She didn’t mean to intrude. All
she’d wanted was to step out on the wide porch for a breath of cool air to stop
her head from spinning. Now she couldn’t leave fast enough. What was she doing
here straddling the threshold, pinned to the spot like a fly in amber, a death
grip on the French door handles? Leave. Give them a little privacy—but she
couldn’t move. Instead she watched Gabe embrace her close friend Viv. His fingertips
whispered down her back while his other hand drifted down her side and rested
on her hip. But it was the smoldering looks they had for each other that made
her breath catch.
It was hard to
imagine Viv getting married. They’d known each other for years. She was five
years older and would always think of Viv as a flighty kid. But it was easy to
see Gabe and Viv’s commitment to each other. Commitment. She blew out the word
in exasperation. She hadn’t understood how much she’d wanted that from
Morgan—until now.
A burst of loud
music behind her broke the spell. She stepped back into the banquet room and
closed the doors without making a sound. In all the years she’d known Gabe and Viv
she’d never seen them so love struck. Their bed was a playground, but they were
die-hard singles—at least that was what Viv had told her. Sure they lived
together, but…well, it was convenient. They were good friends with benefits,
that’s what they were. What a joke. She turned and glimpsed the bride and groom
through the glass doors. How did she not see they were head over heels in love?
With her back
to the door, she scanned the crowded bachelor/bachelorette party to see if
Morgan had returned. He’d stepped out an hour ago. Business, he’d said. Aren’t you glad we’re not doing this?
She thought about his words from earlier in the day. No, damn it. This is what
she wanted. Do you hear me, Morgan
Stuart? I. Want. Forever.
The DJ had
almost everyone—including every woman present—doing a line dance on the packed
dance floor. She had a clear view of the bar where the men were hanging out,
gawking and making comments while they had their drinks. Nope, he wasn’t there,
either. She was about to give up when a movement by the nest of cocktail tables
captured her attention.
Morgan raised
his bottle of beer in salute. “And I only want forever with you,” she murmured.
She ran her hands down her snug black dress—making sure it clung in all the
right places—then maneuvered across the crowded room, eager to get to him. She
wanted to see if his eyes smoldered when he looked at her. As soon as she
reached him she realized she needed more courage. She removed the bottle from
his hand and took a swallow.
“Whoa. You
don’t like beer. Remember?” Ignoring his outstretched hand, she took another
gulp and tried not to screw up her face. The stuff was vile, but she wasn’t
going to give him the satisfaction.
Those little
pink things—the ones with vodka, vermouth and strawberries that she’d had all
afternoon—slid down so easily, along with the shots she’d had a few minutes ago
with the girls in the bridal party. At the moment she didn’t care what she
drank. Something wet and mind numbing was what she wanted.
Maybe the beer
would steady the room and stop it from spinning. No, the dancers were a blur
and now her stomach was complaining.
Since the beer
made her stomach queasier, she placed her hands on the back of the chair and
held on for dear life. A sideways glimpse was all she needed to see Morgan
shaking his head.
“You’re going
to regret this in the morning,” he said, bending close to her. She closed her
eyes and tried to control a shudder as his low voice and warm breath bathed her
ear. She turned to face him, his lips a kiss away and his eyes…his eyes—
“You two are
next. You know why?” They glanced at Dave, a groomsman, who stood beside them
looking at the mob on the dance floor. “Because you’re the last holdouts. How
long have you been together? Ten years? When are you going to tie the knot?”
The bottle
dangled from her hand. Morgan retrieved his beer and exchanged it for a large
glass of water. One sip then she chugged it all.
“We’re happy
the way we are. You can ask Margot. She’d be the first to tell you she doesn’t
need a piece of paper.” Why didn’t he just take a knife to her heart? This
wasn’t the first time he put it into words. She didn’t want commitment eight
years ago, but now…
“Why spoil a
good thing?” she said in a matter-of-fact tone and gave Dave her most dazzling
smile. What else could she say? It was obvious Morgan liked the arrangement. She
got on her tiptoes and kissed Morgan’s lips. She searched his eyes, trying to
see if that special look, the one Gabe had for his Viv, was there. But with Dave
next to them, Morgan had his game face on. When it suited him he could be hard
to read. He was one of the best corporate attorneys in New York. This evening
he was the poker-face master.
She choked down regrets that they weren’t alone. A family.
The idea had been on her mind since their trip to Star Island. Now, at the
wedding, she knew she wanted one of her own and she wanted one with Morgan. She’d
loved him from the start but right now, at this moment, she understood how
much. She loved his sense of humor, his unconditional acceptance, his steadfast
friendship, his closeness to his family, his Chris Pine blue eyes, his voice,
his touch, his…everything.
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