Page 29 of Lost in You (Flirting with Forever 1)

She nods. “I understand. Tell me what else you’re thinking of, and I’ll stop you if I think it’s a bad idea. Is that okay?”

I wet my lower lip, and her gaze follows my every movement in the mirror.

“Okay. What if I do something like this?” I press a soft kiss to her temple, my lips lingering. I whisper a confession. “I get caught up in the romance of weddings sometimes.”

Being this near to her is the worst torture. “If I’m standing behind you, like I am now, can I rest my hands on your hips? Like this?” My palms smooth over the curve of her hips before they settle there. “And should I kiss your neck? Like this?” My lips find the heated, raspberry-scented skin just at the juncture of her neck and shoulder, testing her. I glance up at her reflection from under my lashes to discover her head has dropped back a bit, angled to the side to give me better access. And her breathing, it’s erratic at best, her chest rising and falling in starts and spurts.

I turn her to face me, gathering her in my arms. “And, when we dance, should I hold you close like this? Will you rest your head on my chest?”

The nod of agreement is barely perceptible, but it’s there, so I continue. I swallow carefully, and tip her head up to me. My lips find the column of her neck, breathing her in, before I murmur in her ear, “Should I feed you cake from my fork like I fed you dessert last night?”

She moans so softly I almost don’t hear it. That one tiny sound, so small, tells me everything. It sends a white-hot strike straight down my spine, tightening my balls and hardening my dick.

Never one to make any assumptions, I breathe a final question right next to the shell of her ear, “Should I whisk you away from the reception early? Make people think we’re so hot for each other we can’t keep our hands to ourselves?” My nose nudges along her jaw, my breath feathering over her neck. “Is this how you want me to be with you tonight?”

Chapter 15

Madison

I want to shout, “Yes! Yes, I’ll do anything with you. Put your hands on me, kiss me, love me, make me yours.”

A shallow breath shudders from between my lips as I look up at him. I’m straight up putty in his hands, soft and pliable, ready to be molded into whatever he wants me to be. My whole body is flying at his touch, my heart thunders, and I’m so, so lost in the ocean of his blue eyes. He stares right back into mine, as if he’s getting a little lost, too. Those big hands cup my hips; gentle fingers press into my skin through the fabric of my dress. I have half a mind to just say forget the wedding and stay right here with him all night.

“Yes. Yes, to everything you just said and did.” Because I want to feel all of that again.

But, that’s not why we’re here, and I’m reminded of that as soon as he steps away from me, leaving me feeling cold and unsure. He runs his hand over his clean-shaven cheek, eyeing me carefully. “Okay, then. Ready to partake in the biggest game of make believe you’ve ever played?”

I breathe carefully. Right. This is all a game to him. An easy favor between friends—I’m not someone he’d choose to be with otherwise. It’s rather unnerving how he could touch me like he just did and not mean it—he made me believe it just now. For a few moments, reality had been suspended, and I’d allowed myself to feel what it would be like to be his.

Embarrassment over nearly getting swept away in our little fantasy world brings bright pink color to my cheeks. Standing there trying not to betray my thoughts, I allow my gaze to roam over him. I am such a sucker for a man in a suit and tie, and oh my, Shawn wears his so well. I catch the corner of my lower lip between my teeth. Staring. Aching. Wanting. My response to this man is off any chart I’ve ever encountered. This could be a very good thing for our purposes today—but possibly very bad for my heart.

Ready or not, here we go.

My palms sweat as we enter the church, but it doesn’t have as much to do with the eyes on us as it has to do with being here with Shawn. My mind is still stuck on the way he’d whispered those delicious questions in my ear, the way he’d touched me.

I stumble going up the last stair into the church. Shawn’s muscled arm loops around my waist, catching me before I fall. He steadies me with a hand on either side of my waist.

“Thank you.”

“No problem.” He leans in close. “Are you nervous?”

“A little … and just generally awkward in heels.”

He chuckles. “You don’t seem awkward in them to me at all. You look fantastic.”

“Thanks, boyfriend.” I paint a cheeky grin on my face and lift onto my toes to press a quick kiss to his cheek, only to have his cologne infiltrate my senses. I’m dizzy from the scent of him curling through my head.

He murmurs quietly, his lips near my temple, “I wasn’t saying that for any reason other than it’s the absolute truth. You’re stunning.”

I peek up at him, trying to brush off the e

ffect he has on me. “Thank you.” We walk down the aisle behind an usher and slide into the pew he gestures at to await the ceremony.

Shawn scoots in next to me as close as he can and drapes an arm around me. The heavy thudding of my heart from sitting this close to him quickly changes to something else entirely when I notice people looking in our direction. Some of my relatives and old friends have spotted our entrance. I’d usually be a basket case by now, but I find I’m drawing confidence from Shawn’s presence. He’s completely natural, comfortable playing the part he’s been assigned. In fact, he’s so good at it, I’m having trouble reconciling the man who is so kind and so good with me with the cheater I know him to be.

Maybe, just maybe we can pull this off. If only everyone would just stop looking over here. I make eye contact with my mom and dad, who are being seated two pews in front of us. Shawn and I both give them a little wave. I turn to look at Shawn, surprised he’d bother, and find that he’s turned my way at the exact same time. He leans in and nuzzles his nose with mine, a slow grin creeping over his face. “You’ve got this,” he murmurs, his words just for me. I glance back at my parents and stifle a giggle at both of their reactions—Mom with a few fingers pressed to her lips, hiding a smile, and Dad with his mouth hanging open and eyes practically bugging out.

I mumble. “Jeez. I guess I’m really surprising them right now.”

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