“Does it get lonely?”
“Yeah,” I say after a long sip of wine. “Sometimes. What about you? Do you have someone special who’s waiting for you back in New York?”
“Eight million people in the city, but it’s lonely there too. It’s always lonely when you don’t have the one.”
We stare at each other for a long passionate moment and this time, I put my hand on his.
“I’m not feeling so lonely now,” I admit.
He smiles. “Neither do I.”
The food is delicious but I can’t eat anymore. My stomach is a mess of nerves with the way this gorgeous man is staring at me.
Someone changes the music and it switches from the soft violin to something with a little more pulse, something a little more romantic.
“Let’s go look at the lights,” he says as he grabs the bottle and refills our glasses.
“It’s so beautiful up here,” I say as we walk over to the railing. “I never get tired of views like this.”
I can feel him watching the side of my face as the wind blows through my unruly hair.
“I’d never get tired of this view either.”
I turn to him as my cheeks heat up. He doesn’t even try to look away. Doesn’t try to be subtle. This man is a pure alpha male and he wants me to know that he wants me. Badly.
The song changes and Taylor Swift’s Lover comes on.
“I love this song,” I say as I turn back to the scenic view past the water.
“Dance with me,” he says as he takes my glass and puts it on the floor with his.
I swallow hard as he takes me in his arms and we start dancing softly on the deck of the yacht. He smells so good and I lean a little closer against his hard body as the boat sways gently in the calm water.
I feel so tiny in his muscular arms. I haven’t had a lot of experience with men and so far, it’s the most romantic moment of my life.
My crush on Mr. Luke Cline begins to grow and take over as Taylor sings us a beautiful melody that fits perfectly with the gorgeous setting.
I get lost in the music and lost in his eyes as our mouths drift gently toward each other. The sky erupts with a purple pop and we both gasp as we look up and see fireworks exploding into the sky above us. The colorful sparkles float down through the sky like the tingles floating down to my toes.
He smiles as he turns back to me, looking into my eyes and then down at my lips.
My mouth waters as my chin tilts up, no longer under my control.
Luke slides his hand to my lower back and his fingertips dig into my skin as he leans down and kisses me.
I melt against him, loving everything about this—the soft music, the spectacular fireworks overhead, his masculine taste, his cold tongue from the wine, the way his hands are holding me like he’s never going to let me leave his side. It’s all so perfect.
We kiss until the fireworks stop and Taylor gets replaced by Ray LaMontagne. We kiss until we’re both breathing heavily and clutching onto each other. We kiss until we’re both in this more than just a casual way.
And for the first time ever, the barrier I’ve erected between my personal life and the guests comes crashing down.Chapter FiveLuke“You missed a great party,” Noah says the next morning. All the boys are looking like they got ran over by a boat.
Gabriel looks like he was hit the hardest. He’s barely able to lift his head off the table.
I, on the other hand, feel incredible. I’m full of energy and feel like I can swim to Miami and back. And it’s all because of Aubrey. She’s got her hooks in me and I don’t want to take them out.
I don’t think I’ve ever felt like this before. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about her. She’s driving me crazy.
“So, what did you end up doing?” I ask them.
None of them really seem to remember. There were clubs and girls and puking on sidewalks. The usual bachelor party stuff.
“Will somebody get this fucking boat to stop rocking?” Gabriel shouts when he lifts his aching head.
“I don’t think that’s part of the package,” Noah says as he plucks an orange from the fruit bowl in the middle of the table and starts peeling it.
Gabriel grabs his head. “Whose idea was it to order a fucking boat?”
“I think that was yours,” Kevin says with a laugh. “What you need is a shot of tequila. A little hair of the dog.”
“Oh, god,” he says as he clutches his stomach. “I’m going back to bed. I’ll see you boys tonight.”
I start to get my hopes up as he disappears. If the groom is out for the day, my calendar just got blasted wide open.