“Baby,” he rasps, filling me and letting go. Giving me all of him. “Again.”
I smile against the wild flutter of his pulse, feeling so small in his arms, so loved and adored.
Feeling it all.
“THIS IS MY FAVORITE SONG!”
Laughing with my head on Ben’s shoulder and Chase in my arms, I watch Nolan spin around in the middle of the dance floor at the resort tiki bar, shaking his little hips in tune with Fireball by Pitbull, as it plays through the speakers surrounding us.
“Fireball!” he yells, gaining smiles from the people around him as he shimmies and jumps up and down.
Tessa and Luke walk hand-in-hand through the crowd toward the table we’re all occupying.
The two of them disappeared immediately after the rehearsal, which Ben totally called. He said they’ve been looking ready to pounce on each other since they dropped the boys off in our room hours ago.
I saw some silent exchange between them while Reed and Beth were going over their vows, but in all honesty, I was too consumed in my own obsession to dissect it.
God, my husband is sexy standing barefoot in the sand. Who knew?
“Hey. Everything all right?” I ask, looking up at Tessa as Luke motions that he’s headed to the bar.
“Grab me one!” Ben yells, craning his neck.
Tessa sits down beside me, her fingers drumming excitedly on her skirt. “Mm mmm,” she answers.
“Mm mmm? That’s it? That’s all you’re giving me?”
Evasive Tessa? Never met her before. She doesn’t exist.
“I don’t think so, missy,” I murmur, leaning closer. “Spill it. You look ready to burst.”
She turns her head. Her eyes glitter with contentment as they fall on Chase.
My spine straightens.
Oh, my God.
Suddenly, it all becomes clear, and my need to pry this information out of my best friend evaporates, giving way to the joy I feel in seeing her happiness.
I nudge her shoulder. “Never mind.”
We exchange knowing looks as Luke returns to the table, carrying some beers for the men.
After dividing them up, Luke claims the chair next to Tessa and leans forward, elbows resting on his knees, his head turned and smiling at the little boy in my arms. He reaches out and tugs on Chase’s foot, grinning even more when Chase starts kicking his legs out and giggling.
I look from Luke, to Tessa, to Ben.
His brow furrows. “Why are you crying?”
Shaking my head, I quickly wipe the tears away, mumbling about how happy I am and grimacing when my obvious emotions contradict my words.
Lord, you’d think I was pregnant already.
Ben pulls me closer against his body and kisses my temple, laughing.
A few minutes later, CJ breaks through the crowd, pointing behind him before reaching across the table for his beer.
“Hey, man. Your kid has some moves. Can you ask him to tone it down a little? He’s actually stealing some of the attention away from me.”
“Jealous of my boy?” Ben asks, leaning away when CJ gets a little too close for Ben’s liking. “What are you doing?”
“You smell like lavender.”
Ben’s eyes go round. He turns, shaking his head as Tessa wails in laughter beside me.
“Taking a lot of baths, Ben?” she asks, falling against Luke and cackling.
Reed perks up, finally removing his head from Beth’s neck enough to engage the rest of us in conversation.
“I thought you smelled different when we were at the rehearsal,” he says, looking serious. “Not that I leaned in and inhaled or anything.” He arches his brow at CJ.
“Man, whatever. I’m confident enough in my heterosexuality to notice another man’s scent.” He turns to Ben. “It’s nice. Kind of feminine, though. If you’re okay with that.”
Ben exhales noisily, his arms tightening over his chest. “You said you couldn’t smell it,” he growls, smirking at me. “Liar.”
I shrug. “You smell like Chasey. It is nice. CJ’s right.”
“He also said it’s feminine,” Luke adds, laughing. “Don’t forget that. Cool for a baby. Not a grown-ass man.”
Ben flips Luke off with the same hand lifting his beer. He takes a few swigs, then gestures at the crowd with his bottle.
“Hey, Reed. Isn’t that your sister?”
I look up and spot Riley marching across the dance floor, pushing her way through the crowd and not looking all too pleased to be here.
She’s tiny, maybe a little smaller than Tessa, with that white blonde hair her and Reed share and eyes as blue as sapphires, striking even from a distance. She’s a beautiful girl, but right now she looks angry.
Angry enough to toss someone twice her size into the ocean.
Uh oh.
“Finally,” Reed exclaims, sounding exhausted, shifting Beth off his lap and both of them standing.
No one seemed to know why Reed’s sister skipped the rehearsal earlier. Even Beth, who is really close with Riley, appeared ignorant to the reason.
The only thing she kept saying was that Riley was dealing with stuff and would be here when she could.
I guess now is better than tomorrow, the day of the actual wedding.
“Where have you been?” Reed asks aggressively, moving closer to his sister when she reaches us. “I’ve been calling you for hours. You know you missed the rehearsal?”
Riley glares at Reed, then softens her gaze and sweeps it over the group, addressing all of us at once.
“Sorry I was late, but I don’t really see what the big deal is. It doesn’t take a genius to know how to carry a thing of flowers and walk twenty feet.”
Her head tilts up as her eyes land on CJ, who is straight-up staring at her like he’s possessed or something.
His body tense, yet perfectly still. Air ceasing to move in and out of his lungs.
What’s his deal? And who can go this long without blinking?
Ben kicks his leg out, connecting with CJ’s calf.
It startles him.
“Hey,” CJ mumbles, finally snapping out of it, clearing his throat and offering his hand to Riley. “Sorry. I don’t think we’ve met yet. I’m CJ. I’ll be your partner in crime at this shindig tomorrow.” He makes a weird face, looking down and murmuring, “did I really just use a cop reference?”
“Yep,” Luke chuckles, leaning back and throwing his arm around Tessa. “Real smooth too.”
Riley looks from Luke to CJ, then finally takes the hand being held out for her and shakes it quickly.
“Hi,” she says softly, blinking up at him. “Sorry, but I’m probably going to be a raging bitch at this thing tomorrow. Don’t take it personal.”
He smiles, then steps back, shoving his hands into his pockets. “Sure thing, darlin’.”
“What?” Reed cuts CJ a look, then decides on addressing Riley’s cryptic admission. “Why are you going to be a raging bitch? What’s wrong with you?”
“You know exactly what’s wrong with me. Don’t play dumb, Reed.”
“He’s not,” Ben says through a grin, attempting to lighten the mood.
It doesn’t work.
He stands, looking around the group. “I’m going to take Nolan to the restroom. He’s doing a different kind of dance now.”