Chapter 7
AIDYN
“What?” I yell into my phone, not caring who’s on the other end. I’m so fucking turned on it’s painful. Wanting Garrett is like an ache that never goes away.
“Christy?” Jane. Fuck.
There’s rustling on the other end and then a new voice. Sharper. Zye. “This wedding is important. Stop fucking it up.”
I close my eyes and turn away from Garrett. The sight of him, his bare chest, his cock hard and ready for me. It’s too tempting. “Hold your damn horses, Zye. We’re on our way.”
“You’re in the car?”
“We would be if you weren’t bitching at us.”
He huffs, and the other sounds—laughing and music—fade. A door clicks shut, and the other sounds are gone. “I can’t stall much longer. This is a disaster, Christy. Please hurry.”
My gaze returns to Garrett. He’s partially dressed already. He zips his pants and fastens the few buttons left on his shirt before slipping his tie around his neck. I hold back my sigh. I’d had plans for that tie. And him. “Fifteen minutes, Zye.”
I jab the end button, resisting the urge to throw the damn thing across the room.
“Garrett—”
“No. None of that. We have fifteen minutes, and ten of that will be the drive to the VFW hall. No time to talk about whatever this is.”
Garrett steps closer and grabs the edges of my shirt like he’s going to button it for me. Good luck with that since he popped them all off. He laughs and rests our foreheads together. “You need a new shirt.”
“You think? Thanks for that.”
“Sorry.”
I wrap my hand around the back of his neck. “Don’t be. It was fucking hot.” This close, I can’t see his smile, but I feel it.
He sighs. “We’ve got to go.”
My hand tightens on his neck. I need one more kiss, but I keep it as light as I can while memorizing everything about him. The feel of his lips. The taste of him. The intoxicating smell of expensive cologne.
He backs away and drags a hand through his thick dark hair. “Go change your shirt. I’ll finish loading the cake.”
“Like hell you will. Don’t you be touching my cake. I’ll be right back.” I race and put on a new shirt, and then Garrett helps me load the cake into the van. Once we’re on the road, I realize a ten-minute drive can feel like forever if no one speaks.
You just made out with the brother of your deceased wife.
“Aidyn, we should talk about this.”
“We should.” I shoot him a quick glance. He won’t look at me. Is he nervous? Because of what we did? Or his admission? I’m in love with you, Aidyn Christy. “But I’m not sure what there’s to say in ten minutes.”
“How—” He clears his throat. “How are we going to act—people will notice if we aren’t at each other’s throats.”
“I don’t care what people think.”
He sighs. “Lanie. Jane.”
He’s right, and I hate it. “How do you want to handle it?” I ask.
“I can’t…ignore you. Please don’t ask me to.”
“Same.” The word seems bigger than it is. Four letters. But the meaning… I don’t want to ignore this thing between us. I can’t go back to the way things were.
“But freaking everyone out will take away from Jane and Isaac’s day.”
“We can tell them we worked some things out. Now we can be civil to each other.” I try really hard not to grin at the thought of us working things out, but it takes over.
He laughs, and I treasure the moment of happiness in his eyes. It’s like the sun shimmering over Dublin Bay first thing in the morning. I let my right hand rest on my leg, and it lies there feeling useless as my nerves flutter through me. But Garrett takes the hint and my hand.
“We’ve still got things to work out,” he says, but there’s a bit of hope in his voice. I don’t dare look at him.
You can’t get lost in Mule Creek. The damn town has one stoplight. But for a chance at a few minutes more with Garrett Bishop, I might find a way.
I don’t find a way.
Jane calls before I can get us lost, and we arrive at the VFW hall on time because we owe her that much. Garrett helps me bring the cake in with Jane and Zye on our heels like yapping dogs.
“This will go faster if you go away,” I say with a growl. “Garrett and I’ve got this.”
They look at each other and then at us. Right. We caused this mess together. But I can’t say we worked it out without blushing. And there’s still unfinished business between us.
“Christy and I are good. Go take care of your guests.”
And for some reason, from Garrett, they believe it. The kitchen in the VFW hall is basic with only a few appliances, but enough for my needs.
“How can I help?”
I pull the cakes out and reach for the dowels, running into Garrett as he moves toward me.
His hand goes to my shoulder, and I’m overwhelmed by his nearness.
The smell of him. The heat of his body. The memories of kissing him.
I no longer care about the cake…but Jane is depending on us.
On me. “Go over there. You’re distracting me. ”
He grins and takes a step back, holding his hands out. “Fine. Finish the cake. But for fuck’s sake, Aidyn, hurry.”
I try, I do. But he’s still too close, and I can’t send him away when I desperately want him near.
I layer the cake, and when I’m touching up the frosting, his hands grab my hips from behind.
“Garrett, what—” I suck in a breath as his hand wraps around my waist and settles on my lower belly, inches from where I need it.
“I got tired of waiting.” His cock is hard between us. My hand slips, leaving a gash in the icing, and I have to redo that part.
“You’re making this take longer than it needs to.” The words come out in a rush and end with a moan as he rocks into me. “Fuck, Garrett.”
“Do you want me to stop?” He kisses my nape. And then the side of my neck above the collar of my shirt, sending sparks through me.
“Yes,” I say, leaning my head back and tilting it to give him better access.
He chuckles in my ear. “I don’t think you do.” His fingers dip lower, and he lightly strokes my cock through my clothes. I’m burning up. I need this man now. “Finish the cake, Aidyn.”
“What cake?” I turn my head and capture his lips. It’s awkward from this angle, but I have to kiss him.
“Oh my God. What is taking so long?” Zye’s screech is loud enough to be heard a mile away and gives us just enough time to pull apart before he’s walking through the door with Jane.
“It’s beautiful.” Jane rushes over, and I move out of the way, hiding my condition by leaning into the metal table. How would I explain my erection? She gives me a hug, which is only a side hug because I refuse to turn around.
Zye waves his hands around. “Let’s get this cake served before another disaster happens.”
That takes the better part of an hour. Cutting the cake. Speeches. The first dance. Isaac and Jane look beautiful together. Staring at each other lovingly. This is why I hate weddings. It reminds me of what I had. What I want again.
I glance away and catch Garrett’s eyes on me.
He nods to the left, and I follow his gaze.
The restroom. They have separate ones for men and women, but they’re single-stall.
Perfect for our purposes, but can we risk it?
If anyone is watching closely, they’ll notice.
I glance around. All eyes are on the happy couple. I give him a quick nod.
He goes first. I wait a few minutes, check that no one is watching, and then knock on the restroom door. I open without waiting for him to answer and lock it behind me.
“Thank fuck.”
Garrett grabs my face and kisses me. And, oh God, it’s as good as I remember. He pushes me against the door as he slips his tongue into my mouth, and I’m lost.
The kiss deepens as Garrett rubs his body against mine, and oh God, I’m not sure I’ll last. Then he’s gone. I open my eyes. Garrett is on the other side of the small restroom, running his hand through his hair.
“Are you…regretting things?”
He turns. “What? No. I— We need to be smart about this.”
“Right.” Smart. As in, this can never work. “Okay then. Have a nice life.”
“Idiot.” He’s in my face, kissing me again, and the only thing I can do is melt against him. Then he steps away, holding my wrist in his hand.
“I mean, not ruin our clothes and have to explain things. Explain this.”
Relief floods through me. “Right. And how do we do that?”
“Carefully. We don’t have much time.” He nods as if answering some unspoken question, and then his eyes are on mine as he cups my face in his hands.
“Ever since that day in the storage room, I’ve fantasized about you and that monster cock.
I want to see it again. Hold it in my hands.
Taste it.” His dark eyes burn into mine. “Can I touch you, Aidyn?”