You are perfect, Addison Kinsella.Something stops me from saying that—possibly the ever-present danger of a swift knee to my groin. “Thanks,” I mumble instead.
And then we’re silent, moving to the music until the song ends. She bristles. Goes to pull away but I hold her tight. “One more dance, Addie. Please?”
She looks up at me, eyes shining. “Why?”
“Because I don’t want to let you go yet.”
She stares at me for the longest time, the moment stretching out for an eternity. And then she leans into me, resting her cheek against my shoulder. I dust my lips over her hair. And then she recognizes the song the band is playing right before the singer belts out the first line of “Santa Tell Me.”
She looks into my eyes, and hers are shining with delight. “Did you ask them to play this song?”
“Yeah. I don’t know if you remember, but you danced to it at Hugo’s party.”
“I remember. I also remember I was thinking about you when I did.”
Oh, fuck me. I can see her now, a wicked smile on her face as she popped her hips and mouthed the words. “I’m so fucking sorry, Addie.”
“I know.” She smiles and then nestles her head against my chest once more, and I wrap her in my arms and enjoy the feel of her being here with me, right where she belongs. Her parents dance past us and Maggie gives me a knowing wink that makes me laugh.
The song ends all too soon and the singer announces that the bride and groom are leaving, which is met with a chorus of wolf whistles and cheers.
“I guess we should go say bye,” Addie says, and I reluctantly let my arms fall from around her waist.
“How about we pick up right here when we’re done though?”
The smile she gives me makes my knees feel like they’ve been hit with a sledgehammer. “If you’re a good boy.”
We all wavethe newlyweds off in their golf cart as they prepare to spend the next four days holed up in their cabin. Brax has already warned everyone that we won’t be hearing from them for at least forty-eight hours and I’m happier than I can ever put into words for him and Eva. I have to admit I’m happier about the fact that Addison just danced to a song with me that she wasn’t signed up for. She chose to. And she didn’t seem even the slightest bit uncomfortable in my arms, not even when she rubbed up against me and had to have felt how very hard for her I am.
We wait until almost everyone else has gone back inside, Addie staring off into the direction of the golf cart with a huge smile on her face. I slip my hand into hers. “How about that next dance?”
She giggles and the sound is so joyous and carefree, it’s almost like we’ve turned back time to before I acted like the world’s biggest asshole. “I think these heels were made for dancing.”
We’re almost back to the main lodge when someone calls out her name. And it makes every single hair on the nape of my neck stand on end, not to mention jealous, possessive anger burn in my veins.
What the fuck is he doing here and more importantly, did she invite him? I never did get to the bottom of why Eva found her crying into her wine over this guy. And she even admitted that she was cut up about not coming to the wedding with him. Evenif he is a douche-canoe, maybe Jasper is the man she wants to be with.
The very idea makes me want to throw her over my shoulder like a caveman, carry her to our cabin and remind her exactly who she’s always belonged to.
Chapter 23
Addison
# Always take the win and walk away—aka never poke the angry bear
Itwist around, sure I must have imagined hearing him shouting my name, but no, there he is…dressed in a suit and tie.
“Jasper, what the hell are you doing here?”
He smiles sheepishly. I’m sure he thinks it makes him look adorable but actually it makes him look like a naughty schoolboy. “I made a mistake, Sugarmuffin. And I knew how much it meant for me to be here with you.” He glances around. “At your brother’s wedding.”
“The wedding’s over, fuck-face,” Chase growls.
That’s exactly what I was going to say, minus the fuck-face, but I throw Chase a warning glare anyway. “I’ve got this,” I say through clenched teeth. “Can you give us a moment?”
He scowls at Jasper, his jaw working. “Nope, don’t think I will.”
“Chase, please?” I ask. “I can handle this. Please just go inside.”
