Finding Forever by Christina C Jones
— 1 —
— Tori —
Just breathe, Tori. Breathe, breathe, breathe.
I took a deep breath as I stood back from the mirror to inspect the third reapplication of my makeup. There was nothing I could do about the tear-induced redness rimming my eyes, but at least the rest of my face was flawless.
Briefly— very briefly— I considered sneaking out of the resort and catching a cab back the airport. I could hop on a plane back to Dallas, or straight to wherever the hell Rafael was, and try to convince him that my drastic decision had just been a big mistake. A misunderstanding, a failure in communication… just a complete overreaction on my part. But… is there really such a thing as an overreaction to pictures splashed across the internet of your husband “entertaining” several of his fans at once?
No. No, there is not.
Nevertheless, there was no reason for me to travel that road, because it would only lead to another round of makeup-ruining tears. I shook the images from my mind, took another deep breath, straightened my shoulders, and held my head high. There was nothing to be gained from dwelling on stupid mistakes— at least not today. Today was not about me; it was about celebrating my best friend, Desiree, as she married the love of her life. With my mind focused on that, I pulled open the door of the bathroom and stepped out, immediately colliding with the chest of someone passing by.
Strong arms closed around me, offering balance as I tried to steady myself on my feet. “Are you ok?”
Ooh.
My heart began to race as the soothing timbre of his voice swept through me, sending a pleasant tingling sensation up my spine.
“Yes,” I replied, blushing as I took a step back, tripping over the train of my bridesmaid dress in the process. He caught me again, offering a smile that could only be described as seductive. Giving him a quick, but thorough once-over, I realized everything about this man was sexy.
Tall? Check.
Broad shoulders? Check.
Sculpted jaw, straight nose, heavy brows, and full lips? Check, check, check, and check.
Well-groomed facial hair? Double check.
And his eyes. Dear God, those eyes. Deep, soulful brown pools I stared into for so long I nearly forgot where— and who— I was.
“You sure you ok? You look like you’ve been crying, and I—”
“No, I’m fine. Really,” I stammered as I stepped away, being careful not to stumble this time. “If you’ll excuse me, I need to get back to the bride.”
Turning on my heels, I attempted to walk away, but the feeling of warm fingers around my wrist stopped me. “Wait a second,” he said, tugging gently on my arm to get me to face him. “You’re Tori, right?”
I simply nodded, trying to avoid his eyes. I couldn’t get caught up in them again, especially when a touch as simple as his hand on my wrist had me feeling hot and bothered. What the hell was wrong with me? I was supposed to be grieving over the end of my marriage, not salivating over some stranger — a tall, sexy stranger, but a stranger nonetheless.
“I was looking for you, actually. I’m Desiree’s brother, Avery.”