Page 29 of Ride By Your Side

Ronnie: What do you think?

Hitting send, I turn back toward the mirror, taking it all in. I’ve gone all out tonight, and rightfully so. For my honeymoon, I picked out the perfect whimsical and romantic white dress—it’s a plunging neckline, both front and back, with a hem that falls right about mid-thigh. The entire thing is outlined with a matching white, polka-dotted tulle overlay, accented with ruffled detailing on the shoulders. A satin waistband cinches in at the middle, perfectly highlighting my figure. I’ve paired it with white heels, each adorned with a matching bow on the back, andI topped it off with a matching bow in my hair, tying back some of my waved and curled locks.

I haven’t felt this pretty since my wedding day, and it’s very much needed. My heart had hammered all morning as I got ready with my bridal party, each carefully chosen detail of my appearance feeling wasted as it became even more glaringly obvious that I couldn’t go through with it. But tonight, I can finally enjoy it and be proud of my look.

Maybe it’s overkill since we’re just going to a fancy restaurant and walking the Las Vegas Strip to take in all the sights and sounds that Vegas has to offer, but I’ve never needed something more. Sure, going to the beach had been fun, and Disneyland was incredible and as magical as always, but this feels like a different way of letting loose—and one I very much need.

Gazing into the mirror, I can’t help but smile at the woman looking back at me, her eyes sparkling with a newfound sense of pride. For far too long, I let Pete dictate my every move, from the clothes I wore, to the way I styled and cut my hair, to the amount of makeup I dared to apply. Ditching my usual, more natural look, tonight I’ve applied a dark smokey eye—a perfect contrast to the sweet and girly outfit I’ve curated. I’m finally seeing a much-needed reflection of the person I truly am, and not the one Pete had envisioned or tried to create. I finally feel like myself again.

Blair: Damn girl! You look hot! Too bad it’s all being wasted on my brother.

Reading the message, I let out a nervous laugh and sink my teeth into my bottom lip. Maybe it’s a waste, since I have absolutely no reason to believe he’ll give even the slightest fuck about how I look or care about what I’m wearing. I know he doesn’t see me that way, but there’s still that delusional part ofme that wants him to not only notice me tonight, but to also like what he sees when he does.

Luckily, I don’t have to think about it for long as a knock sounds at my door. Glancing back at my phone, I check the time, and unsurprisingly, he’s right on time. How he and Blair are related, I’ll never know, since she’s always perpetually late, but thankfully, those genes don’t seem to run in the family.

I can’t say I hate it, especially since I somehow managed to secure us a reservation at the Paris Hotel. While I may not be in actual Paris for my honeymoon, I can still somewhat enjoy what should’ve been. The best part is, the company is much better than the company I would’ve had if I’d been going with my fiancé.

With a shaky breath, I smooth the hem of my dress, desperately trying to calm my ridiculous nerves. As I open the door, I can’t help but stare at the impossibly handsome man standing in front of me.

“Holy shit!” I exclaim, my mouth dropping open. “You look perfect.”

Not only is he wearing the plain white long-sleeved button-down dress shirt, but the first two buttons are undone, giving the perfect glimpse of his chest. Sure, the black dress pants and shoes we picked out fit him just right, but it’s the top that I can’t take my eyes off. He’s also wearing the black sunglasses—the ones he reluctantly bought after I insisted—giving him an extra sexy and mysterious look.

“You don’t look too shabby yourself,” he says, slipping off the sunglasses and hanging them on the edge of his shirt.

“Thanks.” I smile shyly, glancing down at my dress and doing my best to hide the light flush of my cheeks.

“Actually, it’s a little more than not too shabby. You look amazing, Vee. Truly.”

I keep my gaze downward as I nervously kick out one of my heel-clad feet. “You don’t think it’s too much?”

“I didn’t say that,” he replies, a sly smirk working its way onto his lips. “But we’re in Vegas. I’m sure you’ll fit in just fine.”

“Oh, yes. That’s the dream,” I say, feigning a dramatic pout as his eyebrow lifts questioningly. “To blend seamlessly into the background and justfit in. Truly, every woman’s ultimate fantasy.”

“Hey,” he begins, holding his hands up. “I’m all about fitting in and not standing out. In fact, I’m pretty sure that’s been my motto for the majority of my life.”

For him, I suppose that does make sense. Given that he was one of the children of Evergreen’s notorious town drunk, I can understand why he hadn’t wanted to be noticed. His sister and I, on the other hand, had always been the opposite—or at least I had. I loved being the center of attention and had always found a way to bring the spotlight onto myself.

“Well, too bad for you,” I say, heading back into the room to grab my matching white clutch. “Because you look hot as hell, and there’s no way you’re going under the radar tonight.”

“Whatever you say, princess.” he half-grumbles, seemingly not believing what I’m saying, but I have absolutely no doubts.

“I know you don’t tend to be a relationship type of guy, so maybe you haven’t quite learned this lesson yet,” I begin, closing off the distance between us. His eyebrows knit together in confusion, but that doesn’t stop me as I reach out and unbutton two more buttons on his shirt, leaving even more of his sun-kissed skin visible. “But us women are always right.”

His eyes follow the movement of my fingers, his lips slightly parted as his gaze meets mine, a questioning look in his eyes.

“It’s hot out.” I shrug, but deep down, I know the sweltering Las Vegas heat has nothing to do with it. I’m not sure why it even matters—it’s not like he’sreallymy date tonight. But still,something inside me insists on helping him. Okay, so maybe a man as fine as him doesn’t need my help to look undeniably attractive, but something about those undone buttons has me coming undone and I need more of it. “Now, let’s go. Can’t miss our reservation,” I say, giving his chest one final pat before slipping past him and out the door. Not only do we have a reservation to make, but I need to get out of here before I’m tempted to undo even more of those buttons.

18

Miles

Fuck,it’shot!AndI can’t even blame the Las Vegas heat. From the moment I laid eyes on Veronica in her hotel room, my body’s been on fire. It’s not like I can fully blame my clothes, either. I’ve already rolled up my sleeves to just below my elbows, and thanks to Veronica unbuttoning my shirt, I’m getting a nice cooling breeze. But the more time I spend around her, the hotter, more bothered, and uncomfortable I get.

After we part ways tonight, I’m pretty sure I’ll be heading straight to the shower. My hand and I likely will have date number two, thanks to the tiny vixen walking beside me.

“Where to next?” Vee’s voice breaks through my thoughts as my eyes take in the breathtaking view—not the shiny, bright lights of Las Vegas, but the gorgeous woman walking beside me.

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