“So, what’s up with you and Reid?” I shout over the music.

  Jules scowls at my question. “Nothing, absolutely nothing. He’s an asshole.”

  “You sure you don’t like him?”

  She rolls her eyes. “Not you too! I get enough shit from everyone else.”

  “Then, answer the question,” I shoot back with a wicked smile.

  “He gets under my skin,” she admits. “He knows how to work every nerve in my body.” Her eyes widen, and I follow her gaze. “Oh, no… what did I do in this lifetime to deserve this? Of all the people Nate had to ask to be a groomsman, did it have to be Reid Grayson?”

  “I know it sucks hanging out with your boss on vacation, but I’m happy you’re here.”

  “Happy to be here.” She squeezes my wrist. “I hope everything works out with you and Nate.”

  Me too.

  Reid approaches Jules with a greedy look in his eyes. It’s intense, to say the least. She turns away from him, but when he cups her shoulder with his hand, she looks up at him. They exchange a look that doesn’t require words.

  A few seconds later, Nate is towering over me, his lips so close to mine I think he’s going to kiss me in front of everyone. And I want him to do it. With every fiber in my body, I want him. He slides his hand along my back and pulls my chest against his. His lips part, and for a second, I close my eyes, waiting for him to make the next move. But my fantasy evaporates the second he speaks.

  “I’m glad you’re here,” he says against the shell of my ear. “Because I need to talk to you.”

  His breath on my skin and his hands on my body would usually send a shiver down my arms that makes my toes curl. Not this time, though. Not when I’m holding my breath, my heart pounding out of my chest as I wait for the bad news.

  “What do you want to talk about?”

  “Something my dad said earlier. It’s been bothering me all night.” His hand falls to my hip, and I’m suddenly all too aware of his fingers at the edge of my waistband. “Can we go somewhere a little quieter? It won’t take long.”

  I look over my shoulder at Jules, who is occupied by Reid, engaged in what appears to be a heated debate. They could probably argue over the color of the sky. Willow is having the time of her life, swaying her hips to the rap beat that cranks through the speakers. Callie and Lola are with Amelia, on the ground below where Willow is dancing on the bar. I laugh as Callie and Lola compete for Stefan’s attention, while Amelia chats with Dylan.

  Callie rests her arm on Stefan’s shoulder, whispering something into his ear. He laughs, and then Lola steals him away from her, playing best man tug-a-war as they vie for his attention. Stefan is like a younger brother to me. The thought of my friends making a move for him is ridiculous. Our friends are thoroughly entertained. I doubt they will miss us if we slip away for a few minutes.

  I twist my fingers between Nate’s, and he leads me through the crowd with ease. He takes me to the beach. The soft sand slides between my toes as we make our way toward the water. I tip my nose up, sucking in a deep breath as I drink in the salty air. The smell reminds me of the summers I spent with Nate and his family at the Jersey Shore.

  We sink to the ground, sitting next to each other as we watch the waves crash in front of us. Nate’s grip tightens on my hand. His palm is sweaty, so he must be nervous.

  “Spit it out already,” I say. “The suspense is killing me.”

  “It’s not that big of a deal,” he says, his eyes downcast.

  His words are somewhat slurred, but Nate doesn’t look completely wasted.

  “Nate, c’mon,” I say after a long pause.

  Waves crash in the background, filling the awkward void.

  “Just tell me already,” I demand.

  “This could change everything.”

  “Well, then you need to tell me,” I shoot back. “No, you have to tell me. If this marriage is going to work, we need to be honest with each other.”

  “That’s why I’m telling you,” he confesses. “I don’t want us to have secrets.” He moves his hand to my face, caressing my skin with his calloused thumb. “I want you to know the truth before you say ‘I do’ tomorrow.”

  “Okay…” I can barely catch my breath. “What is it?”

  “When I asked you to marry me, I told you it would be temporary. I thought we could get this annulled after a few months and walk away. But my dad left out the part about how much we need Titan. This isn’t a one-time deal, Harley, and if you marry me, we might not be able to have it annulled.”

  “I don’t understand. What are you talking about?”

  “The initial deal with Titan Tech will get us through the next few quarters—”

  “But we need them for more than that?”

  He nods. “Yes. I wanted you to know that before you walk down the aisle. We could be playing husband and wife for a long time, possibly years depending on the company’s financial situation.”

  “Your game could get us out of the hole,” I point out. “We need Titan Tech now, but we might not next year. I knew there was a possibility of this marriage lasting longer.”

  “You did?” He seems surprised, which shocks me.

  “Yeah. Didn’t you?”

  Nate shakes his head, and his dark hair falls in front of his eyes. “No. I wanted to believe my dad. I thought he was being honest with me.”

  “I’m not the least bit surprised. We’re nothing more than chess pieces on our fathers’ boards, ready to move into position whenever they see fit.”

  The company name is a play on our last names, but it’s also a reference to chess. Our fathers are strategists who plan out every move they make in advance. I knew my father well enough to know that we were getting screwed over. It was only a matter of time before they hit us with the real news.

  “So, you’re not mad?” Nate studies my face for the answer.

  I shake my head. “I’m used to the lies and deception. I knew the risk when I said yes, and I’m not walking away.”

  He blows out a breath of air. “That’s good to hear. I was afraid you would change your mind, but I couldn’t keep this from you.”

  “We’re good.” I push myself up from the ground. “But we should get back to our friends before they disappear on us.”

  Nate stands at his full height, his eyes fixed on me. “Does it make me a shitty person that I’m hoping they forget about us?”

  I roll my shoulders.

  He extends his hand to me. “Take a walk with me. Give me a few more minutes, and then we’ll head back.”

  When I slip my fingers between his, all of the old memories wash over me. Every feeling crashes into me like waves breaking on the sand. We take a quick stroll down the beach in silence, stopping to turn around when we reach the next hotel. We could sit in the same room for hours without talking, and it never feels weird or uncomfortable. I love that about our relationship.

  This is perfect. Us.

  Nate and Harley.

  Harley and Nate.

  * * *

  On the morning of my wedding, I woke up to breakfast in bed. Unfortunately, Nate wasn’t the one in bed with me. Willow snored in my ear for most of the night, and with all of the nerves settling into my chest, it was impossible to sleep. A few hours before the alarm clock sounded, my head hit the pillow and my eyes slammed shut from exhaustion. After a heaping plate of eggs, bacon, toast, and a pot of coffee, I feel like a new person.

  I’m ready to marry my best friend.

  Now, all of my bridesmaids are in my room, staring at me with wide eyes, faces full of makeup, and slight hangovers. The girls started drinking not long after their plane touched down in Nassau. Apparently, the party is continuing in my room. Callie pounds a mimosa, eyeing me up as if seeing me for the first time. She saw my dress at Dante Drake’s studio, all of the girls did. And yet, they’re standing in front of me, drinking one glass of champagne after the other, yapping about the guys they met the night before at the bar.

  “Oh, my God, babe,” Willow says with her hands on my shoulders. “Wow! I mean holy shit. I knew you were hiding a rocking bod under all those frumpy sweater dresses, but damn, girl, you look hot. A Greek goddess reincarnated.”

  Blush rushes to my cheeks. “You’re nuts.” I laugh at her silliness and shake my head. “And thank you.”

  Willow tucks a loose curl behind my ear and smiles. “You know I got your back.”

  “I missed you,” I whisper, and she hugs me.

  “The apartment isn’t the same without you.” She releases me from her grip, holding me at arm’s length. “I wish you were coming back to me, but I’m happy for you. You deserve to be happy with Nate.”

  She steers me in front of the floor-length mirror, looking at me in disbelief. I don’t recognize the person I see. Between the makeup Willow applied to my eyes, the custom Dante Drake gown, and the curls spilling down my cheeks, I not only look but feel like another person. Willow studied fashion at FIDM, the top school in Los Angeles. She even has a cosmetology license she hasn’t used… until now.

  My blonde hair falls over my shoulders in thick barrel curls. Tiny diamond pins are placed throughout my hair that’s styled and sprayed to perfection. Various shades of blue and sea green round out my eyes, making them pop. I’m wearing the pearl necklace, drop earrings, and bracelet Nate bought for me. He even surprised me with a pearl and diamond crown fit for a queen. His Queen.

  “I wind-proofed your hair,” Willow says as she tugs on one of my curls. “You could stand on the beach during a hurricane, and you’d still look like a million bucks.”

  “You did… wow, Willow, thank you. You did an amazing job. I don’t even look like me.” I turn around to face her and pull her into my arms for a quick hug. “Thank you for being here… and for all of this…”

  “Even if Chris Hemsworth showed up on my doorstep, begging me to run away with him, I still wouldn’t have missed your special day.”

  I laugh, and then my eyes fall to the floor as I think about her words. This is supposed to be a special day, not a business arrangement. But at least I’m doing this with Nate. That should count for something, right? I had imagined our wedding when we were kids—the dress, the ceremony, the dance under the stars on the beach. It’s still everything I’d envisioned, and maybe, this can be real. We can make this work.

  Maybe this was how it was supposed to be.

  Callie strolls over to us wearing a turquoise bridesmaid dress that stops above her knees. Her brown hair is pinned up with a few elegant curls framing her face. “Girrrlll…” She presses her lips together, smearing the pink gloss as she appraises me. “Seriously, woman, you look legit. Like a real bride.”

  I laugh. “Because I am a real bride.”

  She waves her hand at me. “Blah! You know what I mean. You look like a happy bride, like you actually want to marry this clown.” She covers her mouth and chuckles. “I’m popping serious lady wood with you in this gown. Wait until Nate sees you. He won’t be able to keep his hands off you tonight. You’re so losing the bet.”

  “Speaking of Nate’s hands,” I say with laughter in my tone. “Can you grab his wedding gift for me?” I dip my head toward the dresser.

  Lola bursts into a fit of laughter. “You’re really giving him a bottle of lube as his wedding present.”

  I nod, a smirk turning up the corner of my mouth.

  She shakes her head with a goofy look on her face. “You’re officially my hero.”

  Callie reaches into the drawer and removes a small white gift bag with blue paper stuffed inside. She holds it up, dangling it from the edge of her fingers. “I’d love to see Nate’s face when he opens this.”

  “He already knows what I got him.”

  “Yeah,” she challenges. “But he probably thought you were joking.”

  “Hey, we made a deal. Sex was never part of it.”

  I haven’t told them about our almost sex in the treehouse. That was so hot I want to save that bit of information for myself.

  “Nate loves a challenge,” Callie says, dropping the bag onto the bed in front of me. “And I like money.”

  “You won’t win the bet,” I say with zero confidence.

  Callie cocks an eyebrow at me. “I have a gut feeling and that hunch is usually right.”

  “I’m still rooting for you,” Amelia says, playing with the strap of her dress.

  “Me too.” Willow hooks her arm around me, tapping her long nails on my shoulder. “But I’m good no matter what you decide. As long as you’re happy.”

  “I am,” I admit, which sounds weird to say aloud.

  Nate makes me happy.

  “Told you,” Callie says to Jules. “I knew she would fall for him.”

  Before I can protest, the wedding planner steps into the suite and says, “Ladies, we’re ready for you.”

  My heart pounds like crazy. This is it, the moment of truth. I’m about to marry Nate, and there’s no turning back. Carl Voss and his wife flew in for the occasion. All of our family and friends are in attendance except for our deadbeat mothers. My mom claimed she was needed in the South of France for some charity shit she probably made up. Nate’s mom was the first to decline our invite, most likely on another trip with her boy toy of the month spending her alimony check.

  Jules must sense my nerves because she hands me a flute of champagne. “You look like you could use this.”

  “One foot in front of the other,” Lola says. “But in case you fall and break a heel, I got you covered.” She holds up an extra pair of the same heels I’m wearing.

  “Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.”

  Callie hooks her arm through mine. Willow takes the other.

  “Time to go, Mrs. King?” Willow says.

  “That sounds so weird to me.”

  Callie pats me on the back. “You better get used to it.”

  Willow and Callie escort me out of the room, with Jules, Lola, and Amelia in tow. We follow the wedding planner down the hallway and into the elevator. Once we’re in a private room on the ground floor, two event coordinators are at our sides, talking into their earpieces.

  French doors open up to an incredible space that overlooks the ocean. White chairs with turquoise bows fixed at the back are lined up on both sides of the makeshift aisle. Beautiful Caribbean flowers round out the space, creating the perfect scenery. The one I had imagined years ago. It amazes me how quickly everything came together, and on short notice. Nate promised me the dream wedding, and he delivered. He made it special, perfect.

  Waves break on the shore from a distance. The sounds are so calming I instantly begin to relax. I peek my head outside, and Nate takes my breath away. Dressed in a white tuxedo, a turquoise shirt, and a matching flower pinned to his breast pocket, Nate stands with his groomsmen. He has his head down, fiddling with his cufflinks. His brother, waiting patiently at his side, pats him on the shoulder. He turns his head to whisper into Nate’s ear.

  Is Nate nervous?

  He looks jumpy, instead of his usual cool, calm, and collected. The guys are lined up, with the minister front and center, clutching a Bible. My dad exchanges a few words with my godfather, and then he heads down the aisle toward me. Nate looks in my direction. I take a few steps back, out of his line of sight. I don’t want him to see me until the music starts, not until I take my walk.

  “The father of the bride is ready,” the wedding planner announces.

  Dad fixes his lapels and then his eyes travel over my gown and up to my face. “You look beautiful, Harley. You remind me so much of your mother.”

  He claims my mother was the love of his life. But I have always had a hard time believing it. His actions showed otherwise. The real love of his life is his work.

  I flash a smile. “Thanks, Dad.”

  He extends his arm to me.

  Seconds later, the music starts.

  Our guests turn their heads in our direction.

  A photographer snaps dozens of pictures of my bridesmaids. The girls look beautiful in the turquoise wrap dresses. Since my hair is down, the girls chose up-dos with little shells tucked into their curls. As my maid-of-honor, Callie is last to walk down the aisle. She glances over her shoulder and blows me a kiss, and then she’s off.

  Panic sets in when it’s just my dad and me. The wedding planner looks to us for approval. I tip my head and within seconds, the song changes. My skin burns from the nervous energy shooting through my body. Dad must feel me tremble, because he clutches my arm tighter. I hope I don’t need Lola’s extra pair of shoes. If I fall flat on my face, I will die of shame. I recognize some of my co-workers and business associates in the crowd. My grandmother, who looks good for eighty-five, is dressed to the nines. She’s with Aunt Penelope, who also looks like a million bucks in a thin, flowery dress.

  Nate stares at me like he’s seeing me for the first time. His expression is soft but unreadable. He looks lost in his thoughts, his handsome face like perfectly crafted stone. Our walk down the short aisle feels like it’s taking an eternity, though in reality it only took twenty seconds.

  We stop in front of Nate.

  His smile reaches up to his emerald irises.

  My dad turns to face me and brushes my cheek with his fingers. He smiles, a real one for once. Who is this person? An alien must have inhabited my father’s body. Since when is he so… loving. Like a real father. He gives me a hug that drains the air from my lungs. When was the last time we did this? He’s really pulling out all the stops for Carl Voss.

  “She’s all yours,” Dad says to Nate.

  Nate’s gaze is so intense and unwavering as he slips his fingers between mine.

  He presses his lips to my ear and whispers, “You look incredible, Harley. You’re the most beautiful bride I’ve ever seen.”

  I grin in response.

  Nate gives me one of his signature smirks that I return as we take our places in front of the minister. My palms are sweaty, and my hands are shaking like a leaf.