And you just told him that your dress is too tight. And that you don’t exercise. And you eat too much.
Fuck my life.
His eyes skate over me. “You look fabulous in the dress. You’re the only one that fills it out how the dress was designed.”
“Please,” I groan and roll my eyes again. “The designer intended for someone like my sister and her friends to wear it. My boobs are about to jump out of the top, and my thighs are squished together. Designers are looking for 104 pounds models when they’re designing their dresses. Not….” Do. Not. Tell. Him. How. Much. You. Weigh. I bite my lips together.
He grabs my chin. “Babe, you’re gorgeous. Don’t let anyone else tell you any different.” He tips his head in the direction of the atrium. “They’re waiting for us.”
I lick my lips, and his eyes never leave my mouth. “Right.” I nod and spin on my heel, causing him to drop his arm.
I teeter again, but this time, I remain upright. Thank God. I don’t need a repeat performance.
As I near the foyer, the rest of the wedding party is waiting expectantly for us as Alexander trails behind me.
“Daisy, hurry up.” My mom shakes her head. “The more we rush you, the slower you go.”
Alexander bristles behind me. “Who is that?”
“My mom. I’ve got to go.” I march across the vestibule with my heels clicking on the tile flooring.
This day just keeps getting better.
Chapter Two
Alexander
Wedding Reception
When my cousin called me up to be one of his attendants at his wedding, I was surprised. We haven’t been close since high school, and I’d already sent a substantial financial gift for his wedding present.
The request was last minute because his brother, Douglas, my other cousin, whom I’m closer to, had surgery two days ago to remove a ruptured appendix. Douglas and I are the same size, and Wyatt’s fiancée, now wife, was having a fit because the wedding party would be unequal.
I was out of town on business and ready to decline when he called in a favor we agreed upon during the summer before my junior year of high school. That summer at Lake Michigan, I flicked a cigarette into the lake. Except, it wasn’t the lake. It was my grandfather’s vintage rowboat. I was a horrible liar, so Wyatt made up some crazy story about a lightning strike catching the boat on fire.
So here I am in the receiving line with a trail of people waiting to greet the happy couple. I don’t know any of them except our immediate family. And from the looks of things, that’s about ten percent of the people in attendance.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you.” I shake the hand of an elderly gentleman wearing a gray suit with a lavender paisley handkerchief in his breast pocket.
If Daisy wasn’t standing next to me, I’d have feigned my own ruptured appendix and disappeared five minutes after they exchanged vows. I was paired with her to walk down the aisle, and I have a sneaking suspicion she needs to be rescued from the snarky bridesmaids. And I’ve got nothing better to do tonight.
“You too, son!” He frowns and tilts his head sideways. “Who did you say you were?”
“I’m Wyatt’s cousin. Our parents are siblings.”
The man’s lips turn farther downward. “Who?”
“Grandpa.” Daisy grabs his hand, causing her to lean in front of me. My mouth waters over the creamy skin of her shoulder. “Wyatt is the guy Julia married.”
Her perfume tickles my nose. Vanilla with a fruity undertone. Electricity rips through my body, going straight to my dick. I haven’t wanted to fuck someone this fast since I was sixteen. I’ve got more control than this. Or I usually do.
“Oh….” His eyes light up. “I forgot his name.”
“Like you forget everything else.” The elderly woman behind him shakes her head as Daisy hugs her grandfather.
What is it about her that makes me itchy? Yes, she’s stunning, giving off an innocent yet stubborn vibe. But I’ve seen beautiful women before. Is it because she overshares and then clams up? Maybe it’s because she’s not any one thing. She’s not fake. Or a tease. She’s stronger than she appears, yet she’s vulnerable. I can’t peg her or put her in a box. And that’s fascinating to me. I want to figure her out. Okay, I want to sink into that lush, ripe body and drown.
“You look pretty today.” He kisses her cheek, and a slight flush covers her cheeks.