Free Heaven Can't Wait by Pamela Clare Page B

spend the evening with sexy strippers angry and without so much as a kiss.
     
    Lissy made it through the chocolate buffet, the gifts and at least ten glasses of champagne acting as if she were having the time of her life. She didn’t want to ruin the evening for anyone else. They’d all gone out of their way to make the night special for her, even arranging for a trio of male strippers, whose pelvic gyrations, bare butts and flexing muscles sent some of the women—Holly among them—into estrogen meltdown and resulted in more than a few phone numbers being tucked delicately into bulging thongs along with dollar bills.
    It was only after most of the guests had gone that Lissy found herself unable to hide her feelings. No sooner had Tessa asked her what was wrong, than Lissy found herself in tears.
    She told them everything: how Will had tried to seduce her, how she’d tried to seduce him back, how she’d found herself on the brink of giving in and had asked Tessa to come home with her, how Will had walked into the living room, naked, right in front of Tessa, how they’d gotten into a fight and had ignored each other all day.
    “And n-now he’s watching b-beautiful women shake their h-hooters, and I didn’t even k-kiss him good-bye!” Lissy blew her nose, sniffed, grabbed another tissue from the box Kara had handed her.
    For a moment no one said anything.
    Then Holly spoke. “You saw him totally naked, Tess? Is he as hot as he seems?”
    “Holly!” Kara gave a disgusted snort and began to pack Lissy’s gifts in bags. “Your one-track mind gets a little old sometimes.”
    But Sophie and Holly were staring at Tessa, clearly waiting for an answer.
    Sophie cleared her throat. “Well, Tess, is he?”
    Tessa nodded. “Oh, my gentle Jesus! Yeah.”
    Lissy had started to cry again when she felt Kara sit down beside her.
    “You know what I think these tears are, Lissy?” Kara slipped a comforting arm around her shoulder. “Champagne, sexual frustration and pre-wedding jitters.”
    “R-really?”
    “Yeah. Now let’s get you home.”
     
    “I love her so much. She’s smart, and she’s funny, and, God, she’s so damn sexy. And she smells good and tastes good. I could taste her all day, everywhere. I really could.” Will took another sip of Scotch. “And I love her—more than anything. I love just being with her—holding her hand, talking, watching TV or whatever. I could listen to her voice forever.”
    The woman he was talking to gave him an indulgent smile. “It sounds like you’re really in love with her.”
    He nodded. “I love her so much sometimes it scares me. If Lissy were to leave me…”
    The woman laughed. “That’s not going to happen, honey. Take my word for it.”
    It was then Will noticed the woman wasn’t wearing…much of anything. “Did you lose your shirt somewhere? Are you cold? Here, you can have mine.”
    He started to pull his shirt over his head; then he heard Devon’s voice and felt strong arms yanking him to his feet. “Okay, man, time to go. On your feet. That’s the way.”
    “Devon, there’s a naked woman over there. I think we should help her.”
    “It’s your bachelor party, Will, and she’s a stripper.”
    The woman’s voice came from behind them, a mix of laughter and cigarettes. “A stripper who’s apparently losing her touch. Good night, boys. And thanks.”
    A stripper? His bachelor party. Loud music. An endless stream of strip bars and single malt. “I’m drunk off my ass, aren’t I?”
    “Oh, yeah. Watch your step. Nick, catch the door.”
    The floor wobbled. His stomach lurched. “Devon, I want to see Lissy.”
    “I know.”
     
    Lissy woke, her head pounding, her mouth full of sand. She heard someone moaning, realized it was she.
    “Here, sugar.”
    She forced her eyes open, saw Will sitting on the edge of their bed beside her in his boxers, a glass of water and what she hoped were aspirin in his hand, though arsenic would have been fine, too.