Chapter Twelve

Aiden

The Wedding

A fter the bachelor party last night, I considered texting Bec. I don’t want to assume anything, but in case we continued what we started, I didn’t want us hooking up while I was drunk.

The brutal hangover this morning was a reminder of how hard Dom’s family and the other groomsmen can party. Dom’s older brother, Jake, and his husband, Chris, were passing shots around like they were water. The thought of whatever the fuck the last shot was makes my stomach uneasy.

“Aiden, man, glad to see you looking better.” Jake reaches out and claps me on the shoulder.

“I can’t be the only one hurting after last night. You were all drinking the same shit as me.” I shoot a pointed look toward him and Chris. They both plaster on guilty smiles.

“Oh please, we took it easy on you.” Chris laughs. “It’s not our fault your tolerance is shit. I bet your body is just in shock since you don’t let loose like that during the season. I’m surprised you could even get away for the wedding.”

When Dom asked me to be a groomsman, I assumed I’d only be able to make it to the ceremony. I was surprised I was able to make it for the bachelor party and rehearsal, too, given my schedule for the season.

My eye catches movement to my right, a flit of red dancing at the edge of my vision. When I focus on the woman who’s approaching Dom with her arms stretched wide and a beaming smile on her face, my heart starts pounding out of my chest.

No. Fucking. Way.

No fucking way is Bec here. Hugging Dom like…they’re close.

I would have heard her name by now if she knew Ellie and Dom, right? Shit, is she family?

Come to think of it, I don’t think Dom’s mentioned any of the bridesmaids by name. Or maybe Bec is a nickname, and I wouldn’t have recognized it if he had mentioned her anyway.

I feel my jaw hanging in the air, looking like a dumbass. I work quickly to fix my face into a mask of indifference. Was I expecting and hoping to see Bec tonight? Yeah. Did I assume it would be much later and with a lot less clothing? Also, yeah. Seeing her wrapped in red silk might just kill me. With her cleavage prominently on display and the peek of her thigh when she walks, I can’t take my eyes off her.

Regardless of the shock I feel seeing her here, the draw I felt to her last night resurfaces, catching me off balance. The pull to reach out to her, be near her, and feel her skin against mine is stronger now.

I’m going to follow her lead and leave it up to her to decide if she wants everyone to know we met last night. I don’t want to fuck this up. Something tells me I’ll regret it if I do.

Introductions are made as the group confers together, a blending of Dom and Ellie’s closest family and friends. I barely hear any of it. Bec turns to one of her friends and laughs.

I freeze, anxiously waiting for her to realize I’m here, curious to see what her reaction will be. When her eyes finally lock with mine, I’m not disappointed. Her lips part and her entire body freezes, interrupting the fluid movement she always seems to convey, her skirt floating, wrapping around her as her body stills. She pauses for a moment before I see, more than hear, a puff of breath fall from her lips, her shoulders briefly dipping and then she smiles.

My chest constricts. Everything inside me lights up. This woman feels different, and I barely know her—clearly, given the last place I expected to see her was Dom’s wedding rehearsal. Maybe Bec was right and the universe is forcing our paths to cross again. We could have left this all to chance, like she suggested. I’ve never believed in fate or bigger forces at play, but it’s hard to deny this is a twist I didn’t expect.

“Well, hey, stranger. You wedding crashing?” She approaches me but keeps a few feet of polite distance.

Dom looks at me, confused. “Bec, you know Aiden?”

“We met briefly last night at the hotel bar. Nice to see you again.” She effortlessly offers up a safe answer. I’ll try to avoid blurting out that I most definitely gave her that hickey she tried to cover with makeup—unsuccessfully, but still, a nice effort.

“Yeah, you too. Didn’t realize I’d be seeing you again so soon, but it’s a welcome surprise.” I shoot off a smirk in her direction, hoping this unexpected connection doesn’t scare her off. If anything, it makes me more curious to get to know her better. The chances that I’d find someone who already gets along with one of my best friends and makes me feel this way seems too good to be true. “So how do you two know each other?” I gesture to Dom and Bec with my finger, lifting it slightly off the tumbler in my hand.

“Dom is the lucky bastard who stole my best girl’s heart. After careful consideration, I’ve decided to allow him to marry Ellie.” She shoves Dom playfully in the arm, and he answers back with a booming laugh.

“The vetting process in your group is unmatched. I don’t know who made me work harder; Ellie, Dee, Carissa, or you.”

“You rang?” A woman, looking to be about Bec’s age but several inches shorter, comes up and slaps Bec on the ass.

“Dee, this is Aiden,” Bec says, giving her a pointed look that I don’t quite understand until I see Dee’s mouth drop open. She stares at me with a look in her eyes so wicked it honestly scares me.

“I went to college with Dom, nice to meet you.” I offer my hand to Dee.

Dee takes my hand, slowly sizing me up with her eyes, and I feel my gut shrivel under her shrewd stare. “Oh, it’s wonderful to meet you, too, Aiden.” Bec sharply bumps Dee with her hip and glares at her. Dee completely ignores her, a wild grin on her face. “I’ve seen your handiwork, gotta say, I’m a big fan.”

Yeah, I think it’s safe to say she knows who gave Bec that hickey.

“You a baseball fan, Dee?” Dom asks, oblivious to Dee’s innuendo.

“Not especially, but I enjoy the uniforms. Does that count?”

“I know I’ve mentioned it before. Aiden plays pro baseball. About to start his next season with the Detroit Lightning. Can’t wait for you to play in town sometime so Ellie and I can catch a game.”

Bec looks over at Dom, her jaw dropping slightly before she quickly closes it, confirming what I suspected last night. She has no idea who I am. Well, not until now.

Normally, my job helps me gain attention from women who are curious about the lifestyle of a professional athlete, but I can see Bec withdrawing. Almost like this fact changed something in her perception of me, and not for the better. Shit .