Chapter 20 Ellie
Ellie
“Shots! Shots! Shots! Who’s ready for some shots?” the DJ bellows.
Everyone screams, “Yeah!”
Xander makes his way on the dance floor with a tray of shots. He runs up to me and hands me one. Vodka, I think.
“You’re not allergic to hard alcohol, right?” he hollers over the music.
“Nope. Just beer.”
He pumps a fist. “Woo hoo!”
I’m giggling when he pats me on the shoulder and walks off.
I down the shot, wincing at the burn in my throat.
I catch eyes with Del, who’s standing off to the side of the dance floor with a glass of beer.
He holds up his glass to me, nodding his approval.
I smile and flash a thumbs-up, then go back to dancing to the upbeat dance song pounding through the speakers.
The reception has been a blast so far. After a yummy dinner of filet mignon and grilled shrimp, the dancing kicked off. I’ve been on the dance floor ever since with girls, in between trips to the bar for glasses of wine.
I look up and see Xander and Sophie kissing in the middle of the dance floor.
“Aww so cute!” I holler.
When they break apart, they’re smiling and laughing.
Sophie runs over to me. “Ellie! How are you? You having a good time?”
“The best time!” I hold up my half-empty wine glass and she chuckles, then pulls me into a hug.
“I’m so glad!”
“You’re a hottie in that dress, by the way. Your boobs look amazing! Wowzers!”
For a second, I regret what I’ve said. I’m pretty tipsy, and when I’ve had a bit to drink, I get a little loose-lipped.
But she just laughs and flashes a bright smile. “That’s the whole reason I chose this dress. I loved how my boobs looked in it.” She does a spin in the strapless trumpet-style gown with a sweetheart neckline. The lace is cut to look like delicate flowers and leaves. It’s so pretty and romantic.
She starts dancing with me. I look around, soaking in the moment. I’ve never been able to let loose like this. I’ve always either been sick or working to pay for my medical bills. It feels incredible to have fun for once.
I close my eyes and smile, relishing the pleasant buzzed feeling from the shot and almost four glasses of wine I’ve had so far tonight.
I grab Sophie’s shoulder with my free hand. “This was the most beautiful wedding I’ve ever been to, Sophie. Like, ever.”
Her smile is warm. “Really?”
I nod and glance around at the huge space that’s the setting for the reception. The wooden structure looks like the frame of a house. Endless string lights are draped over the roof and sides for a dreamy, ethereal look.
On one side of the space are three long, beautifully decorated tables where we all had dinner. The other half of the space is the dance floor, which is crowded with almost all the guests as they dance. On the far end is the bar, covered in tons of pretty pink flowers.
“Your wedding is straight out of a storybook,” I say, “It’s stunning.”
Sophie beams.
“Especially the flowers. So much pink! I love it!”
She chuckles. “It’s my favorite color. And Xander’s.”
“He’s such a great guy. A lot of guys would be too insecure to like pink.”
Sophie’s cheeks flush. “He told me when we were dating that it’s his favorite color because it’s the color my skin turns when I blush. That’s why he sends me pink roses all the time.”
I stop dancing, clutch my hand to my chest, and gasp. “Okay, that is the sweetest, most romantic thing I’ve ever heard.”
Sophie makes a giddy noise, then turns and looks at Xander, who’s standing by the bar with the guys, drinking what looks like bourbon. When he looks up and sees her, the biggest smile appears on his face. He winks at her, and she practically swoons.
She turns to me. “So what’s the most romantic thing Camden did for you?”
“Oh, um…” I try to keep smiling as I try to think of something. But because Camden and I never dated and I’m currently four glasses of wine deep, my brain is having a hard time thinking of a convincing lie to tell Sophie.
“He paid off all my debt,” I blurt.
Sophie’s mouth falls open. “Seriously?”
I nod, uncertain if she’s going to think that’s weird and ask more questions about it, which could lead to her figuring out that our marriage is a sham.
My nerves kick up. “I had a lot of medical debt. Because of my health issues.”
She’s quiet for a second, which sends my anxiety into a frenzy. But a second later, she beams and goes, “Aww!”
I let out a breath and smile.
Sophie grabs my hand. “Please don’t hate me when I say this, but I never thought Camden had it in him to be so thoughtful and sweet.
I mean, he’s a great guy for sure. So much fun and such a cool friend to hang out with.
But I always thought his priority was having fun.
I never thought he’d settle down. But then he met you, and bam. Wife guy. He’s so smitten.”
I grin. “I’m a lucky girl, that’s for sure.”
We go back to dancing. A minute later, Sophie looks past my shoulder and grins. “Your husband can’t take his eyes off you.”
I twist my head and see Camden standing off to the side of the dance floor, drink in hand, eyes on me. Focused and fiery.
My tummy flips.
This whole night I’ve been trying not to drool over him. He looks downright edible in that black suit, black tie, and crisp white dress shirt. The luxurious fabric fits his muscled form like a glove. It’s like it was made specially for him.
“He’s so gonna jump your bones when you get back to your hotel room.” Sophie giggles.
A second later, Dakota runs up and hugs her, and they start dancing together.
Camden strolls up to me. The corner of his mouth lifts in a sexy grin.
My gaze rakes along his broad, sculpted body. Earlier at the wedding, when I was sober, I had no problem keeping my eyes to myself. But now that I’ve had some wine, my resolve is weakening. I can’t help but stare, completely mesmerized by his hotness.
“Having fun?” he asks.
“A blast.”
He holds up a cupcake. “Gluten-free, dairy-free red velvet cupcake made specially for you.”
I bite back a smile, giddy that Camden went out of his way to save it for me.
I inhale the cupcake, my eyes rolling back as I moan at the sugary, rich flavor.
“Good?”
“So good,” I moan. The beat of a new song drops. “This is my favorite song!”
I start dancing, but after a few seconds, I notice Camden’s just standing there.
“How come you’re not dancing?”
He shrugs and slides his hands into his suit pockets. When he smiles, that dimple I adore pops in his right cheek.
“I like watching you dance more,” he says.
“I’ll dance around you then.”
I bounce around and shimmy, then spin around so my back is facing the front of Camden’s body. I bend over and touch the ground.
“See how flexible I am?” I giggle.
Behind me, he laughs. “Wow. Very flexible.”
When I try to stand up, I stumble back, feeling dizzy all of a sudden. I lean back against Camden’s body, reaching behind me to grab his shoulder to steady myself.
His hand rests on my hip. “You okay?”
I close my eyes and nod, still swaying with the beat. “Yeah. Just got a little dizzy there for a second.”
I sink into his body even more, relishing how firm his chest is, how warm he feels.
“Um, Ellie?”
I lean my head back against his shoulder. “Yeah?”
“You need to stop moving your ass against me. It’s making me…um…”
I open my eyes when I realize what I’m doing…and how much firmer Camden feels now.
I’m making him hard.