I tensed my legs, as if I was going to go over and talk to her, but then a lone auburn curl fell from the updo she was wearing, bouncing right below that almost heart-shaped birthmark on her cheek and I melted right back into my seat.
God, she was gorgeous. She had curves for days, flared hips and soft skin, but at the same time, there was a sturdy musculature under all of it. She reminded me of old school depictions of amazons and warrior women. Females who were allowed to be feminine and strong and beautiful without being tiny little waifs running around. Not that there was anything wrong with slender women, my own sister was as willowy as they came, I just got sick of media and society trying to shove them down my throat like it was unnatural that I wanted a bigger woman. I was attracted to what I was attracted to and that was that.
And I was definitely attracted to Amber.
She was sitting there in a little burgundy number, clinging to her in all the right places while still being wedding appropriate. There was just enough cleavage to let my mind wander where it probably shouldn’t, and while she was currently covered by the table, I knew her thighs looked killer in it.
Her eyeshadow emphasized her heady, hazel eyes and her thick lashes made her look like some sort of mysterious assassin. And given that she was a professional stunt woman, I was sure that she could be. And her lips… her lips were just-
That was it. I was going to stand up and go talk to her! I was a grown man and MMA fighter; I wasn’t going to let just talking to a beautiful woman intimidate me! And it wasn’t even like she was a stranger. We had been friends since my sister had brought her over for their first sleep over and we’d talked plenty of times.
So, what if the last time had been about two years ago?
I let out a breath and forced myself to my feet. The bridesmaid beside me gave me a curious look and I gave her my best, charming smile that I could muster. “I’ll be back in a minute. I see an old, family friend.”
“Oh, that’s lovely. And it’s fine. I’m not your date, you know, so you don’t have to check in.”
I grinned sheepishly. Karen was a sweet girl and I was glad I was paired with her instead of some of the less pleasant girls of the wedding party. “Appreciated. But I’ll be back in a bit.”
“I won’t complain about the company but take your time.”
I gave her a bit of a nod then made a beeline for Amber, who was still nursing her drink and had just pulled her phone out. My mind screamed at me to turn around, that I would just be a bother to her, but I clamped down on that and then suddenly, I was right in front of her.
“Hey, Amber,” I said, trying to be cool and confident like my normal fighter persona. And that was the thing, normally I was plenty confident around women. And men. And people in general. But there was something about being face to face with my childhood crush that could shake even the most stalwart of folks. I’d rather face down another champion bantamweight than make myself a fool in front of her.
“Mickey!” she said cheerily, standing up and throwing her arms around me in a hug. For a moment my senses were filled with her, from the soft and heated press of her body, to the gentle scent of her body spray, to the silky, stretchy sort of texture of her dress. “It’s been forever! How are you! Geeze, your sister wasn’t kidding about you having beefed up, was she?”
“Uh, yeah. I kinda took to fighting in college.”
“I heard. I guess I just didn’t get how much. Is it vain of me to like to think that I inspired you a bit?”
I swallowed hard at that. She had inadvertently guessed exactly the reason why I had gotten into martial arts. She’d been all about them ever since she was a sophomore and I wanted us to have something in common. Little did I know, that I ended up having more of a knack for MMA than karate, and once I went to college I got snapped up into a club, then that was that.
“Not vain at all,” I said, settling down in a chair as she did. “You’ve always been pretty inspiring.”
“Oh, inspiring now, am I?” She laughed, mouth wide and her white teeth flashing. God, I loved how she laughed. She didn’t try to giggle or make herself sound cute. Like everything else about her, she was unapologetically authentic. “I seem to remember being called more… hardheaded and venomous.”