Page 40 of Surprise Baby for Daddy's Best Friend

They had us all change for the reception as well with the approval to dress in whatever we wanted for beach wear. I chose a bikini top and a pair of my shorts to go along with it to stay cool.

I opted against wearing a pair of shoes for dancing like a few others did. The feeling of warm sand around my feet as the temperatures dropped was too tempting to pass up. Amanda and Carl were thoroughly enjoying themselves, with a mixture of slow dances mixed in with a few group dances. She was the highlight of the evening with all eyes on her.

Most of the songs were from our childhood, but listening to them now remixed to have more beats in them, was like enjoying them for the first time all over again.

Once the sun set, Mandi and I pulled the ropes down around our area to let others join the dancing and food that was left over. The energy was intoxicating, and allowed me to release all the stress left in my body from earlier.

What I was most thankful about, however, was that Amanda and Mandi both seemed to have forgotten that they were planning on figuring out who my mystery man was. I wasn't ready to tell them until whatever connection Jared and I had, came to a close. At that point, it wouldn't matter if they knew or not. Whatever fun we had together would be in the past and I could move on with my life back in the city.

Jared sat on one of the benches, watching the others dance on the sand. In one hand he held his phone and in the other, a small plate of snacks. While the others were gladly in beach wear, he was wearing a sweat-resistant top and a pair of shorts as if he was going to the gym.

I wandered over and sat next to him, “Enjoying your evening?”

He grunted in response and flipped through a few emails.

I puffed my cheeks and leaned closer to him, “You know you’re supposed to be on vacation, and not working during a wedding, right?”

He jolted up and turned to face me, “Shit. You startled me.” He furrowed his brow. “How long have you been here?”

I shrugged, “A year? Maybe twenty. Who knows.”

He rolled his eyes and shoved his phone deep inside his pocket, “Shouldn’t you be out there enjoying yourself.”

“Maybe, but it’s boring without you.”

He let out another grunt and nodded at Brandon who was standing with a few people, downing another beer. “Seems you have plenty of company out there according to Mandi.”

I raised a brow, “She told you about him?”

“Everything. Said you’ve been seeing him a lot lately.”

I snorted and shook my head, “Of course, she told you that.”

“Seriously?” He hooked my chin and forced me to look him in the eyes, “While we’re here, you belong to me, Kim. Not him.”

My heart skipped a beat as I stared into the eyes. I could fall into him and be the submissive girl he wanted last night, but everything about today made me want to defy him for a little longer. I wanted to see him get frustrated with me and take me in a fit of anger like he had last night. All I needed to do was push a few more buttons.

“Since when did we agree to you not sharing me?”

His face turned an angry red, “I’m saying it now.”

I let out an exaggerated sigh. “It’s too bad. I did enjoy his company all last night.” I shook my head in dismay. “Oh, what will Mandi think when she hears I was actually fucking you last night when she thought it was him.”

Jared sucked in a sharp breath. Every ounce of anger he had evaporated in an instant. I wanted to build it back up, but if he couldn't hold onto the jealousy to claim me tonight, it was better to tease him and comfort him. This was our last night together, and just being close would at least soothe some of my appetite for him.

“See?” I smirked. “Nothing is happening between him and I. She just assumed because he tried asking me out for drinks during rehearsal.” I took his hand in mine, “You don’t need to worry about him. You’re the only one I’ve been wanting all day.”

He scooted away a little, “You really know how to mess with a guy when he’s down.”

“And you really know how to deny a girl when she wants your attention.”

“Didn’t get enough of it last night?”

I shook my head, “There’s no way I got enough of it to last me a lifetime.”

A slower song played on the speakers. Jared put his plate down and stood up, “Guess I have to give you a little attention tonight too.” He held his hand to me, “Shall we dance?”

I joined him near one of the fires as we spun one another in circles. Everything around us faded into nothingness. All that existed was the music and Jared.

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