by Alicia Rae
I shut off my truck, hearing the diesel noise of the motor come to a stop, while my mind ran wild with perplexed thoughts of Audrey and what the hell was up with her.
Nevertheless, when she had given her warning to me, she could not hide the hurt in her eyes or voice from me. Now, more than ever, I was determined to find out what had wounded her, and I would make it my given purpose to fix it.
Gail, Abbey, and Lily entered my mind. Someone needed to start talking, and it was going to be one of them.
~Audrey~
Oh my gosh, I repeated over and over in my head as I booked it for the bar without a backward glance at Blake.
Humiliation swamped throughout my entire body. I couldn’t believe I’d actually said my innermost feelings aloud to Blake moments ago even though they were indeed true.
Blake seemed like such a wonderful man, and I had just thrown him to the wolves when he was nothing but a compassionate, caring, and respectful gentleman to me when at my parents’ house. But it was easier to be openly honest and upfront with him about me not wanting to date anyone, so I could let him down now, rather than lead him on with false hope when a relationship was something I would never want in life, something I would not allow myself to fantasize about.
Sure, I had been with a couple of men since leaving home seven years ago for college and when starting my nursing career, but my encounters had never been anything remotely serious. They had been about finding company, a kindred soul who shared my beliefs of not wanting love.
Blake did not seem like that kind of guy though—or maybe he was. I didn’t know. Nevertheless, the way he affected me was too powerful, so I had to keep my distance from him, regardless of the way he made me feel. I would under no circumstances let a man break my rules or my heart.
Having been to this bar a few times before, I flew inside and headed straight for the ladies’ room. I needed a few minutes alone to gather my scattered wits. The restroom was vacant, so I outstretched my hands on either side of the counter. Then, I lowered my head, closed my eyes, and forced myself to take in long deep breaths. My stomach was tied in knots. Nerves coursed high at the idea of having to spend this evening with Blake while maintaining a safe distance from him in the presence of my friends.
I tipped my head up and gazed at myself in the mirror. The woman staring back at me seemed like a stranger.
Every part of me longed to go to Blake and throw myself in his arms, which was a bizarre, foreign notion for me. Never before had I felt that way toward someone. He was just so damn sexy and confident and graceful. It was as though he soothed and calmed something dim or empty within me, which was utterly absurd. I shook my head, feeling ridiculous. Squaring my shoulders, I stood up tall and exhaled all the air from my lungs on a loud whoosh.
I can do this.
I carefully slipped the shield back into place over my heart and turned toward the exit. A woman dressed in a red miniskirt walked in through the door at the same time. Her wavy red curls bounced around the contours of her face as she staggered on her feet.
“Excuse me.” I smiled kindly as I sidestepped to the right, so I would not bump into her.
I caught the handle as she passed by me. I strode forward and pivoted to the right, landing eyes on the very man I had so eagerly run from. Here he was, sending my body on high alert as I became overly aware of his closeness.
Blake was leaning up against the corner of the wall. His muscular arms were crossed over his chest as he peered my way. A delicious smile spread across his face, retying my stomach in a bundle of knots that I had spent the last unknown length of time attempting to untangle.
“I’m not sure if you were hiding in there or if you managed to get lost,” he teased with a handsome grin, revealing a perfectly sized dimple that outlined the right corner of his mouth. “Either way, there is nowhere to run.”
I glared playfully at him, not wanting to give myself up. “I wasn’t running,” I replied in denial.
His eyes gleamed with amusement, clearly not falling for my rebuttal. “Uh-huh.”
He chuckled in his naturally deep voice that was becoming achingly familiar to me against my will. The sensational sound sent a tremor all the way down the length of my spine, and it reverberated back up from its intensity. Blake kicked off the wall, and in one fluid motion, he closed the small gap between us.
I could feel the warm electricity developing between us as he neared, and I’d be damned, my heartbeat skipped an irregular beat at his proximity. My reaction to him pissed me off and equally enthralled me. No one had ever been capable of striking such a profound rise within me before.
“Just so you know,” he crooned softly, bending into my personal space, “I don’t believe any of that bullshit you just said back at my truck.” His expression shifted, turning thoughtful with his handsome blue eyes staring endlessly into mine, keeping my hold and weakening my resolve. “But I can respect your space and give you time to get to know me better, Audrey.” He paused as though adding some sort of weight to his words. “Then, you’ll tell me what’s going on in that head of yours.”
I refrained from gaping at his straightforwardness.
Jeez, he is a man of persistence and determination.
I wondered if that was from his Marines background. His persona had Staff Sergeant or some high rank written all over it.
“I appreciate your concern,” I said with sincerity, holding his stare. “But there’s nothing to tell,” I rebuffed, meaning every word.
No one knew my story, and no one would ever know my story. It was personal.
I took a step toward the main room to the bar, hoping that he would graciously let the topic go. Thankfully, he did, and I continued to walk without delay. I could feel him right on my tail, and I knew his eyes were on me. I did not need to look because I could feel them burning into me.
I pinpointed Gail first, so I strolled right up to her.
Gail, Abbey, and Lily all rose to greet me with welcoming hugs and hellos. Then, I rotated to each of the guys and kindly greeted them, too.
“So, what’s your headache of choice for the evening?” Gail asked spiritedly. She lifted the glass bottle in her hand. “Beer?” She glanced at Lily and kept going since we all knew Lily’s only option was water. Her eyes stopped on Abbey, who appeared to be drinking something pink, and then she glanced back at me and grinned. “Or something a little stronger?”
Tonight was supposed to be my one night off to let loose after a few stressful weeks of being exposed to my parents’ heavy-handed company. “I’m definitely in need of something stronger,” I replied with a shake of my head.
“Ah, you mean, you don’t want water?” Lily chuckled softly.
“Water isn’t going to cut it today, so make sure you stay hydrated enough for the both of us.” I grinned over at Lily.
Kyle teased, “Oh, she will,” before leaning in to affectionately kiss his wife’s temple.
At the same time, Gail winked. “That’s my girl.”
She rounded up the waitress, and a striking brunette appeared at her side.
“What can I get you?” the woman asked.
“This girl over here is in need of a martini,” Gail responded.
The waitress nodded and walked off before I could protest.
“Jeez, Gail. That’s a little strong!” I laughed out loud, taking the vacant seat on the far side of Abbey, placing Gail in the middle. Lily was on the corner seat, sitting next to Gail.
All of the men were congregated around us, standing next to their significant other.
Blake was to my right. His eyes were observing me with an emotion I could not put my finger on. One minute, it seemed as though he was studying me in my element with my friends, and the next, he appeared to be out of place next to us. His gaze would look at each of us and then scan the room appearing to scope out the area for danger. His expression was slightly nervous. It made me wonder how he was adjusting to being back home.
“What?” G
ail snickered, breaking my concentration on Blake. Her tone was full of innocence. “You said you wanted something strong.”
“I did,” I acknowledged, realizing I was contradicting myself. It had been so long since I had a night of freedom that I felt guilty for even having a free night to just let go. “But I do have to be able to function tomorrow,” I teased back.
The waitress arrived with my drink.
Gail replied, “Well, Abbey and I have some news for you, and we’ll need you to be intoxicated for it.” A mischievous glint resonated in her eyes. “So, start chugging.”
I stared at Gail with an open mouth, making Abbey and Lily chortle over the background noise in the bar.
“What does that mean?” I questioned apprehensively.
“Oh, you know, just one of our crazy, random thoughts we plan on dropping on you,” Abbey chimed in, reciprocating Gail’s expression.
“Oh no.” I shook my head on a repressed laugh. “I’ve heard all about your crazy ideas, Abbey, so I’m going to politely decline.”
“Hey!” Damon piped in, pointing his Miller Lite bottle my way. “Abbey’s last crazy thought led me to meeting my future wife, so she has my vote.”
I was encircled in my friends’ laughter, and it was a joyous sound even though I was scared out of my mind.
“I don’t like the sound of that,” I said before taking a large sip of my martini, sensing I would need it. I leered over at Lily, hoping she would cave and give me some details. “Do you know what this is all about?”
Lily put her hands up in front of her and innocently waved them. “I don’t have the slightest clue.” She turned to glare between Gail and Abbey. “They left me in the dark on this one.”
I redirected my attention to Abbey and Gail, my eyes dancing between the two of them. “All right, ladies, out with it already,” I said lightheartedly, feeling terrified on the inside.
Abbey tilted her head over at Gail. “I think she needs a few shots first.”
“It’s that bad?” I exclaimed.
“No!” Gail giggled. “Abbey’s being theatrical.” She scooted her chair closer to Abbey, leaning around her to look at me. “It’s actually good news, Audrey.”
I perched an apprehensive brow at her, knowing she would have told me by now if it were indeed good news.
Gail ignored me and continued, “Abbey and I got to talking about you helping to coordinate her wedding. Well, one thing led to another”—she flicked her hand to the side—“and the two of us thought it would be fun to do a double wedding.”
My jaw hit the floor. They had already talked me into planning one wedding, which we hadn’t even started planning yet, and I was now supposed to help coordinate two.
“Are you out of your mind?” I gaped at her.
“Ah, come on, Audrey!” Gail stifled her amusement.
Abbey and Lily were practically doubling over at the waist with laughter—from my horrified expression, no doubt.
“Don’t you love us?” Gail added in a coaxing tone.
“I think you should have waited until she had a few more drinks before you told her,” Damon teased.
Kyle had his hand shielding his face. I assumed he was hiding his hilarity over the topic. Jason’s chest was rising and falling at his brother’s side. His laughter was interminable. He was having no problem holding back. Of course, there was Blake, who was still wordlessly observing me with watchful eyes.
“I do love you,” I finally croaked out as a response, finding my voice at last. “But you couldn’t have chosen a person more wrong for all of this.”
“Come on, Audrey,” Gail repeated. “It will be so much fun! Lily will help us, too. It’ll be a great bonding experience for the four of us girls!” she added.
Now, it was Lily’s turn to gawk over at Gail. “Wait! You want me to assist coordinating the wedding, too?”
“Of course you’re helping us, too!” Abbey retorted with an affectionate roll of her eyes. “You’re each of our bridesmaids!”
“In eight weeks, I’ll be the size of a cow!” Lily screeched in horror. “You can’t just drop a bomb on me like that!”
“You’ll be beautiful,” Abbey retorted. She pointed her finger at Lily. “And you’re not getting out of it, lady.” She rotated back to me, still pointing. “And neither are you because you’re a bridesmaid, too.”
“Who’s the maid of honor?” Lily asked, glancing between Gail and Abbey. “And how are the four of us supposed to be in two weddings on the same day?”
“Since we can’t choose between our friends, neither of us are having a maid of honor,” Gail responded simply. Then, she pointed her finger over at me. “And this planning whiz over here is in charge of making our double wedding day work.”
I could not contain my shock. In fact, I was subconsciously planning my escape route.
As if she couldn’t contain her anticipation, Gail slightly bounced up and down in her seat while pinning me with her pleading eyes and rooting me in my spot. “So, will you? Please? For me?” she asked softly. “We’ll never pull this off without you.”
Crap, can I resist my friends and tell them no? Can I tell them that I don’t even believe in weddings and vows?
Just as before, I couldn’t.
“Okay,” I breathed. “Though, you both should know, I’ve never planned a wedding before, let alone two. I’ll probably stink at it.”
“Says the girl who planned the best high school parties in the history of Lake Tahoe. Not to mention, you coordinated other noteworthy events we attended over the years,” Gail scoffed and then sipped her beer.
“All right, ladies,” Damon chimed in, rescuing me, “you already got Audrey to agree to our craziness. Now, let’s get back to drinking.”
“Oh, waitress!” Abbey exclaimed with a smile, catching the woman’s attention. “Can you please bring us a round of cherry bombs? We have some serious celebrating to do!”
“Oh, man.” Jason chuckled. “Here we go.”
Abbey had officially given Gail and me a really good buzz. I should have known what I was getting myself into since Abbey could toss back liquor like water. And poor Gail was really going to be feeling the aftereffects tomorrow since she had a beer beforehand, too.
When the seat to my left had opened up earlier and Blake had taken it, I willingly downed all the drinks that had been passed my way to hinder my nerves at the way his leg or arm kept casually brushing along mine, sending tingles throughout me. I was achingly aware of his presence, and the way his eyes raked over me when he thought I wasn’t looking was utterly disarming. I found myself reacting to him, no matter how hard I tried to resist.
When Abbey suggested we all hit the dance floor, my three girlfriends rose from their seats and dragged their men out to the designated area. My heart came to a brief halt as it dawned on me that the song was a slow, alluring one. I didn’t dance to these kind of songs. Actually, truth be told, I had never danced to a slow song before. I had avoided it like the plague. The average woman might find that unbelievable or amusing, but I had my personal reasons. I had to keep my heart separate and at a safe distance away from a man.
Now alone, I could feel Blake’s eyes burning into me as he spoke my name just once. I tried to fight back against the way he seemed to be willing me to look at him. A sliver of me wanted to believe that us sitting here together was fate, but I just couldn’t allow myself to consider such a thing existed as I finally turned to face him. Yet, here I was, sitting next to a man who was testing my steel barriers with just one look.
Those exquisite blue eyes of his were on me as he stood from his seat and extended his hand to me. “Will you dance with me, Audrey?”
The softness of his tone had my insides burning, my heart hammering against my chest, and my gaze meeting his. Maybe it was partially the alcohol, but in reality, the gentleness in his voice only made it harder for me to resist his sweet charms.
My conflicted stubbornness managed to prevail for one last
feeble attempt. “Thank you for the offer, but it’s not a good idea.” To be in your arms, I added, locking the last part in my innermost thoughts.
Blake inched closer. His eyes appeared to be searching mine for answers. “What isn’t?” he questioned quietly, setting his hand on my side.
His touch reverberated throughout me, sending sensations everywhere.
At my speechlessness to his question, he gently cupped my chin and tilted my face up. A new emotion, perseverance maybe, shined lustrously in his eyes. “Audrey, I’m not the kind of man to back away from something I want.”
His hand caressed across my cheek, and my skin ignited beneath his touch.
“All I’m asking for is a dance. It’s not a proposal. Just a dance.”
All my air expelled from my lungs at proposal, so just a dance sounded fantastic right about now.
I leaped from my seat and gave him a serious look. “Just a dance.”
A boyish grin I had never seen before spread across his face, reaching his eyes and bringing light into them. My heart warmed uncontrollably at the understanding that I was the one who had put it there.
“Just a dance,” he agreed, taking my hand to guide the way toward the others. “For now,” he added under his breath.
I came to an abrupt halt as did he, keeping our hands entwined. My mouth gaped open at his frankness.
Blake threw his head back and laughed a rich, deep sound. “I’m kidding!” He gently tugged on my arm.
I let Blake lead the rest of the distance as I regarded each of my friends wrapped in her man’s arms. Before I could process the way that made me feel, Blake suddenly twirled me under his arm and spun me in a small circle. A smile filled my face as he caught my lower back and pulled me into him, maintaining direct eye contact the whole time.
Blake held my frame with a blend of strength and softness that left my mind reeling. From the very first step, he astounded me. He took control and stepped into me, which forced me to take a backward one. Then, he sidestepped to my left, shifting our weight before moving us again. Each step took a full beat of the lovely music filling the room.