Wardrobe Malfunction(69)

“Can I ask you something?” I say.

He turns his head, resting his chin on his shoulder. “Shoot.”

“Does it, um, bother you that I dated someone who was a drug dealer?” I’m asking to test the water now that he knows. I want to know what he’s willing to tolerate. “I mean, if we went public and the press were to find out, would it bother you?”

“Not at all.”

“What about my past? My father murdering my mom. My father being in prison. If the press found out, they would have a field day.”

“The only thing I would be worried about is you.” He drops his arms and turns around to face me, putting his legs on either side of me. He cups my cheek, turning my face to him. “Is that why you want to still keep us a secret?”

I glance away, looking down.

Maybe. Partly. Not really.

Tell him the truth, Charly.

He slides his fingers under my chin, lifting, forcing my eyes up. “Pins, what happened…you had no control over. You were a kid. I don’t care what the press has to say about it. Nothing about you could ever embarrass me. You’re amazing. I’m crazy about you.”

I stare back at him, my heart beating with love and fear and everything else that I feel for him.

I lean forward and press my lips to his. He moans a sound that hits me straight between my legs. His hand moves from my face to cup the nape of my neck. He shifts in closer, deepening the kiss, taking control.

And, as it always does with Vaughn and me, things get heated fast, and I’m straddling his lap, pressing myself up against him.

And I tell myself that I don’t need to tell him now, that there’s no rush. And Sasha’s wedding is tomorrow. I don’t want to do anything to spoil it for him. He might be okay with what I have to tell him, but just to be sure, I’ll wait.

I’ll tell him when we get back to Vegas.





Vaughn


“You having fun?” I ask Charly.

“So much fun. Thank you for bringing me with you.”

“Yeah, well, it was between you and Doris, who cleans my trailer, but Doris was busy today, so you lucked out.”

“You jerk.” She chuckles, and I grin.

“I’m glad I asked you, too, Pins,” I say in a lower voice.

I kiss the tip of her nose as we dance to an acoustic version of Lady Gaga’s “The Edge of Glory” being played by the band my sister hired for her wedding.

The day has been awesome. My mom and sister did an amazing job with putting the whole thing together. The ceremony went off without a hitch. They got married under the willow tree by my parents’ house. The tree had lights hanging from it. An altar was just beneath it, covered in white flowers. It looked really cool.

Sasha looks beautiful. Greg even cried when he saw her walking up the aisle, which he is going to get so much shit for but not today. Today, I’ll let it slide. I’ll just mock him tomorrow. And for the rest of his life.

We’ve done the sit-down, had our meal in the tent, and laughed at my dad’s bad jokes during his speech. And, now, we’re partying until the night is over.

But, for me, the best part of today has been Charly. She looks totally fuckable in her dress—a long, floaty dark gray number that is fitted over her breasts, making them look magnificent. Her hair is down and curled, and I desperately want to get my hands all tangled up in it. And her lips are tease-me red. It’s been killing me all day because all I’ve wanted to do is kiss that lipstick right off her mouth and then carry her back to my house and fuck her all night long.

She’s been glowing all day. Like she’s lit up from the inside out. And, the moment when my sister thanked her in her speech for saving the day by fixing her dress…I honestly thought she was going to cry.

Being here with her has been amazing. Being free to be with her, I never want it to end. I don’t want to go back to Vegas tomorrow and go back to pretending that we’re not together in front of people.

I just don’t know how to ask her again. I don’t want to push. But I want it. I want her.

I feel a tug on my pants and look down to see Nora.

“Hey.” I smile at her.

“Uncle Vaughn, will you dance with me? My brothers won’t dance with me.”

“Course I will, beauty. You don’t mind, do you, Charly?”

“No, of course not. I need to use the little girls’ room anyway.”

I pick up Nora in my arms and start to dance with her as Charly makes her way through the dance floor that is filled with my family and friends whom I’ve known all my life.

That’s another thing. She fits in so effortlessly with my family. They all love her. She couldn’t be more perfect for me.

The more I think about this, the more determined I become about wanting to go public. I just need to figure out how to get her on board.

“You look so serious, Uncle Vaughn.” Nora’s chubby little hands press to my face. And they’re sticky. I’m pretty sure with cake.

“I was just thinking.”

“About Charly?”

Kid is smart for a three-year-old.

“I like her, Uncle Vaughn. She’s really pretty and funny.”

“Yeah, she is.”

“I think you should marry her. But don’t wait as long as Mommy and Daddy did.”