Page 21 of Aisle Be The Groom
“Jesus, you’re wet,” he said.
A chill swept through me. What was he staring so intently at? I glanced down and gasped. With my clothes soaked through, I might as well have been naked. My nipples were so hard against the camisole the barbells through them were clearly visible.
A shiver racked my body, and I jerked out of my stupor.
“Take off your clothes.”
I clutched the edges of my soggy robe to my body. “What?”
“We can’t keep our wet clothes on.” He reached for his shirt and pulled it over his head. “You’ll be colder if you do.”
“B-b-but—” My teeth chattered so badly I couldn’t form the words.
“There are blankets for the horses in one of those boxes next to the hay. They’re new, so we can use them.” Gray hurried over to the boxes. After checking the labels, he selected one, pulled the flaps apart, and returned to me, carrying two blankets. “Here you go.”
My fingers were stiff from the cold, making it difficult to grasp the blankets. “Th-thanks.”
“Quickly. Get out of those clothes.”
I nodded but didn’t move as he unbuckled his pants. Was he going to strip down in front of me? Despite the cold, my mouth went dry as I stared at the solid wall of his naked chest. He was so broadly built with a body sculpted with muscles he hadn’t manufactured in a gym. I would bet every hard inch of him had been honed by manual labor. With a body like his, of course, he didn’t have a second thought about undressing in front of others.
“What’s wrong?” His hand froze on the waistband of his pants. “Do you want me to put the flashlight out?”
I felt foolish. He was worried about our health, while I was letting past insecurities affect me. I clenched my jaw and shook my head. “It’s fine.”
He nodded and turned around, giving me privacy. I should have done the same, but I couldn’t tear my gaze away from the mounds of flesh revealed when he pulled his pants down. He didn’t have underwear on. His bare ass was as pale and as hard as the rest of him.
Heart pounding, I spun around. With numb fingers, I peeled off my clothes. My teeth chattered even more violently as I removed the wet fabric, leaving me exposed. The sodden material hit the floor with a plop. I hooked my fingers in my underwear but stilled. An unwelcoming heat flushed through my system at the thought of Gray seeing the black lace. Peeking over my shoulder to ensure he wasn’t watching, I pulled them down my thighs and stuffed them into a bundle hidden in the shorts. I didn’t need another Magnuson man questioning my choice of underwear.
“Let’s face it, Ozzie. Those lacy manties aren’t designed for guys built like you. They are for much more delicate and feminine men. What do you need to wear them for anyway? I like you without them.”
What had Carter meant by those words? At the time, I’d focused on the compliment that he liked me even without the sexy lingerie, but at the back of my mind was always the niggling thought he’d also been insulting me. After the way he’d fucked me that night, making me feel desirable, I’d shaken off his stinging words.
But now, in the cold, naked and vulnerable, I allowed myself to question them again.
“Are you decent?” Gray asked.
“Not yet.” Panic flared at the thought of him turning around at that exact moment. Being bare-assed in a barn with my fiancé’s father was not a part of my wedding plans.
Fuck. Where was the wedding adviser when I needed them? They always knew exactly what to say.
I grabbed the blanket and wrapped it around my body. The box had kept it warm, and the thick material instantly staved off some of the chill.
“You can turn around now.” I pulled the blanket more tightly around me, my stomach fluttering. Since death by exposure to the cold had been ruled out for the night, my brain was processing the predicament: we were both naked.
Gray turned around, a blanket draped over his shoulders. Our eyes met. A flicker of surprise flitted in his gaze before he glanced away, a faint blush rising on his cheeks. I shifted my feet and grimaced. Water squelched in my boots.
“You definitely need to remove those too,” Gray said. “But don’t worry. The barn is well insulated. Your little piggies will be safe from the cold.”
I flinched, and bile rose in my throat. Deep down, I knew he was referring to my toes in a childish sense, but all I could hear was Carter calling me porky, his little piglet, as he poked my love handles.
My stomach dropped. Was I really marrying a man who had refueled my insecurities? But Gray hadn’t meant anything harmful by his comment. I should be a sport and be able to laugh at myself, right?
“Oz, you’ve gone pale.” Gray took a step toward me, and I shuffled back. He frowned. “Is something wrong?”
“I…just need a minute.”
“Are you sure? If I did anything—”
