“Then why not give in to it? You just said yourself that you thought he was sexy. You were thinking about sleeping with Adam, and he’s not half as sexy as Hunter.”

I thought back to the way Hunter’s hand had felt on my hip last night, and my belly fluttered once again. The damn things were teaming up with Anna to prove a point I wasn’t willing to accept.

“He’s too cocky for me.”

“You like cocky. In fact, every guy you’ve ever gone out with has been cocky.”

“Exactly.” I nodded. “I’m over cocky.”

Anna smirked and turned to her hairdresser. “She’s totally going to sleep with him.”

He looked up at me, then back to Anna. “I know.”

***

Derek and Anna married on a bluff overlooking the ocean. Even with my disdain for the institute of marriage, I cried tears of happiness. I’d noticed more than one of the groomsmen’s eyes filled, too. One, in particular, seemed to hold my attention. After the second time Hunter caught me checking out how handsome he looked with his tux and slicked-back hair, I’d managed to avoid making eye contact for the rest of the ceremony and the first hour of the reception. It wasn’t easy, considering we were in such close proximity for wedding-party duties, but somehow I succeeded.

Until I was dancing a slow song with Anna’s dad.

“Can I cut in?” Hunter tapped Mark on the shoulder. “You’re hogging the most beautiful guest all to yourself.”

Anna’s dad smiled and wagged a finger at Hunter. “You’re lucky you said guest, considering my bride looks so beautiful tonight.”

The two men did a bit of backslapping, and then I was in Hunter’s arms. Unlike Mark, who’d kept his body a polite distance from mine as we danced, Hunter took one of my hands in his, slid the other down my back and used it to pull my body flush. Damn, that feels good.

“You’re holding me a little tight.”

“Just making sure you can’t run away again.”

I pulled my head back. “Again? I’ve never run away from you.”

“Call it whatever you want, but you’ve been avoiding me like I have something contagious.”

I mumbled. “You probably do have something contagious.”

He ignored me. “You look beautiful tonight. I like your hair up.”

“Thank you.”

He pulled me still closer, forcing my head to turn into his shoulder, then dipped down to whisper in my ear. “I can’t wait to yank it down later.”

What balls on this guy.

And, God, why the hell did I want him to yank my hair down?

“You’re out of your mind. In fact, just about everything you’ve said to me since we met has been inappropriate.”

“So only you can talk about your plans to fuck someone? I can’t?”

“I haven’t talked about my plans to sleep with anyone.”

“You were talking to Anna about sleeping with Adam when we met.”

“That was a private conversation.”

He shrugged. “So’s this.”

“But…” I was at a loss—partly because he was sort of right. In my mind, it was okay to talk about sleeping with someone to a third person, yet it was wrong for him to be so blunt when speaking directly to the party potentially involved. It didn’t really make sense, but I grasped at a reason that sounded logical. “You’re crass about it. I wasn’t explicit. It’s how you say it that’s offensive, not what you say.”

“So you don’t like dirty talk? Maybe you haven’t had it done the right way before.”

“I’ve had it done just fine.”

“You do like dirty talk, then?”

This man was impossible. Luckily for my sanity—and possibly my willpower—the song we were dancing to ended, and the DJ announced that it was time for dinner. Although Hunter still didn’t loosen his grip.

“The dance is over. You can let go now.”

“Save me another one later?”

I smiled broadly. “Not a chance.”

Of course, Hunter liked that answer. He chuckled and kissed my forehead. “Bet you’re a firecracker in bed. I can’t wait.”

“Enjoy your evening, Mr. Delucia.”

I felt his eyes on my ass every step I took to exit the dance floor.

***

I’d only been legally single for not quite eighteen months. I had no intention of remarrying, so when it was time for the obligatory tossing of the bridal bouquet, I stayed in my seat. Of course, Anna wasn’t going to allow that. She grabbed the microphone out of the DJ’s hand and insisted that I, along with a few others who were shying away from this particular festivity, get our asses out on the dance floor. Rather than make a scene, I complied, though I intentionally stayed all the way off to the side by myself. I wanted nothing to do with that bouquet.

The DJ prompted the audience to count down the toss as Anna stood in the middle of the floor with her back to all the anxious, single ladies.

“3, 2, 1!”

The big toss over the bride’s head never came. Instead, she turned and threw the damn thing directly to where I was standing off to the side. On instinct, I caught the hurtling bundle of flowers.

Grrr. I wanted to kill her.

Especially when I looked across the room and saw Hunter exaggerating the cracking of his knuckles with a big ol’ smile on his face as he stared back at me.

Ten minutes later, I stood by Anna’s side watching the dance floor fill up with single men eager to catch the garter her husband had just removed. My hand clutched a strong vodka cranberry, should I need some liquid courage.

“If Hunter catches that thing, I’m going to kill you.”

“Those who protest the loudest generally have the most to hide.”

“Those who cause trouble get their skinny little asses kicked,” I tossed back.

“He’s a really great guy. I could think of worse people to stick their hands up your dress.”

“If he’s so great, tell me again why he wasn’t my partner?”

Anna sighed. “He’s smart, confident, and a total charmer.”

“And…”

“And I’ve also known him for four years now, and every time I see him, he’s with a different beautiful woman. I thought after Garrett, you might want a different type.”

I downed half my drink at the mention of my ex-husband. “Why am I attracted to assholes?”

“Because they’re attractive. That’s part of what makes them turn into assholes. And Hunter’s not a bad guy. He’s really not. I bet he’s great in bed, too. If I were in your shoes, I’d pick Hunter over Adam for a one-night stand.” She turned to face me. “Hunter’s sex, not love. As long as you go in with that frame of mind, I bet he blows your mind.”

A sudden loud roar called our attention back to the action. We’d missed Derek’s toss of the garter, but there was no missing the cocky smile on the man twirling the garter on his finger and looking in my direction.

“Any chance you aren’t sticking with the East Coast tradition where the guy who catches the garter puts it on the leg of the woman who catches the bouquet?”

Anna smirked. “Not a chance in hell.”

***

The drinks went straight to my head. After I downed the vodka cranberry I had while standing with Anna, I proceeded to order another and finish it off in record time. Which meant I had a nice buzz flowing by the time the DJ set up a lone chair in the middle of the dance floor and called my name. Derek and Anna also joined us as the entire wedding guest population looked on.

“Why don’t you have a seat, Nat?” the DJ said, tapping the chair. “Our beautiful bride left it up to the gentleman who caught the garter to select the song. I figured we’d give you a sample and see if it works for you since it’s your dress he’s gonna be under.”

The DJ pressed a button on his iPad, and music began to blare—AC/DC’s “You Shook Me All Night Long,” to be specific. After ten seconds, he hit another button, and the music silenced.

He spoke into the microphone again. “So what do you think? Has Hunter here picked the right song for the evening?”

I shook my head as the crowd laughed, and Hunter’s eyes gleamed.

“Alright then. Maybe we’re better off letting you pick the song. You have something in mind that seems more fitting, perhaps?”

I thought for a moment and then waved the DJ down so I could whisper in his ear.

He smiled and pushed more buttons on his iPad before speaking to Hunter. “I’m starting to pick up on a little disparity here—maybe some messages you two are hiding in your song choices.”

Hunter looked at me, and I shrugged just as the DJ started my song choice. Jason Derulo’s “Ridin’ Solo” blared overhead, and Hunter bent his head back in laughter. After everyone got a good laugh, the DJ told the crowd he thought things would run smoother if he picked the song.

So Hunter kneeled down on one knee to Beyoncé’s “Single Ladies.” Of course, he was quite the showman. He twirled the garter around on his pointer finger while gracing the onlookers with a megawatt smile. Then, he slowly lifted my foot, dropped a soft kiss on the top of it, and slipped the garter up my calf.