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Her mouth hurt fromsmiling. Her eyes ached from the incessant flash photography. Her shoes had rubbed blisters onto the backs of her feet. And if one more person requested that she saycheese, “I’m walking out of this ballpark with bases loaded,” she whispered to herself, shuffling her feet in the grass.
After the ten-thousandth photo of the day, the photographer released the wedding party for cocktail hour on the grounds of Templeton Manor.
“Come on, let’s get a drink.” Casey ripped the heels from her feet and gripped Austin’s hand, pulling him toward the bar.
“Tell me how you really feel.” He grinned and allowed her to yank him along.
“It’s a million degrees out here. I’m thirsty. And my feet are killing me.” Casey pointed to the backs of her feet, cringing at the sight of the angry pink flesh.
Austin scrunched his nose. “Ouch,” he muttered and tugged her toward the house instead. “To the medic tent for you, Ms. McDaniels.”
“The medic tent?” He led her up the stone patio, past the bar, and into the house—her eyes catching sight of the cold beverage dispensers wrapped in yellow ribbon.
I don’t even care if that’s Old Style! I just want some!
“Upstairs bathroom, Casey girl. Lauren keeps a first-aid kit there.”
She trudged up the stairs, following him as he led her down the carpeted hallway and into the bathroom. Austin flipped on the lights—the meticulously furnished crisp white décor smiling back.
One fucking photo away from a feature in HGTV.
“Dr. Templeton isn’t on-call tonight, so you get me instead.” He tugged the top drawer open and pulled out a white plastic container with a smile.
She giggled. “Oh, I don’t know if I trust your medical skills, sir. What’re your credentials?”
“Hmm... good question.” Austin lifted his gaze to the ceiling. “Well, I got an ‘A’ in freshman biology, so that means I can dissect a frog, predict our child’s blood type with a Punnett square, and identify the four phases of mitosis.”
Casey grinned.What the fuck are you talking about?“Good enough, I suppose,” she shrugged and hopped up on the counter.
Austin pulled out a Band-Aid and ripped open the packaging. “Let’s see that war wound, Casey girl.”
She pulled her right leg upward, resting her ankle on her left knee. His warm hands collided with her skin as he examined the wound, covering the blister with the bandage and a playful squeeze. “Other foot too?”
Casey nodded and rotated her legs, watching as Austin placed another bandage on her banged-up foot.
“Glad I left my heels at home and opted for these bad boys,” he joked, tapping his toes together.
“I don’t know... you have nice calves. Heels would’ve looked good on you.”
She smiled as he leaned forward and covered her mouth with his—his kiss sensual, sweet, and soft.
More.
Casey pressed her body into him, willing him to return the desire fueling her bloodstream. Tugging his hands up, she wrapped them around the back of her neck.
He pinched her earlobes with a grin but dropped his hands and pulled away. “Always so eager,” he murmured, stepping sideways to open the drawer and return the first-aid kit. “But we’re missing the party.”
He guided her forward until her feet returned to the tile floor, his hand reaching outward to grip the doorknob before she pulled him back.
“Hey, Austin?”
He turned.
“Are you okay?”
Wrinkling his nose, he frowned. “What makes you think I’m not?”
She tugged at his tie and lifted her gaze to his. “Because I know you.”
