Page 41 of The Cocky Neighbor

Lucas and Noah wandered off to explore the grounds, so I stood against the wall as I ate my desserts. A couple people came up to me to talk or ask if I wanted to be their after-wedding date, but I wasn't interested in any of them. I watched every person pass by, looking for a certain man who made my heart flutter.

No matter where I looked, I didn't catch a glimpse of the man. It wasn't until the ceremony started and all the guests took their seats that groomsmen walked down the aisle in pairs.

Eric was the first person to walk down, along with a younger, petite man on his arm. I pushed down the jealousy that surfaced at how handsome they looked together—especially since the younger man was Caleb's little brother—and focused on only looking at Eric.

He had his hair slicked back in waves. His features looked sharper, making me think that they put makeup on him. They all wore gray suits with teal bows and white-roseboutonnière on their chest. The suit fit him like a glove and especially emphasized that luscious ass that I had a hard time keeping my eyes off of.

When he took his place, he looked so breathtaking standing there tall and proud. His eyes dazzled as he looked down the aisle to watch the next couple walk down, but I couldn't tear my gaze away from him.

His eyes shifted from the aisle and landed on me as if he felt me staring. He looked surprised for a split second before breaking out into a blinding smile that almost had me swooning.

I was so done. This man had captured me. Was it possible to fall in love with someone in a month? I didn't know, but I knew my heart belonged to Eric. I didn't want this uncertainty between us anymore. I wanted him where he belonged, in my bed cuddled in my arms every single night for the rest of our lives.

It was time to stop beating around the bush and lay all the cards on the table. I would find the man after the ceremony and confess my feelings. I was good at negotiation and getting things my way. I just had to make Eric see why we work so well together. I knew I'd walk away with a broken heart if I failed, but that was a risk I was willing to take.

TWENTY-SEVEN

ERIC

My breath caught when I saw Liam sitting in the crowd of people. I hadn't seen him in a week, and it kinda terrified me how much I missed him. His heavy gaze never shifted from mine, and I shivered under it. It reminded me of the way he looked at me when we had sex: full of tenderness and like I was the only thing he saw.

His gaze heated my body and had memories that were entirely inappropriate for a wedding ceremony pop into my mind. Fortunately, theofficiant called for everyone to stand, and Liam finally moved his eyes away from me to turn to the back.

I blinked back into attention to shoot a smile at Scott, who was standing next to me. Ian and Caleb's younger brother, Conner, were standing on the other side of the officiant.

The music changed into something slower, more romantic, as Caleb walked down the aisle in an all-white suit. His mom escorted him in a teal dress that matched the color of our bowties.

Once Caleb took his spot, Zack appeared next in a matching outfit. Zack wasn't in contact with either of his parents, so he'd asked Caleb's step-father,Julius, to escort him.

My best friend looked so happy walking toward the man he loved, and his future. They clasped hands as soon as they reached each other, then turned to the officiant.

The officiant gave a little speech about the responsibilities of marriage and the importance of the vows they would take today. After that was done, Zack and Caleb were asked to exchange vows, promising to love and care for each other for the rest of their lives.

I wasn't the biggest fan of marriage. Almost fifty percent of marriages ended in divorce, after all. But as I watched my best friend promise his life to the man he loved, I had no doubt that their marriage would be one that beat the statistics.

Almost every single person was in tears when the vows and rings were exchanged. As I looked through the crowd, I caught Liam's eyes again. They weren't wet with tears but still full of emotion as he looked back at me. He gave me a soft smile, which I quickly returned before turning my eyes to the happy couple.

"I now pronounce you husbands. You may now kiss," the officiant said, and the newlyweds did just that. The entire place erupted in cheers and claps as we watched Zack bend Caleb backward for a deep smooch.Caleb was red when he was stable on his feet again, but the wide smile never disappeared from his face. People stood and came up to congratulate the newlyweds.

"Congratulations, man," I said, pulling Zack into a hug. "How does it feel to be tied down now?" I joked.

Zack watched Caleb get pulled into hugs by his friends and family with a loving smile. "It feels liberating, actually," he said with all seriousness. "I'm the luckiest man alive."

I laughed and gave him a hard smack on the back. I saw Liam from the corner of my eye. He raised his hand to give me a wave and opened his mouth like he wanted to say something, but before any words could get out, the photographer called us for photos.

Zack and Caleb chose to have a casual buffet style reception, so the venue staff guided the guests inside for food while we looked pretty for the camera.

Half an hour later, the pictures were taken and we were finally allowed to head inside to eat. There were still toasts to be done, but the new husbands had planned some free time in between to make sure that we didn't starve.

I grabbed a plate and walked down the buffet line. As I was piling food on my plate, Liam walked up to me with his hands in his dress pants pockets. His outfit wasn't as flashy as they normally were, but it was still a colorful light purple suit with a striped tie. He looked good, and I wondered if I'd be lucky enough to strip him out of those clothes later.

"Hey," he said, shuffling his feet. Sure, it had been a week since I'd last seen him, but that wasn't enough time for a person to completely change. He looked almost nervous, and that wasn't like his usual confident self at all.

"Hey, is everything okay?" I asked, putting my plate on the table so I could fully turn to him.

"Yeah, of course. It's a beautiful day and our friends just got married. What could be wrong?" he said, pausing for a split second before continuing again, "It's just…I missed you."

His eyes stared right at me, and I swore they were looking right into my soul because I could feel my heart pounding loudly in my chest. Fuck, how was he able to make me like this?

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