The chimes of wedding bells are like a golden symphony to my ears. If I ever have a wedding, I want it to be as beautiful as this one, I think to myself. The stunning hall on the edge of the sea, the whole place bedecked in white and gold—it’s like a true fairytale wedding. I smile as I watch my best friend, Roxy Price—excuse me, Roxy Stone—having a blast with her new husband, Jake. They are just too cute together. I might have been wrong about them at first. I was too caught up in stupid office politics shit, but looking at them now, I know the truth. They’re perfect, made for each other. It makes me want to reach for my camera.

“Now Mary Jo, I don’t give a single fuck about what the doctors say. If I want to get out there and show these kids a thing or two about how to rodeo on the dance floor, then I’m going to do it!” Roxy’s grandmother, Ivy Jo, says. “You know, it was these hips that got you into the world!”

I laugh as I wistfully take in the dynamics of Roxy’s family. They’re foul-mouthed, even more than Roxy, and Ivy Jo, in particular, has zero filter on expressing her opinions. I love them all, and I wish I had more people like them in my life.

My skin pricks when I feel eyes on me and turn my head. The man looking at me leaves my heart skipping in my chest as I take in his magnificence. The feeling of his sea-green eyes feasting on me has my blood rushing through my veins, and I feel myself flush, smiling without even thinking.

God, he’s fucking handsome. I almost feel like he’s familiar. Something about him . . . he looks like someone I know. I can’t really focus, though, as he smiles at me, the kind of smile that says he takes what he wants. There isn’t a question of yes or no because nobody says no to him. The way he’s looking at me, my body is already tingling, and I feel like I might just give in to him now if he asks.

He keeps throwing looks at me, and I try to look away, not letting on to what he’s doing to me. The music changes, and I’m pretending to be preoccupied with Roxy’s joyous twerking in her wedding dress when I hear a deep voice behind me.

“Hello, lovely lady.” I nearly swoon at the sound of his voice. It seems to reach right through my ear and to my stomach, where I feel a tight ball of desire form. I swear his voice is smooth like honey. I want to drown in it.

I turn around and my heart flares. He’s even more gorgeous close up, and I recognize him. He’s related to Roxy’s brother-in-law, Oliver. They’ve got the same eyes.

“H–hello,” I reply, aghast as I stammer. What the fuck, Hannah? Since when do I get tongue-tied over a man? They’ve always been easy as 1-2-3. Pop the hip, bite the lip, and I control the dick. But this one takes my breath away.

He gives me a cocky smirk as if he knows every little uncertainty running through my head. His eyes seem to pierce me straight to the heart, and I feel my fingers start to tremble. “I don’t think I need to tell you this because it’s obvious, but you’re fucking gorgeous.”

Damn, it’s corny, but someone bring the fire hose already. This man is burning me up and he hasn’t even taken off his shirt yet. I duck my head. “Thank you,” I say in a sweet voice. If Roxy saw me acting like this, she’d swear up and down I’d gone senile at an early age.

“What’s your name, gorgeous?” he asks, sipping at a flute of champagne.

“Hannah. Yours?”

“Anthony. But people call me Tony.”

As soon as he says it, I remember Mindy mentioning that they’d invited Oliver’s brother. I remember she told me a little about him, but right now I’m too lost in his dark hair, startling green eyes, and lean, chiseled jawline.

“I like that name,” I say softly, sarcastic comments flying out of my head as fast as they appear. I just can’t seem to make a joke about ‘Tony Steele’ in the power of those eyes.

“Do you?” he murmurs, drawing in close. I can feel the heat emanating from his body, and the magnetic pull of his personality draws me a step closer, to the point I have to fight the urge to run my hand over his chest. I want him. God, after watching Roxy get her man, I fucking need him.

With an ironic twist that I can’t deny seems to show that the Almighty is sensing my needs, a fast dance song comes on. Cascada . . . okay, not bad.

“Would you like to dance?” he asks me. After the year I’ve had, he’s lucky I don’t grab him by the hand and take him someplace private.

Not trusting myself to speak, I nod, and Tony grins. He finishes off his champagne and takes my hand, leading me out on the dance floor. It feels like everyone is looking, but it’s probably just my sudden anxiousness. Either way, I’m ready to get down and I’m going to give him everything I’ve got. I move to the rhythm, alternating between facing him with a hand behind his neck and turning my back to his chest, my ass grinding against his crotch. Maybe it’s a little much for a wedding, but this is Roxy’s soiree and since she’s the one who taught me the moves, I think she’d approve of a little down and dirty on the dance floor.

We dance until the song is over, and as the notes fade away, I find myself covered in sweat. Tony’s glistening too, his skin alight with a sexy glow that has my heart not slowing down but speeding up. His intense gaze speaks telepathically to me. He wants me. He needs me. On his lips, I feel the words barely held back. He wants to take me right here and right now. If things keep going like this, he might just get what he wants.

“I need a drink!” I beg into his ear when the song is over. And something else.

He grins, grabbing my hand. “Well then, let’s go.”

We walk over to the punch bowl, where he gets me a drink. I don’t take it slow, gulping it down. Maybe if I slam down this stuff fast enough, I can distract myself from the burning desire inside me. I hold out my glass, desperate to get some sort of balance back. “More, please?”

Tony gives me a look but refills my glass. “You really know how to dance. The most beautiful woman in the room and one of the best dancers? I think they’ve got the wrong star here today.”

My cheeks turn a rosy red. A charmer, huh? “Thank you. You’re sweet.” Hmm, maybe he’s a Don Juan type, but if he is, he knows just what to say to make my panties wetter than they already are. “You asking for another dance with that compliment?”

Tony chuckles, smirking with a confidence that I’m not quite sure yet whether it turns me on or pisses me off. “Close. I was thinking more along the lines of, should I pound you from behind or make you ride me all night?”

Shock flares through me, then anger. Yeah, I’m sure now—it pisses me off. I glare at him in disbelief. Never in all my life has a guy been such a gentleman then an absolute douche a minute later. “You just ruined your chance, bastard!”

My hands fly out before I can stop them, and I splash punch in his face. Unfortunately, my glass slips from my fingers at the same time and falls to the floor. The crystal shatters like a bomb and the music stops. All eyes are on me, and I stare in shock, seeing Mindy staring at me, her mouth wide. My cheeks burn with embarrassment. I see Oliver turning red next to her, and I realize what I just did. Oh, my God, I just splashed punch on my best friend’s sister’s husband’s brother at her wedding!

Damn, that sounds like a line from Spaceballs.

In the silence, I quickly look around the room, grateful at least that Roxy and Jake have already left to consummate their marriage and didn't see this. Still, I’m sure they’re gonna hear about it.

“Wait!” Tony tries to stop me, but I’m not listening. I’m not even mad at him. I’m more embarrassed than anything. I turn and run from the room, hiking up my dress as I go to give myself some extra speed. I head for the door and don’t stop to look back until I’m already in my car, the engine roaring, and I’m driving away. In my rearview mirror, I see Tony in the driveway of the reception hall, and my lip curls.

Fuck that arrogant asshole.