Page 44 of The Gingerbread Bakery (Dream Harbor #5)

‘Good. Keep trying. And when it works it will be so worth it. You know her, Mac. She might be stubborn, but that stubbornness translates to loyalty when she loves you. That girl will go to hell and back for the people she loves.’

‘Yeah, I know.’ Mac said, thinking about their road trip today. All to make sure Logan wasn’t upset on his wedding day.

Annie and her dance partner turned, and Mac got to look at the man’s face. He had dark-rimmed glasses and was blushing as if he was finding this whole scenario overwhelming. Mac almost felt bad for the guy. He knew he had nothing to do with this situation.

‘Thanks, Charlie,’ Mac said, giving her a peck on the cheek.

‘Anytime,’ she said, turning to find her date waiting for her.

Mac walked over to Annie and tapped her dance partner on the shoulder. ‘Mind if I cut in?’ he asked and the man looked instantly relieved, even as Annie looked like she might argue.

‘Go right ahead,’ he said quickly, releasing his grip on Annie. ‘She’s all yours.’

If only that were true .

Annie hesitated, like maybe she was going to leave him standing there like a fool but after an awkward silence she stepped into the circle of his arms.

‘Dancing with my sister was a dirty move,’ she said.

‘You’ve been avoiding me, Annabelle. I had to do something.’

‘Today is not about us.’

‘Look around, Annie! You did it . The wedding was beautiful. People went wild for that gingerbread house. I’m pretty sure it was the most Logan cried today, which is saying a lot.

The bride and the groom are happy.’ He gestured to where Jeanie and Logan were slow-dancing, her head resting on his chest. They did look blissfully happy.

‘Your job is done, so I would argue the rest of tonight can be about us.’

Surprisingly, she didn’t argue but huffed an angry little sound that blew her warm breath over his neck.

Her hands were on his shoulders, holding him at a distance like they were at some sort of middle-school dance and had been lectured by the chaperones to keep space between their bodies.

His hands were on her hips and, every once in a while, his fingers grazed the bare skin of her back.

He wanted to press his whole hand there and tug her closer.

Hewanted to feel the full length of her body, in that damn dress, pressed up against him.

‘I think we regress when we’re together,’ he said, and Annie looked at him with a bemused expression.

‘Oh, yeah?’

‘Yeah, we act like we’re teenagers again,’ he said, taking her hand from his shoulder and twining it with his. He slid his other hand to the small of Annie’s back and savored her small intake of breath as he pulled her closer. ‘But I’m not a teenager anymore, Annie. I know what I want now.’

‘And what’s that?’ Her voice was low and breathy and right beside his ear. She was close to him now, so close he could feel the rapid beat of her heart against his chest.

‘You.’ It was as simple as that. He'd been too scared to take what he wanted before. Too young, too unprepared. But not anymore.

‘I want you, Annie, and I don't care if you need to fuck me like you hate me but you're leaving here with me tonight.’

‘Is that so?’ she said, like she was going to fight him on it, but there was no argument in her tone. Only curiosity, interest.

‘Yes,’ he said. ‘As soon as we’re done here, with whatever little tasks you come up with to stall for time and whatever bridesmaid duty you feel like you need to do, whenever that’s done, I’m taking you back to my place to finish what we started.’ Or to start something brand new.

It was a dangerous tactic, being that forceful with Annie.

He was still half expecting to get a knee to the groin, but he was out of patience, out of time, out of sanity.

Maybe Annie needed him to be stronger in his conviction that this could work, strong enough for the both of them.

Strong enough to prove to her that this was right, that he wanted her and that he wasn't going anywhere.

Maybe that's what he should have done from the start.

Judging by the way Annie hadn’t kneed him in the balls, and instead had curled up even tighter against him, he might be on to something.

He didn’t push his luck, but held her close, rocking her to the music, amazed that they had made it this far, that she was letting him hold her in public. That, in and of itself, was a miracle.

He trailed an index finger under the line of her dress and Annie shivered. A little further and his finger found the dimples above her ass. Torture.

‘Are you not wearing underwear?’ he whispered.

‘Of course not, not with this dress,’ she said, and he could feel her smile pressed against the side of his neck. Christ, if they weren’t in a room full of people, he’d lift her dress right now and check for himself.

‘Maybe we’re not going to stay till the end after all,’ he growled against her ear. ‘I can’t wait that long.’

Annie gasped at the feeling of his words on her skin.

‘I can’t just leave,’ she said.

‘For once, put yourself first, Annabelle. What do you want to do.’

She pulled back a little, finding his gaze. Her eyes were a bright, beautiful blue as she studied him. She wanted to say yes. He could tell. But she was holding back again, not wanting to make another mistake with him.

But this time wouldn’t be a mistake. He was sure of that, too.

‘What do you want?’ he asked again, holding his breath. Praying for the answer that got them the hell out of here.

‘You,’ she said finally, the word barely more than a puff of air, but Mac heard it. It was all he needed. He took her by the hand leading her back to her now-empty table. ‘Find your shoes,’ he whispered a little too harshly in her ear, but he was a desperate man. ‘I’m going to get our coats.’

He left her there in stunned silence and hoped she would still be there when he got back.