Chapter 14
Fourteen
Bailey
“ S eriously, you look beautiful,” I gush, swiping a tear from my eye.
“Don’t go getting all mushy on me now!” Cassie throws her arms around my neck, and we dance together playfully.
“Shouldn’t you be dancing with your new husband?”
Cassie looks over, my eyes following hers. “Nah, he looks pretty cozy sitting there teaching his mom how to use her new iPhone. I think he’s good. Besides, he got the first dance. He can’t have all the dances.” We both giggle. “The real question is, will you dance with anyone else?”
My stomach somersaults when I see Zach, my ex, quickly approaching. “I know who I’m not dancing with, that’s for sure. I can’t believe he showed up here.”
Cassie’s face scrunches in an apologetic look. “I’m so sorry, Bay. Obviously, we invited him when you guys were still a thing and … well, he was kinda a friend before that, but I’d have preferred he not come.”
“I know,” I tell her, squeezing her hand. “Seriously, it’s fine.”
Zach walks up to us, the greasiest smirk plastered on his face. “Ladies,” he says, but his eyes are focused solely on me. “You look like you could use a dancing partner, Bee.”
“I’m going to go get a drink,” Cassie mutters with sympathetic eyes. “You okay?”
“Oh yeah, I’m good. Can you grab me one, too?” I ask her. “Just whatever you’re having.”
She nods and hurries off to the bar.
“So, Bee,” Zach continues, “how have you been?”
“ Stop calling me that,” I hiss through gritted teeth, “and I’ve been fine, not that you care.”
“Ouch,” he says. “Of course, I care. I think?—”
“I think you should leave now,” I interject. “You shouldn’t have come here. This is my best friend’s wedding.”
“I just wanted to apologize and ask you to dance,” he pouts.
“I don’t need your apologies, Zach, and no way in hell am I dancing with you.”
His brows furrow, and his thin lips curl into a tight frown. That look, the same look he would give whenever I called him out for lying or cheating or gaslighting, immediately pisses me off, but I keep my cool. “You just gonna dance with Cassie all night, then?”
“Would that be such a bad thing?” I snap. “I don’t need a man to dance with, Zach. Unlike you, I can have fun solo and don’t get my validation from the opposite sex.”
“How dare you!” he hisses, anger flashing through his dark eyes. “You’re not perfect, Bee. Stop talking to me like you’re some holy saint, and I’m the scum of the earth. All I wanted was one dance.”
I fold my arms over my chest. “I already said I don’t want to dance with you, Zach.”
His face softens. “Please, Bee? For old time’s sake?” His hands pull at my arms to unfold them.
I snap my arms back, tucking my hands into my armpits. “Don’t touch me! ”
Cassie comes back, holding two drinks. “Hey, I got you a tequila sunrise. That okay?”
“Amazing,” I say, taking the drink with a smile. I shoot Zach a death glare. “Too busy enjoying this lovely beverage to dance with you. Sorry, Zach.”
“Who is that ?” Cassie gasps, pointing.
I turn and see a man headed straight for us. His dark gray suit is sharp and well-cut around broad shoulders and a thick chest. He runs his fingers through brown hair that is sexily messy. When he gets closer, I can see that his eyes are the most unique shade I’ve ever seen, a light gray that catches the light and brings a depth both intimidating and intoxicating.
He looks so familiar, and yet I can’t place him.
He walks up to the three of us, ignoring Zach and Cassie as his eyes meet mine. “Hi,” he says, his deep voice rumbling the pit of my stomach and catching my breath.
“Hi,” I say back. I clear my throat. “Do I know you?”
“Would you like to dance?” he asks. He ignores my question, but the way he’s smiling at me, I don’t care.
“Just who the heck are you?” Zach demands, trying to position himself between me and the mystery man. “She’s already planning to dance with?—”
“Can you hold my drink?” I ask Cassie, and her eyes grow wide.
She looks between the gorgeous stranger and me and nods. “Yeah! Of course. Sure. Yeah. Go! Have fun! I’ll be at the bar.” She takes my drink and scurries, leaving me with the two men.
“I said she’s not interested,” Zach says, but the man folds his arms over his chest. He’s several inches taller, towers over Zach, and clearly has a lot of weight on him. Zach shrinks back. “Right, Bee?” he asks, still looking at the stranger.
“Come on,” the man says, sidestepping Zach and holding out a hand.
I place my hands in his, immediately taken by how their warmth wraps around me and travels up the length of my arms. The look on Zach’s face is priceless as I let the stranger whisk me away to the center of the dance floor, but I hardly notice. I’m too busy taking in every detail of this man’s face, trying to place where I’ve seen those chiseled, rugged features before.
And those eyes. Those damn eyes.
They pull me in as he looks down at me. My whole body tingles at the feel of his large hand as it presses into my lower back, his other hand gently caressing one of mine. I place my free hand on his shoulder, smiling as his feet move around the floor, and I gracefully follow suit.
The rest of the room melts away with the way he watches me. There are so many things I want to ask where he’s from. What his favorite restaurant is. Who invited him to Cassie’s wedding? A million thoughts race through my mind, but my mouth settles on the most straightforward words.
“Who are you?”
He smiles. “Knox. Knox Roffe.”