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Chapter Twelve
Silver
The way Liam was staring at me during the rehearsal was driving me batty. I could feel his stare on me as I stood at the start of the aisle, waiting for the best man to show up.
“Beto’s not going to make it in time,” Finn yelled out.
I heard Tyler swear and watched as Ray soothed him with a sweet kiss to his cheek. She looked around at the small wedding party gathered on the beach where the wedding would be held tomorrow. A white arch covered in Hawaiian flowers stood at one end of the aisle.
“Liam, would you mind standing in for the best man?” Ray called out.
“Not at all.”
I did a double take. Wait, what?
Liam slid up next to me and wrapped his arm in mine as we stood at one end of the aisle waiting for instructions from Ray. I looked straight ahead, trying to ignore the shivers running down my spine, but that was a mistake. Ahead of us was a white canopy that stood over a wedding altar where the bride and groom would take their vows tomorrow. And Liam and I were going to walk down the aisle together, arm in arm. It was impossible not to think of the fairy tale with its coveted happily ever after. Damn Lexy for putting such nonsense in my head.
“Relax, Silver. We aren’t the ones getting married.”
Yet.The word hung in the air, unspoken. Of course, that was my imagination. Liam and I had never even got close to talking about marriage when we had been together. But I couldn’t shake the feeling that’s what he’d meant, what he was thinking as we walked down the aisle and stood in front of the altar, facing each other. Of course, that was never going to happen. This was as close to the altar as I was ever going to get with Liam or any other man.
I was relieved once the rehearsal was over and we headed to the restaurant. I turned my attention to Ray, my best friend who was marrying the love of her night. She’d met Tyler, a famous rock star, on what should have been the worst day of her life- the day her jerk fiancé had left her at the altar. But it turned out to be the best night of her life.
I was over the moon, happy for them both. Watching them together, it was clear how much they loved each other. For a second, I wondered if I could ever find happiness like that myself. I covertly glanced at Liam across the table from me. He was in an animated conversation with Tyler. They’d really hit it off since we arrived. Wouldn’t that be fun if the four of us went out together? Lived down the street from each other? Raised our kids together?
Whoa, whoa, whoa. Kids? What in the hell was I thinking? I was about as maternal as a bull. I pushed away from the table and excused myself. I had to stop going to weddings. All this romance was making me crazy, making me dream of impossible scenarios. Romance was for other people. People who didn’t have baggage like I had. I liked a good time, fast dancing and slow sex. Nothing more than that.
“Where are you going?”
I didn’t have to turn around to see who was behind me. My body knew exactly who was behind me, without so much as a touch.
So did my heart.
The minute he laid his hand on my shoulder, my body reacted like a cat in heat. I knew his husky low voice, knew the scent of his cologne mixed with his own stirring pheromones, knew the taste of his sweet breath as he whispered in my ear. “Back to our room so soon?”
Oh hell no. How could I forget we were sharing a room? I couldn’t possibly survive the night if Liam were sleeping next to me. “I can’t share a room with you, Liam,” I said as I raced up the stairs. Of course, he was in synchronized step with me. The man was maddening. Didn’t he feel how impossible it would be to share a room, a bed?
Of course, he did. “Liam, you can’t stay here. I can’t...” I made the mistake of turning around to look at him once I’d reached the door to our room.
“You can’t what?” Liam asked.
“I can’t be with you that way anymore. I just can’t.”
Liam’s expression was unreadable. “I understand. Silver, I’m not going to force myself on you. Is that what you think of me?”
I frowned, realizing the implications in my words. Liam would never do such a thing. He was always a perfect gentleman. I knew protecting women was something of great importance to him, having lost his sister in an accident at an early age. I wasn’t really protecting myself from Liam. I was protecting myself from the temptation of Liam.
“No, of course not. But we work together now. I mean, technically you’re my boss. We can’t have a sexual relationship. It would complicate things even more than they already are. Don’t you see that?”
“I see that you are scared of something, Silver. Maybe afraid of actually being happy. Did you see Ray and Tyler? They are blissfully happy. Why? Because they didn’t let fear run their lives.”
I cracked open the door to our room. Memories of Liam and I dancing at one of the weddings popped in my head. And that kiss that had given me erotic dreams every night since. I looked up at Liam, at his beautiful face, his soulful eyes as they watched me, waiting for me to reveal his fate for the night.
“Fine, come in,” I said. “But you’ll have to sleep on the sofa.” He followed closely behind me as I threw open the door.
“I don’t mind. But I would like to remind you. You were the one who invited me to be your date to Ray’s wedding,” he said as he removed his dinner jacket. “So, maybe we could just try to enjoy ourselves. We’re in paradise, after all.”
I looked away as he removed his tie and unbuttoned the top of his dress shirt. I’m not even sure if Liam knew how he affected me. And I wasn’t about to let him find out.
