Bangkok (That Wedding Girl Book 3) (3 page)

He thinks about me? I can’t even…

Without giving a chance to react he grabs my waist and pulls me to him, and that static is there again. It’s electric and undeniable; judging by the way his pupils dilate I can tell he feels it too. Of course he’s not crazy! I won’t admit it. I can’t succumb to him, when we both know how irresponsible this is. He must have women throw themselves at him, leaving a trail of heartbreak along the way. I’m not going to be one of them, especially given our new working relationship. I have to stop this before it escalates further, before it all overflows.

I try and push his hand away but he keeps it lodged there, locked firmly into position.

“You are crazy, you don’t have thoughts about me,” I lie, obeying his command, though my words ring false even to my own ears. “And I have not been having thoughts about you.”
“Then why are you shaking? Why is your mouth dry?” He stares down at me, his eyes never leaving my lips. “Tell me I don’t have an effect on you.” 
I shake my head gently, looking down to the side. He’s right, I am shaking.

“It’s because you’re intimidating,” I say, trying desperately to suppress my fidgety hips.
Damn nerves
. 
He grabs my chin and gently lifts it up so I am forced to look at him. I don’t know how much longer I can hold out. I want him, I need for him to kiss me again.
“You are the only woman who I let insult me.” He crowds closer to me, my chest brushing his with each of our breaths.

“It’s because you deserve it.” I bite my lip and his nostrils flare at the sight. The look in his eyes is burning even hotter than before.

“And for the record, I didn’t kiss you because I wanted to be
nice
. I kissed you because it was all I could think about. It’s all I
have
been thinking about.”

Oh, it wasn’t just me.

“Then what’s stopping you?” I whisper, giving him permission to conquer me.

My eyes widen in shock as his lips conquer mine and my heart leaps, desire pooling deep inside me.
Fuck
it’s even better than I remember.  Those soft lips forceful and commanding all at once are on mine and they don’t intend to stop. Pinning me to the wall with his hips, I can feel his lust oozing through his every pore, especially underneath those baggy jeans. I am completely entranced and I close my eyes, moaning into his mouth and giving his tongue an opening. He takes advantage and explores my mouth slowly, sensually. Damn he’s good – if he can kiss me like this, I can’t even fathom what the rest is like. Gasping for air, I place my hands on his upper back and boy it’s heavenly. All that muscle and broad shoulders, hiding under that blasted flannel shirt that I want to rip off. His fingers stroke my arms, his touch spreading luscious warmth everywhere his skin comes into contact with mine. Curious to explore the rest of my body, he traces his hands slowly down to my waist, stopping short where my hips flare.  He breaks from the kiss, his breathing harsh, and redirects his attention to the curve of my neck. Trailing little kisses on my jawline, his skin is incredibly smooth and the friction between my skin and his is delicious. 

“Goddamn, you taste so good.”

Thank god I sprayed on that frangipani perfume
,
good thinking!
His hot breath on my skin is making me shudder with voracious lust.
Oh my
. Everywhere he kisses, tingles form. He gently but surely digs a few fingers into the side of my waist and I let out a girly giggle.

“I’m ticklish there.”

I can feel him smile against my neck at that revelation. “I’ll have to remember that.”

Nibbling on my ear, he starts moving his hands down, his fingers brushing the soft, silky material of my dress. I move my hands up his neck and to the back of his head, digging my fingers into his hair. It’s really soft and thick. He senses my need for more and starts bunching the fabric of my skirt, gathering it up. I am panting, dripping with desire and just when he’s about to start touching my legs, something vibrates visibly near my hips.

It’s Tristan’s phone, humming loudly in his front pocket.

We both freeze instantly and Tristan pulls back in the blink of an eye, whipping out his phone to look at the screen.

I look at him. He frowns momentarily and gulps quietly, before taking the call.

“What’s up man?”

His eyes locked on mine, he listens to the person on the other line and through the pitch silence I can make out the voice through the receiver.
Hansley
. His cheeks flushed, he gently lets out a deep breath before stepping back slowly, turning away from me to engage in his conversation with my brother. What is so important that Hansley has to call right at this moment?

“Hey, I know you’re overseas, I won’t be long. You left your credit card at my place,” I hear him through the receiver.

Tristan clicks his fingers, letting out another quiet breath. “I was wondering why it wasn’t in my wallet! Thanks for letting me know.”

I can hear Hansley’s rowdy snigger. “Ashley was thinking you left it on purpose, so you would have to come back later to see her. Am I right?”

My lips tighten at the sound of that name. Tristan quickly turns around to look in my direction.

“False. I’ll pick it up from you when I come back. Don’t use it, I’m warning you.”

Hansley chuckles. “No promises man. Speaking of Ashley, she’s been asking—”

“I gotta go, I’m busy here.” He finally looks at me, and the sexiest smile spreads on his face.

“Ooh, are you with some chick? Blonde, yeah? Send me a sneak pic!”  

And in that instant, his face drops and he resumes his deadpan expression.

“I’ll talk to you later. And I won’t forget to buy the gin and whiskey.”

“And the scotch too, Scott wants to host a poker night soon and he only drinks that stuff. Boys night when you’re back!”

“Sure. Bye.”

He hangs up, and I half expect him to lunge at me but he remains where he is, purposely keeping the distance between us. What’s going to happen now? Should we resume what we were doing, can we resume after that?

Clearing his throat, he reverts to that steely resolve that he does very well. “Look, I apologise for my…lack of self-control.”

“Tristan, don’t.”
You have nothing to be sorry about.

“To think I was only thinking about myself, how much I want you. I can’t do that to Hansley.”

Straightening his posture, he assumes a confident stance and slides his phone back into his pocket. It might have something to do with the fact he just got off the phone with his best friend, after he was just making out with his sister. Just a hunch. I know that look in his eye, it’s the same one he gave me after we first kissed. There’s no convincing him, that torturous guilt has already taken over and the only thing I can do is leave. 

“I’m going to go, alright? I need my laptop anyway,” I say, repeating the same thing I said when I first came to the bathroom. Before this rendezvous in this bathroom happened, before this
all
happened. 

I turn around and unlock the door, opening it.

“Lacey.”

I turn around to look at him, still standing there.

“I…” he stops himself, before seemingly changing tack. “I’ll see you soon, that work assignment. You’ll have the details shortly.”

I nod, disappointed he didn’t ask me to stay with him. I know he wants me to, I can see it in his eyes. Unexpectedly an idea forms in my head, some parting words I want to leave with him.

“Hey you know what you said about me not taking Xanax?”

He raises an eyebrow. “Yeah?”

“I’ll do it, if you can do something for me.”

“What?”

“If you try and drink less.” He had three scotches and a whiskey sour in just over an hour, that seems a bit overkill if you ask me.

He looks at me funnily. “What the hell am I supposed to drink instead?”

“There are other liquids other than alcohol you know. You know, a trivial thing called water perhaps. Try green tea, it tastes a lot better.”

He smirks, looking at me adoringly. “I’ll try, but I can’t make any promises.”

“That’s all I ask of you,” I look at him warmly, repeating his earlier words.

And with that, I leave Tristan behind again. Except this time, I leave with a smile on my face.

Okay I’ll admit it. I have a crush on my brother’s best friend. It’s juvenile and childish, but here I am – a grown woman with a crush. And it feels really nice.

I walk up to the door, dragging my luggage behind me. I grab my keys but before I insert it into the keyhole, I stop. Even though I have only been away for three weeks, my place won’t be the same now as I last saw it.  Adam won’t be here anymore, his presence and essence will be completely gone.

I live alone now, and when I walk through the door it will be real.

Come on, just open the door.
I was going to have to deal with this eventually. Taking a deep breath, I insert the key and turn right, entering the well-lit living room.

It’s still all there – the deceptively real looking pink hydrangeas on the hall table, the soft tinkling of the wind chimes out on the patio. The creamy yellow paint centres the room, adding another level of brightness normal white paint cannot achieve.

Taking in a subtle scent of lavender, I look at the large diffuser sitting next to the pink hydrangeas. It’s good to be back home, my home. A modest two-bedroom unit in the suburb of Stanmore, it’s infused with my love of art deco and vintage décor. I never aspired to have a large home, and I always preferred cosy and friendly compared to the excessive five-bedroom house in Northbridge that I grew up in. 

The unit is the perfect domestic pad for me, and up until a few weeks ago, it was for Adam as well. I don’t know where’s he’s gone, and dare I say, I don’t care. As long as all his crap is gone, I’ll be happy. From first glance he has moved all his stuff away – his books on how to make money, his suitcase which he always left by the door, his video games which sat in a large pile on the bookshelf. Most of the stuff is mine but the apartment feels rather empty, and the emptiness is disturbingly noticeable. I breathe quietly, dropping my bags and close the door behind me.

Oh boy
, this is different. But…it’s not bad. Different isn’t always bad, but it’s not always good either. Give it some time, I’ll get used to it. I don’t have a choice, either way.              

Instead, I’ll focus on the positives. I can cook the food I want to eat, watch all the cheesy movies I want, listen to my bad pop music. No longer do I have to make his blasted protein shakes or juices, pick up his sweaty shirts and socks, and clean his stubble out of the sink. I’ll be especially glad to not do that latter task, good riddance!

And mostly, I can unleash my domestic goddess and decorate the apartment the way I really wanted to. I let him put his foot down for a lot of things as he said my taste was too girly, and I’ve collected an eclectic backlog of vases, paintings and knick knacks I would love to purchase now that the space is all mine. One thing I am definitely adding to this place is the portrait Matteo gave to me! I think it would look nice in the guest bedroom. Hmm I have a lot of exciting plans now that I have the place to myself, and I am going to start today.

There’s no place like home, minus one selfish ex-fiancé.

♦

Taking a big sip of my hot green tea, I set it down on my dining table as I flick the page of a second hand version of
Gone with the Wind
. Ever since I read the book during one rainy weekend when I was sixteen, I have read the book once a year ever since, and I watch the movie twice as much. The book isn’t just a romance classic for me to read, it’s the taste of hot chocolate, lavender spray on my blankets, the chocolate chip cookies mom would bring in, the joy of those days where I could come home after school and delay doing my homework for just a few hours.
And now, it’s comfort for my newly single status.

It’s been four days since coming back home, and I’ve been catching up on much needed time to myself. I’ve watched plenty of corny romantic comedies, I am back to running again, and I am even experimenting with making new dishes, including this delicious radicchio, apple, and walnut salad, which Adam would never like. I must admit at first the quiet and solitude was hard to get used to but now it’s…tolerable. I’m okay with the fact that no one is ever going to walk through that door and greet me with a kiss every day.

I flick the page to the bit where Rhett tells Scarlett that ridiculously romantic line that gets me every time, how she should be kissed often and by someone who knows how.

Reading this makes me think of Tristan, and I blush. I haven’t spoken to him since our reckless make out session in Singapore, which also means I haven’t heard anything about this assignment.

My phone vibrates loudly on the dining table, and I poke my head out from the book to look at the screen. It’s Gabe! I’m delighted to hear from him. He must be back from Italy, after having some extended fun in the sun with his hot waiter Rodrigo. I tap his name and put the receiver to my mouth.

“Hello, stranger. Talk to me,” I say, eagerly awaiting the sound of his chirpy voice.

“Miss Motherfucker! I miss your face, darl.” It sounds quiet where he is.

“Are you back home yet? Come over, I’ll make you dinner, and we can go over everything, including our schedule and all. And I need to know what happened at Capri!”

He laughs, that same kind of coy snigger he has before he announces something unexpected. “I’ll get to that later. Our schedule however…yeah I’ve got some news.”

I sit up, eager to hear more. “What is it?”

“We’ve got our first assignment courtesy of your hot new boss. I’ve spoken to the clients just to confirm when we are arriving.”

I grip onto the phone for dear life. “WHAT? For real?”

“Real. It’s in Bangkok, a massive church wedding.”

My eyes widen in excitement. “Bangkok, as in Thailand?”

“Uhuh, awesome right? Love the city.”

“Hell yeah! Sorry, continue please.”

“They really just need help with the ceremony, as they are holding the reception at a hotel which will be all taken care of. They are holding an afternoon tea after the ceremony so you will need to coordinate that.”

“No problem. I can contact the hotel and incorporate it into the run sheet anyway.”

“I’ll send you all the information, but get this. Under our new fee structure, the clients pay for our accommodation and other business expenses. How sweet is that? And we are getting paid bucket loads compared to what we used to charge for the same amount of work! It’s pretty—”

“How come Tristan didn’t tell me about this?” I ask, trying to mask my irritation.

“Well, I manage first point of contact enquiries…not to mention you were on the plane when he called me.”

Oh
.
I try my best to concentrate as he keeps talking but I’m a little offended Tristan didn’t tell me. Not that I don’t trust Gabe, but I would have liked to contact the clients myself. I shake my head quickly, trying to keep to the topic at hand.

“Anyway, all good. I’m pretty excited!” I say way too eagerly.

“Me too! Don’t worry, I’ll give you all the details and paperwork as soon as I get off. But jot some stuff down, do you have a pen?”

I rush through the living room to my smaller bedroom where my desk is to grab a pen and a piece of paper.

“Okay, hit me with the deets,” I say with newly found energy. I was getting bored being at home, and nothing gives me a greater thrill and energy than a new assignment.

“The couple are young, high school sweethearts. Yvonne and Terry. They live in Sydney actually, but they want to honeymoon in Thailand and decided to get married there too.”

“What exactly do they need? Did they say why they wanted our help? I’m curious to know how Tristan convinced them to go with us.”

“Yeah, they tried to plan everything themselves at first, booking the church, decorations… all the hoopla, but they had a shitty wedding planner or something. They had the interview with the priest, requested their hymns and what not with him. So, most of the arrangements are all done, but since it’s in a foreign country they want help with getting to the altar and of course assisting with the guest arrivals. As for why they hired us, Yvonne said she knew about you already and was stoked that you were now doing destination weddings. See, that’s just how
fabulous
we are!”

“That’s awesome!” Everything is falling into place. “Great, when’s the wedding?”

“Oh that…you’re not going to like it.”

Uh oh, bad news?

“In six days. The flight’s been booked for you. You need to be at the airport in seven hours, I’ll send you the itinerary now.” He says it so fast it makes my head spin. Actually,
what
he said makes my head spin.

A gasp escapes my mouth, and I drop my pen onto the floor. “Are you serious? How is that enough time to plan everything they need?”

A running list of things run in my head. It’s still possible to do, but I need all relevant documentation, contacts, RSVPs, lists…and on it goes.

“Yes, I realise it is a bit rushed, but the venues for the ceremony and reception are all booked.
Luckily
, I was able to get the final RSVP guest list, so you can work your magic and get the rest done when you arrive.”

“I’m not a bloody magician, Gabe,” I groan and rub my temples to make sense of what I need to do.

“Hun, relax. I’m not trying to underestimate the work, but this one isn’t too bad. Hence why we are charging them this much, for the last minute service. Besides knowing you, you’ll have all the work done by the time you arrive!” He chuckles. “And we’ve got Tristan to help us out remember? He’s coming to Bangkok straight after his trip in the States. I
bet
you’ll be excited right?

I blush, clearing my throat. “Umm yeah sure…”

“Yeah speaking of that, I need to talk to you about that. But when I see you.”

I nod in agreement. “Okay, sure thing. I’ll go to your place when I’m done packing?”

Gabe pauses for a moment, and I can hear him trying to stifle a giggle. “Actually, I’m here already. In Bangkok, that is.”

My nostrils flare quietly, I feel all uneasy now. I have to endure through another flight alone? Gah! I was really hoping my Xanax free flight would involve Gabe at least. “What?”

“I was still in Capri when Tristan called, it made sense to come here straight away. Sorry for the rush! But
wait
‘til you arrive, the hotel is amazing. Tristan’s hooked up with like all the major hotel branches and we are getting a major discount with them. Naturally I booked one of the best hotels.”

Nodding, I smile. “I’m guessing you used the company account to book it all?”

“Yup, this new gig rocks! In fact, he’s just hooked up period! Good job bumping into him!”

I can hear the jubilation in his voice. A happy Gabe means a happy me.

“Okay in that case, you can do a couple of things for me while I’m on the way.”

“Of course darl, what do you need?”

Pacing around the room, I am a woman on a planning mission. “Confirm who the caterers are, and of course dietary requirements. Also, find out who is delivering the flowers, decorating the church, music…actually just check with the couple what they have confirmed. I want the full report when I arrive and we can go from there. I can always dig into my book of contacts if it’s an emergency, but—”

I can hear him scribbling away. “To be honest most of those things are already handled, we’re just picking up where the wedding planner left off. But I will provide you all the details. I’ll email you all the info, you can get busy and plan like the fanatical person you are.”

We say goodbye and as soon as I hang up the phone, I rush to my bedroom and take out my suitcase. I don’t really have time to think, I just need to do.               I need to grab clothes from my wardrobe, pack my laptop, toiletries, stationery.

However, there is one thing I’m not going to pack, as much as I really want to. Xanax. Not  because I made a deal I with Tristan, but perhaps I’m relying on it too much. It’s becoming my go to solution. It’s not going to be easy, I know, but I can do it.

I think…