Page 68 of The First Best Man

Her shoulders slump, and she shakes her head slowly.

“Good. Because that’s not what I want, either. I’ve been miserable all night.”

“I’m sorry,” she whispers.

“Don’t apologize. There’s nothing to be sorry for. Just…come here.”

She lunges forward at that, slamming into my chest and wrapping her arms around my middle. I hug her back, andhell, has anything felt more perfect than holding her in my arms?

I blow out a long breath as Kate nuzzles my chest. Logan was right. I am falling for her, and there’s no use trying to deny it any longer. I need to figure out what to do about it. To come up with some kind of viable plan of action to make sure neither of us gets hurt.

Someone knocks on the door, and Kate gasps before trying to pull away. I tighten my grip, refusing to let her put even an inch between us before clearing my throat.

“Sorry, I’m going to be a while in here,” I call out.

“No worries. I’ll just go use the other bathroom,”Sam calls back through the wood, and Kate and I both remain perfectly still until his footsteps fade away.

After another few moments, I finally release Kate and turn toward the door. Opening it slightly, I poke my head through the crack and look around before pulling back in to look at her with a nod.

“All clear. You go ahead, and I’ll follow in a few minutes.”

She nods and moves to squeeze past me. She pauses to press a firm, hot kiss to my lips, and it takes every ounce of willpower I possess to remain still and not slam the door, push her up against it, and strip her naked. Then she’s gone, and I’m closing the door behind her with a shaky exhale.

How did I not see how far gone I actually am? Holding her made me feel complete in a way I’ve never felt before. A sweet, innocent kiss nearly turned me into a raging animal. I’m so screwed, and I have no idea what to do now.

I scrub my palms down my face and take a few deep, calming breaths before reaching out to grasp the doorknob. Gritting my teeth, I pull open the door and step out confidently. Nothing to see here. Move along, people.

My eyes immediately find Kate, her back to me as she laughs at something Logan’s saying. I meet his eyes over her head, and he’s smiling at me, a grin full of smug knowledge that tells me he knows Kate and I were just in the bathroom together. His wink proves the theory, and I shake my head at him as my expression fills with warning. He smirks at that, then turns andleads Kate out onto the back patio before she takes notice of our silent conversation.

As I watch them walk away, a hollow feeling blooms in my chest.

I need to figure this out.

I need to figure out a way to make sure Kate doesn’t walk out of my life for good.

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

Kate

As the gueststrail out in groups of two and three, I head into the kitchen to start cleaning up. The wedding is tomorrow, and the last thing Penny and Logan need to worry about is tidying the kitchen. Those two seemed to have had a great time tonight and are currently cozied up in front of the fire pit outside after saying goodbye to everyone.

My thoughts scatter when Tucker walks into the room after seeing Blaine and Sam out. He doesn’t speak, just offers me a soft smile as he gets to work, helping me pack away leftovers. Once that’s finished, he rinses the dishes before handing each piece over to me to load into the dishwasher.

Tucker turns off the faucet and dries his hands while I load some soap into the dishwasher and close the door. Pressing the button to start the machine, I freeze when I feel him step in close behind me. I inhalesharply at the feel of his hands on my hips, and my body sways backward without my permission, leaning into his chest as he presses a soft kiss to the side of my neck.

I barely manage to restrain a grunt of disappointment when he releases me and takes a small step back, and as my eyes flutter open, I see Penny and Logan’s shadowed forms outside, backlit by the dying fire.

Oh, yeah. We’re not alone. It’s not like Tucker can finish what he’s started right here, right now.

“Let’s go say goodnight to them and get out of here,” he whispers, his breath skating over the skin of my neck and sending a shiver of anticipation down my spine.

All I can do is nod, and Tucker holds out an arm, inviting me to precede him. I swallow thickly as we step out onto the patio. Penny and Logan rise from the chair they were sharing and turn to face us with warm smiles.

“Thanks for everything tonight,” Logan says, reaching out to shake Tucker’s hand. “You guys really made it special for us.”

“And thank you so much for helping with the whole dress tragedy,” Penny adds, pulling Tucker in for a tight hug. “You really saved the day, J.T.”

“It was my pleasure. Really,” he murmurs back as he hugs her for a second longer.

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