Book 3 in the Philadelphia Series



Chapter 1




Trevor and Ava’s wedding

3 weeks prior

Chelsea

My heart felt like it was going to jump right out of my chest as I pushed back into a small alcove, giving myself a moment—trying to catch my breath.

It was honestly the most beautiful wedding I’d been to. Ava and Trevor were an extraordinary couple and incredible people. I was so honored when Ava asked me to be a part of her wedding.

I had known Ava for a couple of years and Trevor more recently. We all worked at the advertising agency together, and from the moment I’d seen them together, I knew there was something there. The way Trevor looked at Ava brought waves of emotion over me. He looked at her like she was the only woman in the room. I had watched their relationship blossom from the beginning, and it was so exciting to see them together. It gave me hope.

I had been on a long streak of disastrous dates lately. I was half tempted to sign up for one of those internet dating sites. Maybe a computer would have better luck setting me up. I was obviously having a hard time finding anyone with whom I was compatible these days.

As the night wore on, the party got a bit more uninhibited. Most families and older guests had long since gone home, and the crowd was now full of the twenty-somethings letting loose. I had my fair share of drinks and had been carrying a warm buzz that seemed to give me the bit of courage I needed to let myself go a little. This is how I ended up in this alcove trying to catch my breath.

As part of the wedding party, I knew I would be paired up with Trevor’s friend, Nick. He was the epitome of tall, dark, and handsome, and boy could he dance! Each time we danced, his hands seemed to roam a bit farther, and to be honest, I had a hard time stopping it—not that I even wanted to.

The feel of his hard body pressed against me had my insides in a frenzy. The music thumped as he rocked his hips against my backside in a sensual rhythm. With one quick motion, he spun me around so I was facing him. He pulled me snugly against the hard muscles of his chest and wrapped his arm around my waist, making me gasp and pull in a lung full of air. His face was so close to mine that I could feel his breath, hot and moist, against my lips.

“God, you smell amazing,” Nick groaned, as he leaned in and placed a moist kiss on my neck. I felt a warmth flow through my body that traveled from my head to my toes. I threw my head back as he trailed kisses across my neck, finally pausing as he placed his hands on either side of my face. His mouth claimed mine in a sensual dance of desire as he plunged his tongue into my mouth, savagely searching as he licked and sucked me into the most intense kiss I’d ever experienced.

I pulled back, panting and weak in the knees. “Wow,” I whispered. The man kissed like a god.

“Come home with me,” he groaned. It wasn’t a question, and I wasn’t sure I would be capable of saying no even if it had been. I nodded and then smiled at the relief and desire I saw in his eyes.

“Give me a minute, and I’ll be right back,” I begged.

He placed another quick kiss on my lips. “Don’t keep me waiting too long.” He winked at me as I turned and headed into the hallway.

“Holy shit!” I moaned, trying to regulate my heart rate as I pressed my back against the cold wall. Excitement rolled off of me like a child on Christmas morning. In all of my past dates, I’d never been so attracted to a man before. My dates teetered on the conservative side—nothing like Nick. Nick exuded sex, and it seemed tonight, I was finally going to experience it. If it was anything like the kiss we’d just shared, I was sure it would be everything I’d ever imagined.

I took a deep breath and pushed off the wall, stopping to get my purse on the way back. My cheeks felt flushed, and my lips still tingled from the kiss. I rounded the corner and walked back into the dwindling reception. Ava and Trevor were making their way out, and I had barely made it back in time to say goodbye. After the doors shut behind them, I turned to find Nick. “Hey Talia, have you seen Nick?” She and Tom were on their way out, and looked as if they were in quite a hurry.

“Um, I think I saw him on the side of the bar.” She pointed in the general direction as they practically ran for the door.