My hands find his shoulders. His hands find my waist. My scent spikes strawberry as my body responds to his proximity, to his touch, to the intensity of what's happening.
He pulls back, breathing heavy. His warm brown eyes are focused entirely on me.
"I'm going to come back tomorrow," he says. "And we're handling this wedding together. You don't do it alone anymore. You hear me?"
"Together," I repeat softly.
"Yeah," he says. "Together. You and me and the rest of pack. We're here. We're staying. You don't have to be brave alone anymore."
Then he's kissing me again, and this time it's softer. It's promise. It's him admitting that he needs this too. That he needs to be needed.
When he finally leaves, my lips are tingling and my scent is doing wild things. I touch my lips and realize I'm smiling like an idiot.
Thanks, universe. Since discovering Ben's wedding plans, I finally feel in command. The insecure girl he knew has vanished. In her place stands a planner who will craft the wedding of the year.
4
SHARON
After the time I had with Jett yesterday, I should be more relaxed, but planning this wedding is stressing me out and makes me feel as if I'm completely out of my league. So, I leave the hotel room behind. No more working in isolation. I head to the office.
By the time I make it back there, I've had approximately four panic attacks, eaten an entire bag of gas-station chips, and convinced myself that this job was a mistake. A beautiful, terrible, catastrophic mistake that's going to end with me living in a cardboard box under a bridge somewhere.
I smell like a smoothie that's having an emotional breakdown.
The office is quiet when I arrive. I sit down at my desk and stare at my computer screen like it might have answers. It doesn't. It just has a blinking cursor that's mocking me.
Jessica is supposed to call within the hour. It's been forty-five minutes. Jett is supposed to help, but I can't wait around for him to show and Savannah recommended Jessica.
I've reorganized my desk three times. I've color-coded my files by bride name, even though there's only one bride in the system and she's currently ghosting me. I've made a spreadsheettracking the RSVPs that said no because apparently when my brain panics, it organizes.
It's a coping mechanism.
I'm mid-reorganization of my pen collection when my phone buzzes.
When I receive a text from Cassian.
"Savannah told us about the wedding situation. We're both off today. We want to help."
My heart does a weird flip.
Both. As in more than Jett. Great. Two Alphas are going to see me in full panic mode.
Before I can process that, another text lights up the screen, but this time it's from their brother, Pine. The tattoo artist. The one with sleeve tattoos who makes my stomach flip every time he looks at me.
My pulse kicks up just seeing his name on my screen. Which is ridiculous. It's a text message, not a marriage proposal.
But there's something about Pine that gets under my skin in ways I'm not ready to examine. The way he moves, or how his voice drops when he's focused on something.
I tap the message open, my fingers suddenly clumsy.
How the heck did they all get my number?
Silly question. Answer: Savannah.
"Closed the shop early. Vale's helping. ETA 15 minutes."
I stare at the message like it's written in another language. Vale helps Pine run his tattoo shop.
