“I never said she was.” Spencer needs to take a fucking walk.

  Saved by the bell, Liam’s phone chimes and he walks away to take the call.

  “Dude, he is gonna kick your ass if you mess with Amara and hurt her.”

  “Do you always have to run your mouth?” I ask Spencer and he shrugs walking out onto the patio we have off our room.

  “She watched you throughout dinner.” Jasper takes the opportunity when we are alone to be the level headed one of the group. “If she kissed you and is pretending it meant nothing, then I call bullshit.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “No woman is gonna kiss a guy and then watch him the way she was watching you if she felt nothing.” I let his words roll around in my mind. “Just tread lightly, whether it's annoying or not, Spencer is right. Amara isn’t the kind of girl you spend one night with, she’s the kind of girl a guy marries.”

  He too walks away and sits down on the couch, flipping on the television until he find the Braves game. I remain where I am, pouring myself another drink and letting my mind race.

  She’s the kind of girl a guy marries.

  Lifting the glass, I down the contents and walked across the suite to my room. I need to take a shower and clear my head.

  CHAPTER

  FIVE

  Amara

  “Oh I needed this,” I moan as the masseuse begins to dig his fingers into my back. I’d been looking forward to this part of the weekend since Charlie surprised us with the spa day announcement yesterday. My shoulders are so tense, my back and neck ache and I know it's related to a certain man that refuses to let me pretend I didn’t make a fool of myself in the middle of a bar with an audience.

  All of us ladies lay side by side, face down with towels draped over our bottoms. The smell of massage oil lingers in the air and the sounds of trickling water and the crashing wash from the waves fill the silence. It is so incredibly relaxing, yet my mind keeps trying to wander into Tyler territory.

  The way he keeps looking at me, touching me and his continuous comments that I’m having a trying time brushing off like they don’t affect me.

  “Mmmhmm,” Audrey groans out of nowhere and I glance over to find her completely at ease and taking in the feel of her own massage.

  Repositioning myself I give in to the sensations and relax completely. I’ve been wound so tight ever since that kiss at the bar with Ty that my muscles are sore from keeping up the charade.

  “This is heaven,” Charlie mumbles followed by a groan that makes me smile. The noises that are escaping us all are sinful, if I were outside this room listening I’d be wide eyed and suspicious.

  It’s only been six months since I opened my own salon in Calloway. It had always been a dream of mine, to be my own boss. Working for someone else had never been what I’d wanted, but fresh out of school I took a few years to get my feet wet before I found a space and made it my own.

  I take pride in my salon and spa, wanting it to be a place women came to and left feeling pampered. But rarely did I myself ever get the opportunity to enjoy the perks myself. This though, ahhh, I had to agree with Charlie, it is pure heaven.

  I could feel the tension melting away, and the idea that I could get through this weekend felt attainable.

  “Where is Linc?” I whisper to Liam as soon as he and the guys arrive in the lobby before the rehearsal.

  “Are you trying to get me worked up again?” Liam is full of tension, so much so that I swear I can feel it rolling off of him in waves.

  “What would you say if I asked you why it pisses you off so much?”

  “I’d say that no woman should be left waiting for her groom to fucking care.” I snicker and he looks over at me and narrows his eyes.

  “Is that all?”

  “What are you getting at?” I could pick this point to dig at my cousin. I could force Liam to admit what I already know but instead I let it slide.

  “So how are we gonna have a rehearsal without the groom?”

  “Looks like I’ll be standing in for my asshole brother, once again.” I’m about to ask him what he means when he steps forward and approaches a worried looking bride to be.

  Liam shares a few words with Audrey and though she is doing her very best to hide her emotions I can see how worried, maybe even scared she really is. The groom is still working–allegedly, and here we all are running through a rehearsal that he should be here for.

  I don’t know how Audrey is doing it, because if the roles were reversed and it was me in her shoes I think I’d lose my damn mind. That, or I’d be getting in a car driving back home to drag Linc out by his balls and tearing into him for hours on our trip back. Linc is my cousin but right now, I hate him for her.

  Wendy the wedding coordinator runs through the steps, speaking so fast while we all do our best to keep up with her instructions. I know by the time she is finished; I feel like I’ve just gone through a wind storm, and I glance around the group to see if anyone else is as lost as me.

  Tyler is watching me, and I press my lips together tightly when I see him smirking. The smug ass knows I’m confused. Stepping up to my side he leans in closer. “Don’t worry babe, I’ll lead.”

  I narrow my eyes at him, but frankly keeping up this charade is getting harder the more time I spend with him. It’d be easier if I wasn’t so attracted to him, and his damn cologne would stop moving in and wrapping me in a blanket of Tyler.

  “Okay, line up with your partner.” Wendy waves her hand out in the direction of the aisle, and I take in a deep breath and take a step forward. Suddenly Tyler is taking my hand in his own and guiding me. It takes me by surprise that I don’t even react until we are being watched by Spencer and Charlie and she glances down and focuses on the place Ty and I are joined. Quickly I pull back and begin twisting my hands together in front of me.

  “Still fighting this I see,” Ty says louder than I expect.

  “Fighting what?” I mumble.

  Charlie and Spencer begin walking down the aisle and I look up to find Tyler watching me once again.

  “What?”

  He holds my stare for so long that it starts to make me shift nervously before he finally responds.

  “Nothing Amara, nothing at all.”

  Long gone is the smirk he had several minutes ago, and if I’m being honest I miss his smugness.

  When it’s our turn to walk down the aisle, Tyler doesn’t offer me his arm, or attempt to take my hand. Instead we walk side by side and he doesn’t offer a smile or any teasing words.

  Once we are at the end of the aisle, we stand with the others and wait for the entire party to run through the directions Wendy continues to bark out.

  “All right, everyone!” Wendy hollers, “Let’s do this again, and then I’ll cut you loose for dinner.”

  Food is the last thing on my mind right now, my stomach is tied in knots.

  I follow behind everyone else walking back to the beginning and lining ourselves up for the next run.

  Spencer breaks through the tension when he chooses that moment to start poking at Charlie once again.

  The heat being tossed around between the two of them is scorching, though Charlie won’t admit it, I have a feeling her armor is cracking. Not sure she’ll make it through the weekend without breaking.

  Tyler places his hand on my back and without jerking in surprise I manage to turn my body toward him and hold my composure. I just wish that I could get through one touch from him without my entire body humming with the desire for more.

  “You ready to do this again?”

  I nod and offer him a smile.

  Holding his hand out I offer mine and we link our fingers together, running through the motions once again. But this time I somehow manage to do it without my stomach tightening to the point of sickness.

  CHAPTER

  SIX

  Tyler

  “Is she doing that to get a rise out of you?” Jasper asks as he sits down at my side. I glance away from Amara flirting with the group of guys near the bar, I thought I was off the hook when she went back to the bridal suite with Audrey and Charlie, but she snuck back down about an hour ago. Now she’s hanging around a group of guys that seem real intrigued by her, though I can't say I blame them.

  “You gonna do something about it?” He asks as he lifts his drink to his lips and takes a swallow.

  “Why would I do anything? She’s free to talk to whoever she wants to.” I say the words but on the inside I’m boiling with irritation.

  Amara walks up to me, kisses me and says a bunch of shit, then walks away. She changes everything and then she fucking acts like nothing happened. She is the one that flipped the switch. She changed everything.

  “Why don’t I believe you?” His smirk only adds to my mood. I don’t respond and look back toward Amara at the exact moment she throws her head back laughing at something one of the assholes says.

  “Want my opinion?”

  “No,” because I know whatever it is he has to say won’t be anything I want to hear.

  “She wants you to go over and get her.”

  “Oh yeah, so now you have a direct line to Amara’s thoughts?”

  “No,” something shifts in his expression. “I just know that women have this crazy way of throwing signs that we’re supposed to pay attention to. They won’t come out and say it, but they want us to be jealous and attentive and at times a little overbearing.”

  “What in the hell are you talking about?”

  “Just don’t let time slip away before you finally make your feelings known.”

  “What feelings,” and who the hell is this guy? He’s talking in code and I’m fucking confused.

  “If you want her, go get her, before some other guy sweeps in and knocks you out of the running.”

  With that Jasper stands and wanders off and I am left wondering what on earth just happened. Am I missing something?

  Laughter echoes over the bar and I shift my attention back to Amara, just as a guy places his hand on her hip.

  Before I have the chance to even think through my actions I’m out of my chair and walking in their direction. Amara shifts and wobbles, but before the asshole has the chance to grab her I move in, practically pushing him out of the way and hooking her waist.

  She squeals and I twist her away from the guys, waiting for her to gain her footing.

  “We need to talk,” I tell her, and her eyes widen. “I’m done being patient.”

  “Oh, so you call the last twenty-four hours you being patient?”

  She speaks out sassily, but the truth is, I only find it cute.

  “Yeah,” I offer her a grin. “If I wasn’t being patient I would have had you admitting you feel something for me, before we even got into Liam’s car.”

  “You’re cocky.” She narrows her eyes.

  “You have no idea.” I drag the pad of my thumb over her jaw. “So can we take a walk, or do you want to have this out with an audience?”

  It’s then I watch her look all around us and quickly straighten up trying her best to back away from me.

  Only I don’t let her go. “Like I said we can do this here or take a walk, you choose.”

  I notice her swallow hard, her throat bobbing and then she looks back at me and takes a slow deep breath. “Walk,” she says, and I nod, leading her away from the bar and all the curious stares.

  I guide her outside onto the terrace that overlooks the water. She walks toward the railing and places her hands on the top rail and looks out, still not looking at me.

  “Can you look at me?”

  I notice the way she worries her lower lip and then slowly turns herself to face me.

  “I don’t like this,” I confess feeling like the two of us are nothing more than strangers. We’ve known each other for years, there has never been this strange awkwardness when we are around one another. It’s normally relaxed and if anything, comfortable.

  “Can we please just get past this and admit that the kiss wasn’t a drunken mistake?” I step in closer, “It was something Mar, you know it and so do I.” I rub my hand along her shoulder and down her arm, until I reach her hand. Threading my fingers through hers, I watch as she works it all out in her head. That is one thing she is really good at, overanalyzing, worrying herself sick and thinking through every, what if, that is possible.

  “I’m not saying I don’t feel something,” I’m surprised at her confession. I figured I’d have to drag it out of her. “But what I am saying is that I’m afraid of what will happen if I admit it.”

  I tug her closer and place my hand on her hip, the softness of her dress feeling like silk against my palm.

  “Our lives are too intertwined on a daily basis for this between us to backfire.” Amara bites at the inner part of her lip and I fight the urge to kiss away her worry.

  “What makes you think it will backfire?”

  “What makes you think it won’t?” She counters and the corner of her mouth tips upward as she tries to fight her smile.

  “What I think is that the kiss we shared was cut too short.” Again I move in a little closer. “I also think that you’re doing that thing you do.”

  “What thing?” When she tries to create some distance between us I hold her tightly making it impossible for her to escape.

  “The what if’s, instead of the good,” She seems slightly surprised by my words. “You run through every possible scenario you can, listing in your mind every bad outcome and not even considering for a second that this thing between us could be good, very good.”

  “Now you’re being cocky again,” dipping my chin, so I get a good look at her eyes, Amara’s palm presses against my chest. “This is a bad idea.”

  “I don’t have bad ideas,” closing the last amount of distance between us, bringing my mouth closer to hers. “Honestly I think kissing you will be the best idea I’ve had in a long time.”

  “Kissing me?”

  “Yeah,” there is little space left between us, “I’m gonna kiss you.”

  She holds my stare and when I notice she doesn’t try to move away I take that as my sign to proceed.

  The second my lips touch hers; she fists my shirt and I glide my tongue along the seam of her lips. Feeling her tongue glide over mine I squeeze her hip tighter, pulling her body completely against mine. She moans into our kiss.

  “Told you this wasn’t a bad idea.”

  “It’s the worst idea,” Amara says and the sound of someone laughing filters out the door, breaking the moment. Suddenly she is stepping back and pressing her fingers to her lips.

  “We should get back inside,” without waiting for me to respond Amara is walking back inside, leaving me staring after her once again.

  CHAPTER

  SEVEN

  Amara

  I woke up this morning still feeling Tyler’s lips on mine. I swear his kisses are burned into my memory. The slight burn of his whiskers, the glide of his tongue. It’s all an overload on my senses.

  “You were moaning in your sleep.” Lorelei says with a yawn. “You must have been having some pretty naughty dreams.”

  I don’t respond but my cheeks instantly heat.

  I gather my things and make my way to the shower where I take a little extra time to regain my focus.

  After Tyler kissed me silly on the balcony last night, I managed to keep my distance, but that didn’t stop him from watching and offering me his cocky smile he’s known for. I know he knows there is no denying it any longer. He’s seen right through my facade and the safest bet for me now is to keep space between him and myself.

  Walking out of the bathroom I find everyone gathered in the common area and I join them.

  A fruit platter, mimosa’s, pastries and even pancakes had been delivered to our suite. My stomach instantly growls when I scan over all the food.

  I grab a piece of watermelon and a drink, ignoring the curious stares I know are on me. I’ve known these ladies for years through Audrey, and rarely does anything get by them. I guess I’m just afraid of the questions because I honestly have no answers for them.

  “Anyone besides me waiting for Amara to explain last night's disappearing act.” Audrey says with a little laugh as she takes a seat at the table next to me. “I know I’m not the only one that heard you sneaking out.”

  “I think what we all need to be focusing on is a wedding,” I try to revert the attention back on Audrey and it doesn’t take long, thank goodness.

  “I can’t believe today my little sister is getting married,” Charlie wraps Audrey in a hug and they share a moment. Crisis averted, and I don’t have to even attempt to explain something I don’t even understand myself.

  It’s better I think about it another day, because today is for Audrey and Lincoln, it’s their day.

  “You need to eat, Auds.” I nudge Audrey’s leg with my own. “No way are you passing out on my watch.”

  “Excuse me. I thought you were my hairdresser and makeup artist, not my life coach.” Audrey sticks her tongue out at me, the corners of her mouth tipping up in a smile.

  “For your information, my cosmetology license explicitly says I’m both.”

  Charlie laughs at her sister and wags her fingers at her. “Girl, you should know better than to argue with your stylist before you turn her loose on your hair. Besides, she’s right. You picked at your dinner last night and you haven’t slept well since we’ve been here.” We all watch as Charlie fills her sister's mimosa glass.

  Audrey takes a moment and then agrees with her.

  “So, what time did Lincoln finally get in last night?” Lorelei asks. “Jasper said the guys went to bed after they finally got booted from the bar. That was at two-thirty, and he still wasn’t here.”