“Why does he do this to me?” she asked.

I shrugged my shoulder and pulled her closer to me. “I don’t know. Defense mechanism, maybe?”

She turned around and rolled her eyes, and then she glanced back out the window. “He’s probably going to take Cassie back to her hotel.”

“Azurdee, go tell him how you feel. I know y’all like each other. I think everyone can feel it when the two of you are together.”

Azurdee let out a small chuckle. “Everyone but Lark. It doesn’t matter. I’m not going to force someone to like me if he doesn’t. I think I’m going to ask my friend Paul to the wedding. I sure don’t want to be the only one there without a date.”

I looked down at the ground and then back up at her. “I don’t blame you.”

“Um…do you know if Lark is bringing anyone?”

I shook my head. “Nah, he told Scott that it would just be him.”

I saw the slight smile move across Azurdee’s face. My heart slightly broke at the idea of Lark just planning on hooking up with one of our college friends, but I didn’t dare say anything to Azurdee.

I felt Scott’s arms wrap around me as he pulled me closer to him. He had put his shirt back on, and he looked so damn handsome in his cowboy boots, jeans, tight-ass T-shirt, and cowboy hat.

“Are you ready to go?” he asked as he raised his eyebrows.

I looked at Azurdee. “Will you be okay?”

She nodded her head. “Oh yeah, the limo is big enough for all of us to fit in and head back to Mason.”

“I don’t think y’all are going to Mason tonight. Gunner made hotel reservations for everyone at The Driskill Hotel.”

“Oh, okay.” Azurdee quickly glanced over toward Lark.

I followed her eyes, and Lark was now talking to Brad and Amanda. They had finally pulled their lips apart from each other. Cassie was now back with the rest of our college friends. When she turned and walked up to us, I held my breath.

“Hey, Jess. Azurdee, we are going to head back to our hotel. It’s been a blast, but I need to get back and give my boyfriend a call before he starts worrying. I can’t wait to see you at the wedding. If you need any help, Azurdee, please give me a call.”

I saw Azurdee’s whole body instantly relax.

“Will do!” she said a little too excitedly.

Scott grabbed my hand. “If you’ll excuse us, I have to finish my strip show in private.”

I immediately felt my cheeks turn red as everyone laughed.

As we walked outside, Scott called for a cab, and my stomach started doing flip-flops. I had no idea why I was feeling the way I was, but the idea of Scott stripping for me had my body aching even more for him.

As he held open the door to the cab for me, he said, “I’m about to make this a night you won’t forget, baby.”

I smiled. “Bring it on, stripper boy.”

I couldn’t wait to get Heather back to the hotel and just be alone with her. I couldn’t shake the image of her dancing on the damn pole for the last hour. The girls had had no idea that we had been there as we had stood on the other side of a two-way mirror, watching them. I was sure Gunner had felt the same reaction I had. The whole time that damn song had played, I’d even thought about putting a pole in our bedroom.

I followed as Heather walked through the door and into our hotel room. The second the door shut, I grabbed her and pushed her against the wall. She let out the sweetest moan, and I couldn’t get her clothes off fast enough.

“Jesus, Heather, do you know how turned-on I’ve been since I saw you dancing?”

“Wait—when did you see us dancing?” Heather asked.

I smiled and pushed myself into her. “There was a two-way mirror, and we were standing behind it, waiting for y’all to get Jessie seated. We had no idea that you and Ellie would start, um…dancing like that. I thought someone was going to have to hold Gunner back from busting in and taking Ellie right then and there.”

Heather laughed as she put her hands under my shirt and pushed it up and over my head. She bit down on her lip as she looked me up and down. “I want you so much, Josh. I never get tired of looking at your body.”

I picked her up, and she wrapped her legs around me.

“Back at ya, baby.”

I walked over to the bed, and I gently laid her down on it. Then, I took off her shoes before making my way up to her pants. As I pulled them off of her, I took her body in.

So beautiful and all mine.

My eyes landed on her black lace push-up bra that clasped in the front. I reached over, and with one flip of my fingers, her breasts sprung free, and my pants grew tighter. I crawled on top of her and cupped each breast in my hands as I leaned down and began sucking on one and then the other.

“Oh god…Josh.”

“Heather…you are so damn beautiful, baby.”

“I love you. Please make love to me, Josh.”

As I moved my hand down her side, I felt her whole body shiver. I smiled, knowing that even now, I could still cause her to shudder with just a touch. When I slipped my hand into her panties, I thought she was going to come off the bed. One slip of my finger inside her told me she wanted me badly.

“You’re always so wet for me, Heather.”

“Yes…” she whispered as she pulled my face to hers.

We began kissing, and then I pulled away just long enough to take her panties off before I crawled on top of her and teased her with my tip.

“Ugh! Josh…please. Please don’t tease me.”

I slowly pushed myself into her warm, wet body. I let out a long moan as I buried myself as deep in her as I could. I took her hands in mine and laced our fingers as I pushed them over her head. As I moved in and out of her, I kissed her gently on the lips over and over again and whispered how much I loved her.

I could feel when she was about to come because it felt like she was squeezing my dick.

“Oh…Josh…yes…I’m going to come,” Heather whispered in my ear.

I moved a little faster, and when she began to softly call out my name, I gently kissed her lips. There was nothing else on this Earth that I loved more than coming at the same time with Heather. Feeling our bodies react to each other was one of the most amazing things I’d ever experienced. I rolled over, pulled her to me, and listened to her breathing. Her body fit so perfectly with mine.

I thought back to the first time I’d ever seen her. She’d walked into Jeff and Gunner’s house, and I’d never had that feeling before—the feeling of all the air being taken from my body, my knees going weak, and that sensation in my stomach that I still got when she would unexpectedly touch my body.

“Heather,” I whispered.

“Mmm…”

“I just want you to know how much I love you,” I said, my voice cracking.

She turned over and looked into my eyes. “I do know. I love you so much, too,” she said with a smile that melted my heart.

“You know I’d do anything for you and the kids, right?”

She nodded her head. “Josh, is everything okay?”

I pushed her hair back and grinned. “Everything is perfect. It just scares me sometimes. I don’t ever want to lose you, Will, and Libby. I’ll do whatever it takes to make the three of you happy. Everything I do…it’s all for you.”

I watched as a single tear rolled down her face.

“Oh, Josh…you make me so happy every single second of the day. I’d be completely lost without you. I’ll love you forever.”

I laughed. “That’s a long time.”

She nodded her head and winked. “Yes, it is, but I think I’m up for the challenge.”

“You better be because I intend on making love to you as much as possible for the rest of our lives.”

She pushed me onto my back and crawled on top of me. As she slowly sat down on me, she smiled. “I’m going to hold you to that, Mr. Hayes. You’re my everything, Josh, and I love you so much.”