Stocky & Sumptuous Read online

  With every word, his jaw ticked. I silently dared him to argue. I knew he wouldn’t, because he couldn’t, but there was a tiny part of me, the masochist, that wanted a guy who looked like him to try just a little harder. To prove me wrong.

  “You don’t know anything about me, Vicki. But you’ll learn.”

  I watched him walk away with my heart pounding in my chest. The man was potent. Too bad none of my dates made me feel the way he did.

  I dropped onto a chair that was way too comfortable Saturday afternoon and sighed. Four glasses of champagne were on the table in front of me. I reached for one, feeling slightly like a lush for going for the drinks first, then decided I didn’t care.

  “I can’t believe she wouldn’t let any of us see the dress,” Abby grumbled. “What do you think it looks like?”

  Tara shrugged. “Knowing Olivia, it’s perfect.”

  “I heard that,” Olivia called from the dressing room. “And thank you!”

  The three of us laughed. I was sworn to secrecy by Olivia, but I had seen her dress. We went shopping together one afternoon shortly after she and Ethan got engaged. She didn’t want everyone else to feel left out, but she wanted a second opinion besides Becca’s.

  “I bet she chose one of those form-fitting ones. That would look great on her curves.”

  “Do you think she let Ethan see it?”

  “Why would I do that?” Olivia asked from behind the door. “I want this marriage to last.”

  I snickered. Ethan would rather eat fire than let Olivia go. There was no doubt in my mind their marriage was going to last.

  “Are you guys ready to see it?” Olivia asked, the door clicking unlocked.

  Tara and Abby sat forward on their seats. I set my champagne down and stood to help. I knew my role as maid of honor, and was still in shock that she’d chosen me.

  Olivia stepped out of the dressing room, and I fell into place behind her. The consultant, Donna, lifted one side of the train as I lifted the other. We followed Olivia to the pedestal and delicately laid the train down once she was in place.

  “Wow,” Abby and Tara said together.

  I stepped back and took Olivia in. She’d tied her hair back with a jeweled clip so it was out of her face, but still draped over her shoulders. The cream lace bodice offset the dark color of her hair, but covered her fully, something that was a big concern for Olivia. The wide straps that started at her high waistline narrowed as they rose over her shoulders, concealing her bra straps in a delicate way that could fool you into thinking she wasn’t wearing one. Especially with the deep plunge of the top, which revealed the bra she had on. Lace met satin and circled her waist just below her breasts, giving her an hourglass look. The bottom of the dress was layer upon layer of tulle that floated to the ground. Olivia liked that it hid her belly.

  I just thought she was captivating.

  “Ethan is going to go nuts when he sees this,” Tara said.

  Olivia grinned at me in the mirror. “That’s the point.”

  “Are you wearing a bra?” Abby asked.

  Olivia nodded and pointed to the white fabric that blended in well, but not well enough. “Couldn’t go without if I wanted. I need to find something that is lower, but haven’t had any luck with something white. Worst case I’ll wear strapless, but I don’t want to.”

  “I love the clip in your hair. It matches perfectly,” I said.

  “You’ve already seen the dress, haven’t you?” Abby demanded.

  I shrugged.

  “Don’t attack Vicki,” Olivia chastised. “I swore her to secrecy. I didn’t want to go shopping alone, and I knew if she was willing to tell me off once, she’d be willing to tell me if I looked horrible in a dress.”

  “Except you looked amazing in all of them. I really hated her that day,” I said to Abby and Tara with a wink.

  “Love you, too.” Olivia grinned.

  “Everyone talks about how hard it was to find a wedding dress that fit well and they liked. You had trouble narrowing them down. Seriously though, you really did look amazing in all of them, but this was definitely my favorite.”

  “I think the dresses you guys are wearing will look great with it,” she said, looking at all of us in the mirror. Her hands ran down the tulle, smoothing the fabric as the seamstress pinned the hem since Olivia finally found heels. “I can’t believe the wedding is in less than six weeks.”

  “What else do you need to do?”

  Olivia shook her head. “I don’t know. Ethan is going a little crazy. He actually talked about taking the guys to Vegas for a weekend. When I complained, he thought it was because we aren’t going.”

  “He’s sweet,” I said. “He worships you. It’s nice to see him so excited about getting married. Most men are just along for the ride.”

  “Yeah, he’s definitely steering the ship.”

  We laughed. “Enjoy it. It’s less stress for you.”

  “True,” Olivia agreed. “I like that part.”

  “Are we still set for your lingerie shower? You’re okay with closing for the night, Abby?”

  Abby nodded. “I’m closed anyway. And my place is a little bigger than Charlie’s so it works out well.”

  “How many people are we inviting?” I asked Olivia.

  “I think we have twenty, right?”

  “Sounds right,” Abby said. “You have all the invitations?”

  I nodded. “Yep, ready to send them out next week. We’ll talk menu after that. And you said no strippers, right?”

  Olivia snorted. “If you really want to risk the wrath of my future husband, you can take that chance all on your own.”

  I shook my head. “Most of the guests are married or involved. It’s always nice to look at a hot guy, but it doesn’t make sense to hire a stripper. Plus, aren’t we too old for that?”

  Olivia, Abby, and Tara laughed. “It feels like it, doesn’t it? When did that happen?”

  “I think for me it was when I had kids,” Olivia said.

  “For me it was when pictures of my naked ass showed up online. Kind of lost the appeal,” Tara said with a wrinkle of her nose.

  “Damn. We’re so boring. We’ll have fun though.”

  The seamstress finished pinning Olivia’s dress than had her walk around for a minute to make sure it was okay. She said it felt good, then was given permission to change.

  “Have you guys tried on your dresses lately?” Tara asked.

  Abby nodded. “I tried it on last night. I was getting paranoid that it wasn’t going to fit.”

  “Did it?”

  “Yes, thankfully. What about you, Tara?”

  “Mine still fits, too. Noah is really looking forward to the wedding,” she said with a saucy grin.

  “Please don’t tell me you and Noah have been having sex in the dress you’re wearing for my wedding,” Olivia said, joining us in her street clothes again.

  Tara shook her head. “Nope. We take it off first.”

  Abby and I laughed, Olivia groaned. “I don’t need to hear about this. I should have put you guys in paper sacks!”

  We laughed even harder. “Knowing Noah and Tara, that wouldn’t have helped.”

  Tara nodded. “We have to take advantage of whatever time we get these days. Sawyer has been home more and more lately. It’s nice getting to know him, and not hating him, but it’s weird. Noah is kind of worried about him.”

  “Really?” I asked.

  “Yeah. He’s never spent this much time in one place. He’s always on the move again after a few weeks. Noah is thrilled his brother is around, but he’s worried that he lost his job or something. Has he said anything to you?” Tara asked me.

  I shook my head. “No, but I haven’t talked to him lately.”

  Her shoulders dropped. “Okay. I told Noah I’d ask you.”

  “I’ll call him tonight.”

  “Thanks. Are you done with your dates?”

  “No. I have one tonight. I’ll call Sawyer before I
go.”

  She nodded. “I kind of hoped you guys would hit it off. As something more than friends at least.”

  “Me, too,” Olivia agreed. “Ethan is a big fan of Sawyer. We thought you two would be great together.”

  “He’s awesome, but we’re definitely better as friends. He feels like all the other guys. Like a bunch of brothers I always thought I wanted until they scared away all my dates.”

  “Have they done that?” Abby asked, alarmed.

  I laughed. “No. But I could see it happening.”

  “Definitely.”

  “Are we going to lunch?” Olivia asked.

  “Yes. We’re treating you.”

  “No, I want to treat. We’re out here for my wedding.”

  “Exactly. And the bride doesn’t pay. Our treat,” Tara argued.

  “But-”

  “No buts. We’re paying. Now, where do you want to go?”

  Chapter 4

  Tuesday after lunch, I was sitting at my desk when Hunter walked in. He headed straight for me, his eyes locked on mine from the second he stepped inside.

  “I told you I’m not giving up. I’m taking you out this weekend. I’m not the man you think I am.”

  I shook my head. “It wouldn’t matter. I have plans this weekend.”

  He smirked. “Plans I can work with. You didn’t say no.”

  He turned and walked away, leaving me speechless. I wanted to chase him down and say no, but when he paused at the hallway and grinned at me, I knew it was only a matter of time before I gave in to him.

  My earbuds went back in while he was meeting with Drew. I had no idea what Drew was working on, which kind of bothered me. I really wanted to know what the project was. I didn’t know why. Drew and Xander worked on a lot of projects that I wasn’t intimately involved with. I would keep track of how things were going and make sure they were on schedule and budget, but the details were frequently left to them.

  The fact that Hunter’s project bothered me, bothered me.

  I went to get a cup of coffee and was filing papers, the most boring part of my job, when Hunter came back into the front.

  “So, when are you free? You can’t have plans for the entire weekend.”

  He crossed his arms and leaned against the side of my desk. Stacks of paper were scattered everywhere. He shifted his weight and one of the stacks fluttered to the floor.

  “Shit. Sorry about that,” he said, crouching to pick up the papers. I bent at the same time, our knees brushing and eyes colliding. He held my gaze and handed me the papers he collected. We both stood and he stepped closer.

  My phone rang and startled me away from him. I answered it and made notes about the call, hoping Hunter would be gone when I turned back around.

  No such luck.

  I carried the file to the cabinet behind me and slid it into place. When I went back to my desk, I couldn’t stop the sudden desire for Hunter to lay me out on the messy desk and show me just how wrong I was about him.

  His eyes followed me, back and forth, until half the paper was gone. I grabbed a new stack and he stepped in front of me. Hunter pressed me against the edge of my desk, towering over me. His gaze flickered to the surface, almost as though he was thinking the same thing I was.

  Wipe it clean.

  Those dark blue eyes swept back to mine again and pinned me in place. He didn’t need the arms caging me in to hold me there. He leaned in closer, enough that I could feel his breath on my face before he spoke.

  “I’m going to kiss you, Vicki.”

  He paused just long enough to let me argue, but I couldn’t. No words could squeeze past the air struggling to fill my lungs. Then his lips touched mine, and nothing else mattered.

  The file I held fell to the floor with a splat. I wish I could say I resisted him. That I fought. That I didn’t bend like an overcooked noodle. But none of it would be true. From that first brush of his lips, I was in trouble. Serious trouble.

  His lips pressed to mine, holding me in place where he wanted me. His chest rose, brushing against my peaked nipples. I moaned softly, and he took complete advantage of it. His tongue traced the edge of my upper lip, dipping inside just enough to glide over my sensitive gums. He sucked my lip into his mouth and I couldn’t have resisted if I wanted to.

  But, damn him, I didn’t want to.

  He kissed me like he had no idea kissing another person could be so good. Like I was his first and last and only. His tongue slid over mine as his hands moved closer together until they landed on my hips. He pressed his body to mine, giving me a feel for exactly what was going through his head.

  I’ll give you a clue… not much because all his blood was much, much lower.

  He lifted my hips just enough to deposit me on the edge of my desk, then pressed between my thighs. I should have pushed him away, but it had been far too long since a man made me feel the way he did. In that moment, he wasn’t a workaholic. He wasn’t the wrong guy for me. He wasn’t someone I barely knew. He was just Hunter, and holy shit was he just what I wanted.

  I was so lost in his kiss that I almost didn’t hear Drew before he caught us. I pushed Hunter away just before my boss rounded the corner. I slid off the edge of my desk while Drew was still studying the papers in his hand, praying he didn’t realize what he almost walked in on.

  “Hey Vicki- Oh, hey, Hunter. I forgot you needed to talk to Vicki.”

  He glanced back at me. “It’s fine. I can wait a minute if you need her.”

  Drew handed over the stack of papers. “I was just going to ask her to add these to the file we have for your reno. I won’t keep you.”

  Drew was gone, with a wink, in a few seconds. I was left alone with Hunter again. Except I knew how hard it was to resist him.

  “Well, normally I don’t kiss a woman on our first date. Since we’ve already passed that barrier, I think it’s time I take you out.”

  I wanted to. I hated myself for it, but I wanted to. But I looked at him again and knew I couldn’t do it. I wanted a family. Someone who was all mine. A husband would be great, but I wanted a child more than I wanted a husband. Maybe that made me a little crazy, or a lot, but I wasn’t going to date all the wrong men and miss out on the right one. I knew Hunter was wrong, so saying no to him wasn’t as hard as my body made me believe it would be.

  “It’s not a good idea,” I said, avoiding his eyes. “We’re not right for each other?”

  “See, you keep saying that, but the way you kiss me says something very different.”

  I shook my head. “I know what I want out of my life, Hunter. I’m sorry.”

  I finally glanced up and saw him glaring at me. “You’re wrong about me, Vicki. But I don’t know what I can say or do to prove you wrong. I’m going to keep trying, but I won’t wait forever.”

  I nodded, knowing it was going to get harder and harder to resist him. He headed for the door, giving me a chance to catch my breath.

  I sighed and picked up the papers that had fallen to the floor when he lifted me onto my desk. My heart raced again and my thighs tingled, reminding me how wet my panties were. I fanned myself with the papers and smiled. At least Hunter was good for a few fantasies. Damn.

  The door opened again, shocking me. I turned with a grin to welcome our unexpected visitor and found Hunter. He was walking toward me with a purpose, his eyes boring into mine. My breath caught in my throat. I wanted to tell him I’d changed my mind. That I wanted to go out with him. That I was wrong.

  When he stopped on the opposite side of my desk, I finally realized he was supporting a tiny, furry thing.

  “Is this yours?”

  He held up the fuzzy silver fluffball for me to take a closer peek. Yellow eyes peered up at me and the cottonball meowed.

  “It’s a cat.”

  Hunter nodded. “That’s the only animal I know of that meows, yes.”

  “Where did you find it?”

  “In the parking lot. It was hiding under my SUV. I heard it cr
y when I was about to get in.”

  I reached for the tiny cat, and Hunter handed it over. It snuggled against me and nuzzled its head into my palm so I would pet it. Its fur was dirty, but it was more small than sickly.

  “It’s too cute.”

  “Is it yours?”

  I shook my head and enjoyed the feel of the kitten. It had to be a kitten. “I wonder where it came from.”

  “Could it be Drew’s? Or Xander’s? Isn’t that the other guy?”

  I nodded. “Yeah, but neither of them have cats like this. Xander has a gray cat, but Zada is bigger and a little darker.”

  Hunter sighed. “Shit.” He ran a hand through his hair and shook his head. “Travis is going to kill me.”

  “Who’s Travis and why is he going to kill you?”

  Hunter reached for the cat. “Travis is a friend. The one who’s currently letting me stay with him. And he’s going to kill me because he hates cats.”

  He tucked the cat under his arm and scratched its chin. He turned toward the door and I finally realized what he was saying. “You’re keeping the cat?”

  Hunter shrugged. “I can’t take it to a shelter where it’ll be euthanized. Travis will be pissed, but once Drew finishes my new place, I’ll be moving.”

  His words sunk in and I shook my head. He was keeping the cat. He wasn’t willing to abandon it. Did it get any sweeter than that?

  “I’ll go out with you,” I blurted when he reached the door.

  Hunter froze. He turned slowly, a grin easing onto his lips. “You’ll go out with me? Because I’m keeping the cat?”

  I shrugged. “Let’s just say it’s hard to ignore certain qualities that I’m just now seeing.”

  He raised his eyebrows and nodded. “Well, I’m not one to question when a beautiful woman wants to go out with me. Friday night?”

  I nodded then stopped. “Um, I can’t Friday night.” I had another date. That I didn’t want to go on.

  “Saturday night?”

  I shook my head again. Another date. With another guy who was probably too safe. A guy who did nothing to get me interested.