She was surrounded by family and knew she shouldn’t be feeling anything but happy to be here, but old insecurities still lingered. Okay, maybe they had resurfaced thanks to her ex constantly harping on her about losing weight. Megan wasn’t fat—she knew that—but she was definitely not slim. She envied her cousin Summer. She had the kind of body Megan had always wished she had—slim—and she looked good in everything. Whereas Megan had to worry about how every article of clothing she had would fit or if it would be too clingy.
Another tug at the hem of her dress as she looked around to see where Summer was. They didn’t get to see each other nearly enough and maybe—
“Excuse me?”
Megan turned and saw the most attractive man she had ever seen in her life. He was tall with sandy-brown hair and a smile that seemed almost too perfect. She swallowed hard, convinced he couldn’t possibly want to talk to her.
“Would you like to dance?” he asked, and Megan’s heart beat wildly in her chest.
She looked around and wondered whether someone had put him up to this. But he didn’t look the least bit insincere. If anything, he seemed slightly amused by her confusion.
She cleared her throat and nodded. “Um…yes. Thank you.”
His smile broadened, and it was almost lethal. He had dimples too. She had to stifle a sigh when she noticed them.
“I’m Alex Rebat,” he said, extending his hand to her. “I’m a friend of Zach’s. And you are…?
Blushing because his voice was as magnificent as the rest of him, she replied, “I’m Megan Montgomery. Zach’s cousin.”
She shook his hand, but he didn’t release hers. Instead, he led her onto the dance floor where a slow song was playing. At first, Megan felt a little self-conscious about dancing with a stranger, but as soon as Alex gently wrapped his arm around her waist, all negative thoughts disappeared.
They swayed together to the music as if they’d danced together for years.
They talked as if they’d known each other forever.
And they were both more than ready to move off the dance floor and find someplace quiet to talk after their fourth dance.
Alex kept her hand in his as he led her from the banquet room to the lobby and finally out to the garden. The sun had gone down, and the entire area was lit with hundreds of soft-white twinkly lights. To Megan it looked like something out of a fairy tale while she felt like she was living in the middle of one.
Hand in hand they walked along the paths as Alex told her about his job as a physical therapist, and the more he spoke, the more she wanted to know about him. He had confidence and passion as he spoke about his work and his life, and she found herself hanging on his every word. And when he asked about her—her job, her life—she felt inferior in comparison.
So she’d given him a brief overview of her IT career and her life in Albany before turning the conversation over to him. The smile he gave her told her he knew what she was doing.
“Not big on talking about yourself, huh?” he asked with a knowing smile.
Megan blushed as she shook her head. “There isn’t much to tell. My job is fairly boring compared to yours. What you do really makes a difference in people’s lives—and after seeing all you did for Zach, I’m in total awe of you.”
They stopped walking, and Alex moved so he was standing in front of her. “Don’t be,” he said, his voice a little gruff. “Zach did all the hard work. I was merely there to help. Not every case is as successful as his. He had the drive to do it, and he worked hard to make it happen.”
Both his words and his voice were so intense that Megan was overwhelmed with the urge to reach out and touch him—not just hold his hand but… soothe him. Comfort him.
And she did.
Reaching up with her free hand, she gently caressed his face and heard his sharp intake of breath. This wasn’t her—she didn’t do things like this, wasn’t this forward—and yet she couldn’t help herself.
“Megan,” he said softly as his head lowered toward hers.
She wasn’t an overly romantic person and didn’t believe in things like this actually happening, and yet the instant Alex’s lips touched hers, Megan swore she saw fireworks. Normally she was a little more timid, inhibited, but something about Alex changed that. Wrapping her arms around him, she melted against him—reveling in the heat of his body, the feel of his lean frame against hers. The feeling must have been mutual because she heard a low growl come from him as he pulled her even closer.
Never before had she been kissed like this—it was the kind of kiss that started slowly, and they both sank into it until it kept going and neither wanted it to end. Megan’s hands raked up into his hair, and when they were finally forced to break apart for breath, in only a matter of seconds they dove in for another taste.
For a few glorious moments, they had been cocooned in their own little world out in the garden, but it didn’t take long for other wedding guests to start coming out and walking around, and the mood was broken. Alex never stopped touching her, though—everywhere they went her hand was in his, and she found she was thankful for the constant connection.
Over the course of the wedding reception, they danced again and talked and laughed, and Megan was nearly bristling with anticipation by the time Gabriella threw the bouquet. At that point, she knew she and Alex could leave. When she noticed other guests getting up to go, she looked over at Alex and said, “So…”
He was sitting beside her, and the expression on his face told her everything she needed to know.
He wanted to leave.
And he wanted to leave with her.
Casually they walked around and said their goodbyes separately. Out in the lobby, Alex took her by the hand—or maybe that time she took his—and they made their way down the massive hallway that connected the banquet hall to the hotel. Several times Megan had looked around to make sure no one saw them—and not because she was embarrassed but because she didn’t want the interruption. If she didn’t get Alex alone soon, she thought she’d spontaneously combust!
The ride in the elevator seemed to take forever, and she swore the walk to her room was a mile long. But once they were inside and the door was closed?
Perfect.
Something made Maylene bark, and Megan snapped out of her reverie. Even now, if she closed her eyes, she could still feel Alex’s hands and mouth on her—the way his jaw was just scratchy enough against her skin. Her hands twitched as she remembered the way his suit jacket had felt in her hands as she pulled it off him and how the smell of his cologne had surrounded her.
In the middle of her kitchen, she found her heart beating fast and her skin feeling too warm. Alex would be back soon, and she needed to pull herself together. Making quick work of setting the table and putting drinks out for them, she found it hard to stop the movie in her head. And really, she didn’t want to. It had been playing for almost two years. Why stop it now?
All the lights in the room were on, and Megan had a moment of complete panic as Alex peeled her dress off. She was left standing in her heels and blue-lace panties and bra, and all she could think was how there was no way to hide herself—he was going to see her every imperfection, and the thought of it almost paralyzed her. Then, as if sensing her fear, Alex took a step back but gently caressed her face.
“You’re beautiful,” he said gruffly. His eyes raked over her entire body—as bold as any caress—before he looked into her eyes. “All night I wondered how you’d look.” Then he smiled. “And you’re even sexier than I imagined.”
Then he was pressed up against her, still fully dressed except for his suit jacket, and he was kissing her. And just like that, all of her insecurities were forgotten and the only thing Megan could focus on was getting more of him—more kisses, more touching, more…skin. She needed to be skin to skin with him.
And he didn’t disappoint.
/> Together they worked on his tie and then his shirt until they were discarded. Megan managed to whip his belt off and let out a small giggle at her smooth move. Alex grinned at her as he walked her backward toward the bed. Her legs hit the mattress and she lost her balance and fell, bouncing on it. He followed her down, and after that, she was thankful for the lights because he was a sight to behold.
The beautiful expanse of lean muscle.
The way he looked at her.
The expression on his face as they began to move together.
Yeah. If she had missed all of that due to the lights being off, she would have regretted it.
This time Maylene’s bark alerted her to Alex’s return, and she was quick to fan herself as she scrambled to make sure everything they were going to need was out on the table. By the time he walked in the door, her breathing was a little more under control. Then he smiled at her.
And her heart rate was off the charts again.
Dammit.
Alex put the food down on the table and began unpacking it. “This is one of the best delis in the city,” he said. “Trust me on this one. I end up getting food from there way more than I should, but it’s completely worth it.”
Forcing herself to relax and be normal, Megan looked at the food in front of her. “Um…there seems to be a lot here.”
Chuckling, Alex sat. “Well, once I got there and saw some of the special salads they had in the case, I thought you might not mind trying some with me.”
Megan picked up one of the wrapped items and looked at him. “This does not feel like a salad.”
“Okay, this one is totally brownies,” he said with a grin. “I made an executive decision on dessert.”
And Megan couldn’t help but laugh as she put the brownies down. “Good call.”
He placed her sandwich on her plate and then served himself, and for a few minutes, they were both quiet as they started to eat. Finally, Alex paused and looked at her. “So? What do you think?”
“I think I may be ordering from this deli a lot!” she said with a grin. “We already know cooking isn’t my thing, and I hate bumming meals off Summer, so I’m happy to know there is good food close by.”
Over the course of the meal, Alex told her about some of his other favorite places to eat that were close by, and the conversation stayed in fairly generic territory. It wasn’t until they were finished and cleaning up that Megan felt the need to broach the subject they were both clearly avoiding.
“So…um…I know I kind of interrupted your day,” she began nervously, “but I was wondering if you have some time for us to sort of hang out and…talk.”
She didn’t need to explain because the look on Alex’s face showed he knew exactly what she was referring to. With a nod, he picked up his glass and walked over to the sofa to sit. After refilling her own glass, she followed.
Unable to help herself, Megan let out a shaky breath as she looked at him. “I am so sorry for the way I handled things. I don’t know if I ever got to say it…you know…back then.” Then she waited for him to respond.
But he didn’t.
Actually, he was studying his glass of iced tea.
Frowning, she went on. “At the time, I…I don’t even know what happened. How could I have forgotten something as important as you coming to New York? Honestly, I don’t have a good reason. I could make excuses, but what would be the point? I screwed up, and I hurt you, and I’m sorry.”
Still no reply.
“I felt awful, Alex. I still do! But after…you know… I thought we were on the same page. It just wasn’t going to work for us.”
He arched a brow at her. “Seriously? That’s what you thought? Because that wasn’t where I was going with it at all.”
Okay, now she was confused. “But…we talked. I got caught up at work, and I didn’t get to the city to meet with you, and when I called you—”
Alex slowly came to his feet. “When you called me, I had already been waiting for you for two hours.”
“I…I know that, and I explained to you why I wasn’t there. The computer system at work crashed, and—”
“I don’t care about the computers, Megan!” he said with frustration. “The fact is you used your job as an excuse.”
“It wasn’t—”
He held up a hand to stop her. “Yes, you did. The only one keeping you from leaving the office was you. It was why we only talked late at night.”
“There was the time difference, and you said that worked for you,” she argued.
With a loud sigh, he began to pace. “Fine. That was one thing going for us. But every time I tried to make plans with you, you always had an excuse. If you didn’t want to be with me, then you should have said so.”
“But I did!” she cried, and she hated the sting of tears that came with her words. “I told you from the beginning that I worked too much—that I didn’t know how to change that. And you said you understood! Every time we talked about it, you said you understood.” Swiping at the first few tears that fell, Megan went on. “So if you had a problem with it, then maybe you should have said so!”
Staring at her, Alex gave a curt nod. “Fair enough. You’re right. I should have said something. But in my defense, after we finally agreed on getting away for a weekend together, I thought we would have time to talk about it. There’s only so much I’m willing to talk about on the phone or in a text, Megan. We needed to have some conversations face-to-face.”
“I know that. I do. But…if it was so important to you, you could have come to Albany. It was only a few hours’ drive, and—”
“Do you even hear yourself?” he demanded. “I had already flown across the country to see you, and then you wanted me to drive another few hours to get to you after you messed up?” He huffed with frustration and began to pace. “How much more was I supposed to do, Megan? It couldn’t all be on me!”
And then she didn’t wipe away her tears; she couldn’t. They were falling too fast and furiously as her heart squeezed painfully in her chest. She had known things had ended badly, and she knew how hurt she had been. She just hadn’t realized Alex had felt the same way.
“I didn’t know what to do,” she sobbed. “I just thought that you’d…you’d—”
“What, Megan? Tell me!”
“I don’t know, okay? Everything about you was always so kind and sweet and agreeable that I guess I just thought you’d forgive me!” She dropped down onto the sofa, covered her face with her hands, and cried.
“So basically because I’m a nice guy, I deserved to get stood up like that? After I flew three thousand miles to see you, it was okay to blow me off because I’m agreeable—is that what you’re saying?”
She heard the anger, the frustration in his voice, and honestly, she didn’t know what to do. “I’m so sorry, Alex. You have no idea how much.”
He let out a slow breath and paced away to look out the front window.
“I would have come,” she said weakly. “Later that night. While we were on the phone, I was in my car and going home to pack.”
But he shook his head. “It wouldn’t have mattered.”
“You told me not to come, Alex,” she reminded him. “You didn’t give me a chance to make up for it.”
Turning, he looked at her. “I was angry,” he said and then instantly clarified. “I was hurt. It made me realize that you meant more to me than I did to you.”
She jumped to her feet. “No! No, it wasn’t like that. I swear—”
“Your actions said otherwise.”
This time she did wipe the tears away and looked at him. “What is it you want me to say? What can I do? I can’t change what happened! I can’t undo it, and nothing I say is going to make it better!” Megan tried to relax. “When I saw you at Zach’s that first time, you were the one asking me out. If you’re still thi
s angry at me, why would you even want to?”
Leaning against the cushions, Alex raked a hand through his hair and let out his own weary sigh before meeting her gaze. “Because we needed to do this, Megan,” he said, his voice void of emotion. “We needed to talk this out—face-to-face.”
“Then why did you kiss me?” she asked and cursed the catch in her voice.
His first response was a weak smile. “I think we should agree that we kissed each other.”
She rolled her eyes and couldn’t help her own smile. “Fine. Then I know why I kissed you. Why did you kiss me back?”
It was the most childish conversation she could remember having, and yet…it was helping to lighten the mood.
Slowly, Alex walked up to her. “Because I’ve wanted to kiss you since the first time I saw you. That hasn’t changed, Megan.”
“Oh.” Her voice was a breathless whisper.
“And I’m going to want to do it again,” he said, moving a little closer.
She swallowed hard, secretly hoping he meant right now because she would totally be on board for that.
“But I’m not going to,” he said, and at least he sounded like he wasn’t particularly happy about it. “I think we still have some things to talk about.”
She nodded. “Okay.” Then, because being close to him was too much temptation, she moved to sit in one of the chairs.
“You’re right,” he said as he sat back on the sofa. “Nothing can change what happened. It sucked, and I was pissed off, but…it’s over now. I forgive you.”
Megan almost sagged with relief. “Thank you.”
“Back then, logistics weren’t on our side. But that was the least of our problems.” He paused. “I can understand why you didn’t want anyone seeing us leave Zach’s wedding together. Hell, I felt the same way—partially because I didn’t want the interruption but partially because I didn’t want him or your brothers or any of the Montgomerys coming after me. I heard what Ethan went through, and honestly, I was happy to avoid that. But afterward—”
Until There Was Us Page 10
