The Game of Love: (BWWM Romance) by K. Alex Walker Read Free Book Online

of her line of sight. Perfectly outfitted in a crisp black suit and matching silk tie, she felt grossly mismatched in the pewter, lace turtleneck bridesmaid dress that Marcie had handpicked. Marcie, already self-conscious about her weight, had wanted to make sure that she stood out as much as possible on her special day. The bridesmaids had unanimously agreed to bite their tongues and wear the putrid greenish-gray gowns, and they’d all pitched in to make sure Marcie felt as beautiful as she needed to feel. In a strapless white dress that cinched her waist and emphasized her bust, the bride looked thoroughly pleased.
    The organ began to play, and Reese and Marcie shared a kiss before walking back down the aisle as husband and wife. Sommer followed with the rest of the wedding party, hooking arms with one of the groomsmen. As they passed the row where Austin was seated, he pretended to be heartbroken that she was on the arm of another man, causing her to playfully cozy up to the groomsman even more. He then signaled for her to meet him outside, and her body tingled in anticipation of the feeling of his fingers against her skin.
    As the reception proceeded ahead in full speed, everyone mingled underneath the decorated white tent that had been set up on the church’s expansive acreage, while Marcie and her father twirled all over the dance floor to an upbeat 1940s swing melody. She’d wanted her father-daughter dance to be nontraditional . With the split that her father had just attempted, despite being a man well into his seventies, she was getting just that.
    “You’ve been hiding from me,” Austin’s voice cut through the noise. He stood a few inches behind her which allowed the distance to appear friendly to those who weren’t close enough to hear the mischievous things he was saying. He was still close enough, however, for Sommer to feel the heat pouring from his skin, and it took mountains of self-control not to turn around and tug him out of the tailored suit-jacket that he wore.
    “I’ve been looking for you, I swear,” she whispered back. “I just got caught up in the festivities.”
    He chuckled. “Lucky you that I’m not so beautiful that you could barely focus on anything but me all evening. Even in that god-awful dress, you still manage to outshine everyone here.”
    Mrs. Waters walked by with a glass of champagne in her hand . Austin and Sommer smiled innocently until she was out of earshot.
    “I want to peel that dress off of you,” he continued. “I’ve wanted you ever since that night on the beach.”
    Her nostrils filled with the scent of his cologne mixed with his natural spice. “Is that so?”
    “That’s so.”
    “Well, what do you say we get out of here?”
    He shook his head. “Not yet. I want you to soak with anticipation.”
    As the father-daughter dance ended, the DJ switched to a slow, 90s love ballad, and couples flooded the dance floor. Reese navigated through the crowd to reunite with his bride and the lights underneath the tent were dimmed. Austin touched Sommer on the small of her back.
    “Dance with me?”
    She looked up at him. “You’re serious?”
    “This can make up for the prom that we wanted to attend together, but didn’t have a chance to,” he said, glancing out at the burgeoning crowd.
    “I hardly think that I would have worn this get-up to prom.”
    Austin gently pulled her by the hand as he walked backwards toward the dance floor. “What do you mean? I could definitely see you in that at prom. With some neon pink heels. You’d be the envy of all of the women in the room.”
    Sommer looked around the room at how the women seemed to follow Austin’s every move. For no other reason, they probably envied her because of the attention that he was giving her that they wished they had.
    Squaring away a spot in the middle of the wooden dance floor, he drew her into his chest, placed one hand at her waist, and secured the other with her smaller hand, lacing their