Friday Night Brides

by Samantha Chase

  “Well,” Hailey began, “Max put together a little surprise for you and the girls and I got a preview of it last weekend and that’s why we’re here today, Mom. To share it with you!”

  With a gasp, Judith looked from Hailey to Max. “What in the world?” she asked, tearing up. “I don’t even know what it is but I know I’m going to love it!”

  “I have it inside,” Hailey said. “So if you’re okay with it, we can all go inside and see it.”

  Judith held up a hand to stop her. “Actually, I need about fifteen minutes. I’m about to go in on a conference call with the Nashville people. They’re wanting to do an entire weekend event and we’re trying to coordinate schedules.”

  “Don’t they have bridal shops in Nashville?” Angie asked.

  Judith smiled and winked. “Not as good as ours.” Then she turned and walked away.

  Becca wished she could do the same thing. When she got Hailey alone later, she was going to strangle her. It was bad enough she was feeling ten kinds of inferior thanks to last night’s run-in with Danny. Did she really need to have Max see her and her chubby body in a bikini?

  “Excuse me,” she mumbled as she turned and walked quickly toward the small pool house at the far end of the yard.

  Hailey inwardly groaned as she watched Becca’s retreat. She turned to Max and pasted an overly bright smile on her face. “So…yeah. So glad you could come over for this. I think my mom is going to freak out—in a good way—when she sees the video.”

  Max wasn’t really paying attention. He was staring hard at the pool house.

  “Um…yeah…,” Ella added awkwardly. “And Dylan and I can’t wait for you to help us with our wedding video. I know we’re downsizing everything, but we decided we still want a video.”

  When Max still didn’t say anything, Hailey looked at Angie and silently begged her to do something.

  “So…Max,” Angie said, picking her margarita back up, “do you find Becca even remotely attractive?”

  “Angie!” Hailey and Ella cried in unison.

  “What?” Max asked incredulously, finally tearing his gaze from the pool house.

  With a shrug and a small glare at the girls, she faced Max. “Look, Becca…well…she kind of thinks you’re not interested in her.”

  Ella groaned and slowly sat down on her chaise and put her face in her hands.

  “Why would she think that?” he asked. “We’ve been spending a lot of time together, we talk on the phone all the time…I…I don’t understand why she would think I wasn’t into her.”

  Reaching out, Hailey put a hand on his arm. “Okay, I know it’s not our place to say anything but being that somebody…” she paused, glancing angrily at Angie, “put it out there, it’s only fair that we explain.”

  Max sighed heavily. “O-kay…”

  “Look, she’s been hurt,” Angie said. “Her ex did a real number on her and she’s always had a self-esteem problem so really, you were going to have an uphill battle no matter what.”

  “I know all about her ex and what he did.”

  “She told you?” Hailey asked.

  “No,” he said quietly, swiping a weary hand over his face. “I was there that night when it happened. He pretty much broke up with her right in front of me. She was devastated.”

  “Oh…no…” Hailey groaned. “She didn’t tell us.”

  “Yeah…well…” he began, “I didn’t say anything to anyone either. It wasn’t my place.” He paused. “I talked to her after he left and told her he was crazy, that she was beautiful. But I guess she didn’t believe me.”

  “Wow,” Angie said. “You said that to her and you didn’t even know her?”

  He nodded.

  “Quality guy,” Hailey whispered.

  “I’m still confused,” he said. “I don’t get why she just took off like that.”

  Ella stood up and said, “For starters, she was feeling insecure because…you know…you haven’t tried to kiss her or anything.”

  “Yeah but…”

  “And, knowing her like we do, she was embarrassed that you saw her in a bikini,” Ella finished.

  Max’s eyes went wide. “Seriously? Why would she be embarrassed? She’s got an amazing body! Why would she think otherwise?”

  Angie started to talk but Hailey stopped her. “I think we’ve said enough. You should probably go to the pool house and talk to her.”

  “I’m not sure she wants to talk to me,” he said. “I mean she essentially ran away as soon as I got here. I don’t want to upset her any more than I obviously already have.”

  “Yeah well, if you don’t go and talk to her, she’s probably going to still be upset,” Angie said. “You should just go and at least try to talk to her.”

  Max looked longingly at the pool house. “I don’t know…”

  Hailey gave him a gentle nudge in that direction. “Go. And take your time. We’ll wait to watch the video until you’re both there.”

  “But what about…”

  “Trust me. This is more important,” Ella said.

  With a fortifying breath, Max stepped around the three of them and walked toward the pool house.

  “Do you think she’s going to listen to him?” Ella asked quietly when Max was out of earshot.

  “I don’t know. She can be stubborn,” Angie said.

  “Yeah but this is going to be a good test of what kind of man Max is.” She smiled. “I think this is going to be a game changer.”

  ****

  Becca paced back and forth and cursed herself for the hundredth time.

  Running away like that? Yeah, not her finest hour.

  At the time, it had been imperative for her to get away. The backyard was like a safe haven—no one else came in and she was free to just be herself—and that included wearing a skimpy bikini she had no business wearing.

  And now she was going to have to deal with the fact that not only did Max already find her unattractive, but seeing her in a bikini had probably been the final nail in that coffin. Once he got a look at her practically naked, she was fairly certain he was high-fiving himself for not getting involved with her. She glanced out the back window and wondered if she could climb out and go through the bushes and escape.

  Then she remembered she didn’t have her purse or her car keys so essentially she was stuck.

  “Dammit.” Turning around, she walked over to the full-length mirror that hung on the wall outside the large changing room. The pool house was a great space—a living area with a small kitchenette, a full bathroom and a changing room. Growing up, she and the girls would come in here and pretend it was their house where they all lived together. The memory made her smile.

  Then she checked out her reflection.

  Her breasts were bigger than she wanted, as were her hips. The only thing saving her from being completely horrified by her body was the fact that she had a fairly small waist—she pulled off the hourglass figure all right. Unfortunately, she longed to be thin and willowy like Ella and Hailey. Angie was curvy like her, but Angie also was about five inches taller so she looked way more proportioned.

  Pulling her cover-up tightly around her, Becca groaned. Was Max still out there? Had they all gone back into the house to watch the video? She could only hope so.

  Walking over to the refrigerator, she pulled out a bottle of water. Behind her, she heard the sliding glass door open and figured it was probably one of the girls coming to check on her or tell her that she acted like an idiot. So fine. She did and eventually she’d get over it. With a sigh of resignation, she said, “Look, I know I…” But when she turned around, she gasped at the sight of Max standing in the doorway. “Max! What…what are you…?”

  He slowly walked toward her and didn’t stop until they were toe-to-toe. Reaching up, he cupped her face in his hands, lowered his head and claimed her lips with his. It wasn’t a sweet, getting-to-know-you kind of kiss, it was deep and wet and all-consuming.

  Becca clutched the front
of his shirt and immediately melted into him. His tongue traced her lower lip until she opened for him. It was so unexpected, so wild that her head began to spin. This was Max? This was polite, mild-mannered, only-kissed-on-the-cheek Max? His hands caressed her cheeks and then raked into her hair where he gently tugged it free of the ponytail she had it in.

  Oh. My.

  Just as quickly as it had started, it ended. Max lifted his head and gently gripped Becca’s shoulders and spun her around so she was facing the mirror. They were both breathless and Becca’s eyes were slightly glazed. She reached up with a trembling hand to touch her lips as she met his intense gaze in their reflection.

  Without a word, Max’s hands came up from behind and he gently stroked her cheeks. Becca sighed and leaned back so they were touching.

  “You are so damn beautiful to me,” he said gruffly. “From the first time I saw you, I thought that.”

  She went to shake her head no, but his words stopped her.

  “Yes. I saw you standing in the parking lot and thought to myself that you were the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. It killed me to hear what that jackass was saying to you, but at the same time I was thankful because it meant you were no longer involved with him.”

  “Max…”

  Slowly, his hands skimmed down from her face to her throat and shoulders. With his eyes firmly on hers in their reflection, he began to move her cover-up aside, opening it so he could see what she was wearing underneath. His hiss of breath at the sight of her in the midnight blue bikini had Becca’s mind reeling. What was he really seeing? Was his reaction one of arousal or disappointment?

  Boldly, one hand came up and cupped her breast. “I was trying so hard to be a gentleman with you. I knew you had been hurt and I didn’t want to rush you. Every time we’ve been together, I’ve had to fight the urge to touch you.”

  Becca wanted to tell him how much she wanted him to touch her, but his fingers were slowly teasing her nipple and she couldn’t make herself form a word.

  “I’ve lain in bed at night and thought about you,” he murmured, turning his head so his hot breath was on her throat. His tongue gently licked where her pulse was beating madly. Then he let his other hand drift down to her waist, then her hip and then over until he was cupping her mound.

  She sighed his name at the contact, could feel his arousal pressing up against her back.

  His fingers began to move slowly—one caressing her nipple while the other traced lazy circles over the fabric covering her sex. A low moan came out and it seemed to encourage Max to be a little bolder.

  His touch became a little more certain, confident. His lips never left her skin as his hands had her squirming and writhing against him. “You’re so beautiful,” he whispered again. “So sexy.”

  No one had ever called her beautiful before and as much as she loved hearing those words from him, she couldn’t stay focused on them, not when his skillful hands had her climbing toward a release. His name came out on a gasp as he placed a little more pressure between her legs at the same time he gently bit the sensitive spot where her neck and shoulder met.

  And that was all it took for her to soar.

  Max held her against him as she rode the wave of her release, gently kissing her the entire time.

  Slowly, Max shifted and moved his hands so they rested on her waist as he turned her toward him. He swallowed hard as he looked down at her. “Becca, this isn’t what I came in here for. But one look at you and…” He gave her a lopsided grin. “This isn’t the time or the place for this and as much as I want you, I can wait. But I needed you to know how I feel.”

  Becca rested one hand on his chest. “Tell me again,” she said, so softly, so quietly she wasn’t sure he could even hear her.

  He tucked a finger under her chin. “I think you’re beautiful and I want you very much.”

  “I want you too.”

  A slow smile crossed his face. “Let’s go inside and watch the video.” He paused. “And then…come home with me.”

  It was exciting and terrifying for her all at the same time. This was what she wanted—what she had been waiting for—and now that it was here, old doubts began to creep back in.

  “You’re thinking too hard about this,” he said quietly, interrupting her thoughts. “I won’t rush you, Becca. Ever. We can go into the house and later on, I can go home and you can go back to your place and we’ll go out tomorrow like we had planned. It’s completely up to you.” He took a step back and took one of her hands in his. “You ready to go and join the others?”

  Actually, what she was ready for was locking the door and letting Max finish having his way with her. No doubt the girls had encouraged him to come after her and if they stayed in here long enough, they’d figure out what was going on. But so would Mrs. J and that was definitely not a conversation she wanted to have.

  Nodding silently, she smiled when Max squeezed her hand.

  As they walked across the yard, Becca mentally crossed her fingers and hoped they’d be able to leave as soon as the video was over.

  Six

  “I don’t understand why you didn’t just drive here with Max,” Angie said. “You guys are sharing a room, Becs, it wouldn’t have been a big deal if we all didn’t ride together.”

  Becca shrugged. “It was more about logistics. His office is in downtown Durham and he knew he had to stay at work until three. He knew how we normally make a day of it—play hooky from work and get on the road at noon. It’s fine. He’ll be there in time for us to grab a quick…dinner, and then we’ll go and get ready for the expo.”

  Angie laughed. “Nice! That was smooth. A quick…dinner. Right.”

  “Oh, stop,” Ella said. “Leave her alone. We all remember what it feels like in the beginning of a relationship.”

  “I’m surprised you do,” Angie teased. “You and Dylan were…what…twelve?”

  Rather than answer, Ella just waved her off. “And what about you, Hails? You ready to make your move tonight?”

  Hailey was sitting in the back seat beside Ella. “I think so,” she said nervously. “I have to admit, every time I think about it, I feel like I’m going to throw up.” She looked at her friends. “That’s normal, right?”

  “Uh…”

  “Well…”

  “Hmmm…”

  “Oh come on, you guys!” Hailey cried. “You know I’ve never done this before!”

  “Maybe after the show you’ll feel better,” Becca suggested, smiling in the rearview mirror.

  “And after a couple of shots,” Angie added.

  “We are not sending her to make her move on Logan while she’s drunk,” Ella said defensively. “Although, you probably should have a glass of wine.” She shrugged. “Just saying.”

  “Why does everyone keep saying that?” Hailey asked.

  Becca and Angie looked at one another. Becca spoke up before Angie could. “You’re just a little…wound up sometimes.”

  “Wound up?”

  “Yeah, you know…you always like to be in control and have things done a certain way,” Becca said, trying to sound diplomatic—like what she was saying was helpful and not hurtful. “It’s not a bad thing, Hails. But in this particular scenario, you are going to need to relax a little bit. You can’t go and approach Logan in your usual way. And considering how uptight you’ve been about the whole thing, we’re all just saying that a small drink may help you loosen up a bit.”

  “But not drunk,” Ella added. “You don’t want to go in there drunk.”

  “There’s something to be said for drunken sex,” Angie said with a devilish grin.

  “Why would anyone even want to have drunken sex?” Hailey asked, completely perplexed. “That would just be…sloppy and…and…a waste of time!”

  Angie laughed. “And that’s why you can’t go in there drunk. Because that’s what you think is going to happen.”

  “Well…isn’t it?”

  Angie shook her head. “Sometimes it he
lps you loosen your inhibitions and makes the experience really good. You’re relaxed and…sometimes…it even heightens the experience.”

  Hailey frowned. “I don’t believe that for a second.”

  Rolling her eyes, Angie said, “Fine. Don’t believe me. Your loss.”

  “Becca,” Hailey said earnestly, leaning forward between the two front seats, “have you ever had drunken sex? Is she lying to me?”

  “Um…I’m right here,” Angie said flatly.

  “Shh!” Hailey hissed. “Becca?”

  “I’m not gonna lie to you…I’m not saying you have to get completely shit-faced, but I’ve had some really good sex after a couple of drinks.”

  Hailey huffed and leaned back in her seat. “Damn.”

  “Told you,” Angie said with a grin.

  “Last New Year’s, Dylan and I shared a bottle of champagne after we got home from the party,” Ella began. “That was a great night.” She giggled. “Seriously, the sex that night was amazing.”

  Hailey glared at her. “Seriously? You too?”

  Ella continued to giggle. “What can I say?”

  “Okay, so one glass of wine,” Hailey sighed. “I still can’t believe I’m doing this.”

  “It’s about time,” Angie said. “If it were me, I would have pounced months ago.”

  “Yeah well…I’ve never had to…pounce. I kept hoping Logan would.”

  “Clearly you were wrong,” Angie countered. “So what are you going to wear? What are you going to say?”

  Hailey squeezed her eyes shut for a moment and then let out a weary sigh. “I brought my pink sundress. You know, the one I wore when we went to see Wicked.”

  “Good choice,” Ella said, reaching out and squeezing Hailey’s hand.

  “And what about underwear? What did you go with?” Angie asked. “Lace? Thong? Commando?”

  “Ugh…really?” Hailey whined, but when Angie continued to stare and she notice Ella and Becca doing the same, she shook her head. “White lace.”

  “Ah…virginal,” Becca said. “That could work.”

  Hailey looked worriedly at them. “What? Do you think I should have gone for more casual?”