really?” she whispers.
I nod. “So, what do you say?” I ask her as I wipe a tear from her cheek.
“I didn’t think…I really like you too, Zach!” she says loudly as she reaches up and our lips crash together.
“So, is that a yes? We can date?” I ask her against her lips. I feel a grin.
“Yes, that’s a definite yes,” I say as my lips descend upon hers again.
“Thank God Grant asked me to be the decoy,” she whispers.
“What?” I ask her in between kisses.
“Nothing…” She trails off, and we continue our kiss. It’s different this time, it’s a kiss to a new beginning, together, she and I, and it’s absolutely fucking perfect.
Wedding Party
Bride: Margaret (Maggie) Payne
Father of the Bride: Jonathan Payne
Mother of the Bride: Denise Payne
Cousin of the Bride: Clarise (Clare) Matthews
Groom: Lee Pierce
Grandmother of the Groom: Eunice Pierce (Grandfather – John Pierce)
Father of the Groom: Robert (Bob) Pierce
Mother of the Groom: Helen Pierce
Sister of the Groom: Caroline Pierce Franklin
Uncle of the Groom: David Pierce
Aunt of the Groom: Diana Pierce
Cousins of the Groom: Elizabeth “Beth” Johnson & Grant Pierce
Best Man/Groomsman 1: Grant Pierce (cousin of the groom)
Groomsman 2: Zachary Adams (fraternity brother of the groom)
Groomsman 3: Harrison Wesley (fraternity brother of the groom)
Groomsman 4: Nathan Lapis (college friend of the groom)
Maid of Honor/Bridesmaid 1: Felicia Tuckerton (best friend of the bride)
Bridesmaid 2: Clarise Matthews (cousin and friend of the bride)
Bridesmaid 3: Diane Santerre
Bridesmaid 4: Candace (Candy) Wellingbrook
Acknowledgements
To everyone I met at the destination wedding that turned into my muse for this book (special shout-out to the grooms)!
To every indie author out there: Indie world is tough and at times downright brutal, but don’t give up! Follow your dreams and keep on writing.
To every reader out there: Keep on reading and REVIEWING! (Seriously, if you at all enjoyed this book, please review it!) And thank you for taking chances on indie authors like me!
To every friend or family member of an indie author: Your support means everything! Thanks for buying us all that coffee and for reading our drafts and for telling us we don’t suck and we aren’t crazy!
About the Author
S.E. Rose lives in the DMV. And if you know what that means, then you know where she lives. She currently resides with her husband, two children, and always at least two cats and usually other random creatures her children decide they need. While she works at a desk during the day, her evenings and weekends are devoted to writing and editing her romance novels. She loves all things wine, coffee, tea, and dark chocolate, that’s right dark chocolate. In her spare time, she enjoys photography, traveling, going to concerts, and reading.
Learn more about upcoming books from S.E. Rose at www.seroseauthor.com or follow her on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram @seroseauthor. She has many other social media accounts and you can find them all at: https://linktr.ee/seroseauthor .
Other Books by S.E. Rose
Series:
Portentous Destiny Series
Island (Book 1)
Secrets (Book 2)
Bravura (Book 3)
Determination (Book 4)
Home (Book 5)
Novels:
Chronicles of a Hot Mess
Novellas:
Neighbor in Apartment No. 5
The Tinsel Tango
Want to learn more? Visit www.seroseauthor.com.