Page 44

vladi

A pparently, weddings require rehearsing.

Larsy and Olivia are already married, they already had a wedding, yet here we are, running through it.

Again. On the sand. In the heat. Directly in sight of the setting sun.

There is only one bright spot, and that is the woman standing on the other side of the bride I get to escort down the aisle after the fake ceremony is over.

The warmth on my skin is nothing compared to the warmth flooding my chest, my body, when she’s near.

I’ve longed for her for months on end, but this week has only made my longing grow worse. Or is it better?

After we returned to the hotel this afternoon, we tried to nap.

Tried to rest after the insanity of Magdalina’s driving.

Not even five minutes of lying next to one another, and we couldn’t keep our hands to ourselves.

The hunger I have for her—for every damn piece of her—is insatiable.

That tightness I carry seems to lessen with every moment spent with her, as if her mere presence soothes a piece of my soul that’s long been broken.

We did, however, shower separately this afternoon as Maggie said she wanted it clear that her hair was sufficiently dry by the time we all met up again.

When she emerged from the bathroom, all the breath left my lungs.

And now, standing here with the minister walking the happy couple through their vows, all I see is her .

Seeing her makes me forget about the heat blazing down on me.

I only feel the heat between my eyes and hers.

Her cranberry red dress, if you can even call it that, only covers one shoulder, leaving the other bare, exposing her sun-kissed skin.

Remembering my lips there hours ago has me wanting to throw her over my shoulder and march her back up to our room.

Her long chocolate hair, its strands floating in the breeze off the water, reminds me of holding it back as she took me so deep in her mouth I touched the back of her throat.

My cock swells in my shorts, and once again, my inner caveman is having a hard time not ravishing her on this beach in front of everyone.

But more than that, I crave holding her in my arms. Lying in bed with her, even in the quiet of our hotel room, just being with her is comforting to me.

My chest tightens, my pulse races. What is happening to me?

I want her. Physically, absolutely always.

But…I want more than that. I want her . All of her.

Every piece of her . I want her like Larsy has Olivia, like Zach has Kara.

I’ve opened up to her. I’ve shared things I never have before.

And yet…something has me too frightened to fully embrace the woman who helps me feel safe, feel…

feel anything . It’s making me feel like maybe, just maybe, I could have her.

The minister tells Larsy this is the part where he will kiss his bride tomorrow, and of course, he doesn’t miss the opportunity to do just that in front of everyone before they recess down the aisle. Which means now I get to escort the woman of my dreams down the beach and straight to dinner.

Olivia walks around after dinner handing little gift bags to all the ladies. They all squeal and hug her as they open them, and I see Maggie wiping happy tears from her lashes. Larsy comes over and sits next to me, handing me a box.

“What’s this?”

“It’s your best man gift. Open it.”

My brow furrows, panic bubbling within me. “I didn’t get you anything. Is this customary?”

He laughs, patting me on the back. “You didn’t need to get me anything, Vladi.

This gift is a thank you for being here.

For being my best man. For being my best friend.

For being like a brother to me. I know a whole week on the beach isn’t your thing, and I want you to know I appreciate you coming and doing this for me.

I didn’t expect a gift, and his words punch me in the gut. “I may not like the heat, but you know I would do anything for you, brother.”

“I know you would. And same here.”

I open it to find a bottle of vodka, my eyes going wide and my mouth dropping open as I examine it. It’s not just any bottle. It’s a bottle of New Russo-Baltique Vodka. I blink furiously, looking back and forth between Larsy and the gift.

“This is too much. This bottle is over a million dollars.”

Hayes shrugs. “I had a connection that got me a good deal. Besides, I knew you always dreamed of having this in your collection, so I worked some magic to make it happen.”

My mind spins as I choke back what seems to be a tear forming in my eye at his kindness.

He’s been a support system to me for all these years, he and Kristi both, constantly offering their homes and compassion.

And now, I’m holding this bottle in my hand.

I can’t believe it. I’ve dreamed of this for so long, but never felt like it was a wise decision to spend so much money on something that would sit on a shelf, outside of taking a drink from it on a special occasion.

It’s not that I don’t have money, but spending that much on a bottle?

“You really think I hate the sun so much you got me a million-dollar bottle of vodka?”

We laugh as he brings me in for a hug. I’m not as upset about this hug as I usually am, but he’s also not Bougie.

“Thank you, Larsy. It means a lot.”

“You mean a lot to me too, Vladi. You mean a lot to all of us here.” He pulls back, narrowing his eyes. “I wanted to ask you something, and it’s only out of love.”

The fucking moment is ruined, my stomach churning as I crack my knuckles. I really don’t want to drink this bottle before I even get it home on my basement shelf, but I already feel like I need to drown the panic warring within me. I give Larsy a look, telling him as much.

“Do you love her?”

I look down at the bottle again, hoping it will give me the answer. It doesn’t. I’m still clueless. “I don’t know what it means to love someone.”

He places a hand on my shoulder. “I don’t know if it’s the same for everyone, but I can tell you there isn’t a doubt in my mind, Olivia is the one.

I love her. It’s as simple as that. My heart aches when she’s not around.

I think about her constantly. When we are together, it’s like no one else in the world exists.

She makes me laugh more than anyone else.

She is the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen, but it’s so much more than her looks.

She’s beautiful when she’s lounging around with no makeup, unbrushed hair, and horrible morning breath.

Seriously, it’s like she eats onions in her sleep.

” I blow out a breath as we both laugh at the things we will do for a woman.

“But Vladi, it’s the beauty underneath all that I love even more.

She is kind, smart, talented, funny, and somehow, she puts up with all my shit.

She’s my home. And I can’t ever imagine my life without her.

I want to call her and tell her everything I do when she’s not around. She’s…she’s my whole world.”

His words hit deep, like a shot to the chest. I want that. I feel that. But can I have that? “How do you know you can keep her safe? How do you know you won’t screw things up? How do you know you won’t lose her?”

“You don’t. None of us are guaranteed another day on this earth.

I mean, God forbid anything happen to any of us, but, like Zack always tells me—we play without fear, why not love without it too?

You can’t stop bad things from happening.

All you can do is try and enjoy the good things life has in store for you.

And, if you ask me, for you, that’s Maggie. ”

I nod, surprising myself again by giving Larsy a hug.

“Wow, man, another hug? Initiated by you?”

“Don’t get used to it.” We loudly laugh again.

“Come on, we’re all going to hang out at this outdoor dance club. Maybe you should bring a date,” he says with a wink as he walks away.

My heart pounds as if a thousand pucks are slamming against my helmet all at once.

A date. With my lisichka . She’s standing with all her friends as they laugh about something.

Her smile is a mile wide, bringing one to my own face, and I’m certain she’s the one making all of them laugh.

Her gaze finds mine across the room and her smile widens even more.

Refusing to let the tightness stealing my breath control me, I make my way over to her, pushing past tables and chairs as if they’re skaters on the ice.

She whispers something to Olivia, then walks my way, closing the distance between us.

“Hey, Wolfie,” she teases, “what are you doing all the way over here? Shouldn’t you be sitting in a corner brooding?”

“I could do that,” I say, grabbing her hand and bringing it up to my lips for a kiss. “Or you could join me at this after-party everyone is going to.”

She tilts her head to the side with one brow raised. “Are you asking me out on a date?”

I rub my thumb along her knuckles. “Would you go on a date with me, Magdalina?”

“Oh, I don’t know; let me check my schedule. I think I’m due for another life jacket fitting in the next hour.”

I glare at her, knowing exactly what she’s doing.

She’s trying to get me worked up, and dammit, she’s good at it.

And fuck if I don’t like it. I surprise her, twisting her arm gently behind her back to pull her in close.

“The only person that will ever be demonstrating life jacket safety with you again will be me.”

“Wow…still jealous and possessive, I see?” She pants, her chest heaving against mine as her lips curl into a smile. “I would love to go on a date with you.”

I fully press my lips to hers, pulling her even tighter against my body, claiming her with a kiss and not giving a fuck that all our friends are watching us. I don’t care. Because Maggie James is mine .