emotional state at the reunion had apparently forced all those concerns out of her mind. The next thing she knew, she was on the verge of consummating her marriage. In that moment, nothing mattered more than peeling away Tyler’s clothes and getting a taste of the forbidden. His hard body and sure touch had been an unexpected surprise, and she hadn’t been able to get enough of him. Even now, the mere thought of touching him again sent a thrill through her body, awakening parts of her that should never, ever throb with need where Tyler was concerned.
Since she’d gotten home from the reunion, their night together had haunted her. The marriage could be undone. But the memories... Those couldn’t be erased. The way he’d touched her. The way he’d coaxed pleasure from her body as though he’d studied his whole life for that moment... She could never go back to the blissful ignorance they’d once had. They had eaten the forbidden fruit.
A chime like a kitchen timer went off on her phone, rousing her from the mental spiral she’d just dived into. It was a new text. She frowned down at her phone when she saw the name. Speak of the devil, she had finally gotten another text from Tyler. Unfortunately, it didn’t address her million questions or make up for the weeks of waiting he’d put her though since they’d married. All it said was, Are you at work?
He must be ready to talk about all this at last. Perhaps his jet-setting had abated for a few days and he was finally able to move forward.
Yes, she replied to his text. She would be able to call him back after the staff meeting was over. At that point, she could go into her office, shut the door and have the much-needed discussion to put this behind them. Natalie, the wedding planner and office manager, would arrive any moment with coffee, as she did every Monday morning. Not even Amelia’s latest life catastrophe would throw off Nat’s schedule.
On cue, Natalie pushed open the door of the conference room and stopped in the doorway. She had the cup holder clutched in her hands, four paper cups held tightly in place, as usual. But there was a strange look on her face. Her normally calm expression was pinched, her mouth tight. Something was wrong.
“What’s the matter, Natalie?” Bree asked.
Natalie turned from Bree to look at Amelia, her long dark ponytail sweeping over one shoulder. “There’s an incredibly hot guy here to see you, Amelia. He says that he’s your, uh...husband.”
Someone gasped. Amelia wasn’t sure which of them it was. Probably her. She launched up out of her chair, her expression no doubt panic-stricken. He couldn’t possibly be here. He’d just texted her and hadn’t made any mention of being in Nashville. Natalie was surely mistaken. “What does he look like?”
Natalie’s brow shot up. “Five minutes ago, I didn’t think you had a husband, period, much less so many that you wouldn’t know who he was immediately when I mentioned him.”
“Tall, dark blond hair, bushy eyebrows, icy blue eyes?”
Natalie nodded slowly. “That would be him. He’s waiting in the lobby with a shiny wedding ring on his hand. Have I missed something?”
“Oh, yeah.” Gretchen snorted.
Moving into the room, Natalie set the drinks on the table and then crossed her arms over her chest. “You’re married? To the guy in the lobby?”
“Yes,” she admitted.
“Amelia—the one who’s had her wedding planned since she was five? Amelia—the one who just a few weeks ago was complaining that there was no one special in her life? I mean, you are the same person, right? You’re not a pod person that just looks like Amelia?”
She wished she could blame her rash behavior on alien influences, but it was all her doing. Natalie was right to be surprised. Amelia quite literally had had a wedding planned for twenty-three years. Her files of cartoon drawings and magazine cutout collages had evolved into Pinterest boards and spreadsheets, but the content was basically the same. And considering she had never been engaged, it was an excessive level of detail. She occasionally updated the color palette, but the rest was the same. She’d always fantasized about a big wedding with hundreds of guests, tons of good food, dancing and all the elegant touches she adored. All she needed was the love of her life to slip into that Armani tuxedo and make her dreams a reality.
To throw all that away so she could get walked down the aisle by Elvis and marry her best friend was...unthinkable. But Vegas seemed to have that power over people. “It’s a long story. They can fill you in.” Amelia started toward the door.
“Do you at least want your coffee?” Natalie asked, holding up the paper cup with her white chocolate–caramel macchiato.
Amelia started to reach for it, and then she caught a whiff of the strong aroma. Her stomach immediately started to turn, making her wince and step back. “Ugh—no, thanks. Maybe later. I just can’t face it right now.”
Turning quickly, she disappeared down the hallway. Natalie’s voice easily carried the distance. “Will someone please tell me what the hell is going on?”
* * *
Tyler Dixon waited longer in the lobby than he expected to. When the dark-haired woman disappeared down the hallway to deliver his message, he was certain Amelia would come rushing out to him immediately. She would run and jump into his arms, greeting him with a big hug and a kiss on the cheek the way she always did.
Glancing down at his Rolex, he started to wonder if he’d miscalculated. He’d known she was here, even before she’d texted him back—he’d recognized her car in the parking lot. That meant she was either angry and making him wait for ignoring her, or she was avoiding him because she was embarrassed by the whole sex thing.
He didn’t know what she had to be embarrassed about. With a body like hers, walking around naked could be considered a public service. Sure, they’d crossed a line, but they could work through that. They’d weathered rough patches in their friendship before.
It probably had more to do with him not calling her back. His schedule had been pretty hectic since the reunion, but it had to be. He’d bought some raw diamonds and taken them to India to be cut. He’d hit an auction in Belgium and picked up an antique sapphire brooch formerly owned by French royalty before the revolution. He’d closed a huge deal with a Beverly Hills jewelry designer to provide diamonds for their pieces. Whenever he’d thought to call her, the time zones were off. She wouldn’t have appreciated getting those calls at 2:00 a.m.
This was why he didn’t get in serious relationships anymore. He’d gotten burned with Christine and learned his lesson. He knew that most women didn’t appreciate his schedule, even if they appreciated the money that resulted from it. At first, his diamond airline status and exotic travels seemed exciting, but it didn’t take most women long to realize that meant he was always on the go. No, he wouldn’t be able to go to that work thing with you. No, he couldn’t talk about your crappy day when he was ten times zones behind and busy working.
Amelia had never minded his schedule before. Had that changed along with their marital status?
What was the rush anyway? She hadn’t found Prince Charming in the ten years leading up to now. Certainly she hadn’t found him in the past month while he’d been gone. He loved Amelia, but she wasn’t known for her successful relationships. He’d only met one woman in his whole life who was as high maintenance as she was, and that was his ex. He’d known that about Amelia going into this, but she was his best friend and he would do anything to make her happy. Apparently.
They’d
