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I’d never asked her to be. And I needed to fix that.
Immediately.
36
Henrietta
Confession: I’m not jealous, but I don’t mind claiming my territory.
The ceremony had been absolutelybeautiful, but after taking about a million and one pictures with the bridal party, my feet hurt and I had to pee like a racehorse. I made it to the bathroom and took the best restroom break of my life, then checked myself in the mirror. Only a few hairs needed brushed back into place, and I reapplied gloss to my lips, even though doing this in front of other women in the bathroom usually made me nervous.
Two women came in, a little younger than me, and each took a stall.
“Did you see that hottie in the boots?” one said.
I smirked in the mirror. I only knew one guy who’d arrived in cowboy boots.
“Think he’s single?”
“Didn’t see a ring,” the other replied.
I zipped my clutch shut. “He’s here with someone,” I told them, smiling to myself as they groaned before leaving the restroom.
I planned to walk to the reception area, find Tyler, and ask him to spin me on the dance floor like he had that night he rescued me. Instead, I felt a calloused hand grab my wrist and pull me backward into a dark room.
I was about to scream when another hand covered my mouth. “It’s me, Hen.”
Tyler’s warm voice mixed with his rough grip already had my skin tingling. “What are we doing in here?” I looked around, my eyes adjusting to the dim lighting. “Is this a coat closet?”
“It’s a closet no one has entered for the last half hour, and it locks from the inside.” His hands skimmed my bare arms, sending goosebumps rising on my skin.
As far as I was concerned, we could stay in here all day. But I wasn’t bold enough to say so. Not that forward or sexy. So I swallowed and tried not to let my shallow breathing give me away.
“You were great up there,” he said. “I couldn’t take my eyes off you.”
I grinned, the compliment meaning everything, especially after overhearing those girls. “Thank you.”
“But there was one issue,” he said, his fingers toying with the thin strap of my dress.
“And what was that?”
He brushed his nose over my neck, making me catch my breath, and said, “I wanted everyone to know you were mine, and we haven’t had that talk yet.”
“Oh,” was all I could manage to say with his lips trailing kisses and nips down my neck.
“Any objections?”
“None.” To anything he was doing. “None at all.”
His hand tightened around my waist, pulling me closer to him, and I leaned into his kisses, working my fingers through his hair and tugging. He palmed my ass, pressing us together, and—oh my—I felt something hard at his waist. He was turned on by me.Me.
Feeling bold, I reached down, rubbing it with my hand, and he moaned in my ear. Heat pooled between my legs, readying me for him.
“Fuck, Hen, if you keep this up, I’ll have to take you right here.”
I froze, realizing he was ready for that step. And I was too, but I didn’t want to lose my virginity in a closet.
Sensing the change, he stepped away from me, his hands completely gone from my body. “I’m sorry. Did I overstep?” he asked.