The Wedding Secret

Tessa was sure her heart was pounding hard enough that Jason must have actually seen the movement in her chest. He’d grabbed her arm, touched her. She’d pulled away immediately but not soon enough to avoid the current of electricity his touch seemed to invoke in her.

It was all too easy to remember exactly how gifted those hands of his could be, how much pleasure and longing he could arouse when he ran those hands over her skin.

“What are you doing here?” she asked after several beats passed.

An older couple walking along the beach gave them cursory, curious glances as they strode past. The tension between her and Jason had to be nearly palpable. But what had Jason expected? That they could simply exchange pleasantries and friendly smiles upon seeing each other again? Maybe he intended to introduce her to his wedding date at some point. A rise of bile stung the back of her throat. Tessa hoped to never lay eyes on the woman if she could help it.

“Tessa, you have to know the answer to that,” Jason finally responded.

She huffed in exasperation. He was deliberately being obtuse. “I don’t mean the wedding, Jason.”

He blinked at her, confusion clear in his eyes.

“I mean right now. Why are you here? On this beach, following me.”

He gave a slight shrug. “Simple. It’s the same reason I’m in Maui in the first place.”

Now it was her turn to feel confused. “I don’t understand.”

Without warning, he reached for her again and took her hand in his. Tessa wanted desperately to pull away once more but found herself mesmerized yet again by the feel of him, by his mere closeness. He’d taken her hand exactly like this and led her to his room the first time they’d made love. A shudder ran down her spine at the memory, then reverberated through her entire body. She couldn’t allow herself to think of those heady, passionate nights she’d spent with him. It had taken months of solid determination and effort to force such memories out of her mind. She couldn’t allow all that progress to go out the window within mere moments simply because she’d laid eyes on the man again.

Technically, they’d only spent a few short days and nights together. But those had been the most magical days of her life so far. Straight out of a fantasy. Days in which she’d fallen shockingly, unexpectedly head over heels in love. Only to have it lead to one of the darkest times of her life.

How weak could she be when it came to him?

The answer to that question was all too clear and all too disappointing. She’d been putty in his hands all those months ago. Jason still had some kind of inexplicable effect on her. Despite the pain and humiliation she’d endured as a result of her feelings for him, she longed to wrap her arms around his shoulders right now. She’d missed him.

“For you,” Jason said finally after a deep breath. “I’m here because you’re here, Tessa.”