Page 156 of Meant to Be

“Me neither.”

“But we have to.”

“Kind of.” I smile.

“You look so perfect,” he whispers.

I kiss him again. “You do too.”

I take a step and frown, staring down at myself.

“Uh, I’m going to need to clean up.”

Harley chuckles, reaching for the paper towel. I take it from him and quickly clean myself.

“All night I’m going to be thinking about everything underneath that dress,” he murmurs.

I smile coyly. “Oh yeah?”

“Hell yeah.” His eyes don’t stop roaming all over my body until we’re stepping out the door. He steps back and gestures to the door. “After you.”

I hope I don’t look as flushed as I feel as we make our way back into the hall. People’s stares don’t go unnoticed, and I blush. We beeline to the bar and order another drink. I fan myself while I wait, feeling very hot all of a sudden.

When I turn back, we come face to face with Jess. I quickly pull my lips together and probably look like I’ve sucked on a lemon when I see that she is wearing the same hairstyle and makeup look I wore on the engagement trip.

Her eyes flit back and forth between Harley and me for a moment before settling on me.

“Have you seen Nick?”

“Hi to you too,” I mutter.

“Have you?” she presses.

“Why the fuck would she have seen Nick?” Harley snarls at her. “She’s here with me, isn’t she?”

Jess bristles and the expression on her face is similar to many I’ve seen around Harley. His striking looks and harsh mouth make people fearful of him, although I haven’t witnessed that side to him for a long time. He’s always soft and sweet with me. It’s something I honestly can say no one else has got to experience. That makes me selfishly happy.

Seeing Harley now with his jaw tense and scowling, I want to smile. Jealousy looks hot on him.Veryhot.

“I’m worried.”

Tearing my eyes from Harley and swinging them back to Jess, I frown.

“About Nick?” I question.

She nods, hugging her arms around herself. “He was meant to help set up but didn’t show. No one has heard from him all day, and I went to his house before coming and he wasn’t there. His parents haven’t seen or heard from him either.”

“Maybe take a hint.” Harley shrugs and I dig my elbow into his side.

“That is definitely unusual,” I reply, chewing my lip. “I’ll keep a lookout and I’ll let you know if we see him. Okay?”

Dipping her chin, she nods, staring at the ground. “Okay. Thanks.”

Jess moves away from us, going back to her group, and Harley and I exchange a glance.

“I’m sure it’s nothing.”

“You might not care much about Nick, but there are a lot of people who do,” I say, running my hands down my sides, smoothing my dress. “He’s a good guy.”