Page 91 of Beg Me

“Hey, hottie,” I say. “Is this seat taken?”

She laughs. “You can sit there. But when your boy toy comes back, how about we let him sit in the middle?”

I laugh, too. “Very funny.”

“My gosh, Markie. That man is fine.”

Jory looks up, catching my gaze, and a slow, sinful smirk splashes across his lips.

“Oh, Nettie,” I say, my core clenching. “You don’t know the half of it.”

A soft melody flows through the air, drifting through the rafters and quieting the conversations around the barn. Guests take their seats, giving me an unobstructed view of Jory and the keyboard.

The calloused hands that gripped my waist so tightly this morning now glide across the keys with a gentleness that steals my breath. The fingers that play me until I scream now coax the sweetest melody from the instrument he’s only just met. He’s masculine strength under a sea of pink carnations, and I can’t take my eyes off him, even as the groom walks down the aisle.

The familiar notes of the Bridal Chorus cues everyone to stand and turn our attention to the back of the barn. Audrey stands in the doorway like an angel—a glorious vision in white.

She moves slowly, her hand slipped through her father’s elbow, her eyes glued to Brooks.

Tears gather in the corners of my eyes as she reaches her fiancé, and he wipes away tears of his own from his lashes.

“Welcome, everyone,” Pastor Reed says. “Thank you for joining me this evening to celebrate one of God’s greatest gifts. We gather together not just to witness their vows, but to celebrate this new chapter of their lives, and to honor the love and commitment between Brooks and Audrey.”

I glance over my shoulder as Jory slides into his seat.

“You did great,” I whisper.

He smiles, taking my hand and holding it on his lap. My body angles immediately toward him, my shoulder resting against his.

“The promise to walk through life together, through wins and losses, celebrations and trials, the easy seasons along with the difficult ones, is one of the most beautiful things in the world. And it’s not to be taken lightly. Your partner will count on you for comfort, protection, forgiveness, and support. It will be your job to follow through.”

Jory squeezes my hand, something he’s done many times before. But this time, the constriction ripples up my arm, curls around my chest, and lands on my heart.

When I look at him, he’s watching me with a tenderness that I can barely handle. It’s probably just because we’re at a wedding that it’s making me emotional. That, or I’m exhausted from hanging lights for the last two days. But something about the way he looks at me brings tears to my eyes.

He notices, I think, and kisses my nose. And I rest my head on his shoulder as my friends take their vows.

Despite how sudden this wedding came about, and how just as suddenly Jory entered my world, it feels right. All of it. Especially having him by my side, something I never thought I’d say about a man and mean it. And that’s just a little terrifying.

I settle against him and listen to Brooks declare his love for Audrey in a way only Brooks can.

Jory takes my hand and laces our fingers together.

Stay strong, heart of mine. He is only mine for a while longer.

“This has been the best night of my life,” Audrey says, laughing. Her cheeks are flushed from too much champagne and her lips swollen because of her husband. Brooks hasn’t been able to keep his hands off her all night. “You’re the best friends in the world.”

We cheer for ourselves, holding up our glasses as the DJ keeps the music rolling.

The barn is hot and sticky despite the huge fans Hartley set up in each corner. Instead of being annoying, it adds to the fun. That, or I’ve just had too much champagne to care.

I dance with Astrid and Gianna while Jory and Drake hang out with Gray by the bar. They watch us, amused, as we shake our asses and sing at the tops of our lungs.

“Where’s Nettie?” Gianna practically shouts. “I haven’t seen her in like an hour!”

“Did you see Brooks’s fighter buddies, particularly the two who were like six-two, six-three with arms covered with tattoos?” I ask.

Gianna’s eyes sparkle. “Yup.”