Wyatt shrugged. “There are a few islands nearby that have resorts I can work at,” he said. “I have contacts in other places. Maybe I'll teach surfing or help run a booze cruise.”
She tried to smile like he'd made a funny joke, but she had a hard time. She knew it didn't really matter. She was going home tomorrow. He wasn't a part of her life. Yet, the idea of him not being here or knowing where he was, bothered her greatly.
Before she could say anything, the bride and groom arrived. Janessa and Kyle were greeted to applause and whistles as they made their way to the head table under the gazebo. Then, there were speeches, food, and toasts.
Cassie sat next to Wyatt and just enjoyed his presence. They didn't need to speak. Just having him near her was a balm to her soul. They clapped and cheered at the various speeches and toasts, raising their glasses with smiles.
“And now, we welcome all couples to the dance floor,” the emcee announced when Janessa and Kyle finished their traditional dances. “All couples come to the floor.”
Cassie glanced over at Wyatt, unsure as to what to do. Were they a couple?
He didn't pause. He just stood and offered her his hand with a smile.
Cassie's heart fluttered, and she felt a blush cross her cheeks. Even though it was all ending tomorrow, he was going to dance with her as a couple. They walked out onto the dance floor with all the other matches. They joined couples that had been together for years, mingling among them as if they belonged.
The music started, and Wyatt swept Cassie into his arms and began to dance. His hands were strong and confident on her hips, telling her body where to go and what to do without words. Her body followed his without fail, finding the rhythm together. They dipped and swung, sweeping across the dance floor with grace.
“Where did you learn to dance like that?” Cassie was breathless at the end of the song, but grinning from ear to ear.
“My mother taught me,” Wyatt explained as they walked back to the table. “She felt it was important that I know how to dance at a wedding.”
“She did an excellent job teaching you,” Cassie replied. “I'd like to dance more with you if I can.”
Wyatt pretended to take something out of his back pocket. “Hmm... it looks like my dance card is all yours for tonight.”
Cassie giggled and grinned at him. Her heart was light, and she couldn't remember the last time she'd smiled quite this much. She was happy. Pure and simple. She didn't feel the weight of the world pressing down on her when Wyatt was near.
They danced the night away. It was something out of a dream. Dancing and laughing under the sparkling lights and glittering stars while the ocean sang nearby. Cassie pinched herself at least twice when she thought Wyatt wasn't looking because she couldn't imagine a way for this night to get better.
But somehow it did. The night simply continued to amaze her the longer they stayed together. Slowly the crowd began to thin around midnight, and just after one in the morning, Janessa and Kyle disappeared off to their room to enjoy their wedding night.
“Walk with me?” Cassie asked Wyatt, motioning to the beach.
He took her hand and smiled. They left their shoes by the gate to the resort and went to walk along the water.
As they walked along the moonlit beach, she could almost imagine she was leaving her own wedding, with her own new husband. Everything felt right and like nothing bad could happen.
Chapter Seventeen
Cassie
Moonlight made the ocean glow as they strolled on the sand. The soft sounds of music and the last bits of laughter floated up through the warm darkness as their feet splashed the edges of the waves.
They were in their own magical world. Nothing could touch them here. For a moment, Cassie let herself live only in this moment. She was falling hard for the sexy bartender even though she knew it could never be, so for this moment, she let herself fall. She let herself have this night with him, even though she knew it risked breaking her heart.
She stopped, stepping in front of him. Moonlight glistened in his light hair and reflected in his eyes. He stole her breath away with his beauty.
She reached up and caressed his cheek, her heart thrilling at the small smile he gave her as he pressed his cheek into her touch. His eyes held hers, wrapping her up in warmth.
She wasn't sure if he kissed her or she kissed him, yet somehow his mouth was on hers. He tasted sweet and smelled like wedding cake and aftershave. She moaned slightly, her eyes closing as she focused on the kiss.
His lips were soft, but his five-o'clock shadow was starting to poke through. She could feel his scruff, and she brought her fingers to his cheek to caress it. Wyatt's body pressed into hers, his arms wrapped around her and his fingers in her hair.
She could have lived in that kiss forever and been happy. She could have spent the rest of her life in that moment, feeling his mouth take hers, and his body call out her name.
But, she had to breathe eventually. They both did. Time didn't stop.
Reluctantly, they pulled back, pressing their foreheads together to keep the closeness of the moment. All she could smell was his delicious scent. All she could hear was his breathing and ocean waves. Her own heart pounded in her chest, and her body ached to feel him everywhere all at once. She burned with passion for him.