If We Dare - J.H. Croix Page 0,23
she was aware she wasn’t going to get an opportunity to be alone with me. I’d brushed her off via text and phone for the last month or more every time she reached out.
Dee bit her lip and looked away, before turning back, a crease forming between her brows. “You could’ve told me you were involved with someone,” she said accusingly. As if she had any right to have any fucking opinion on the matter.
I was, frankly, confused by this. “Dee, no offense, but why would I keep you up to date on my love life? If you recall, you started another relationship with my best friend’s brother while I was overseas. I’m not going to make it seem like we were truly, madly, deeply or anything like that—”
Dee’s lips tightened in a line right before she interjected. “Make no mistake, Walker, I’m well aware that we were not ‘truly, madly, deeply,’ as you put it.” She finished that off with air quotes. Dear God, I loathed drama.
“Right. Anyway. No hearts were broken. I wish you nothing but happiness.” I couldn’t believe that rolled out of my mouth, but I was feeling a tad sarcastic, to say the least.
Dee took a deep breath and let it out with a gusty sigh. “It’s obvious Jade means far more to you than I ever did.”
My annoyance bubbled over. “Dee, why the hell are you trying to talk to me about anything?” I shifted my shoulders slightly, feeling restless. I couldn’t put a finger on what I felt toward Jade. However, I wasn’t going to argue with myself about the depth of my instinctive response to her.
With Jade, it felt as if lightning was striking in the air around us whenever we got too close. My reaction to her was primitive and raw. Just the act of helping her with the zipper on her dress and that subtle point of contact where my knuckle rubbed against her skin was like tires burning on pavement. Just now, I could feel the visceral heat of the burn simply from recalling it.
With a sharp nod in Dee’s direction and unwilling to entertain her wish to talk to me any longer, I dislodged her hand on my elbow. “Enjoy the rest of the wedding.”
If anyone around us noticed the tension on Dee’s features, I didn’t care. I made my way through the jostle of bodies as people began moving toward the steps where the reception was being held. When I got closer to Jade, I noticed there was another man talking with her. He was staring down at her cleavage, and I didn’t appreciate the look in his eyes.
A fierce streak of possessiveness raced through me. I stepped to her side, sliding my hand around her waist and letting it rest on the soft curve of her hip. “Hey there,” I murmured as I bent low and pressed a kiss to the side of her neck.
When I lifted my eyes, I met hers and didn’t miss the sudden flash in them. Although we were ostensibly pretending we were together, I’d just gone a step further than we had taken it thus far in public by kissing her on the neck like that. I didn’t care.
I felt her tremble slightly and watched the pink crest high on her cheeks. A subtle buzz of satisfaction ran through me. If I was going to be a slave to my reaction to her, I wouldn’t mind knowing that maybe, just maybe, she might be as affected by me.
“Hey yourself.” Her reply was husky, and I wanted to kiss her properly. That might be taking things too far just now.
Instead I straightened and looked at the man beside her. “I don’t think we’ve met. Walker Hudson,” I said with a nod, keeping my tone level.
The man’s eyes bounced between us, his gaze cooling as he took the measure of the moment. He nodded in return. “Clyde Phelps. You’re the best man, right?” At my nod, he continued, “Are you as surprised as I was to see Dave fall so hard and fast?” he asked conversationally.
Considering that I didn’t know this man, and knew Dave really well, I knew they weren’t close. Be that as it may, Dave’s days of being a player weren’t exactly a secret. I simply smiled. “Perhaps at first. But then I met Jenny. Dave is nothing if not loyal. He was guaranteed to fall hard, and I’m nothing but thrilled for him. Nice to meet you. We’ll be