Save the Date (Wild Wedding Series Book 3)

by Ann Marie Walker

  “Dance with me?”

  Rebecca looked up to find Brody watching her with an expression she’d never seen before. If she hadn’t known better, she would have thought he actually seemed nervous. The atmosphere became charged with anticipation as his unanswered question hung in the air between them. She shifted her weight from one toe-pinching stiletto to the other. She knew she should politely decline. She could turn him down with any number of excuses. After all, she was the one running the show. And despite her friends’ desire to have her enjoy the evening, there were at least a dozen responsibilities that could keep her from accepting his hand. Problem was, at the moment, she couldn’t think of a single one.

  His gaze was steady as he held out his hand. She took it without saying a word, hoping like hell he hadn’t noticed the way her fingers trembled just before she placed her hand in his. Brody led her to the parquet dance floor, slipping his arm around her waist as the band began to play James TW’s “Incredible.”

  Her breath caught as he pulled her close. She gripped his biceps to steady herself as he twirled them around the room, never once stepping on her toes.

  “Miss Vicky would be proud.”

  He laughed. “That woman terrified me.”

  “I’m sorry for the other night.”

  “No need to apologize,” he said. “We’ve all been there. Besides, it’s my fault really. I should have made sure you had more to eat. And warned you about the delayed reaction.”

  “They did sort of all hit me at once.” She winced. “I really wasn’t myself.”

  He cocked a lazy grin. “Well, I’m hoping at least some of it was.”

  Rebecca couldn’t help but wonder which part of that night’s conversation he was referring to. More than likely, he meant when she said she was “warm for his form”—something her subconscious must have unfortunately tucked away from that Happy Days marathon she’d watched in the hospital—and not when she confessed to falling for him. That last part hadn’t come back to her until a few days after “the incident,” as she’d come to call it. She hadn’t thought anything was worse than giving him her best Pinky Tuscadero impersonation, but she was wrong. Admitting she had feelings for him was a thousand times worse than even puking on his shoes.

  Which was why she ignored his comment and quickly changed the subject. “I saw you talking to my brother. What was that all about?”

  Brody’s smile slipped. “He told me to leave you alone.” It seemed as though he was going to say more but stopped.

  Rebecca suspected Cole’s warning was entirely unnecessary because with each passing day, Brody seemed to see her more as a little sister than an object of desire. And yet she couldn’t stop herself from chasing the rejection. “What did you tell him?”

  “We didn’t really get to finish the conversation. Olivia was ready to leave so…”

  “So the megalomaniac turned into a puppy?”

  Brody’s head fell back on a laugh. “Something like that.” He spun them farther into the now crowded dance floor. “I can honestly say I never thought I would see the great Coleman Grant III reduced to a marshmallow.”

  “Too bad Olivia hasn’t been able to soften all his rough edges.” Rebecca dropped her gaze. “I’m sorry he’s giving you so much crap. I’ll talk to him and let him know—”

  She was about to say that she would tell Cole to drop the overbearing big-brother act seeing as how they were just friends, when Brody interrupted.

  “I’ve never been very good at following orders.”

  Rebecca’s gaze met his. “But I thought—”

  “You were in the friend zone?”

  She smiled. “Something like that.”

  “Does this feel like just friends?” His fingers pressed against the small of her back, pulling her close enough to feel the hard ridge of his erection.

  “Oh…”

  “I wish you saw yourself the way I do.” The intensity of his gaze was almost too much to bear. She looked away, staring over his shoulder at the other couples swaying across the dance floor. “Rebecca?”

  “It’s the dress, isn’t it?” She grinned up at him and rolled her eyes. “Guys can’t resist red.” She realized what she was saying a second too late. “I mean…”

  His low chuckle vibrated between them. “If you mean that ridiculous bra…” His words were teasing, but the warmth in his eyes was undeniable. “You don’t need something like that to get my attention, Rebecca. You’ve had it since the first day I met you.”

  Well, when he put it that way…

  “And it’s not the dress that has me trying like hell to get my dick under control before this song ends.” The chuckle was back, and this time, she felt the sensation a hell of a lot lower. “You have no idea how many times I’ve wanted to peel you out of whatever you were wearing, even when it included those beat-up Vans.”

  “Hey, I love those shoes.” She feigned insult, but Brody was undeterred. Instead of engaging in their usual banter, he pulled her closer, pressing his cheek to her temple.

  They stayed like that, moving together while the rest of the room faded away, for what felt like an eternity until Brody dropped his lips to her ear. “Come home with me,” he whispered against her sensitive skin. The sensation caused a shudder to ripple through her body, but instead of losing herself to the emotions she’d spent all week trying to deny, she fell back into old habits. Safe habits.

  She reared back to look at him and quirked a brow. “I expected more of a line. That the best one you got?”

  But Brody wasn’t letting her off the hook that easy. “It’s not a line.” His voice was quiet, but his conviction was clear. “I want to be with you, Rebecca. All night.”

  The song and their swaying came to an end. So did the internal debate that had waged inside her. The event was all but over. The team she’d hired could certainly handle the cleanup. Which was why instead of offering an excuse, she gave him a small nod. “I’ll meet you outside in ten.” Her voice was more breath than sound, but Brody heard her loud and clear.

  A wide grin spread across his face. “Make it five.”

  Rebecca had never wrapped up an event so quickly in her life, but when she pushed through the aquarium’s brass-framed door, she stumbled to a halt. A tuxedo-clad Brody was waiting for her at the bottom of the stone staircase alongside a black stretch limousine. With the city’s skyline towering behind him, the scene in front of her could have been the opening shot of a reality dating show. Somewhere in the back of Rebecca’s mind the similarities registered, but she pushed the thoughts away. Because tonight wasn’t about networks or publicists. Tonight was only about the two of them.

  He never took his eyes off her as she made her way down the staircase, but when she reached the sidewalk, his gaze dropped to the duffel bag she had slung over one shoulder. “You packed a bag?”

  She nodded.

  His smile fell ever so slightly. “Who were you planning on spending the night with?”

  She couldn’t fight the laugh that bubbled up inside her. “Why Brody Dixon, are you jealous?’

  “Maybe.”

  Oh, he absolutely was. And it was the most adorable thing she’d ever seen.

  “Well, not that it’s any of your business,” she teased. “But this is full of the clothes I was wearing earlier today.”

  His brows knit together.

  “Did you think I worked all day in this dress?” She handed him the bag as she made her way past him to the open limo door.

  He chuckled. “Guess I hadn’t thought about it.”

  “Men are so lucky.”

  “How do you figure?”

  Rebecca slid across the limo’s leather bench, and Brody moved in beside her.

  “What did you have to do to get ready tonight, shower?” She reached up and ran her fingers over the designer stubble he wore on his jaw. “You didn’t even need to shave.” Not that she was complaining. Rebecca loved the way Brody looked with a few days’ worth of stubble. Then a
gain, she loved the way he looked without it as well.

  “See, that’s where you’re wrong,” he said. “It takes a lot of work to look this carefree.”

  Her head fell back on a laugh. It felt good to be with him like this, but something told her it was going to feel even better to be with him back at his hotel.

  The ride only took a few minutes, but it felt like forever. In the elevator, he took her hand, and just that brief contact made every cell in her body come alive. She looked over at him, and her teeth nipped her bottom lip. His gaze darkened, and for a moment, she wondered if they’d even make it to his room. Then, without taking his eyes off hers, Brody reached for the emergency stop button, and she was pretty sure they wouldn’t.

  The elevator ground to a halt, and then his mouth was on hers, kissing her as if he had to. As if he was on fire and she was the only one to quench the flames.

  He gripped her waist and lifted her, holding her against the elevator wall with the sheer weight of his body. The high slit of her gown fell open, allowing her to wrap her legs around his hips. Every inch of her body aligned perfectly with his as he pressed against her, revealing a desire so raw and primitive, it took her breath away.

  One hand slid up the side of her dress until he was palming her breast. “I didn’t think I could make it one more minute without touching you.” Her breath hitched as his thumb brushed across a nipple straining against red silk. Then his lips dropped to her neck, sucking and nipping her sensitive skin. “God, I want you.”

  “Yes,” she said on a breathy sigh. Her head fell back against the wall, and her body arched in offering as his lips left a trail of openmouthed kisses along her shoulder.

  “9-1-1 dispatch,” a voice said from the control panel. “Is everyone all right?”

  “Shit,” Brody whispered as he set her on her feet.

  Rebecca covered her mouth with her hand in an attempt to stifle a laugh.

  “Yeah, um, everything is fine.” He released the emergency stop, and once they’d adjusted their clothing, took Rebecca’s hand. “Come on. Let’s get to my room before we end up spending the night in jail.”

  They made their way down the hall, all hands and lips and tongues as Brody fumbled with the keycard. “After you,” he said as he pushed the door open.

  Rebecca stepped into the suite Brody had called home for as long as she’d known him. She’d been there countless times over the last few months, but this was different. It was as if she was seeing everything for the first time. The couch, the chaise, the enormous mattress just inside the bedroom door, and the walk-in shower that waited beyond the bed. All of it now had new potential, and all of it involved a very naked Brody Dixon.

  Brody flicked the lights on, and Rebecca noticed the champagne waiting for them in a silver bucket in the middle of the coffee table. It was flanked by tapered candles on one side and a pair of flutes on the other. And if that wasn’t decadent enough, a glass bowl of chocolate-covered strawberries sat front and center.

  She turned to find Brody watching her every move.

  “When did you…?”

  “I called ahead to room service while you were wrapping things up.” He tossed the room key onto a small table by the door. “Do you like it?”

  “Well, that depends.” She cocked her head to one side and flashed him a teasing grin. “Is this another Brody Special?”

  “All of this is new,” he said, and in that moment, Rebecca knew he wasn’t only talking about the champagne and candles. “Shall I open the bottle?”

  “Later.” The word was barely a whisper. “There’s something else I want to do first.”

  His eyes flared as she moved toward him. “And that is?” he asked. But she didn’t answer. Not with words at least. Instead, she reached for him and began unfastening the buttons of his shirt one by one until his chest was bare. Her greedy fingers traced the hard ridges of his abs then her palms smoothed over his pecs before finally sliding over his shoulders, pushing his shirt off as she went.

  He kicked off his shoes then watched as she reached for the waistband of his tuxedo pants. Her hands trembled as she eased them down his legs along with his boxer briefs. The sight of Brody’s naked body was something she’d fantasized about more than she cared to admit, and when she had him fully undressed, she stood back to drink it all in. Her gaze drifted over every inch of defined muscle before finally settling on the erection jutting out from his hips in an erotic plea.

  “My turn.” He stepped closer, reaching around her until his fingers found the zipper running down the back of her dress. Holding her gaze, he lowered it until the fabric slipped from her body into a puddle at her feet. Only then did he let his hungry gaze take in the sight of her wearing nothing but a pair of red satin panties.

  “Fucking perfect.” His fingers traced the outline of her breast, sending a shiver across her overheated skin. Her nipples tightened, begging for attention he was more than happy to give. Lowering his head, he sucked the taut peak into his mouth, laving her with his tongue before nipping her with his teeth in a devastating combination of pleasure and pain.

  Brody dropped to his knees. He looked up at her, his green eyes clouded with lust as he eased her panties down her legs. Then he worked his way back up, his lips moving slowly and methodically along the inside of her thighs until…surely he wasn’t going to…right there…standing in the living room…

  “Oh God,” she moaned as Brody’s lips and tongue teased her right where she needed him most. Her legs shook, and her fingers found their way into his hair, tightening their grip as he brought her to the brink. “I can’t,” she said.

  “Yes, you can,” he murmured against her heated flesh. “Come for me.” The vibration of his words, the flick of his tongue, and then the rhythm of not one but now two fingers…it was too much. Her knees buckled, and she cried out. Brody’s free arm banded around her hips, holding her to him as she rode out the wave of her orgasm.

  He looked up at her, his eyes unfocused and his lips glistening. He didn’t stay a word. Instead, he stood, gathering Rebecca into his arms and carrying her to the bedroom. He laid her down on the white duvet then joined her, his body covering hers as he settled between her thighs.

  “I’ve wanted you since the first day I met you,” he whispered. Her body trembled with anticipation, but Brody took his time, nipping and licking his way down her neck and across her collarbone before flicking his tongue across the tip of each breast.

  “I want you too, Brody.” She gripped his shoulder, urging him closer.

  Then his lips found hers in a kiss so primal and raw, it was a wonder he’d managed to hold back at all. She nearly whimpered when he finally pulled away, leaving her ready and wanting as he sheathed himself in a condom. But instead of surging forward, he kept her hanging in the balance, teasing her slick entrance with a barely leashed restraint. It was too much. She needed him, all of him, inside her.

  “Now, please…”

  Brody groaned and with his eyes locked on hers entered her on a single stroke. The sensation was like nothing she’d ever felt before, so full and yet so needy. She rocked up, desperately seeking friction’s sweet relief, but Brody remained still. “Wait,” he managed. A muscle in his neck corded. “I want to feel you.”

  He pulsed inside her, filling her, stretching her, but still he didn’t move. It was torture of the most exquisite kind. And then, just when she found herself ready to beg, he pulled back only to slide forward, again and again. His movements were slow and deliberate, not because he wanted it that way, but because he was holding back, taking care to be gentle with her. But in that moment, slow and gentle wasn’t what Rebecca wanted. She wanted Brody just as crazed with lust as she was.

  “More, harder,” she panted on a stuttering breath.

  It was all the encouragement he needed. He surged into her, meeting her own movements halfway as their mounting pleasure brought them closer and closer to the release they craved. She wanted to chase the sensation, while
at the same time holding it at bay. Make it last, she thought. But then Brody gripped the back of her thigh, allowing him to push farther, to a place somewhere deep inside her, and all coherent thoughts left her. She shattered into a million pieces beneath him, her nails digging into his back as she lost all sense of self. He stayed with her, rolling his hips as he thrust inside her again and again until a second wave crashed over her, no less devastating than the first. Only then did he let go, dropping his head to her shoulder as his body shuddered against hers.

  They lay like that for long moments, until their collective breathing slowed. Rebecca let her fingers drift down Brody’s spine. She wanted to stay suspended in that moment forever, and for now at least, she would.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Rebecca felt warm, too warm. She shifted, trying to push the heavy blanket off her, but it wouldn’t budge. Then she opened her eyes to find the weight pressing her into the mattress wasn’t a blanket at all, but rather the hotshot quarterback who’d stolen her heart. Not to mention given her more orgasms than she’d had in years.

  The thought alone had a flush spreading across her cheeks, but there was no denying how much she’d enjoyed it. So much, in fact, that she wouldn’t have minded doing it all over again.

  But first, she needed a few moments in the bathroom. She could only imagine what her hair looked like, and although she hadn’t brought a toothbrush with her, a swipe of toothpaste with her finger would be better than greeting Brody with morning breath.

  She glanced down to where he lay with his head on her chest and one arm draped possessively across her waist. She could tell from the rhythm of his breathing that he was sound asleep. Not wanting to wake him, she began to slowly shift her body to the side. His arm tightened around her waist, and a rough sound rumbled through his chest.

  “Don’t go,” he mumbled, hooking one leg over hers.