Best Man with Benefits (Wedding Dare, #4, McCade Brothers, #3)(50)
“I hung it in the closet. Hold on. I’ll get it and walk you back to your room.” She tried to stop herself from fidgeting where she stood as she watched him stride to the closet wearing nothing but a pair of white boxer briefs that made her want to sink her teeth into his butt. Down girl.
He pulled on a pair of jeans and shrugged into a white button-down shirt, and then came back with her dress over his arm. Thanks to his shirt being unbuttoned, he gave her a glimpse of a whole new selection of highly biteable places. Later. You can lick him up one side and down the other after the wedding. Maybe find a quiet, secluded spot at the reception.
Something of her thoughts might have showed on her face, because when she turned to slip her arms into the dress he held open for her, he kissed her neck and murmured, “You’ve certainly changed from the girl I met when I first got here.”
“H-how so?” Because I’ve turned into a nymphomaniac where you’re concerned?
“At first, you were looking for any excuse to avoid the planned activities—especially the wedding. Now, here you are, raring to go.”
His observation made her pause in the process of tying her dress. “I guess you’re right.” No guessing involved. She was looking forward to it—all of it: primping with the girls, standing at the front of the church watching Colt and Kady pledge their love to each other. She was really looking forward to the reception, and the possibility of grabbing a private, naughty moment with him. Frankly, her earlier trepidation about everything seemed stupid and self-centered.
He finished buttoning his shirt and kissed her again, a quick, knee-weakening possession of her mouth, and then led her out the door. “I’m glad. Even if it means you’re blowing me off to spend hours with a bunch of girls rather than staying put and letting me wish you good morning properly.”
“Can I get a rain check on the proper good morning?” She looked up at him from beneath her lashes as they walked down the hall hand-in-hand, and silently held her breath. He’d made the comment on the call yesterday about bringing her to the closing dinner, but since then he hadn’t said much about what came next for them. And she hadn’t brought it up, in part because there hadn’t really been a good time to talk, and in part because his answer felt too big…too important. She’d wanted a little more time to get her heart prepared for reality.
His expression sobered. They stopped in front of her room and she turned away to unlock and push the door open. When she turned back, he cupped her face in his big hands and stared into her eyes. “You can get as many rain checks as you want. And redeem them at your convenience.”
So saying, he leaned in and kissed her again. Slow this time. Devastatingly slow, as if trying to impart some important message through the slide of his tongue over hers. Her heart slammed into her ribs like a caged bird. What did he mean, at her convenience? What if she told him every day for the rest of her life would be convenient? Did he mean he would make that happen?
Only one way to find out. When he drew back, she wrapped her hands around his wrists and held on. She floated in the crystal-clear depths of his eyes and said, “My place, next Tuesday?”
He breathed in her nervous exhale, and rubbed his lips against hers, as if to soothe away the tension he’d heard in her question.
“That’s something we need to discuss. Soon. As soon as we’ve done our wedding party duties. I proposed some changes last night during my call, and my board agreed, and what I hope it means is—” He broke off and waited as someone passed by, and Sophie realized whoever it was had just gotten an eyeful of them kissing. “I’m sorry,” he continued. “This isn’t the time or the place. I know you have to go—”
Her well of bravery ran dry. If he intended to tell her he wanted them to have a future, she could wait until after the wedding to hear his plan. If he intended to tell her he was…what? Moving the company headquarters to Timbuktu, but they could be Skype buddies for the rest of their lives, she’d just as soon not know. She went up on her tiptoes and kissed him with everything she had, and hoped it was enough to remind him there were certain interactions a person simply couldn’t get from Skype, no matter how good the screen resolution.
Message delivered to the best of her ability, she slipped into her room.
Ten minutes later she stood in the lobby with Kady, Christine, and Julie, secretly grateful she wasn’t the last to arrive. Regan held that honor. She strode off the elevator a minute later, and Julie joked about sending out a search party. Regan deflected the comment by pointing out that Christine was the only one of them who’d needed a search party. While Kady and Julie took turns teasing Christine, Regan surprised her with a sly question. “How was your night?”
She felt her face go oven-hot. Oh God, what had Regan seen? “J-Just fine.”
“I’ll bet.” Regan leaned closer and lowered her voice. “He’s a really great guy.”
“I know.” Okay, apparently at least one member of the bridal party knew she’d spent the night with Logan. Interestingly, the brunette didn’t sound the least bit bitchy or jealous. But that didn’t mean the rest of the world needed to know her business. She shot a glance at Kady. “Can we not talk about this now? I don’t need my brother or the other two Amigos getting wind of it.”
“Sure.” Regan smiled. “I think they’re all going to be plenty busy today.”