Once Bitten - C.M. Steele Page 0,4

to be together.

As soon as the bride and groom went down the aisle, Jamie and I were locked arm in arm, following them to take pictures. Her father scowled at me several times during the photo shoot, but fuck if I cared. I snuck in moments of touching Jamie. My dick was so hard the entire time that I was sure the photographer was going to have some fucked-up shots that would have to be burned before Ian saw them.

My phone started buzzing, so after the photos I excused myself. Unfortunately, there was a lot for me to do before I shipped off tomorrow. The calls took me longer than I’d hoped, but when I entered the reception area of the house, Jamie was talking to her parents so I took a seat at the wedding party table, thinking about life and how much I was going to miss Jamie for the next couple of months.

“Have you been avoiding me?” Jamie asked me, taking a seat next to me at the table and handing me a tumbler of amber liquid.

“Thanks, sweetheart. Not at all. I don’t want to cause a scene with your father, although I’m having thoughts of throwing you over my shoulder and taking you to Vegas just to piss him off.”

“I heard you two had a talk and you both came out looking pristine.” She cocked her brow and took a sip of her cocktail.

“Did you expect me to fight an old man protecting his daughter?” If he’d pushed it and it hadn’t been my best friend’s wedding, I might have dropped his ass because no one was going to keep me away from Jamie.

“No, but I expected him to hit you.” She bit down on her bottom lip, stealing a glance at her father. God, even her profile turned me on.

I reach under the table and squeeze her thigh. When she whipped her head back at me, I added, “And yet you left me there.”

“I figured you’re a tough guy. You could have handled it.”

“So you’re disappointed that he didn’t clock me one.”

“No. I’m just surprised. He decked my last boyfriend.” If she was searching for my jealousy, she hit the nail on the head.

“That’s because he knows that I didn’t fuck you that night on the boat, even though I’d been given the invitation.”

She stood up and said, “Devin, I think it’s best if we forget this thing between us.”

I dragged her back down onto my lap. “Why? Because you hate the smell of fish?”

She shook her head. “No. It’s more than that. What happens when you’re off chasing after sharks, studying them, and gone for months? It’s not just that it’s dangerous—”

“You’re worried that I couldn’t be faithful.” I rubbed my hand on her back.

“No. I want a happily ever after like Mia. You love what you do, and I don’t care for it, so leaving it wouldn’t make you happy. Eventually you’d hate me.” She slid off my lap and back to her chair.

“I get what you’re saying, even if I think you have nothing but fucking excuses to stay away from me. You’re scared, and I get it. I do. I’m leaving on an expedition for two months. It’s going to be amazing and I can’t back out now, but I bet I’ll still be in love with you even when I get back.” I tilted my head down and kissed her softly before getting up and pulling her to the dance floor.

I twirled her around, bringing her to my chest. “If I didn’t have to leave, I’d be begging you to be my wife, Jamie.”

“Is there somewhere we could go?” Her voice vibrated straight down to my cock.

“Come home with me,” I insisted.

“Yes.” We snuck out of the party and into my Jaguar.

“Marine biologists get paid well.” She ran her hand over the dash, turning her head to me and waiting for a reply.

“Ha. No, but I’m not a beach bum, believe it or not. I come from a well-to-do family who taught me to make smart financial choices. Over the past ten years, I did just that, and I can afford luxury when I want it.”

“You work in this ride?”

“No. This one is only for my time off.”

“And seducing women?”

“I don’t know where your pretty ass got that idea of me, but I’m not out fucking women left and right. I’m twenty-eight, and I haven’t been with a woman since college. What was that—at least six years ago?”

“Oh. I’m sorry.