The bartender hands me another crystal flute, and I guzzle it, just like the four others sitting in front of me. Pretty impressive, considering we were taking family pictures up until twenty minutes ago. My vision is a little fuzzy, but not enough to miss the tall, skinny blonde bitch pawing at Jeff. I narrow my eyes. Does she have to press her huge fake boobs into his chest while laughing like some ditzy teenager? I slam the delicate glass on the bar. Goddammit! I did this. Me.

Despite what I know, I can’t walk away from him. I did something really stupid. A livelihood-crusher. I fell in love with Jeff, craving him with every inch of my being. He’s my crack. One taste, and I was never the same again. But the withdrawal is agonizing, and I’ve crumbled a few times too many. Each time, I swore it would be the last, just like I did last night.

I can’t seem to drag myself away from the one person who, in the most unlikely of circumstances, has actually made me feel something. And it hurts like hell, knowing I can’t have what I so desperately want.

I thought this promotion was it for me. I was wrong. So very wrong. And now my hands are tied. Not in the good way, either.

“Looks like you could use another.” A husky voice startles me out of my salacious thoughts.

A tall, handsome guy grins at me and sticks out a hand. “Tanner Matthews.”

I force a smile. “Nice to meet you, Tanner. And yes-s, you’re right. I can definitely use another.” Shit, I just slurred. Not good. I grip the edge of the bar. My eyes scour the crowd, hoping for another glimpse of Jeff because not even Adonis himself could pry my fixation off that juicy forbidden fruit. Have I mentioned how very screwed I am?

Tanner waves his hand at the bartender and orders another round for us. He turns back to me, his eyes raking over my body, which admittedly, is a bit too tightly crammed into this mermaid-style thing Eva has us all wearing. Blech.

He hands me a full flute. “So, you’re alone. That’s a shame, but maybe we can do something about that.”

Mid-gulp and woozy as I am, the innuendo impales me like a hot poker. “What makes-s you think I want to do anything about it?”

He leans in closer, and the stale scent of scotch has me clutching my midsection. “I’ve been to enough weddings to know how things work. Single, hot girls revved up on booze and starry-eyed under the magical spell of love and romance, all with the intent of getting laid.”

I choke on my next attempt to gulp the remaining champagne, and bubbles spew from my nose. Damn, that burns.

“Aha. So I caught you.” Tanner’s gaze morphs into something decidedly more like a leer. “You can be honest. That’s why you were hanging out here by yourself. I can read the signs.” He sweeps a hand through his longish blond hair, and the dimples that should have made him irresistible were now just placeholders for the areas where I wanted to land my punches.

This guy’s slime is just oozing from every crevice. I’ll need a scalding hot shower, bleach, and a wire brush to scrub off the lingering stink of douchebag. I narrow my eyes, trying to kill him with my mind, but darn it, he’s still wearing that shit-eating grin. Could he be any more disgusting and lewd? “I’m pretty s-sure you can’t, s-since the one plastered on my forehead clearly s-says Fuck Off.”

He chuckles. Really? Like this is supposed to be some twisted game of cat and mouse? “I’m a glutton for punishment, I guess. I like a challenge.”

I clench my fingers around the glass, pretending the stem is his neck. “Well, s-since you 100% make me want to throw up in my mouth, I’d have to s-say I don’t agree.”

He leans closer, the scent of spice swirling around my nostrils. Yep, I’m definitely about to hurl. Any person who can take the delicious essence of Prada and turn it into something so noxious is one to be avoided at all costs.

“I’m a fun guy, I promise. Come on, let’s go find a coat closet, and I’ll prove it to you.”

My mouth drops open. I’ll admit it, being propositioned by a guy whom I’ve told, in no uncertain terms, that he makes me physically ill is foreign to me. “I think you’ve already demonstrated everything I need to know.”

“It’s too bad you feel that way. There are a lot of things I’d like to learn about you.” He tugs at one of the loose curls skimming my shoulder. I recoil as if his fingers were lit matches.

“Oh yeah? Here’s a tip. If I tell you to fuck off, it doesn’t mean try harder, dickhead.”

Tanner’s face hardens, his eyes spitting fire. What a dumbass. Pretty, but so fucking dense. I turn, ready to flounce away in a sea of pink tulle, but my body doesn’t obey. Damned spiky heel is caught in the hem of my gown. The delicate fabric tears, the ripping sound making me cringe. I stumble into a waiter carrying a tray of champagne. Well, that was what he was carrying before the crystal flutes rocket into the air, contents splashing all over me – my hair, my face, and my dress. Mother eff! Cold liquid seeps into the thin fabric, and I let out a yelp right before my ass plants on the dark wine-colored carpet. The corners of Tanner’s lips curl upward into a wicked smirk. Karma. Shit.

One quick peek is all I need to confirm that my rock-hard nipples in my soaking wet dress are on display to anyone casting a curious glance. I fling my arm over my chest, blocking the pervert’s view. Tanner takes a step closer, his eyes glued to my chest. “I think I’ve just learned something new. And me likey.” He holds out a hand.

I glare at the offending appendage. As if I wanted that slime ball to touch me. Bad enough his eyes have already assaulted me one too many times. “I wouldn’t touch that hand if you—“

Strong arms loop under my arms, lifting me. I kick my leg out to free it from the bottom of my gown. I spin around, and Jeff’s dark eyes are rooting me to the spot. I allow myself to get yanked into the depths, happily held captive, praying that nobody tries to rescue me. But it only lasts for one fleeting second until he averts his gaze. It’s abrupt, and my body instantly feels the loss of his attention. “Were you just going to stand there and watch?” He growls at Tanner.

“Oh my God, Ari! Are you okay?” Eva rushes over to me. “What happened?”

“I tripped trying to get away from this s-sleaze ball,” I slur, pointing to Tanner. His previously tanned face now looks a little bit paler.

Eva narrows her eyes at him. “I don’t believe we’ve met.”

“Oh, um, I’m, uh, one of your husband’s fraternity brothers.” He sticks out his hand. “Tanner.”

“Ohh, the fraternity.” She cocks an eyebrow. “Interesting, you know, since my husband went to Fordham, and they don’t have fraternities there.”

I can see Tanner’s Adam’s apple bob in his throat. Busted! “You’re a fucking wedding crasher?” I screech. I lunge for him, but Jeff holds me back. Even after all the booze I’ve consumed, desire zips through me like a bolt of electricity.

“N-no, I just…” He backs away, holding up his hands. “Listen, I don’t want any trouble.”

“I think I might want some.” Jeff steps closer toward him.

“I-I think this is a big misunderstanding.” Tanner looks around and laughs. “You know what? I’m at the wrong reception.”

Jeff grasps his arm and pulls him toward the exit. “I’ll make sure you find your way to the right one.”

Eva’s lips curl into a smile. Her eyes sparkle with something I don’t recognize. Or maybe it’s because I’ve downed about five flutes of champagne in less than half an hour and can’t really decipher what the hell the look is trying to tell me. “Thanks, Jeff. I’ll take her back to the suite to get cleaned up.”

I wave my hands at her. “S-stop. I’m a big girl. I can take care of myself. This-s is-s your wedding.”

“Ari, give me a break. You’re a disaster! Exactly how much have you had to drink?”

A clipped voice invades my eardrums as my mother sidles toward us. Disapproval drips from her collagen-injected lips, but her face remains impassive, courtesy of all the Botox. She links her arm with mine and casts a wistful glance at Jeff. What the fuck was that? “Such a delicious specimen of a man. I certainly hope he won’t be gone too long.“

“Seriously, Mom?” Eva rolls her eyes as we walk out of the reception.

My mouth is bone-dry and all I can taste is the heavy cloud of perfume shadowing my mother’s every move.

“Did Jeff bring a date? I didn’t notice anyone with him. Perhaps I’ll invite him back to my suite after the reception.” Angeline lets out a throaty laugh and my hands itch at my sides, begging to bitch-slap my mother.

“Mom, give it a rest.” Eva pushes open the door to the bridal suite.

“What? You think he’s too young for me? Would that embarrass you, Eva?” Angeline settles onto the plush sofa and pulls out a tube of lip gloss from her beaded clutch bag.

“Yes, it would. It’s bad enough that the bimbo otherwise known as Bobbie is my age, for chrissakes.” Eva scurries into the bathroom and returns with a hair dryer. She plugs it in and hands it to me. “Get to work. Your headlights are still on, but the dryer will take care of that little situation.”

I collapse into a chair and point the hot air directly at my chest as my mother continues her tirade against Boobie. I mean, Bobbie.

“She’s completely over processed and can probably park cars in her vagina.”

“Ahh! Mom, please! I don’t need to hear that word from you, okay?” Eva flashes me a grin as she pushes our mother out the door. “Ari, you’re good. Don’t be too long. You have to catch the bouquet.”

What a joke. I’m not the girl who catches bouquets at weddings. I’m the one who runs from them, and Eva knows it. She just doesn’t know the real reason why.

A few minutes later, the door creaks open and my eyes meet Jeff’s in the mirror. I choke on a gasp and leap to my feet, nearly lassoing my ankles with the extra-long hair dryer cord. “What the hell are you doing in here? Did anyone see you?”

“Relax. I was careful. Now tell me why you’re avoiding me. Because if I haven’t given you enough proof of it, I’m pretty damn persistent. I won’t leave you alone until you tell me what’s going on. Last night, I told you I loved you and you said you loved me. What the hell has changed, Ari? Were you lying to me? If it’s too fast, I get it. We’ll slow down. But I want you, and I’m not going anywhere.”

I cover my face with my hands because I can’t bear to look him in the eye. God, I’m so tired of the lies, but I have no choice but to let them choke me. “You don’t get it! This was never supposed to happen! If I let things go any further…”

“You’ll actually be happy. We’ll both be happy. How can that be bad?”

If he only knew. But he’s coming dangerously close to finding out just how horrible this will become, and all my attempts to derail the inevitable will have gone up in flames, singeing me in the process. I’m out of options and almost out of time.

He pulls me against his muscular chest, arms enveloping me into a tight embrace. His fingers are busy working the zipper of my dress until it pools at my ankles, leaving me naked, save for an almost nonexistent G-string.

“Do you want me to fuck you, Ari? Do you want to feel my hard dick throbbing inside you again? Last night wasn’t enough for you, was it, baby? Tell me to fuck you, and I’ll make sure you never try to leave again.”

No, no, no!

His fingers loop into the waistband of the scrap of fabric remaining on my body, and with a flick of his wrist, it’s ripped away, torn from the place that aches for his taste and his touch. A place inflamed with a passion only he can quell.

Oh, screw it.

Yes, yes, yes!

I yank off his jacket and pull off his bow tie. He looks so hot in that tux, but now I want him naked, pressed against me, feeling his throbbing dick rocket me to a universe where I don’t care about tomorrow or any day afterward. I fumble with his belt buckle and let out a loud gasp when his thick fingers plunge into my slick opening. Two, and then three, slide inside of me, rubbing against my swollen clit. They tease and tantalize, the motions increasing in intensity along with my breathing, and dammit, I can’t focus on anything but the euphoria seeping into every cell, demanding control of my entire being. “Oh God, Jeff.” I pant. “Grab my ass and fuck me now. I want to feel you.”

He unfastens his pants and shoves them to his knees along with his boxer briefs. I press my hands into the small of his back, my thighs quivering when his perfect pink cock grazes the delicate skin between them. I need him. Now.

We tumble onto the couch, me on my back, legs wrapped tightly around his waist. My body beckons - aching, dripping, desperate. My breaths are sharp and shallow, my heart rate off the charts. Hooded chocolate-colored eyes penetrate my soul, momentarily stripping me of my protests and my fears, telling me things I claim I don’t want to hear. I’m a liar. But he doesn’t know that. There are so many things he doesn’t know.

But none of that matters in this moment. The second his lips crash against mine, I’m done. Over. Ruined for anyone else.

I drink him in, his whiskey-tinged breath sweet against my tongue. The coiling warmth of his mouth surges through me, heating my core, igniting the flames of passion deep within my being. His hair is so thick and soft, my fingers tangle in it, pulling and tugging the dark strands with silent pleas for more.

He grips my ass and pushes into me, stretching my walls with his thickness. He lets out a deep groan, stopping all movement once he is deep inside, and I can feel his cock pulsate as my body tightens around him. His grasp on my ass loosens and his fingers graze the tight rim of muscle between my cheeks. Ripples of pleasure crash over me when he plunges a finger into my heat. It burns, but God, it feels fucking amazing. I shudder and clench down as he finger-fucks me and drives his cock deeper. He thrusts harder and harder and my hips buck against him, begging for everything he has to give. Tingling sensations erupt into a full-on explosion, torching every nerve ending and lighting my insides ablaze, setting of all-consuming flames that can never be extinguished, no matter how much I try.

I squeeze my eyes shut as the orgasm rips through me, blinding white lights dancing behind my lids, illuminating me with the knowledge that I, as well as my heart, already possesses.

I love this man, and I can’t be without him.

A wicked grin captures his lips, tugging them upward. “So, did I do my job? Are you still leaving?”

My chest tightens, but I force a breathless giggle and push him off me. “No, but you are, before someone comes in here. You didn’t even lock the door!”

“I don’t care who knows.” The pads of his fingertips stroke the side of my cheek. He pulls me off the couch, fingers dancing up and down my torso. I shiver against him, tilting my head up for one more kiss, one more reason to torture myself. “Don’t be long. It’s almost time to cut the cake.”

“Okay.” I grab a few tissues to clean myself before shimmying back into my dress. I watch him button his shirt, his chest muscles flexing under the starched white fabric. His hair is mussed, and his eyes, which are focused squarely on me, are glittering with desire waiting to be unleashed.

“That was only a taste, Ari.” He shrugs on his jacket. “Just wait until the main course.”

“I can’t wait. I’m starving.” I smirk, tossing him the bow tie. How quickly he can make me forget my real objective. “Now, go!”

A pang assaults my heart, as the door slams shut. It’s the feeling I get every time I leave his arms. The one tormenting me now because I know his arms are not going to be available for much longer. And even if they are, they certainly won’t want me in them.

I grab my makeup bag and survey my appearance in the mirror. I stick a few bobby pins into my formerly-tight chignon and sweep some lip gloss across my swollen lips. The door clicks open, and I smile at my reflection. “Couldn’t wait for the main course, huh?” I spin around and let out a yelp. “Eva!”

“Expecting someone else?”

“Um, no, I just…I was only…my makeup…uh…” Words tumble around in my mouth, getting all jumbled until I just stop speaking. I hold up the tube, hoping it will serve as some explanation.

Eva sidles toward me, a knowing smile plastered across her shiny pink lips. She plucks the tube from my fingers and folds her arms. “Ari, my dear sweet sister, tell me something. Exactly how long have you been fucking my father-in-law?”

Oh, Christ.

Yeah, and guess what, Eva? That’s not even the worst part. How I’m going to tell you about my real job and my real life? I have no fucking clue. “What the hell are you talking about?” That’s right. Play dumb, because she only came in here on a hunch, right?

She narrows her eyes and inches toward me. Her fingers start pointing everywhere. “You have sex hair, your lipstick is all over your face, your cheeks are flushed like you’ve just been fucked up against a wall, and…” Her lips curl into a grin and she points to the floor next to the couch. “I believe those are your panties, right? The ones you bought when we went shopping that day? I got the same ones, remember?”

Mother eff! The FBI could really use Eva for evidence gathering. It’s why she’s so freaking good at her job as a defense attorney. If she knows what end result she’s after, she’ll find anything she can to support her case.

So I’m pretty much screwed.

I let out a deep sigh and press my fingers to my temples.

Her grin widens. “But all of those reasons are just the icing on the cake. I saw you come out of his room the morning after the cocktail party. I saw him reach for you when you were about to turn down that hallway, and I saw you kiss.”

“How is that even possible?” I gasp. “I was so careful—“

“Not careful enough to look around before you let him stick his tongue down your throat.”

“Eva…” I stop, because what can I say? This whole thing is a complete mess. Yes, I’m crazy about Jeff, but he’s about to go back to prison…because of me. And he has no idea I’ve been conspiring against him. And nobody knows who I really am, so I can’t talk about any of it! Sometimes I seriously think I need a fucking therapist. At least then, I could pay somebody to talk to me, somebody who’d have to keep my shit confidential by law, somebody who would give me advice about how to handle these types of situations without giving myself a stroke.

“Are you just fucking him, or is it more?” Her voice softens.

Tears spring to my eyes. “It’s more,” I murmur. “But it’s bad, E. It can’t go on. Things are too complicated. Messy. We shouldn’t have started in the first place.”

“Hey, it’s okay. You can’t always plan everything out perfectly. Sometimes, things are harder than you’d thought they’d be, but in the end, they turn out to be more worthwhile than you’d ever hoped. But you never really know it until you give it a shot.”

She makes it sound so simple. And in another life, maybe she’d be right. “Please don’t tell anyone, okay?” I sniffle and grab a tissue, blotting my eyes so the eye makeup doesn’t run down my face. “I’m still trying to figure things out.”

With a quick hug, she nods. “Of course. But I have to say, I am so freaking excited! He’s such a great guy, and hot as hell, too. Whore.” She winks and twirls around, her gown spinning out around her.

I try not to smile, but it’s impossible. I’m in love, and as inconvenient as it is, it does feel good.

My iPhone blares from within my clutch bag. I fumble around inside of it and furrow my brows. Unknown number. Shoot. I slip on my shoes and give Eva a quick kiss on the cheek. “I have to take this. It’s work.” Nobody ever questions that excuse. Celebrities can get themselves into serious trouble at any hour of the day or night if the photogs are watching.

“Okay!”

I hurry out of the bridal suite and peer up and down the dimly lit hallway. I hit the Accept button on my phone and make a right, heading away from the reception and anyone who might be wandering around in a drunken daze. “Nate, what’s going on?” I whisper into the phone.

“Ari, we have a problem. I’m just calling to alert you. Conlon tried to flee the country last night before we made our move. Our agents were watching, and we tailed him to the airport where he was about to board his private plane. He was headed to Grand Cayman.”

“Dammit! This wasn’t supposed to happen! You weren’t supposed to move in until Monday!”

“I know, it’s not ideal, but we couldn’t let him get away. So we took him in, using the pictures of Santana Hayes as bait. We may have told him we have evidence of his other underage indiscretions.”

“Shit,” I grumble. “What did he say? Did you get anything out of him? The whole point of this meeting on Monday was for me to get Kate talking so we can nab them both!”

“There is no Monday meeting, Ari. He told us everything, and we validated it all - the plans to empty that pension account and transfer the money into your company’s name for laundering, the other companies he’s stolen from, and Kate’s involvement in all of it, including how she bribed officials at the FBI to fire Jeff.”

“Holy shit. We really did it.”

“Yeah, but there is one issue, which is why I’m calling. Agents are on their way. The guys we have on site will stay put for now, until the team arrives. We need to take Kate down, today…now.”

“Why? She’s at her son’s wedding, for chrissakes! What can she possibly do here? You really think she’s going to try to escape? Conlon can’t contact her if he’s in custody. I’ll keep my eyes on her. We can wait. Please don’t do this now, Nate.”

Nate sighs. “We have no choice. We can’t take any chances that she’ll escape after the wedding. If she tries to get to Conlon and can’t, who the hell knows what she’ll do? We have enough on her right now to indict. She’s not stupid. There’s a reason why she’s gotten away with this for so long.”

“But if we stay on top of her—“

“You can’t. It’s too risky. Besides, the decision has been made. Within minutes, the team will be on the ground. I’m sorry.”

An icy sensation slithers around my heart and squeezes. “What about Jeff?”

Nate lets out a sigh. “He’s in violation of his parole. They’re going to take him back to Nevada. I tried to get him exonerated, but the Deputy Director won’t budge. Evidently, they had some issues back when Jeff was an agent, ones the Deputy isn’t willing to overlook. Besides, we all know he was conspiring to commit fraud, regardless of his motive.”

My throat is tight, and all of the delicious fluttering in my belly from only moments ago has been replaced with waves of nausea. I feel like I’m going to be sick. “What about my cover? It’ll be blown.” It’s the weakest defense I have, but it’s all that comes out of my mouth as I try to process how my entire life will be in shambles within minutes.

“None of this is ideal, but we have to take the opportunities we’re given. You’ve done everything you could have with this investigation, Ari. I know it’s been difficult, but you’ve gone above and beyond to take down the bad guys. I can’t tell you what will happen tomorrow, but we’ll figure it out. Right now, you need to keep focus on the task at hand. We need to stop Kate before she hurts anyone else.”

“Okay,” I whisper, a lump the size of a golf ball forming in my throat.

“We’ll talk later. Stay on Kate.” Click.

My hand drops to my side and I lean back against the wall, eyes squeezed shut. I have to do something, but what? Do I tell Jeff to run? Do I find Eva and Damon and clue them in before anything happens? Do I find Kate and distract her until the Feds crash this beautiful wedding? Or, do I run back to the bridal suite and hide in the bathroom until this nightmare is over?

Time out! That would be fucking pathetic. Tempting, but so very sad. No, I have to act. The problem is, there are too many things I should do and not enough time to do any of them.

“Who the hell were you on the phone with, and why were you talking about me and Kate?”

My eyes fly open and I gasp. “Jeff!”

His dark eyes narrow, his face twisted into a look of disgust. “Why don’t you tell me what the fuck is really going on, Ariana?”