Page 11 of Disavowed

She was suddenly hit with a desperate longing, a veritable sense of loss for something she’d only experienced for a brief period of time and feared she never would again. A family of my own. Her throat began to close up, and she swallowed, fisting her hands. I will not keep doing this to myself.

It hit her hardest whenever she watched other couples or families with their children. She’d always wanted kids and to show them what it was like to be truly loved in a way she hadn’t been after her parents died. There were nights she wanted to scream from the awful emptiness and loneliness.

As she uncurled her fingers, white petals fell to the aisle floor from the rosebuds she’d crushed in her hands. “Shit,” she muttered, then began picking up the petals. After she’d collected every one in her hand, she rose and plowed into something solid.

“Sorry, I—” Her pulse began racing wildly. She’d known this moment would come at some point during the course of the wedding, but now that it was here she was totally unprepared for it.

Dom Carew gripped her upper arms to steady her. Heat emanated from his touch straight through her skin, lighting up every one of her senses as if her body had been in a deep sleep. Raw sexuality emanated from the man, and to her immense embarrassment, her cheeks instantly heated in response. He was all that she remembered…and so much more.

Gorgeous didn’t begin to describe the man. He was tall, around six-three, with broad, powerful shoulders that tapered to a trim waist. She already knew firsthand that his body beneath that tailored black tuxedo had nary an ounce of fat, including ripped abs, thick biceps, and long muscular legs. And he had the most amazing hands. Big and rough, but so unexpectedly gentle.

If anything, he appeared even larger and more intimidating than she remembered. With sandy blond hair, a chiseled face, and striking blue eyes the color of a clear sky, he totally had that whole Thor thing going on. Aside from the ginormous purplish bruise on the left side of his face.

“What happened to your face?” she asked as sanity took hold. Do not let him get to you. He may have shed his skin, but beneath that tuxedo he’s still a snake.

“Hazards of the job.” He grinned, revealing a set of even white teeth that completed his Thor-surfer dude look. “Miss me?”

“Like a bad case of poison ivy.” She twisted from his grip, dropping a few rose petals in the process and getting a good whiff of whatever pricey aftershave he wore that smelled all woodsy and manly. Damn, but why does he always have to look and smell so good?

He narrowed his eyes. “You don’t really mean that.”

“I do.” She took a step back, grabbing some much-needed space from the man she’d sworn never to acknowledge again for the rest of her life. “You truly are like a bad itch that won’t go away. I’m surprised you even showed up today, given how you blew off the rehearsal dinner.”

“Unavoidable.” His expression turned serious, and his brows furrowed. “But when it comes to standing up for my best friend at his wedding, I’m Semper fi.”

“Semper fi?” She let out a huff. “Doesn’t that mean, always faithful?”

“I’m impressed.” His voice seemed deeper to her than she remembered. “Most women don’t know Marine-speak.”

She shook her head. “You’re missing my point entirely. If there’s one thing I learned about you during our profoundly brief and completely unmemorable encounter, it’s that I’m certain you’ve never been faithful a day in your life.” Truthfully, she didn’t know whether she was more pissed at him for walking out on her after what she’d perceived to be a life-altering encounter, or at herself for being such a liar about the unmemorable part.

He clenched his jaw, making his face appear even more chiseled and masculine. “Leaving seemed like the best thing to do. For both of us,” he added.

“I can’t believe I ever let you inside my apartment, let alone—” Make love to me. A gross lapse in judgment was all it was, and she needed to get over it. She squeezed her eyes shut for a moment. “Oh, never mind.”

For a moment, he didn’t respond, then he took a deep breath, tightening his tuxedo shirt and jacket over his impossibly broad chest. “Can’t we try to get along for one day? For Gray and Alex’s sake? Because like it or not, the maid of honor and the best man are fated to have at least one dance together. It’s tradition.”

“Oh, no.” She waved a finger at him. “To hell with tradition.”

“Not gonna happen, sweetheart.” The corners of Dom’s mouth lifted. “I’m a traditional kind of guy.”

“I seriously doubt that.” Or he wouldn’t be sleeping around with so many women. Including me, dammit.

“It’s true. Ask around.” He extended his arms to encompass the church, which was beginning to fill up with guests.

“Nice shiner, Carew,” one of the men said as he walked by. “Fall down drunk again on the job?” As the guy continued down the aisle, he shot Dom a nasty look over his shoulder.

“What was that about?” She’d sensed real hatred coming off the man.

“Nothing,” Dom said, although from the hard line of his jaw she doubted it was. “He’s just jealous because I’m the one talking to the most beautiful woman in the church.”

Do not fall for his insincere flattery.

Dom’s face really did look like he’d walked into a door. She was sure that whatever he’d done to get that way, he deserved it. But it did present a real problem. She wanted every aspect of Alex’s wedding to be perfect, including the wedding photos, which wasn’t about to happen with Dom’s face looking like purple mashed potatoes.

She rolled her eyes heavenward, thinking she must be out of her freaking mind. Because she couldn’t believe what she was about to do next.

Daisy tossed the crumpled petals under a pew, then sent out a silent prayer and grabbed Dom’s big hand, dragging him down the aisle. With every step they took, his hand in hers brought back unwanted memories. Of his fingers skimming over her belly and breasts to her nipples. His tongue deep in her mouth while hot flames licked her from the inside out. God help her, but she’d never forget what those strong, masculine hands had done to her body that one night so long ago.