That makes me laugh. “Well, he was a lot smaller than you. But you remember that?”
“Of course I do.”
Of course he does. His little Firefly. There were so many times he was there for me, just like he is now. “You were there for almost all the important moments of my life, Chase. Good and bad.”
He holds my gaze, eyes burning into mine like he’s trying to reach inside my soul. “I’d like to be there for all the future ones too, Addie.”
I’m not sure what he even means by that, but I know that I’d like that too. “Did you have to do such an incredible job back there?”
He smirks. “Can’t help being so funny now, can I?”
I chew on my lip before I speak again. “If I mess up, will you help me out?”
He shakes his head. “You won’t need my help. You’re going to be incredible because you’re going to speak from your heart and nobody loves those two as much as you do. All you need to remember is that everyone in that room cares about you. And plenty of them love the hell out of you too. You’ve got this, Addison Kinsella.” He presses a tender kiss on my forehead that makes my knees tremble again, albeit for an entirely different reason than before. “You ready to go back in there and give the best speech by any person at any wedding ever?”
“Yes.” How does he have the ability to soothe and inspire me all at the same time? He always has done, and it’s like a superpower.
“That’s my good girl,” he murmurs.
Okay, well now my knees just actually buckled and the only reason I don’t fall is because Chase is holding me up. “You okay?”
My cheeks are flaming with heat. No, not even a little okay. I almost passed out because you called me your good girl! I blow a strand of hair from face and lie my ass off. “I’m great. Let’s go.”
I shrug out of his grip, roll back my shoulders and remember I’m wearing my you-got-this red heels again today, and then I stride back into the reception. Aware that Chase is quite probably staring at my ass, I make sure to sway my hips for all they’re worth and give him something to get hot under the collar about.
Chapter 22
Chase
# Always make friends with the band
Araucous cheer erupts when Brax and Eva take to the floor for their first dance and I cannot stop myself from smiling as I watch them together. Not only because they look so insanely happy and I’m thrilled for them, but because as soon as their first dance is done, then it will be time to do our rehearsed dance, and I will have a wholly legitimate excuse to have Addie in my arms while I stare into her eyes.
The band’s soulful rendition of “To Make You Feel My Love” ends and Brax and Eva kiss to a chorus of whistles and hollering. He dips her and she squeals.
“I remembered all my steps, and I got to dance with the most beautiful woman in the room,” Brax declares and then he fist pumps the air.
I’d have to disagree with the latter part of his claim because I’m looking right at the most beautiful woman in the room—she’s the most beautiful woman in any room. My heart rate almost doubles. Addie is on the opposite side of the dance floorand I watched her during Brax and Eva’s first dance as much as I watched them. Her beautiful face lit up with delight the entire time.
“Can the wedding party please take to the floor for the next song?” one of the band members announces over the microphone.
There’s another cheer.
I’m still staring at Addie. Now our eyes meet and I swallow down the thick knot of nerves. We’ve practiced this. It’s just a dance, Chase.
She glides across the floor toward me, effortless even in the sky-high red stilettos. Fuck me, she is the most beautiful sight I ever saw. I will my dick not to get inappropriately hard when we dance in front of all these guests, but already he’s ignoring me, twitching at the thought of having her so close.
I hold out my hand. “Shall we?”
She wraps her slender fingers around mine, warm and soft and right. And then I pull her into my arms and it feels like the most natural thing in the whole fucking world. One hand on the small of her back, I guide her around the dance floor, repeating the steps that Samuel drilled into us. We’re one of a half a dozen couples but I’m only focused on her. The flickering lights reflected in her hazel eyes. The warmth of her skin beneath my palm. The scent of her perfume. Everything that is Addison Kinsella intoxicates me.
This is the last of ourdutiesfor this evening. Soon Brax and Eva will ride off to their cabin on the opposite side of the lake and probably not leave it for days, and this day will be over. And this thing will be over. A wave of sadness washes over me.
“Today went well, didn’t it?” Her warm breath dusts over the skin of my neck, making the hair stand up on my nape.
“Yeah. You were great.”
“So were you. Your speech was perfect.”
