“I’m sorry,” she whispered.
I cupped her face. “You don’t ever have to say that to me.”
My phone vibrated with a message and we both turned to look at it.
Bull.
“I’ll let you get that,” she said softly, climbing off my lap. “Goodnight, Ruger, and happy birthday.”
I watched her walk away, raw lust pounding through my veins. “Good night, sweetheart.”
I raked my fingers down my face as regret began to trickle through me.
I couldn’t let that happen again.
Because going there with Chastity was breaking all the rules.
And she could easily be the ruin of me.
CHASTITY
He was gone when I woke up. The little house was still but the aroma from his early morning coffee still lingered in the air. Disappointment wove its way through me. I’d hoped we could talk some more before he left for the clubhouse, but he’d obviously left earlier than usual.
I needed to talk to him about what happened last night. The kiss. Did it mean anything to him when it meant everything to me?
I spent the morning at Wax-It before heading over to the clubhouse a little after three where I was meeting Cassidy, Indy, Honey, and Daisy for a bridesmaids’ get together. With the wedding only a couple of months away, there was still a lot to organize.
Driving there, my stomach was in knots at the thought of seeing Ruger. Knowing we’d kissed. Knowing what it felt like to have his lips rolling sensually over mine. Remembering the hard outline of his erection in his jeans.
Every part of me ached to feel more.
When I arrived, he was nowhere in sight. But the girls were all gathered in one of the booths.
When I sat down, Indy’s face was planted on the table.
“What’s wrong with you?” I asked.
She turned her head to look at me, her cheek still resting on the tabletop.
“I’m pregnant.”
My face lit up with happiness. “You’re having a baby?”
She grinned at my enthusiasm and sat up. With an excited squeal, I threw my arms around her neck.
“I’m going to be an auntie again.”
“And again and again,” Cassidy laughed, rubbing a palm over her swollen belly.
“Especially if Caleb and Honey have anything to do with it,” Indy joked as I released her.
“Don’t drag me into this,” Honey said. “I’m enjoying not being knocked up for once, thank you very much.” She pointed at us. “And don’t you ladies go wishing it on me, or I swear to God it will probably happen.”
Honey had just given birth to twin boys. She also had a daughter under the age of two. She and my brother Caleb had a one-night stand and managed to get pregnant despite their use of copious condoms during the night.
“Because you two are like fucking rabbits,” Indy said.
“No more than anyone else.” Honey pulled the straw out of her drink and sucked the soda off the end of it.
Cassidy and Indy both gave her a pointed look.
“What? We have our dry spells,” she said.
“Sure you do. When was the last time you two did it?” Indy asked.
Honey looked at her watch. “About an hour ago.”
“Case in point,” Cassidy said.
Honey looked sheepish. “What can I say? I can’t keep my hands off my husband.”
Apparently, Caleb and Honey had an astronomical amount of sex.
Which is exactly what a sister wants to hear about her brother and his wife.
I tended to tune out these conversations, so I was relieved when Cassidy changed the subject.
“Who are you bringing to the wedding as your plus one?” she asked me.
I shook my head. “No one.”
“You’re not seeing anyone?” Indy asked.
“Don’t sound so surprised. Did you forget who I’m related to?”
“I know… it’s just, we were so sure you’d met someone.”
I looked at the three of them.
“Why?”
“Because you’ve been walking around all dreamy-eyed and love-struck for the past week,” Honey explained. “We were sure you’d met a guy.”
I shifted uncomfortably.
I hadn’t met a guy.
I’d just fallen even further for the one I wasn’t allowed to have.
I thought about the kiss.
Thought about Ruger’s hands on my hips and the sensual way his mouth moved over mine, and my heart tightened.
I was just about to say something when Cassidy’s friend, Daisy, joined us in the booth.
“Okay, so I think I’ve found the dresses. What do you guys think?”
While Indy, Honey, and I were bridesmaids, Daisy was Cassidy’s maid of honor. It was a responsibility she’d thrown herself into with wild enthusiasm. She came to these meetings armed with a folder full of things to do, buy, decide, and choose.
In charge of finding us some decent bridesmaid dresses, she was determined to pick the best damn bridesmaid dresses Destiny had ever seen.
She pushed a photo across the table. It was a picture of four women wearing the same dress color, but all of them different styles. One was strapless, one was backless, one showed a lot of boob, while the fourth was off the shoulder.