Well, that happened.

I smile and nod at our table in the banquet hall. This time, we’re seated by my parents and some cousins in a circular table near the front. The bride and groom are seated at a small table away from everyone right next to the dance floor.

We’re already on dessert, and I’ve barely paid attention to the speeches that people have been giving, to be honest.

Liam wraps his arm around me, I smile up at him, and a feeling of warmth overcomes me. Even though it’s just an act, I love the way he takes care of me.

And in the church--wow did he take care of me.

I snuggle into him a little, and think about how if we were married, our sex life would be a non-issue.

“Haley, you’re glowing.” My mom exclaims, examining me closely.

Uh-oh. Does she detect my post-sex haze? Do I have some kind of tell?

“That’ll happen when you get out of the big city and spend some time in the country,” Liam interjects. ”I mean hey, Lake Okoboji is no Blackwell, but this lake is beautiful. I’ve gotten some sun, too. I’m really coloring in nicely.”

I smile, because Liam is apparently an immediate expert at sensing when I’m nervous around my mom, and then providing the perfect buffer with seemingly innocuous small talk. A girl could get used to this.

My mom nods. “I know what you mean.”

“You do?” I say, scrunching up my face. Liam takes his arm off from around me as the waiter comes through with our red velvet cake. I drool a little.

She nods as she picks up her fork. “Of course. That’s where I met your father. In the back hills of Appalachia when I was on a hiking trip. You know that.”

I almost choke on my red velvet cake, which tastes as delicious as it looks. I swallow it down. “You’ve never mentioned that at all. I thought you met on a business trip?”

My mom and dad glance at each other. “Well, that’s not exactly true. We were both hiking separately, and we just turned it into a trip.”

My dad pops his head into the frame. “Yeah. Although we did take care of a lot of business on that trip. If you know what I mean.”

I roll my eyes. “Eww, Dad. Gross. Why are we talking about this?”

“Honey, you asked us. It’s probably on your mind because of the speech Jack just gave about how Zack and Jade met.”

I nod. The two of them met online. Zack was basically everything Jade wanted on paper: well-to-do, from a good family, investment banker. He’s a bit of a nerd, and he’s not bad in person either.

Just my luck Zack would happen to be best friends with Jack, who is over at the ‘college friends’ table, mercifully not seated in our vicinity. And after last night, thank God that’s the case.

My mom looks over at my dad and I notice something. Yeah, they are divorced now, and that whole process left me probably irreparably damaged. But the way my mom glances at my dad, if only for a moment, makes me wonder what it was like that first week of hiking in the Appalachian mountains.

Is there a chance they were even as crazy as, say, Liam and I?

I drop my hand to Liam’s thigh and let it rest.

The man fucks, every time, like it’s his last time. At least that’s how it feels to me.

“I guess I just never knew that about you and Dad,” I shrug, wishing I could change the subject.

A few minutes later, the waiters come by to pick up our plates. The DJ taps his microphone and starts the dance party, beginning with the Daddy-daughter dance, followed by the mother-son dance, and then beginning with a solid Justin Timberlake number.

Liam pushes his chair out and stands. “Care to dance, Dagny?”

My blood runs cold, and of course my mom notices the nickname. “Who is Dagny?”

“Dagny is...a nickname,” I smile guiltily.

“What’s it from?” My dad chimes in.

“It’s a character from a great book.” Liam responds. “The main female character from Atlas Shrugged.”

“Well that’s...interesting.” My mom isn’t convinced, but before she can say any more, Liam whisks me off to the dance floor.

* * *

We spend an hour or so sweating. Getting down to the beat. We even work a little grinding into the mix. It feels great to move my body all over the dance floor, and even better to have Liam’s arms wrapped around me, and his body pressed against me. For a big guy, Liam moves pretty well. He even takes a few turns out to dance with my little cousins, and yes, my mom. She doesn’t say no to Liam giving her a couple of spins.

I step off to the side of the dance floor for a moment and see him smiling, laughing, and dancing. He’s the life of the party. In his full suit and tie, he’s devastatingly handsome, muscles bulging out of the navy blue vest. He’s part bad boy and part Hollywood.

Liam looks over at me with his trademark smirk and winks from his cheek at me.

A chill runs through me just at seeing his amber eyes, which look a little darker in the light. Why does this man do what he does to me? I glance over at Jade and notice she is staring at him, too.

Zack seems to be out of the picture for the moment.

Her eyes focus deeply, almost longingly on him.

A strange look for a woman who just married the love of her life.

I approach her from behind. “Hey stranger.” I say with a warm smile.

“What?” She snaps back, eyes bulging, almost jumping as I graze her arm.

“Oh. I just wanted to come over and say hi. We haven’t talked much tonight. How does it feel?”

She purses her lips. “Good. I feel great. So happy.” She smiles, but for some reason I’m not convinced.

“You sure nothing is up with you?”

“Yeah,” she says, “I’m totally fine. What an amazing night. Fun party.”

I squint and cock my head a little bit. What’s she hiding?

“Well if there is anything you need, just let me know okay? I know how you get when it’s time for big parties like this.”

“Yeah.” She agrees with a sigh. “I should have been a small town girl.”

“Well you can always move to somewhere like here. Or, what about Blackwell?” I joke.

Her face goes stark white. “Uh, excuse me? Why would I want to move there?” Jade’s tone is nearly accusatory.

“I don’t know,” I shrug. “Just joking around a little. It’s Liam’s town, this little tiny place in the middle of nowhere.”

“You’ve been there?”

“Yeah…” I start to say, and then remember we need to keep our story straight that we’ve only known each other in New York. “I feel like I have.” I backtrack, keeping the lie intact.

She fluffs her hair a little and eyes me suspiciously. “Oh, okay. Well, he seems like a great guy, anyway. I’m happy for you.”

“Are you?” The words shoot out of me a little harshly. I shouldn’t passive aggressively accuse my sister of not being happy for me. But it’s simply how I feel. And now it’s too late, the words are out.

“Yes,” she seethes. “I am. Why wouldn’t I be?”

“I don’t know,” I swallow. “Just kidding around.”

The last song ends abruptly and a new slow song starts up. I sway a little to the slow rhythm. Liam eyes me from across the room, points to me, and curls his fingers up in a ‘come hither’ motion.

I stop and think about what else that finger curl has the ability to do. It definitely has the ability to make me come.

I giggle at my own dirty little joke, and in an instant the thought crosses my mind, I can’t help it. What if Liam and I stayed together for longer than this week? Or, is the only reason our romance is so hot because we’ve put an expiration date on it? If we made it into something more serious, would we end up like my parents after a few years?

Calm down, woman. I can’t be thinking about something more serious. Sure, I know what Liam can do to my body, but I barely know the real him, more than the fact that he’s some sexy, blue collar mechanic who looks amazing in a suit.

On the other hand, what more do I need to know, really?

“Um, earth to Haley?” Jade repeats, and I realize she’s been talking to me for a moment while I space out.

“Oh. Sorry. What?”

“Do you mind if I steal your fiancé for one dance?” She asks. “Mine is MIA.”

Goosebumps run over my skin, and my temples burn. Suddenly, I feel the most territorial I’ve felt in years. And I’m jealous over a man I’ve known for less than a week.

But the truth is, I do not want to share him.

“Sure.” I choke. “Have at it.”

I smile, doing my damndest not to come off fake.

“Thanks Haley, you’re the best. Have I ever told you what a nice sister you are?” Her smile is genuine. More genuine than when she was on the altar today with Zack.

She crosses the dance floor, whispers something in Liam’s ear, and they start a slow dance to “All my Life” by K-Ci and JoJo.

My blood boils a little, but I push it down as I stare at them. I try to stop a scowl from overtaking my face.

Am I taking crazy pills, or are they dancing way too close?

I cross my arms and can’t help but glare at them, suddenly feeling miserable.