Page 48 of Beyond the Fame

While those two are getting their hair done, I'm placed into a chair next to them for makeup.

We're all done after about three hours, so we have a late lunch delivered to the bridal suite, then we head down to the beach to pose for an endless number of pictures. Pictures of Ginger and Lana... Ginger, Lana, and me... Lana and me... Lana, me, and Gram. Someone even took the camera to shoot a few pictures of Eloise with us all. Then the wedding planner shooed us back inside to the bridal suite so they could bring the groom and groomsmen out for their round of pictures. After the ceremony, we’ll all return to the beach for group photos before the sun fully sets.

My heart thunders in my chest, anticipating seeing Jensen. It always beats wildly when I think about that man. It aches just a little after our eyes meet and an emotion I can’t quite understand crosses his face.

I always thought it was hate.

Now I’m not so sure. Now I wonder if he even hated me at all.

I never hated him. I hated how he’d open up to me, show me he cared, then take it all away. I hated when he pushed me away. All I ever wanted was for him to be that man in the bathroom that day over four and a half years ago.

We’ve been in this battle of false hatred, and I'm done. Now I want to fight for him not with him. Because he needs to know that there are people who see him, who want him, who need him. I just wonder if he’ll let me… if he won’t shut me out like he typically does.

After thirty minutes, the men are done with their pictures. The wedding planner herds us back downstairs, through the lobby, and outside to the beach where the ceremony is taking place.

The guests are in place, the decorations immaculate yet simple. Bruno stands at a white arch decorated in colorful tiger lilies, blue cornflowers for the national flower of Germany, and rose gold ribbons. I have a feeling those lilies were Lana’s idea. It's her favorite flower.

The sun is on its way to setting, making for a magical background as we line up at the back.

I stand ahead of Lana, fidgeting on my feet. My heart jumps when I hear Mylan’s voice behind me, praising how sexy his girlfriend looks in her dress.

Because that means...

A wave of amber, honey, and citrus hits me before his voice.

“Fuck,” Jensen whispers as he joins me at my side.

“Like what you see?” I tease.

He doesn’t answer, so I turn to look at him. His eyes explore my body—down my chest and the chiffon fabric of the long rose quartz dress where it hugs my hips and ass. He reaches out a hand and brushes his fingertips over his mark on my neck—now covered with makeup—then he snags the dress’s spaghetti strap, stroking his fingertip back and forth, until I'm blushing and my nipples pucker.

Lana clears her throat behind us, and we straighten, but not before I check out Jensen’s plump ass. He’s wearing black slacks, a white long-sleeved dress shirt, black suspenders, and a black bow tie. I bite my lip and hide my smile behind the bouquet of flowers I'm holding.

“Like what you see?” Jensen echoes.

Before we can continue our flirting, an instrumental song I don’t recognize starts playing. Ginger said it was a traditional song played at German weddings. The wedding planner frantically waves at us to walk.

Jensen holds out his elbow and I weave my hand through. The moment we step onto the sand, Eloise’s camera clicks away. We smile and nod at people as Eloise walks backwards, snapping photos of this moment.

Jensen leans in to me.

“I’m already thinking about taking that dress off you later tonight,” he says in a voice low enough only I can hear.

“Oh yeah? What if I want to keep the dress on?”

“That’s fine. I’ll fuck you with it rolled up your hips.”

I tighten my grip on his arm, and he chuckles.

“Does that turn you on, Rebecca?”

Rebecca. Damn him for listening to me and ditching the nickname.

We’re almost at the end of the aisle now. Before we part, he ducks his head even lower, his lips so damn close to my ear.

“I know you’re not wearing underwear underneath that dress.”

I raise a brow. “I didn’t want any lines to show.” I wink before letting go of his arm and take my place on the bride’s side.

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