Jules Bennett - From Best Friend To Daddy

Reaching out, he traced one fingertip over the faint mark on her shoulder.

“We good?”

Wow. He’d had several minutes to think of something tender, kind, and apologetic to say, and that’s the best he could come up with?

Yes, he saw confusion looking back at him, but there was more. Kate wasn’t upset, not at all. She had questions, of that he was sure, but she wasn’t angry. Thankfully he hadn’t botched this night up too much.

Kate attempted a smile. “We’re good,” she murmured as her eyes darted away.

She may not be angry, but she was no doubt wondering what they should do next. Kate planned everything and this whole experience had definitely not been planned.

Enter the awkward tension he swore wouldn’t be there. He promised her they wouldn’t change. He promised they’d be friends just like before.

Yet she couldn’t even look him in the eyes.

“Kate.”

Her focus darted back to him, but he didn’t see regret. Kate’s pretty blue eyes were full of desire... Damn if that didn’t just confuse the hell out of him. She might be wanting to ask him about what just happened, but she also wasn’t sorry.

Gray didn’t know what else to say at this moment. The dynamics had changed, the intimacy too fresh. Maybe once they had some time apart and saw each other at the wedding tomorrow they’d laugh and joke and go back to the Gray and Kate they’d been hours ago.

Or maybe they’d find the nearest closet and rip each other’s clothes off. Things could go either way at this point.

Gray moved out of her way so she could pass. Her hair hung down her back in dark waves, her dress was slightly askew, and she still clutched her shoes. He’d turned a moment of intimacy with his best friend into forcing her to do a walk of shame from his bar.

He was no better than the prick who’d cheated on her and broke her heart. But Gray would make this up to her. He had to.

* * *

Kate adjusted her one-shoulder bridesmaid’s dress for the fifth time in as many minutes. Thankfully Lucy hadn’t chosen strapless dresses. Kate needed this chiffon strap to cover Gray’s mark. She didn’t know what she would’ve done had he chosen the other shoulder.

Part of her loved the mark. She’d be lying if she said otherwise. She’d never had a man lose such control, and the fact he hadn’t even been able to get them out of their clothes was thrilling. Sex should be thrilling, or so she’d heard before, and she’d always wondered if that was a myth. Now she knew.

Analyzing this over and over wasn’t going to change the future. Gray wasn’t going to happen again. On that they’d agreed, so now she had to figure out how to not compare any other man to her best friend. But at least the standards were set and she wasn’t going to settle for someone who didn’t at least give her a little spark.

Kate had definitely had a happy birthday. At least she had until he’d come from the bathroom and couldn’t get her out of the bar fast enough. Did he regret what they’d done? Or worse. Was she a disappointment?

“Hey, you okay?” Tara whispered.

“Fine.”

Kate smiled for the camera and hoped they were nearly done with all the photos. What did it matter if Gray found her lacking in the skill department? They weren’t doing anything again anyway.

He’d barely said a word when she’d picked him up this morning and she hadn’t seen him at the wedding. But the church had been packed, so that wasn’t a surprise. She’d see him at the reception for sure. He was in charge of all the drinks and had brought a few of his employees to serve as waiters.

She felt a bit odd not sharing her epic, mind-blowing, toe-curling experience with Lucy and Tara. If this had been any other man she’d had wild sex with late at night in a closed bar, she would’ve texted them immediately after, but this was Gray. He was different and what they shared was...well, it was something she still couldn’t describe.

“I think we got them,” the photographer announced. “We’ll do more at the reception.”

Kate resisted the urge to groan. This was Lucy and Noah’s day. She shouldn’t be so grouchy, but smiling and posing and pretending to be in a good mood was not working for her. All she could think of was Gray: what they’d done, what she had missed from him that led up to that moment, how he’d react seeing her again.

Kate lifted the long skirt of her dress and stepped off the stage. A hand slid over her elbow.

“Wait a second,” Tara said.

Turning her attention to her friend, Kate dropped her dress and clutched the bouquet. “What’s up?”

“That’s what I want to know.”

Tara’s questioning gaze held Kate in place. “I’m just going to hop on the shuttle to take me to the reception so I can get some food. I’m starving.”

Rolling her eyes, Tara stepped closer. “You’ve been acting weird all day. What happened from last night to this morning?”

What happened? Oh, just a quickie on the bar top at Gallagher’s, third stool from the left. Well, Gray had shoved the stool out of the way when he’d climbed up to her, but still. She’d never be able to look at that space again without bursting into internal flames. Her panties would probably melt right off.

“I just had a late night.” Kate opted to go with some form of the truth. “Gray and I left the rehearsal and headed back to the bar so he could pull more champagne and wine from the back stock. I just didn’t get much sleep before we had to be up and ready.”

Tara’s bright blue eyes studied Kate a moment longer than she was comfortable with. Gathering her skirt in her hand once again, Kate forced a smile.

“C’mon,” she said, nodding toward the front of the church. “Let’s go get on the shuttle so they can take us over to the food and dancing. I’m ready to get rid of these heels.”

Tara nodded. “Will you get some pictures of me dancing with Marley?”

Marley, Tara’s five-year-old daughter. She shared custody with her ex, Sam Bailey. Sam had brought Marley to the wedding since this was his weekend to have her. Tara had been surprised that Sam had taken Marley to get her hair done and her nails painted.

Kate knew Sam had some issues several months ago, but she saw the man was trying. Okay, using the word “issues” was really sugarcoating things. But addiction was such a delicate topic and Kate still wasn’t sure how to approach it with Tara.

But Kate saw Sam fighting to get his family back. The man had gone to rehab, he’d gotten a new job, he’d gone to counseling. There was a determination in him now that Kate hadn’t seen before. Tara wasn’t ready to see it and Kate worried irreparable damage had been done and their marriage was over for good.

None of that was Kate’s business and she had her own issues to worry about right now. Like seeing Gray at the reception. She didn’t like the silence that had settled between them this morning. That wasn’t like them. They were always bantering or arguing or joking about something. It was their thing. They lived to annoy the hell out of each other and for some strange reason, it worked for them.

Damn it. She knew sleeping with him would change things, but she’d been unable to prevent herself from giving in. One second they were friends, and the next he’d kissed her against his truck and made her want things she never realized she was missing.

Well, she had to just suck it up and get over this awkward hurdle. She wanted her friend back and she wasn’t going to let great sex stand in their way.

Chapter Four

Gray checked on the status of the bottles, confident they’d be just fine with the extras he’d brought. He asked around with his staff to see if they were doing okay or if anyone needed a break. None of them took him up on his offer.