“See? I told you you’d like weddings just fine.”
Except for the vows and the happily-ever-after part, sure. The necklace wrapped around her thigh was sexy as hell.
Maybe he could handle weddings, as long as they involved Maddie.
And garters.
Yeah. He definitely liked the garter.
“I just remembered something.” He stepped in closer, his shoulders pushing against her thighs. God bless palm trees that were the perfect height. “I’m supposed to remove that with my teeth.”
* * *
YES. PLEASE.
And after Mason finished stripping her “garter” off? He could get started on her panties, because playful Mason was downright devastating. The man had a definite fun streak, but he kept it hidden from the rest of the world. Having the chance to see this side of him was like having the best of treasures. So if he wanted to play, she’d play.
She ran her hands up his arms. He was pure strength, the muscles in his arms corded and well defined. He hadn’t put his shirt back on yet, either. Lucky her. “Of course, you don’t like junk food, so I don’t know if you can help me out here.”
She, on the other hand, loved junk food. His dislike for sugar was a serious character flaw.
His eyes darkened as he stared at the sweet garter on her thigh. “I could make an exception.”
She’d just bet he could. Without waiting for her answer, he wrapped a hand around her thigh. She wasn’t a small woman, but he had big, manly hands and he made her feel delicate. That wasn’t something she needed to feel, but a secret part of her liked it. More than she cared to admit.
“Remind me how this works,” he said.
Happily. She covered his hand with her own, stroking the backs of his fingers. The rough warmth of his callused digits sank into her, even better than the tropical sun. The beach was a pretty place and, better yet, they had it to themselves now. The minister had disappeared, and neither Levi nor Ashley had been interested in sticking around. They’d wandered off, still bickering.
“The garter used to be a fertility charm. All the guests would try to grab it, and the bride could end up trampled or in tatters.”
“Brutal.” A smile nudged his mouth as he rubbed his thumb over the bare skin of her thigh. He’d acquired new nicks and scratches since yesterday.
“So the bride started tossing her garter at the wedding party as a kind of red herring. They went after the garter and left her alone. Today, many women skip it. Or make it their ‘something blue’ and keep it under their dress.”
He nodded solemnly. “So no sharing. That’s good. I don’t think I’d share well.”
She braced her arms on the tree trunk. He wouldn’t let her fall off, but temping gravity didn’t seem prudent, either. “Some weddings, the best man removes it with his teeth.”
“That sounds about right to me...but I promise not to bite hard.” He slowly pushed up the hem of her dress. “Hold this.”
She squeezed the fabric. Holy. Wow. This was going to be good. He lifted her legs, placing them on his shoulders.
“I think you’re going to be a champion at this,” she breathed, the whole world coming to a standstill around her.
He inhaled harshly as he got his first glimpse of what she’d been hiding underneath her dress. Because yeah, she was definitely wearing date-night panties. The silky thong was fire-engine red.
“Surprise,” she whispered. His head brushed her thigh, close enough that she could smell the scent of cinnamon and something tropical. He always smelled faintly of whatever he’d been cooking in that kitchen of his and, God help her, she loved cinnamon.
His lips moved up her thigh, his hands gently gripping her thighs.
“Relax,” he said. “I won’t let you fall.”
Off the tree maybe, but who was going to stop her from falling for him? The necklace was inches from where she ached for him, but it might be too close to her heart, too.
He glanced up, as if he’d read her mind, his cheek resting on her bare thigh. The rough, sexy prickle of his stubble on her sensitive skin drove her crazy, but then he smiled at her, slow and sweet, and his words heated her up almost as much as his touch. Which was saying something, because just the small, soft stroke of his fingertips playing with the necklace had her melting.
“You’re going to have to trust me, Maddie,” he said. And waited.
Waited for her to decide, because he had to be the most patient man she’d ever met. Shoot. Were those tears prickling at her eyes? This was supposed to be a sexy game and...she was all in. She cupped his face in her hands.