4. Chapter Four

Deciding to start over from our initial meeting I offer Eden an olive branch. "I know I"m not who you were expecting, but if you tell me what you need this weekend, I"ll gladly give it to you."

She snorts, and I realize my mistake, "I didn"t mean it like that, darlin". Are you going to the wedding to make your ex jealous?"

She shakes her head.

"Are you going to win him back?"

She shakes her head again.

I"m baffled as to why she"s going to the wedding. So, I press on, "You want to tell off your ex in front of his family." She gives me a side eye, glancing briefly off the road. The corners of her mouth tipping up slightly like she is trying to hold back a smile.

She glances back at the road and shakes her head again, "I was always friends with Lance"s sister Kara." Her ex"s name is Lance. I grit my teeth. How ironic. "She"s the one I"m most sad about losing in the breakup."

So, she"s not sad about breaking up with Lance. That"s interesting. "Then why do you look so sad?"

She bites her lip and glances at my face, then back to the road, "When Natalie first came up with this crazy idea to have Miles take me to the wedding, a part of me wanted to parade Miles around like a prized hog at a county fair. Rubbing it in Lance"s face, I was dating a player on his favorite hockey team. But after meeting you, I don"t want to use you like that. Even though you talk too much and drive me crazy with all your questions, you don"t deserve to be a pawn in my love life." She gives me a soft smile.

Damn, this girl is dangerous. If I"m not careful, I might lose what"s left of my heart to her.

***

The rest of the drive to the hotel is uneventful. We make small talk but never mention her ex or the wedding again.

Once we checked into our hotel and settled into our room, it felt like I could breathe again. It must have been sharing the same small space in the car with a beautiful woman who had me thinking about falling in love again. Maybe even starting a family.

I glance at my reflection in the mirror, adjusting my tie for the fiftieth time since getting dressed. My eyes stray to the king-sized bed, which reflects in the mirror and taunts me. My plan for the weekend is to be a gentleman and keep my hands to myself until she asks me to touch her.

I can tell she wants me by the cute way she"s always peaking at me when she thinks I"m not looking. But the jokes on her, I"m always looking at her. After only spending a few hours with Eden, I can tell she"s not a damsel in distress. She"s a fierce warrior who can slay her own dragons. Maybe even someone to help me fight my own demons.

The bathroom door opens, revealing Eden in a long, light green dress. The silky fabric lovingly clings to each of her soft curves, making my mouth water. Just when I thought I had my body under control, she takes a step towards me, revealing a long slit up the side of her dress that exposes one of her creamy thick thighs making me almost swallow my tongue at the thought of that thigh wrapped around my waist as I thrust into her.

A second vision follows the first. It is a vision of that same thigh lying on top of my thigh as we snuggle in bed together. I shake my head to clear my wayward thoughts because the women I sleep with never spend the night, not even Jessica.

"Ready?" Eden says, and I lift my gaze to her face, taking in my beautiful warrior princess.

I take her hand in mine and lift it to my mouth, brushing my lips across her skin, "Ready."