To Have and to Hold (The Wedding Belles #1)(59)

It took Brooke a moment to catch up, and she laughed when it clicked, grateful that she hadn’t completely killed his already hard-to-find sense of humor.

Brooke spread her hands to the side. “So?”

He glanced around, and she tried to see the building through his more trained eyes.

Still, regardless what lens someone was viewing the room through, she couldn’t imagine any fault. The dark floors contrasted perfectly with the white walls, the windows were plentiful, and delightful arches were sprinkled in among built-in enclaves for window seats, decor, or cozy cuddles.

She moved toward one of the windows in the middle of the wall. “This is the best view. The angle of the Brooklyn Bridge looks like something from a movie poster.”

He moved behind her, not quite crowding her, but close enough that she could feel his warmth. Smell his scent.

“It’s beautiful.”

She swallowed, her brain knowing that he was talking about the scene before them, her heart—her stupid heart—wishing that he were talking about her.

Brooke moved aside before she could lean back. Or worse, put her hands on either side of that window, arch her back and beg him to take her from behind right there, right now. She hadn’t gone with the sexy dress that Heather had recommended, but Seth had proven extremely adept at removing her clothing, and it would be oh so easy . . .

Damn it.

“So as you can see, there’s plenty of space,” she said, moving back toward the wall with the light switches. The romantic shadows were messing with her head. She pressed onward. “The lack of interior walls gives us amazing flexibility. Dance floor in the middle, dance floor in the corner. We could go with a circular layout, or more linear. We could even—” Brooke flicked the lights on with one hand, turning back to continue giving her sales pitch, but he was right there.

Right there.

She walked directly into his hard chest, having barely a moment to register surprise before his lips closed over hers.

The kiss was slow. Taunting. As though he knew exactly what she wanted, and what she wanted was this. Him.

Brooke kissed him back with everything, her tongue reaching for his as her fingers closed on his lapel, dragging him forward so they bumped awkwardly against the wall.

“You didn’t email me back,” she said, pulling her mouth away to dot kisses along his jawline. “Eight emails, you didn’t respond.”

He let out a low chuckle. “Someone’s been counting.”

“Someone’s been ignoring,” she countered.

He stilled for a moment, before his hands slid down from her shoulders to her waist. “Isn’t that what a soulless man is supposed to do?”

Brooke sucked in a breath, not just at having her own tantrum thrown back in her face, but at the hurt in his face. At the pain in his eyes.

“Seth.”

He didn’t give her a chance to respond, instead slamming his mouth down on hers once more with even more force this time, the heels of his hands digging into her rib cage as he held her against the wall, his mouth bruising, punishing . . .

And she wanted it. She wanted it all.

Her tongue tangled against his, her fingers clawing at his shirt as her purse dropped to the floor with a messy thump, the keys in her hand falling with a noisy clank as they wrestled with each other’s clothes, heating each other’s skin even through the thick layers of their winter coats.

Brooke’s hips tilted forward, needing to be closer, and Seth hissed out a curse as she rubbed against the bulge of his erection.

He slammed a palm against the wall behind her head before pulling back, groaning in frustration as he did so.

His breath was warm on her cheek, and Brooke kept her eyes closed, relishing the closeness, just for a moment.

“What are we doing here?” he asked.

Brooke could only shake her head. “I have no idea. I don’t know how to think around you. I have things all planned out, and then . . .”

“And then what?” he asked huskily.

“And then you look at me, and I just, I just want.”

“I take it this wasn’t in your plans,” he said, gently resting a thumb against her cheekbone.

“You mean Maya playing matchmaker? I had a hunch when she insisted you tag along, but I definitely didn’t plan on her ditching us.”

“I’ll admit I’m having a hard time being pissed at her just now,” Seth admitted.

Brooke opened her eyes to meet his. Their icy blue was unreadable. “I’m actually kind of glad she left. There are things I need to say, and I’m grateful not to have an audience for it.”

He slowly pushed back from the wall, moving his warmth away from her, and her fingers clenched in a reflexive urge to tug him back. To tuck against his body and ask him to hold her. Or kiss her. Or take her against the wall, or . . .

“I’m listening,” he said.

Seth crossed his arms, and the closed-off stance definitely didn’t bode well for his reception of her apology. But she had to try.

Buying time, she knelt, picking up her purse, shoving the spilled lip balms and umbrella and hair bands back in. She picked up the keys in her other hand, jangling them in her palm nervously as she stood up once more and looked him in the eyes.

“I need to say that I’m sorry,” she said, deciding on directness.