by Faye Avalon
Marco’s eyes widened. “You’re kidding me.”
Beth smiled at his aghast expression before glancing at her wristwatch. “If we leave now we can get back, pop the pasta in, and we’ll have about thirty minutes or so before our guests arrive.”
“I’ve slipped into a fucking parallel universe.”
Beth kissed his exasperated mouth. “Amber’s bringing dessert, so at least I don’t have to worry about that.”
Marco just stared at her, open mouthed.
“I called her. Thought it would be nice to invite them to my place for supper, seeing as I owe Amber a couple of invites.”
After a moment, Marco frowned. “I was on my way to their house. They invited me.”
She smiled at his perplexed expression, then ran her fingertip along his lower lip. “I asked them not to tell you. I wanted to come here and try and make things right first. If you hadn’t wanted me, I would just have texted Amber to tell her, and she would have made supper for you at her and Ethan’s place.”
Still Marco stared at her as if she’d lost her mind.
“Amber’s very sweet. She said she wasn’t even going to make anything as a standby because she knew you and I would work it out.” She grinned and tightened her arms around his neck. “She said you were crazy about me.”
Marco’s fingers dug into her hips. “She happens to be right. You two seem to have formed your own girls’ club.”
“We’re getting there. I like her and I think, despite my craziness, she seems to like me.” She gave him one final kiss and started to ease back. “Now, we’d better go, else they’ll arrive before we do and I want tonight to be special.”
“Tonight will be special as soon as they leave,” Marco said in a dark tone that made Beth laugh.
As she reluctantly tried to leave his arms, he tightened his hold. “I’ve got something of my own to say.”
Beth let her fingers linger on his arm. “What?”
“Hang on a minute.” He sucked in a breath and let it go on a long sigh. “I’ve never said this before to anyone other than my mother. I want it to be right.”
He took another breath, fixed his gaze on hers. “I love you.”
Everything inside her sighed right back, the final remnants of worry and concern that he wouldn’t want her dissolving beneath the wonder of the moment. “I love you, too. So much it makes me dizzy.”
He grinned, touched his lips to hers. “Then you’d better let me drive. I want you in one piece for what I have planned later. But before we go there’s something I have to know.”
Beth started to chastise him when his hands went to the hem of her dress and he raised it up to her hips. His groan of approval lit her insides and she knew her choice had pleased him, as she’d hoped it would.
“Red,” he growled, placing the palm of his hand over her warm, wet mound. “My favorite.”
As the tips of his fingers danced dangerously close to the panel of her thong, Beth looked up at him through lowered lashes. “Be a good boy this evening, make nice through the wedding preparations, and there’ll be a whole night of favorites heading your way. I hope you’re up to it.”
In retaliation, he pressed his hand firmer against her pussy. “You know me, bella. With you, all night is not a problem.”
She did know him, Beth thought as she moved in for one final kiss before they left for her cottage. And she didn’t intend to waste one more precious moment dwelling on a past that had almost cost her what she knew would be a shining future. A future with the man she loved.
Epilogue
“I didn’t think it was possible for Amber and Ethan to look happier,” Beth said as she smiled up at Marco. “But they’ve proved me wrong today.”
Marco’s arm tightened around her waist as they stood outside the church watching their newlywed friends smile for the camera. “Getting married suits them. Although that smile on Ethan’s face is likely to do with the wedding night.” He waggled his eyebrows. “He has plans.”
Her curiosity piqued, Beth turned to him. “What plans?”
“Best man, remember? I’m not permitted to reveal the secrets entrusted to me by the groom.”
“Oh really?” Beth snuggled against him, deliberately letting her breasts brush his chest. “Not even for a hint of what my plans might be for tonight?”
He gave a low groan. “You play dirty.”
“I’ve had a good teacher.” Beth grinned, then ran her tongue along her lower lip. “So spill and I’ll give you a clue. What does Ethan have in store?”
“Let’s just say it involves melted candle wax and ice cream.”
“Mmm.” Heat flared at the junction of Beth’s thighs. “Why haven’t we tried that?”
His arm tightened around her. “It’s on the list.”
“Not too far down, I hope.”
“I’ll move it up.”
When his name was called for a photo, Marco touched his mouth lightly to Beth’s. “Be right back.”
Beth lifted her camera and began snapping photos of the bride and groom and the oh-so-handsome best man. Her man looked outrageously sexy in his dark gray morning suit, with his glossy black hair brushing his shoulder and the tiny silver loop flashing in his ear.
Damn it. Now she couldn’t stop thinking about melted candle wax and ice cream poured all over his glorious muscular chest and trickling down toward powerfully honed abs. Or how those large skilful hands would feel as he smoothed it all over her.
As the camera continued to flash, Beth tried to ignore her lustful thoughts and concentrated on embracing the beautiful day that belonged to Amber and Ethan.
Amber looked stunning in a calf-length ivory silk dress and cap-sleeved sheer tulle bolero. Beth thought it a testament to how far she’d come in rebuilding her confidence that she hadn’t chosen a dress that completely covered her scars. Not that anyone would have noticed. Not today. She was a beautiful bride. With her short blonde hair cut in a sleek bob, her green eyes shining with love and happiness, she was stunning. With one hand she held her peach rose bouquet while the other grasped the hand of her new husband.
Beth’s heart glowed for them. In the two weeks leading up to the wedding, she and Amber had strengthened their burgeoning friendship over coffee, shopping trips, and a rather raucous hen night involving a male stripper.
“Excuse me. Are you family?”
Beth turned at the question and found herself looking into compelling hazel eyes. She glanced down at the identity badge the woman wore and noticed she was part of the photographer’s crew. “No. A friend.”
“Sorry. I’m just rounding up everyone. We’ll be doing a whole group shot in a minute. Maybe you’d like to stand over there and—”
The woman froze. Her eyes went wide as she looked over Beth’s shoulder.
When Beth turned she saw Marco staring back at the woman.
Nobody spoke as Beth looked from Marco to the woman and back again. “Do you two know each other?”
Marco moved to Beth and slipped his arm around her. “Yeah.” As he drew her close, she felt the tension in his body.
The woman’s smile trembled as she glanced at Beth, then looked back at Marco. “I hadn’t realized,” she said softly. “As soon as I did, I asked Tom if I could stay in the background supervising the shots. I thought it would be easier all round.”
Marco nodded, but when an uneasy silence ensued and Beth continued to look between them, he was forced into introductions. “Beth. This is…”
“Lissa,” the woman offered as Marco continued to hesitate. Tentatively, she offered her hand to Beth. “Lissa Delaney.”
An old lover, Beth realized as she took the woman’s hand and introduced herself. A familiar tension squeezed around her heart, but quickly diminished when Marco’s fingers dug supportively against her waist.
“I’m only helping with the outside shots,” Lissa said to Marco. “Then I have another booking. Tom will stay for the rest of the function.”
Again Marco nodded.
“Thanks.”
When Lissa moved away and toward a group of people, Beth nudged Marco in the ribs. “You’d forgotten her name.”
He shrugged.
“Why did she think staying in the background would be easier?”
Marco stared straight into Beth’s eyes and held her gaze. “Because she was the woman Ethan and I shared that time.”
While she couldn’t deny the light punch in her stomach, Beth no longer felt the insecurity she’d battled for so long. She gave herself a mental pat on the back. It seemed Amber wasn’t the only one who’d moved on and conquered her fears and anxieties.
“The threesome woman?” She shot the woman a glance, noting Lissa had all but buried herself in the group.
“Yeah.”
“Oh.” Beth looked back at Marco, who swallowed. “She’s pretty. Sexy.”
Marco drew her closer. “You’re prettier. Sexier.”
“Good answer.” Beth grinned up at him. “It’s okay. I’m not going to do the crazy thing again. She was then. I’m now.”
Marco’s eyes flared with a mixture of relief and heat. “Damn right.”
He kissed her, a slow lingering kiss that wasn’t entirely appropriate considering they were standing on the lawn of a churchyard celebrating another couple’s marriage.
When Beth drew back, she glanced over at Ethan. “I hope he doesn’t spot Lissa. It would be rotten for anything to spoil his wedding day.”
“He’s got little hearts in his eyes and they’re fixed on Amber. Doubt he’d notice if a bulldozer took down half the church right now.”
Beth laughed. “He does look pretty pleased with himself.” She glanced toward Lissa again. “It was nice of her to remain incognito.”
“Yeah.” Lightly, he brushed his mouth against hers again, before someone called his name.
Beth looked over and saw Amber waving to get their attention. “Best man duty. Off you go.”
“She’s calling your name as well.”
So she was. A warmth crept into Beth’s chest at the realization Amber intended for her to join the photo shoot.
When they joined the happy couple, Amber drew Beth in for a hug. “Thanks so much for the perfume you sent over for me.”
“It was my pleasure.” Beth had remembered Amber saying it was her favorite during their recent shopping trip and she’d wanted to send her the personal gift in addition to the joint one she and Marco had given the couple. “You look so beautiful.”
“I feel it.”
“How about me?” Ethan asked as he drew Beth in for a kiss.
“You look stunningly handsome.”
“He does,” Amber agreed as she gazed adoringly up at her new husband. “Now, I want a group photo of the four of us.”
Basking in a contentment she’d never known before, Beth smiled for the camera.
As they moved away, Marco pulled her close and bent down to whisper in her ear. “Have you forgotten something?”
“No. What?”
“I spilled about Ethan’s plans remember? I’m still waiting for that hint you promised.”
“Oh, that.” Smiling, she pretended to shrug it off. “Let’s just say it involves a recent online purchase and scented oils.”
His throat contracted as he swallowed. “What online purchase?”
“Oh, no.” She shook her head, loving the way she could so easily turn him on. “The agreement was for a hint, not the full story. You’ll have to wait and see.”
He drew her against him and dropped his forehead to hers. “Like I said, you play dirty.”
“Lover?” Slowly, Beth raised her mouth to his. “You have no idea.”
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Other Books by Faye Avalon:
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