My phone buzzes against the lounger, and I grab it without thinking. Megan’s name flashes across the screen. I sit up slightly, suddenly aware of how close Duke is and that he’ll be able to hear anything I say.
“Hey.” I press the phone to my ear.
“Finally!” Megan’s voice is too loud, too cheerful. “I’ve been trying to reach you all morning. Get dressed. We’re getting margaritas. You need to stop moping over that asshole.”
“Actually...” I hesitate. Duke is pretending to be very interested in his drink, but I catch the way his head tilts slightly toward me. “I’m in Vegas.”
“WHAT?” The shriek nearly pierces my eardrum. “By yourself??”
“No, I’m... with Duke.”
The silence lasts exactly two seconds. Then Megan loses her mind.
“DukeDuke? Mr. ‘We’re Just Best Friends,’ Duke? The one you won’t admit you’ve been in love with since high school, Duke?”
Heat floods my cheeks. I turn away from Duke, lowering my voice. “He surprised me with a weekend away. He knows what happened with Jeremy.”
“For Valentine’s Day? Must be nice,” she laughs, and I can practically see her eye roll through the phone. “So what’s going on with you two? Is this finally happening?”
I look at the ring on my finger. Think about the video—Duke’s hands shaking as he slid the band onto my finger. The way he kissed me.
I should tell her.Hey, funny story, we got blackout drunk and married by Elvis.
But if I say it out loud, it becomes real. And if it’s real, I have to decide how I feel about it. And if I decide Iwantit, and Duke doesn’t...
“I should go,” I say finally. “I’ll tell you everything when I get home.”
I hang up before she can push harder and stare at the ring, the way it catches the Vegas sun.
Do I want this to be real?
The answer comes faster than I expected.
I do.
The only thing more terrifying than that realization is asking Duke how he feels.
Am I brave enough for that?
The wine bottle is empty.
I’m not sure when we migrated to the same lounge chair, but Duke’s thigh is warm against mine, our shoulders pressed together. His arm has found its way around me, his fingers tracing absent patterns on my shoulder. The city pulses below us, neon chasing the darkness, and the air feels electric.
Duke turns to say something, and suddenly his face is close enough that I can smell the wine on his breath and feel the warmth radiating from his skin.
My breath catches.
His gaze drops to my mouth and lingers before lifting back to mine, darker than I’ve ever seen it.
I watch his hand come up slowly. His strong, calloused fingers brush my jaw and cup my cheek, and I lean into his touch instinctively, my eyes fluttering closed.
He’s going to kiss me. My mind races at the hot desire flooding my core. How has this never happened before? Anticipation makes my skin tingle, and then his lips touch mine.
His kiss is desperate and hungry. One hand tangles in my hair, tilting my head so he can deepen our kiss. The other slides around my waist, pulling me so close I’m practically on his lap.
I saw the video of him kissing me, but nothing prepared me for the reality of Duke’s mouth on mine. The way he’s tender and powerful at the same time. The soft groan that rumbles through his chest when his mouth teases and chases mine, making me whimper with desire. He deepens the kiss until I’m dizzy with need. A fire is burning through my core, and I need Duke more than I’ve ever needed anyone in my life.
Then Duke tears his mouth away.
