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She could definitely work with desire.
***
Nate was struggling to keep his expression blank as he watched Eliza walk down the aisle. With every step she took his heart pounded harder in his chest and his entire body vibrated with one thought and one thought only, mine. Since almost everyone he knew was sitting in chairs directly in front of him, it would be better if he kept his feelings to himself for now.
He had to squint to see her because of the sun that was directly in his eyes. He’d been so intent on remembering the sunglasses he’d gotten at Whisper Lake Rentals that he’d forgotten his own. Which was extremely out of character for him. He didn’t forget things. Ever. But Eliza turned him inside out and upside down and he loved it. He loved her.
As she scanned the crowd that was gathered he took the time to study her. Her hair was down and it reminded him of when she’d been running late for first period and would come to class with her hair damp because she hadn’t had time to dry it. By the end of class it would look like it did now. Soft and wavy. He’d wanted to thread his fingers in it then and he wanted to now as well. Her green eyes were even more vivid than normal and framed by long, dark lashes. Her cheeks glowed and he’d love to think that the time they’d spent together last night had put it there, but he knew some of it had to be makeup.
She still hadn’t looked in his direction when he saw a blush creep up her skin, the flush that he loved seeing and being the inspiration for. His eyes shot to where she was looking and he saw it was the row his family was seated in. When he saw his brother staring at her, undressing her with his eyes and practically drooling, he felt a rage that he could honestly say he’d never thought he was capable of feeling towards Neil. But that was secondary to the searing pain he felt from Eliza blushing under his brother’s attention. It was worse than when he’d been shot three times in combat.
His eyes darted back towards her and that’s when he saw his nana wagging her brows at Eliza like she was Groucho Marx. He sliced his gaze back to the woman he loved and then back to his grandma and he quickly realized that Eliza was blushing at his nana’s antics, not at his brother’s overt sexual stare.
Relief washed over him. He took a breath he hadn’t even known he was holding. The power that this woman held over him was terrifying, but he wouldn’t change it for anything. What he felt for Eliza, the good and the bad was all worth it. She was worth it.
When she finally made her way to him and their eyes met, it was all he could do not to wrap his arms around her and kiss her like his life depended on it, because it felt like it did. Her lips turned up in a private smile and his heart expanded to the point of aching.
She turned to take her place in front of him and he noticed when she did her eyes scrunched at the harsh sunlight and she sucked in a sharp breath. Reaching into his pocket he pulled out the glasses he’d gotten for her and slipped them into her hand as he leaned forward and whispered, “I thought you might need these.”
She looked down and when she saw what he’d given her, her gaze shot back to his.
“Put them on.” He mouthed subtly. He knew if she didn’t she’d get a migraine, and he’d known there was a decent chance she’d forget her own.
He noticed her hand shaking as she did what he’d suggested and his mind flashed with the way they’d shaken the night before as she’d unbuttoned his shirt. For the rest of his life, he’d never forget her innocent seduction that was equal parts erotic and endearing.
The music changed and the bride appeared at the opposite side of the courtyard. Everyone’s attention was towards her but his remained on Eliza. How he’d spent so many years without her in his life boggled his mind. So much had happened. He’d graduated college, Ranger Training, Sniper School, HALO and Ranger First Responder. He’d been deployed eight times and completed countless missions. After his enlistment had ended, he’d immediately been recruited by the CIA as a cyber terrorism expert. His life had not been boring by any stretch of the imagination.
But he felt like he’d been running on power save mode the entire time. It was like he’d been sleepwalking through his own life and hadn’t even realized it until he walked into the dental office and saw her come around the corner in her white lab coat. In that moment, he woke up. He was alive. Aware. Since Eliza came back into his life he was living, not just surviving.
When the officiant asked who gives this woman, Becca’s father replied, “Her mother and I do.” Her father then proceeded to lift his daughter’s veil and kiss her cheek. When he did, Nate had a flash of Eliza’s father doing the same thing.
He’d seen pictures on Facebook of Eliza’s weddings. The first one had been in a courtroom and it looked like it was just her ex-husband and two witnesses. The second had been more traditional, but the pictures of her walking down the aisle were of her alone. Her father had not accompanied her, so he hadn’t given her away.
It had stuck out to Nate for some reason at the time and now as he saw the emotion in Becca’s face he wondered if Eliza had wanted that moment and hadn’t had it. If it was up to him, she’d get another chance at it. Soon.
As the ceremony began, he placed his hand on her lower back. No one could see his hand there, except maybe Josh, but he seemed focused on not looking at Bailey who looked just as focused on not looking at him.
He felt a tremor run down her body as he rubbed his thumb in a small circle. It made him want to feel her skin to skin, no barriers. Last night had been amazing, but it wasn’t how he wanted to love her. He wanted to take his time and kiss every inch of her body. He wanted to worship her.
Tonight, he hoped he would get that chance. He needed to get her alone, come clean about the night that had haunted him for the past decade, and then, if she could find it in her heart to forgive him, he was going to show her exactly how he’d wanted to love her last night, and every night for the rest of his life.
