Chapter Six
Sully
Ineed to convince Tate that I want to keep him. Forever if he’ll let me. I don’t care about the distance. I don’t care about anything beyond seeing if we can turn this into something magical, something worth holding on to beyond this weekend.
I have this urge to claim Tate in front of all of creation, make sure everyone at this wedding knows who he belongs to. I’ve never felt this way about someone before. Never felt the urge to claim someone, make them mine, have someone thinkTatewhen they think of me. It sounds like such a gift to be tied to Tate, to his adventurous spirit, his hurt heart that, when healed, will carry me within the safe confines of its walls. Everything about Tate is beautiful to me. The way he grins toward me when he thinks I’m not looking. The way he cares more for Olivia than for himself at times, so evident in his ability to put himself through hell at this wedding after the fresh wounds caused by his idiot ex-husband.
“What are you thinking about?” Tate asks with a teasing laugh. His fingers press hard between my eyebrows. My lips twitch with a restrained grin. “You look angry!”
“I was just thinking.”
Tate chuckles and jostles his shoulder against my arm. “Well, think about something better. Like tonight! You, me, and that big bed of yours.”
I squeeze his hand tighter at the mention of this evening. One more night. I wanteverynight for the rest of his life. Jesus. Sweat prickles at the back of my neck as we mingle with the crowd at cocktail hour. Looking down at my watch, I realize I’m almost late to the wedding party photos. A couple of the other wedding party members are leaving, so I take that as my cue to follow.
I kiss Tate’s cheek, biting my lip when a warm flush steals over his face. “I’ll be right back. Duty calls.”
“Ah, actually.” Tate holds on tight to my bicep, then shakes himself and follows me toward the back of the property. “I’m supposed to be in some family photos too. I’ll join you.”
I tuck Tate’s hand into the crook of my elbow as I guide us back toward where I can see the photographers starting to take photos. I’ve never seen Bailey radiate so much happiness before. After a squeeze to Tate’s hand, I head toward them. The photographers expertly move around, snapping away as we pose for staged photos, and take some candid ones. I can’t help but watch Tate even as I’m having fun with my friends. When my time is over, I pass by him as he heads toward Olivia, and I let my hand skirt across his hip. The hiss he lets out makes me bite my lip to contain my grin.
“You really hit it off with the brother of the bride, huh?” Colton teases where he stands beside me, arms crossed over his broad chest.
My gaze zeroes back in on Tate, because I can’t help but stare at him, even when he’s not the center of attention. To me, he is.
“Yeah, I really did. He’s special.”
“Good for you.” Colton bumps his arm against mine. “I can’t believe this is going to be your last year with the team. Did you wait just to have one year with Bailey?”
“Nah,” I say with a smile. “I think I was waiting for something else to come along.”
“Disgustingly sweet.” Colton makes a retching noise, but I ignore him. All I can focus on is Tate as he smiles for the photographers and my heart skips approximately ten thousand beats when his grin doubles in size as he catches sight of me.
When the photos are over, I wait patiently for Tate to find his way to me. Until I can’t wait one more second. Grabbing Tate by his hand, I tug him deeper into the gardens, trying to find exactly where we were that first night. His laughter rings loudly behind me as I drag us deeper.
“Sully!” Tate says breathlessly.
I swoop down to kiss him once we’re alone, needing to taste his laugh. His grin widens against my mouth, his fingers working their way into my hair to tug me closer. He smells like sweat and spice and how can a scent be so comforting after only a few days?
“What’s gotten into you?” Tate murmurs against my mouth.
“Be mine. Be mine for real. I don’t think this was ever just a fling for me. I… I want you. Do you want me too? Please say you want me too.”
Tate blinks up at me in total shock, his fingers still tightly buried in my hair. “Sully?”
“Please be mine.”
“I…” Tate pauses and looks down at my chest like the secrets of the universe are buried there. A little furrow appears between his brows before his gaze flicks up to mine. “I don’t know if I know how to be someone’s. Not well. I work too much, don’t prioritize travel, don’t always prioritize the relationship.”
“Can I ask you something?”
Tate smiles despite the tears gathering in his eyes. “Sure, Sully.”
“If we dated, if we put in the effort for this, do youactuallythink I’d get mad at you if you had to cancel a date for work? Would you get mad at me if I was tired from a game and didn’t want to go out?”
“No, never,” Tate reassures quickly. “I’d probably want to video-chat with you, make sure you’re okay. Send you some night cookies via delivery, but I wouldn’t get mad.”
I shrug my shoulders in answer. “I think that says it all.”
