Page 76 of My December Darling

“By all means.”

“I’m thinking of every way I can get yououtof that tux.”

His devilish smile holds a secret promise. “Now I feel better about my own thoughts then.”

Heat blasts down my spine like invisible flames licking at my skin as I take the last few steps before stopping at the landing. Luke holds his arm out, and we lock elbows as he guides us toward the double doors that open up to the short walking path that wraps around the back of the church and ends right at the front where Gabriela will start her bridal march.

“I’m going to have a hard time keeping my hands to myself tonight,” his husky whisper makes my lower half throb.

“Who said you have to?”

His brow arches. “Is that an invitation to do whatever I want?”

I nearly drop the small bouquet I’m holding. “Possibly.”

“It’s a yes-no question.”

“Let’s get through the ceremony and reception first,” I say instead.

He pulls my hand toward his mouth and kisses the back of it. “That’s not the answer I was looking for.”

I look up at him with a smile. “I’d rather keep you on your toes.”

“You don’t have to try too hard when you’ve got me wrapped around your little finger.”

Butterflies burst inside me, turning my stomach into a giddy mess.

I’m not sure how I’ll survive the next four hours in Luke’s proximity while he looks at me like he is thinking of ten different ways to undress me, but I’m going to try my best for Gabriela’s sake. The last thing she needs is her maid of honor ditching the party early to go hook up with the best man.

But that won’t stop me from counting down the minutes until I can.

I’m a ball of nerves as I rise from my seat in the reception hall and walk toward the mic. Luke’s speech left the crowd laughing, as to be expected given his well-timed jokes and expertly crafted lines, so I’m only feeling added pressure to do well.

I walk over to Luke, who covers the mic with the palm of his hand before leaning over to press his mouth against my ear.

“You got this.”

“I’m so freaking anxious,” I say with a tense smile.

“Just picture me naked.” He winks before handing me the mic. “It’ll make me feel less guilty about doing the same while you’re up here.”

My mouth falls open as Luke wraps my hand around the microphone. His comment flusters me so much, I forget about how worried I am. Sexually frustrated, yes, but equally thankful, nonetheless.

With a wink, he heads back to his seat beside my empty one.

I clear my throat before pulling out my cellphone, opening my note-taking app, and turning to my sister and Aiden, who sit at a table facing the rest of the reception hall. Gabriela waves at me with a smile, and I return it with one of my own before facing the tables full of wedding guests.

“To those of you who don’t know me, that was most likely intentional on my part, so allow me to introduce myself as Catalina, the antisocial Martinez sister, or to Aiden’s family, the ex-girlfriend who still gets to enjoy his home-cooked meals without ever having to marry him.”

Gabriela’s cackling laugh filters through the air, making half of us break out into laughter as well, thus building my confidence.

I glance over at Luke, who leans back in his chair with his arms crossed. He looks at me like I’m the only person in the room, and damn, I’m tempted to ditch the reception and sneak out with him instead.

Someone coughs, stealing my attention away from the man who always seems to capture it.

You can do this.

“I’m not one for long speeches—or social gatherings for that matter—so I’ll keep this short.”

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