Page 99 of From Wink to Kink

"Alright, alright!" the DJ's voice breaks through the cheers. "Let's have our lucky winners out on the dance floor!"

Suddenly, I'm being pushed forward, and Chuck is making his way toward me. We meet in the center of the dance floor, surrounded by a sea of grinning faces.

"Fancy meeting you here," Chuck laughs as he takes me in his arms.

I laugh, relaxing into his embrace. "Didn't take you for the superstitious type, Newcomb."

He grins, pulling me closer as we begin to sway to the music. "What can I say? Some traditions are worth upholding."

As we dance, I'm acutely aware of every point of contact between us. His hand on my waist, my fingers resting on his shoulder, our clasped hands.

I could stay here forever.

"You know," Chuck says, his lips close to my ear, "I'm starting to think keeping this a secret might be overrated."

I pull back slightly to look at him, seeing my own longing reflected in his eyes. "Yeah?"

He nods, his gaze intense. "Yeah. I'm tired of pretending I'm not completely, head-over-heels in love with you, Ruby Brooks."

My breath catches in my throat. "Chuck..."

"I know, I know," he says quickly. "It's not the right time. But soon, okay? I don't think I can take much more of watching other guys hit on you without being able to say anything."

I smile, squeezing his hand. "Soon," I agree. "And for the record? Watching those women fawn over you wasn't exactly a picnic for me either."

He chuckles, the sound rumbling through his chest. "Jealous, Brooks?"

"You wish," I scoff, but we both know it's a lie.

As the song ends, we reluctantly part. But before we can step away, Tyler's voice rings out.

"Alright, you two! Time for the garter ceremony!"

Oh god. I'd forgotten about this part.

Chuck's eyes widen, a mix of panic and amusement crossing his face. "Uh, maybe we should skip this part?"

But the crowd is already chanting, egging us on. I see Tyler and Lucy watching us, identical grins on their faces. I suspect they know they’re witnessing the beginning of something, not just a silly wedding tradition. But they keep it to themselves.

"Well," I say, trying to keep my voice steady, "I guess tradition is tradition, right?"

Chuck nods, a determined glint in his eye. "Right. Just... try not to enjoy this too much, okay, Brooks?"

I laugh, the tension breaking. "I'll do my best."

As Chuck kneels before me, garter in hand, I can't help but think how different this moment is from what everyone else is seeing. To them, it's just a funny wedding tradition, two singles thrown together by chance. But for us, it's way more.

It's a promise. A beginning. A glimpse of a future we both want but aren't ready to publicly claim.

Chuck's hands are warm on my leg as he slides the garter up, his touch sending shivers through me. Our eyes meet, andI see everything I'm feeling reflected back at me—love, desire, anticipation.

Soon, I think. Soon we won't have to hide.

But for now, we'll play our parts. We'll laugh and blush and play it off as a joke. And later, when we're alone, we'll make up for all the touches we couldn't share, all the kisses we had to hold back.

As he stands, his hand lingering on mine for just a moment too long, I know one thing for sure—this is just the beginning of our story. I want the world to see how it unfolds.

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