When I felt her weight relax into me as I ran my fingers through her long, thick blonde hair, that’s when I decided we’d talk first thing in the morning. I needed her to know I wanted time with her. I wanted the chance to make her laugh again. I wanted to get to know the adult Lucy that was carefree but so full of life, I could hardly take it. Lying in bed with her in my arms, I needed her to know this like I needed my next breath. I’ve never been as desperate for anything. Ever.
Needless to say, when I woke up alone, I was downright pissed. I can’t believe she snuck off, but more, I’m angry I slept through it. I’m normally a light sleeper, but either our activity last night, or having her in my arms, made me sleep deeper than usual.
When I left the room to look for her, I ran into another groomsman whose room was right next door. I thought I was gonna come out of my skin when he started heckling me about hearing Lucy last night. It didn’t take long for word to spread before Josh was all over my ass. It didn’t matter how much I tried to convince him it wasn’t a one-night thing, he wouldn’t listen. The only reason we didn’t come to blows over it was because three other groomsmen kept us apart.
I don’t have sisters, so I might not know how he feels, but we’ve been friends for years. It makes me fucking crazy he’d think I’d piss all over that for a one-night stand with his little sister. He knows me well, I don’t do one-nighters and never have. I don’t care if it is his wedding day, I was ready to take him down for suggesting I’d take advantage of his sister.
The way this fucking day has gone so far, it’s plain to see I can’t control myself. I’ve tried to do everything I can to talk to her, to get close to her, to touch her. But it was to no avail, so I finally had to take things into my own hands, literally. First, I fucked with the wedding pictures, and now, the lineup.
I don’t give a shit about their pictures. They won’t care in twenty years.
The music has been playing and the bossy-ass wedding coordinator starts to whisper loudly, “Parents and grandparents have been seated. Next up, the wedding party. Will and Lucy, you’re first.”
I look over and Will has made himself scarce, so I make my move. Heading over to her, I don’t mess around trying to get her to take my arm, I grab her around the waist and we move straight for the double doors.
*****
Lucy
Thank goodness the organ is just as loud as it is big, because I yelped when Vaughn grabbed me by the waist.
“What are you doing?” I whisper, trying to wrestle out of his hold before the doors open.
“Wait,” the wedding coordinator interrupts. “Are you Will?”
Vaughn’s hold on me tightens and he doesn’t look back when he pushes me toward the church entrance. “Yep, I’m Will.”
I slap his chest with my bouquet, causing flower petals to flutter everywhere. Then I try to turn back to tattle that he most definitely is not Will.
But the moment I turn my head, Vaughn, the Master of the Bullshitters, the Feng Shui Fraud, and now the Will Impersonator, leans down and takes my mouth with his. When I gasp against his lips, his tongue slides in. He tastes just as good as last night, maybe even better since I convinced myself he was a one-night thing, and I’d never get him again.
He turns me into his body and I melt, vaguely hearing quiet cat calls from the rest of the wedding party. Everyone but my sister, that is. No, my sister admonishes me for making out in the back of a church, but not because it’s taboo. I vaguely hear Abby whisper-yelling that our mother is going to kill me if she catches wind of this. Which is fair, because she will.
Vaughn slows his kiss, pulling away enough to look into my eyes and says loud enough for only me to hear, “Woke up wanting to do that. Woke up wanting a hell of a lot more, but you didn’t give me that chance by running out. Now I have to wait until later. You ready to walk?”
I’m so taken by his kiss and now his words, I don’t have the mind space to contemplate much. Finally, I manage, “Later?”
He doesn’t answer because the big wooden, heavy doors open and Vaughn takes my arm, threading it through his, keeping hold of my hand tightly. The next thing I know, we’re off.
Josh, who is waiting at the front of the church for his bride, turns to stone the instant he sees us.
“We need to talk,” Vaughn murmurs.
When I look over, there’s a handsome smile on his beautiful face as he slightly nods to greet guests lining the aisle.
Taking a deep breath, I put a small smile on my face and give a little wave to my parents’ elderly neighbor, Mr. Walsh.
“There’s nothing to talk about,” I murmur back, keeping pace with his slow and steady gait. I try really hard not to think about it, but he feels perfect, fit tight to my side. Large and taller than me, even in my heels.
“You need to stop running from me, Lucy. The second we get done with pictures and the reception hoopla, I’m getting you by yourself so we can talk.”
“I’m not talking to you,” I say and smile, making fake facial gestures to those I recognize. I don’t need what happened last night to become awkward. I haven’t seen him in years, and if he tries to smooth things over by apologizing, it’ll ruin my one memory of Vaughn Isaac Rowe I never want to forget.
“Fine, we don’t have to talk.” The tone of his voice makes me look over and his eyes are ablaze. I instantly know what he’s talking about, and it’s hard to keep my composure even with every eye in the church on us. “That’s right, I’ll find a private spot where I can promise there’ll be no talking. I can’t promise you won’t scream, though. I’m looking forward to hearing that again.”
Even though it’s easy to tell what he wants, I can’t figure out what he really wants, and that makes me nervous. If he only wants another romp in the hay, I’m not sure I can handle it. After being with him last night, I can’t lie to myself that I don’t want more, much more, not just another romp. As we get closer to our destination, Josh’s face is red, and he’s glaring straight at Vaughn. He’s absolutely furious.
We’re almost to the front, close to the spot where we separate to go girls versus boys. It’s time I get my shit together and try for the upper hand. I have a feeling the way to do that is to piss him off, so I do what I do best, and unleash my snark. Looking him in the eye, I’m pleased with myself when I say, “Well, since you’re an imposter who insisted on weaseling your way into walking down the aisle with me, maybe you’ll enjoy me screaming another man’s name…Will.”
By the look on his face, I can tell I’ve met my goal—yay me. Without giving him a chance to respond, I look away and turn, moving to the vaginas team. He can go be a dick with the rest of the penises. I absolutely cannot do another one-nighter with Vaughn, it’ll hurt too much knowing what I would be missing out on later.
When I move to my spot, I look over and he’s scowling.
Achieving my goal, I do my best to fake it. I smile at him sweetly and wink, right before I do a little cheer in my head. I need a little pep talk to get me through the rest of the day.
Go-vaginas, go-go-vaginas.
All the while, I ignore my mother, who’s glaring at me. I’m sure Vaughn walking out of order will somehow become my fault.
Which it might be, but what’s a girl to do? He is Vaughn Isaac Rowe, after all.
Whatever. Go vaginas!
Chapter Four
When You Know, You Know
Vaughn
After taking more pictures at the church, I hope like fuck we’re done with our duties. This has been a long fucking day and I’ve had to work hard to not get hard, especially since I’ve managed to keep Lucy close. Every time the wedding coordinator called for Will, I answered.
When Josh tried to set them straight, insisting I wasn’t supposed to be paired with his little sister, the photographer wouldn’t have it. He explained how
he didn’t want them to look back at their special day only to be disappointed with the unbalanced aura.
I even managed to maneuver Lucy and me into a different limo than the newly married couple to avoid Josh. I kept her close to me the whole time. She rolled her eyes as the jokes and comments came quickly from the rest of the wedding party.
We were announced as we entered the ballroom of the swanky hotel. The sit-down dinner was next on the agenda, but I can’t wait another second. Taking her hand, it doesn’t surprise me when she objects as I pull her out of the room.
I look back as I give her hand a squeeze and speak in a low voice. “I don’t think you should draw any more attention to us, Lucy. There’s enough talk.”
Her eyes narrow, but I don’t stop, leading her out the door toward the lobby. When we get to the front desk, I reach into the breast pocket of my jacket for my wallet and look to the attendant. “I need a room.”
Lucy tries to pull her hand out of mine. “What are you doing now?”
I ignore her when the man at the desk clicks away on his computer and says, “We’re mostly booked, sir. There is a junior suite open though.”
I hand over my credit card. “I’ll take it.”
“Vaughn,” she drawls and yanks my arm this time.
“What?” I look back and ask. “I need to talk to you alone. You think I’m gonna put you in a broom closet to do that?”
“I thought you had a room?”
“I checked out. I planned on going home tonight and taking you with me,” I explain as I sign the form, still not letting her go for fear I’ll have to chase her down.
“But a junior suite has got to be expensive.”
“It is,” I agree as I look at my bill, not giving a shit. Taking the key, I pull her away from the desk and toward the elevators. “My other option is locking you in a public bathroom, and I’m not doing that either, Lucy. I’ll pay for the penthouse if that’s what it takes.”
“But,” she starts and then stops, sounding like she doesn’t know how to respond. “I’ve got to get back or I’ll have to deal with the wrath of my mother. You know how she is.”
“Lucy,” I lower my voice and pull her into the elevator after the doors open. No one gets in behind us, so I do what I’ve wanted to do all day, and really touch her. I press the button for the top floor, and putting my hands low on her trim hips, I push her into the corner. When I’ve got her trapped, my cock hardens, and I finally stop fighting what I’ve fought all day. I press my hips into her stomach when I say, “Your mom will be fine. If I have to, I’ll explain things to her myself. But I’ve waited all day to get you alone, I’m not waiting any longer. Either we talk or we fuck, but one of the two is happening the second we get to the room.”
“We talk or we fuck?” she asks, surprised.
I’m not sure what else she thought we were going to do. “Yes, Lucy. I’ll even let you choose.”
She bites her beautiful plump lip, pondering her choices. As much as I wanted to talk to her, that lip makes me hope she chooses to fuck first.
As the elevator comes to a stop, I lean down to kiss her, regretting I didn’t do it sooner. I have to pull away fast to catch the door before it closes on us again and walk us to the end of the hall, never letting her go.
When I open the door and lead her in, she walks through the spacious living area and straight to the floor to ceiling wall of windows overlooking the city. The sun is setting. I would probably appreciate the view of the Bay if I didn’t have the view of her right in front of me.
Her dress dips low in the back, with thin strips of material crisscrossing her smooth, bare skin. I want nothing more than to run my hands over the material that falls perfectly over the swells of her hips and ass.
I shrug my tux jacket off, tossing it to the sofa before pulling the knot on my tie and unhook my cuff links. Tired of the space and quiet hanging between us, I head straight to her as I roll the cuffs up my arms. It’s time to talk or fuck. I don’t care which comes first, but both are about to happen.
*****
Lucy
Even though I hear him behind me, I do my best to keep my composure. Uncertainty and self-doubt aren’t things I’m familiar with. I might like to change my mind—hence my multiple careers at the age of twenty-six—but it’s not because of insecurity. It’s from pure boredom. But I’m not sure what to think of Vaughn’s onslaught of attention all day.
Last night was good—so good. When I get right down to it, it was the best ever. I’m afraid of wanting more of him, only to get it, and then lose it. Because after spending time with him last night and it being so effortless, it will hurt to not have it anymore.
I jump when I feel him at my back as he splays his hands low on my hips. When they start to roam, my body tenses and his lips come to my ear. “Relax, Lucy.”
I don’t relax, which pisses me off, because that’s not like me, either. My heart starts to beat erratically because—fuck me—as much as I want him again, I’m not sure I can handle it when he walks away.
“What do you want?” he whispers.
I protectively cross my arms and shake my head. I don’t know if I’m lying or telling the truth when I say, “I want to go back to the wedding.”
His warm palms moving rhythmically up and down my sides aren’t relaxing at all. “I’ll take you back in a while. Tell me something…why did you leave me this morning?”
My answer comes quick. “I had to get ready for the wedding. I was already late.”
His lips make contact with the sensitive skin under my ear. “Never leave me again without a kiss goodbye, Lucy. Ever.”
If I was tense before, it’s nothing compared to now, and I hate that I’m breathy when I ask, “What?”
His big warm hands move with purpose this time, turning me. When he has me facing him, he pulls my front to his and speaks in a low voice. “That’s what I wanted to talk about this morning. I want time with you, Lucy. Much more than just one night. I want to hear what you have to say, share meals with you, get to know the adult you. Last night, it felt fucking good to make you smile. I want that chance again, and knowing myself and how I feel right now, I’m gonna want it again and again.”
I exhale when I ask, “You are?”
His beautiful face is close when his brows furrow, contemplating me. “You don’t?”
I ignore his question and ask my own. “You wanna hang out with me not in bed?”
“I do.” He gives me a squeeze as his eyes flare. “But I want to hang out in bed, too. I want a lot of both for the foreseeable future, if you can handle that.”
Holy vaginas and penises. Vaughn Isaac Rowe wants to hang out with me—in bed and out of it.
Have I been swept to an alternate universe where all one’s dreams come true? I must be in fantasy-land, or delusional-land, or at the worst, nightmare-land, because I’ll wake up and realize this is merely my awkward middle school self, playing mind tricks on the adult me who wants a chance at Vaughn Isaac Rowe. That would be really, really bad. Off the bad scales, for sure.
When I don’t answer because I’m too busy hoping he doesn’t disappear into a poof of smoke when I wake up from a dream, he gives me a squeeze. “Lucy?”
Without thinking, the words burst through my lips like projectile vomit. “I used to take pictures of you playing basketball in my driveway.”
His frown deepens. “What?”
“And I used to sneak around spying on you and Josh, just to listen to you talk.”
His face relaxes a tad.
This doesn’t stop my nauseating words from pouring out. “And I used to practice writing our names together in my diary.”
A small smile creeps across his lovely masculine, man-face. “Lucy.”
“And for years, I’ve compared every boy, man-boy, and
man to you. It was really awkward, but I couldn’t help it.”
He shakes his head as his smile spreads into a devilish grin. “Baby, you’re only three years younger than me, but you’re making me feel like a dirty old man.”
I finally exhale, not caring about my gobbledygook throw-up one bit. “You’ve always been a man to me. And I’m…well…me. I’ve never even tried to be a real adult.”
His hands start to move on my back, making me shiver. I hear and feel my zipper right before his hands move to my shoulders, dipping his fingers under the straps of my dress when he pulls. “Trust me, Lucy. You’re very much an adult.”
“We should get back to the wedding.” I give him a small smile and contrary to my words, my hands go to his dress shirt to yank it from his pants.
He easily pulls the straps down my arms as my dress loosens and falls below my bare breasts. “Yeah, we should get back.” He doesn’t take his eyes off my body when he agrees but clearly doesn’t mean it.
Goosebumps form on my skin as I watch him watching me. Last night, I’d had a lot to drink. I had no insecurities, no hesitations, thanks to my liquid courage. Last night was a hook-up, but tonight, knowing he wants more, it’s different. Tonight feels significant and this makes me pull my dress back up quickly.
Vaughn tips his head in question, softening his voice. “What are you doing?”
I don’t say a word, but close my eyes and give my head a little shake. I’m not sure what I’m worried about, but I do know I want him more than I’ve ever wanted anything, and I don’t want to screw it up. I am me, after all. I’m not the most successful adult around.
That’s when I feel his hands gently pry my dress out of mine.
“Lucy,” he whispers as he pulls the material from my hands and it pools at my feet. When I look up at him, his eyes are warm—even sweet. “Do you know what makes me want you?”
Standing in my heels and panties, I shake my head as he pulls me into him, giving me a bit of reprieve from standing so bare. He brings his hand up and he cups my chin.
Little Black Dress Page 9
