Unveiled
Adalyn sat at the bar, her drink in hand, feeling a mix of anger and betrayal.
“Dirty, low-down, lying, cheating son of a...” she muttered under her breath, tossing back her drink and slamming the glass down with more force than necessary.
She needed to take her aggression out on something.
Here she was, at her cousin’s bachelorette party, just weeks after her own fiancé had walked out on her.
This party should have been hers, but instead, she found herself as a bridesmaid rather than the bride.
With their wedding less than a month away, Shawn had gotten cold feet—or so she thought—and run off.
But not alone. He had taken off with one of her best friends, leaving a twenty-year friendship in ruins.
Their breakup had felt like a betrayal, and the rejection still stung.
They had both been under pressure to marry from their families, but while she didn’t resent him for seeking happiness, she begrudged the way he had chosen to cheat instead of ending things amicably.
Adalyn knew why he had cheated. Every waking moment had been spent in her bridal salon, Something Blue, which she had opened only eight months ago.
While the business was doing well, it still required a lot of her time and attention.
Shawn had been jealous of the shop, as if it were a living, breathing entity that took her time away from him.
In truth, it was her baby, and she loved the salon far more than she had loved Shawn.
Her mother, Evelyn, had introduced her to Shawn through the law firm where he worked.
When Evelyn suggested she date him, it was easier for Adalyn to agree than to fight it.
Her feelings for Shawn had been lukewarm at best, but Evelyn had been enamored with the charismatic young man on a fast track to becoming a lawyer.
Shawn had done all the right things and said all the right words, but something had always felt off.
When he proposed after only a year, Evelyn was thrilled, and Adalyn began to question whether something was wrong with her.
Despite her reservations, she had accepted his proposal.
Now, eight months later, Adalyn found herself alone in a bar in Las Vegas, the land of weddings and huge jackpots. She rolled her eyes, contemplating the absurdity of it all. Maybe she could buy a groom—someone tall, dark, and handsome.
“He was an asshole,” a deep, masculine voice interrupted her thoughts.
Startled, Adalyn nearly fell off her stool as she turned to face the man who had spoken.
“I’m sorry?” she asked, her gaze sweeping over his impressive physique as he slid onto the stool beside her.
He was a head taller than her, with golden blond hair cropped close to his skull and a day’s growth of whiskers adorning his square jaw.
The sight sent a tingle of pleasure through her.
“The asshole you’ve been muttering about over here. Sounds like a jerk,” he said, chuckling.
Adalyn stared at him in fascination. “You heard me?”
“Oh, darlin’, I heard ya. The lying, cheating fool.” Her cheeks burned with embarrassment, and she dropped her gaze to the bar. She could feel his eyes on her, and his voice surprised her when he continued, “There’s just one thing I can’t figure out.”
She looked up at him, curiosity piqued. His blue eyes met hers before sliding over her face and lower, sending a rush of heat through her.
He was tall—probably six or seven inches taller than her five-foot-seven frame—and built like a Norse god.
She allowed her gaze to roam over his broad shoulders and the muscles of his biceps, feeling a strange sensation coursing through her body.
“Why would a man cheat on you?” he asked.
“I guess I just couldn’t compete,” she shrugged, aiming for nonchalance, though the admission hurt. “He ran off with my best friend.”
The man’s eyes widened in shock. “I… don’t even know what to say to that. Seriously?” He looked bewildered, and she nodded solemnly. “Jesus. The man obviously wasn’t right in the head to leave you, let alone betray you like that.” He tossed back his drink, and she smirked.
“Well, that part was probably my fault. I didn’t love him as much as I should have.”
He studied her. “Doesn’t make it right, either way. You’re still better off without him.”
“Oh, I know. It was more than just that.” She lifted one shoulder offhandedly. “I may have also mentioned something about him being a pretentious, self-absorbed, scum-sucking lawyer trust fund baby.”
The man threw back his head and laughed. “Good for you.”
“Yeah, well, it wasn’t much of a consolation.” She tossed back a shot of tequila.
He nodded. “What he did was low. But”—he shrugged—“it’s a good thing you figured it out before you married the idiot.”
Adalyn laughed. “Thank God. I’d rather marry some stranger off the street than spend one more single day with that selfish prick.”
He gestured at the bartender to refill their drinks before turning his attention back to her. “You have no idea how glad I am that I stopped in here tonight.” A smile split his face, showcasing a row of even white teeth. “Jaxon Keller. My friends call me Jaxon.”
She slipped her palm into his, feeling the warmth of his touch envelop her. “Adalyn Vale.”
“My pleasure, Miss Vale.”
She felt heat rise under his gaze, his smooth, cultured words practically caressing her skin.
What was it about this guy? Her fingers tingled where they lay in his, and awareness streamed through her body.
He casually stroked the back of her hand with his thumb before releasing her and reaching for his whiskey.
“So, that’s some getup, girl,” he remarked.
Adalyn glanced down, wrinkling her nose. “My cousin, Rose, is getting married. I was kind of obligated to come here for the bachelorette party.”
“Would that happen to be Rose Norman?” he asked.
Surprised, she turned her eyes on him. “You know her?”
He nodded. “She’s marrying my friend Aaron.”
“Small world,” she grinned. “Is that what brought you here, too?”
“It is. Are you a bridesmaid?”
“Yep.” She rolled her eyes. “I don’t even know why I’m here. We’ve never even been that close. I’m only here to round out the dozen attendants she needs.” She made a face. “Seriously, who does that? A dozen bridesmaids and groomsmen?”
Jaxon’s eyes twinkled with mirth. “It’s a lot, that’s for sure. Thank God I’m not in the wedding.”
Her heart dipped, and she pushed the irrational pang of disappointment away. “You’re not?”
He rolled the glass between his hands. “Nope. I ship back out of here in a couple days.”
She digested that bit of information. “Are you in the military?”
“Yep. So why aren’t you out with the girls?”
She blinked at the abrupt change of subject. “They hit up a gentleman’s club down the block. I decided I’ve seen enough penises this year.”
A deep chuckle fell from his lips. “Sweetheart, that’s the saddest thing I’ve ever heard.”
A smile lifted the corners of her mouth. “Sad but true.”
“Maybe you’ll change your mind.”
“Was that an invitation?” she quirked a brow at him. “And what about you? Not hanging out with the guys?”
His shoulders tensed slightly. “I… don’t do well in loud, crowded spaces.”
Sympathy swelled in her chest, and she glanced around the bar. “If you want to leave—”
“No way.” He bumped his shoulder against hers. “I’m having a good time right here.”
She dipped her head, heat blooming across her cheeks at his compliment. “Anyway.” He seemed to struggle for something to say. “That’s quite a dress.”
She glanced down again, feeling self-conscious. “My cousin wanted us all to match.”
“It’s a little much.” Jaxon laughed. “Don’t get me wrong, darlin’, you’re killing that dress. I think every man noticed you the second you strolled through the door.”
She blushed and covered her smile by taking a sip of her drink. “I’ll take that as a compliment.”
“Good, I meant it as one. Lucky me, I beat them all over here.” His eyes bored into hers, and she squirmed under the scrutiny.
“I like you, Adalyn. Tell me more about yourself,” he said.
“Well.” She bit her lip for a moment. “I own a bridal salon back home called Something Blue. It’s fairly new, so it takes up a lot of time. But I love it.”
“Ah, a romantic.” He shot her a grin, and she couldn’t help but smile back.
With a conciliatory shrug, she admitted, “I love helping women find the dress of their dreams. It’s symbolic in a way, I think.
The perfect dress is the beginning of a good marriage.
As a woman, I know what makes me happy—what makes me feel good.
I think the same should apply to a marriage.
Communicating how you feel and never settling for less than what makes you happy. ”
Jaxon nodded appreciatively. “I can see that. So you were engaged to the lyin’, cheatin’ fool?”
“Unfortunately.” She made a face. “He was more my mother’s type than mine. She seemed to think he was perfect for me.”
“So why did you go along with it?” His bright blue eyes drilled into her, and she nervously licked her lips.
“I don’t know. I just… everyone kept saying how wonderful he was, and I thought maybe it was me that was wrong.
He looked so perfect on paper, I had to be missing something.
I kept waiting to feel more for him, but it just never happened.
My mother told me I wasn’t trying hard enough, that I was being blind and stupid. ”
Jaxon lifted a brow. “I have a feeling that you’re a lot of things, Adalyn. But stupid is most definitely not one of them.”
“Well, Jessica obviously saw something in him that I didn’t.”
“Whatever’s in his pants,” Jaxon said dryly.
Adalyn couldn’t help but snort, covering her mouth with one hand to stifle her laughter. He grinned back at her, then the smile slipped away. “Seriously, though. You’re better off without him.”
“I know.” It was true, and she felt no remorse as she made the admission.
“I have a personal question for you, if you don’t mind.”
“Um… okay?” Her brows lifted slightly at his serious tone, and unease skittered down her spine.
Jaxon studied her. “I can understand why that would hurt you. But you don’t seem… heartbroken.”
“I guess I’m not really,” she admitted. “I kind of knew deep down something was wrong. I just didn’t know it was… that,” she finished lamely.
His eyes narrowed on her, and he picked up her hand. “You’re a smart, beautiful woman, Adalyn. You said it yourself—you know deep down what you want. And it wasn’t him. Your mother said he was perfect for you. But what did you feel? Did you really think he was the right man?”
“I…” She bit her lip. Was he right? Maybe in the back of her mind, she had been hoping that, with enough time, she and Shawn could work things out. But in her heart of hearts, she had to admit—it wasn’t true. She didn’t love him. “No.”
“Well then, here’s to a fresh start.” He gestured to her glass, and she touched it to his. Jaxon’s arm muscles rippled as he lifted his glass to his lips, and she couldn’t tear her eyes from him as he swallowed the fiery liquid.
Jaxon was Florida born and bred, hence the sexy drawl.
He had enlisted in the Army and completed his training in special forces just a few years prior.
He had been deployed all over the globe on missions he couldn’t speak of, to places he never wanted to see again.
But he was doing it for the greater good.
His parents had both been big into charity and had died on a mission trip almost a decade earlier.
“I figured going into the military was my way of giving back,” he said. “We help eliminate these terrorist cells that control people and take innocent lives.”
Adalyn tossed back her third shot—or was it her fourth?—and laid a hand on his knee. “I think that’s fantastic. You’re a good man, Jaxon.”
“You think so?” His gaze slid over her, and her body warmed from the inside out.
She nodded. “You’re a total catch. Any woman would be lucky to have you.”
“Yeah?” A grin tugged at the corners of his lips.
Warning bells went off in her mind, but fuzzy from the alcohol, she tuned them out. “I deserve to let loose and have some fun, don’t I?” She stared at Jaxon, and he looked back, his expression a mixture of amusement and concern.
“Of course you do, darlin’. What did you have in mind?” He turned to face her, one foot planted on the floor, and extended a hand to help her off the tall barstool.
She stepped down and moved into the vee of his legs. He watched her closely, his hands moving to her hips, gripping her tightly. “You all right there, beautiful?”
She grinned up at him, and he pulled her closer, lifting her arms to loop around his neck. “Perfect now.”
She leaned into him and rose up on her toes, pressing her lips to his. He reciprocated, his lips soft and warm, the kiss demanding.
She pulled back just enough to speak against his lips. “The night is young, cowboy. What do you say we get into some trouble?”