Page 128 of Second-Rate Superstar
“We all fought it. Some more than others.” She nudged Lucy, who smiled. “But it feels sooooo good when you finally give in.”
Lucy confirmed, “It’s true.”
I sighed. “It just seems . . . a little fast, don’t you think? We’ve only been dating for a little over three months. Andwe’re still so young.” I was throwing out excuses, not ready to share that Braxton already had our entire future planned out in his head.
A determined gleam entered Natalie’s chocolate brown eyes, and she glanced at her ladies. “We’re going to go around the table, and everyone will share how long it was between when they started dating their spouse and when they married them. It’s time to prove to Dakota that the timing doesn’t matter. When you find the one, you know, and there’s no point in wasting any more time.” She placed a hand on her chest. “I’ll go first.” But when she opened her mouth to speak again, she paused. “Hmm. This could be tricky.”
Hannah showed her best friend no mercy. “Why? Because he knocked you up before you dated him?”
Natalie cringed. “A little bit.” She blew out a breath so heavy it lifted her blonde bangs. “Okay, well, we can play this both ways, then. Either will work for our purposes. If we are going from when we conceived Charlie to when we were married, it was just shy of a year. If we are going from when we mutually decided to embark on a relationship, it was six months.”
Amy went next. “Not sure mine technically counts since it wasn’t real at the start, but from the time between Liam proposing and us getting married, it was two weeks? Give or take.” She held up a finger. “Now, he did propose a second time, and we got formally remarried, and that time gap was eleven months, I think?”
“Mine was strange too,” Lucy remarked. “Considering we were forced into a courtship and engagement. But from when we developed feelings? Less than eight months.”
“It would seem we are all a little unorthodox.” Liv chuckled. “Can’t really count our first go around since we spent so much time apart. And having no intention of getting married, I will count what he did the other night as a public declaration of our commitment to each other.”
She was referring to the game a few nights before our trip, where Benji had surprised her by changing his last name to hers, which their son also shared. It was a super sweet moment, and the crowd had eaten it up.
“That makes it seven months for us, then,” Liv said.
Hannah’s laughter rose over the music. “You know what they say, saving the best for last! Cal and I went exclusive last December, but it wasn’t until this trip last year that we defined our relationship. So, a year. The longest of anyone yet.However, I do win shortest engagement.” She pointed at Amy. “Didn’t think anyone would beat you on that one, did you?”
Amy’s brilliant green eyes sparkled with love for her best friend. “If there’s anyone I have to hand that crown over to, I’m glad it’s you.”
Smirking, Hannah shot back, “I see what you did there with the crown reference. Very clever, Ames.”
“So,” Natalie interjected. “As you can see, everyone at this table is either happily married or firmly committed to their partner. Sure, we all got there in different ways, but the point is that when you find that person, the one that completes you in ways you didn’t even know you needed, the timeline doesn’t matter. Do what makes you both happy. And I’veneverseen Braxton so relaxed and carefree. You light up his world and ease the burdens that weigh on him.”
Blushing, I ducked my head. “He makes me pretty happy too.”
Grabbing my hand, she squeezed. “Then focus on that and trust everything will happen when it’s meant to. Took me too long to realize that myself.”
Hannah was restless, shifting in her seat and whining, “Can we be done with the mushy stuff for a while?Please? This is my last night as a single woman, and I fully intend to enjoy it!” She glared at her companions. “I’m still upset we couldn’t find a male strip club on this island!”
Lucy smirked. “Who needs a strip club? We’ve got six guys wrapped around our fingers. Guaranteed, each of us will get a private strip show tonight.”
Hannah chewed on her lip, considering that fact, and nodded sharply. “You know what? You’re right.” Pushing off her chair, a wicked grin curved on her face. “I’m off to find a random to dance with. Cal catches a glimpse of that, and he’ll fuck me into next week. Shit, maybe if I’m lucky, I’ll have a limp when I walk down the aisle tomorrow.”
Liv called out to her back, “How do you know he’s coming?”
Peeking over her shoulder, she winked. “Oh, he’ll be here. Just a matter of when.”
Spinning around, Liv mused, “She’s awfully confident.”
Amy tilted her head toward the door. “Yeah, but she’s not wrong.”
We all turned to look. Sure enough, our six guys had just stepped inside.
Lucy stood. “Well, it’s not as fun when they don’t have to work for it. I’m off to dance, ladies. See you out there.”
We slipped into the crowd one by one, weaving between bodies, creating a scavenger hunt for our men.
Throwing my head back, I let the music wash over me, the heavy beats heating my blood in anticipation of the moment Braxton found me. Hips swaying, I trailed my fingers over my torso, letting the rhythm carry me away.
Strong hands clasped over mine, pulling me back into a hard chest. I knew without looking it was Braxton. His woodsy scent cut through the stench of sweaty bodies surrounding us.
“You owe me a dance,” he whispered darkly in my ear.
