Page 25 of Stormswept Colorado (Hart County #3)

TWENTY-THREE

Ayla

After the ceremony, it was time for photos.

Ashford and Emma had saved the pictures for afterward, since Emma hadn’t wanted him to see her dress. A little touch of traditionalism that Piper, Grace, and I agreed was adorable.

“We need one with the Lonely Harts club,” Piper announced after the many portraits of the combined O’Neal and Jennings family were done.

“Do we really?” Ashford muttered, and Emma playfully teased him about being grumpy at his own wedding.

I’d heard plenty about the Lonely Harts club during my prior visits to Silver Ridge.

Piper had started it as a joking play on the spelling of Hart County.

The lonely part wasn’t accurate anymore for several of the members.

But still, Ashford, Emma, and Grace gamely stood in front of the windows, with Callum, Piper, and their friend Judson Lawrence gathering around them.

“Ayla, get in here,” Piper said. “Teller, you too.”

Her brother shook his head. “I’ve never been a part of this weird club of yours.”

Ashford arched a brow. “If I have to do this, so do you, man.”

I stood next to Judson, and Teller squeezed in behind me. “ Now I feel left out,” Dane complained. We all waved him over, then posed while the photographer took at least a dozen shots.

Teller’s hand found my hip. I leaned back against him.

Then his palm trailed downward until it rested on my ass through the fabric of my dress, while I tried not to react in a way the camera would see.

My heart rate had tripled. My thighs clenched together, and I struggled to catch my breath like I’d just run up Refuge Mountain instead of calmly standing here. And my cardio was top-notch. Had to be to sing and dance for hours on end during my concerts.

Moving slowly, I put my hand behind my back and found the inner seam along Teller’s pants. Followed it up his inside thigh. He made a half-coughing, half-choking sound.

“You okay, Tell?” Ashford asked.

“Mmhmm. Fine.” But he widened his legs a little, letting me tease upward along his pants seam while he rhythmically squeezed my butt cheek. My pinky brushed against his bulge.

Lord .

Finally the photographer announced we were finished. “Are we eating soon?” Callum asked, loosening his tie.

I was hungry too. Starving . But not for dinner. I glanced back, catching Teller’s eye. His stare was hard and ratcheted my pulse by a few more beats per minute.

He clasped his hands in front of his crotch.

A tiny wrecking ball crashed into me. “Aunt Ayla, did you see me dropping the flower petals? I stepped in time with the music, just like you showed me.”

“I know. You were amazing.” I shook off the haze that Teller had induced in my brain. We were in the middle of a wedding reception, surrounded by our families.

But last night, he’d said tomorrow. And that was now today.

If you spend the night with anyone this trip, it’ll be me.

At some point, I had to get that man alone for an extended stretch of time, and I wasn’t sure how much longer I could wait.

I made it through the buffet. The Last Refuge Inn lived up to its reputation for outstanding cuisine. Then it was cake and toasts and happy laughter as we all celebrated with the bride and groom.

I sat next to Maisie, while Teller was at a different table with Piper and Ollie. Yet I was painfully aware of the police chief at every moment. Exchanging hot glances.

Of course, I managed to focus my attention on Maisie too. Had to make sure my niece was having the time of her life. But Teller remained on a low simmer in both my body and mind. I could feel his eyes on me like the sunlight streaming through the windows.

Even though the tension with Teller had been killing me, I was also having a wonderful time. The wedding guests were treating me like any other member of Ashford’s family. No more requests for autographs or awkward stares.

Ashford and Emma had their first dance, followed by Emma with her father Nash and Ashford with Emma’s mom. Then her stepmom and stepdad. When it was time for everyone else to join them on the dance floor, Callum asked me to dance, followed by Judson.

Teller stood by the tables, sipping a glass that looked like whiskey with his eyes fixed on me. He was the only guy here I actually wanted to dance with.

“Thanks for taking a turn with me,” Judson said when a slow song ended. He was wearing his cowboy hat, and he tipped it politely.

“My pleasure.” As soon as Judson stepped away, I glanced around for Teller. But Maisie appeared and grabbed my hands.

“Aunt Ayla, you have to dance with me now. You’re the best dancer in the world.”

How could I say no to that? I twirled Maisie around until she was dizzy, followed by little Kelsea and Thompson. Ollie joined our dancing circle.

A large hand touched my back, lingering a bit longer than a simple friend’s would. “You’re having all the fun over here,” Teller said .

There went my pulse again. “You should join us.”

It took another three or four songs before the kids got tired and ran off on some other adventure. And I was finally back in the warm circle of his arms.

“Dance with me.” The gentle command in his voice reminded me of the backseat of his SUV yesterday.

Desire wrapped around me and refused to let go.

“Are you finding this as impossible as I am?” I whispered. “Waiting until we can sneak away and be alone?”

His grip tightened on my waist. “I think more. Especially when I have to see you dancing with any man but me. You’re supposed to be my date.”

“But nobody else knows that,” I said teasingly.

He made a growly sound in his chest. I felt it more than heard it. “You’re playing with fire, Troublemaker.”

This possessive side of Teller was a surprise, but I was here for it. “Judson’s the one who asked me to dance. Not my fault.”

“Next time I catch him speeding, he’s not getting any favors. He’s getting the damn ticket.”

I laughed and tucked my head against his chest. I had no idea if anyone was watching us or what they thought. It didn’t matter.

Later, it could be embarrassing for the chief of police if his constituents found out he’d hooked up with the wayward pop star. And I didn’t want to deal with the tabloid media speculating about us.

But on this dance floor, we had a little bit of freedom to get close. I had to take advantage of it. If only because I couldn’t make it much longer without his hands on me.

“You’ve got your room to yourself tonight?” he asked.

“Yes. Grace will be with Dane, and Maisie’s staying with Nash and Madison Jennings and their kids.”

“Good. Ollie’s joining their sleepover too. Piper’s doing her own thing. Nobody will notice if we slip away after this song ends. If you’re sure you want this.”

“I want you . ”

“Then I’m yours.”

Excitement bloomed like a firework in my belly. Did he just mean for tonight? Anything else was beyond the realm of possibility, considering our jobs and our schedules. But maybe the wedding had me feeling wistful.

The music faded out, and another song took its place.

“Meet me by the back stairwell,” Teller whispered. “Ten minutes.”

He slipped out of the room right away. It was agony to wait. But it allowed me time to give Maisie another hug and yawn in front of Emma and Grace.

If anyone asked later, I went to bed a little early. Never mind the fact that I was still set to Pacific time and it was even earlier there.

After nine minutes and thirty seconds, I checked that my room key was in my dress pocket, then walked through the lobby. A couple other wedding guests smiled and waved.

I ducked down a hallway, went past the elevator, and looked for the stairwell. The door was cracked open. I didn’t see Teller, but the moment I went into the stairwell, I found him waiting.

“Thought you’d never get here.” He shut the door behind me and crowded me up against the wall, hands going to my hips. His gaze was pure, lusty fire.

“You told me ten minutes.”

“Aren’t you a good girl, listening to me.”

Then Teller’s mouth crashed onto mine, and there was only him .

The pull of his lips and the needy strokes of his tongue. His hands raising to tangle in my hair. We hadn’t even made it to a room yet. Any moment, another wedding guest could stumble upon us in this stairwell. But it was impossible to pull away from him.

“Want you so bad,” I panted.

“My room or yours?” His tongue licked from my neck to my ear .

“Which one’s closer?” I asked.

“Fuck,” he muttered. “Can’t think. All my blood’s in my cock. I’m so hard I’m dizzy.”

I needed Teller’s hard cock inside me. Needed it bad. Wasn’t sure I could survive much longer without it. “My room. Second floor.”

He grabbed my hand. We dashed up to the next floor. Teller had enough brain power to check that the coast was clear.

I found the keycard in my pocket and dropped it on the carpet, but Teller scooped it up. He held me in front of him, his stomach to my back and an arm around my waist, as he waved the card to unlock my door. I felt his thick length against me through our clothes.

When the latch clicked, he walked us inside.

The moment the door closed, he reached down to grab my legs and lifted me up. My back hit the wall, and his mouth crashed down on mine again. We kissed frantically until we had to come up for air.

The room had a sitting area with a couch near the door and two beds closer to the window. Neither was a king-size, but I hardly cared right now. Any bed would do as long as Teller and I were naked in it.

Then my eyes caught on something new in the room. A flower arrangement on my dresser. I went still.

“Something wrong?” he asked, lowering me so my feet touched the floor.

“Those flowers. They weren’t here before.”

A glower darkened his expression as he followed my gaze. “You’re sure? The housekeeper didn’t leave it?”

“I don’t think so.” My body went cold, fear creeping in where before I’d only felt desire. “I have no idea where that came from.”