Page 35 of Kiss the Bride

“What can I do to help?” That’s Hunter. He doesn’t ask why or any other stupid bloody questions, he asks how to help.

“Sleep with me?”

“What!” He drops my hand and his body recoils as if I’ve asked him to join OnlyFans. Oh. I realize how that sounds and I didn’t mean sex.

“No, I didn’t mean that ... I wouldn’t …we can’t …but can you sleep with me …” Yeah, I can see why he took it that way. I’m hisex and he stopped thinking of methatway years ago. “I didn’t mean sleep with me like that, I just don’t want to…”

“Oh, sweetheart, I understand,” Hunter whispers before I can complete my humiliation, pulling my body towards him into a warm hug—as nothing more than friends. We’ll always be friends. “It’s been a tough couple of days, but I promise it will get better.”

“I just feel so, I don’t even know how to say it.” My cheek presses against his racing heart and I’m glad he can’t feel mine. It would give away my confused feelings. I should sit up and push him away, but I don’t want to. I don’t want to be alone and I’ve never felt alone when Hunter is around. If everyone has a person, he’s mine. It doesn’t matter that we’re not together—we have a history that doesn’t need words, and he proves every day that he has my back. Which is why I can’t let him leave, now.

“Please don’t leave.” My voice sounds weak and pleading when I want to be strong and sensual.

“I’m right here, babe.”

I try, again. “I mean, can you please sleep in here with me, not to do anything, just so I’m not alone.”

“I guess putting up with your snoring is going to be easier than sleeping out on the day bed,” Hunter smiles, and I take the bait while he motions for me to reclaim my side of the bed.

“I donotsnore.“ But I can give him my best snooty eye-roll.

“I remember quite clearly your cutelittle snifflesas I think you used to call them.“ Hunter pushes away more blonde wayward strands to kiss my forehead. “Sweetheart, I know the difference between snores and sniffles.”

“How am I supposed to fall asleep now—knowing you’re just waiting for me to start snoring?”

“If that’s the only reason I don’t sleep in the same bed as a beautiful woman, then it’s a hella sad day.” He curls up on the bed next to me but with space between us. “A sad, sad, day.”

“Have you had many beautiful women? I mean since me?” I throw him a pillow to rest against and pretend that I don’t care about his answer.

“Liv, let’s not go there.” He shakes his head. “I haven’t been with a woman for over a year and there’s only one woman I’ve ever loved. Now, close your eyes and get some sleep. I’ll stay with you until you do.”

Loved. Hunter loved me—past tense. No one since.

Rebound or real? I remember when Mitch and I started dating, I kept looking for a sign that Hunter was jealous. Instead, he gave us his blessing and then left for one of his father’s overseas offices. Hunter left me to fall in love with Mitch—only coming back to Sydney after the engagement party. I didn’t know how much I missed him until he reclaimed his role as my best friend.

Hunter is real. He’s always been real. Hunter has always been my true love.

This wouldn’t be a rebound—not for me.

Eyes closed, I lean into him, dropping lower with every breath until his arm is around my shoulders and my head rests against his firm chest. In the moonlight and with waves crashing onto the shore only meters below, I feel safe.

Hunter is single. I’m single. What if we take our friendship and see what happens from there? We have time. We have all the time in the world because we’re both single—and he hasn’t loved anyone since me.

Breathe in, breathe out, repeat.

Sleepless Nights

Hunter

Two nights without propersleep. Maybe a slight exaggeration, but it’s the second night of broken sleep because Olivia is nestled against me. I don’t have the heart to push her away and either return to the day bed or go to my own room.

What the fuck can go wrong by falling asleep?

For one, I might fall asleep and start dreaming about the woman in my bed as if she is truly part of my life again. I can’t go down that path.

Or worse, I could end up moaning her name in my sleep. Liv would have every right to kick me out of this villa, and I’d have let her down by forcing her to heal alone. I’ve already made the mistake of saying the wrong name before, and my ex didn’t appreciate being calledLiv Livat the height of my orgasm. Spoiler alert, women take biting on a pillow, fist, or sheet as asign that a guy is crazy with lust in the moment, and not doing it to stop a mistake.

Then there’s the risk of waking up with the bluest balls in the history of mankind. It’s almost impossible to fight the physical reaction of waking next to a sexy woman. I’ve never slept in a bed with Liv without waking with my erection pressed to her back—ever. Liv has always been my weakness. I can’t risk falling into a deep sleep and either offending her or embarrassing both of us. Just because my mind, body, heart, and cock haven’t gotten over Olivia, doesn’t mean she needs to know about it.

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