Page 4 of Achievement Unlocked

I never stopped thinking she was beautiful, though. And if the man she was marrying today ever hurt her, I’d show him just how impressive my knife throwing skills were. “Let me in?”

“What if someone sees?” Megan looked past me, down the hall in both directions.

They can draw a lot of conclusions and fuck them. I might not care what people thought, but Megan did and I tended to let her have that. “I’m just one of the girls today. Besides, they’re far more likely to see me if you leave me in the hallway.”

Megan opened the door enough to let me in, then closed it behind me. “I told Sonya I wanted to be alone,” she said.

“And she conveyed that message. Which was why I thought it was the perfect time to come take the bride’s picture.” I held up my camera. In my defense, I was the official wedding photographer.

She rolled her eyes, but her smile was back. “Do you want me to definealone?”

“Nope. I have the definition memorized. The dictionary tells me it meanseveryone but Nigel stays the fuck out of my face, because I’m breathing into a paper bag.”

Megan’s laugh made her even more beautiful. Then again, I was terribly biased on the matter. “That’s a very specific definition,” she said.

“Dictionaries have to be these days.”

“Does that definition apply to everyone, including you?”

I tried to adopt a serious expression and managed for about two-point-five milliseconds. “Especially me. It’s really hard to leave myself alone, even when I don’t want to be around anyone.”

“I’m glad you’re here.” She pulled me into a tight hug and I squeezed back. Both of us held on longer than we probably should have, but I wasn’t complaining.

I dragged my gaze over her, trying to be appreciative without drooling at the way her dress hugged her torso, left her smooth shoulders and long neck on display, and flared out from her hips into a flowing train. “You look stunning.” I snapped a few quick photos. I had no interest in professional photography—my current career suited me fine—but I did enter every competition I found. When Megan asked me to take pictures of her wedding, I’d agreed with little hesitation.

She put her hand in front of the lens. “Don’t. Not in this. Not in here.”

I assumedin thismeant her dress. “That’s why I brought my camera. Unless you’d like me to take the pictures while you take off the dress.” I winced. “Habit. I promise not to let Easton hear me.” Flirting with her was always too easy, but her fiancé was one hell of a jealous bastard who I didn’t care for. Not just because he was marrying Megan. But if she loved him, I was on her side.

Supporting her didn’t stop me from being envious as fuck of Easton. When Megan and I were in high school we had plans; the kind of ridiculous plans that only high school kids could make about eternity together and never loving anyone else. We’d even made lists—where we’d live, what our house would be like, and all the things she wanted to check off her bucket list.

Yeah, so much for that. For a long time I’d convinced myself I was better off having lived an unplanned life than sticking to the rigid whims of the teenager I used to be. But recently I’d been wondering if maybe doing some of those things wouldn’t be too bad.

Problem was, I couldn’t picture myself doing them—settling down—with anyone but Megan, and she was taken.

“I’ll let the flirting slide, just this once.” Her smile was back. “But the dress stays on.”

“In that case, I’ll leave you to your freak-out in just a minute. First, you need to do something for me.” I reached into my pocket and grabbed the bag of peanut M&M’s I’d brought her. “Open wide. You need the sugar and the protein to make it through the ceremony.”

“I thought you were going to stop flirting.” She opened her mouth and let me drop in a few candies.

“I didn’t realize myjust this oncewas up.”

Instead of arguing, she let me feed her more, until a knock interrupted.

Sonya walked in without waiting for a reply. “Sorry. You’re out of freak-out time.”

When Megan huffed a sigh, I couldn’t keep my gaze off the rise and fall of her chest.

I grasped her gloved fingers, and kissed the back of her knuckles. “You look gorgeous. I’ll be watching from the back of the room, taking dozens of photos like a proper stalker.”

Her light laugh was the exact sound that haunted my most vivid fantasies.

I left her to finish getting ready. As I was walking away, a curvy brunette ran up to me, panic marring her face.

“Nigel. Thank God. We have a problem,” Lyn said. “I’d rather not bother Megan with it, but I can’t find Gretch.”

Lyn was catering the reception. Most of us knew her because she owned the gaming cafe across the street from the offices where we worked. Gretch was a friend of Megan’s, and the wedding planner.

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