Twenty-One
Drew
Hours staring at the ceiling and Drew couldn’t turn his brain off enough to fall back asleep. He watched Anna, snuggled up against him, her blonde curls from yesterday’s hairstyle falling over her soft features in the morning light.
He’d nearly lost it watching her walk down the aisle with Mason yesterday. He’d planted himself in that beach chair, his hands squeezing the sides for dear life, fighting with the better judgment that told him to calm the hell down. Then it took every ounce of restraint to keep his fist from hitting the guy’s face when he walked on that elevator and saw him standing next to her, touching her. Just the memory had his blood burning like fire in his veins.
Seventeen-year-old Drew would’ve let his temper and jealousy get the better of him, like it had that day in the batting cages with Josh Murphy. But he’d like to think he’d grown up a little since then. Even if that meant just keeping it together on the outside.
Drew’s rage was nothing compared to the strained expression painted all over Anna’s face. Causing a scene would’ve made things more difficult for her, so he ignored the voice in the back of his head that questioned why she still seemed so affected by Mason.
He’d promised to be the man she deserved, the man who cared more about her happiness than his own jealousy or pride. So he buried how much he hated that prick and how being in the same room as him, much less watching him touch his Sunshine, made him more angry than he’d been in his entire life.
But he smiled to himself in the dim morning light. He hoped Mason enjoyed knowing Drew was the one walking on the beach with Anna last night, and it was Drew who got off the elevator with her.
The clock ticked over to eight. Drew had to wake her. But he’d give anything to skip this day and go back to their house on the river. Even if it was without that damn diamond on her hand.
He couldn’t propose now. He didn’t want her thinking it had anything to do with Mason. Hell, he didn’t want her thinking about him at all, especially when he asked her the most important question of their lives.
“Wake up, boozie,” Drew murmured in her ear.
“Hmmm.”
He brushed her hair away from her face. “Good morning, Sunshine. You have to meet Lisa in forty-five minutes. You better get in the shower.”
Anna snuggled into his chest. She whimpered, refusing to open her eyes. “My head hurts.”
“That’s what drinking for two people will do to you.”
She sat up and yawned. The strap of her nightgown fell down her shoulder as she slid to the edge of the bed. What he wouldn’t give to push that other strap off or more accurately yank the damn thing over her head.
But there was no way in hell he’d let her have any regrets about their first time together. And he didn’t need the thought that Mason being there had pushed her to it running though his mind, either. Which was exactly what would have happened if he hadn’t thrown some cold water on his manhood and said no last night.
Anna emerged from the bathroom, ready to leave, and with a quick peck on Drew’s lips, she moved toward the door.
He grabbed her hand from behind and spun her to face him. They backed slowly into the door until her back touched it. Drew brushed his thumbs along her cheekbones, then threaded his hands into her hair.
“I love you,” he whispered. “When you’re standing up there today, I’ll be picturing the day you’re walking down that aisle toward me. The day I make you Mrs. Stevens.” He wanted to add that the second time would be so much better than her first, but he didn’t want to give her any more reasons to think about being married to him.
Drew kissed her lips with determination and need. His tongue begged entrance, and she sighed her approval as he showed her just how much he wanted her.
His hands glided down her curves and hitched her bare leg around his hip. It was weak and stupid, but he needed her to remember this moment later when she was standing with Mason. He pulled back, gently kissing her lips twice as he opened the door for her.
Her eyes were still closed, and a blush colored her cheeks pink. “I love you too.”
“Anna, I…I don’t like him, and I don’t trust him.” He cupped her cheeks in his hands, begging her with his eyes to hear him.
She kissed his cheek and nodded. “Have a good day, dear.”
Drew closed the door and leaned against it.
That would be damn near impossible, but he’d absolutely continue faking it for her.
A run, then a dip in the ocean, helped with the pent-up anger. He’d just sat down for an early lunch at the pool bar when Ryan and Mason approached from the hotel.
“Mornin’,” Ryan said, slapping Drew’s shoulder.
“Mornin’. You guys off to meet the groom?”
“Yep, we’re a few minutes late,” Ryan said, turning to Mason. “You go ahead. I’ll be right there.”
With a look to Drew and a head nod, Mason disappeared around the corner.
“You okay?” Ryan asked.
“I’ll be better when this day is over and we’re home.”
“So you’ve changed your plans for tonight?”
Drew looked down at the ground and muttered a curse. “It doesn’t feel right. I can’t do it tonight. Not with him here. Not with them standing together in this wedding.”
Ryan nodded and squeezed his shoulder. “Well, all right man. I’ll see you in a few hours.”
By six-thirty, Drew had showered, shaved, dressed, and walked down to the beach. The day couldn’t have been more perfect. The temperature was mild—in the seventies—and the evening sunlight was shining off the crystal-clear ocean water. It would all be completely relaxing if he weren’t such a nervous wreck.
Chill the hell out, Stevens. Anna came here with you…she’s with you now.
The music started, and Drew looked behind him through the row of guests, hoping to catch a glimpse of the wedding party. Anna held Mason’s arm as they walked, her long yellow dress dragging in the sand behind her and her blonde hair blowing softly in the ocean breeze. She smiled that gorgeous smile as if everything was perfect.
It was wrong that her happiness in that moment felt like someone sucker punched him. Wanting her to hate every minute in Mason’s presence was insane. But watching her smile at him paired with Drew’s memories of being without her, the day she married him, was pure torture.
He’d promised her he could handle her past. That he could handle the fact she was married to someone else. And he could. Today had just been especially difficult.
Mason and Anna reached their place at the front of the line. He leaned over, almost touching his nose to her ear as he whispered something to her. She laughed, and Drew fought the urge to come unglued and storm away.
Hell if this wasn’t the hardest thing he’d ever had to sit though. Or maybe a close second to the day he watched her marry him.
Anna took her place in the bridal party, and Drew caught her eye. She smiled the smile that he would never get enough of. Her eyes held his, grounding him, encouraging him, loving him in the way only she ever could. He’d survive anything if she spent her life looking at him like that.
Tears fell from Reed’s eyes as Lisa read her vows. Drew felt the lump form in his throat as his gaze moved to Anna dabbing her face with a tissue. They would go home and he’d put that ring on her finger, convince her to have the shortest engagement in history and make her his wife. He wanted to stare into those vivid green irises as she pledged to love him forever. He’d never wanted anything more.
The bride and groom were pronounced husband and wife, and with a kiss, the wedding was over.
Mason’s arm was still wrapped with Anna’s when Drew met them near the reception area. He sucked in a deep breath and walked to them.
“Hey.” Anna’s eyes crinkled with her bright smile as she caught him approaching. She walked over and threw her hands around his neck.
“Do you know how amazing you look?” Drew whispered, kissing her neck.
She raised an eyebrow. “You look…well, you look better than you should when we’re stuck in this crowd of people, Dr. Stevens. Let’s get out of here as soon as we’re able, deal?”
“Hell, yes.”
She kissed him hard on the lips, and they moved to their seats. Some sort of chicken was served for dinner, and the cake was cut before they turned their attention to the happy couple’s first dance as husband and wife. The slow melody began to play as Reed pulled his new bride in close, kissing her hand as he placed it in his.
“They look so happy,” Anna beamed, tears glistening in her eyes.
Drew’s gaze stayed focused on her. “They really do.”
The song ended, and the DJ started another. “Wedding party, would you please join in with the bride and groom?”
Anna turned to Drew, and he caught a glimpse of Mason heading out to the dance floor. As much as he wanted to physically pick her up and get the hell out of this room, he simply smiled and nodded for her to go.
A sympathetic look filled her eyes as she left him sitting there. Mason took her hand in his, the other on the small of her back. They moved fluidly together, clearly not the first time they’d danced. Drew fought back the nausea rolling through his stomach watching how natural it looked for them to be in each other’s arms.
Anna smiled as they danced, and the squeeze in Drew’s heart felt like it might bust through his ribcage to try and get to her. He slipped out the back door of the ballroom and closed his eyes. The evening breeze off the ocean hit his face as he pulled in a steadying breath. None of this mattered. She was with him now, and the past was in the past.
The problem with that statement…she and Drew were once also in the past.
A few more deep breaths of the ocean air and he slipped back inside, hoping no one noticed his absence.
“Hey, babe,” Anna said, concern washing over her features. “Where’d you go?”
“Just…” He shrugged and decided to be honest. “It’s hard to see you with him. I needed a minute to pull myself together.”
She found a seat on his lap. “My wedding duties are officially over. I’m all yours,” she whispered the words softly, placing a kiss on his earlobe.
A familiar song began playing through the speakers, and he smiled at her. “Would you dance with me?”
“Always.”
Drew held her to him, so completely wrapped up in her he could barely move. The damn ring still burned a hole in his pocket as her head rested on his chest.
When they finally realized the song had ended and moved on to some upbeat pop tune, she reached up on tiptoes and kissed him. He stared down at her, studying the love in her eyes as she laced their fingers together and led them back to the table.
Drew felt Mason watching them as they walked. He glanced his way, matching the glare with one of his own.
You had your chance, and you pissed it away.
He wrapped a possessive arm around Anna, and they said their goodbyes and excused themselves for their early flight the next morning.
***
Exhausted but damn happy to be home, Drew unloaded their bags from the truck. A night snuggled up in front of a movie with his girl was exactly what he needed to pull him from the funk he couldn’t seem to shake.
Stumbling through his bedroom door with a load in his arms, he stopped, sucking in a breath at the sight in front of him.
Anna leaned nervously against his bed—their bed now—dressed in the sexiest pink satin nightgown he’d ever seen.
He dropped the bags with a thump at his feet and stepped tentatively toward her.
“Sunshine, whatcha doin’?” His hands shook as his fingers skimmed under the lace strap on her shoulder.
She bit the side of her lip, hands toying with the hem of his shirt. “I…”
The doorbell rang, cutting off her words.
“Ignore it,” she whispered, hands pushing over his stomach and up his chest, taking his shirt with them.
Drew pulled the shirt over his head, hands landing on her cheeks as he searched for any sign of hesitation.
She smiled, then brushed her lips across his collarbone. His eyes fell closed at the searing sensation of her lips on him, her kiss moving up his neck to his ear.
Another ring of the doorbell, followed by knocking.
Drew sighed and looked down. “I can’t possibly answer that right now. If it’s Luke, I will kill him.”
With a chuckle, Anna grabbed the matching robe to the outfit he’d been seconds from ripping off her and walked toward the front door.
His eyes fell closed again at the sound of the heavy front door opening, hoping she could get rid of whoever it was as quickly as humanly possible. In his current state, it took him a few seconds to register the name that came out of her mouth.
Oh hell no.
Drew flew out of his bedroom and around the corner to the entryway, scrubbing a hand angrily over his face when Mason appeared.
“Anna, can I please talk to you?” Mason begged.
“Why are you here?” she asked, more sympathetic than Drew liked.
Drew’s hands balled into fists as he moved to stand next to Anna. “Yes, Mason, please tell us what the hell you’re doing here.”
Staring between the two of them, Mason cringed at Drew’s bare chest. Anna blushed, pulling her robe tighter around her.
Mason glared back at Drew before looking down at Anna’s left hand. His gaze shot back up to hers. “You’re not engaged?”
“No, why?” Anna asked. She searched back and forth from Mason to Drew.
Drew fought the urge to strangle the man in front of him. Ryan must have told him Drew planned to propose. Maybe to deter him from the very thing he was doing in that moment.
Mason’s eyes narrowed into slits, and his jaw tensed. “Look, Drew, I need to talk to Anna, and it’s really none of your damn business.”
“It is my business when you’re standing on our front porch.” Drew brushed Anna’s hand with his, breathing a sigh of relief when she didn’t flinch away as he held it.
Mason looked down and muttered a curse under his breath. “Could you please stop touching her?”
His words were a growled whisper, and he probably hadn’t even meant to speak them aloud, but it sent Drew over the edge. He moved toward Mason, but Anna stepped between them. Her hand brushed both their chests as her head swiveled between them.
“Anna, baby, I just need a minute.”
Drew threw his hands up in frustration. “What the hell could you possibly have to talk to her about?”
“I need to talk to my wife!” he yelled.
“Ex-wife,” Drew corrected.
Mason sighed, looking straight into Anna’s eyes. “I never filed the papers.”