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The closer I got to him, the more labored my breathing became until I couldn’t stand it any longer. Leaving Dad still talking to Uncle Zander, I shot through the final twenty or so people and torpedoed myself into Beast’s arms. He caught me around the waist just as my legs folded around his hips. I wasn’t sure who kissed whom first, but suddenly our lips were attacking each other’s.
Everyone else in the room disappeared. There was just the taste of his tongue as it skimmed over mine. The feel of his scruff on my cheek. His hands squeezing my ass. My fingers combing through his thick locks. And my hidden baby bump beneath the simple baggy sweatshirt I wore, pressed into his hard abdomen.
The sound of several people clearing their throats loudly finally pulled me back to my surroundings, and I reluctantly lifted my head. Ignoring Seller and Meredith, both of whom had been some of the ones to attempt to make noises to separate us, I licked my kiss-swollen lips and looked at Barrick through hooded eyes. “Hi.”
Still holding me in place with one hand on my ass, he stroked the other over my cheek. “Hey, firecracker.”
“Ugh, get a room already,” Lyla said from right behind me.
Without looking at my best friend, I flipped her the finger over my shoulder. “I’m hungry. And thirsty. Can we eat now?”
Barrick tilted his head slightly, surprise lighting his eyes. “You’re hungry?”
“Starving.”
Relief filled his face. “Maybe making up with Nik was all you really needed,” he murmured for my ears only. “Perhaps our little dancer didn’t like the discord between you and her papa. Or his. I’m okay if we have a son and he wants to be a dancer as well.”
“Maybe you should shut up and feed me,” I groused. “Your bride is hungry, Beast.”
“I think we have about ten minutes before Mia becomes a different person,” Momma said loudly, causing everyone in the room to chuckle in agreement. “If everyone wants to take their seats, the waitstaff will start bringing out the appetizers.”
While everyone around us started moving to their assigned seats, Barrick carried me toward our own table.
“She’s a grown woman, Charlie,” Meredith complained behind us. “She can walk on her own.”
“I don’t bitch at you for clutching Seller like he’s going to disappear if another woman speaks to him. So don’t bitch at me when I want to carry Mia.”
When we reached our table, he used his foot to pull out a chair. Twisting my head, I saw that Braxton, Nevaeh, Lyla, and Howler were already seated at our table for six. I grinned at our bridal party and nearly clapped my hands with happiness. That meant Momma had put Meredith and her husband with someone else, most likely her and my dad to avoid the mother of the groom getting all pissy for feeling slighted. Not that it would stop her from being pissy anyway, but at least I didn’t have to deal with that while I was eating.
For the first time in months, I felt hungry, and I wasn’t going to waste it by getting indigestion from my soon-to-be mother-in-law.
Barrick sat and rearranged me on his lap. “Where’s Josie?” I asked when I didn’t see Lyla’s precious stepdaughter and my junior bridesmaid. Hayat and Evan would be my flower girl and ring bearer the next day. I was so excited to see all three kids in their adorable outfits.
“Aunt Emmie set up a table just for the kids, closer to Lucy’s table,” Nevaeh answered. “Josie has already made new friends with Hayat and Abi.”
“How are you feeling?” Lyla asked, leaning forward so she could drop her voice as much as possible with the crowd still loudly searching for their own seats.
Without thinking, I glanced around for my dad. Seeing him already seated at a table close by with Seller and Meredith, as well as my grandfather, I couldn’t help smiling. “Better,” I answered honestly. “So much better.”
A waiter appeared beside our table with three platters of my favorite appetizers and placed them in the center. Barrick still had me on his lap, but I didn’t bother to move to my own chair. Instead, I snatched a loaded potato skin and scooped up a little sour cream before stuffing the entire thing into my mouth.
“Everyone be careful,” Howler said with a hearty laugh as he watched me grab a chicken wing drenched in Truff sauce. “You might lose a finger now that Mia’s appetite has returned.”
I flipped him off and tore the wing apart before skinning the bone in one swipe of my teeth.
“Slow down before you choke,” Braxton urged.
I licked the Truff sauce off my thumb and chewed carefully so my friend wouldn’t worry, but I didn’t pause before picking up a fried pickle with my fork. “We’re going to need more of everything,” I whined, already sad that the food was quickly disappearing—and I was the one making it vanish.
But no sooner had the platters emptied, than they were replaced by more. By the time everyone was finally seated, I’d eaten the majority of six appetizer platters and was still hungry. So were the other five people at the table since I’d greedily gobbled down so much food.
“Damn, Mia,” Howler said, staring down at the empty plates in awe. “We need to enter you into some eating competitions. How many hot dogs do you think you could eat?”
“How much Truff sauce will they have?” I said with a grin.
“I’m not a fan of the smell,” Nevaeh commented. “But I wouldn’t mind a few more of those potato skins and the pickles.”
“I’ll be happy with the main course,” Lyla said, crunching into a piece of the celery, all that was left on the platters. “What did you decide on? Steak, chicken, pork? Something for the vegans?”
