14. Ella
14
ELLA
“Ladies, gather ‘round!” The wedding planner’s voice carries across the room as a herd of women immediately springs into action, forming an undulating cluster of silk and chiffon as they jostle for position. “It’s time for the bouquet toss!”
“Okay,” I mutter, watching the spectacle unfold.
Adrian laughs as he slides his hand around the nape of my neck. “Forget your boxing gloves?”
I watch as Lillian jabs an elbow into someone’s gut as she positions herself at the front of the pack, crouching low as she snorts like a damn bull.
“I’m not sure those would help. A helmet? Knee and elbow pads? Is… is that a fork in her hand?” I ask as I catch something shiny, silvery, and glittering in the group of women.
“Mmm… Tennis bracelet. But I think chainmail might also be clutch for this bouquet toss.”
“Fits in with this whole fairy tale. Catch some flowers and gain a husband. Does anyone really believe that?”
Adrian rubs my neck, fingers sliding up and down as an electric current races down my body. I’d much prefer staying here than entering the fray.
“Some do.” A few moments later. “Not interested in joining?”
Adrian almost seems dismayed at me staying back. Another surprise.
“The only thing I’ll be catching in there is an elbow or two. A right hook. Possibly a concussion. If I were a guy thinking about marriage, I’d probably have second thoughts if my girl started bashing skulls to catch a handful of flowers.”
Adrian snorts. “Point taken. I’ll grab us a couple of drinks.”
He kisses my temple, and immediately, every nerve ending in my body ignites. Good lord, even a chaste kiss from Adrian sends my body into overdrive. I pull my attention away from the melee in front of me, watching as Adrian disappears into the crowd.
I look back at the mob, wishing I could turn back time and decline coming back inside. I’d much rather be kissing Adrian on a moonlit balcony than take part in… this.
Women are stretching and warming up as though preparing for some Olympic event. A small group in the back seems to be practicing a cheerleading routine, figuring out the best way to launch one of the smaller women into the air and over the crowd.
“Not joining the bloodbath?” a voice asks beside me.
I turn to find Trudy, looking equally amused by the scene before us.
“I think I’m safer here,” I say, gesturing to where two women are subtly hip-checking each other for a better spot. “I didn’t realize bouquet tosses were full-contact sports.”
Trudy laughs. “It’s been this way since the dawn of time. Though I think the stakes have risen with social media.”
I nod, staring at the mob. “That explains the strategic positioning. And the tripod paired with a ring light.”
“I’d have gone with the selfie stick,” Trudy muses as she sips her wine. “Could double as a weapon to clear out my path to the bouquet.”
I turn around slowly, gaping at Trudy as she shrugs.
“Remind me never to go head-to-head with you.”
“You’ve got nothing to worry about. I’m not looking to get married again.” She takes another sip. “But I have a feeling this won’t be the last wedding I attend.”
Nerves swell in my gut as I hear the wedding planner over the speakers again. I can’t tell what she’s saying, but I’m sure the countdown is imminent.
“Never seen Adrian so smitten before.” Her voice is so soft it’s ethereal, as though I’m imagining it.
“Oh?” I mutter, not sure what to say.
“Never thought he’d ever marry. Then again, I never thought he’d meet someone like you.”
Oh god. I’m feeling dizzy. Loopy. So completely unstable as it becomes clear that Trudy has been talking about me. I’m not imagining it.
“Adrian doesn’t fall easily. Never has. Even as a child, he was cautious with his affections. Deliberate. But when he does fall…” She smiles. “Well, I haven’t seen him look at anyone the way he looks at you. Not even Sariah.”
I don’t know what to think. First Sariah and now his mother? It’s becoming harder to deny that there’s something between us, when people who are close to him, know and understand him, tell me that he’s smitten with me. But if I’m being honest, I never needed them to tell me. I’ve felt it. Experienced it every time I’m around Adrian. Even now, I feel his absence, and he’s only been gone a few minutes.
All I want is to see him again. That smile. His touch. His scent.
…His lips.
I’m craving everything about that man.
“Last chance,” Trudy mutters, nodding at the spectacle. “But, if you ask me, I don’t think you’d need a bouquet to get Adrian to propose.”
Whoosh . There goes all the air in my lungs.
And then again when I see Adrian from across the room, smiling at me with two drinks in his hand.
“Alright, ladies! Are we ready?” Sariah’s voice jerks me out of my head, and I glance at the mob again. They’re just as rowdy, if not rowdier, but there’s something inside me pulling me toward them.
I shouldn’t.
I wouldn’t.
“Three!” the crowd chants.
I glance at Adrian again. He’s closing in on me as another thought enters my head. A different voice. Adrian’s. Some do. And I think Adrian believes in superstition more than he’d like to admit. He’s not always rational. And right now, I’m feeling a little irrational as I bend down low. A little out of character.
“Two!”
A little… I turn to Trudy. “Hold my shoes. I’m going in.”
“One!”
I dart forward, weaving through the crowd, just as Sariah launches the bouquet high into the air.
Everything fades as the bouquet becomes my singular focus. I swear everything’s in slow motion. Like I’m in the damn Matrix. I’m bobbing, weaving, and leaping as I track the bouquet’s trajectory, somehow mapping where it’s going to land with crazy mental mathematics. I turn, calculating the optimal route when I see my opening.
One of the bridesmaids stumbles, falling to her hands and knees a few yards in front of me. Perfect. After one last glance at the bouquet, I turn, take one giant leap off the back of a bridesmaid, and then launch over the outstretched hands of a half dozen wild women, frothing at the mouth like I’m an Olympic high-jumper.
My fingers close around the stems just as I realize I have no plan for landing. Noooooooooooooooo . The words come out deep and slow until I crash back to earth in a less-than-graceful heap as time catches back up, the bouquet clutched safely to my chest.
The room erupts in a mix of cheers and laughter as I scramble to my feet, slightly dazed but grinning.
Adrian materializes out of nowhere. “Never knew my girl had hops,” he says, his arm sliding around my waist.
“Neither did I,” I admit, breathlessly, although I’m not sure it’s from the exertion. The way Adrian’s holding me in his arms certainly isn’t helping my lungs fill up with air.
I catch a glimpse of Lillian from across the room, a sour expression on her face, and it makes the victory even sweeter. But I don’t have time to think about her. Not with Adrian holding me.
“Impressive,” Adrian murmurs in my ear, sending a shiver down my spine. “Though I’m not sure your form would pass Olympic standards.”
“Are you seriously critiquing my bouquet-catching technique? Because I don’t see you with any flowers, Mr. Thorne.”
He laughs. “You’re right. Clearly, I should defer to the expert.”
“Kiss her,” someone from the crowd screams, with a few more people joining in as the applause becomes even louder.
“You wouldn’t dare,” I mutter. “In front of all of these people? That might?—”
Before I can complete my sentence, Adrian captures my lips with his, kissing me as the crowd erupts all over again. But they’re quickly silenced as my mind blanks. Fireworks explode, and I completely forget where I am. Who I am. Everything except how exceptional this kiss is.
But unfortunately, it’s over too soon.
Adrian pulls back, leaving me panting, my eyes darting between his lips and eyes. I want to scream. I want to turn into a petulant child, screaming and begging for more, more, more!
“Wh-why-no.”
He brushes my lips with his thumb. “I think we’d both be arrested if we kept going,” he rasps. “If I did what I want to do with you.”
“What do you want to do with me?”
He leans forward, kissing me on my forehead.
“Don’t tempt me.”
“I’m sure we could find an empty room. You could show me”
He thinks I’m kidding. I’m not. If he could feel what I’m feeling right now? Hoooooo boy. My lips are tingling. My entire body is tingling. All I want… urugghghg.
He makes a throaty, animalistic noise. “Soon.”
Not soon enough.
* * *
The wedding’s finally winding down, and I’m beat. My legs are sore. My feet are dragging. It hurts to smile. But the one thing getting me through it all is that man across the room: Adrian. He’s chatting with his brother while his mother hugs Sariah.
I thought being Adrian’s wedding date was going to be much harder, fighting tooth and nail against his family to prove myself. That we were a real couple. But as it turns out, Adrian, along with his family, is not as pretentious or conceited as I thought they might be. The complete opposite. They were lovely and welcomed me completely with hardly any prying questions.
Lillian was the only wild card of the bunch. Thankfully, her maid of honor duties have kept her at bay today, so I’ve only had a few brief interactions with her.
But, even with all that said, it was still mentally and physically draining to keep up the act for so long. I’m looking forward to leaving tomorrow, even though that leaves our status in the air.
“Do you want any? We’re cleaning up.”
I turn, glancing at the woman holding a tray of desserts. They look incredibly appetizing. But, a cardboard box slathered in whipped cream would probably be just as appetizing to me right now.
“I’d love some.”
But my version of some is taking the whole lot. In fact… “I’ll just take the tray. I’m sure they’d like some as well.” I gesture with my head to Adrian and Co.
“Sure…” the woman says, entirely not too sure, before slowly walking away.
I sigh, glancing at my haul, snagging another piece of tiramisu and popping it into my mouth in one giant?—
“Gabs!”
Crap. This was too good to be true. I swallow the cake, somehow managing not to choke as I turn around and try to smile in a way that looks natural and not like I’m painfully constipated.
Unfortunately, I think I come up short with both.
“Lills,” I say through gritted teeth.
The longer I hold this, the higher the chance of my cracking a filling.
“I brought you—Oh, wow . That’s where all the desserts went. And here I thought I had a sweet tooth.” She blows out a long puff of air. “Well, here are the sliders.” She tips her plate and two fall onto the tray.
“You know I can’t eat those.”
“But you can’t say no to a tray full of cake, can you?” she says, a hand on her hip as she wags her finger at me.
Heat pulses in my cheeks, down my neck, and throughout my chest. “This isn’t for me. I thought the others?—”
“Oh, I’m joking, Gabs.” She touches my arm, and I barely resist the urge to recoil. “Lighten up a little. No one likes a downer.”
I will not kill her. I will not kill her. I will… not kill her?
She glances at Adrian. “But I don’t blame you for stress-eating. Must be hard to keep up the charade.”
Do people actually say charade? With a soft A no less? And do people like Lillian actually exist? God, it must be a miserable existence.
I shouldn’t indulge her, but I can’t help myself. “What are you talking about?”
“I think you know. But does he?” Her tone makes it clear she’s about to throw down some gauntlets.
My stomach sours a little. Is it possible that she somehow figured it out? Do I care?
…No.
“I’m done.”
I turn, heading toward Adrian. But before I make it a few steps, Lillian snatches my arm, jostling the tray and nearly sending it all to the ground.
“I think so too. I checked out your IMDB. At least I tried to. There’s not a single entry for Gabriella Barbera or anyone close to that name. It’s made up. I can’t help but wonder what else is,” she adds, eyeing my chest.
Je- sus . This girl is something else. I shake out of her grip. This is more of a confrontation than I expected. But when I look around, I don’t see Adrian. They must have wandered off. For the first time tonight, I feel like I’m in this alone. For the first time tonight, I think I’m about to go into battle. I take in a deep breath, exhaling as I turn back to Lillian.
“Gabriella Barbera is my real name. I use a stage name for acting.”
She laughs. “That makes more sense. You’re a porn star.”
“Excuse me?”
“Oh, come on. Enough with this charade . I’ve known from the start that there was something off between you and Adrian. You’re not his type. You’re?—”
“And you think you are?”
She huffs, completely ignoring me. “You’re a terrible actor, and just look around. You don’t belong. You’re not in the same league. “
“You’re…” I can’t even think of a word to describe her. I don’t want to. She’s not worth the effort. The whole time I’ve been here she’s been nothing but prickly and annoying and I don’t want to deal with her shit anymore.
“You’re sad,” I say finally. “You’re stalking your unrequited love’s girlfriend at your sister’s wedding. I’m sure you’ve thought more about Adrian and me than about your sister.”
And for a brief moment, it looks like I might’ve rattled her. But it’s just wishful thinking on my part.
“At least I’m not a liar.”
I shake my head, turn around, and head for the exit after setting the tray down on a table. I’m done. Most of the guests have left anyway, although Uncle Luther is still hanging around. He’s waving his cane, speaking animatedly with a young woman who looks mortified as his nurse tries to intervene. I try once more to catch Adrian, but he and his family are missing. I don’t want to leave him abruptly, but I’m sure he’ll understand.
But most of all, I’m not looking for another scene. I want him to be far away from Lillian before I tell him what happened. I don’t want to sour the wonderful evening I had with him.
A frisson of excitement races down my spine, making me shiver as I remember that kiss. A very wonderful evening. And as I make my way outside, the cool night air blanketing my skin, everything feels so much better. So much so that I completely forget to text Adrian until I’m at the hotel, riding the elevator up to our room.
Ella: I’m back at the hotel
Ella: I had a run-in with Lillian
The elevator chimes as the doors open, and I pause for a moment, staring at the candid I snapped of Adrian earlier. I couldn’t help myself. Sariah was right. The man can bust a move, and I got a great action shot of him.
The doors slide shut, but something blocks them, forcing the mechanical doors to slide back into their pocket as I stare at a shoe that I know costs more than my entire outfit.
“Ella,” Adrian rasps as my gaze drifts slowly upward until it meets his eyes.
Whew.
He’s a sight to behold. His hair’s beautifully disheveled. His bow tie is askew around his neck, and his jacket is nowhere to be seen, giving me a mouth-watering view of the muscles rippling under his crisp white shirt. And he’s panting, staring at me like a wild, ravenous animal.
“Ella,” he repeats as he slips into the elevator, and I slide back to accommodate him, my back against the wall.
His scent fills the small space, sending my body into overdrive. And when he erases the space I created into nothing more than a sliver, his body caging mine, my body revs into hyperdrive.
He brushes my cheek with the back of his fingers. “Are you okay?”
I swallow, relishing his body heat. His touch. The way my body reacts to him. “More than fine,” I say, sliding my arms around him as he pulls me into a hug. “Now that you’re here.”
“I shouldn’t have left you. I promised I wouldn’t leave you and?—”
“It’s fine,” I repeat as I breathe him in.
The elevator doors slide shut, and I explain to him what Lillian said and how she suspects our relationship isn’t real.
“I know,” Adrian says, simply. “That’s why I got here so fast. She pulled me aside. Made a scene, and I raced back to the hotel when I couldn’t find you. Raced up those stairs?—”
He turns to the side, coughing.
“I could do with some more cardio.”
I laugh as he smiles. Makes sense why he was panting now. Although I’d rather believe my more primal explanation.
“Is everything okay? Are we busted?”
He presses his forehead against mine. “Forget about Lillian. Forget about everyone. The only person that matters to me is you. Busted or not, this isn’t fake for me. It never has been. From the moment I laid eyes on you, I knew you were the one for me.”
His words squeeze every bit of air out of my lungs.
“It’s been torture, Ella. Fighting every urge. Forcing myself to ignore what every ounce of my being is screaming for. I never believed in love at first sight. I thought it was silly. Absurd. Never in my wildest…” He closes his eyes, sighing. “I never believed in it until I met you.”
My mouth bobs open. I don’t know what to say. It feels like I’m floating and at any moment I’m going to fall to the ground in a heap. Maybe that tiramisu was laced with something, and I’m hallucinating this whole encounter.
“If you don’t feel the same…. If you don’t.” He shakes his head. “I’ll honor our contract. I’ll let you go in peace.” Adrian swallows hard, wincing at the idea of leaving me. “But if you feel the same way… “ He lets the words hang in the air as my body ignites. Every nerve ending in my body is singing, screaming for me to open my damn mouth and tell him.
He tilts my head up. “Tell me, Ella. Do you feel the same way?”
“I do.”
The words hardly leave my lips before his crash against mine. Oh fuck. His lips are sealed to mine as he wraps his hands around my skull, pulling me into him. Our bodies meld together as we crash against the back of the elevator.
I thought that kiss tonight was amazing, but this one is unreal. How on earth could this one top it? My body is on fire. I feel mini-detonations all over as his tongue swirls against mine. His fingers grip my body. Rove along my side. My ass. My legs. Pulling me off the ground before pinning me against the wall with his body.
I gasp as he breaks the seal, panting as my eyes flare. Lips tingling. Begging for more.
“I’ve been thinking about this all night. Needing it. I could hardly think straight because all I could think about was claiming these sweet lips in private.”
I sigh as he brushes his fingertips across my lips. A part of me considers taking them in my mouth, sucking them, but I resist the urge.
“Are my lips the only thing of mine you wanted to claim?”
The words fly out of me from the same place. I blame it on the way Adrian’s looking at me—like I’m a present he wants to unwrap. He’s making me say things I wouldn’t normally say. Do things I wouldn’t normally do. But with his arms around me and his lips on mine, I want to explore every bit of this new me. Well, I’ll leave the exploring to Adrian.
Adrian lets out an animalistic growl as he lifts me and throws me over his shoulder.
“Jesus,” I gasp as he spins me around and takes me out of the elevator.
“Not even he can save you now,” Adrian says as he carries me to our room. I guess the one-bed situation resolved itself in the best way possible.
“What about holy water?” I ask.
“You’ll need it in buckets after I’m through with you.”
Oh my… is all I can think as he damn near kicks the door off the hinges and whisks me into the room. And then all thought is obliterated when his lips crash against mine all over again.