Mine to love

Coming Winter 2021

Excerpt

Can I have this dance?" Noah comes over after Dani and Drew finished their first dance as a married couple. "Sure," I reply with a smile. He takes my hand, and we head for the dance floor. "You look beautiful." He wraps his arms around my waist and holds me close to him. I'm surrounded by his scent that I've grown so accustomed to after all the hours we've spent together in the past few months. I close my eyes and rest my head on his shoulder.

~

I open my eyes and feel someone behind me. I remembered last night. A warm body behind me and an arm wrapped around my waist, my naked waist, and I freeze. Oh my god, it happened. It wasn't a dream.
"Good Morning, beautiful," I hear Noah's raspy morning voice in my ear, and I know it wasn't a dream. What have I done? What is Dani going to think?
"Hey," I responded. It's all I can say.
"Hey, can you please turn around?" He knows I'm second-guessing what happened between us last night. I turn around in his arms and look into his deep, emerald green eyes.
"What's going on in that beautiful head of yours?"
"That I have to go use the restroom," I respond because that's the reason I'm even awake. I hide my face in his chest, feeling embarrassed.
"Well, okay, then." He lets me go. Getting out of bed, I put on my robe and go to the hall bathroom. Looking at myself in the mirror, I ask myself again, "What have I done?" A knock on the door startles me. Just as I'm about to open the door, thinking it's Noah. I hear Dani's voice.
"Nikki, are you in there?"
I rush to open the door. "Hey, what are you doing home so early?" I ask her, holding my robe tighter around myself.
"It's almost noon. Don't tell me you just got up?" Dani asks, surprise. I'm usually an early riser.
"Well, it was a long day yesterday, so yes, I just got up." I make my way to the kitchen and away from my room. I pray Noah has fallen back asleep and doesn't come out of my room while Dani is home. Why IS Dani home?
"Shouldn't you be getting ready to go on your honeymoon?" I ask, putting the coffee maker to work.
"Yeah, but I forgot one of my bags with the past few days' crazinesses, and I came to get it." She says, making her way to her room, and I follow her, just in case.
"Oh. Where is Drew?" Looking around, it seems she is here alone.
"He's still at the hotel. We are having lunch with his family. I figured I come to get my bag, and you could come back with me to have lunch too." She opens the bag on her bed and puts a few things from her dresser into it.
"Okay, you go on ahead, and I'll meet you at the hotel. I have to take a quick shower and get dressed." And figure out what to do with the man in my room.
"Oh, okay. I figure you were already up, but sure, I guess I can go ahead." She stops for a second and looks right at me. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine."
"You're not worried about staying by yourself while I'm on my honeymoon, are you?" She's always worrying about me.
"As many times as you've gone out of town with Drew, you know I'm fine." I walk over and take her hands in mine. "Go to your husband," I say, and she smiles.
"That's going to take some getting used to," I tell her, smiling back at her.
"You guys have lunch with his mom and sisters. I'll try to make it, okay?"
"Okay." She hugs me, and we walk out of her room. "Hey, I saw you leave with Noah last night. Do you know where he went? I thought he could have lunch with us too." I stop in my tracks when she asks me about Noah.
"I'm not sure where he went," I lie. "I'll text him and see if he wants to meet us for lunch."
"Okay, I would love to see him before we head out. He hit it off so well with Drew. I love that he's like an extension of Colton, you know."
"Yeah, I know." We say our goodbyes, and I assure her I'll see her at the hotel for lunch.

After making sure she's gone, I make my way back to my bedroom, and I find Noah standing at the open door. The look on his face tells me he knows I lied about him being here with me, and he is not happy.