“We can do that. And then”—I drank more champagne, starting to feel the first hints of blessed fuzziness around the edges of my brain—“this week we’ll make a point of being seen together. A lot. No more hiding.”

“That’s my girl.” He laughed quietly as he looked into my eyes. “Guess I should say, that’s my wife.”

Our server showed up and asked about dessert, saving me from having to think too hard about my new role. I’d only finished half my entree and was about to decline.

“Do you have anything resembling wedding cake?” Holden asked.

After a moment of thought, the guy said, “I have a lemon crème layer cake or a triple chocolate bourbon cake.”

We ended up going for one of each and sharing them, slipping back into a more comfortable, normal-for-us range of topics. Admittedly, the alcohol might’ve helped a little.

When we’d done all the damage we could on the two monster-sized slices of cake, Holden excused himself to go to the restroom.

As he stood and walked away, toward the back, I watched him. My husband.

His dress pants fit him perfectly. Maybe dress pants weren’t supposed to highlight a guy’s butt, but I couldn’t keep my eyes from checking it out like a newlywed wife would. His ass was rounded, muscular, not one of those guy butts that was flat and uninspiring. Everything female in me kick-started.

The woman at the table closest to ours—she was probably in her fifties and with a salt-and-pepper-haired man who was presumably her husband—leaned toward me, snapping my attention from Holden.

“I’d say you’re a very lucky girl,” she said conspiratorially with a deep drawl. “Congratulations.”

“Thank you,” I said, feeling flushed, and though I would’ve liked to blame it on the bubbly, I was pretty sure it was all Holden’s doing, because I couldn’t banish the thought of holding those perfect butt cheeks in my hands. And he’d, in essence, just told me he’d be fine with that.

“Enjoy your weddin’ night,” she said with a wink.

I made the mistake of looking at Holden again just before he disappeared around a corner. “I will.”

And in that instant, the truth became clear as day to me. The damage was already done. I was already half in love with this man, and denying myself a physical relationship with him wouldn’t keep me from crashing and burning. Nothing would.

Might as well enjoy this man to the fullest for every second I had him. I’d deal with the fallout later.

Chapter 13

Holden

Something had changed with Chloe in the last half hour or so. I wasn’t sure what was going on, but when I’d come back from the restroom, she was quieter. Almost… nervous.

Which didn’t make sense at all, unless…

Hell, I knew exactly what it was.