20. Cole

I was surprisedmy tongue wasn't split in half from all the biting I'd been doing on it all day. Simon's frat brothers were the epitome of rich, misogynistic, entitled assholes. If I heard one more ‘joke' that made me want to introduce my fist to the joke teller's face, I wasn't sure I could be held responsible for my actions.

I'd yet to meet Simon, but I was on his radar. He'd kept close tabs on me ever since I'd placed my hand on Bailey's back while she introduced me to her sisters. I wasn't the only one he'd been keeping an eye on. He'd been tracking Bailey the entire night. And the way he looked at her wasn't sitting right with me. He hadn't once looked at his fiancée with the same affection, the same desire, or the same intensity that he'd had when Bailey was in his sights.

This night could not be over fast enough. I just wanted to get Bailey back to our room and spend time with her. Alone. She'd spent most of the evening with Mrs. Prescott. It was clear the two women had a strong bond. It was also clear that Mrs. Prescott shared her husband's sentiment that she'd always believed Bailey would be her daughter-in-law.

I took another sip of the beer I'd been nursing for the past hour.

It wasn't only Simon's scrutiny I'd been under. The eldest of the Bliss sisters, Billie, had been watching my every move. It was clear that she was protective of her sister, which made me wonder how in the hell she'd let Simon be in the picture for so long. Even from ten feet away, I could hear what a self-involved, pompous jerk he was. And if his groomsmen were any indication of his character, those were the nicest adjectives I could use to describe him.

After having my fill of the frat boys, I'd been hanging out on the outskirts of the gathering, avoiding eye contact with any of the bridesmaids. I felt like I was chum in the water, and they were circling me like sharks.

Bailey was across the courtyard talking to her sister Birdie. I watched as the two women hugged before Birdie joined Billie, who had been in the opposite corner scrolling on her phone for the majority of the night.

Once her sister walked away, Bailey scanned the crowd. When her eyes fell on mine, a slow smile spread across her beautiful face. She walked toward me, her eyes sparkling with kindness. All the irritation that had plagued me evaporated faster than dry ice in a sauna. All of the tension drained from me. Well, not all the tension. The sexual tension was very present and getting stronger with each step she took in my direction.

"Hey." Her voice was quiet as she explained, "My sisters are taking off, and a few people have already left, so I think it wouldn't be noticed if we slipped out."

I tried not to show too much enthusiasm as I casually replied, "Sounds good."

I turned and set my beer down on one of the high-top tables that lined the courtyard. When I turned back, I saw Simon walking our way—not walking, but stalking. His legs were moving with purpose.

I'm not sure exactly what possessed me to, but I cupped Bailey's face, leaned down, and pressed my lips to hers. The kiss was soft, gentle, and tender. It was unlike any other first kiss I'd ever had. There was an ease, and a familiarity to it. Our mouths brushed against one another as I pulled first her bottom lip, then the top between my own.

The rest of the world faded into the background. The only thing I was aware of was the undeniable rightness, profound realness, and deep connection I had with this woman. I was barely touching her, but I felt her everywhere.

An outburst of laughter popped the bubble of intimacy we'd been floating in, and I forced myself to break our kiss. Bailey blinked up at me with a glazed look over her heavy-lidded eyes. Neither of us spoke. We just stared at one another as the magnitude of what we'd just shared sank in.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw that Simon had been intercepted by Devin. I sensed him staring in our direction, and even peripherally, I could see he wasn't happy. I wasn't typically a man who marked his territory, but Bailey made me feel things I'd never felt before, like wanting to claim her. The problem was, she wasn't mine to claim. That fact didn't stop me from placing my hand on her lower back and guiding her out of the courtyard.

My lips were tingling from our too-brief kiss as we silently walked down the garden path to our villa. The string lights above illuminated the walkway, giving the atmosphere a magical vibe. Not that it needed any help in that department.

Every time I was near Bailey, there was an air of enchantment, of charm, and of excitement, which combined was magic. She was magic.

As we approached the door, I pulled my key card out of my back pocket and held it against the sensor. The green light flashed as the click of the door unlocking sounded. I turned the handle and held the door open for her. As she walked by me, the floral scent that was uniquely hers wafted in her wake. I closed my eyes and inhaled.

"Tonight went well, I think." Her voice was much higher than usual, indicating she was nervous.

Maybe she was nervous to be alone with me, after I'd just kissed her.

"It did," I agreed as the door shut behind me.

As soon as the click sounded, she turned around to face me. "So, is that…um, the kissing, is that part of the service?"

"Sometimes, I do kiss clients if the situation calls for it. But that's not why I kissed you tonight."

Her eyes widened slightly. "It's not?"

"No."

"Why did you kiss me?"

"I kissed you for two reasons."

"Two?" she repeated.

I nodded. "I kissed you because Simon was coming over, and I wanted him to know that we were together."

"Oh." Her expression was unreadable. I wasn't sure if she was upset or happy that I'd done what I'd done, partly because of her ex. "And what was the other reason?"

"The other reason is that I've wanted to kiss you since the first time I saw you."

"You have?"

"Yes."

"Really?"

She clearly had no idea of her appeal. It was endearing and yet frustrating. I wanted her to know just how incredible she was. "You were being screamed at by a bride who was having a meltdown. I think her bouquet had the wrong flowers, or no, I think they were the wrong color."

"Georgina, right. The roses were supposed to be blush, and they were pink."

"Aren't blush and pink the same color?" Not that I was someone who should be commenting on the variations of colors.

"No. Blush is just a hint, and pink is a slap in the face."

"Right, well, anyway, she lost it on you. You kept your calm, apologized for the mistake, even though I'm sure it was not your fault, and when she walked away, the caterer came up and tried to commiserate over what a bridezilla she was, and you defended her. You said that the order was wrong, and this was her day, so everything should be perfect."

"That made you want to kiss me?"

"Yes."

Her brow furrowed. "That wedding was…over a year ago. I can't believe you remember that."

You have no idea. "I remember everything."

She chuckled as if I was kidding. I wasn't.

"Do you know how many weddings we've been at together?"

"Six?"

I could tell she was guessing.

"Ten."

"Ten? Are you sure?"

"You've worn your hair up five times, half up and half down four times, and all down the last one. You've worn two blazers, four long-sleeved shirts, one sleeveless turtleneck, and three quarter-sleeve shirts. The sleeveless turtleneck was my favorite."

Her lips parted, and she licked them. My eyes followed the path of her tongue as it slid across her mouth. The mouth that I'd had the tiniest taste of and was aching to explore more thoroughly.

She blinked up at me several times before asking, "Do you have a photographic memory?"

"Only when it comes to you."

Her nostrils flared for a moment before her eyes shut, and she sneezed. Loudly. She covered her mouth and took two steps back from me. "Sorry, allergies."

"Is it?" I questioned.

"Yes. I'm not sick, but if you'd feel more comfortable with me sharing a room with my sisters?—"

"I don't think you"re sick. And I don't think you have allergies."

"You don't?" she breathed.

"No. I heard you talking to Billie after I left the bathroom. I heard her say that she heard you sneeze and what that meant."

I waited for her to deny it, to tell me it was a joke or that I must have misheard her.

"You did?"

"I did. And you've sneezed quite a lot around me." I took a step toward her.

"No. I haven't…I mean, yes, I have, but this is, I'm paying you to be here."

"No, you're not."

"What?" Her brows furrowed.

"You're not going to pay me. This isn't a job."

"Yes, I am. And yes, it is."

"No, you're not," I insisted. "And no, it's not. I'm not here because you hired me. I'm here because I want to be."

She swallowed audibly and shook her head. "This isn't…we can't…you're twenty-four."

"I know."

"I'm thirty-six."

"I know."

"You're too young, and you date women for a living."

"Are you attracted to me?"

She closed her eyes—her beautiful green eyes that I saw every time I closed my eyes. The eyes that I'd dreamt about. The eyes I'd known the color of because of those dreams.

"Do you remember me asking if you had green eyes and blonde hair?"

Her lids popped open. "Yes."

"Do you want to know why I asked that?"

She nodded.

"I asked you that because I had a dream about you."

"You did?"

"I don't usually dream in color. In fact, I haven't dreamt in color since I was a kid, right after my vision changed. But after I saw you at that first wedding, I couldn't stop thinking about you. At first, it was just when I was awake. You would randomly pop into my head. But then, after seeing you at a few more weddings, you started showing up in my dreams."

"I did?"

"Yes, you did. And a few months ago, actually, it was the night of the Dominguez wedding. I had a dream about you, and it was in color. You had golden blonde hair, bright green eyes, and full red lips. And, ever since then, all of my dreams of you are in color."

She stared at me as if she wasn't quite sure what to make of what I'd just told her. I didn't blame her. I wasn't quite sure what to make of what I'd just told her.

"In my dreams, we are together. We are a couple. We do the things that couples do. When we go back to the city, back to reality, this might not work?—"

"It won't work," she insisted as her chest rose and fell as her breaths grew shallow.

"Okay, but we're not in the city now. For the next three days, we are a couple, just like in my dreams."

I could see that she was considering what I was saying but also that she was overwhelmed by my confessions. In an attempt to lighten the mood, I said, "And we're in wine country. You know what they say about wine country, right?"

Her brow furrowed. "What happens in wine country stays in wine country?"

"I was going to say that it's beautiful, but sure, let's go with that."

Her head tilted to the side as she laughed, and my chest swelled with unearned pride. I could honestly say that making Bailey happy was more satisfying than scoring the winning touchdown at state.

I took another step toward her. "How about, just for this weekend, we don't think about our age or—" I was going to say responsibilities and obligations, but I stopped myself. I hadn't told her about Sara and the kids, and this was not the time. "—or anything else. Why don't we just live in the moment and enjoy ourselves."

"You mean…" Her eyes widened, and I could see her pulse in her throat.

"I mean, why don't we start by putting the hot tub to use?"

"The hot tub." She exhaled. "Oh, okay. Yeah, that sounds good."

She took her suitcase into the bathroom, and I unzipped my overnight bag. I'd packed a bathing suit just in case there was a pool, but I hadn't actually thought I'd get to use it. After putting it on, I caught my reflection in the full-length mirror. I couldn't remember the last time I'd seen myself in a full-length mirror. It had to be at Lindsay's place since we didn't have one. I was actually surprised to see how much bulk I'd put on in the past three years. I almost didn't recognize myself.

I heard a noise that sounded like someone clearing their throat and looked over to see Bailey standing in the hallway that led to the bathroom. Her hair was piled on top of her head in a messy bun, revealing the sexy slope of her neck. The white terrycloth robe she wore stopped just below her knees, exposing her toned calves and cute bare feet. Something about seeing her bare feet made me feel primitive like I wanted to pick her up and throw her over my shoulder, but I didn't act on my impulse.

Beneath that robe, I knew that all she had on was a bathing suit. I had my fingers, toes, and eyes crossed that it would be a bikini. It took every ounce of discipline I had not to walk over and tug at the belt dangling in front of her.

"I didn't take you for a guy who checked himself out in the mirror."

"I'm not, usually, but it's been a while since I've seen a full-length mirror."

"Well, when you're done enjoying the view, you can join me outside," she teased as she walked past me.

That's it. Her sassiness snapped the thin thread of self-control, and I scooped her up and threw her over my shoulder. She giggled as I carried her out onto the back deck. My hand held her calf as she squirmed, her silky skin rubbed against my palm.

When I lowered her down, she was still laughing as she looked up at me. I almost leaned down and kissed her, but I knew that would be rushing her, and that's the last thing I wanted to do. Instead, I turned my attention to the panel. I adjusted the temperature and hit the jets. The water rushing out of the jets was loud, but I could hear my heartbeat over them as I stepped into the hot water.

I leaned back against the fiberglass siding and looked up at her. Her head was cast down as she tugged on the cloth belt. The material parted, revealing the hourglass figure that I'd fantasized about for over a year. It was accentuated by a black bikini. Black and white were my favorite colors because they were the only two that I could differentiate; everything else was just shades of gray. Two stark black triangles covered her full breasts, her waist dipped in, and her hips flared out. Before the robe had even hit the floor, she was climbing into the hot tub, only giving me a second to glimpse her mouthwatering curves.

"Nice suit," I managed to say over the lust clogging my throat as her body disappeared beneath the bubbling water.

"Trevor picked it out. I'll let him know you approve."

"Trevor?"

Hearing that another man had picked out her bikini did not sit well with me. I'd never really been the jealous type. I'd assumed it was because I'd only had one real relationship and felt secure with Lindsay. At least I had until she cheated on me.

But I wasn't even with Bailey, and the thought of another man seeing her in this bikini, much less picking it out, had my blood boiling as hot as this water.

"Yeah, Trevor. You met him at Holly and Marcel's wedding."

I tried to flip through my mental Rolodex, but I came up blank.

"He was the man who lied to you and told you to use the bathroom upstairs, even though there was nothing wrong with the bathroom downstairs."

Ah, the guy who looked like he should be the lead on a procedural. Right. "He lied?"

"Yes. In fairness to him, he is a matchmaker, literally. He runs a matchmaking service with my best friend."

"So he was trying to set us up?" I clarified.

She nodded. "He was."

"Well, damn, I guess now I need to thank Trevor for two things."