Holiday Loves
Page 49
“I won’t know anyone.” I was starting to sound like a petulant child.
“Well, maybe—”
“Don’t even go there, Mom. My date canceled on me two days before the wedding. I’m going alone, and it’s going to suck. And to make matters worse, Mia said she was seating me next to her sister’s brother-in-law.”
“What’s the problem with that?”
I let out an audible huff. “I went to college with Mia’s brother-in-law Trent and I remember his brother from college. He’s like ten.”
“I highly doubt he’s ten, dear.”
“No, Mom. Really. I saw him once when he was visiting Trent. He looked ten, and that was only six years ago, when I was a freshman . . .” I scrunched my nose. “So maybe he’s sixteen now.”
My mom stifled back a laugh and then after a second smiled. I could see hope glimmering in her green eyes.
“You never know what the future will bring. Sometimes fate has other plans for us—”
“No. Just because love fell into your lap when you weren’t expecting it, doesn’t mean it will happen to me. Plus, I’m done looking for love. I’m done searching and struggling and crying over men. I’m over it.”
She shook her head once, and then nodded. I could see a small smile forming on her face. “I said the same thing once. I also said I was done and stopped caring about it. Then it happened.” The lines on her cheeks grew wider as her lips split farther. I swear I heard a chuckle as she turned and walked back into the house.
Whatever. I had spent years searching, hoping, and praying to find Mr. Right, but I was over it. I didn’t need to find love.
I was done.
* * *
It was official. I was at this wedding alone.
My eyes swept the lawn in front of me as I fidgeted in my seat. I knew no one. Okay fine, I knew at least three people, maybe four, but they were taking part in the wedding. I sat in the chair, sweating from the blistering summer heat as I looked for this stranger I would be sitting next to. At least I would have someone to talk to. Letting out a long sigh, I turned back to the flower-draped canopy to wait for the ceremony to begin.
They were late to start and I was getting antsy, but then the music began to play through the air. My shoulders uncoiled and I allowed the peaceful melody to flow over me.
Bridesmaids filed down the aisle. The groomsmen were next, followed by the groom. He was a handsome man with wavy blond hair, piercing blue eyes and a swagger that showed he knew it. When he reached the end of the long ivory runner, he turned to face the crowd and waited for his bride. The song switched, Pachelbel’s Canon in D softly serenading us as he shuffled back and forth on his feet. It made my lips quirk up. The way his body moved showed he was nervous and excited at the same time.
As the bride continued her descent, his lips tipped up and a smile formed. This was my favorite part of a wedding. That moment when the groom first sees his bride. That moment when the love is so thick in the air you can see it. That moment when the love is tangible and contagious. I loved this part, even if it would never happen for me.
* * *
It wasn’t often that I felt awkward or out of place, but since I only knew a handful of people, and the bride and groom were nowhere to be seen, I did feel like an idiot standing by myself. I could only imagine what I looked like to those around me. Here I was, a pretty, petite blonde, all alone. At least my hair and makeup looked good. I had gone for jewel tones on my dress and eyelids to bring out the green in my eyes. But a lot of good it was, because as I stood at the bar during the cocktail hour, I feared this night would be long and painful.
Searching the room, I spotted a familiar face in the crowd. I let out a sigh of relief. At least now I had someone to talk to. I decided to make my way over to him. As I approached, he caught me and his brown eyes lit up with excitement as well.
“Hey, Trent. Long time no see.”
“Good to see you, Emma. How many years has it been?”
“Four?” I asked. “At least that. Since you graduated and I was finishing my junior year.”
He nodded once then looked over to the bartender who had just made his way to where we stood. “What are you having?” he said as he looked back at me.
“What are you having?” I smirked and his own mouth lifted into a smile. Doing shots of tequila was the one thing we bonded over in our formative years.
“Like the good old days,” he said, turning toward the bartender again.
As we waited for drinks, I scanned the room around me. The chatter of voices filled the air as couples laughed and smiled over the festivities. I couldn’t help but think how fun it would be to be here with someone who meant something to me. How wonderful to dance and celebrate with someone I cared about. I turned back to the bartender to order another shot to drown out the visions, when out of nowhere my breath hitched in my chest. Across the bar, my eyes made contact and locked in a stare. His were dark and beautiful. Mesmerizing and captivating. Dark. Soulful. They captured me. Held me prisoner. The intensity of his deep brown eyes caused heat to crawl up my body and chills to descend down my spine. The visceral reaction was unlike any I’d had before, so intense I feared I might falter.
I was forced to break the stare and look away, letting both my body and my breathing return to normal.
“So, where is this brother of yours?” I finally asked Trent, trying to distract myself from the gorgeous stranger across the bar.
“Right next to you,” a raspy voice said from beside me, the timbre warm to my ears. I tilted my head to the side and lifted my gaze to search out the owner. My knees wobbled beneath me. It was the guy from across the bar.
“Someone mentioned me?” His lips turned up into a wicked smirk.
“Apparently you’re sitting next to me,” I replied, trying to be witty and not tongue-tied from his mere presence. This man was certainly not fifteen years old, and Lord, did he age well.
“Then you must be Emma.” He reached out his hand and I placed mine in his strong grasp.
“That I am. Owen, right?” He nodded. “What are you having to drink? Trent and I were about to order another round of tequila shots.” With that, Owen finally pulled his gaze away from me and nodded in welcome to his brother as he ran his fingers through his tousled brown hair.
Turning back to me, he turned his lips up. A dimple formed in his right cheek. Wow. “A girl after my own heart. Get one for me too, bro, ” he said and then from beside me, Trent ordered and I turned to wait for the drink.
I didn’t notice any sound when Owen moved closer to the bar, but I felt his body heat. His warmth caged me and made my heart rate flutter from the close proximity. His presence robbed me of the ability to breathe. He was all-consuming in this room. Every bit of air belonged to him.
To hell with it . . .
Maybe I wouldn’t find love, and maybe I’d never see this man again, but I would throw caution to the wind and have the best damn night imaginable. And landing in this man’s bed seemed the perfect solution.
Shot after shot, I became more relaxed. With each drink that passed down my throat I stepped closer to him, allowing my arm to rest on his on the cool Lucite surface of the bar. Tilting my head up, I met his gaze.
“Would you like to dance?” he rasped out amid the sound of the music filtering around us. His voice was like warm honey, coating me and filling the unimaginable need to have his body pressed against mine.
“How old are you?” I wanted this man, but if he was only twenty-one . . . well as lonely as I was, even I had my limits.
“Twenty-Four.” Thank God. Only a year younger than me. I looked him over again. Wow he must have been a late bloomer.
“Yes,” I finally whispered back. The word came out so low, I wasn’t sure he heard me, but it didn’t matter. From the look and heat in his stare, he knew my answer.
He responded with no words, placing his firm hand to the small of my back. Together we walked until I found myself engulfed i
n his embrace. Until our bodies were pressed together in a push and pull of emotions.
Need.
Want.
As his hand trailed down the exposed skin of my back, I couldn’t wait for our night to begin.
* * *
By the time we made it into the city, my mind was made up. I would have a one-night stand with this amazing man. The wedding was fantastic, but it was only that way because of Owen. We danced, we drank, we laughed. But most of all, the idea of his lips on me had consumed every thought in my mind since the first moment I saw him. As we rode back into the city he asked my address, and I brazenly declared wherever he was going. He flashed me that heart-stopping smile and told the driver to take us to The Ritz. When we were only about a block away I looked out the window and saw a couple getting into a horse-drawn carriage.
“That seems fun,” I said to myself more than to him but he spun toward me.
“What do you mean? You’ve never taken a horse carriage ride through Central Park?”
“Never in all the years I’ve lived here, have I ever taken a horse carriage ride.”
“Stop the car!” he shouted to the driver. It seemed we were getting out early. He smirked at me. “Well, that’s about to change.”
With that, he helped me out of the car and led me to the carriage. As it started its journey down the path and into the park, I turned my head toward him. His pupils were large. Dilated. The moonlight reflected off his eyes, my own reflection staring back at me. There was a look in his eyes, something primal, pulling me in. It spoke to me of want, of desperation, of need. My heart pounded in my chest as I waited, the passing seconds filling the space between. Please kiss me.
He closed the distance.
His arms wrapped around me, bringing my body to his. Then his firm lips found mine. As he plundered my mouth, the pads of his fingers gripped my neck, causing chills and tingles to cascade down my back. Each place his fingers touched came alive. I fell into his deepening kiss, allowing it to suck me in and own me.
It was intoxicating.
A cough brought us out of our haze. It reminded us that we were not alone; that we were, in fact, back where we started. One block away from his hotel.
How had the time passed so fast? Was the night about to end?
Did I want it to end?
The answer rang in my ears. It resonated in the beat of my heart that was pounding against my breastbone. No, I wasn’t ready to be done with him. I needed him. The anticipation of wanting him was almost too much to handle. Never in my life had I ever felt that way. The feeling that wove itself in and out of my bloodstream was heady, all encompassing.
Primal.
He looked down at me in question as we descended from the carriage and stood mere inches apart on the street. I tipped my head and bit my lip with a nod, telling him with my eyes the answer to his unspoken question.
* * *
With slow, deliberate movements I reached for the strap at my shoulder. It felt heavy as it pressed against the pads of my fingers. Although nerves coursed through my veins I wanted this so much, I wouldn’t turn back; I moved my hands until the flimsy material hung along my arm. With one more exhale and through the pounding of my heart, I removed the other arm.
The material of the dress fell to the floor, the sound soft and barely audible as it hit the carpet beneath me. I watched Owen’s intake of breath, the way his Adam’s apple bobbed in his throat. It made everything inside me still. He tilted his head and then his lips turned up in a wicked smile. Slowly, he approached.
I waited.
My chest rose and fell, and I prayed he would touch me already.
He stepped in, closer, and his long arms reached out and swept me into his embrace. Waves of excitement flew through my veins, heating me, lighting me on fire. Every bit of impatience I had melted away, allowing only desire to flow through the air. He pulled me even tighter into his arms and then his lips met mine. The tips of our tongues started a slow seductive dance. With measured, precious steps he walked us across the room and lay me across the bed.
He stepped back to remove his own clothes, and from heavy-lidded eyes, I watched as he divested himself of his tuxedo.
The jacket.
The shirt.
His pants.
By the time he was ready to remove his boxers my chest was heaving. I watched from beneath hooded eyelids as he rolled on a condom, then the bed dipped as he joined me.
Hovering over my body, he laid soft kisses across my torso, leading up to my mouth. His lips pressed against mine and it was sweet torture. Each swipe of his tongue made me need and want him more. We lay there devouring each other’s mouths. Minutes, seconds, I didn’t know how long it was. All I knew was by the time he pulled away and his eyes scanned my body, I was desperate for him. He reached down to stroke the hollow of my neck, and then worked his hands across my chest until his warm palms cupped my sensitive breasts, rubbing gently until each one peaked and pebbled. Shuddering, I sucked in a breath, waiting for more, and he gave me exactly what I needed as his tongue lapped against my rigid peaks like a starved man. As he feasted, his hands moved lower, trailing down my abdomen, caressing my hip until he found my core.
Cupping me.
Teasing me.
I was teetering on the edge of oblivion when he pulled away, leaving me vacant and desperate for him. I let out a primal moan.
“I got you,” he breathed out and then he repositioned his body to where I needed him most. His grip tightened as he pushed forward, taking me fully, entering me completely. He thrust in and out, each stroke more powerful than the last. His sweet, delicious movements tortured me until all I could think and feel was his body within mine.
* * *
I stretched my arms out and they connected with a warm, firm body. My eyes fluttered open. What the hell? Where am I? The previous evening rushed back to me. I’m in Owen’s hotel room. Lying next to him.
A smile played against my lips as I remembered every kiss, every touch, every feeling from last night. But then another feeling replaced the previous ones . . .
My back straightened and I moved to cover myself. Was I supposed to still be here? It was supposed to be a one-night stand. I had never done that before. I wasn’t sure of the protocol. Was I supposed to get up while he slept? Sneak out? I moved to cover myself with the sheet, trying to determine my exit route.
As I lifted my body to get up, two large hands grasped me around the waist and pulled me back. The scruff on Owen’s chin rested on my exposed shoulder blade and tickled. He gently placed soft kisses across my skin, and with each press of his mouth a wave of chills formed, making me forget everything but his lips.
“Where are you going?” he asked.
“I—”
“You figured you would escape.” He laughed.
“I was,” I admitted on a sigh. “I’ve never done this before. I wasn’t sure what I was supposed to do.”
“You stay for breakfast, obviously.” A chuckle escaped and it warmed my heart.
“Oh, is that how this goes down?” I teased back.
“Yep.”
“Okay. Sounds good.”
With one last kiss on my back, he pulled away. I missed the feel of his lips on my skin instantly.
The mattress dipped as he rose from the bed. Turning to where he now stood, I watched as he walked over to the desk and pulled out the room service menu. With the menu in hand, he made his way to the closet and pulled out a big fluffy robe, then draped it over my side of the bed for me.
“Thank you.” I smiled up at him. His lips split into a huge grin and that dimple formed again. Lord is it sexy. Was he this sinfully handsome last night? How can I ever have forgotten? It gave a boyish charm to such a stunning face.
“So, what are you having?” he asked as he sat next to me and started to peruse the menu. Our bodies were close, his brushing against mine. It felt so comfortable to be with him. As if I had known him forever. It didn’t feel like a o
ne-night stand, even though that was what it was.
“Pancakes?” I lifted an eyebrow. “Or maybe French toast.”
“What about both? We can share.”
For a second I wondered if that would be weird, to share a meal with a man I barely knew. But then I realized I might not know him . . . but I did just sleep with him. Sharing breakfast was the least of my concerns.
“Sounds great.”
After he ordered, I headed into the bathroom and tried to make myself presentable. I dabbed some toothpaste on my finger and then made work at reapplying a bit of cover up on my face, which, thank God, I had in my clutch from the wedding.
By the time I made my way back into the room, the food had arrived and it smelled amazing.
“I feel like I’m at a disadvantage. You know my brother, but I know nothing about you,” Owen said between bites.
“What do you want to know?”
“Everything. The only thing I know about you, other than you like tequila and never went on a horse carriage ride prior to last night, is where you went to college. What about what you do for a living?”
“I’m a buyer for Echo. It’s a new chain of boutique stores across the city. We have five locations. My boss was actually at the wedding last night.” I reached for my water and took a sip.
“Oh, really?”
“Yeah, that’s how I ended up at Echo. Mia married my boss’s cousin.”
“Strange . . . Funny world it is. How long have you been working there?”
“I’ve been with Echo since it launched its flagship store two years ago, but I’ve been working for Madison for years. Before I started there, I worked under her when she ran XYZ Boutique. After running the show there, she gathered some finances and investors and decided to start her own boutique in SoHo. It was so successful that we now have five locations.”