Chapter twenty
A Few Minutes Later
Theapplauseaftermytoast rolls like a wave breaking against the stone walls.
For a moment I stay where I am at the podium, glass still in my hand, letting the moment settle.
Julian and Marisol kiss passionately. Sixty cheer. Laughter weaves through it. The band begins to play again somewhere behind me.
Good vibes everywhere.
Over by the bar—Sky.
She stands beside Miranda with her champagne glass hovering halfway to her lips. Watching me.
Good.
I lower the glass and start over.
People catch my sleeve as I pass. Fred claps me on the back hard enough to jostle my shoulder. Irving whistles because he’s waited years for this exact moment.
None of it slows me down.
Sky doesn’t move. She watches me walk over until I’m close enough to see the color in her cheeks.
“Hi.” My eyes bore into hers.
Her laugh escapes before she can stop it. “Hi.”
I slip my hands around her waist without hesitation, drawing her against me before either of us can retreat back into the careful restraint we’ve been practicing all evening.
“Zach—” Her eyes widen the moment she understands exactly what I’m about to do.
Because life is too short. Waiting is over.
For a heartbeat she looks up, eyes bright and breath suspended between surprise and surrender.
Then my mouth meets hers. A real fucking kiss. Not a careful version for the sake of the wedding.
Her lips part under mine. Warm from champagne. Sweet from frosting. The first slow brush sends heat through my chest. A spark catching dry wood. She inhales sharply, fingers clutching the lapels of my jacket as she pulls herself closer instead of stepping away.
Time and space disappear.
Sky’s mouth opens to mine and I follow instinct, tilting slightly, letting the kiss deepen until her breath slips across my tongue and she answers with the same hunger. Her hand combsthrough my hair and curls around my nape, tugging gently. The small pull makes my heart ignite.
My palm spreads along the curve of her back, silk straining as I draw her closer.
Sky surges into me. Her mouth moves against mine with growing urgency, lips soft then firmer. Teeth graze my lower lip before she soothes the spot with a slow sweep of her tongue, sending a quiet jolt through my core.
Three sleepless nights flood back in fragments.
Fucking her senseless in my jet crossing the ocean. Burying myself inside her every night since. The sound of my name when she comes apart.
I chase the memory by kissing Sky harder. My tongue sweeps along the seam of her mouth and she welcomes me with a quiet gasp. A quiet mewl escapes her throat. Not meant for anyone else.
My thumb traces the soft skin of her chin while my other hand guides her closer until our bodies line up completely. She answers by rising slightly on her toes, lips moving faster against mine. Her tongue flicks lightly across mine before retreating, only to return again with playful insistence.
I answer with a slow sweep of my own. When we finally break the kiss she doesn’t step away. Her forehead rests against mine while she catches her breath. I wrap my arms around her firmly.
