Violet

I allowed this stubborn man remove my shirt and touch me. Did somebody drop me on my head when I was a baby? I mean, the attraction is undeniable, but still, that’s not how one-night stands go. If that’s what this is. What is this, anyway? And coming to my rescue outside—very gallant but very unnecessary. I can handle myself. It was cute, though, and worth it to see him without a shirt. Now we’re even.

It’s strange that we would bump into each other—literally—twice in the same day. And Mom was right about him being a Marine and being hot. This Major is incredibly self-confident. there is no question about who is in control when I’m around him. He oozes sex appeal with his lean muscles and his tanned, clean-shaven square jaw. His tight ass isn’t hard to look at either. In fact, I have half a notion to point him in the wrong direction so he takes the long route to our table, but I don’t. Why is that?

Major Steele could be the guy on the Marine posters that say The Few. The Proud. The Marines.

When he’s almost to the wedding party’s table, I tap him on the shoulder and point to my large group of friends and family.

“Hey, Vie! We were getting ready to send out a rescue party,” Mattie yells, and then he adds, “Who is your friend?”

“This is Major Steele. We had a little run-in on the dance floor and he insisted on helping me carry my drinks.

“Again? That’s not a coincidence. That’s fate, you two,” Mom calls from the end of the table.

Taye stands up and offers his hand to Major when I introduce him as Major Steele.

“It’s nice to meet you, Major Steele, sir.”

Sawyer shakes his hand, and the other Marines in the group follow suit until everyone has been properly greeted.

“So you two have met before?” Taye asks after offering the Major a seat.

“We found each other at Target this afternoon,” Major says, emphasizing the word found.

“He ran into me and made me drop all my stuff,” I say as we sit down next to each other. I wait for him to take the bait, but he surprises me with an apology instead.

“I wasn’t looking where I was going. Sorry about that.”

“He’s just being nice. Vie ran smack into him in the aisle, and her razors and soap went flying all over the place,” Mom yells. She’s drunk. I’m thinking someone should cut her off, but unfortunately, I’ve just brought her another red velvet martini, so scratch that idea. I hope I won’t be holding her hair later while she hurls into the hotel toilet.

The waitress appears out of nowhere and takes orders for another round of drinks. When she returns, she addresses Major as Major Steele and adjusts his glass in a very specific location, two inches above the tips of his fingers and to the right. It’s clear they have an unspoken communication going on when she places the glass down and she indiscreetly looks back and forth between the glass and Major several times until he nods. I guess she got it right. How unusual.

“Your organizational skills didn’t go unnoticed, by the way. I don’t know how you categorized and color-coded my things in two seconds,” I say.

“I’ve had a lot of practice.”

Major Steele places his hand on my knee under the table, and I am genuinely embarrassed at how fast I uncross my legs and allow him to slide his rough palm further up my thigh.

My insides started buzzing the second we collided on the dance floor. And then in the bathroom, he set my skin on fire when he touched me. Now he’s playing with my mind, being polite and sweet while turning on a hot faucet between my legs under the table.

I try to follow along with the different conversations. I even throw a word or two in once in a while when it seems appropriate, but my thoughts are completely focused on his hand between my legs. His fingers caress the inside of my thigh, his thumb moving lazily back and forth across my skin—all of it has me in a trance.

I hear Taye’s voice ask a question, but I don’t know whom it’s directed to or exactly what he’s said until all eyes are on me.

“I’m sorry, Taye, what did you ask?”

He chuckles and Major smiles. He knows I can’t answer, because his fingers just got dangerously close to my damp panties and I have my hand wrapped around his wrist, keeping him from going any further. He has me so turned on, it wouldn’t take much to make me come right here at the table.

“I asked if you were going to bring Major Steele to the wedding as your date. You two really seem to like each other,” he says, shifting his eyes to my lap and back to mine so quickly no one else would have noticed . . . no one but Major, and he’s loving this.

“Oh, well uh . . . I don’t know. We just met and all. He probably doesn’t want to go to a wedding where he doesn’t know anybody, including the bride and groom.”

“Not true. He’s a Marine. We’re family, and it’s a military wedding. I’m sure he knows a lot of people who will be there.”

Taye smiles triumphantly and everybody at the table agrees with him. I’m basically obligated to ask him to the wedding now. I slide his hand off my lap and lace my fingers through his to keep him from moving it back. When I turn to ask him to the wedding, the look on his face is smug. I wouldn’t be surprised if a feather came floating from his lips. This man looks like the cat that ate the canary.

“Would you like to accompany me to my brother’s best friend’s wedding this upcoming Saturday?” I ask with sugary sweetness.

“I would love to,” he answers, and the table erupts into a chorus of whoops and hollers.

He leans close to me, nuzzling into my hair, and says, “They love me.”

Cocky bastard.