Linc

 

It was a night of confessions, and I couldn’t have been more thrilled with the way things went. I was glad for whatever fight Indie and Jack had that forced her to admit her feelings, because I couldn’t keep going the way I had been. It was driving me crazy watching her with Jack and not being able to tell her all the things I wanted to or hold her the way I was right then.

We were in the elevator, and Indie had her arms wrapped around my waist, head pressed to my chest. I was sure she could hear my heart beating a million times a minute. It had been since she called me a stupid ass and told me she was in love with me. It was something I had hoped would happen, but nothing could have prepared me for how I felt when she said those words.

The elevator doors opened, and she reluctantly pulled out of my arms with a sad smile and walked toward the ballroom. I liked that she was as disappointed as I was that we had to go back to acting like nothing was different once we went back into the rehearsal dinner. But we weren’t through those heavy oak doors yet.

I reached for Indie’s hand and pulled her to the corner of the hallway.

“Linc,” she shrieked when I pushed her up against the wall. If anyone was to come out, I hoped the potted plant beside us provided enough cover.

“Shh.” I brushed a strand of hair out of her face and traced her lips with a finger, watching as her mouth pulled into a smile.

“What are you doing?” Her chest was rising and falling rapidly, and there was slight pink tinge to her cheeks.

“This.” My voice was low and quiet, grazing my mouth against hers and trailing kisses along her jaw. Her lips parted, and a small sigh escaped.

“Linc,” she breathed, her tongue darting out to wet her lips, and I couldn’t resist. I slanted my mouth over hers. I wanted to devour her. I didn’t think I’d ever get sick of kissing Indie. Everything about her was perfect. The way her hands ran up my back and into my hair, pulling on my dreadlocks. The way she moaned when I pulled her bottom lip into my mouth. The way she smiled at me like I was the only person on the planet she wanted see.

“As much as I want to continue this, we’d better go.” I pulled away with a frown.

“You’re right.” Indie nodded before stepping forward and wrapping her hands around my neck, pulling me in for another kiss.

“Like kissing me, huh?” I smiled playfully.

“You have no idea.” She sighed dreamily and pushed me away, then strode toward the door. “Are you coming, stupid ass?” She shot a wink at me over her shoulder.

“We’re going to have a chat about this newfound nickname one of these days, Princess.” I scowled and pushed the door open for her.

“Whatever. You love it.” She patted me on the chest and breezed into the room as though everything was great, which I guessed it was.

For now, everything was perfect. It was when we had to sit down and tell her family we were…what were we? We hadn’t discussed it, exactly, only that it was a forever thing. So did that mean she was my girlfriend? I watched as Indie strolled over to the table where everyone was sitting. Bailey jumped up immediately and pulled her into the chair beside her, smoothing out the kinks in hair her from where my fingers were tangled only two minutes earlier. Bailey appeared to be asking a lot of questions, constantly shooting glances at me, but Indie continued to shake her head, refusing to say anything.

Nate walked over to me. “She good?”

Yeah, man, she was exquisite. “Yeah, she’s fine.”

“Good. I don’t know what happened earlier, but whatever you said, she looks happy again.”

“She and Jack broke up.” I tried to hide my elation. I didn’t know why I told him that. Maybe to gauge his reaction.

“Good. They weren’t right for each other, anyway.” He nodded and walked off.

Joining the table, I noticed Indie was talking with her parents, so I interrupted briefly to apologise for the scene we caused earlier, but they reassured me everything was fine—they were used to our outbursts. We did tend to fight a lot, but in hindsight, it was most likely more out of frustration at bottling up our feelings. At least, on my part it was.

I pulled out a chair and sat with Ryder and Brody, pouring myself a drink. Jack was sitting across from me with a curious expression on his face. His eyes kept drifting from me to Indie and back again. I knew he caught me staring at her more than once because, frankly, I couldn’t take my eyes off her now. And I didn’t want to.

“Dance with me?” Bailey suddenly asked Ryder.

“You know I don’t dance, baby.” He shook his head, eyes narrowed and lip ring pulled into his mouth. I’d come to realise that was pretty much his look all the time. Happy. Pissed off. It was always the same.

“Come on, Jones. Practice for tomorrow night.” Bailey pouted and fluttered her eyelids. Damn, she was good. I was about to offer to dance with her.

Ryder groaned. “You know I can’t say no to that face.”

“I know.” She jumped up and grabbed his hands and pulled him onto the empty dance floor.

I couldn’t help but laugh, because I knew I’d be the exact same with Indie as Ryder was with Bailey.

Whipped.

But I didn’t care, and I had a feeling he didn’t care in the slightest, either.

“Kenz, another practice run?” Nate asked, leaning on the back of my chair.

“Got nothing better to do. Just keep your hands off my ass.” She tapped his ass and followed him to the middle of the room.

“Ahh jeez. It’s my turn, isn’t it?” Brody sighed and tilted his head back to look at the ceiling.

“Looks like it.” I laughed and leaned back in my chair.

“Indie—” Brody called.

“Indie is dancing with me.” I cut him off, earning a chuckle from him and Jack. “We need to practice for tomorrow,” I said, hoping they’d believe it, but I knew they wouldn’t. Brody had figured out my feelings for Indie somewhere along the way. Hell, even Jack had figured it out, and that was before I’d met him, so I had no doubt they knew something was going on with Indie and me now. I could only hope neither of them was stupid enough to tell anyone yet.

“In?” I called down the table.

“Sure.” She kissed her parents on the cheeks and headed my way. “Keep it classy, yeah?”

“Of course. I am nothing but class.” I took her hand and led her onto the dance floor. I knew I’d be trying to find any excuse to touch her in some way from now on. But that was okay; I liked a challenge.

It was only a matter of minutes before Brody and Harper joined us, and that only left Jack sitting at the table alone. I felt bad for him. He looked bored and maybe a little down. It was hard to tell. He’d been so loud and annoying these last few days that I couldn’t tell what was really good acting or what was him.

“You should go and talk to him,” I said softly in Indie’s ear, nodding in Jack’s direction.

“Yeah, I know, but…”

“But?”

“I kind of want to stay here with you.”

My heart swelled, filling my chest. I smiled and turned her away before leaning in and whispering I’d be back in the room waiting for her. I wasn’t going to sit awkwardly and watch everyone else. I was going back to the room alone to wait for her to join me. “Go.” I gave her a gentle shove then went to say goodnight to Leanne and Steve, who said they were leaving as well.

Shouting a goodbye to everyone else, I left the ballroom and took the lift to the eighth floor.

I had a shower to freshen up and make sure I smelled good when Indie returned. I wanted to impress her.

She called me “stupid ass.”

I ordered a bottle of wine because my nerves were getting the best of me, and I didn’t know how to handle that. I’d never been nervous around her before.

She loved me.

I sat on the balcony, the fresh air calming me down a little and clearing my mind. There was nothing to be nervous about.

I was in love with her.

I paced the room restlessly. I didn’t like waiting. What if she was having second thoughts?

No, she was in love with me.

I checked Indie’s room.

Where was she?

I lay on the bed.

She was coming back, right?

I went back into her room, grabbed her suitcase and all the things from her bathroom, and brought them back into my room.

She had to come back.

And then there was a knock at the door.

She was back.

I rushed over, smoothed my hands over my hair, adjusted my pants, and opened the door, expecting to see Indie. I frowned. It was Jack.

“Can we talk?” he asked.

“Sure, I guess.” I stepped aside to let him in.

He gripped the neck of my t-shirt, twisting it between his fingers, and shoved me against the wall. What the hell was his problem?

“I’m going to say this once, and only once,” he seethed in my face.

I nodded. I believed he was serious and knew I would have done the same thing had the roles been reversed. Hell, I had done the same thing. Numerous times over the years.

“You hurt her, and I’ll cut your balls off and use them for golf practice,” he said. “Understand?”

“Understood.” I nodded.

Jack smiled, released his grip on my shirt, and patted me on the chest. “He’s all yours, baby cakes,” he called over his shoulder.

Indie walked into the room with a nervous expression on her face. “Thanks.”

“Anything for you.” He kissed her on the cheeks and fluffed her hair before turning to me. “Oh, and one more thing.”

“What?” I was unsure if I really wanted to know.

“How do you rate her kisses?”

“Jack!” Indie groaned.

“Rate her kisses?” I crossed my arms over my chest.

“Yes, from an A-plus to an F. Like school,” He grinned excitedly.

Indie covered her face with her hands and sank to the floor.

I didn’t know where he was going with that question and why she looked so mortified, but I intended to answer truthfully.

“Because I gave her a solid C,” he declared. “What about you?”

He gave her a C? A C? He couldn’t be serious. Indie’s kisses were so much more than a C. They made my knees weak and my pulse race. They had me wishing I could kiss her forever. Indie’s kisses were definitely an “A-fucking-plus. Her kisses are ace.”

Indie’s head shot up, and she stared at me wide-eyed.

“Wow, she’s really improved. Just remember, I taught her everything she knows.” Jack grinned widely and walked into the hallway. My fists clenched, and I may have growled. “You can thank me later,” he sang as he walked down the hall.

“He didn’t teach me. I swear we only kissed those few times that you saw. That’s all.” Indie jumped to her feet in an effort to explain.

“Shut up,” I said and kicked the door closed.

“Linc?” Her eyes were wide, fearful.

She shouldn’t be afraid. For every step I took forward, she moved back one, until she hit the wall.

“I want to know every single place he kissed you. I want to know every part of your body he touched. I want to know everything.” I placed my hands on the wall beside her head.

“Linc?” Her pout drew into a frown.

“You’re mine. I’m going to kiss you until Jack’s kisses are nothing more than a black hole in your memory. I’m going to feel you, caress you, whisper across your skin until Jack’s touch is erased from your body entirely. Do you understand?” I kept my tone even, letting my lips graze her ear, relishing the fact she shivered from my words alone.

“Y-y-yes.”