He stops us where we are. “Huh, I bloody well knew it. I told Ryan there’s chemistry between you two.”
I peer around, hoping no one is paying us any attention. “Slow your roll, lover boy. It’s not like that.” I pull my hand free to fan my face.
“I wouldn’t be so sure about that.” He glances over my shoulder and then back to me. “Do you want some advice?” I consider saying, no, but he’s going to whether I want to hear it or not. “When the reception begins to wind down, you need to get the beau to your room. Or at least whip out your toy for a well-needed release.”
I choke on air and hold back my laugh. Crude is most definitely his speciality.
“Seriously, you’re getting worse. You know that, right?”
“Just keeping it real.” He begins two-stepping, so I follow his lead while trying my hardest to ignore the thoughts he’s just cemented into my head. But I’m failing miserably.
Charlie
Damn Simon. He was on Sophie like a car bonnet the moment we stepped off the stage. I can’t blame him, though. It’s been months since he saw her last. It was only a couple of weeks for me, and I struggled. So, here I am, downing a shot of whiskey, ready to go steal her away, because yeah, I’m a selfish bastard like that. But as I step out, I see Flick, having just finished dancing with her dad and tap her on the shoulder.
“Hey, Mrs. Davenport. Any chance of stealing you for a dance?”
“Of course, mate.” She attempts an Australian accent.
I laugh, it’s still shit, but who am I to ruin the glow she has on her beautiful face?
“So, how’s your day been?” I ask, twirling her out and then back into me.
She giggles, almost colliding with my chest. Yep, she’s a little tipsy. “Everything I could’ve imagined, and yet, so much more.”
I almost have a sarcastic rebuttal on the tip of my tongue, but I can’t spend the rest of my adult life stereotyping relationships and marriages. Some things you have to let go.
“I’m happy for you, both of you. You know that, right?”
She pats my chest and stares up, her eyes glassy. “I know. And I truly believe there is someone out there for everyone. Even you.”
“Maybe, but it’s not for everyone.”
She smiles. “Whatever. It’s my wedding, and I’ll be Disney all day if I want to. And thank you for staying here while we’re away. Nate feels better knowing Evie won’t be up-routed.”
I only nod in response, it’s the least I can do. And seeing how frail she was today has only solidified it was the right call. Evie’s always been there for me since I’ve known Nate. I’m repaying her kindness. But the one thing I hadn’t put much thought into up until now was the fact Soph will be staying here, too.
“So, you and Sophie, huh?”
Mind reader. “What?”
“Just be careful, okay?”
I only stare at her in response.
“Charlie, I’m not blind, even if you two are. You’ve both been skirting around your attraction towards one another for yonks. But, if you’re not sure…if you have any doubts… Please, don’t go there. I don’t want either of you getting hurt.”
I get it, I do, but I can’t have this conversation with her—not when Sophie and I don’t even know what this is. “Don’t worry, we’re friends, that’s all.” And maybe if I keep saying it out loud, I’ll believe it.
“Whatever, Charlie. It’s only a matter of time before you both give into temptation. Talk to each other first.”
Sometimes I wonder… If Sophie and I would have slept together when we first met, would this even be an issue right now? We would have moved past it—wouldn’t we?
“Flick, you worry too much. Enjoy your honeymoon. Everything will be fine. I promise.”
I hope it’s a promise I can keep.
“Trade?” Simon asks, his Australian accent nailed down. I swear I don’t even think I have one anymore I sound more like a Pom, as my uncle Zeb would say. I’m an inbetweener.
“I’d love to.”
Flick shakes her head. “Casting us off like cattle? Charming.” Her light laughter lets us know she’s only joking.
I swap places with Simon, grateful to him for initiating it. Taking hold of Soph, I pull her close, shaking my head as I regard her.
“What?” she asks, staring up at me.
I lean down, letting my lips graze the soft, velvety skin beneath her ear as I speak. “You know you’re a complete enigma, right?”
She pulls back, her eyebrows bunched together. Even with the fluorescents around us, I can see her skin glow.
“Just when I think I’ve got you all figured out, you completely blow me away with your voice. You were amazing.”
I know her well enough to know my compliment has just made her uneasy. She tenses, but even if that didn’t just give her away, I’d recognise it. She has these tells. I don’t know when I began paying attention, but I find myself watching her—even when I shouldn’t.
I clear my throat. She’s avoiding my gaze now. Gently, my forefinger raises her chin until she’s looking back up at me. Her well-guarded armour begins to slip; I see the shift as it lowers, and for a moment, my ego gets a boost. How do you avoid this kind of temptation once you’ve had a taste?
Bending my knees, I lower my face toward hers, and that’s when I see her pupils dilate. She licks her lips, but her posture is rigid. She’s not ready to go there—not yet.
I kiss her lightly on the forehead, instead, and pull her close. I feel her release a breath, her body relaxing as she rests her cheek on my chest. I wonder…does she feel it—the pounding of my heart?
She moves her hands from mine and wraps her arms around my middle. It’s her way of silently telling me we’re still good.
My scalp prickles—something is off. My eyes roam the room, which was, for the most part, a sanctuary, but now I’m on edge.
And then out of the shadows, a figure appears—a guy I don’t recognise steps into my view—but his focus is only on one thing. Soph.
My body tenses, hands tighten.
“What?” Soph asks.
In my peripheral vision, I see her follow my line of sight as her next words slip from her mouth. “Oh, shit!”
Chapter 5
Charlie
My eyes scan between her and him. She rarely swears, so the fact she just let that slip means this is going to be interesting. He’s leering at her like he has some claim on her—I hate it. And I already know he’s a douchebag.
“You know him?” I ask, hoping she says no so I can tell him to do one.
I tighten my hold on her when she stops dancing. Her eyes meet mine.
“Unfortunately, yes. It’s Craig, a guy I was seeing.”
I clench my jaw.
“I may have invited him under duress and forgot. We don’t even see each other anymore.”
My stomach hardens. What does that mean? Under duress?
“Sorry, I’ll go talk to him. It’s a little too late to un-invite him now.” Her shoulders slump as she steps out of my hold.