by V Vee
Her Wedding
A Friends-to-Lovers Novella
Wedding Crashing, 1
V. Vee
Copyright 2019©
Copyright 2019 © Vicktor Alexander Presents
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be copied, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or any other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews, promotions, and certain other non-commercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, write to the publisher, addressed: “Attention: Copyright Permissions Coordinator,” at the address below:
Vicktor Alexander Presents, LLC
V. Vee
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Lakeland, FL 33810
http://www.vicktoralexanderpresents.com
Publisher’s Note: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are a product of the author’s creative imagination. Locales and public names are sometimes used for atmospheric purposes. Any resemblance to actual people, living or dead, or to businesses, companies, events, institutions, or locales is completely coincidental.
Blurb
Gregory Richmond and Stacey Jacobs have been best friends since they were five. The moment that Stacey hit another little boy in their kindergarten class for stealing Gregory’s toy. They have been inseparable ever since. From attending the same college, to opening up a security firm together. They have always had each other’s back and always supported each other.
Until now.
Stacey has been dating a man that Gregory doesn’t approve of. And when she gets engaged to him, Gregory takes on a long-term protection detail hoping to distance himself from his best friend. And the feelings he’s tried so hard to hide.
He isn’t successful.
As a matter of fact, an electronic invitation to him from Stacey, informing him of the date of her wedding, sends him racing back to the States to put an end to it. The man Stacey is marrying doesn’t deserve her. She deserves the world. And only Gregory can give that to her.
Because Gregory has just discovered that he’s been in love with his best friend forever and he would never let another man take what belonged to him. He loves Stacey and she will be his woman. Even if he has to crash a wedding to prove it to her.
Acknowledgements
To you. You know who you are.
To my PAs, my social media manager, my readers, fellow authors, family, friends, and everyone else who has ever supported me and still does. Thank you for being understanding these past few months as I moved and went through health issues. You all will never know how much I appreciate that.
As always, for my Chipmunk, my Vivianna, my Christopher, my Angel, and my Justin.
Prologue
Stacey Jacobs stared across the table at her boyfriend, Tommy Raleigh, and wondered, yet again, why she was still dating him. Yes, he was attractive, but he was no Gregory Richmond. The man she was really in love with. Then again, after all these years, she had to let the dream of being with Gregory go. Especially after she'd embarrassed herself so thoroughly in the office that morning.
****
Earlier That Day
Stacey stepped into Gregory’s office and swallowed the drool that collected in her mouth at the sight of him doing push-ups bare chested on his office floor. Dear God, above, why would he do that to her? She shook her head and attempted to put on her neutral, yet friendly smile, and continued her stride into the room.
“Must you do that here? You know most people work out in the gym,” she teased.
Gregory grunted and continued working out. “Most people don't own their own company, much less their own building,” he pointed out.
Stacey rolled her eyes. “Co-own.”
Gregory chuckled. “Po-ta-toe. Po-tah-toe.” He pushed himself up into a sitting position. “Whassup, Stace?”
“Umm…” She wracked her brain as she struggled to remember why she’d even come into Gregory’s office in the first place. There was once a time when she wouldn’t have needed a reason. The two of them were often in each other’s offices, dorm rooms, bedrooms, etc. but ever since Stacey had started dating Tommy it was as if Gregory didn’t want her around.
Which is why you should dump him, her conscience told her.
“Oh,” she snapped her fingers, shoving away her traitorous thoughts. “Mr. Zabinsky called again. Wants to know if we’re available to take his protection detail for six months over in Europe. He even offered thirty percent above asking.”
Gregory sighed and rose to his feet shoving his fingers through his sweaty, black hair. Stacey let her eyes follow the trail of sweat that flowed from his temple over his jawline, down his neck, over his collarbone, and down his torso. She wished she could have done it with her tongue but that would have been crossing so many lines.
“Why is he pushing so hard?” Gregory asked as he stepped into his bathroom, and Stacey heard his shower turn on. She didn’t answer, instead listening as he washed up quickly before stepping back out into his office, fully dressed in a tight black t-shirt, and a pair of camo-green pants with pockets covering the legs. He sat down to pull on a pair of black socks and black boots, and still, Stacey remained quiet, just watching him as he got dressed.
Once Gregory was finished and glanced up at her she gave him a small smile.
“Apparently, Mr. Zabinsky and his partner, or his former partner, just dissolved the company and Mr. Zabinsky walked away with seventy percent of the profits. His partner was not happy and threatened him. Not with legal action but with physical harm,” she told him.
Gregory shrugged and leaned back against the cushions of the black, leather sofa he sat on. “Okay? So? That doesn’t mean he needs us.”
“Well, it seems that Zabinsky’s animals have all been dying, the brake lines in cars he’s not driving have been cut, leading to a lot of his employees being injured, and one of his homes were set on fire. Thankfully no one was inside or even close by, but still, he does need our help.”
Gregory nodded and rubbed his hand along his cheek and jaw. “Okay, you go then.”
Stacey shook her head. “Not sure I can.”
Gregory rolled his eyes. “Why? Because of Tommy?”
Stacey sighed. “He’s only one reason. Dad’s getting honored by ESPN in a few weeks. I promised him I’d be there for the ceremony.”
Stacey’s father had played for the Minnesota Vikings and the New England Patriots for so long it was almost all she could think of when she thought of her father. Going to the games and cheering from the stands. He’d only quit when he’d gotten hit in one game and it had taken him longer than normal to get up and recover. Stacey’s parents had both agreed it was for the best, and thankfully, they’d saved and invested wisely.
And now he was being honored by ESPN and the sports community. Stacey was so proud of him.
“Well, I understand about Papa Jacobs, but not about that asshole, Tommy,” Gregory groused.
Stacey rolled her eyes. “Will you stop?”
“No.” Gregory shook his head. “He’s an asshole and not good enough for you. Besides, you know, and I know you’re never going to have anything serious with him. You’re only with him to annoy me.”
Stacey stared at Gregory in shock.
“Is that what you think?” she asked him.
He shrugged. “It’s what I know.” He sighed and leaned forward until his forearms rested on his knees. “Look, Stace. I get it. You think he’s… pretty. And the first time you were… curious or… horny or whatever,” he said, spitting out the words. “But you’re really taking this too far now. I mean. I think he’s really in love with yo
u. And you’re just with him to get a rise out of me. I don’t like the asshole, but I think you’re taking it too far. So just, break up with him, and let’s get on with our original plan of spending the rest of our lives with each other. Single and alone.” He gave her his signature grin. The one she usually found charming, but this time, she only found it nauseating.
“Excuse me.”
It was all she said as she left the room, stumbling out, running into the doorframe, tears in her eyes as she realized that, for years she’d been harboring feelings for her best friend and he’d never even thought of her the same way. Gregory wanted to spend the rest of his life with her, but as friends. That’s it.
****
So, that evening when Tommy proposed to her? Stacey said yes. To prove Gregory wrong, and to prove to herself that she could—that she would—get over him. That she would love someone else. Spend the rest of her life with someone else. Someone who wasn’t him.
The very man who’d tortured and bullied Gregory all throughout their childhood.
****
Gregory Richmond was just a tiny thing. A tiny scrap of nothing who was teased constantly. Not only at school but at home. By classmates, his older brothers, and by his stepmother. He was used to people either picking on him for his small size and squeaky voice or ignoring him completely. That was, until he met Stacey Jacobs.
At five years old, Gregory was amazed by Stacey when she confronted Tommy Raleigh for stealing Gregory’s toy car in their kindergarten class. The little girl whose skin was as dark as Gregory’s skin was pale, had marched right up to Tommy and punched him in the face. The rest of their class had gasped, as a matter of fact, their teacher had even gasped when the quiet, often thought of as shy, Stacey, committed such an act of violence. But no one was more surprised than Gregory when Stacey had grabbed the car and handed it back to Gregory before going to their teacher, Mrs. Fox, to tell the woman what she’d done.
Stacey went home early that day. And she didn’t come back the next day. But when she finally did return, Gregory was ready. He walked right up to her and asked if she wanted to be his friend. Stacey smiled shyly and said yes.
And the two of them have been together ever since.
From attending middle school, high school, college, to starting a security firm together, one did not find Stacey without noticing the large, hulking mass of man known as Gregory, standing next to her. Subsequently, one would not see a now tanned, tall, muscled Gregory, without also seeing his best friend, Stacey, a tall, full-figured, dark-skinned, beautiful woman by his side. The two of them were inseparable. And in Gregory’s mind, that was the way it would always be.
But everything must come to an end, and for Gregory, who had been in love with his best friend since he was five, was heartbroken and enraged when Stacey began dating another man. A man she got engaged to. A man she was going to marry and spend the rest of his life with. So, he did the only thing a man in his position would do.
He left the country and for the first time in over twenty-three years, Stacey and Gregory were separated. But it would not be for long, because an email from Stacey to Gregory in Spain where he was working long-term security for a dignitary, would send Gregory racing back to the States for one reason, and one reason only.
To stop her wedding.
Stacey
“Tommy? Are you home?” Stacey called out as she entered the apartment she shared with her fiancé, Tommy Raleigh. Yes, that Tommy. He’d easily been the tormentor of Gregory and her growing up, but when the two of them met again at a charity gala three years before, things had changed immensely. For one, Tommy had matured. He now worked as the head architect in his own architectural firm. He contributed to non-profits around the world. He owned a number of different properties. And even better, the tall, scrawny kid who’d made it his every mission in life to make Stacey and Gregory’s life hell, had grown up into a tall, lean, gorgeous man. His looks had been the first thing to capture Stacey’s attention when they’d met again all those years ago, however, it was his personality, his sense of calmness which had fully attracted her to him.
Much to Gregory’s disapproval.
“Yeah, babe. I’m back in the office,” Tommy’s deep voice sounded from the back of their shared home.
Stacey nodded to herself, expecting nothing less from her hardworking fiancé. Whenever she couldn’t find Tommy or didn’t know where he was, he was usually in his office, working on new blueprints for some client or other. She took off her coat, shaking it to rid it of the droplets of rain she’d been caught in on her way into the building from the parking lot. She stepped over to the sideboard that rested just inside of the entryway and picked up the stack of mail that rested there as she slipped her feet out of her heels.
She wished she could’ve dressed a little more comfortably that day, seeing as she worked at a security firm, but with Gregory out of town on an extended protection detail it had been left to her to handle the day-to-day meetings with potential clients and their employees. It completely sucked. Gregory was the face of their firm. Not only because he was gorgeous but because he was much more personable. His charming smile, blue eyes, black hair, chiseled jawline, and broad frame put clients at ease that he would not only be able to protect them, but that he would blend into the scenery around them. Not stick out as someone who didn’t belong in the social circles that many of their clients moved within.
Thinking of how attractive Gregory was caused heat to curl deep in Stacey’s gut and she shook her head. She was engaged now. Not too long away from marrying a different man. It was gauche for her to be fantasizing about another man. Even if it was a man she’d known for almost her entire life and been in love with almost as long.
Cut that shit out, Stacey, she admonished herself. You are marrying Tommy. If Gregory had wanted you, he would have said something over the last twenty-three years. As a matter of fact, if he’d cared about you the same way you care about him, he never would have let you get engaged to someone other than him.
“Mmm, what are you thinking about so hard out here?” Tommy’s husky, low voice came from next to Stacey’s ear as he wrapped his arms around her waist. It was only Stacey’s years of training and working in security which prevented her from jumping and squeaking in surprise. She was usually so aware of her surroundings, especially with her career and the enemies she and Gregory had made over the years.
Lifting the stack of wedding invitations, Stacey waved them in the air.
“Just thinking about the wedding. We’ve got about ten more replies here,” she lied. Turning around, she wrapped her arms around Tommy’s neck and lifted her lips for the passionate kiss she knew he would give her. Once again, she struggled to lose herself in the taste of the man who would become her husband. Stacey’s family thought it was Tommy who’d been waiting to propose to her, thus their three-year relationship before they’d announced their engagement, but it had actually been Stacey. Tommy had proposed to her after they’d been together for six months. Then again at a year, then a year and a half, then two years, and so on until she’d finally said yes. She’d laughed at the look of shock on the man’s face when she’d shrugged and said: “Sure, why not? Idris Elba is off the market now. I might as well marry you.” Not exactly the most romantic response but then again, Tommy wasn’t exactly the man her heart truly wanted.
Damn, bitch, stop thirsting over Gregory. He’s not your future. Tommy is. Focus!
Stacey opened her eyes when Tommy lifted his lips from hers to smile down at her. She shivered when he brushed her thick, black hair behind her ear. Her hair wasn’t that long, only falling to beneath her chin, but it was efficient, and Tommy loved it.
So, does Gregory. As a matter of fact, didn’t you cut it because he said he liked women with short hair? Stacey’s inner snark asked, and she scoffed internally.
“I’m excited too. Only three weeks until you are Mrs. Raleigh,” Tommy said happily, and Stacey couldn’t stop the grimace from
crossing her face. Tommy merely laughed. “Hey, we talked about this. If I was willing to live on this side of town, close to your office, then you agreed to take my name. Remember?”
Stacey sighed with a nod. “Yeah, I remember. But maybe we should renegotiate?”
Tommy chuckled again and shook his head no. “Nothing doing, my love. Now,” he smacked Stacey’s ass and she pushed him away with a growl, narrowing her eyes in his direction. He knew she hated it when he did that. She rolled her eyes when he only winked at her. “What do you want for dinner? Thai? Ethiopian? Italian?” Tommy held up a handful of takeout brochures and waved them around enticingly.
Stacey tapped her chin, considering. “How about Ethiopian? I’m in the mood for some Ye Beg Wot,” she moaned, rubbing her stomach.
“Mmm, you know I love it when you make that noise,” Tommy said, stepping close to her and pulling her flush against his body. Just before he lowered his head someone knocked on the door. He sighed and lowered his forehead to hers. “Dammit. That’s probably Fiona. She’s supposed to bring over the plans for the Murphy project.”
Stacey stroked his cheek and nodded, placing a gentle kiss on his jaw. “You go and get the door. I’m going to go and change.”
“Yes, my love.”
Stacey smiled before turning to head to their bedroom in her stockinged feet. She sifted through the stack of replies to the wedding invitations, her mind having already shifted gears from food to the wedding. She would have to check her email to see if Gregory had finally responded to the invitation she’d sent to him two weeks prior. Yeah, it was a last-minute invite, but Stacey had hesitated over even sending it to him. Ever since she and Tommy had begun dating her friendship with Gregory hadn’t been the same. Not to mention his leaving the country just after she and Tommy had gotten engaged.
