He paused a moment before leaning in and whispering, “No. Maddy’s the mother of my child. I wish her all the happiness in the world.”
Good answer. Good man.
He wasn’t finished. “It makes me hopeful. I’d like to love again.”
Heat radiated through her core.
“By the power vested in me by the state of Colorado, I now declare you husband and wife.” The officiate gave a theatrical pause. “You may kiss the bride.”
The room burst into applause. Then everyone stood and began to file into the adjacent reception space. Even though it was ridiculous, it felt like everyone stared at her shoes. “Sorry your date is the big klutz.”
“Not a chance.” He wrapped his arm around her waist and drew her in tight. “Pretty sure mine is the one who is bold and beautiful, who has a sassy mouth and gives me a run for my money. Let them stare. You know how you got that ankle injury.”
“Tripping over a piece of granite hiding in a patch of dry grass?”
“No. Notliterally, Angel.” He kissed the top of her hair. He’d been doing that all day, finding sneaky ways to kiss her with affection.
These kisses were getting seriously addictive. She craved them. The gentle sweetness. The shared affection. She’d never had this feeling before—this sense of belonging to someone.
“You went up against a moose,” Tor said.
“Well, technicallyyoudid.”
“We both did. You were amazing by the river. You kept your cool and damn it, girl, you can run.”
She pretended to polish her knuckles on her chest. “Forrest Gump has nothing on me.”
“That’s a fact. He’d eat your dust.”
They found their table in the back corner of the room. Well away from the wedding-party dais, and that was fine by them.
The candelabra on the table softly flickered and there were silver snowflakes strewn above the ceiling with fairy lights. She watched the dappled brightness cut across Tor’s face, highlighting everything from his bold nose to his wide, sensual mouth, Scandinavian bone structure and ash-blond hair. Every time she looked at him, it was a surprise, and not a little disorienting. Tor Gunnar wasn’t her enemy anymore. He was her... lover. And more importantly, her friend. And when he returned her gaze, it wasn’t with cool aloofness, or a slight sneer, but a smolder that took her breath away.
It had been a good call not to mention Scott Miller’s request to him. She could take that fact to the bank and cash it. He’d let the worst-coach article slide without much drama, and accepted blame for his part in the lead up... but... hehadbeen a little hurt.
She smoothed her linen napkin over her lap. The strangest thing of all was realizing her power, not simply to hurt him but also to give happiness. It was like she was Peter Parker talking to Uncle Ben, being told that “with great power comes great responsibility.”
But her superpower wasn’t shooting spiderwebs from her wrists. It was melting this god of snow and ice and finding the man who’d been frozen for so long inside.
The dinner was tempting: roasted peppers stuffed with risotto, filet mignon, whipped potatoes and roasted-root soup. Once the five-piece jazz band struck up the music for dancing, waitstaff appeared with trays covered in miniature molten lava cakes and flutes bubbling with pink champagne.
Dabbing the corner of his mouth, he leaned over. “You want to stay for dessert or be mine?” He stared at her mouth as if he wanted to devour it in slow, delicious licks, then let his gaze travel to other parts of her body with obvious hunger, an invitation to feast.
She’d always said there was nothing better than chocolate. Looked like she might as well admit that there was a lot she’d gotten wrong in life.
“Can we go?” she whispered, her throat tight with anticipation.
“Sure. Olive’s having a ball.” He jutted a chin to where his daughter was skipping around the dance floor with her older cousins. “I already gave her permission to drive back to Denver in the morning with my former sister-in-law and her cousins. I’ve put in my appearance. Maddy already thanked me. The way I see it, it’s time we have our own fun.”
Her sex clenched with such force she almost moaned aloud. That would be embarrassing. She wouldn’t even be able to blame the reaction on the untouched cake the waitress had just placed before her.
“What are we waiting for?” she asked, sliding back her chair.
“Nothing.” He rose and extended her a hand. “We’ve waited long enough.”
Chapter Sixteen
“How long does the gondola take to go from Solitude to Telluride village?” Neve asked the bearded liftie, her brown eyes wide with innocent curiosity.
