"You're being very tactile tonight," Rachel observed.
"You're wearing a dress that makes me want to keep my hands on you." Mac sat beside her, his knee immediately pressing against hers under the table. "Also, I've been wanting to touch you all day and the ceremony required appropriate public behavior."
"And now?"
"Now I can touch you all I want." His hand found her knee under the table, warm and solid. "Within reason. We are at a wedding."
Rachel bit her lip, and Mac's eyes tracked the movement.
"Don't do that," Mac said, his voice slightly rough.
"Do what?"
"Bite your lip like that."
"Why?" Rachel did it again, deliberately this time.
Mac's grip on her knee tightened. "Because it makes me want to bite it for you."
Rachel's breath caught.
"Later," Mac murmured, leaning close to her ear. "When we're alone, I'm going to—"
"MAC!!" Jamie's voice boomed across the reception hall, breaking the moment. "Best man, I need you for a moment!"
Mac groaned but stood, pressing a quick kiss to Rachel's temple. "Hold that thought."
Rachel watched him walk to the front, her skin still tingling where he'd touched her, and thought:Later can't come fast enough.
The food was incredible; Sophie's doing, obviously. Tiny quiches, bruschetta with fresh basil, stuffed mushrooms, bacon-wrapped dates.
Across the table, Cole and Ellie had turned eating chili dogs, Ellie's pick after vetoing pizza, into some kind of romantic comedy scene. They were feeding each other messy bites, laughing when chili landed on Cole's shirt, completely lost in their own world.
"They're disgustingly cute," Jamie said from Mac's other side, taking a sip of champagne.
"You're just jealous," Luke said through a mouthful of salmon.
"I'm not jealous. I'm... content with my bachelor status."
"You're pining after Sophie and pretending you're not," Tyler said flatly from down the table.
Jamie choked on his champagne. "I am not—"
"You've looked at her seventeen times since we sat down," Tyler continued in that same deadpan voice. "I counted."
"That's not—I was just—"
"Seventeen," Tyler repeated.
Mac and Rachel exchanged amused glances.
The speeches began. Sophie stood up first, champagne glass in hand, and launched into a story about Ellie pushing her off the monkey bars in second grade, which earned laughs. But then her expression softened, and she talked about how Cole truly saw Ellie; not just the competent PT, but the woman who stress-bakes at 2 AM and cries at dog videos.
"Real love shows up," Sophie said, her voice thick with emotion. "Every single day. In the boring moments and the hard moments. Real love chooses you anyway."
Rachel felt Mac's hand tighten around hers under the table.
Then Mac stood up.
