by Iona Rose
A deep longing came over me. Would it ever happen for me or was I one of those women who were destined to forever attend weddings and never become a bride? At the bachelorette party, the girls had tried to guess whose wedding would be next and they’d all turned to me. I had laughingly shook my head but inside I’d been wishing it was true.
I shook away the feelings of maudlin that had come over me. It wasn’t fair to be sad on Jack and Amelia’s special day. It would happen for me too, somewhere down the line.
An hour later, I went to the restaurant downstairs for breakfast and afterwards, returned to the condo to get ready. I left myself enough time to wash my hair and dry it. I couldn’t wait to see the wedding decor but mostly I wanted to see Blaze in his outfit.
I had decided on a sexy burgundy dress for the wedding and I giggled as I imagined Blaze’s reaction to it. I’d never been with a man who appreciated my clothes as much as Blaze did. He noticed everything I wore and I had to admit it was flattering.
When I was ready, I tucked my heels into my shoulder bag and wore my sandals for the walk to the resort. It was a hot breezy day, perfect for an outdoors wedding. Tears unexpectedly filled my eyes as I thought about Amelia and Jack. Did they realize how lucky they were to have found each other?
At the resort, I sat down at the reception chairs and swapped my sandals for my heels. I walked through the reception to the garden. I paused at the French doors leading to the garden, completely entranced by the sight before me.
The views from the garden were spectacular. The mountains seemed so close. As if I could stretch out my hand and touch them. Below the mountains, the ocean sparkled as if someone had poured diamonds on the water.
I let out a sigh. “So beautiful,” I murmured.
“Not as beautiful as you are, Hot Sauce.”
Blaze’s words sent an electric current sizzling through me. I whirled around to face him. Air left my lungs as I took in his appearance. He looked amazing and sexy in a white linen, short sleeved button-down shirt and linen pants. “Nice,” I said, raking him up and down possessively.
He took my hands into his. “Go and sit, the ceremony is about to start,” he said and leaned in to kiss my cheek.
As I turned to leave, Blaze playfully swatted my butt, something he would not have done when we were just friends. It would take a lot of discipline to keep our hands to ourselves when we returned home.
I chatted with Blaze’s mom and Amelia’s parents then other guests before it was time to sit down. I felt like part of a beautiful picture as I gazed at the beauty surrounding us.
It was a day Jack and Amelia would never forget. I blinked away the tears forming in my eyes. What was the matter with me? I’d never been the type of person who became emotional over these kinds of events. I’d gotten weepy over a wedding! I distracted myself from my emotions by admiring the white archway placed at the end of the aisle. The design was stunning and decorated with masses of colorful flowers.
Just then, Jack led the groomsmen down the aisle and a collective gasp went up. The groom wore a vest coat over his shirt to differentiate him from his groomsmen.
My eyes immediately moved to Blaze.
As if he could feel my gaze, his eyes searched the crowd and came to a stop on me. We exchanged a lingering gaze before he looked away.
Soft music came from speakers hidden in the garden and the bridesmaids appeared and walked down the aisle.
Finally, we all stood up as the volume grew. It was Amelia’s turn and when she appeared, fresh tears filled my eyes.
She looked so beautiful and when Jack caught a glimpse of her, his mouth fell open and a look of pure love came over his features.
I shifted my gaze to Blaze to see his reaction but he wasn’t looking at the bride or groom. He was looking at me.
My heart rate sped up and every nerve ending in my body rose to the surface of my skin. I swallowed hard as I felt myself drawn into his dark eyes. He looked at me as if he cared. Of course, he did, we were best friends. But it was more than that. His gaze resembled that of a man looking at the woman he loved.
I came to myself and almost laughed aloud. Now, that was wistful thinking. I looked away and watched as Amelia’s father gave her to Jack.
The scenery was to blame for my errant thoughts. Mountains, beach, wedding… love was in the air. In this kind of atmosphere, it had been easy to tell myself that Blaze and I were in love. That our relationship could also lead to this. I shot down those thoughts. The road to hell was paved with fantasies and I knew better than to indulge them.
No one had a dry eye as Amelia and Jack exchanged their own vows, promising to love each other until the end of time. The happy couple walked down the aisle to cheers and whistles.
As if drawn to each other by an invisible force, Blaze and I couldn’t stop staring at each other. Fear trembled through me. No matter what I told myself, it would hurt like hell to give him up, but it would be worse if I held on.
He would resent and hurt me, unable to tell me he was tired of us. I refused to lie to myself thinking I was different to Blaze. He was operating on shiny new object syndrome.
I held him captive because my body was new to him. A new toy to play with. When familiarity crept in, and our lovemaking wasn’t as exciting to him, then he would want to move on.
And it would be too late for me. I’d already be head over heels in love with him. As much as Blaze cared for me and loved me as a friend, he would break my heart into a million pieces. Something told me if I let that happen, I would never recover from it.
The rest of us followed the bridal party to the tent erected on the west end of the garden where the reception would be held. But first, the photographer had us stop and take a few pictures. My heart bled but I forced a smile and playful poses before following everyone else into the tent.
I found myself seated next to Jack and Blaze’s aunty. She kept me laughing as she regaled me with tales of the boys spending some vacations at her cottage by the beach. It explained why Jack had been eager to have a wedding by the beach side.
Aunt Sara had no children of her own and she regarded Jack and Blaze as her children. “I think you and Blaze might be next,” she whispered into my ear, making me blush.
I smiled in response. I didn’t want to break her heart or hopes and tell her Blaze and I would only be good between the sheets. A relationship was out of the question for us.
Dinner was delicious but I’d only been able to pick at it. I felt like my life had entered a timer. Every minute that went by took us closer to our departure time. The last few days had honestly been the happiest in my life.
I’d never known sex could be so wild, exciting, and fulfilling. I had laughed, cried and experienced all other emotions in between the two. The end of our short affair would leave a gaping hole, impossible to fill. But I would try. Especially, because I now knew what I wanted.
I refused to settle for less. I knew how good it could be between a man and a woman. It made me sad as I wondered if our friendship would survive our affair.
“It’s time for their first dance,” Aunt Sara said and clapped her hands together like a young girl waiting for her birthday present.
“You’re a true romantic,” I told her laughing.
“Who isn’t?” she said and returned her gaze to the happy couple who only had eyes for each other.
The DJ invited the Maid of Honor and the Best Man to join the couple in the next song.
Blaze threw me a dimpled smile before pulling Emily into his arms.
I couldn’t tear my eyes away from him and when he turned my way, neither could he.
When the official dances were over, I felt a hand on my arm. I looked up to Blaze’s animated face.
“A dance, my lady?” he said and bowed.
I giggled. “Yes, sir,” I said and placed my hand in his.
Unlike our previous drunken dances where our hands roamed all over each other’s bodies, we kept this one PG-13.
/> “You do know what I’d like to do to you, don’t you?” Blaze whispered into my ear as we danced.
I trembled in his arms. “I have an idea.” I breathed him in, loving the familiar masculine scent that was all Blaze. I stroked his shoulders and his back.
When the song was over, Blaze took my hand and led me out of the tent.
“Where are we going?” I asked him.
“For a walk on the beach,” he said. “We need to talk, Hot Sauce.” My heart skipped a beat at his serious tone. I didn’t want to talk. I wanted to dance in his arms all night. I wanted to be a princess and pretend that my happily ever after was around the corner. “Can’t we talk later,” I protested. “Besides, I can’t walk in the sand with my heels.
“I know that,” Blaze said and in one swift movement, he slipped his hands under my hips and lifted me up.
Laughter bubbled up my throat. “What are you doing, you Neanderthal?”
“Carrying you, what does it look like?” Blaze said, looking down at me with a dimpled smile.
God, I loved his smile. It made my heart break into a gallop. It righted my world.
Carrying me down the path, he then gently put me down. He knelt down, undid the straps of my heels, and slipped them off. Removing his shoes, he took my hand. He remained silent as we walked.
An older couple smiled at us as they went past. They were probably remembering the beginning of their own love. A lump formed in my throat as it hit me again that Blaze and I would not grow old together. We would not walk beaches like these when our hair was gray and our gait slow.
“We need to talk about the future Brooke,” Blaze said, unexpectedly breaking into my thoughts.
“Can we talk about it on the last day?” I said, knowing I was procrastinating.
“Better now,” Blaze said. “I know that you think this is a fling for me. It’s not Brooke. I want us to make this more. Give it a shot and see where it will take us.”
In this moment, Blaze believed his own words but I knew better. Because I had his history to draw from. I didn’t fail to notice he hadn’t made any reference to how he felt. I wasn’t expecting a declaration of love but even saying he had strong feelings was too much for Blaze. He couldn’t bring himself to be vulnerable to someone else. Romantic feelings had no place in his heart. What he felt for me was lust.
I ached at the thought of pouring my heart out to him but cowardice or greed stopped me. I wanted to have all of him before we left. “I’ll think about it,” I said eventually, feeling dishonest but I wasn’t ready for my fling to be cut short.
Chapter Sixteen
Blaze
I woke up with a feeling of dread and I didn’t know why until I realized we were leaving for home in a few hours. I reluctantly opened my eyes to Brooke’s face a few inches from mine.
Heat radiated through my chest and the feeling of dread disappeared. It seemed okay that the vacation was over. After all, I wasn’t leaving Brooke behind and she was the reason why it had been so special. The reason why I didn’t want to leave. But there was so much to look forward to.
Brooke and I could move in together. Live in the downstairs apartment and when we were done renovating the upstairs one, we could rent it out. We were not your regular couple and no one could accuse us of moving too fast.
My heart thumped hard against my chest. The thought of waking up every morning with Brooke in my arms excited me to no end.
“You’re smiling,” Brooke said.
I reached out and tucked her beautiful locks behind her ear. “Who wouldn’t smile after waking up to such beauty.”
She leaned forward and kissed me. She got on top of me and aligned her naked body with mine.
Heat whipped through me as her soft curves molded over my body. I ran my hands over her soft skin. My cock twitched against her bare pussy but not for long as she slid down my body and trailed kisses as she moved. Hot kisses ignited on my skin making a downward trail. I lay back and enjoyed having Brooke take charge.
Her nipples grazed my chest as she scraped my skin with her fingernails. I inhaled deeply as she kissed my belly. My cock throbbed against her breasts. A surge of lust came over me and I softly rocked my hips, hitting her lush breasts.
She nudged my legs apart, slid between them and took my cock into her hand. I gasped as she licked its length and teased the sensitive ring around its head mercilessly.
“That feels so good sweetheart,” I said.
“I haven’t even started,” Brooke said as she arranged her breasts around my cock.
Heaven. I couldn’t wait and started to thrust, while she licked my cock with every thrust. Precum spilled onto her breasts as Brooke leaned forward and licked it off.
“I love it when you do that,” I growled. Every man wanted to believe his cum tasted sweet to his lover and I was no different. Brooke was no actress and I was sure she loved the taste of my cream.
“I’m going to suck you until you come on my tits,” Brooke said, her gaze glued to mine.
“What are you trying to do to me?” I groaned. “Kill me?”
She giggled and went back to driving me out of my mind.
I forgot everything else and concentrated on the tidal wave building up inside of me. When it got close, I gently shifted Brooke, pulled her up, and then flipped us around, so I was on top. “I wanted us to come together,” I said to her and guided my cock into the heat of her pussy.
I braced my elbows on either side of the bed. I wanted to look at her as I made love to her.
Her eyes widened and glazed over as my cock filled her to the hilt.
“I love how your pussy tightens against my cock,” I said to her.
“Oh Blaze…” She panted breathlessly. “Take me. Make me come.”
“Always sweetheart,” I said as I thrust into her over and over again. I watched her face as if recording every emotion.
“Fuck me harder,” Brooke said breathlessly. Her face creased into a startled look of pleasure when I rammed into her. She wrapped her legs around my waist, drawing me closer. “Yes, yes, yes…” Brooke whimpered and moments later, her pussy clenched around my cock.
“Come hard for me,” I said to her and as her body spasmed under me, I gave in to my orgasm and came inside her.
I was surprised to see tears fall from Brooke’s eyes. “What is it sweetheart?” My cock slid out of her and I fell to the side, pulling her along with me.
“I’ll never forget this vacation,” she said. “It was special.”
“We’ll have many more, right?” I asked her as a shakiness came to my limbs.
Instead of answering, Brooke tossed the covers aside and got up. “Let’s shower and have breakfast.”
The feeling of dread I’d had when I woke up returned. I followed her into the bathroom and we showered together wordlessly. The atmosphere had changed and so had Brooke’s mood.
After we showered and dressed, I left her and went to the deli across the street to get us some breakfast. I returned with coffees and a bag of bagels. I joined Brooke on the balcony and handed her a coffee and bagel.
“Thanks,” she said, sounding vulnerable and almost sad.
The bagel tasted like wood in my mouth. My hands trembled slightly as I ate. The next few minutes were going to be the most important in my life. They would chart the way for our future.
With every swallow, an empty feeling came over the pit of my stomach. Brooke’s behavior wasn’t like a woman excited for the future. I tried to rationalize her lack of enthusiasm.
Maybe she was nervous about telling everyone about us. She could also be worried a relationship between us would not work.
I on the other hand was sure we would be awesome together. We were best friends first for fuck’s sake. How many couples got to say that about their relationships?
“So,” I said when we had finished our bagels and coffee.
She angled her body to face me. “I’ve had the best time of my life and I want you to know that
no matter what happens, I feel no regret over what happened between us.”
I felt disjointed. As if the surface had suddenly become uneven.
She placed her hand on my cold one and smiled. “I want our memories to stay intact. I don’t want anything to soil them.”
“I don’t understand,” I said. I understood too well what she was saying but I was clutching at straws. Desperate to hold on.
“This is it for us Blaze.” She sounded as sad as I felt.
“Is that what you really want?” I said.
She inhaled deeply and nodded. “Yes, it’s what I want.”
Pain rippled through me. I had been foolish to think I could convince her that we could be more than lovers. I should have kept in mind who I was dealing with. Brooke had an iron will when she made up her mind about something.
I remembered words she had thrown at me. Words I had not taken seriously but which I should have.
You aren’t capable of commitment.
The implication was that I used women and discarded them. Nothing could be further from the truth. The women I hooked up with wanted the same thing I did—uncomplicated sex.
I would have to get over Brooke. She believed I was the wrong man for her and I couldn’t convince her otherwise. The best I could hope for was to maintain our friendship. I couldn’t handle it if I lost her as a friend too. I plastered a smile on my face and turned to her. “Whatever you want is okay with me,” I said, injecting a happy tone.
She smiled. “Great. Thanks for a great time.”
“Thank you for coming with me. I’ll never forget this.” I reached out and cupped her cheek. “One man is going to be very lucky someday.” And I hated him.
She covered my hand with hers and we sat staring at each other for a few seconds. “We’d better get packing if we want to make that flight.”
My chest ached as I packed. My loss suddenly felt real with every piece of clothing I folded into my suitcase.
Later in the Uber on the way to the airport, I felt broody and angry. Hardly the feelings of a man who’d had a glorious vacation.
