I reached over and placed my hand on top of hers, feeling her muscles tighten as I did. She looked down at where our hands touched, and I pulled away as if I’d been burned.
“I don’t know what to say, Vera. I feel awful about how it all played out. I wasn’t expecting to find someone to?—”
“Have a one-night stand with? Me either, Cara, but that’s how it happened and that’s okay. You woke up and saw I was gone. I would’ve assumed the same thing, to be honest. But I want you to know I hadn’t intended for you to be a one night thing.”
I smiled softly. I wish I could’ve said the same, but I didn’t. I hadn’t expected to end up in her bed at all, and it won’t happen again.
I opened my mouth to apologize, but she was starting to pick up on my guilt and shook her head. “Please don’t apologizeagain. You have nothing to be sorry for. It’s in the past and we’re starting over. All is forgotten, princesa.” She was right. It was in the past, and it was best if that was where it stayed.
Half an hour later, I was waiting for Vera while she tried on tux’s. I had been texting with Blair about wedding stuff to distract myself. They had picked a cake flavor and she was showing me pictures online and asking my opinion of which style she should go with.
Vera came out of the fitting room and I almost dropped my phone on the floor. Seeing her in a tux had my lip trying to hide itself between my teeth. Thoughts of our night together running through my mind.
“Well?” she asked when I didn’t say anything. I didn’t know what words were.
“It’s, yeah.” I nodded like an idiot.Get it together, Cara!
“It’s yeah? Do you like it?”
Did I like it? Did I like it?! I wanted to take it off and shove her against the wall of the dressing room, but I couldn’t just outright say that. “It’s not about me, Vera, but the top is a little… Here, let me fix it.”
Without waiting for a response, I took a step closer until I could practically feel her breath on me. I reached up and gripped the collar of her vest, straightening it out.
The entire time, her eyes never left mine. They stared into my soul, and I was worried she could see every thought running through my mind. I had already broken the “no kissing” rule, technically, but there, in the dressing room, I was seconds away from breaking the biggest rule of them all.
“How does it look now, princesa?” she whispered, causing a shiver to race up my spine.
“Perfect,” I answered honestly, my voice becoming hushed. I hadn’t even taken a second glance at the suit. I didn’t care anymore. The only thing I cared about was forcing my feet tostay where they were, and more importantly, forcing my lips and hands to stay far away from hers.
Apparently, she didn’t have the same cares that I did. She took a step closer, as if there were any more space between us anyway. An ant couldn’t even fit through us. Her eyes trailed down to my lips and I instinctively licked them.
“You know, princesa. You look very beautiful in that dress. It’s the same color as the one you wore the night we met. That cherry red with the slit that had me seeing stars. Do you remember that night? Because I sure as hell do. The way that color brings out your eyes. The way your lipstick matches the color of that dress. I wonder if they taste as sweet as you look.”
I swallowed as she brought up a hand to caress the side of my face. Did I remember that night? How the hell could I forget?
Her eyes still hadn’t left mine, and I couldn’t breathe. My eyes traveled down to her lips and when she licked them, I felt a jolt of electricity pulse through me. I wanted to lean in. I wanted to kiss her.
Which was exactly why I took a step back. That wasn’t going to happen, and even just thinking it could’ve made a mess of things.
I cleared my throat and wiped my hands on my dress. “I’d go with that one. Unless you want to try any more?”
If she was bothered by my rejection, she didn’t show it. She put on her perfect smile and nodded. “There are a few I’d like to try, but I’m leaning towards this one.” She went to take a step toward me but seemed to have thought better of it before turning back into the fitting room.
When the door closed I let out the breath that had threatened to get stuck in my throat and covered my face in my hands. I plopped down on the couch and groaned.
What the hell was wrong with me? I kept giving an inch, then regretting it and taking back a mile. I needed to pull ittogether and stop getting affected by her. I was a professional business woman who worked well under pressure and I needed to remember that.
The rest of the day went by without any more tension. She tried on a few more tuxes and I was able to keep my cool. She ended up choosing the first one she tried on, claiming that because I said it was perfect, it was the obvious choice.
The drive back home was quiet, but it didn’t feel stilted. I’d glance at her, catching her doing the same, and we’d smile, but that was it. She dropped me off with a light squeeze to my wrist, which I definitely didn’t go inside and think about for an hour, and I didn’t hear from her for the rest of the night.
I did call Eloise, however. She was the only one who knew the truth and I had to vent to someone.
I replayed the events of the day and of course her focus was on the almost kiss. She asked so many questions but my least favorite one was, “Tell me again why you can’t just grow your lady balls and do it?”
“For one, gross. For two, she’s not my type. You already know this. She isn’t someone I can see myself with long term, so there’s no point in spending a night together when it won’t go anywhere.”
“But you already have spent a night together, and from what I can tell, you haven’t forgotten about it. I can also tell that she really likes you, and she’s hot as hell. She’s got that whole sexy butch golden retriever vibe going on. She looks like she could crush someone who did her wrong, but she also is whipped for you. I mean what stranger offers to be your fake date to a wedding? In another country? Give the poor woman a chance!”
