“Is that … Dani?” Marissa asked, sounding as shocked as Trace had been.
“Looks like it,” Trace replied. “I didn’t know you invited her.”
“I didn’t. I mean, I would have, but she didn’t come back. I guess she’s back now?”
“Seems that way,” Trace said. “And so is Hunter.”
Trace’s brother had disappeared on an overseas op for two solid months but had reappeared just last week, a few days before Trace’s impending nuptials. His whereabouts had been kept secret. Casper had claimed it was a black op that he’d gone out on. Trace figured it had more to do with the guy running from the inevitable. And inevitable’s name was Danielle Davidson.
“You think we should do somethin’?” Marissa asked, peering up at him.
“Probably,” he told her.
“Like what?”
Looking down at the most beautiful woman in the world, Trace grinned. “We’ll start by dancing. Then, we’ll follow that with”—Trace leaned down close to her ear—“getting you naked.”
Marissa gently slapped him on the arm, laughing. “You’re incorrigible. You know that?”
“So I’ve been told.” Pulling her along with him, he made his way to the dance floor.
“Remember that red dress you wore to Max’s party?” he asked as he dragged her close.
“Yeah.”
“I told you it was the sexiest dress I’d ever seen you wear.”
“You did,” she confirmed, smiling up at him.
“I lied.” Allowing one finger to trail down her collarbone, barely sliding beneath the edge of the beaded bodice, he met her gaze once again. “This one is by far the sexiest dress I’ve ever seen you in.”
“Thank you.”
“No, thank you. Doesn’t mean I don’t plan to take it off of you later.”
“I’m hoping for it,” she said sweetly, then lowered her voice. “And I’ll even let you use your teeth.”
Trace growled in response, pulling her closer and holding her tight as he smiled. God, he loved this woman.
He knew he’d probably get in trouble for veering from the plan that the wedding coordinator had set out for them, but he honestly didn’t give a shit. This was his wedding. He could do what he wanted. And right then, he wanted to dance with his wife.
And if the wedding planner had something to say about it … well, she could just wait. He had more important things to deal with at the moment.
□«»□«»□«»□
Max released Ashlynn’s arm, allowing his sister to step away from him as he approached Courtney. Ashlynn had already given him a hard time, informing him that this was not a good idea—at least not here—but Max hadn’t listened to her.
Not that she hadn’t been speaking the truth. Even he knew that showing up at this wedding, with the sole intention of speaking to one woman in particular, wasn’t the smartest move he’d ever made. But that hadn’t stopped him from accepting the invite when he’d received it, surprising as it had been.
“Courtney,” he said softly as he approached the dark-haired beauty.
He fought the urge to smile when she slowly turned on her heels and glared at him.
“Why did you come?” she asked softly, reaching for his arm and grabbing his jacket, pulling him away from the group she’d been speaking with.
Max offered them a polite smile as he allowed Courtney to drag him away.
“I was invited,” he told her when she finally stopped in a dark hallway.
Damn, the things he wanted to do to her right there in that alcove, hidden away from the rest of the people celebrating Trace and Marissa’s nuptials. It would be so easy, too.
“I know that,” she snapped, her voice low. “That didn’t mean you had to accept.”
“Of course I did. It would’ve been rude not to,” he countered.
“I’m not doing this with you,” Courtney stated bitterly. “You and me… That ain’t happenin’.”
Max grinned. He knew the flash of teeth was probably predatory, but he couldn’t help himself.
“See,” he said softly, leaning closer, trapping her between his body and the wall behind her. “That’s where you’re wrong.”
“Damn it, Max.”
Courtney’s eyes widened as she looked up at him. She might not like him, and Max could accept that, but that didn’t mean she didn’t want him. She did. It was written plain as day on her beautiful face.
“Tell me you miss me,” he ordered, keeping his voice low, his mouth hovering close to her ear.
“I don’t miss you,” she argued.
Max pulled back enough to look into her eyes. “Liar.”
Neither of them moved; neither of them said a word. Max continued to breathe her in, to study her face, waiting for that sign, the one he’d seen before. The one that told him just how hard it was for her to resist him, no matter what she wanted to tell herself.
“We can’t do this, Max,” she finally said in a harsh whisper.
“Wrong again,” he informed her.
“Why, Max? Tell me why.”
Trailing his finger down her smooth cheek, he kept his gaze locked with hers. “Because you and me … we’ve got some unfinished business.”
Acknowledgments
I have to thank my family first, for putting up with my craziness. From my sudden outbursts when I think of something that needs to be added or when I question why one of the characters did what they did, to the strange hours that I keep and the days on end when I’m MIA because I’m under deadline or just engrossed in a story… Y’all are incredibly tolerant of me and for that, I am forever grateful. I love you with all that I am.
My street team – The Naughty & Nice Posse. Ladies, your daily pimping and support fills my heart with so much love. You are a blessing to me, each and every one of you.
My beta readers, Chancy and Denise. Ladies, I’m not sure thanks will ever be enough. However, not only are you the ones who catch the weird things and ask the bigger questions, you’ve both become my friends and you keep me going.
My copyeditor, Amy. Punctuation and grammar… well, that’s not my strong suit. But it is yours and you are truly remarkable at what you do. You simply amaze me and I am so glad that I found you.
Nicole Nation 2.0 for the constant support and love. This group of ladies has kept me going for so long, I’m not sure I’d know what to do without them.
And, of course, YOU, the reader. Your emails, messages, posts, comments, tweets… they mean more to me than you can imagine. I thrive on hearing from you, knowing that my characters and my stories have touched you in some way keeps me going. I’ve been known to shed a tear or two when reading an email because you simply bring so much joy to my life with your support. I thank you for that.
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I hope you enjoyed Trace and Marissa’s story. Wait for Morning is the first book in the Sniper 1 Security series. Want to see some fun stuff related to the Sniper 1 Security series, check it out here. Or how about what’s coming next? I keep my website updated with the books I’m working on, including the writing progression of what’s coming up for Sniper 1 Security which you can find here.
If you’re interested in keeping up to date on Sniper 1 Security as well as receiving updates on all that I’m working on, you can sign up for my monthly newsletter here.
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And last but certainly not least, if you want to see what’s going on with me each week, sign up for my weekly Hot Sheet! It’s a short, entertaining weekly update of things going on in my life and that of the team that supports me. We’re a little crazy at times and this is a firsthand account of our antics.
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About Nicole
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Nicole Edwards lives in Austin, Texas with her husband, their three kids, and four rambunctious dogs. When she’s not writing about sexy alpha males, Nicole can often be found with her Kindle in hand or making an attempt to keep the dogs happy. You can find her hanging out on Facebook and interacting with her readers - even when she’s supposed to be writing.
Nicole also writes contemporary/new adult romance as Timberlyn Scott.
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Also by Nicole Edwards
The Alluring Indulgence Series
Kaleb
Zane
Travis
Holidays with the Walker Brothers
Ethan
Braydon
Sawyer
Brendon
The Club Destiny Series
Conviction
Temptation
Addicted
Seduction
Infatuation
Captivated
Devotion
Perception
Entrusted
The Dead Heat Ranch Series
Boots Optional
Betting on Grace
Overnight Love
The Devil’s Bend Series
Chasing Dreams
Vanishing Dreams
Sniper 1 Security
Wait for Morning
Standalone Novels
A Million Tiny Pieces
Writing as Timberlyn Scott
Unhinged
Unraveling
Chaos
Wait for Morning (Sniper 1 Security #1) Page 36