Page 21 of Father of the Bride

“We both know what this is, right?”

His voice was deep in her ear.

“What is it?” she asked softly.

He pulled back to gaze into her eyes. “I want you back.”

“Kez.”

“I’m single. You’re single. This doesn’t feel like fate to you?”

She teased the nape of his neck with her nails. “It does, but…I don’t like to get my hopes up. Anymore.”

He put a finger under her chin, tipping her head back, staring at her lips. “Don’t punish me because your ex was disloyal.”

“It’s hard for me to trust.”

“Of course it is. But I ain’t him. I promise you that. And you know me. You know my word is always true.”

She nodded.

“Just give me a chance.”

“I can do that,” she said. “But how? We’re surrounded by people who don’t need to be in our business.”

He nodded. “We’ll keep it close. Whatever this is, whatever this becomes, it’s just for me and you.”

“I like that,” she said with a smile.

“Do you?”

“Mm hm.”

His gaze darkened. “I’m trying to remember the other things you like…”

That made her chuckle. “I don’t think you had enough time to learn.”

“I spent fifteen years in school, my beauty. I’ve always had a love for learning.”

“That’s good to know.”

They leaned in at the same time. Warm, soft lips. The lingering taste of champagne. Her tongue, his tongue, swirling and dancing and caressing. Stroking. It wasn’t sex, but it was the most erotic thing Sunny had experienced in a long time.

Chapter 9

Thursday:Twodaysuntilthe wedding

Mark’s chef put his entire foot in that breakfast.

Sunny pushed her plate away and lay a hand across her uncomfortably full stomach. A soft, salty breeze came off the ocean, blowing her hair into her face. She’d ditched the wigs for the trip, figuring she’d swim at some point, so there was no use. Right now, she was regretting that decision, as the soft waves from her three-day-old twistout tickled the side of her face and scratched at her eyes.

As she pushed her hair to the side, she caught a glimpse of Mark on the other side of the table. His stare sent a shiver up her spine and forced her to look away.

The night before was still with her. She wasn’t even entirely sure what she’d agreed to. All she knew was the feeling of calm that had washed over her when she said yes to trying again.

And a feeling of lust when he kissed her.

There was something terrifying about it. One of the reasons she was still entertaining Orion was because she was scared to start all over. Tigra was out there in the dating scene, and she had nothing but horror stories.

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