“Quite a welcome,” I say, hauling Chelsea into a bear hug. “Good to see you, too, sis.” She might be happy to see me now, but I give it two hours before we start getting on one another’s nerves.
Taylor looks like she’s about to keel over. She was a beautiful girl when I left, if a bit skinny, but now she’s filled out in all the right places—tits, hips, and ass. I’d kill to get my hands on those curves, and I will get my hands on them.
Right now, her small nose is turned up in disgust, and her cupid’s bow lips are narrowed into a thin slash that look nothing like the pouty lips I once enjoyed kissing. As for her eyes, they’re darker than the ocean beneath a stormy summer sky.
My gaze slides lower to the dress she’s wearing. A dress that leaves nearly nothing to my imagination. It’s a floaty summer thing covered in flowers, almost see-through with low-cut cleavage.
I lower Chelsea to the ground.
“What are you doing here?” my sister asks.
I hook my arm around her shoulder. “What? A guy can’t come to watch his dad marry the woman of his dreams?” My words sound caustic and bitter. I don’t mean them to, but I can’t seem to control the tone of my voice.
“I can’t believe you just showed up like this, you jerk. Not even a phone call? Taylor and I busted our asses to make this perfect for our dad and her mom.” She’s acting like she’s pissed, but she’s not really. “And here you come waltzing in like no time has passed.”
“You’ll get over it.” I turn my attention to Taylor, a smile playing on my lips. “How are you, Tay?”
“I guess I’m good. Surprised, I guess. I guess it’s good you’re here.” She swipes the side of her shoe along the broken glass, moving it into a pile. “I guess I should clean this mess up.”
I chuckle at her nervousness. “I guess you should.”
“I’ll go get a brush,” Chelsea offers. “You,” she says, turning to me, “stay here and pick up the glass. I’ll get Dad, too. He’ll freak.”
I bet he will, but not in a good way. “Maybe now isn’t the best time. I don’t want to start anything.”
She gives her eyes a dramatic roll. “It’s better he sees you for the first time in here rather than in front of everyone.”
“Yeah,” I agree, but I’m doubtful. Chelsea flounces out of the tent, leaving me alone with Taylor.
I saunter towards her, loving the way her throat works and how hard she swallows when I get close.
“It’s been a while,” I say.
She gives me a hard stare and her nostrils flare, but in a cute way. “Is that what you say to all the girls you fuck then flee from? You left me on the beach on my own and didn’t so much as say “thanks” for the fuck.”
“So, you still think about me,” I say, taking another step toward her.
She steps back and bumps up against the table so hard, the wine glasses shake. She pauses before she answers. “No, I don’t. You never crossed my mind. Not once.”
I don’t miss the lie in her eyes, and I take another step until I’m close enough to kiss those plump red lips of hers. “I’ve taken a few psychology electives and I’m pretty good at seeing when someone is lying. There are certain tells. You want to know what those tells are?”
She lowers her face and shakes her head.
“Lying again. You’re avoiding my gaze, your pulse rate is fast, and your breathing is erratic.”
She blinks fast and swallows hard. “You’re so full of shit I can smell it coming from your pores.”
I laugh, and I can’t help but reach up and run my thumb over her plump bottom lip. She closes her eyes and sighs, but then her eyes snap open, and she looks like she’s just woken up from a daydream.
“Don’t you dare touch me,” she spits. “You have absolutely no right to invade my space. And stop flirting.”
I step back and hold up my hands. “You’re right. I’m sorry. But what if we could have one more night together before we become siblings? Before you become my sister. We could relive that night on the beach.”
Her pupils dilate, and she inhales sharply.
“I’m going to let you in on a secret,” I say. “I jerk off to thoughts of you. I wrap my hand around my cock and pump hard until I explode. Wanna know what sends me over the edge?”
The tip of her tongue slicks over her lips.
“The memory of you crying my name when you came on my mouth.”
“You’re a disgusting pig.” She pushes me out of her way and goes towards the entrance to the tent “Stay the fuck away. I’m not interested.”
“Sure you’re not.” This could definitely turn out to be a weekend to enjoy and not endure.
As she stomps out of the tent, my dad and Chelsea walk in. Or I should say, Chelsea walks, my dad storms.
Dad’s narrowed eyes take me in, from head to toe and back again. He slides his hands into the pockets of his dress khakis. The old man looks good. A hell of a lot better than the last time I saw him. He’s put on weight, and his face isn’t as haunted.
“Aaron,” he simply says.
“Dad,” I say in return.
“Can’t say I’m not surprised to see you. It’s been a while. How’s your shoulder?”
“I’m getting by.”
He nods. “You’re not exactly dressed for tonight.”
“Last minute decision to come here,” I admit.
Dad purses his lips in thought and then nods. “Since you’re here, you might as well stay.”
“That was my plan.” I wasn’t expecting a welcome with open arms, but I also wasn’t expecting him to act like I’d killed someone. “Thanks for the warm invitation.”
He makes a move to leave the tent, but before he does, he says, “Whatever you said to upset Taylor, apologize. She’s busted her ass to make this wedding a success. If you think you’re going to ruin anything for me, your sister, Sherry, or her girls, you’re in for a rude awakening.”
I want to go back at him so much it hurts my gut. I want to fling words and insults, but I see the fear in Chelsea’s eyes. The one I saw every time dad and I got into it. I don’t want to hurt her, so I swallow my words.
“Don’t worry, Dad, I’ll be on my best behavior.”
He nods again, but I can tell he doesn’t believe a word I say.
“I’m so glad you came,” Chelsea says, reaching out to squeeze my hand. “We have a lot to catch up on.”
“Thanks, sis.”
Chelsea and my dad leave the tent, and when they do, I let out a loud breath. In the grand scheme of things, it could have gone a lot worse.
The one shining light in this shit show is how much Taylor wants me. My proposition interested her. Shocked her, maybe, but definitely interested her. For one more night, I’ll make her mine so that for the rest of her life when she closes her eyes to sleep, I’m the one she’ll dream about.
I leave the tent and go out to the lawn where everyone is drinking cocktails and making small talk.
I spot some of my old high school teammates who now play for Calton and make my way over to them. Some faces I know some I don’t. Chelsea is holding hands with a guy who, from his height and width, I can tell is a quarterback.
He looks like he’s a Wildcat from the way he’s going back and forth with the guys. But, Dad isn’t the kind of man who’d let his precious princess date someone from the team. Curious, I go introduce myself.
“Aaron Thompson.” I hold out my hand, which the guy takes into a short, firm handshake.
“Wesley Reynolds, Chelsea’s boyfriend. Nice to meet you, man.”
I quirk an eyebrow towards Chelsea. “Dad’s letting you date a player? How times have changed.”
“You missed a lot,” she says, “I’ll fill you in later.”
I say hi to the other guys on the team. Some are happy to see me. Some see me as a traitor. Some eye me curiously. Not that I give a crap. I’m not here for their approval.
The hairs on the back of my neck stand on end, and I glance over my shoulder. Taylor glances away, but not before I catch her staring. Yeah, she’s thinking about me all right, and I’d bet anyone a million bucks that by the end of the night, I’ll have her crying my name and begging for more.