Once Bitten - C.M. Steele Page 0,2

chin so she could adjust the damn thing. “You look like a nervous groom instead of a groomsman. Is there something going on with you and Jamie?” A straight shooter through and through, she never pulled punches.

“There will be, if I get what I want.” And Jamie was all I wanted. She’d become my obsession before I even realized it. Now, there wasn’t anything I wouldn’t do to make her mine for the rest of our lives.

“You have a two-month expedition coming up, don’t you?” Did she have to remind me?

My mood soured instantly. “I do, and for the first time I’m not interested in going.” That had been a total shocker even to me, especially since it was being filmed for a shark show. I’d been on the water since I first learned how to swim. My parents instilled the love of the ocean in me, and I hadn’t once second-guessed that love until I’d met Jamie. Then I understood that there was indeed a more profound love. One I’d move heaven and earth for—her love.

“Things will work themselves out. Speaking of going, I need to check on the bride-to-be. The tie is fine.” She sauntered out of the room.

I looked at myself one more time before taking a drink of whiskey. I tugged at my cuffs and then left the room with my drink in hand.

As a marine biologist, I didn’t wear suits often, so the tie got on my nerves. I only had to manage to keep it on until after the wedding. After the reception, I intended to lose this fucker or maybe make it a piece of a bonfire.

When I walked out into the living room, there Jamie stood, looking gorgeous as always in a light blue dress that went just to her knees. It hugged every inch of her, and my cock noticed how sexy she was. I hated that dress. Tonight, it was going into the flames with my damn tie.

Damn. I longed to slide my hands under the material and cup her ass and pull her into me so she could feel how hard she made me.

I couldn’t get her out of my head since the crazy day we’d met. It took a while to get her to go on a date with me. The dinner had been great, but the rest of the night had been a bust. She pumped me for information about Ian.

That night I behaved like a gentleman and answered her questions. No matter how much I wanted to fuck her, I didn’t try to get her naked because she started drinking. Since then, she refused to talk to me. Jamie was lucky I had shit to do or I’d take her over my fucking shoulder and spank her pretty ass bright pink until she told me what I’d done to upset her.

I turned away to get control of myself before I approached my future wife. In the meantime, I scanned the room for the groom. I couldn’t spot Ian anywhere. He should have arrived by now. Did he go and sneak in to see Mia for a quickie? I walked up to his father and my woman. She scowled as soon as she saw me. I shrugged in her direction and took a drink from my tumbler, pretending to be unaffected by her anger when I really ached to kiss that pout away. “Where’s the groom?” I asked Ian’s dad.

“He left the house over an hour ago.” I hoped he didn’t get into an accident. I tried his cell, hoping he’d answer me, but it went to voicemail. I could sense his father was extremely concerned, which made me wonder if Ian wasn’t answering his father’s calls either.

“Shit. I hope he didn’t have any second thoughts,” Jamie remarked, crossing her arms over her large breasts. My eyes trained on them, licking my lips. “Cold feet, maybe?”

I met her eyes again and glared. My hand itched to redden her ass for that lie. “That’s total bullshit, and not a single person would believe that.”

“Of course not, but Mia’s my cousin and best friend. I’d kill him if he did.”

“He’d do anything for her,” I informed her.

“Then she’s lucky to find a good man. It’s a rare thing, Mr. Malcolm.” She pursed her lips and tilted her head.

“Babe, was that a dig at me?” I crowded her space.

She didn’t back up. Instead she lifted her chin and challenged me. “No, but if you feel guilty—”

I slid my hand around