Chapter Thirteen
A final glance in the mirror before the ceremony told Ellie that her mask was in place—she looked completely composed, calm and ready to celebrate the happiest moment of her brother’s life.
Inside, though? That was a completely different story. Inside, a hollow ache had settled in the place where her heart usually resided.
Neither of them had said the words, but she wasn’t an idiot. This thing between her and Nate, she wasn’t the only one who didn’t want it to end. And while part of her wanted to go running straight into his arms, the rest of her—the sane, rational part—kept reminding her that was a very bad idea.
No matter his feelings for her now, Nate lived the lifestyle of the rich and the famous. They might have a connection. But would those feelings last once they were away from the intimacy of this weekend? Once they’d left the nostalgia of their pasts behind and entered the real world? His world?
She’d deliberately avoided him before the ceremony, knowing he’d try to pin her down and get inside her head, and she just… she needed some time to think.
Ellie tried to push Nate from her mind as she watched her brother and Meredith exchange vows in front of family and friends. Her brother, who had once been completely against everything that marriage stood for, had happiness radiating from every cell of his body.
Ellie was so delighted for them that it hurt. At least, that was what she told herself the pain was. It certainly couldn’t have been because she wanted the same thing—and wanted it with the one man who would never be able to give it to her.
As Chase and Meredith were pronounced husband and wife, and Chase dipped the redhead low for a kiss, Ellie dared to sneak a peek at Nate. To her dismay, he wasn’t looking at her, but rather scanning the crowd, and her heart quickly thudded to the floor.
The loud honk of an instrument jolted her from her mood. Startled, she looked out over the crowd to find a young man in a tuxedo standing, a… was that a trombone? Yes, a trombone to his mouth. Ellie had forgotten all about Nate’s gift for the bride and groom. She hadn’t really processed what he’d been explaining to Chase earlier.
Eyes wide, Ellie glanced at Meredith. The event planner was no bridezilla, but she was a bit of a control freak, and this was definitely not what the schedule had pencilled in for recessional music.
A woman with long curly red hair and a saxophone joined the trombone player. Then another woman with a flute. Ellie couldn’t hold back her gasp when the electric guitar kicked in and she realized that they were playing a Beatles song—recreating a scene from the movie Love Actually, which was one of Meredith’s favorites. A full band, a vocalist, a choir, recreated the movie scene in every detail.
All this, just for his best friend and bride. Ellie knew that the money wouldn’t even factor into the notion, but the whole idea—it was so awesomely Nate. The man he rarely let anyone see.
Tearing her stare away from Meredith, who was gasping delightedly in the middle of the aisle, Ellie dared take a look at Nate. This time he was looking right back at her, and the expression on his face made her heart swell.
He mouthed something to her, and she squinted to make it out—she’d never been able to see as well with her contacts as with her glasses. When she finally understood, she felt that strange flip in her belly again.
“Tell me what you want.”
His stare held hers until the moment they had to walk back down the aisle, Harper with Nate, Ellie with Gavin and Kate with Lucas. But as she pasted a smile on her face for photos, she knew, with complete clarity, what she wanted, or rather who.
She wanted more than just this weekend with Nate. The question was, was she brave enough to reach out with both hands? And, if she did, would she get what she wanted?
Or would she end the weekend picking up the pieces of her broken heart?
* * *
Nate knew that he hadn’t misunderstood the longing that crossed Ellie’s face just before the bridal party was shepherded back down the aisle. He also knew just what the nerves that quickly followed meant.
They’d had a magical couple of days, but even though she trusted him with her body, she was still leery of him with her heart. The fact that she was nowhere to be found by the time he and Harper finished their walk had him clenching his jaw in frustration.
Damn it. His past, how he’d been raised, and the dating life he’d chosen up until now, was not the sum total of who he was. Why couldn’t she see that?
“Not that I’m in the habit of insulting a pretty face, but you might want to try smiling.” Kate, the bridesmaid with the blue streak in her hair, took a place against the wall beside him, straightening the strap of her dress, which was the same amethyst as Ellie’s. “You’re going to scare the guests.”
“Aren’t you a sweet talker.” He eyed the woman beside him warily. She hadn’t made a move on him all weekend, but since he’d acquired his fortune, well, he’d learned that women could be sneaky.
“Relax, cowboy. I’m not after whatever it is you’ve got in those pants of yours.” Her fingers tucked a stray strand of blue behind her ear. “Though I’m sure that it’s mighty fine. At least, Ellie thinks so, doesn’t she?”
Nate grunted, automatically looking around for Chase. Truth be told, he would have been happy to shout his feelings for Ellie to the world. She, however, would have been less than pleased to have her brother informed of the down and dirty sex that she’d been having with Nate. Especially on his wedding day.
“Don’t worry, your secret’s safe with me.” Kate grinned, then reached for Nate’s hand. She slapped a key card into it. “But you might be interested in knowing that your little blonde is currently upstairs decorating the honeymoon suite. The bride and groom won’t be up there for hours.”
“Why are you doing this?” Nate eyed the card suspiciously. In his world, people didn’t do favors for nothing.
“Well, she seemed like she was in an awful hurry to get away from you. And I like to stir the pot.” Kate smirked, shrugging a shoulder covered with dancing swirls of bright ink. “I also really don’t want to decorate the honeymoon suite.” Nate couldn’t help it; he barked out a laugh. For just once, he decided to take a gift at face value.
“Thank you.” But Kate was already gone, winding through the crowd on her way to… Gavin. And the ex-soldier was watching her approach with a curious mixture of terror and delight on his face.
Well, that would be interesting. Almost interesting enough to make Nate want to stick around and watch the fireworks.
But then he thought of Ellie, her shoulders bared in that pretty silk dress, her eyes shadowed with something smoky, making them look even more passionate than usual as he brought her to climax.
His no-sex promise to himself was clearly giving her way too much time to think. Overthink, in fact. So for his next plan of attack?
He couldn’t make her say all she wanted was him. But he wouldn’t go down without a good fight. And even if it was all for nothing, he’d make damn sure that when Ellie looked back on this weekend, she’d never forget Nate Archer.