by Lulu Pratt
Once the dance floor was opened and everyone joined the couple, I worked my way around the venue to find Callie.
“Can I talk to you?” I asked.
“Not now, Grayson,” she said. “I need to take care of this.”
“I’ve got it,” Isaiah said, and Callie shot him a glare. “Go talk to him.”
She shook her head.
“Please,” I said. Isaiah pinned her with a stare, and she sighed, nodding.
“Okay,” she said. She walked to the bar. I walked after her, catching up.
“What’s going on?” I asked. “You’re acting weird, you’re pushing me away, and you’re being so different than before. Something must be wrong.”
A waiter passed us with a silver tray with flutes of Champagne, and Callie grabbed two. She didn’t hand me one. Instead, she downed both, one after the other.
“Don’t you like me?” I asked. “Or Carter? What’s going on?”
“It’s not that,” Callie said. She looked around the venue as if she was desperately searching for a way out.
“Didn’t you want the wedding to happen?”
Callie shook her head. “No, no, of course, that’s not it. I’m happier for Abigail and Carter than I’ve ever been. God, they deserve this. All of this.” She looked emotional. How well did she handle her liquor? Champagne was dangerous.
“Then what is it?” I asked.
Callie shook her head. “I’m sorry, but I can’t tell you that,” she said. “I wish I could, but I can’t.”
Her eyes welled up with tears. Shit, she was going to cry. She tried to walk away but I stopped her, grabbing her wrist, pulling her closer to me. I hugged her, and she trembled against me.
“Whatever it is, you can tell me,” I said.
Callie broke away from me. “That’s just the thing,” she said. “I can’t.”
She had moved away from her tears, but she was on the verge again.
“I’m sorry,” she said and turned away from me.
“Stop running, please,” I pleaded. “Just talk to me.”
Callie turned around, and she was suddenly angry. It was as if she tried to use the anger to push away the tears. She looked me in the eyes, and her face was racked with pain.
“I’m so sorry,” she said, and the tears took over, streaming down her face. She covered her mouth and ran away, leaving me in the middle of the hall, wondering what the hell had happened.
I waited for Callie to return. I stayed right where I was and waited and waited, but she didn’t come back. After a while, they cut the cake. Callie wasn’t there to see Abigail and Carter’s first act as a married couple. I knew it was what she would have wanted. She was somewhere, crying, and she wasn’t all right.
I started searching for her. I wouldn’t wait any longer. I worked my way through the gardens and around the hall. I checked with Isaiah, but he hadn’t seen her. He was also worried about her. Perhaps I had misjudged him too. The bridesmaids hadn’t either, and Abigail suggested I check the bathroom.
When I went to the ladies’ room, I knocked on the door. “Callie?” I asked.
I heard crying coming from the other side of the door. I pushed it open, ladies’ room be damned. Callie was inside, leaning against the basins, her hands folded around her stomach as if she was physically keeping herself together. Her make-up had run down her cheeks, and she looked like a mess.
“What are you doing in here?” she asked.
“Come here,” I said, pulling her against me. She shook as she cried.
“I killed her,” she whispered.
“What?” I asked. “Who?” I held her at arm’s length and tried to figure out what the hell she was talking about.
“Jenna.”
My ears started ringing. The world around me swam for a moment. I shook my head, trying to figure out what she was saying.
“I was the other driver,” she said, and she was crying again. She was on the verge of hysterics. “I was the driver she hit when she swerved into the other lane. I was the one who lived when she died.”
A lump rose in my throat.
“You were outside of Dallas that night?” I asked hoarsely.
Callie nodded. “I was there for a conference. My motel was outside of town. The one moment I was headed out, and the next, headlights were on my face, and there were blood and glass everywhere and… Oh God.” She cried hysterically, covering her face with her hands, and I grabbed onto her, holding her tightly to me. I couldn’t even start to imagine the pain and the guilt she had to be suffering.
“It’s not your fault,” I said.
Callie looked up at me. “What?” she asked.
“It’s not your fault.”
She shook her head, frowning. “She’s dead,” she said.
“Yes, she is, and I will miss her forever. I will never stop thinking about her. But it was a deer that jumped in front of her car when she swerved. You are as much of a victim as she is.”
Callie shook her head. “I don’t understand,” she said.
I took her face between my hands and kissed her tears.
“It’s okay,” I said. “I don’t think you were wrong, I don’t blame you for anything, but I know this is what you need to hear. So, I forgive you.”
I pressed my lips against hers before she could protest. I kissed her so long and so hard that she would realize what I felt for her, that I meant what I said.
Chapter 29
CALLIE
I COULDN’T BELIEVE he didn’t hate me after I had come clean. I had effectively killed his sister, and he had told me to let it go. I had expected him to walk out and never speak to me again. Hell, I hadn’t been able to forgive myself for the longest time.
But Grayson was here in the ladies’ room with me, his arms around me, pulling my body so tightly against his, I wasn’t sure where my body ended and his started. He held onto me like he would never let me go. He kissed me like he would never kiss me again, and I melted in his arms. Grayson was still here, and by the looks of things, he was here to stay.
I didn’t know what would happen after the wedding when he went back home. I didn’t know if this would end or if we would try to make it work. But I pushed the thoughts away because it didn’t matter. All that mattered was that Grayson was here with me, and he didn’t hate me.
Grayson’s kisses turned from forgiveness and love to passion and desire. I felt his cock harden in his pants, and he ground himself again me. I smiled against his lips. He always did this when he wanted me — I was starting to get to know his tells. Grayson’s hand slid onto my breast, and I was filled with desire too. God, I wanted him.
The ladies’ room door opened, and one of the wedding guests walked in. She froze when she saw us, and Grayson stepped away, a look of guilt on his face. I giggled. I couldn’t help it. Grayson cleared his throat and turned bright red. I had never thought I would see an alpha male like Grayson blush over being caught in the ladies’ room.
“Sorry,” he said. He looked at me. “I’ll see you on the dance floor.” He winked and adjusted his pants, tugging at his belt in a gesture that was much more like Grayson before he left. The woman looked at me with disgust, but I didn’t care. I was ecstatic. I turned around and checked my hair and make-up.
Everything was okay again. I couldn’t believe it had worked out so beautifully. My best friend was married to a man who was genuinely good for her. I believed she and Carter would go a long way. They may have met and fallen in love very quickly, but sometimes true love worked that way. I had heard people telling me before that they’d known the moment they laid eyes on each other.
I hadn’t been sure I believed it until I witnessed it firsthand. I was a wedding planner, after all. This was the kind of experience and proof I needed.
I took a deep breath and turned to check that the dress was perfect in the back as well before I headed out to the party to join Grayson on the dance floor.
The wedding DJ, a guy I often recommended, wa
s great. He played a mix of older songs and new releases so everyone had something they enjoyed. When I caught his eye, he jutted his chin up in acknowledgment, and I smiled at him. He had made my best friend’s wedding as perfect as I knew he could.
Grayson pulled me closer.
“Have I told you how hot you look in that dress?” he whispered.
I laughed. “I look the same as the other two and you don’t like pink. Remember?”
“Did I say that?” he said. “Besides you’re stunning. They’re average.”
“You’re just trying to get into my pants,” I teased.
“Is it working?” Grayson asked and waggled his eyebrows at me. I laughed and nodded. It was working big time. I wanted him so badly. But I wanted to party and dance with my friend.
Abigail and Carter joined us, and we danced together, the bride and her maid of honor, the groom and his best man, four unlikely friends who had found happiness despite the odds.
I looked around to see Isaiah who stood off the side, chatting to another man. I smiled. Hopefully, he would find a happily ever after too. I noticed he looked up, scanning the crowds, making sure everything was fine. He showed me a thumbs-up, and I knew I could relax. Isaiah was taking over for the night, doing it all so I could relax and enjoy myself. It wasn’t every day I was a part of the wedding party for the wedding I was coordinating. I made a mental note to give Isaiah a raise as well as that bonus and to tell him what a star he was.
“What’s on your mind?” Grayson asked, leaning in to speak close to my ear.
“Oh, a lot of inappropriate things,” I said and winked. He laughed. “But I was just thinking about how perfectly everything worked out. The wedding is beautiful, the newlyweds are happy, and we’re having a blast.”
Grayson nodded. “I would never have guessed it would be this good,” he said.
I hugged him. When he let me go, Abigail winked at me, and I laughed, fighting the blush. So, I was falling for the best man. So, he wasn’t as much of an asshole as I had thought at first. When I met him, I wouldn’t have thought in a million years we would be anything more than part of the same wedding party. But everything had changed, and Grayson was by my side as my escort for the wedding and the man I wanted to explore as a partner. So, I was really happy.
The bouquet and garter toss wrapped up the night, and we saw the newlyweds off in a limousine. When they were gone, a swell of emotion washed over me. It was done. Abigail was married. It was all coming to an end. When I saw her again, she would be a Mrs. in the fullest sense of the word. We were adults now.
“I need to check in with Isaiah,” I told Grayson once I pulled myself together.
I found Isaiah inside, talking to the DJ.
“What do I need to do?” I asked.
Isaiah put his hands on my arm. “You need to collect your man candy and get out of here. I can’t stand how you two are ogling each other. Go make nasty.”
“Isaiah!” I laughed, blushing. “Don’t you need help?”
He shook his head. “I’ve got this. Go on. Have your fun. Next time, it’s my turn.”
I hugged him. “Thank you,” I said.
Isaiah nodded and turned back to the DJ. I found Grayson and told him I was ready to leave.
“Come to my place,” I offered.
Grayson agreed, and we got in a cab that took us home.
I peeled the dress off me and put on pajama shorts and a tank top. I brushed out my hair and got rid of all the make-up the artist had caked on my face. When I came out of the room, Grayson had loosened his tie and undone half the buttons on his shirt. He had kicked off his shoes, and he looked at home in my apartment. I liked it.
He had poured two glasses of wine.
“To a night well done,” he said.
“To moving on.”
We on the couch together and drank the wine, talking about the night, about the success of the wedding, and about how beautiful everything had been. It had been one of the best weddings I had ever pulled off, but it was because of the love that had been everywhere. It was the key ingredient, the bit of magic a wedding needed to go from wonderful to storybook material.
“I love what I do,” I concluded. “There are bad ones sometimes, but weddings like this remind me why I wanted to become a wedding planner.”
Grayson pulled me onto his lap, and I put the wine glass down so I wouldn’t drop it. “It’s hot when you’re so sure of yourself,” he said.
I smiled and kissed him. Now that we were alone, the kiss turned into more, and there was no reason to stop this time. Grayson’s hand slipped under my tank top and squeezed my breast. I wasn’t wearing a bra, and it was easy for him to reach my nipples and tug at them, turning me on, making me want him even more.
Grayson undressed me, pulling my clothes off, and I returned the favor. I undid the last few buttons of his shirt and peeled it off his shoulders. I undid his pants, and Grayson wiggled out of them. He was only in his briefs when I stood up, naked, and took his hand. I led him to my bedroom. I wanted him hard and fast and then long and slow, the whole night as long as we could last.
When I pulled down Grayson’s briefs, he complied. I lay on the bed, and he climbed on top of me. I was more than wet enough, and he pushed into me with ease. I moaned when he did, and Grayson started riding me. He fucked me hard, just as I had wanted it, and in no time at all, the first orgasm shattered me. I cried out. Grayson kissed me, muffling my cries while he moved in and out of me.
Grayson pulled out and flipped me over, and I loved it when he fucked me from behind. I braced myself as he entered me and started fucking me hard and fast. I cried out, my breasts swinging back and forth, his balls slapping against my pussy. I was almost on my second orgasm when Grayson pulled out. He was going to make me wait for it again. It was frustrating and delicious, all at the same time.
Grayson lay down on the bed, and I climbed on top of him. I straddled his hips and sat down on his cock, slowly sliding him into me. He rocked my hips back and forth a little to get comfortable before I started riding him. I put my hands on his chest and felt his pectoral muscles under my hands as his arms moved, his hands on my hips. I rode him harder and harder until I could tell he was close before I slowed it right down again.
“You’re going to make me beg for it,” he bit out.
“Payback is a bitch,” I said, smiling. Grayson grinned at me, and hunger filled his eyes. He let me play around a little longer, pushing him closer to the edge before stopping again. When his face twisted into a snarl of impatience, I smiled. I loved this.
“That’s enough,” Grayson said, and he wrapped his arms around, me pulling me down with his strength. I couldn’t fight him. As soon as he started bucking his hips, fucking me from beneath, I stopped trying. I didn’t want to fight him anyway.
“This is unfair,” I gasped into his ear.
“I can’t help it. You are so fucking irresistible.”
I chuckled, my voice forced out in the rhythm of his fucking, and I closed my eyes, losing myself in the sensation. I orgasmed at the same time Grayson did. We lay together on the bed. I was still straddling him, my chest pressed against his, and I could feel his heart ramming against my ribs. We both breathed hard.
We stayed like that for the longest time together, relishing in each other’s closeness and that we could be like this even after the sex had faded.
When I finally clambered off him, my legs were stiff, and I was more than satisfied. I lay on Grayson’s chest, and he dropped a kiss on my hair. Tonight, we hadn’t only fucked. We had made love.
Chapter 30
GRAYSON
WHEN I WOKE up, I knew exactly where I was, and I was happy. Callie was still in my arms. I was sure I’d been holding onto her all night. Her hair was fanned out on my chest, and I stroked it. It was amazing being with her. Her breathing was deep and rhythmic, her skin soft under my fingertips where my arm was around her shoulder. I closed my eyes again and thought about the wedding las
t night, how everything had finally worked out the way it should have been.
I never thought I would feel like this about someone. I’d been the guy who did one-night stands only. I was a hell of a charmer, and I knew how to work my assets. My body was to die for, and I knew girls couldn’t resist me. But this? This was different. This was worth it. And Callie was gorgeous in so many ways, outside and inside. I was serious about this woman even though I hadn’t known her very long. The hypocrisy wasn’t lost on me. I had given Carter so much grief about exactly the same thing. But I hadn’t been in his shoes. And now I was.
When Jenna died, I’d felt alone. I had felt that everyone else — Carter and John and even my mom — had somehow moved on. I had felt left behind, felt there was a hole in my life that could never be filled again. I’d lost my best friend, and I could never get a new sister.
But I had been wrong. Callie was far from my sister, but she was a woman I could confide in, a woman I could trust, and she brought the best out in me. Much like Jenna had done. She wasn’t like Jenna had been, but she was genuine like Jenna, and that meant the world to me. She had brought me back to life again. I never thought the hollow feeling I felt when Jenna had been taken away would ever be filled again, but here I was, lying in bed with Callie who seemed to be shaped perfectly to fill the void I had felt for so long.
God knew I had done nothing to deserve a love so pure and beautiful. But it was here, ready for me to take it, and I would never let Callie go. I would never do something to sabotage love again, whether it was my own or someone else’s.
I tried to wriggle out from underneath Callie without waking her, but she opened her eyes.
“I didn’t mean to wake you,” I said.
Callie shook her head and looked at the time.
“No, it’s fine. If we wake up now, we can spend a bit of time together before heading out for breakfast.”
I nodded. I used the bathroom after Callie did. When she turned on the shower and invited me to join her, I eagerly accepted. It wasn’t even about sex with her. It was about being together in the rawest form.
