The rest of Amaya's clothes and her trench coat were easy to find, but she had to tear her short leather skirt away from a sleeping reveller who was using it as a pillow.Tyler, Mary's groom, slept in a comfortable lump on the carpeted floor, the side of his face smooshed against the rug. Amaya came to a halt and scrutinised the man while quickly fastening the belt on her trench coat.
She then kicked his buttocks. "Take that!"
Tyler grumbled before continuing to snore.
"This is all your fault," she said quietly, giving herself one little, pleasurable moment of pettiness. Complete immaturity.It was beneficial. Just a bit.
Amaya walked out the front door into the early morning light. Amaya noticed the snow falling as she shut the door. Light, lacy flakes fell from the leaden sky. The white ice covered the barren branches of the trees in front of Chase's house.
According to the appearance of the sky, it had to be around six o'clock in the morning. Amaya wished she had a car so she could go have a cup of hot coffee and a freshly glazed doughnut. And perhaps travel all the way back to France.
Instead, she started to jog, her breath coming out in white puffs as snowflakes swirled on the ground. She ran swiftly in her high-heeled boots, carefully avoiding patches of ice, her hands tucked into the pockets of her trench coat, her head down.
She didn't stop running until she was face-to-face with the trellis on the side of Mary's house and started the short climb up to her friend's bedroom window.
* * *
Once inside that window, she hightailed it into the bathroom and locked the door. Only then did Amaya let herself believe she was actually going to get away with what she'd done.
Dressed as a stripper.
Crashed a bachelor party.
Spied on Tyler.Slept with Chase— Fuck! Not part of the plan.
Amaya resolved, as she took the short black wig off her head and set it on the bathroom counter, that this was one part of her evening that Mary would never know about. It would upset her friend. You couldn't upset the bride on her wedding day. It just wasn't done.
She took a deep breath and stared at her face in the mirror. Black masquerade raccoon eyes stared back at her, the lashes crusted with makeup, the Lady Gaga-like eyeliner and shadow smeared. Her glossy red lipstick was all gone, thoroughly kissed away. Her below-the-shoulder-length, wavy blonde hair, unpinned and full of static from the dry winter weather, flew every which way.
She looked to be an untamed woman, but a contented wild woman.
She had that annoying glint in her eyes. Her cheekbones are brightly coloured. Lips that were slightly swollen and curled into a self-satisfied grin.
Don't even think about it!Amaya peeled off her trench coat, top, and skirt, then slid off her pants and turned on the water, determined to forget.
But she couldn't help thinking about how fun it had been to dance, how wild she'd been behind the protection and anonymity of that mask, and how Chase had looked when he'd first burst into the room and she'd tossed her red bra at him.
No. You must put him out of your mind. He doesn't care about you. Just a stripper on the road to nowhere. Two ships collided in the middle of the night.
She was going to wash that man out of her hair and off her body, get rid of his aroma, forget the feel of his hands, those lips, his voice, and that...Forget about it ever happening.
She groped for the soap as she went beneath the hot shower water. She'd give Mary a detailed report as soon as she finished, omitting the more intimate aspects, of course.
Her task was over.
* * *
Chase roaned and turned over, entangling his legs in the down blanket. He grumbled and gradually awoke. He grinned as he inhaled deeply of her aroma and remembered...
Daisy...
He grabbed for her, his body fully prepared, anticipating the searing pleasure of an instant replication of last night, only to find — nothing.He blinked his eyes open.
Daisy had vanished.
Chase grimaced and sat up slowly, running his fingers over his hair. Odd. He still hadn't paid her. It's not for the sex; it's for the dance.
She'd gone to the home to do a job, and she'd done it well, sending the visitors into a frenzy before he dragged her back into his den. And he could honestly explain that he had no intention of having sex with her when he brought her back here.He'd never even heard of sex like they'd had.
Chase looked over at the coffee table and noticed the mask. And remembered that face, with its short black bobbed hair and seductive, glossy red lips forming the words that had killed him.I challenge you to kiss me...
He didn't want to stop kissing her after the first time. She hadn't either.In his long bachelor years, he'd had a lot of sexual experiences, but last night had been the finest night of his life.Chase frowned.
So, why had she gone?He was taken aback by a startling thought. Perhaps she's married?
No. That was beyond his comprehension. I didn't want to do it.Why had she gone?Even as he'd gone off to sleep last night, his arm securely wrapped around her slim body, he'd realised he wanted to pursue this connection further. Justin had been correct.
He'd been living an all-work, no-play existence for far too long. When Daisy walked into his life and dared him to play, everything he'd been resisting for months erupted.
They had indeed played.But it was more than just a game. He desired her once more. He was completely certain about it. He'd awoken craving her, reaching for her, and wanting to rekindle that tremendous sexual passion. He'd have spent the entire day in bed if he hadn't had the darn wedding to prepare for.
Wedding.
Chase looked at the clock. It's 10:30 in the morning.
Tyler.
The wedding.
He stood up, pulled on his trousers, and began walking down the corridor as he fastened his belt. When he entered the family room, he noticed Tyler sleeping on the floor, completely unaware.It's time to get moving. Get this thing going.
"Tyler," he whispered, softly shaking his cousin's shoulder.
Tyler continued to sleep.
"Tyler!" He trembled even more.
"No," Tyler stuttered. "Stop kicking me, okay?"
Chase took a step back, thinking about it. Someone kicked him?
Odd. Surely he didn't. "Damnit, Tyler, get up! You're getting married today!"
Tyler blinked open his foggy eye and looked up at his pal.
"Don't shout, okay?" he urged, his voice barely above a whisper. "My head hurts."
"While you take a hot shower, I'll make coffee; we have to be at the church by noon."
"Yeah. Yeah, I know."
"Then let's get this party started; you've got to look a lot better than you do now."
Tyler got to his feet carefully. Chase felt sorry for him and directed him to the downstairs toilet.
A few hours later, as the wedding concluded, Chase couldn't shake the feeling of seeing someone who resembled Daisy, the woman he had once deeply loved. However, he was aware that this couldn't be possible since Daisy had disappeared in the morning, leaving him heartbroken.
After the ceremony, Chase made an effort to find the maid of honour, who bore a striking resemblance to Daisy. He asked around, trying to discreetly inquire about her, but it seemed like she had already left the venue. Feeling a mix of disappointment and curiosity, he wondered if he had simply imagined the resemblance due to his emotional state on the eventful day.
Chase decided to put his thoughts aside and join the celebration, congratulating the newlyweds and engaging in conversations with other guests. However, throughout the evening, he couldn't help but catch glimpses of the maid of honour in his mind, wondering if there was more to the resemblance than he initially thought.
As the night wore on, Chase found himself torn between staying at the wedding and trying to find the mysterious woman or simply letting it go and accepting that it was probably just a strange coincidence. Eventually, he chose to stay and enjoy the festivities, realising that he needed to move on from his past and embrace the present.
The wedding turned out to be a joyful event, and Chase found himself surrounded by friends and loved ones, celebrating love and new beginnings. He danced, laughed, and immersed himself in the happiness of the occasion, deciding to cherish the memories of this day rather than dwell on fleeting resemblances.
Whether the maid of honour truly resembled Daisy or not, it no longer mattered to him. Chase was determined to embrace the future with an open heart and create new memories of his own. Because he knew she was gone. Gone…