Page 70 of The One Where They Fall in Love

“See, you can read my mind too,” she says, pressing her lips against mine, holding me for long enough that the idea of not taking her to bed this instant becomes intolerable.

Elle and I take our positions as the dog handlers—her with Blue and me with Thor—as the last leg of the farewell line. Liam’s white Jeep is decked out in “Just Married” decorations, which seems to mostly consist of stickers and streamers with dogs on them, like something you might find at a child’s birthday party.

Elle must see the look on my face as I evaluate the truck, because she leans over and whispers in my ear, “It’s all the party store in the next town had. I may have forgotten this last part of my maid of honor duties.”

“I think it’s pretty spot on,” I say with a small chuckle.

When Liam and Lucy finally reach us, Elle and Lucy embrace for a long time. Lucy has changed into a white sweat suit withMrs. Millerbedazzled on the back of the shirt. Lucy’s eyes start to fill with tears, and Elle holds her friend’s face in her hands, the two exchanging conversation that only they can hear. Liam gives his dog a goodbye thatI thoroughly approve of and shakes my hand. He places a hand on Lucy’s back and Elle swats it away, hugging Lucy once more.

When they finally drive away, Elle and I walk back to Lucy’s house, in no hurry to be anywhere. We let the dogs meander on the pebbly path, holding each other’s hands, awkwardly bumping hips as we steady ourselves on tired legs. We stop at my rental car for my bag, which is parked somewhere near the wedding venue. Lucy wasn’t exactly specific with her directions to the town. I pretty much put Hudson Hollow into my GPS, followed the caravan of people, and ended up at the right place.

I’m not sure what I was expecting from Liam and Lucy’s house, but I am astonished when I walk through the door. I can see straight to the lake through floor-to-ceiling windows from the front door. The house has a log cabin meets hotel-chic type of feel that I could definitely get used to.

Elle gets Blue settled for the night, leading him to his bed in the master suite. Thor makes himself at home on the couch, thoroughly enjoying the view. When I see Elle again, she appears from the hallway with her hair undone, waves upon waves falling down her shoulders. She leans up against the wall and runs her fingers through her hair, a sleepy smile on her face.

“Did you ever think we’d end up here?” she asks, her voice hoarse. I think the last verse of “Paradise By the Dashboard Light” really got to her.

“You mean when I was first accosted by a half-dressed blonde in the hallway of my building—” Elle feigns a gasp. “Did I ever think I’d end up in love with her?”

Elle nods, a cute smile on her face.

“I would havebeton it,” I say, smirking.

The smile grows wider, a sense of relief and satisfaction washing over her face.

I stand up and shrug my jacket off, stepping towards her with newfound urgency. She reaches for my hand and I let her lead me into the guest room. She sits down on the bed slowly, her eyes making their way up my body. I release her hand so I can cup her head in both of my palms, and lean down to kiss her.

I take my time, pressing against her full lips with a gentle tenderness. She matches my pace, each of us seeming to want to savor every second of this moment. She nudges her tongue into my mouth, her teeth scraping my bottom lip. We stay like that—hands wandering across each other’s torsos, lips grazing every inch of flesh we can find—until Elle finally stands. She turns around and pulls her hair into a bunch in front of her, urging me to unzip her dress. I kiss the back of her neck, feeling excitement flow through me in response to her small whimpers. I kiss her shoulders and down her spine with every inch that I unzip.

I spend a few moments on the back of her neck, a soft “mmhmm” escaping her as my tongue runs up and down the top of her back. I run my hands down the front of her as the dress falls off of her, finding nothing covering her chest. I press myself against her and she leans her head against my back, fluttering her eyes closed. I take my time spreading my hands all over her, squeezing her breasts, tracing her nipples with my fingers, until I finally reach down far enough that I can feel the wetness between her thighs.

She gasps when I crawl my way into her panties, pressing my whole hand against the warmth of her. I let her slickness coat my fingers, pushing them in and out of her until her hips start to move in tandem with my hand.

When she turns around, the dress falls to her feet, pooling around her ankles, revealing a bare, beautiful body, covered only by a thin pair of underwear.

“Beautiful,” I whisper, gently grazing my fingers down her soft skin. She shudders at my gentle touch. She slowly unbuttons my shirt, spreading her hands across my chest once she finishes, pushing the fabric off of me. She places gentle kisses across my chest, nibbling at the skin leading to my waist. I help her with my belt, letting her pull my pants off before I gently push her onto the bed. Her hair falls onto the blanket and sprawls out in every direction. I climb on top of her and press my face into her hair, breathing in her salty sweetness, her usual berry scent mixed with hairspray and moisture from the lake air.

I lean my body to the side, placing my head on my elbow. I trail my finger down her body and I see her start to tense up at my touch. I look her in the eyes, telling her to relax with my mind. She lets out a small breath and I see her shoulder and legs release with a shrug.

“You know every guy in the place was looking at you tonight,” I say in a low voice. Elle shakes her head.

“It was a wedding. Most people were focused on the bride,” she says with an eye-roll.

I shake my head, placing my knee in between her legs, loving the way she squirms from the contact.

“Not me. I could see eyes wandering to you. But I knew you were mine. I knew only I would be the one doing thistonight.” I pull her panties down her legs and fling them to the floor. I thread my arm behind her and pull her further up the bed, turning so I’m above her.

I take a moment to admire her—from her red lips to her perfect breasts. She admires me right back, her eyes heavy. I run a finger down her chest, sliding my hand down her thighs. I lay on my stomach, leaning my head down to nibble the sensitive flesh on the inside of her legs.

“I’m the only one who gets to do this,” I say, practically growling, as I let my lips meet her most sensitive part. Elle cries out, clutching the bedsheet next to my head. I cup her bottom in my palms, massaging the delicious flesh and she writhes beneath me. I feel myself moving against the bed, anxious to be inside of her.

I lick my way up her center, letting my lips settle on her clit. I push two fingers into her as my tongue circles her. Her moans ignite something in me, and I crave the taste of her release. She starts to tighten around my fingers and I move my tongue faster, her hips grinding against my mouth. One moan leads to a satisfied scream as she comes around my fingers. I lick her up and down, pressing kisses to the inside of her thighs and letting her ride out her orgasm with my fingers still inside of her.

“Oliver,please,” she moans. I waste no time grabbing a condom from my bag, slipping it on, and resting myself above her. I push some hair out of her face, and she rests her head in my hand, still panting. I kiss her swollen lips hard as I push into her, groaning as she moans into my mouth.

“Holy shit,” I mutter, the feeling of being inside her even more vibrant and exhilarating than I remembered.

Elle grips my shoulders as I pump into her, her whines getting louder with every motion. I slow my movements to lean down and kiss her, our tongues connecting in a way that makes me want to thrust into her harder. But she gently pushes me back so that I’m laying towards the end of the bed. She climbs over me, settling her hips on top of mine. I sit up and take one of her breasts in my mouth. At the same time, she reaches down, lining my cock up with her entrance, and sits on top of me. She drags out a moan and I bite her nipple harder.