Chasing the Runaway Bride (Bliss Series Book 3)

by Michelle Jo Quinn

  This man was like a drug. He’d invaded my senses and woke up dormant feelings. My body hummed and zinged. I felt alive. And I didn’t like it one bit.

  Somehow I was able to talk, but I kept my eyes closed. “Had a good time with the photographer?” If I could take it back, I would, though only because I sounded jealous.

  Alex chuckled in my ear. “So you were watching.”

  “I wasn’t,” I lied. “But it was hard not to notice.”

  His chest rose with a deep inhale, and with an exhale, he said, “I showed her a few of my photographs.”

  “I guess it didn’t impress her, since you guys were there less than five minutes.”

  He blew a frustrated breath in my ear. “You don’t think I can give anyone pleasure in that short of a time?”

  I screwed my eyes tighter when he flicked my hand again, and I turned. “I wasn’t talking about…”

  His hand returned to the small of my back, and he stopped. The song was done. How long it had really taken was unclear to me. My exhale was shaky once I opened my eyes, and saw no one else but him. Everything else around us was a blur.

  When Alex had danced with other women, after every song ended, he’d lifted each woman’s hand and kissed the back of her fingers. Waiting for him to step back and do the same with me secretly thrilled me. Except he didn’t do that.

  Instead, Alex’s intense gaze burrowed into mine for what seemed like eternity. He leaned in and whispered, “The guesthouse in fifteen minutes, and I’ll show you how much pleasure I can give a woman.” Then he stepped back and walked away, leaving me trembling in my Louboutins and gasping for more air.

  The bed hadn’t felt like a boulder last night like it did now. All the same, I couldn’t get myself to leave the comfort of the blankets.

  My muscles whined as I stretched my arms. Every nook and cranny was sore. Even in the sleepy haze, memories of last night flashed my mind. I snapped my eyes open when I realized what I had done, and with whom.

  I’d done it. I’d had sex with Alex. So much for staying away and standing my ground. What was it with the man that made me break my own rules? Over and over again?

  I winced. I was stronger than that. I was supposed to be immune to his charms.

  Groaning against the back of one hand, I massaged the throb in my head with the other. I blamed it all on the alcohol. How much had I consumed? Probably half the vineyard and then some.

  This was all Levi’s fault.

  First, he swooped in and took my best friend away from me. Then he conveniently made up with his brother and brought that beautiful piece of man to San Francisco. And he freaking owned a vineyard! Who owned vineyards? The Laurent brothers, that’s who.

  I could hear Nica’s voice in my head, tut-tutting me. And she was right. This wasn’t Levi’s fault. I hated to admit it, but I knew he’d take care of my bestie. He’d better or I’d string him up by his balls. Speaking of balls...

  I was alone in the bedroom. Had that bastard left? Dined and dashed? Screwed and skedaddled?

  It hurt to turn my head or move my body. My head pounded from the booze, my body from... I wasn’t entirely sure. My mind was fogged up. The exact events of last night were a blur. All that was clear were the kissing, the sound of clothes ripping, and a whole lot of skin. Pumping and pounding. Laughter and fun.

  I couldn’t help the smile from spreading on my face. Ugh, thank God I was alone. If I gave myself time, every single moment of the previous night would come knocking on my brain’s door.

  As I sat up, or rather, slid my heavy ass off the bed, I felt tenderness in places I had forgotten about. I wasn’t the reserved kind. I had a reputation, although the rumors weren’t always true. Let me rephrase that: the rumors were never true. I did not sleep around. I made out with people in public, and left before anything got too heavy.

  Nica knew. I suspected a lot of the people in the office knew as well, even though none of them had said anything out loud. Not that they would dare. Nica had tried to talk to me about correcting what people were saying about me, but at a certain point, it had gotten beyond fixing. So I’d let it ride.

  Alex was gone. I would wring his neck next time I bumped into him. However—I rubbed the sleep from my eyes—I shouldn’t have been doing anything with him in the first place. He’d only made things more complicated.

  I curled my toes over the cool floor when another distinct feeling crept in: guilt.

  I hoped that whatever it was that had inspired me to hop in the sack with Alex was now far gone. I couldn’t let this happen again. People could get hurt. Me, for one.

  As I looked around the room—one of two in the guesthouse—I was surprised. I expected a mess. Alex had been staying here for the past three days. It was spotless. Even the dress I’d worn last night hung neatly over a chair. I could have sworn Alex had dropped that on the floor by the door after he practically ripped it to shreds. Or was that me tearing his shirt off? There was no sign of that, either.

  Did Levi hire a cleaner? Had the cleaner been here while I was asleep?

  Unless...could Alex be a neat freak?

  I spotted his suit jacket folded over the ottoman at the foot of the bed, a telltale sign that he hadn’t left the vineyard. There weren’t any other signs of his clothes, though. Or my underwear. I reached for my phone, which lay on the bedside table. Someone had definitely cleaned up after me. Us. I had stuffed my phone in the elastic of my stocking during the reception, and I was pretty sure it had clattered on the floor when Alex had peeled off my stockings with his teeth.

  According to the time on my phone, if I didn’t hurry up, the rest of the people in the main house would find me sneaking back inside. I couldn’t risk that. I stood and felt a tingling between my thighs, which I’d received from Alex’s trimmed beard. Next time, I’d have to tell him to shave.

  No! There wasn’t going to be a next time!

  I made my way to the attached bathroom to relieve myself, get cleaned up, and find my way back into the house before brunch. When I opened the door, Alex sat up, tilted his head and grinned. “Good morning, hayati. Aren’t you a sight for sore eyes?” He dangled an arm over the side of the tub, and raked his eyes over my body. My naked body.

  “What are you doing here?” I grabbed the towel off the rack, and wrapped it around myself.

  Alex fluffed the pillow behind him, and rearranged the quilt over his bottom half. “I tried sleeping on the floor after you kicked me out of bed, but apparently, you thought that wasn’t far enough. For your information, darling...” Alex regarded me from under his lashes. “I do not snore. You do, though.” He waved a hand at me, his eyes gleaming with undisguised humor.

  I was ready to scream, or punch him, and I wouldn’t even feel bad about messing up his beautiful face. “I do not snore!”

  He chuckled and pulled a pack of smokes out from under the quilt. “I think everyone across the field heard you.” He paused, squinting at the window and scratching his beard. “I swear I heard the coyotes howling in response to your mating calls.”

  Cursing under my breath, I frantically looked about for something I could throw at him. Where’s a piece of rock when you need one? I should carry one around with me at all times, like those old ladies who pack bricks in their handbags.

  Alex chuckled again, low and deep. And, my oh my, was it sexy. “Look at you. You’re so worked up. I thought after all that we’d done last night, you’d be more relaxed.” His eyes, clear blue as the cloudless sky, filled with everything salacious.

  I saw the soap dispenser on the counter and went for it. It felt heavier in my hand than I thought it would. This could give him serious damage. I held it up, leveled with my shoulders. Silently shot a warning at Alex.

  His eyebrows drew together. “Aw, come on, hayati, put that down.” He raised his palms in surrender and smiled at me. God, I hate to love that smile. Alex pushed the quilt aside, revealing his own weapon. “There’s room for one more in here.” Then he waggle
d his eyebrows.

  “You’ve gotta be kidding me.” I placed the soap dispenser back on the counter. “I’m outta here.”

  “Darling, why the rush? Brunch isn’t for another hour.”

  “Which is why I have to leave.” I tightened the towel around me. “There’s no way I’m letting anyone find out that I spent the night with you.” I’d meant to say that last part under my breath, but from the hurt that crossed Alex’s face, I knew he had heard it.

  Should I apologize? Maybe, but I had too much pride. And he told me I snored. Telling a woman she snored was like saying she smelled of garlic, or her ass looked fat in her jeans.

  I stood before him, waiting for whatever else he wanted to say, but when nothing came, I turned to walk back into the room and get dressed. I heard his lighter flick open and smelled the cigarette. “Could you at least wait until I’m out of the room? That’s going to stick on me, you know, and I’m going to end up smelling like you.”

  “You didn’t seem to have problems rubbing all over me last night. You even said that you loved the way I smell.” Smug son of a…

  My hand paused over the doorknob when he said it. I couldn’t let him get to me. Everything had been a terrible idea, even this moment. The tic on my neck began from irritation. Slowly, I faced Alex, ignored how sexy he was in that tub with the bedding surrounding him and that stick between his fingers. Those fingers. When my core tugged, the ache and pooling heat between my legs reminded me of how much of a delight those hands had been on me last night. But enough was enough. And I was sticking to my guns. Last night was a mistake.

  I glided closer, loosening the towel around me, peering at him with hooded eyes and licking my bottom lip. Alex responded so well. So quick. Baited once again. One corner of his lips tilted up, and he pushed the quilt away. I leaned over the tub, my mouth inches away from his. I crossed an arm over him, and turned on the tap, letting cold water gush into the tub before jumping back.

  “Merde!” Alex yelped as I ran right out of the bathroom, slammed the door behind me, and let laughter fill the room.

  For a single second, my thoughts flitted back to Alex, and it hit me so hard how much I’d come to memorize all his features. His lips after they’d been on mine, his eyes when he climaxed, how the muscles over his stomach tightened as he hovered over me, how his chest rumbled when he laughed, and how his breath tickled my ear when he rasped out my name.

  I hurried out of the room, zipping back into my dress, no longer caring where I’d left my underwear. I picked up my phone and my shoes and ran barefoot back toward the main house, blocking out every single moment that had happened the night before. Never again. I didn’t often give myself a chance to make mistakes; I couldn’t afford another one like Alex.

  After a long shower, scrubbing off any hint of what had gone on, and getting dressed for the day in my signature blacks, I stepped into the large solarium where a long table was set up for brunch.

  Nica was the first one to greet me. “There you are, sleepyhead!” She raised her arms and welcomed me into a hug. Yes, I allowed her one hug because, well, mainly because I was too exhausted and hungover to fight it. “Your hair smells good.”

  I pulled away from her and gave her a questioning look. “I didn’t change my shampoo.” There was something different about her. A higher level of keenness in her eyes.

  “Oh...well, it’s nice.” She smiled sweetly, but nervously, and returned to her conversation with Levi.

  I eyed her curiously as I took the seat next to her. The rest of our group had taken seats, except for Alex. I ignored the hitch in my breath as his name popped in my head. I focused on the spread on the table instead. Pastries and fresh bread, cheese and butter, salads and fruit, and all sorts of preserves occupied the middle of the table.

  “Did you sleep well last night, Chase?” Gerard spoke from across the table as I reached for a piece of rye bread. He quirked his brow, and I raised my own.

  “I did. Yes. You guys?” I poured myself a glass of water.

  “Oh, we slept very well, even with all the noise.” Mateo nudged Gerard with an elbow.

  “Noise? What noise?” Nica asked Gerard.

  “Yes, what noise? I slept in the guesthouse for two nights and I didn’t hear any noises at night,” Levi added, turning to Mateo and Gerard too.

  Wait a second... “You guys slept in the guesthouse?” I asked. A lump lodged in my throat. I thought Alex and I had been alone in the guesthouse. I gripped the water glass harder. I had to tell myself to leave it on the table lest I crush it in my fist.

  Gerard cocked his head to the side, addressing Levi with a flourish of his hand. “Oh, it sounded like growling or maybe groaning. Very animal-like. Ow!” Mateo nudged Gerard again, harder this time.

  “It was fine, guys,” Mateo told Levi and Nica. “It wasn’t really that bad. My husband has an overactive imagination.” And yet, Mateo couldn’t look my way.

  Gerard tilted his head at me and grinned. They knew I’d been with Alex. I looked around the room to see if anyone else had noticed Gerard’s insinuation. Nobody else seemed to have given it another thought. Levi’s grandmother was busy chatting with Lily. Maggie, Nica’s sister was telling Jewel how she had managed to snatch the bouquet from Isobel’s hand last night. June, Maggie’s boyfriend, focused on his cellphone. Jake and Sandrine, new parents, still looked half asleep.

  Nope. No one else knew. I’d have to pull Gerard aside later on and beg him not to blab. People didn’t have to know. People shouldn’t have to know what I did or didn’t do behind closed doors. Or who.

  “Good morning, everyone.” Speak of the devil.

  Alex walked in with the sun shining on his back. His hair was still wet, and the white shirt he wore clung to every toned muscle of his torso. He made the rounds, and greeted each person with either kisses on the cheeks or a hearty handshake, and a tight hug from Nica, Gerard and Lily.

  When he reached me, I stiffened and dropped my gaze to my lap. He bent down and just said, “Hayati.” His face didn’t touch mine, but I felt the zap of electricity on my cheek, all the way down to my tailbone. Then he pulled back the empty chair beside me. How had it not crossed my mind that once he joined us, he’d most likely take the only unoccupied seat?

  None of my actions made sense when it came to Alex.

  “Hmmm. Everything looks good today.” He clapped his hands and rubbed them together.

  “Did you have a good sleep, Alex?” Gerard started again. I sent him a look, which I hoped told him he’d better protect what was most precious to him if he didn’t shut his trap, but he ignored me.

  “I had a fabulous sleep, and a wonderful bath this morning,” Alex replied, reaching over for a slice of bread. The bastard. “How about you?”

  “Good bath, huh?” Gerard eyes widened in glee. “We heard animals growling last night.” I saw the quirk of a smile on his lips.

  Alex spread butter on his bread, not glancing my way or Gerard’s. “Animals, yeah? I think I may have heard those too.”

  My jaw clicked as I ground my teeth together. Alex reached a hand forward again, this time for the jam. But unlike the last time, I felt his other hand over my thigh. I wasn’t ticklish, but he startled me, and I hiccupped.

  Everyone at the table turned to me. My hand flew to my mouth. “Sorry about that.” Alex’s hand trailed up higher. My skin heated underneath my jeans.

  “Coffee, anyone?” Anita, one of Levi’s employees in the vineyard, entered the room carrying a pot.

  “I’ll have some.” I raised my hand. When I dropped it, I pushed Alex’s hand away. I didn’t bother looking at him, terrified to know what his gaze would do to me, or what else it would reveal.

  Anita came over and poured coffee into my cup. “Alex, coffee?”

  “That would be delightful. Please.” He raised his cup but Anita waved it away.

  “I’ll come to you.” Anita stepped between us, and I was happy for that break.

  I took my chanc
e to stand and pick up my cup. “You know, I think I’ll head out and get my stuff ready,” I told Nica.

  “You’re not even going to eat?” she asked, staring pointedly at my untouched bread.

  “Not really hungry. I wanna hit the road soon.”

  “Why don’t you stay for another day, Chase?” Levi asked. “Everyone else is. We’ll have a good ol’ American barbecue and a pool party. I can show you the cellar today.”

  I shook my head. “No.” I let grumpy Chase out. “I’ve got shit to do at work since you’re taking Nica away for two weeks.” With that, I headed out the door, not caring who said what or who continued to stare at me as I lifted the coffee cup to my lips with a jittery hand.

  Half an hour later, I was once again wrapped in a tight hug. Nica is a hugging machine when she’s happy. I held onto her wrists and pried her off me. “Okay, you. I’ll see you in two weeks.”

  She stepped back and held hands with Levi. “Yeah. I’ll check in every now and then.”

  “Ugh, please don’t. Knowing you, you’d want to share.” I sent Levi a quick glance. “There is such a thing as TMI, Nica. You can show me pics from your trip when you get back.” I swung my legs over my bike, put my helmet on and started my Harley. “I make zero promises the business will be standing when you return though.”

  Levi laughed but Nica’s eyes turned almost bulbous. She stared up at Levi with worry on her face, and he leaned in and kissed it away. I looked away from them, and far off the distance, I could make out where Alex stood, a cigarette between his lips, watching me.

  One last time, I’d let myself think of him. Nothing more. He’d managed to turn my world upside down. I flicked my visor down and saluted the newlyweds before riding back to civilization, and sanity.