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It may take more than glue or tape.
Piece me together with your love.
I hold her close. It’s the same way we’ve danced so many times before. The feel of her head on my chest and the smell of her shampoo wafting through my nose is euphoric. With my hand on her back and my mouth shadowing her ear, we dance, twirl, and dip while listening to Hayes’s deep penetrating voice.
She makes me feel alive, always has. I haven’t smiled this much in years or had this much fun.
“Beau?”
“Yeah, babe.”
“We’re going to make it this time. It feels good not to have secrets anymore. I wish I would have trusted you with Beckett’s secret back then,” she says, stretching her neck begging me to kiss her so I do.
Tender and hot.
When I release her lips, we’re nose to nose. “Vanessa? There’s something I—”
“Introduce me.” Wynter tugs on Vanessa’s arm. “I gave you your alone time. Now it’s Wyn Time.”
“Go ahead.”
When they disappear in a sea of people, I touch my cufflink and say to Ben’s guys, “You have eyes onLifetime?”
A chorus of “Rogers” filters through my earpiece.
Scanning the room, I see our friends are dancing as Hayes finishes up his second song. Harlan from Lockland Distillery catches my arm. “I’d like to set up a meeting with Ms. Barron to co-sponsor a charity event.”
“I’ll let her know. Excuse me, I see another friend.” I pat Harlan on the back and make my way over to Edward Fitch.
Mysomethings not rightradar goes off whenever I’m around him. He has a scowl on his face, and when I look in his line of sight, his eyes are trained on Vanessa, Wynter, and Hayes.
“Mr. Fitch, so glad you could make it. How did you like Barron Distillery’s new bourbon?”
The pads of his fingers are turning white, he’s putting so much pressure on the glass in his hand.
“Good, but not great. It lacks… taste.” He moves his lips around like he has sand on them.
I flash a fake smile and ask, “Would you like me to get your car out of the valet for you?”
“I think I’ll stay a bit longer.” He turns in the other direction and begins talking to another couple.
A waiter offers me champagne, but I drink water instead. I’m letting Vanessa cut loose tonight. She’s worked hard and deserves this moment. Hayes begins to sing again so I glance around the room for Vanessa. With each scan, she’s no longer in sight.
“Where’s Lifetime?”
One of the guys responds, “Bathroom, sir, with her friend.”
I let out a sigh of relief. On my way to the stage, I grab some bacon wrapped shrimp from the waitstaff and run smack dab into Wynter. Her mouth is running a mile a minute, she’s tipsy and high on Hayes.
“Beau, he’s so nice and those tats. Good lord, I’m sweating just thinking about what I’d let him do to me.”
“Wynter, where’s Vanessa? I thought you went to the bathroom.”
She gives me a quizzical look. Her eyebrows draw together. “Umm, she said she needed to do some lady stuff and didn’t want me to miss Hayes singing.”
Fuck.
“Eyes on Lifetime.”
