The Wedding Date

Chapter Sixteen

Amelia

A hike throught the jungle sounds exactly like what the doctor ordered. I had found in recent months that working out and manual labor were sort of a release for me. I could focus all of my energy, funnel all of my pent up anger, and release it through movement. It had become cathartic for me. Even though as my mother had so graciously put it I am 'so heavy I hardly recognized you,' I am the healthiest I have ever been in my life. Now, my ribcage just wasn't visible beneath my skin. Now, I have muscle tone and strength.

"Are you sure you don't want to ride with us in the car?" Lizzie asked. She was absolutely dead set on taking part in this zip line activity. So, Colton had insisted they stop to rent a tiny jeep that could navigate the trails up to the top. I was glad to see him at least outwardly pretending to be a gentleman. I couldn't help but, wonder if it was all for show.

"And miss out on seeing the jungle?" I asked her with a smile pulling my wavy blonde hair into a ponytail. I turned to look at Jack who stood off to the side of the trail waiting for me.

"Are you sure you don't want to ride up with them?" I asked him for what felt like the hundredth time. I had a feeling Mr.Spends-all-his-time-in-an-office was going to slow me down. And once I hit that high it was hard for me to stop.

"You think I'm going to leave you to get lost in the woods?" he asked taking a long swig of his water. I watched his Adam's apple bob as he swallowed. He turned his head and caught me looking c*****g an eyebrow. I turned my head back to Lizzie as if nothing had happened.

"I have a great sense of direction." I said with a smile. He walked across the small muddy road, and leaned in close to me so he could be seen through the window.

"I think I'd better stay with her." he said with a smile. He was so close to my back that I could feel his breath on my hot skin. It sent a shiver through me.

"Okay sounds good! We'll meet you guys at the top." Colton called from the driver's side of the car. We both stepped back and the drove off up and around a bend where we could no longer see them.

"You're sure about this?" he asked. I flashed him a cheeky grin pulling the map I had bought from our tour guide out.

"Let's get going." I told him stepping off the path we had just been on and into the thick foliage of the jungle around us.

"Do you know where we are going?" he asked as we picked our way up onto another path.

"That's the path up for cars," I told him pulling myself up the small ledge to the path. "This is the footpath."

I turned back to give him a hand up to nearly run directly into his chest.

"Oh," I said softly accidently brushing my hand across his abs, unable to stop the momentum.

"Oh, hello." he replied leaning in with sexy cocky grin. I turned on my heel and marched off with an awkward laugh. I heard him chuckle behind me, a low sultry sound that made me clench my thighs.

I put my head down, watching where my feet where stepping. I picked me way over fallen branches, puddles, and dense thick green foliage. We walked like that for nearly a mile in complete silence. I broke down and in my weakness I couldn't stand to be quiet anymore.

"So, who exactly are you close with in my family?" I asked him panting softly as we worked our way up the incline.

"I'm not sure what you mean," he replied moving with deft strong confidence. He moved like an avid hiker. I had several times looked back to warn him about a hidden trip hazard to see him navigating his way back me like a pro.

"I mean, you're close enough with the family to get invited to the wedding. I was just curious who it is that you are so close to." I explained as we began to undertake a particularly difficult patch of undergrowth.

Taking the smarter route Jack went up and around the brush instead of climbing through it like I had. He turned and knelt offering me a hand up. Grateful for the rescue I took it, reaching up and gripping his forearm. He lifted me as if I weighed nothing. Just as he pulled me over the top my foot caught and I flew forward. I landed sweaty, panting, and damp right against his chest. My hands landed palms down on his chest beneath the thin cotton fabric of his shirt I could feel how rock hard his muscles are. I couldn't help but, notice he was hard down below as well. He pulled away quickly obviously hoping that I had not felt it pressed against my tummy. The moment literally took my breath away. I felt myself get wet. He's huge.

"Sorry," I whispered breathless stumbling a bit because of how fast he had pulled away.

"You're fine." He said without looking at me he turned and marched again. When he thought he was far enough ahead I wouldn't see he adjusted himself in his pants. He's hard watching me sweat and pant like a pig through the hot humid jungle?

"I was invited because I'm a primary shareholder in your father's company." he replied after a few minutes of climbing in silence. I had almost forgotten what we had been talking about how stunned stupid I was by his hard on. Shaking my head I collected my thoughts and rejoined the conversation.

"Fletcher is a primary shareholder. I won't be seeing him on the big day standing in line with the groom." I replied. I had started going over this in my head last night in my room. I can imagine in the bussiness world it's regular to invite those you offend to events to show them your remorse. But, they had not just invited him to the wedding they had asked him to be a groomsman. To force him into close proximity to me? Just what was my mother planning?

"I thought maybe you're family might be planning to set the two of us up, am I right?" he asked as we came to a natural stop at the top of a bend. As spoke he faced me and looked me directly in the eye. I couldn't help the blush creeping up my cheeks.

"They might be." I told him honestly.

"Listen, not that you aren't beautiful or anything, and I'm certainly attracted to you-" he had begun before I interrupted.

"You're attracted to me?" I asked meeting his gaze. He seemed to squirm fidgeting with his hands. "You think I'm beautiful?"

"Any man in his right mind would." he replied before continuing without missing a beat. "But, I simply have no interest in marriage right now."

"That may be what my family is after when it comes to the two of us but, trust me I am not either. I just went throught the messiest breakup of my life. And let's be fair here, you don't exactly have the best track record with women either." I replied more venom in my tone than I had intended. Why did that feel personal?

"Ouch." he replied as if I had been the one to hurt his feelings. I stomped away.

Why would I possibly be upset he isn't interested in marriage? If I was even on the market after everything I had been through a billionaire CEO would not be on my list of potential candidates.

There was something more to it than just that, truth be told. When I was sixteen and I had lost my virginity to my then boyfriend Adam. Things had happened so fast he hadn't even waited for me to get wet before he forced his way inside. Two pumps later he pulled out, pulled up his pants, and was out the door. I had hesitated to have s*x with Skyler for years. I knew from stories I had heard and read from other girls. There was supposed to be a spark, a heat, some kind of flame! But, when we kissed, when he touched me, it had felt forced, like I was putting on a show for his pleasure and not mine.

Jack and I have not even kissed but, when his eyes fall on me I feel heat on my skin. When he looks at me I feel the fire in his eyes. And when he had gotten close to me I had felt the first embers of a fire building within my core.

Suddenly, I spun on my heel turning on him.

"So you're not interested in marriage then what are you interested in?" I asked him putting my hands on my hips. Slowly he looked me over, eyes roaming from my head to my toes. I watched as his mouth opened, his perfect teeth were exposed, he bit his bottom lip.

"You." he replied.