Glancing at the water, she briefly debated jumping overboard but with the wedding gown on, she’d sink like a tank. On the heels of that thought, she considered taking the gown off first but then she would arrive on shore dripping wet in slutty underwear with fifty people watching her. No thanks.
She was stuck.
Axl didn’t go very far before he cut the engine. He turned to her. “Can you please tell me why you’re running away?”
“I told you,” she said, and her voice cracked. “I can’t do this. It’s not right. I don’t give a shit about my job anymore if it means I have to stand there and say ‘I do’ to you when the truth is…” She took a deep breath and laid it all out there. She wanted Axl to know how she felt. “A part of me wishes we were really doing this. Getting married. Because I really, really care about you.”
Axl came over to her and sat down on the bench next to her, the movement sending the boat rocking gently. “Leighton.” He stared into her eyes, running his hand over her glossy beach waves.
She steeled herself to be let down easily. To be told that she was getting a participation ribbon, but no prize.
“If you had let me finish,” he said, “I was going to tell you that while today might not be real, it could be at some point.” He kissed her softly.
Leighton trembled at the touch. “What do you mean?” she murmured.
“I mean that maybe this could be us in two years or a year, or hell, nine months from now. Six months. Because this week I found something I didn’t even know I was looking for—you.”
Her heart swelled. “Really?”
He nodded. “Really. I am crazy about you. In fact, I think I might be falling in love with you. As insane as that sounds.”
“It is insane. But I feel the same way.” Tears blurred her vision of his handsome face.
“You do?” He gave an exhalation of air from his nostrils.
For the first time ever it occurred to her that Axl might have the same fears about putting his heart on the line as she had. It made her feel tender toward him and overwhelmed with love.
“I do,” she told him, fully aware of the irony of those words. She leaned into him, gripping the front of his tuxedo shirt so she could give him a soft kiss. “I never thought, in a million years, that a guy like you, with a girl like me…”
He cupped her cheeks and he kissed her over and over. “Hey, California, haven’t you noticed that we have very similar personalities? It could work, you know. You and me. I want it to work.”
“Thank you for not wanting to change me,” she said, and she meant that with everything inside her. “For thinking that I’m enough.”
“You are more than enough. You’re everything.”
Her heart swelled to the point she thought it might explode.
“And hey, I want you to know I appreciate that you see in me stuff no one else does. That you think I’m, you know, normal.”
She’d never seen him look vulnerable but he did now. The marine turned cop had his own insecurities, she realized. She gave him a soft kiss. “Axl, there is nothing abnormal about you at all.”
“What do we do now?” she asked, when he didn’t seem inclined to do anything other than brush his lips over hers again.
“I say we cancel the wedding and figure out how we can date long distance and really get to know each other.”
It sounded like a plan to her. “Do you think that will work?”
“It will if we want it to.” He ran a finger over her bottom lip. “You look stunning, by the way. You blew me away. For a second, I couldn’t breathe when I saw you.”
She believed him, and it was the greatest, most amazing compliment. She felt her cheeks burn. From modesty, arousal. From love. “Thank you. You wear a tux well. You’re the hottest groom I’ve ever seen.” She meant that.
“I am so turned on right now by you, by knowing you care about me. Does that make me an asshole?”
She laughed. “No. I’m sitting here hoping we can still have a wedding night, even without the wedding.”
His eyes darkened. “Hell yeah.”
“I guess I’m going to get fired,” she said, wrinkling her nose. “And I don’t even care.”
“Maybe not. This right here.” He gestured to each of them, to the lake, and their guests. “This is TV gold. You can’t even write this shit.”
He probably had a point. “I guess we have to go back.”
“I could start the engine up and we can just drive. Go to Canada and have a fake honeymoon in a cabin in the woods.”
It was tempting. “As much as I’d love to, I think we might owe everyone some sort of explanation.”
“You mean telling everyone go home doesn’t cut it?” He gave her a grin.
“No.” Leighton shook her head at him. “Now drive, Ice Man.”
“Ten bucks says they start calling you Runaway Bride at work.”
Leighton laughed, her heart full. She was so happy to be with Axl, she didn’t even care. “They can bring it. I’m ready. I’m not going to keep my job anyway. I kind of think there might be other options I’d like to explore. Maybe a floral shop or a tea shop or a dress shop. In Minnesota. At some point.”
The look he gave her set her inner thighs aflame.
“I’m ready too then,” he said.
Fourteen
“I’m not going to lie,” Jesse said, standing by the bar under the tent. “This is the best wedding I’ve ever been to.”
Axl laughed. “Thanks, man.” After apologizing to everyone there wouldn’t be an actual wedding, they had made the decision to go ahead with the dinner and dancing. It was all paid for, no reason not to enjoy it. Especially since he and Leighton weren’t ending a relationship. They were just getting started.
“Hey,” Sullivan said, raising his hand to the bartender for another drink. “I had an awesome wedding.”
“No offense, bro, but we were like twelve when you got married,” Jesse said. “I got so shit-faced I don’t even remember your reception. Restraint was not in my vocab in those days.”
“Yeah, you were so restrained when you took Leighton’s friend home last night,” Brandon said, rolling his eyes.
“I remember it, at least. So I’m maturing.”
“Why is Sloane crying?” Axl asked, sipping a beer. She and Rick were coming into the tent and Sloane wasn’t just crying, she was sobbing.
Sullivan stood up straight. “What did that fucker do to my sister? I’ll kick his ass.”
But Sloane came running over to them and stuck her hand out. There was a ring on it. “Rick proposed to me!”
Rick was grinning ear-to-ear. “She said yes,” he said, sounding proud and ecstatic.
Axl clapped him on the back. “That’s awesome! I’m happy for you guys.” He gave Sloane a hug. “Congrats, you crazy kids.”
“I wasn’t planning to propose tonight because I didn’t want to ruin your wedding, Axl, but then you called it off and the setting is pretty damn romantic. I hope you don’t mind.”
“No, not at all. It is a great setting. How did you have the ring though?”
“I’ve been driving around with it in my glovebox trying to figure out the perfect way to ask Sloane.” He shrugged.
“I don’t know,” Jesse said. “Sloane is crying. I think you fucked it up.”
“Shut up,” she said, hitting Jesse’s arm. “You know these are happy tears.” She turned to her brother. “Aren’t you going to say anything, Sullivan?”
He gave her a one-armed hug. “Congratulations, Sloane. I’m really happy for you, seriously.” Without a word to Rick he took his drink and walked off.
Sloane sighed.
“Baby, don’t let it bother you,” Rick told her.
“I know.” She wiped her cheeks. “I’m going to find Lilly and show her my ring.”
They kissed and then she walked away.
“Married. Damn,” Brandon said. “I’m happy for you guys. Things are changing, aren’t they?�
�
Axl saw Leighton laughing under the glow of chandeliers, dancing with his five-year-old nephew. His heart did a flip. “Yeah. Things are changing.”
Setting his beer back down on the bar, he crossed the tent, making his way across the dance floor. As if she sensed his presence, Leighton turned when he was still ten feet away, and gave him a look so filled with love and lust that his nostrils flared. Damn. He was a lucky fucking man.
She didn’t seem to mind eyes being on her now. She looked relaxed and happy, confidence in what they were doing. And herself. It made him even happier to see that. She raised her eyebrows as he approached.
“Beat it,” he told his nephew Sam in teasing tones. “I’m cutting in.”
“No!” Sam said, sticking his tongue out at him.
“Go have a piece of cake,” he told him, amused by how disheveled Sam looked, his shirttail out and his hair sticking up in a persistent cowlick.
“Mom said I can’t have another one.”
“But this is my wedding and I said you can, so go for it, kid.”
“Really?” Sam’s eyes got huge.
“Really.”
Sam ran away.
“Nice,” Leighton said with a soft laugh. “Bribing children.”
He shrugged. “It worked on me as a kid. Will you dance with me?”
“I would love to dance with you.” She took his hand and moved in close against his body.
He would never get tired of the feel of her curves pressed against him. Swaying with her to the music, he leaned down and kissed her softly.
Then because it felt right, he stared into her eyes. The words came easily, without thought. “I love you.”
Her eyes widened. “I love you too.”
It was a pretty freaking awesome reality.
* * *
Thanks for reading STRIP SEARCH! I hope you enjoyed Axl and Leighton’s story.
Want more of the sexy TAP THAT guys?
* * *
STRIP TEASE is out January 28 with Brandon!
* * *
A sexy CEO.
A single mom.
And a secret baby who is now eight years old…
* * *
A tipsy night in college resulted in Grace’s greatest joy--her daughter.
* * *
But now she sees the guy who gave her a fake name and number that night is stripping for a charity event without a care in the world.
* * *
When the feisty brunette confronts Brandon, finding out he has a daughter rocks his playboy world.
* * *
Grace wants answers.
Brandon wants Grace.
And Fallon wants a dad.
* * *
Is the ultimate party guy ready to strip it all bare...including his heart?
About the Author
USA Today and New York Times Bestselling author Erin McCarthy sold her first book in 2002 and has since written over seventy novels and novellas in romance and mysteries. Erin has a special weakness for tattoos, high-heeled boots, Frank Sinatra, and dive bars. She lives with her husband and their blended family of kids and rescue dogs.
Connect with Erin:
www.erinmccarthy.net
Also by Erin McCarthy
Tap That Series
* * *
Stripped Down
Strip Search
Strip Tease (releases January 2019)
Strip Away (releases April 2019)
Stripped Bare (releases July 2019)
Strip Search Page 19
