Free Rush to the Altar by Jamie Carie

her light fairy costume and glittering eyelashes over those shocked and hurt eyes, eyes the color of the blue waters in the Caribbean, staring at him in hurt disbelief as he’d berated her for her dance routine and accused her of wanting to seduce him, haunted him. He found he wanted to banish the hurt, put salve on the wounds he’s caused and draw her into his arms. And she’d been gracious enough to accept his apology. That alone was impressive. She could have played that card in a lot of different ways—revengeful or calculating, taunting or tantalizing. Instead, she’d melted—sincere, sweet, openhearted acceptance—and promised him a dance.
    The dance. Dinner was over, the speeches were over and the party had migrated to the other room, where the band was testing their mics and the sound system. The dancing would soon begin.
    Jake took another sip of his drink and found Maddie at the back of the room, talking and laughing, a barely touched martini in her elegant hand. He debated his options. The third song, if it was a good one. He couldn’t ask her before the third song if he wanted to look better than desperate. He’d already forgotten his promise to ignore her.
    Jake’s spine straightened when he saw out of the corner of his eye the man she had been talking to earlier come up to her and ask her to dance the first song. It was a fast one, and only two women, one dressed as Wonder Woman and the other as a tennis player, were making their way to the dance floor. He saw Maddie shake her head, then clenched his teeth as the man grabbed her hand and pulled her to the floor anyway. Jake stared openly at them now, anger beating in the pulse at the base of his throat. What was it about Maddie that everyone thought they could manhandle her like that? He would have to get her into self-defense classes. Teach her some street moves to protect herself.
    He stared while Maddie acquiesced, though he could tell her heart wasn’t in it, she didn’t give the man eye contact and her body was barely moving to the music. The guy, however, was obviously intoxicated and getting handsy with her. He was just about to go out there and do something about it when he heard “Hey, Jake” from just behind him.
    He turned to see Marcus Cornell, a fellow player and the friend he’d come here with. “Marcus.” He nodded to him then looked back at Maddie. She looked miserable.
    “You really got a thing for her, don’t ya?”
    “Why do you say that?” He wanted to know how he was being so obvious.
    “Come on, man. You’ve only got eyes for her. You haven’t even noticed Jill Parkinson is here, or that other woman you dated, Tiffany something or the other? Didn’t you go out with her?”
    Tiffany Daniels. His only serious relationship outside of a college girlfriend. “Tiffany’s here?” He’d really been in love with her until she had left him when he said he would never marry without a pre-nup. It hadn’t taken her long to find another rich boyfriend. “I wonder if she married that guy,” he said.
    “She’s a beautiful woman, that’s for sure,” Marcus agreed. “Hey.” Marcus motioned toward Maddie on the dance floor. “Is it just me or is that guy getting a little too friendly on the dance floor with your girl? I don’t think she likes it, either.”
    Jake grasped Marcus on the shoulder. “Thanks, man. That was all I needed to hear.” He made his way through the crowd toward them as the song wound down. The man’s hands kept wandering over Maddie’s arms and side in a way that made Jake want to plow a fist into his face.
    Maddie was shaking her head and trying to back out of the man’s touch when Jake arrived within earshot. “No, thank you, Greg. Now, please. I’m finished dancing. I need to see that the auction is set up and ready to go.”
    Greg didn’t seem to want to pay any attention to her feelings, but as he looked up and beyond Maddie’s shoulder and locked eyes with Jake, he suddenly let go and