FIFTY SHADES OF LUST

Chapter 1

Maya's hands shook as she smoothed down the seating chart for the third time. The paper crinkled under her fingers, little wrinkles appearing at the edges where she'd gripped it too hard.

"You're going to wear a hole through that thing."

His voice. She didn't need to look up to know Dante was leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed, that insufferable smirk on his face. She could feel him watching her.

"Someone has to actually care about the details," she said, keeping her eyes on the chart. Table seven still wasn't right. Uncle Richard couldn't sit near Aunt Susan after the incident at Christmas.

"It's a wedding, not a corporate merger."

Now she looked up. He was wearing jeans and a black t-shirt that fit too well across his shoulders. His dark hair was messy, like he'd just rolled out of bed. Probably had. Musicians didn't believe in morning meetings, but Maya had insisted. Her sister's wedding was in two days and the timeline was slipping.

"Some of us take commitments seriously," she said.

"And some of us know how to have fun." He pushed off the doorframe and walked toward her table. "When's the last time you did something just because you wanted to, not because it was on your color-coded schedule?"

Her jaw tightened. Three months ago. At the bachelor party. When she'd had too much tequila and ended up in a dark corner of the bar with his mouth on hers, his hand sliding up her thigh, her fingers tangled in his hair.

They'd both pretended it never happened.

"The music still needs to be finalized," she said, shuffling papers. "You promised me a playlist by Monday."

"It's done. Sent it to your email this morning."

"You did?"

"Yeah. Some of us can actually meet deadlines without making a production out of it."

Her fingers curled around her pen. She wanted to throw it at him. Or maybe pull him across the table and kiss that smug look off his face. Both options were equally inappropriate.

"Fine. Good. Thank you." The words came out clipped.

"You're welcome, counselor." He was close enough now that she could smell him. Something woodsy and clean, mixed with coffee. "Try not to organize the fun out of this wedding."

He left before she could respond. Maya stared at the empty doorway, her heart hammering against her ribs. Her sister had joked last week that she and Dante fought like a married couple. The comment had made Maya's stomach flip.

She looked back at the seating chart. The words blurred together.

This was going to be a very long weekend.

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CHAPTER 2

The rehearsal dinner was perfect. Of course it was. Maya had spent six months planning every detail.

The garden venue glowed with string lights. White flowers spilled from tall vases on each table. The weather had cooperated, giving them a warm June evening with just enough breeze to keep it comfortable.

Maya stood at the head table in her champagne-colored dress, notes in hand, ready to give her maid of honor speech. Her sister Lily sat beside her new fiancé, both of them glowing with that annoying loved-up happiness that made Maya's chest ache.

She cleared her throat. The conversations around the room quieted.

"I've known Lily my entire life," Maya began, her voice steady and professional. "As her older sister, I've had the privilege of watching her grow into the amazing woman she is today..."

Her eyes scanned the room as she spoke, landing briefly on faces she'd known forever. Her parents. College friends. Distant cousins. And then Dante, sitting at the next table over, watching her with an intensity that made her lose her place in her notes.

His dark eyes were fixed on her face. Not polite attention. Something else. Something that made heat crawl up her neck.

"Um." She looked back down at her cards, found her spot. "Lily has always been the brave one. The one willing to take risks, to follow her heart..."

But she could still feel his gaze. Her hands trembled slightly as she continued through her carefully prepared remarks. When she finished and everyone clapped, she sat down quickly and downed half her wine in one gulp.

An hour later, it was Dante's turn.

He stood up without notes, without preparation, and spoke from the heart. Talked about growing up with the groom, about loyalty and friendship and taking chances on love. His voice was rough and honest and beautiful. Everything Maya's speech wasn't.

She hated him for it. Hated how easily words came to him, how he made people feel things while she just checked boxes.

When he sat back down, their eyes met across the space between tables. Something electric passed between them. Maya shoved her chair back, mumbling an excuse about needing air, and headed for the exit.

The garden behind the venue was dark and quiet. Fairy lights hung from the trees but most of them were off. Maya pressed her hands against her flushed cheeks, trying to calm down. This was ridiculous. She was a grown woman. A successful lawyer. She didn't get flustered by cocky musicians with pretty words.

"Running away?"

She spun around. Dante stood a few feet away, hands in his pockets. The light from the building behind him turned him into a silhouette.

"I needed air," she said.

"B*llsh*t. You needed to get away from me." He walked closer. "You can't keep looking at me like that."

"Like what?"

"Like you want to f*ck me on the gift table."

The crude words sent a shock through her system. Heat pooled low in her belly. "You're delusional."

"Am I?" Another step closer. "Because I've been thinking about that night for three months. The way you tasted. The sounds you made."

"We were drunk. It was a mistake."

"Then why haven't you been able to look me in the eye since?" He was right in front of her now. Close enough to touch. "Why do you find excuses to leave every time I walk into a room?"

"Because..." She couldn't finish. Her heart was pounding too hard.

"Because you want it to happen again," he said quietly. "Because you think about it too. Late at night. When you're alone."

She did. God help her, she did. "This is my sister's wedding."

"I know."

"We have to be civil tomorrow. Professional."

"I know."

"Our friends..."

"Don't care." He reached up, tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. His fingers brushed her cheek and she shivered. "Tell me you don't want this. Say it and I'll walk away. We'll pretend I never followed you out here."

Maya opened her mouth. The words wouldn't come.

Dante's eyes darkened. He stepped closer, backing her up against a tree. The bark pressed rough against her back through the thin fabric of her dress.

"Say it, Maya."

She couldn't. Because it would be a lie.

He kissed her.

Not gentle. Not tentative. His mouth crushed against hers like he'd been starving for it. Her hands flew up, fisting in his hair, pulling him closer even as her brain screamed that this was wrong. His tongue swept into her mouth and she moaned against him.

His hands found her waist, slid up her ribs, just barely brushing the sides of her breasts through her dress. She arched into him, desperate for more contact. One of his legs pushed between hers and she ground against his thigh, shameless.

"F*ck," he breathed against her mouth. "We can't do this here."

"I know." But she didn't stop kissing him.

"Tonight." His hand slid down to cup her *ss, pulling her harder against him. "After dinner. One time. We get it out of our systems."

"Okay." Her voice was barely a whisper.

"Tomorrow we're civil. Professional. Just the maid of honor and the best man."

"Yes. Fine. Whatever." She pulled his mouth back to hers.

They kissed for another minute, frantic and desperate, before breaking apart. Maya's lips felt swollen. Her carefully applied lipstick was definitely destroyed.

"We should go back inside," she said. "Separately."

"Right." But he didn't move. Just looked at her with those dark eyes that promised filthy things.

"Dante."

"I know." He stepped back, ran a hand through his hair. "You first. I need a minute."

She glanced down and saw the obvious bulge in his pants. Heat flooded her face. "Oh."

"Yeah. Go. I'll be in soon."

Maya smoothed down her dress and headed back toward the building, her legs shaky. When she walked back into the warm light and noise of the dinner, her sister caught her eye and raised an eyebrow. Maya just shook her head and slid back into her seat.

Five minutes later, Dante returned. He didn't look at her. But under the table, his foot found hers. A deliberate press. A reminder.

Tonight.

Maya barely tasted the rest of her dinner.

CHAPTER 3

They couldn't leave yet. Couldn't risk anyone noticing they'd disappeared at the same time. So Maya sat through dessert and speeches and toasts, hyperaware of Dante across the room. Every time she glanced his way, he was watching her.

Her mother pulled her aside to discuss tomorrow's timeline. Her father wanted to review the photographer's schedule. Lily's friends wanted to take group photos. Maya went through all the motions, smiling and nodding, while her skin felt too tight and her underwear was already damp.

Finally, people started heading to their cars. The venue was clearing out. Maya excused herself to the restroom, her heart hammering.

She was washing her hands when she heard the door lock click behind her.

Dante.

"Someone could need to use this," she said, watching him in the mirror.

"Then they'll wait." He crossed the small space in two strides. "We have maybe five minutes before someone notices we're both gone."

"T