He kissed me on the forehead. “Stop thinking what you’re thinking.”
“How did you know what I was thinking?”
“It’s all over your face, Kaelynn. I have no interest in hooking up with anyone.”
I glanced down to see he was still aroused. “But what about . . .”
Nash’s mouth was on mine, kissing me until I felt dizzy. “I’m fine. I’ll call you later.”
Nodding, I replied, “Okay, don’t forget your cake.”
With a wink, he stepped away from me, causing me to miss his heat.
“I wouldn’t dream of it. I plan on eating it before I walk into wherever this bachelor party is being held, and I’ll think of you the entire time I’m licking my fingers clean. See ya, Kaelynn.”
Pressing my lips together to keep from begging him to stay, I lifted my hand and forced out the words I didn’t mean and certainly didn’t want to say. “Have fun.”
His dimples went on in full display. “I highly doubt anything will top the last few hours.”
Warmth radiated over my body like someone had placed a warm blanket on me. I couldn’t help but grin like a silly schoolgirl. I stood there and stared at the door after Nash had closed it. My fingertips went to my mouth and my other hand laid across my jumping stomach.
I’d never in my life met a man like Nash Barrett, and the thought of losing him scared me more than I wanted to admit.
MY MIND RACED as I stood on the balcony of the hotel. The bachelor party was going strong in the hotel room, and I was outside thinking of nothing but how fast I could see Kaelynn again.
The door opened and I turned to see Tucker walking out. He handed me a beer and stopped next to me.
“The party is inside.”
With a chuckle, I replied, “Yeah, I know. I needed some air.”
“Want to talk about it?”
I pressed the beer to my lips and took a long drink.
“Or not,” Tucker added.
“I don’t know what I’m doing, Tucker. I’m not the type of guy to play games. I need to just ask her what she’s hiding.”
He turned and leaned against the railing as he asked, “Then why don’t you ask her?”
Shrugging, I looked at him. “Because I’m afraid to hear the truth. I’m afraid to think that I could be setting myself up to be in the same situation as I was before.” I shook my head. “I like this girl. This feeling I have with her is completely different than anything I ever felt with Lily. I thought I loved Lily, but I know now that wasn’t love. All the shit I’ve been through feels like it was just a road I had to travel on to get to her. To Kaelynn. Like she is the gift at the end of a long damn journey.”
I laughed and shook my head, continuing on with my word vomit. “Can you actually fall in love with someone so quickly? We’ve had two dates. Haven’t slept together, and I think she’s lying to me. What in the living hell?”
Tucker chuckled and put his hand on my shoulder. “The first time Charlie smiled at me, something inside of me went off. It was like my heart caught fire. Even all those years when I dated other women, Charlie was always there in the background. I couldn’t commit to anyone because I was in love with her. I was in love with her that first day we met and she tripped over the curb and I caught her. I might not have known it then, but looking back, I sure know it now.”
I turned and looked back out over Lake Austin.
“So what do I do? I don’t want this game.”
“Talk to her; ask her what she’s hiding or let it go. See where this takes you. Jump off the cliff and free fall. Just do something, man.”
My throat grew thick. “I think she was about to tell me everything tonight.”
Tucker squeezed my shoulder. “Take it from me, it’s not worth sneaking behind her back to find out the truth. If I learned anything with the mess Charlie and I got into, honesty has to be a two-way street. You can’t justify what you’re doing because you think she’s doing something wrong. Talk to her.”
“I will.” Turning to face him, I nodded. “I’ll talk to her tomorrow.”