Married a Stripper

  Sighing, I lifted it to my lips and took another, slow deep drink before I tilted my face up to the sky. I could only see a narrow slice of it overhead, thanks to all the skyscrapers. Stars were nothing but a memory here, but I could pretend. Pretend I was back home, standing in the back yard, watching the bright dots come out.

  I knew I needed to get back inside, but I needed just a few more minutes by myself.

  Caught up in an internal tug of war, I never heard the footsteps and when I turned, the shadowy form in front of me caught me off guard. I dropped my margarita and the glass shattered, liquid splashing all over my feet and lower legs.

  I started to scream and a hand covered my mouth.

  Surprise spiraled into full blown terror.

  “You lost, Tennessee?”

  The sound of Flynn’s voice had my heart speeding up. Over the hand he’d used to muffle my scream, I could see his eyes now, glittering in the dim light.

  “What…” My lips moved against his palm and I fought a groan as it gave me the smallest taste of him.

  He lowered his hand, but not completely. It slid down to my neck and he moved in closer, standing so close that when I inhaled, the tips of my breasts brushed against his chest.

  I so didn’t need this right now.

  “What are you doing here?” I demanded, taking deep breathes to slow my pounding heart.

  His eyes darkened. “We need to talk.”

  Fourteen

  His breath washed over my face and I caught the scent of whiskey.

  Shit, he was drunk.

  As much as I wanted to move in closer, I made myself back up. “No.”

  His fingers curled more tightly around the back of my neck, the possessiveness of the gesture freezing me to the spot. Need grew inside me as he crowded my frozen body, my breasts pressing to his chest, nipples chafing against my bra. He caught my hip in his free hand, the other still gripping my neck. His touch burned my skin and it was all I could do not to whimper.

  “Let me go, Flynn.”

  “I can’t,” he whispered, leaning in so the words were whispered against my cheek. “I’ve been trying and trying and I can’t. I want you, Gabriella. I don’t care that you’re marrying Edward. I want you—I want you more than he ever could.”

  I’m in trouble, I thought helplessly. Wedging my hands between us, I tried to push him back, but all it did was drive my lower body closer against him. My nipples were hard and aching, and when he rocked against me, I could feel myself weakening.

  It infuriated me and the anger gave me the strength to resist.

  “Flynn, let me go,” I snapped, trying again to twist away. “You’re drunk, dammit. Again. Have the club call you a cab and go home before you make an even bigger ass of yourself than usual.”

  “No.” He worked his arm around my waist, keeping me locked against him. Face buried in my hair, he said, “Please, Tennessee. I need you.”

  I needed him to move. Having him this close was making it impossible to think. I was going to do something terribly wrong if he didn’t let me go, and still my body begged me to stay. I clenched my thighs together to keep from rocking against the ridge that nudged my belly and tried to find the words I needed.

  The memory of him with the dark-haired woman flashed in front of me and I knew what I had to say. I made my voice as hard and cold as I could, feeding off of the hurt I’d felt when I’d caught him with that other woman. Hurt I didn’t have any right to feel.

  “You don’t need me, Flynn. You just want me. Until you don’t anymore and you find some other model to fuck. Now let me go.”

  He said nothing for a beat of five seconds, then he shrugged. “Okay.” The hand he’d had on my neck slid down my spine to cup my ass and he pulled me flush against him, our bodies easily lining up. “How’s that?”

  I stiffened. His cock was hard, prodding against my belly and I sucked in a breath. My gaze flew to his. I told myself I had to remember what he’d done. All the times he’d hurt me. Pushed me away. Walked away.

  His mouth hovered over mine and he whispered against my lips, “Talk to me, Tennessee.”

  I could almost feel the kiss, taste it. I remembered the feel of his mouth on mine. I could have it again…

  “No!” In desperation, I looked toward the patio where all the smokers were gathered. No one was looking our way. Yet. “Flynn, Kendra and my sisters are in there. They’ll come looking for me.”

  “Then you shouldn’t keep interrupting me,” he said, his mouth sliding up my cheekbone, warming my flesh everywhere he touched.

  I moaned despite myself and he laughed softly. “You want me too. Say it.”

  I wouldn’t, though. I wouldn’t grab for his shoulders. I wouldn’t kiss him…

  “You can’t marry him, Tennessee. Not when we’ve got this thing between us.” He moved against me again and for a few brief, burning moments, the heated pleasure of his body pressing against mine made me forget anything and everything.

  Then I remembered.

  “There is no us, Flynn.” I had to force myself to say it.

  His hand squeezed my ass as he ground his hips against me. When I moaned again, he said, “No? I want you. You want me. Why are you denying it?”

  He dipped his head to kiss my collarbone and the skin there was thin. I felt every brush of his lips in exquisite, excruciating detail.

  “Say it, Tennessee.” His breath was hot against my skin and he pressed his lips to the side of my throat. “Say you want me.”

  Yes…My body sighed it. My mind denied it. Out loud, I said, “No.”

  “Your body can’t lie.” Flynn raked his teeth along the curve of my shoulder and I shivered. “Your body doesn’t care that you’re supposed to be Edward’s, that you’re getting married. It wants me. You want me.”

  I sucked in a breath. I had to contradict him. Had to tell him that this wasn’t going to happen.

  He lifted his head and kissed me.

  For a few, brief seconds, I stood there, helpless against him, against the heat…against us.

  Then I tore away, finally managing to break free of his embrace. My face was flushed and I could only hope it wasn’t visible in the dim light. If it was, I hoped he’d take it for anger, because that was there too.

  When he reached for me again, I took a step back. “No!”

  “I felt that. You can’t tell me you didn’t. You can’t expect me to believe you don’t want me!” His eyes glittered, the shadows making them look almost black.

  I stared at him, mesmerized. Not want him? Of course I wanted him, but I couldn’t say it. I opened my mouth, something twisting in my chest as I prepared to deny it again.

  Flynn jerked his chin. “If you’re not honest, I’m going to show Edward the pictures. All of them. And I’ll tell him you slept with me.”

  “You asshole!” I lifted my hand and slapped him. He caught my wrist and jerked me against his chest.

  I struggled, hitting his chest with my free hand until he grabbed that wrist too. “Let me go.”

  “No. You want me. You want me more than him, but you won’t admit it. Why?” The word came out broken and Flynn looked away. He sounded more like a lost child than the belligerent adult I’d seen just seconds before. “Why is it always Edward who gets what he wants, what he needs?”

  I stared at him, miserable and scared. Not scared of Flynn, but scared of how badly I wanted to comfort him. “Let me go,” I whispered again.

  “That sounds like a good idea.”

  The new voice intruded and I flinched as Cody strode into view. How much had he heard?

  Flynn shot him a dark look. “This doesn’t concern you, big brother,” he said through clenched teeth.

  “She told you to let her go,” Cody said, his voice firm. “Now do it, before I have to make you.”

  Cody’s arrival had thrown Flynn off-guard and I was able to twist away. When Flynn tried to grab for me, I evaded, half-stumbling. I cursed my heels as I caught myself and
then continued to back away, staring at him.

  Flynn’s eyes locked on me, the pain in them cutting through me.

  “Flynn,” Cody said quietly. “Come on, man. Let’s get out of here. I’ll take you home.”

  “No.” A reckless look entered Flynn’s eyes as he glanced over at his brother. “You can go, though. You can get out of here and go straight to hell, Cody.”

  I flinched at the sheer rage I heard in his voice, but Cody didn’t even blink.

  “You’re drunk.” The bigger man took a step toward Flynn. Shaking his head, he gestured toward me. “You don’t want to do this. You’re upsetting her, scaring her…”

  “She wants me!” Flynn shouted the words again, almost as if he had to convince himself. “Not him! She belongs with me!”

  I wrapped my arms around my middle as his gaze slid toward me. “I’m…” Licking my lips, I forced the words out. “I’m marrying Edward, Flynn. I love him. He loves me. He doesn’t hurt me. I can trust him.”

  He flinched at the last statement. Teeth bared, he spun toward me. “You’re going to marry a guy who doesn’t even understand you—” He broke off when Cody grabbed his arm. “Fuck off!”

  Cody didn’t budge. “You need to leave.”

  Flynn shoved him. “I told you to fuck off!” He turned back to me. “I can’t let you do this. You have to know—you son of a bitch!”

  I didn’t even see how it happened, but in the span of seconds, Cody and Flynn were grappling on the ground. Glass crunched and I remembered the margarita glass. They twisted and swore and grunted, fists flying. I wanted to yell at them to stop, to shout for someone to intervene, but I couldn’t. I just stood there and watched the brothers fight. And then Cody was the only one making any noise.

  Flynn lay unconscious, blood trickling from his mouth.

  Cody groaned as he stood, pressing a hand to his side. “He hits damn hard considering how drunk he is.”

  I took a step toward Flynn, then another.

  He was so still—

  Cody caught my arm. “He’s fine,” he said gently. “He’s just drunk and pissed. He needs to sleep it off.”

  “I…” Uncertain what I even wanted to say, I shook my head and backed away.

  Cody shook his right hand and I looked down, saw his torn and bloody knuckles. Guilt swept through me. This was all my fault.

  “Cody, shit. I’m so sorry.”

  “It’s not your fault,” he said. Heaving out a sigh, he looked back over at his unconscious brother. “I saw him leave the bachelor party and had a bad feeling about where he was going. So I followed him. I got hung up in traffic though and…hell, Gabs. I should have been here sooner.”

  “Not your fault,” I parroted his words back to him. Swallowing the knot in my throat, I closed my eyes. “Some party, huh?”

  Fifteen

  A hand brushed my cheek and I sniffled. I was sure my make-up was all smeared across my face.

  Cody sighed and hugged me to him. “Go on back inside, Gabby. I’ll take care of Flynn.”

  “No.” I shook my head. Everything was spinning from the alcohol, and Flynn, and the party... “I think...I think I’m just going to go home. I don’t feel that great.”

  Cody studied me for a long moment and then nodded. “I’ll tell you what. I’ll go let Kendra know and have a bouncer come out here to watch Flynn. Our dad can come get him and I’ll drive you home. Okay?”

  “You shouldn’t have to…”

  “Stop.” His voice brooked no argument and he patted my shoulder. “Just give me two minutes.”

  I spent those whole two minutes staring at Flynn.

  I need you…

  He didn’t, of course. He just wanted me. Probably because Edward had me, nothing more, but I was going to hear those words echoing inside my head for a long time.

  I wasn’t sure which was worse, remembering what he said or how, not long after he’d said something similar, I’d walked in on him fucking some random woman. How long would it be this time, I wondered. Would he even remember this conversation when he woke up? Did I want him to?

  “You ready?”

  I jumped at the sound of Cody’s voice and turned, watching as a bouncer came out. Between him and Cody, they managed to get Flynn off of the ground and folded onto one of the patio benches. I saw Cody hand over several folded bills and the bouncer nodded at him, standing in front of Flynn, his arms crossed.

  Cody’s expression was grim as he walked towards me. “Dad’s only five minutes away and the bouncer will stay with Flynn until then. Come on.”

  I nodded, uncertain what else I could say. There wasn’t anything that would make this situation better.

  A few minutes later, we were in Cody’s car, speeding away from the club toward the hotel where I was staying the night. Even though Edward and I had been living together since just after our engagement, I’d told him I would’ve felt weird waking up next to him the day of the wedding. He’d rented a suite for Kendra and me too, right next to my family.

  My sisters, mother, Kendra and I were all supposed to meet for breakfast first thing, do our hair and makeup together…a sob hiccupped out of me.

  Cody reached over and took my hand. “I’m so sorry, Gabs. Flynn gets sort of crazy when…”

  The words trailed off.

  Sniffling, I forced myself to quit crying so I could talk. I had to say something. “Gets crazy? Yeah. I’ll say he gets crazy.”

  Cody grimaced. “Normally, he’s not like this, sweetheart. Something about you…shit. Look, there’s no excuse for what he did, how he acted. None. But he’s weird around you. That’s not who he usually is, how he is. I just…I’m sorry, okay?”

  “You didn’t do anything,” I said, my voice raw.

  No, Cody hadn’t done anything wrong. I had. I’d fucked it all up from moment one. Staring out the window, I rested my forehead on the glass. The lights of the city sped by in a blur before slowing down and coming into focus as the traffic closed back in.

  “I found Kendra, let her know that you weren’t feeling well.”

  “Thank you.” Closing my eyes, I willed my brain to empty itself. If I didn’t think, it would help.

  Another sob tried to tear out of me but I forced it down. Flynn McCreary had made me miserable enough. Tomorrow was my day. I was getting married. I should be happy.

  So why aren’t you?

  I refused to acknowledge that little voice. I’d gotten pretty good at ignoring it over the last few weeks.

  Cody’s hand tightened around mine and I rolled my head on the padded headrest to look at him. He was staring ahead, eyes flicking as he checked the traffic.

  “It’s all going to be okay,” he told me.

  “Yeah.”

  But I didn’t believe it.

  “You’ll see.” He came to a stop at the light and glanced over at me. “You’ll get some sleep. Some breakfast. You’ll be nervous tomorrow, but once the music starts and you move down that aisle toward Edward…everything will be good.”

  I nodded woodenly and focused my gaze on the windshield as he started to drive again. A question rose to my lips and I swallowed it down. I didn’t want to go there, didn’t want to ask it, because if I gave it voice, it would mean I had to acknowledge it. And that would mean I’d need to deal instead of just pushing it aside.

  But it kept coming back and when he swung a left near the park, I looked over at my friend. I hated putting him in this position, but he was the only person I could trust right now.

  “Cody?”

  “Yeah?”

  “What if it’s—” My gaze strayed past him to the driver’s side window. Then moved back. Then I looked again, my mind processing what I’d seen even as my words died in my throat.

  Lights.

  Bright lights.

  I opened my mouth to scream.

  I think I might have managed it.

  But I wasn’t able to say the words.

  I couldn’t tell Cody to stop.
>
  Not until it was too late.

  The truck slammed into us.

  Metal shrieked like a monster.

  Glass broke.

  There was pain, so much of it, I thought it would eat me alive.

  And maybe it did, because after the pain…there was...nothing.

  Sixteen

  …stop!...

  I heard myself screaming the word over and over again.

  Stop! Stop! Stop!

  I don’t know what I was supposed to stop, but it was something important, I knew that. But when I tried to think, it hurt…

  “Her blood pressure’s spiking!”

  That voice. Who was that?

  “What’s going on?” There was a shout. Edward?

  Pain exploded through every cell in my body and when the darkness reached for me, I gratefully sank back into it.

  Stop!

  I saw the truck this time.

  I saw it, but not soon enough.

  It smashed into us. Into Cody. I saw the blood, saw his body jerk. And I heard us both as we screamed.

  I would have screamed again, louder, harder, longer, but I couldn’t speak. I couldn’t move. Was I paralyzed? The thought brought no panic, only detached interest. That frightened me more than the thought that I’d never move again.

  “I can’t stand to see her like this.”

  I knew that voice.

  Kendra…

  I wanted to reach for her. She sounded like she was crying. I didn’t want her to cry. Why was she crying? I thought I should know, but all that came to mind was the truck and blood and pain. I couldn’t move. Was that why she was crying?

  “Shhh…” Edward. It was Edward again. He was there. Wherever there was. “It’s okay, Kendra. The doctors put her in the coma so her brain could heal. They have to bring the swelling down.”

  A coma? I was in a coma? It had to be me, right? Who else could she be?

  “I know…I just…what if she doesn’t wake up? And Cody…”

  Cody?