Page 13 of In It to Win It

“These are very sexy bridesmaid dresses.”

I glance down at my midnight-blue strapless dress. It’s nice, especially considering the hideous bridesmaid dress I wore at my friend Ashleigh’s wedding last year, but . . .

“Or maybe it’syouthat’s sexy,” he adds.

I shake my head at his compliments, but inside I’m buzzing and fluttering.

“You look good yourself in that tux.” All three groomsmen are wearing dark tuxes over white shirts with midnight-blue pocket squares and a bright pink rose boutonniere. JP fills out the shoulders of the jacket spectacularly. “I’m a sucker for a handsome man in a suit.”

“Oh yeah?” He leans closer. “Does the suit turn you on? Or is it me?”

“Oh my God. Your ego.”

“It’s me, isn’t it.” He brushes his lips over my cheek. “If you’re turned on, maybe we need to take care of that.”

“Maybe we do.”

“You have my permission to put your hands down my pants anytime I turn you on.”

He says this so earnestly, with a straight face, it takes a couple of seconds before I burst out laughing. “I don’t think this is the place for that.”

“You’re right.” He nuzzles my ear, and delicious shivers cascade down my spine and my inner thighs squeeze. “Especially when there’s a perfectly good suite up on the fourth floor.”

“We can’t do that.”

“Why not? Nobody’s missing us right this moment.”

“But . . .” His warm breath teases my hair and his hand on my knee gently squeezes. “But . . .”

“Come on. We have time for a turbo bang.”

I choke on a laugh. “Oh my God.” He’s so bad. But he makes me laugh. My panties are wet already and I’m so, so tempted . . .

“Seriously. We’ll be back down here before anyone notices we’re gone.”

I glance across the patio and see Manny standing, talking to a small group of people. He looks up and his gaze lands on me.

There’s a moment of awareness as we make eye contact.

I turn back to JP, lean in to brush my lips over his cheek, and whisper, “Okay. Let’s go.”

“Perfect.” He takes my hand and stands, bringing me with him. We leave our empty glasses on the small table and my heels click across the stone patio as we head back inside, hand in hand. I can feel Manny’s eyes following us. Good.

We cross the lobby with its glowing table lamps, a fire flickering in the stone fireplace, toward the elevators. JP punches an up button, and soon we’re walking down the carpeted hall to his room.

Inside the suite again, I trail my hand across the dark wood desk. “Looks like there was a party here earlier.”

He grimaces at the bottles and glasses sitting on the dresser along with a tray of used dishes. “Well, there sort of was. The guys all got ready here this afternoon.”

“We got ready in Lacey’s suite. Théo and Lacey are staying there tonight.”

“We’ve already tricked out their suite.”

“What do you mean?” I turn to face him.

He walks me backward into the bedroom and pushes me to sit on the bed. “We got rose petals and, uh, arranged them on the bed.”

“Oh, that’s lovely!”

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