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Tilly
“Do you think I look okay?” I adjust the neckline of my navy blue lace dress. “I haven’t been to many weddings before. I wasn’t sure what to wear.”
“You look amazing.” Sebastian nudges my leg with his as we sit in two of the chairs that have been set up in the corner of a private dining room in a Greek restaurant in midtown.
We’re near an archway made of fresh flowers where Samuel and Remy’s wedding ceremony will take place.
I rake him over. “You look pretty good too.”
He looks hot-as-sin, which is probably because we fucked before we got dressed to come here.
After our marathon night together last week, we both dove headfirst into work again. I also had to fit in time with Maya and Kate.
Frannie needed me too. Our time together was devoted to late night video calls when she showed me all the matching outfits she’s created for her daughters and the dresses she’s working on for them to wear at Maya’s wedding.
When I saw Sebastian exit his bedroom earlier today, he was dressed only in black boxer briefs.
I couldn’t resist running across the apartment and throwing myself into his arms.
He picked me up, took me back into his bedroom and fucked me against the window before we showered together in my bathroom.
“I’ve missed you, Matilda.” He reaches to take my hand.
I watch as he rests it on his thigh. “I’ve missed you too.”
“You’ll dance with me after dinner, won’t you?” His eyes brighten with the question. “Great things happen when we dance.”
A blush creeps up my neck. “We can’t have sex here.”
“Not here.” He lowers his voice. “There’s an hourly rate hotel a block over where we can.”
“You’re going to take me to a hotel to fuck me?” I whisper so the bride’s parents don’t hear us from where they’re seated just a few feet away.
“I don’t know if I can last until we get home.” He kisses my mouth softly.
I pull back to ask a question I’m not sure I want to know the answer to. “Have you taken a woman there before?”
“Tilly Baker?” A man’s voice interrupts us before Sebastian can answer.
I look to the side in the direction of the unfamiliar voice. When I see the person standing next to me, I recognize him instantly. “Darrell Carver?”
I jump to my feet to greet him. He tugs me into his arms for a warm embrace.
“What the fuck, Darrell?” Sebastian stands. “What are you doing?”
The bride’s parents shoot us all a look.
“Don’t tell me you know each other?” I slip from Darrell’s arms to stand next to Sebastian.
“We work together, Matilda,” Sebastian says evenly.
Work together?
First, he knows Jo and now he’s telling me he works with my favorite pet owner from the clinic?
“Matilda?” Darrell repeats my name. “Tilly. Dammit. You’re his Matilda.”
His Matilda. He thinks I’m Sebastian’s Matilda.
“I’m lost.” Sebastian wraps his arm around my waist. “How do you two know each other?”
“Tilly and I met years ago.” Darrell glances over at me. “She took special care of our dog at the clinic. She even handled watching over him when we were out of town.”
“I was their pet sitter.” I look over his shoulder. “Where’s Sharon? I’d love to say hi to her.”
Sebastian’s hand squeezes my waist as Darrell’s face drops. “We split, Tilly. It wasn’t working anymore.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t know.”
The thumb of his right hand brushes over his ring finger. “It’s been for the best. Sharon’s already involved with someone else.”
The world can shift in an instant and the Carvers are proof of that. They brought their cocker spaniel in for his yearly check-up just over a year ago.
“I’m going to go over to say hello to Brant, “ Darrell says before he walks away.
“I can’t believe you two know each other.” Sebastian chuckles. “I don’t know how the hell we circled each other for so long without actually meeting.”
I look up and into his warm blue eyes. “Fate must have known we weren’t ready for each other until the night I walked in and saw you in all your naked glory.”
He leans in to kiss me but nips my bottom lip between his teeth instead. “You’ve made me hard, Matilda and in answer to your question...no, I’ve never fucked a woman at the hotel around the corner.”
“Good,” I whisper against his lips. “You won’t fuck me there either. I’m going to make you wait until we’re in my bed.”
“You’re torturing me.” He pulls me closer to him so I can feel his steely erection.
I almost groan aloud, but he catches it with his mouth when he kisses me again.
“I’m not complaining.” He straightens when he sees the bride enter the room dressed in a short white dress.
I lean into him as we take our seats.
We sit in silence holding hands as we watch two people in love take their vows.
I can’t help but wonder what it would be like to stand next to Sebastian under an archway made of flowers and hear him pledge himself to me for eternity.
I’ll never know and that has to be enough for me.
It just has to be.
