Page 1 of With a Broken Wing
I brushedmy hands along the navy silk hanging against my body, smoothing out the small wrinkles at my waist. My best friend was officially a wife, and the man spinning her around on the dance floor was her new asshole-to-everyone-but-her husband who once swore he didn’t dance. The smile on Jules’s face said it all, and a wave of jealousy flooded through me.Always the bridesmaid, never the bride.
As the song faded, the newlyweds disappeared down the hallway in the direction of the bridal suite. The music would be loud enough that we wouldn’t hear them making noise. Still, I envied Jules. When was the last time I’d gotten laid? Even worse, when was the last time I’d enjoyed it? At this point, I was getting much too used to the vibrator in my nightstand.
Across the dance floor was her new brother-in-law, Demetri Carlisle, the quiet, hardly-says-two-words best man who had walked me down the aisle. He’d been nothing but rude and arrogant, but damn, did he look good in his heather-gray suit. I’d have been lying if I said the scowl on his chiseled face didn’t make my core flutter in a way I hadn’t felt in ages. It was his chocolate-brown eyes surrounded by dark, golden rings around the irises that cut through me when he turned his gaze my way. I imagined myself running my hands through his medium-length hair.
I finished the glass of red wine in my hand in two gulps and set it on the table behind me, sucking in a deep breath and rolling my shoulders back before stepping towards him. People gathered on the floor, shuffling their way in a group to the Electric Slide, and I bounced to the music as I cut my way through them. I kept my eyes glued to the handsome scowl of the man in front of me.
“You just going to stand here all night?”
When I spoke, he looked down. He met my eyes, but his expression didn’t change. “Probably.”
“Oh, come on, you grump! Dance with me.” I rocked my hips from side to side, enjoying the feel of the smooth fabric brushing against my legs.
“No.” He raised a single eyebrow, like I had asked him a stupid question and it was obvious he would shoot me down. It was, but I’d hoped I could persuade him.Or he’d loosen up a bit.
My mouth dropped open, his rejection making my response stick in my throat. “Seriously?” When I could get it out, the word broke.
“Do I look like I’m joking?”
He didn’t. With a scoff, I turned and made my way back into the crowd before the embarrassment settled in my face, letting my red hair whip over my shoulder behind me. There were plenty of single men at this wedding, and I would get one of them to dance.
The song changed, switching over to Whitney Houston’s “I Wanna Dance with Somebody,” and I wiggled my way onto the dance floor, making eye contact with a man by the bar. He didn’t look as good as Demetri, but he wasn’t bad. I generally didn’t go for the blond guys, but he was handsome enough, and judging by the way he stared at me, he was willing. I locked eyes with the stranger, moving my body to the music until he set his drink down and made his way to join me.
“Well, hey there, gorgeous. You look like you want to dance.” His voice was a little too bright for my taste. It certainly didn’t set off butterflies in my stomach like the ones Jules talked about feeling, or like the ones Demetri’s low grumble did. I wanted to dance, though, and I wasn’t against giving the man a couple of songs if it meant I had someone to dance with. His hands were strong when he grabbed onto my waist, and I stepped closer until my body was only inches from his. He ran his hand down my back, encouraging me to step even closer.
He wasn’t particularly handsome, but he smelled good, like vanilla, and it made me want a second piece of the wedding cake that had been cut hours ago. My mom’s voice echoed in my head.Don’t eat that, Andrea. You’ll get fat. Nobody likes the fat girl.My stomach soured, and suddenly I didn’t want the cake anymore.
Before we had really moved at all, I could feel the familiar burn of someone watching me. The blond man who hadn’t given me his name spun me around until my back was against his front, grinding his hips against me, and when he did, I made eye contact with Demetri across the room. He narrowed his eyes, and I gulped at the intensity of his stare. With a simple movement, he lifted his arm and curled two of his fingers, calling me to him. A sense of satisfaction settled in me at the idea he wanted to talk to me.
“Sorry, excuse me. It appears my maid of honor duties are calling. It was nice to meet you, uh…”
“Jacob. Jacob Black. CEO and owner of World Marketing Professionals.”
Men who introduce themselves with their titles were always the ones with the worst attitudes and the smallest dicks. Suddenly, I was grateful Demetri was pulling me away, but I wasn’t going to let him know that.
I made my way slowly to where he stood, grabbing two glasses of champagne from the server who passed me on the way. I downed one in a single gulp, cradling the other as I sauntered to the grumpy man watching my every move. The warmth of the alcohol comforted me, calming my nerves and giving me more of the confidence I needed when it came to Demetri.
When I was close enough to smell the mix of mint, oak, and tobacco that drifted from him, he reached out and wrapped his hand around my arm. His grip was strong, demanding but not tight enough to leave a bruise, and when he yanked me behind him towards the doors leading to the large balcony, I stumbled over my heels.
Once outside, he let go, crossing his arms over his chest. The summer air was fresh, warm enough that I was comfortable in my strapless dress. The smell of roses and tulips drifted up from the garden beneath the balcony. I inhaled, sucking in a deep breath and leaning against the rail. It was a beautiful venue, and it was obvious why Jules had chosen it. The view was incredible, even in the dark. Lake Michigan was off to one side, flowers and trees adorning the distance.
“What the hell are you doing?” Demetri’s voice was hard, as if he was scolding me. My stomach sank like it did when I knew I was going to be in trouble as a kid. I took a deep breath and prepared myself.
Plastering a smirk on my face, I turned to him, leaning my back against the railing behind me. “Well, a second ago Iwasenjoying the smell of the flowers, but now I guess I’m waiting to hear why you stopped me from dancing. I was having fun.”
“You were dancing with JacobfuckingBlack.”
“And?”
He narrowed his eyes and they darkened, as if someone talking back wasn’t something he’d ever experienced. “And he’s not right for you. Stay away from him. You don’t know him, and you don’t know what you’re doing.”
“Aww, you don’t like him? I was thinking about taking him home.”
The growl that ripped from his chest was feral, low enough to have my stomach turning in somersaults. “Andy, don’t push me.”
“Or what, Demetri? What happens if I do?” The stubborn attitude I’d managed to develop in college rose to the surface, and I tilted my head.
He glared as I lifted my drink, and when the bubbles had just barely teased my lips, he took the glass of champagne. “You’ve probably had enough to drink.”
