I stopped short in the hall when I saw Taryn, Stephanie, and the celebrant Geneva standing at the makeshift arch.
Cooper breezed past me, “Sorry.” He feathered his hand through his hair as I followed him.
Adjusting my fucking tie.
Pushing down the memories of our kiss.
Willing my fucking cock to deflate.
Geneva eyed us with an all-too-knowing expression. “You’ll be walking your mothers down the aisle?”
“Yes.” I cleared his throat. “And then our fathers will walk our sisters down the aisle.”
I took my spot beside Taryn while Cooper stood next to Stephanie.
Taryn gazed up at me.
I gave her a quick shake of my head.
“Great. Then let’s get started.” Geneva opened a beautiful embossed hardback book and began to read.
Twenty minutes later, the woman was on her way to the next rehearsal.
Stephanie leaned against Taryn. “I’m tired, and we’ve got a long day tomorrow.”
“You’re staying in the same house?” Cooper eyed them. “Isn’t that against tradition?”
“That the groom shouldn’t see the bride before the wedding.” Stephanie glared at him. “Well, we say it’s just fine for the bride to see the bride.”
Taryn pressed a kiss to her cheek then met my gaze.
“You might want to head home, then. Cooper and I will close the place up.”
She offered me a grateful smile. “Awesome. We’ll see you tomorrow.”
Holding hands, the women departed.
Silently, Cooper and I organized the last of the decorations. I was constantly aware of him, even as I straightened the chairs. I still thought the dance floor was too big, but he probably knew more about these things than I did.
When we were finished, we met up in the middle.
Cooper grinned. “The wedding's tomorrow. You nervous?”
I gave the hall one last, long look. “No. I think we're ready.” I’d calculated to leave plenty of extra time tomorrow so if anything came up, I’d be able to deal with it. So I could ensure Stephanie and Taryn had the perfect day.
“You wanna come back to my house tonight?”
I gaped. “Uh, my sister will know. Your sister will know.”
He chuckled. “I’m pretty certain they’re not giving us a second thought. But if they are, they’ll just think we're doing more wedding stuff.” He shrugged. “No pressure. I won't tell. Not even Stephanie. Just... just come with me and relax. Just for one night. It won't mean anything, I promise. No more pressure. Just you and me. And tomorrow we'll pretend it never happened.”
He’ll be the death of me.“Sure. Why not?”
To my surprise, he grabbed me by the waist and dragged me close. “Don’t sound enthusiastic or anything.” Then he kissed me full on the mouth, using my surprise to thrust his tongue into my mouth.
Instantly, my senses went into overdrive. His scent—always faint. Like, he didn’t wear cologne or anything, but he smelled…like home. The feel of his hands as they cupped my ass and dragged me closer. The taste of his mouth—coffee and a breath mint. Kind of weird but also wildly erotic. Then, as his cock brushed mine, the next few hours played before me.
Him. Naked.
