The Trouble with Wedding Dates Read online

  The Trouble with Wedding Dates

  By Liza Kline

  Copyright © 2017 by Liza Kline

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) – except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews – without permission in writing from the author.

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  First Printing: March 2017

  Also Available in the Kindle Store

  The Joyous Vampire Romance Series

  Betrothed to the Vampire King

  Married to the Vampire King

  Stand Alone Romances

  Cuffed

  The Trouble with Wedding Dates

  Poetry

  Chasing the Sun

  Dedication

  To the other me, thanks for being my editor and best friend.

  Table of Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 1

  I tossed my phone on the table next to my bed in disgust. The dating app Kerri, another programmer I worked with and the only female I considered a friend, had recommended was nothing more than a hunting ground for perverts. In the twenty-four hours that I had been a member I had received four dick pics, three requests to see what I was “hiding under my shirt” and the most recent, an offer to give me a night I’d never forget because he’d “always wanted to get with a fat chick.” This was so not going to get me a date to my sister’s wedding. Twelve weeks to go and I still didn’t have a single prospect in sight. I flopped back onto my pillows with a sigh, I would have to think of another way to find a date in the morning. Closing my eyes, I sent up a prayer that things would actually work out.

  The incessant chiming of incoming text messages pulled me from sleep. Ugh, I’d forgotten to turn the volume off again. I groped in the dark for my phone so I could make it shut up. Even after flicking the switch to silence the noise it continued to vibrate in my hand with more new messages. Who would send me so many texts at, I blinked in disbelief, two twenty-three in the morning? A groan of frustration escapes when I realize I have to be up in just over five hours to make it to work on time. I unlock the screen to read the twelve, now thirteen new messages, as my phone vibrates yet again. They’re all from an unknown number but I knew immediately who it was.

  “Open your damn door Mac.” Every single message reads. Only one person called me Mac. Grant MacDaniels, my best friend. He did it because he thought it was amusing that we had the same nickname growing up and it had stuck as an adult. Anyone else that tried to shorten my name from MacKenzie to Mac was treated to what Grant had labeled my death look, a stare that intimidated everyone on the receiving end of it, except Grant. Sometimes being a six foot, two hundred and fifty pound (some days more if I’m being honest) woman had its advantages, few though they might be.

  Grant had been my childhood best friend and high school protector. We had grown up next door to one another, playing together every day after school and all summer long. Our mother’s had high hopes that we would end up together, at least that’s what my mother had told me five years ago on my twenty-fifth birthday while she bemoaned the fact that I had ruined all her hard work by being too masculine to attract a man. But Grant had never treated me as anything other than one of the guys, and after spending so much time together I couldn’t see him in any role other than my best friend. Most of the time, I barely even noticed that he had the face of a model and a perfectly sculpted, drool worthy body.

  When we had reached high school, it was clear that I wasn’t going to fit in with the other girls, I had no patience for gossip or makeup. So Grant had incorporated me into his group of jock buddies, making sure everyone knew that if they messed with me for being overweight he and his friends would make sure that they regretted their decision. I was still good friends with two of the guys from the group, Alex Shalters and David Heart. I saw them at least once a week for our ongoing poker games.

  After high school Grant had enlisted in the Marines while I had gone off to college. We were still close but our interactions were mostly through social media these days. So what the hell was he doing texting me in the wee hours of the morning? He hadn’t even mentioned that he had leave coming up when we had talked last week.

  The pounding on my front door had me rushing out of bed and down the hall hoping I could get him inside my apartment before he woke up one of my neighbors. Mrs. Gregson across the hall was a sweet old lady but she was also the biggest gossip I had ever met. I really didn’t want her telling the rest of the neighbors that I had gentleman callers at all hours of the night or calling the cops because she thought Grant was trying to cause trouble.

  After throwing the two deadbolts Alex and David had helped me install after moving into my apartment (they still thought that they needed to protect me) I opened my door just as Grant was about to knock again. I grabbed him by his raised fist and pulled him into my apartment, closing the door quickly behind him. Damn he looked good in faded blue jeans and a black t-shirt that clung to his muscular frame like a second skin. His green eyes seemed to glow in the dim light coming from the hallway. I took my time relocking the door to get my thoughts in order. I didn’t want my best friend to realize I was two seconds away from drooling over him.

  “What the hell are you doing here?” I demanded when I turned around. “Do you know what time it is, Grant?”

  “You sure do know how to greet a man, babe.” He responded stepping into my personal space. Since when did my best friend refer to me like he did one of his bimbos? This close his cologne wrapped around me and I had to stop myself from taking deep breaths of the enticing scent. “Do you dress like this for all of the guys that come over?”

  What the hell was he talking about? I glanced down at myself as Grant wrapped his fingers around the soft flesh exposed at my hip. I could feel the heat wash over the skin on my neck and face as I flushed in embarrassment and, if I was being honest, arousal when I realized I was only wearing the black tank top and green plaid panties I had fallen asleep in. At least all the important parts were fully covered.

  “You were out here pounding on my door like a lunatic. I didn’t have time to think about what I was wearing when I was more worried that Mrs. Gregson was going to call the cops on you.” I retorted angrily.

  “Good.” His fingers flexed on my hip. I attempted to push his hand away but he just grinned down at me, tightening his grip. I crossed my arms over my chest in annoyance. What the hell was his problem tonight? It almost sounded like he was jealous over the imaginary men I dated. It had been thirteen months since my last date, not like I was keeping track or anything.

  “What are you doing here? I have to work in the morning.”

  “I needed to see you.” Grant took a step forward, leaving barely an inch of space between us. I took an involuntary step back, the front door stopping my escape. I wasn’t used to being this close to anyone, let alone Grant.

  “You’ve seen me. Now you can...” my angry words trailed off as his other hand gently brushed my hair off my face and secured it behind my ear. Grant’s hand stayed cupping the
back of my head as he looked down at me, eyelids at half-mast. I’d seen him use his bedroom eyes enough times on other women to know how potent they could be, but experiencing them first-hand was something else entirely. My breath caught in my chest as I tried to figure out what was going on. There was no way my best friend was attracted to me, so what game was he playing. Maybe he was trying to teach me a lesson about answering my door barely dressed because there was no way Grant was actually making a move on me. I’d seen the flat stomached, big busted airheads he preferred and I would never come close to looking like they did.

  Thought ceased as Grant slanted his lips over mine. The gentle pressure was like a shock to my system, short circuiting everything but the tingles running through my body. A low moan rumbled deep in his chest seconds before Grant pressed me against the door, eliminating the space between us. His lips devoured mine as the hand that was on my hip slid around to cup my ass. The movement of his hand was like a switch that freed me from my stupor and I became an active participant in our kiss.

  I slid my hands over his rock hard chest and around to the back of his head to pull him closer, locking my fingers in his short hair. Grant nipped lightly at my lower lip as he ran his hand down the back of thigh, leaving a trail of goosebumps in his wake, drawing my leg up to wrap around his hip. It was a strange sensation to be balanced on one leg but I didn’t dwell on it because I could now feel Grant’s arousal against my most intimate spot. He shifted his hips against me slowly shooting a bolt of pleasure deep into my center. Now it was my turn to moan. I felt him chuckle against my lips as he pressed more firmly against me.

  Taking a page out of his book, I bit down on his lower lip which earned me a low growl. The hand behind my head started to move, trailing slowly down my side before squeezing my ass. Before I could protest, Grant hefted my other leg around his hip, opening me up completely to him as he pressed me harder against the door. My nails dug into his neck and scalp involuntarily and I clamped my legs around him praying I wouldn’t land in a humiliating pile on the floor. His lips never left mine as he ground against me, spiraling me closer and closer to the edge.

  His hands continued to knead my ass as he suddenly pulled me away from the door and started to carry me back the hallway. I let out an honest to goodness squeal for the first time in my life when I realized what was happening. I wrapped my arms around his neck in a death hold that made Grant chuckle again before he started to kiss the tops of my breasts. I was too worried about falling to enjoy his attention properly. Before I realized it my back was being pressed against my mattress with Grant on top of me. His lips returned to mine as I heard the thump of his shoes hitting the floor.

  I was dying to feel his abs after years of only being allowed to look at them and I didn’t stop to talk myself out of making my wish a reality. I yanked his t-shirt up and over his head, momentarily disappointed that it broke our kiss but the view was totally worth it. The man should come with a warning sign. My hands splayed out over the hard ridges of muscles, tracing each dip and valley down to the edge of his jeans. When my fingers dipped below his waistband Grant let out a low hiss of need and started an exploration of his own. He pulled the top of my shirt down exposing more of my breasts to his hungry gaze, but it wasn’t enough for Grant. Before I could protest he had ripped my shirt in two.

  While he licked and kissed my left breast his hand was busy caressing my right. When he switched to sucking and biting my nipple his fingers started to pinch the other. It was too much, I was on the edge of giving into my orgasm but I wanted him inside me before that happened. I fought with the button on his jeans for a moment before it came free and the zipper quickly followed. I pushed them off his hips, dragging his boxers down as well. Grant took the hint and finished the job for me. There was no turning back now, my best friend was naked between my thighs.

  Grant pulled my panties down my legs before I could even think about lifting my hips to help him. He grabbed me by the thigh, spreading my legs farther apart before sliding between them. I reached up to pull his lips back down to mine, hungry for more of his kisses. I shivered when his fingers invaded my folds to spread my wetness around. I bit down on his lip when his thumb started to stroke the nub at the top.

  Grant let out another chuckle as he guided himself to my entrance. He made shallow, teasing thrusts that made me groan in frustration. When I wrapped a leg around his hip and tried to draw his hard length in farther he stopped moving completely. That could work too. Those Pilates classes I had been taking might finally come in handy for something. I wrapped my other leg around his hip and slowly slid myself up his length, pausing when I reached the end to savor the feeling of being completely filled. Slowly I lowered my hips back to the mattress, smiling to myself when I looked up at Grant’s face to see his eyes clenched tightly. I continued my slow torture for a few more strokes before his control snapped.

  He grabbed my hips and started to pound into me… and I loved it. I cried out his name as my orgasm crashed through me without warning on his third stroke. Grant didn’t stop his rhythm, if anything he seemed to pick up speed, drawing out my pleasure as he slid against my g-spot again and again. Finally spent I let my legs drop to the bed. Grant slowed his pace and grinned down at me.

  “Ready for round two?” Good lord the man was trying to kill me. All I could do was nod as he leaned down to kiss my neck.

  I hadn’t realized how sensitive my neck was until Grant started to kiss and nibble on it. I squirmed from his detailed attention which created a delish friction between my thighs. Grant kept his strokes slow and deep, adding a twist when he had filled me completely that sent a bolt of pleasure racing through my body. I lost track of everything but the feeling of need that took over as he played with my body. One hand holding my hips in place while the other was free to explore. My hands were doing some exploring of their own on his back and delectable buns. The closer I got to my second orgasm the slower Grant got. I knew the bastard was teasing me but at the moment I didn’t care as long as he didn’t stop what he was doing.

  Without warning Grant changed his tempo, his thrusts coming faster and harder. He pulled my left leg up over his shoulder as he locked lips with me again. This time I knew my orgasm was coming and my nails dug into his back as it hit harder than the first. My cries of passion were muffled by Grant’s kisses. Instead of drawing this orgasm out like the first one he let me come back down from my high and then rolled us over so that I was on top of him. Before I could tell Grant I was too exhausted to move he started to piston into me again. The new angle sending me skyrocketing back up to the heights of passion as he placed his thumb on my clit. I could feel the tingles starting in my toes again as my third orgasm of the night started to wash through me.

  “Look at me Mac.” Grant ordered gruffly as my eyes started to close. I locked my hazel eyes with his green ones as his body started to shake. Grant pulled me down on top of him, biting my shoulder to muffle his moan as he joined me in blissful oblivion.

  When my legs had stopped shaking enough to move I tried to roll off Grant, not wanting to crush him, but his arms wrapped around me like steel bands. He tucked my head under his chin and whispered, “Sleep.” Surprisingly, within minutes I felt myself starting to drift off.

  Chapter 2

  The screech of my alarm startled me from sleep. I rolled over to grab my phone when I realized that I was alone in bed. Swiping the screen to silence my alarm I looked around for proof that last night had actually happened. There was no sign that Grant had ever been in my bedroom other than the torn tank top on the floor. At least I hadn’t started having vivid sex dreams about my best friend. Nope, I just had mind blowing sex with him instead. Crap! What the hell had I been thinking? No wonder he had run away before I woke up. I’d want to avoid this morning after conversation too.

  My second alarm started to chime which meant I had to get my butt in gear. I turned off my alarms and got out of bed groaning out loud as my muscles protested the abuse th
ey had taken last night. A hot shower and some ibuprofen would hopefully provide relief or at the very least not make it obvious what I had been up to.

  It wasn’t until I was seated at my desk at work that I took the time to see if Grant had left me a text to explain his absence. My inbox was depressingly devoid of new messages. Well, what did you expect MacKenzie, a declaration of love? Don’t be stupid. I put my phone back in my purse and got to work. I didn’t have time to stress about whether or not Grant would text me.

  I pulled my phone back out a few minutes before noon when it beeped. A text from Alex wanting to know if I wanted to meet up for lunch. He worked in the building across the street and it wasn’t unusual for us to have lunch a few times a week, but I wasn’t sure if I wanted to face him hours after hooking up with Grant. He’d know something was up and this was definitely something I didn’t want my friends to find out. My stomach grumbled and I decided the longer I hid from my friends the faster they would figure out something had happened. I sent a text back agreeing to meet in twenty minutes at the local diner.

  Alex was waiting in our normal booth at the back of the diner when I arrived. I slid onto the bench across from him tossing my purse next to me. Alex was the only blonde in our group of friends. He had the stereotypical boy next door looks, complete with sparkling blue eyes and dimples that appeared when he smiled. In high school all the girls had flocked to his easy going charm and it was no different now that we were adults.