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Quinn took a quick breath, belying her attempt at appearing calm. I stepped forward and reached for both of her hands. “I’m so happy for you and Kenan.”
She blinked quickly. “I know you are.” Her gaze coasted over me. “You look beautiful too.”
“Well, I am your maid of honor. I have to look good.”
Quinn giggled, and I squeezed her hands before releasing them. Her mother glanced between us with a smile. “Twenty minutes until go time, right?”
I glanced at my watch. “I need to check on a few more things. Everything else is on schedule. I’m out of here.”
I stepped out of Quinn’s cabin into the narrow hallway and began walking quickly. I was looking down at my phone, checking to make sure the rest of my family had replied to my group text to confirm everyone was already here or on the way.
A door ahead of me opened, and I literally walked right into it. Hard.
“Ouch!” I stepped back, dropping my phone as I brought a hand to the eye that had bumped into the corner of the door. “I’m sorry!” I exclaimed.
A man appeared from behind the door. My entire system felt zapped with nothing more than a glance at him.
The man in question had almost black hair and startlingly blue eyes. They widened when they landed on me. “You’re not the one who needs to apologize. I’m sorry,” he said. I held my hand over the eye that was watering from its collision with the edge of the door. “I opened the door right into you. Are you okay?”
He stepped around the door, closing it behind him and leaning down to pick up my phone. My fingers tingled when he handed it to me. “Let me see.” His low tone had a subtle rasp to it.
My insides felt ticklish as hot sparks scattered through me. He lifted a hand, carefully moving mine off my eye. “Oh,” he said gently. “You bumped right into that door. I hate to tell you, but I think you’ll have some bruising.”
I couldn’t even speak as I stared at him. I took in his dark brows and the clean, sharp angles of his cheekbones. And, sweet hell, this man had a sexy jaw. I’d never thought any man’s jaw was sexy. His was strong, and his chin a little square. He had a hint of stubble, tempting me to run my fingers along the edges of it. His lips were well formed. Lips were nothing I’devernoticed on any human in my life. The upper one had a dip in the middle, and the bottom one was full.
“Are you okay?” he repeated.
My brain finally kicked into gear, like a car that hadn’t started suddenly roaring to life. I was mortified because I’d been awestruck by this man.
When he had lifted his hand to check my eye, he had gently moved mine to the side and lowered it. We stood there, sort of holding hands. His grip was warm and dry, and I thought maybe we should keep holding hands forever.
“I’m going to have some bruising?” I belatedly prompted, only then absorbing what he said.
He nodded slowly. “I’m afraid so.”
“I’m supposed to be in a wedding.”
“You’re getting married?” His eyes widened, alarm crossing his face.
“Well, not me,” I said quickly. “I’m the maid of honor in my brother’s wedding.”
“Now?”
“In”—I glanced at my watch—“seventeen minutes.”
He studied me for a moment, a tiny grin kicking up one corner of his mouth and sending my belly into a few flips. “Well then, it’s a good thing it’s soon. Bruising always gets worse later. It’ll probably still just be red in about seventeen minutes.”
Maybe it was because I had just run into the door, or perhaps it was because I was flustered and in a rush, but it felt like the earth moved, for real. I couldn’t bring myself to care all that much. I was stunned.
“Ma’am?” the man standing in front of me prompted.
That kicked through the haze in my brain. “Oh my God. Don’t call me ma’am.”
He cleared his throat. “I don’t know your name.”
“It’s McKenna. McKenna Cannon.” We were still holding hands, and I didn’t want to let go.
“Nice to meet you, McKenna. I’m Jack Hamilton.”
