7. Heavenleigh
Heavenleigh
After demolishing all the appetizers Yara had waiting on me, I was still hungry. “Let’s get burgers,” I suggested, taking another drink of my sparkling water.
“I was thinking of fish tacos,” Yara said, slurping her coconut drink through the thin black straw. “It will pair better with the rum.”
“Share?” I suggested, already waving over the waitress.
“Perfect.” She turned to her groom. “Are you and Jake going to eat or just stand there drinking?”
“Burgers sound good,” Jake commented.
“I’ll go with the pork sliders,” Warren decided, and Yara cheered.
“I want a bite of that too.”
Her soon-to-be husband’s eyes widened, a pleased smile teasing at his lips. “All the ocean air is making someone ravenous. I like it.”
“I’ve spent so long trying to maintain the perfect weight to fit into my wedding dress. Now I don’t have to worry about it, and I’m gonna eat my weight in whatever the hell I want.” She drained her glass. “And that means I can drink even more because I’ll have something to soak it up.”
Our server placed a refill of everyone’s drinks on the table, including a fresh bottle of water for me.
Once our food order was placed, we settled into a comfortable conversation.
Nothing heavy or too deep. Jake stood beside me, his hand lightly brushing against me often, yet in ways that seemed almost unconscious.
I found myself leaning closer, pressing into his touch.
Several times, I reached for him in small ways. Passing him a napkin and letting my fingertips linger on his. Brushing a small piece of fuzz off his shirt that turned into my greedy fingers tracing over the vein in his forearm.
Each brush of skin on skin, followed by lingering glances, left me hyperaware of his presence.
“And you two ended up as roommates at college?” Warren kept up the flow of conversation, asking questions about me, but I was aware they were more to learn about Yara.
“Yeah, and then we had two other suitemates. Although we didn’t get along as well with them. That was why in sophomore year we got our own apartment close to campus.”
Yara snickered. “I bet Chasity was glad. Oh, I wonder how she’s doing these days.”
“She came into the gallery a month ago. Got married about a year or so back. Seemed happy.” I smirked at my friend. “And still hasn’t gone back to contacts. Only glasses these days. They look cute on her.”
“She had the gall to come to your gallery?” Yara hissed.
“I doubt she knew I worked there. It was at that charity thing I told you about. Her in-laws are big contributors,” I explained. “Or so they told my aunt. Twenty-three times. I counted.”
“Ah.” She nodded. “That makes more sense. Did she even know that was your aunt? If she had been aware you were going to be there, I doubt she would have risked it.”
Laughing, I shook my head at her. “She’s not scared of me, Yara.”
“Fuck’s sake, Yar, what did you do to the girl?” Jake demanded, sounding more resigned than mad, while Warren tucked her closer, pressing a kiss to her temple.
She gave her brother a mischievous grin. “Nothing that wasn’t deserved, dear brother.”
He shifted his gaze to me, brows raised. Even in the dim lighting of the bar, his eyes entranced me. Brown eyes had never fascinated me so much until the first time I saw that incredible russet color. I knew it was going to be difficult to recreate the exact shade when I painted it.
“I’m not a snitch.”
“Let me guess. Hot sauce was involved.” Warren cupped the back of Yara’s neck. “She’s a sadist with hot sauce. I realized I was in love with her the first time because of what she did to my sister with hot sauce.”
Surprised, Yara looked up at him. “You never told me that. Which time was it?” Her eyes danced with amusement. “No, wait. Let me guess. The time she lied and told Mother I had snuck out to attend my first party.”
“She lied about that?” he asked skeptically.
“The lie was that it was my first party, not that it didn’t happen.” She looked at me. “She thought she had an STI after that particular incident, but she never asked me for a tampon again.”
“That wasn’t the one that opened my eyes to being in love with you,” Warren informed her. “It was before that, actually.”
“Before…” she repeated. Swallowing roughly, she turned teary eyes on him. “Warren, before that?”
“Yes, princess. Before. I’ve been dreaming of making you my wife ever since.” An emotionally charged moment passed between them.
Yara whispered something I couldn’t hear. Catching her hand, Warren lifted it to his lips, pressing a kiss to her palm.
I looked away, only to find my gaze trapped by Jake’s. He placed his hand on my side, turning us both to face the opposite direction from the other couple, and dipped his head. “I was thinking about taking Warren golfing in the morning.”
His breath caressed my ear and neck. It took all my self-control not to whimper.
Dangerous—there was no other way to describe this man.
Clearing my throat, I nodded. “That works with the spa session I have planned for Yara. Then we could meet back up after and have an early dinner before the bar crawl she will eventually decide she has to achieve. And she’s going to need as many carbs as I can sneak into her before that happens. ”
Those russet eyes darkened on me. “Where did you come from, Ven? How did I not know you existed until today? Because I’m going to say it right now, I’m pissed we haven’t met before now.”
“I think we’ve both been exactly where we were supposed to be, Jake.” I leaned into his touch and felt his fingers flex on my hip. I didn’t have a single drop of alcohol in my system, yet I was utterly intoxicated. “Just like we are right now.”
“Destiny?” I smiled at the hint of skepticism in his tone.
“You’re a believer in fate. I’ve always thought a person made their own.
Brains over emotions, hard work over sentimentality.
Strangely, though, the moment I saw you, I suddenly saw my entire future.
And it was centered around you, little bunny. ”
I could have gotten lost in his eyes, but then I heard Yara’s laugh behind us.
This conversation needed to switch gears before I started climbing my best friend’s brother in the middle of a freaking bar.
Right in front of her. I was there for her, not to fuck her brother.
At least, not in public. “Did I ever thank you for rescuing me from that grumpy woman on the flight over? I wasn’t joking when I told Yara that you saved me from a felony.
That would have definitely ruined the wedding. ”
“A gentleman would say it was my pleasure. Which it very much was. But I think I’m done being a gentleman, Ven.
You have until the end of this meal, and then we’re going back to my room and you’re going to show me exactly how thankful you are.
” He dipped his head closer, his nose brushing over my ear. “Say yes.”
“Yes.” It was barely a whisper, yet my throat felt savaged from the single word. Every nerve in my body was suddenly pulsing.
“Good girl.”