Chapter 32
When I’m walking through the lobby with James, I notice Amber sitting at the bar with a woman.
She’s wearing the white outfit she picked out from Target, hair long behind her.
Her posture is straight, causing the skirt to ride up her thigh.
My mind is fucking spinning at the sight.
I glance around to look for my mom, but she’s not in here.
I turn to James and say, “I’ll meet you down there in a minute.”
He nods and walks off.
As I approach Amber, my attention is glued to her bare legs.
No pants to hide the skin I want to caress.
And then I catch the martini glass in her hands.
That’s the second red flag. My stomach twists.
Amber laughs with a woman I don’t recognize, and I’m wondering what the hell is going on. I swallow my anger before I overreact.
“Who’s your friend?” I ask, leaning on the bar where Amber’s back is turned. I am on the verge of getting pissed off, but a part of me is afraid of Amber. She has that confidence in her right now, and it’s the Amber I know not to fuck with.
She places the martini glass down as her new friend says, “Hi, I’m Lindy. Who are you?”
I keep my eyes on Amber, not paying any attention to Lindy. Amber’s lips are glossy and her eyes are shimmering. All the works to look hot and sexy. I hope it’s all for me.
“This is him,” Amber says, meeting my eye. “This is Matt,” she says.
I keep my gaze on her, wondering why she’s speaking in that tone. This is him…like she’s been telling all our secrets to this stranger. I finally glance at Lindy. Middle-aged, alcohol in hand, makeup that looks cakey, and dyed hair. She’s watching the both of us.
“Are you drinking?” I ask, even though I don’t smell alcohol on her minty breath. The martini glass is enough to make me question it. By the annoyance on her face, I can tell that my tone is out of line. But I can’t fucking help that I’m starting to get pissed off right now.
“Oh, this is Matt?” Lindy says. “He’s a lot more intense than what you described.”
Amber stares at me.
“What happened to your face?” Lindy asks as I eye the glass in Amber’s hand.
I didn’t bother to bandage my cheek for the elopement.
It’s finally not bleeding and starting to heal.
I didn’t want a bandage in my mom’s wedding photos in case this marriage lasts a lifetime –– I doubt it. Plus I figured it could use some air.
“A stick,” I answer. I turn to Amber. “What are you drinking?”
She lifts her glass to my lips. I take a sip.
“Sparkling water,” she laughs like she is drunk, so that’s it.
I’m being fucking impulsive, afraid that my chance will be blown tonight if she’s drunk.
I lean down and kiss her open mouth with my tongue.
I need to know if she’s telling the truth because I’m looking forward to spending the night together, and I can’t have this woman already drunk before sunset.
At first, she’s tense, probably wondering why I’m making out with her, and then she kisses me back.
“Whoa,” the woman says. “Way more intense than what you described.”
Amber bites my bottom lip, so I pull back.
“What are you doing?” Amber asks, wiping her mouth. Now, I have her full attention.
I answer, “Making sure you haven’t been drinking.”
“Are you serious?” she scoffs.
“I need you sober for tonight.” I lick my lips. Relief floods me when she tastes like mint and sugar cookies.
Her face softens at that. “Okay, but you don’t need to shove your tongue down my throat.”
I inhale, feeling possessive over her right now. Especially because my mom is nowhere in sight. “I’m sorry.” I search her face in the hope she’s accepted my apology for being a dumbass. I just don’t want her drunk. “Where the hell’s my mom?”
Amber nods. “Mmm. That’s where the tone is coming from. It makes sense now.” Amber taps her martini glass. “Your mom? I don’t know where she is.”
“Didn’t you get ready together?” I shoot back.
She shakes her head, and my mind is spiraling.
I ask, “What did she do?”
Amber finishes her sparkling water and shrugs while swallowing. “She lured me up there, pretending as if we would get ready together. Instead, we had a talk, and then she left.”
I stare at her as anger rises in my throat. I inhale to cool myself. “Talk about what?”
“I did most of the talking. I apologized for attacking her son in high school and told her that I completely understand why she doesn’t approve of me. I told her how we met and that I hope she can see how happy I make you.” She puts a piece of ice into her mouth now. “Fake happy.”
I shake my head as my heart races. “I’m not fake happy, Amber.”
“Really? Because you look mad right now.”
“That’s because I thought you were drinking.”
She ignores that and says, “She accepted my apology and said that if you were ashamed about me, you wouldn’t have brought me. And I take that as I must mean something to you.”
I place my hand on the small of her back and glance at those bare legs. That’s when I realize that Lindy has been watching us this whole time.
“What’s tonight?” Lindy asks when my eyes meet hers, interrupting the temptation in my gut to kiss Amber again.
Amber says, “I’m still debating if I should sleep with him or not.”
Lindy says, “Hold out, hon. It’ll pay off. If he’s the one, there’s many more opportunities.”
Amber smiles. “That’s exactly what I was thinking.”
I shoot her a look. Amber is looking up at me with puppy eyes, and I know she’s referring to her mission blue balls.
Lindy says, “Well, it was so fun chatting with you, Amber. I wish you all the best.” She looks at me. “Take care of her. She’s a good one.”
I nod as Lindy walks away.
“Ready?” Amber asks.
“Yeah.”
I pay for her tab and then we walk in the direction of the beach. I grab Amber’s hand and ask, “What was that with Lindy?”
Amber answers, “Girl talk.”
“Talking about me?” I ask, wondering what Amber would possibly need advice on.
Amber says, “She’s a stranger. And I needed a third-person point of view about what to do and some encouragement.”
“Encouragement?” I ask as we walk down the stairs. I check the time. “And you don’t know what to do about what?”
Amber states, “Mission Blue Balls.”
“Was Lindy insightful? Give you the advice you wanted to hear?” I ask, touching her waist as we walk down the path.
Amber leans into me. “It doesn’t matter what she said because I know what I want.”
“Touché.”
Amber smiles. “That’s like your favorite word.”
We reach the sand and see James standing on a rug next to the officiant and photographer. James is waiting patiently with his hands folded in front of him. When he spots us, he smiles.
We walk over and stand next to him. The waves are crashing in the distance behind us, and the sun is starting to set. The photographer runs over to the side and kneels down, looking through her camera.
“There’s your mom,” James says with a smile.
She must’ve been waiting around the corner for us to arrive because that was quick. I look at the path we came from and watch my mom walk slowly onto the beach.
“God, she’s beautiful,” James says as she smiles at him.
My mom meets the carpet and keeps her eyes on James as the photographer snaps a hundred photos. My mom says, “I love you.”
James smiles, “I love you too.”
My mom glances at Amber. “Will you stand on my side, please?”
Amber nods and walks over to the bride’s side, playing the role of impromptu bridesmaid.
Sand is under my feet as I curl my toes into it. The sky behind Amber is slowly shifting from blue to pink and purple. The officiant starts talking, but my attention is caught on Amber.
I finally get to see her head-to-toe, and she looks ridiculously hot in that outfit.
Her white skirt sits at her mid-thigh, the black belt accentuating her curves.
I've seen her in countless outfits - from her Grind Stone uniform to that red dress at the party - but seeing her like this right now is doing something to me. I’m imagining hiking that skirt up and making her moan my name.
The officiant continues to speak, but I’m not paying any attention because the sunset isn't the only thing glowing right now.
Amber’s eyes sparkle when they meet mine. This woman knows she has my full attention. All the pranks, the sass, the games. I have been heavily invested from the beginning. My mind is consumed by everything Amber Hughes.
She challenges me with that look I've come to know so well.
I smirk, not even trying to pretend that I know what point my mom and James are at in their ceremony.
I only have eyes for her, and my attention span for anything else right now is nonexistent.
The silent communication, this tension between us, is beyond anything I've ever felt in my entire life.
It scares the hell out of me but curiosity will always win.
The officiant's voice cuts through my Amber-induced haze. “Do you, Matthew, take Amber to be your lawfully wedded wife?”
Wait, what?
I blink, reality crashing back in. It's not our wedding. It's my mom's. And Amber and I... we're not even dating.
Not officially.
And that's exactly why I panicked when I saw her with the martini glass. I thought my chance was blown. I’m officializing this as soon as possible.
“I do,” my mom's voice rings out, full of emotion.
As James starts his vows, my eyes are drawn back to Amber. She's watching them now, a soft expression on her face. There's something wistful in her eyes, and I find myself hoping, praying even, that she's thinking about me.
The ceremony wraps up, and Amber and I are called forward to sign as witnesses. As we stand side by side, pens in hand, I'm hyper-aware of her presence. The scent of her perfume, the way her arm brushes against mine as she leans down to sign.
When it's my turn to sign, I hesitate for just a moment. Signing my name next to Amber's on this official document, it feels significant. Like this official document will forever be a witness that she and I have existed together side by side.
“Congratulations,” Amber calls out, hugging my mom.
My mom hugs her back, thanking her. It doesn’t feel awkward watching it, and I’m relieved.
Then my mom pulls me into a hug. It’s a tight one. She whispers, “Thank you for always being my number one, Matthew. You've always been my rock. I love you more than you know.” My mom grabs my head, glancing at my cheek. “It looks better than just a few hours ago.”
“Yeah. I’m glad I don’t have to go to the ER.”
She smiles, touching my other cheek.
Behind her, James is watching us. “Congratulations,” I say, shaking his hand. “Take good care of my mom.”
My mom smiles at that, grabbing her husband's hand. “We leave first thing in the morning, so enjoy your stay. We will need to plan a dinner soon. The four of us.”
I glance at Amber and smile. “Sounds like a plan. Are you two heading out to take pictures?”
My mom nods. “Actually…where is the photographer?”
“Hi,” the photographer says from behind me. “Can you take a few pictures of my son and his girlfriend?”
The photographer nods and walks us closer to the shore while my mom and James chat.
I pull Amber into my arms and say to the photographer. “Can we do action shots?”
“Yeah, let’s do it,” she says.
I turn to Amber. “Take off your shoes.”
“What?” Amber asks with a smile.
“Take it off.”
She kicks them off as I take her hand and run.
The photographer is already looking through her camera.
We run away from her and then she instructs us to run to the left, so we sprint back and forth.
It’s exhilarating to have Amber in my hand so carefree like this, even if it’s just for a picture, I feel like we’re two kids in love.
She laughs, and so do I. Nothing else matters right now, and I’m thankful that Amber has that effect on me.
Her long legs are to die for. Then I grab her and lower her into a dip. She’s holding onto me with a huge smile on her face. Here goes nothing. Her hair falls behind her as I say, “Will you be my girlfriend, Amber Hughes? I should have asked you before, but I––”
“What?” she asks, her smile brightening as the orange hues of the sunset glow on her face.
“I want you, Amber, in every way possible.”
She’s caught off guard. She asks, “Like actually?”
She observes me with a different expression on her face.
She’s staring into my eyes with a softness I don’t normally have the privilege to witness.
I nod, and then she leans up and kisses me.
The warmth of her lips causes blood to drain from my brain and head straight to my dick.
And when she sucks my bottom lip lightly, I whisper her name.
I need an answer. I can’t handle this game for much longer.
I cave in, throw my white flag. I’m giving in. She wins.
I keep her in my arms when I pull her up. The photographer continues to take photos.
“Answer honestly,” I say, searching her eyes for what I want to hear. There’s a possibility she’s going to shoot me down for the name of the game, but I’ll lose every battle from here on out if that means she looks at me like this.
“You really want an answer?” she teases as she runs, so I chase after her and grab her by the waist. I spin her around two times and a screaming laugh leaves her throat.
When I put her down on her feet, I say, “That’s how you make me feel when you fuck with me.”
She grabs my arm to steady herself as she says, “You’re not going to leave me alone even if I say no.”
“You want to say no?” I question.
She smirks. Her shirt tightens as she inhales. I step closer to help with the nerves.
“I dare you to say no,” I say as I graze my finger on her face.
“Tempting,” she whispers. And then she kisses me again.
Fuck, it feels good to be wanted. Her answers are in the way she sucks my lips, the way she looks at me, the fake girlfriend duties that made me realize how much more there is to me and Amber.
We’re opposites in the best way but similar enough to be best friends.
“I could do this forever,” I mutter between kisses.
She holds my face, glancing at my gash. She looks deep into my eyes, and I think she’s about to give me a straight answer. “You know for someone having a name Pearson, you should be piercin’ at least something on your body.”
I laugh. “Nice try. Stop changing the subject.”
“You’re right,” she smiles, leaning into me. “I do.”
I observe her face. “You do?”
She nods. “I do.”