The Inconvenient Bride (5 page)

"We can't do this, Dylan. Not now." Her unconvincing words went in one ear and out the other.

"Too late, baby." He moaned as he dove in and tasted her sweet, warm opening. His tongue danced around her delicate folds, enjoying each sensual bite. Dylan feasted on her sweetness, pulling and nipping at her until she started shaking uncontrollably on the bed. Then, he pressed one finger in her tight opening followed by another then another. Carrie bucked in delight as he moved his digits in and out of her close-fitting pussy.
Why was she so tight? Was Carrie a virgin? She couldn’t be!

“Let me touch you, Dylan.” She pleaded as she lunged forward and grabbed his large, thick and fully erect cock. Staring deeply into his eyes, Carrie groped and massaged his sensitive tip, the way she always imagined, until they both moaned and screamed in pleasure. But, a fully aroused Dylan need more. Much more.

“One more nibble,” he begged as he swiftly dipped his head back down to her sweet tasting pussy and feasted again. This time, he used a combination of biting and thrusting on her aching core. She touched her body with passion forcing his sensitive member to stand taller.

"No more, Dylan. Please."

"Then tell me your damn secret!" He moaned while continuously flicking at her swollen, plump clit.

"Okay, okay!” She pleaded, but Dylan didn't remove his fingers from her special spot. One, because he wanted to make sure she told him every single detail. And two, because he simply couldn't. The warmth of her constricted walls was sending him into sexual overdrive and to deny himself this feeling would be torture.

“Talk to me,” he whimpered as he pushed another plump finger into her deep, swollen pussy. Afraid she wouldn’t speak, he rotated his fingers inside her, pushing them in and out, and then out and in, until her hazy eyes rolled around. Finally, she opened them slightly as she spoke. "Fine. I want you to sexually please me for one year."

The confession shocked him, but he knew there was more. "What else?" he said moving his fingers faster and stronger in her wet, throbbing section.

"I want you to teach me the art of lovemaking. I'm tired of masturbating about you, Dylan. I want you to make love to me. I want you to be my first. I just want you." The words fell quickly from her lips. A small tear feel from her eyes. She closed her lids quickly. She didn't want to see his reaction. Why had he driven her sick with desire, forcing her to tell her dark secret?

"Virgin? Really,Carrie?" The confession sent him into a tailspin.
Unbelievable.

Was Carrie Heights, his best friend of nearly twenty years, really a virgin? Shit, why didn't he know that? How could he have not known? A dozen questions surfaced in his head at once and Dylan knew Carrie saw them all bouncing around. He took a deep breath, then gently released his hand for her sensitive core. The moment he withdrew his magical fingers, Carrie felt sick and rejected and she knew this had been a horrible mistake.

She sat up quickly, then covered her exposed body with her thin bed sheet. She moved to the foot of her bed so she could be close to him. She knew him well, too well, and anytime he went silent, she knew he was in deep thought. Once there, he ran his fingers up and down the small of her back so she didn't think he was concerned,
but he was
.

They sat there in silence for nearly a minute until Carrie broke the awkwardness. "Please say something, Dylan. I know I should have told you years ago, but how could I? I couldn't jeopardize our friendship. It means the world to me." The words leaped from her mouth faster than an Olympic sprinter. "How was I supposed to tell you that I had feelings for you when obviously you didn't have them for me?"

Dylan immediately turned to her with a puzzled look on his face. Was she really apologizing? He couldn't allow her to think that she did something wrong.

"Carrie, I'm not upset. I'm just in shock."

She dropped her head and pulled the sheet tighter to her naked flesh. "Now you know why I've been so distant lately."

“You should have told me. We used to tell each other everything. What happened?" Dylan stated with a hint of disappointment in his voice.

"I was embarrassed. You must believe me, I didn't want to feel this way. I tried to make it go away, but every time I was around you my feelings grew more intense." The tears fell rapidly from her dark, full eyes. The slight quiver in her voice told him that the revelation had been tough. Very tough. Dylan immediately pulled her close and wrapped his arms around her.

Sitting there wrapped in a deep intimate embrace, Dylan realized that he had a lot to think about. The problem was he only had a day to consider everything.
Could he really sleep with and marry his best friend? What in the hell would it be like? And why in the hell had he made out with her the day before the wedding? He was losing control.

Then it happened.... Panic washed over him. What in the hell was he thinking? He wasn't husband material. Carrie needed and deserved much more than what he could provide. Didn't she remember the countless sob stories he told her about his mother's infidelity and how it had signed his fate years before? Dylan felt sick to his stomach having touched, kissed and nipped on Carrie's most intimate areas. How could he have willingly crossed that invisible forbidden line? How could they ever be best friends again? Tiny sweat beads began to form on his brow and he felt nauseous as a wave of disgust washed over him. He needed to get out of her apartment and get out fast.

Buzz. Buzz.

The sound of his cell phone ringing near the bathroom floor startled them both back into reality. Dylan gently broke their embrace and headed towards the bathroom to retrieve his phone. Staring at him now, in all his glory, Carrie wondered why he had never tried to kiss her. The night before in the car he had caressed and played her with body and even their earlier encounter had involved some intimate fondling, but not once did he place his full lips on her lips. Yes, something was wrong. But what was it?

"Hi, Katie. How are you?" He took a deep breath when he realized it was his sister. He was unbelievably grateful for the phone call. He needed to create some space between himself and Carrie so he could think. In all the years they had been friends, he'd never wanted not to be around her but at that very moment she was the last person he wanted to see.

"Are you at Carrie's, yet? Are you bringing Carrie to the bridal shop?" His sister asked with urgency in her voice.

"Yes, I'm at Carrie's and yes I’m bringing her to the bridal shop. Look, I can't talk right now. I'm a little busy. I'll call you later," Dylan stated abruptly, then hung up the phone. Then without thinking, he closed the bathroom door behind him and quickly grabbed his clothes off of the floor and put them back on.

When Dylan emerged from her small bathroom a few minutes he was cold and distant.

Carrie sensed it immediately. She was grateful that she'd decided to get fully dressed. She'd even tucked a hat on her head, trying to cover her emotions. But, their was no hiding from their elicit sexual acts.

"Hey Carrie, something came up at the office. I'm sorry, but I can't drop you off to Condon Bridal." He lied and she knew it.

Trying to hold back the tears, she spoke, “It’s okay. I have a few errands to run before I meet Katie anyway. I guess I'll see you tomorrow at the altar," she joked. He didn't laugh. Instead, he placed a cold kiss on her forehead and left without saying another word.

The moment Dylan McCray closed the front door behind him Carrie fell to the floor and cried.

She cried for many reasons, but mostly because she felt she had lost her best friend forever.

CHAPTER FOUR

"This can't be happening!" Carrie mumbled to herself the moment she opened the door to Condon Bridal, one of the most elite wedding stores in the lowcountry. A surge of emotions overwhelmed her the moment she stepped inside and realized an army of wedding support staff was waiting for her to arrive. Carried immediately slipped out of the door, adjusted her baseball cap and took three deep breaths, then cautiously walked inside.

"Oh my God, everyone it’s the bride. It’s the bride," an overly-enthusiastic Katie shouted as she wobbled to the entrance of the store and embraced her friend. The warm exchange brightened her mood,
but only a little
.

"Katie, what's all of this?"

"Come in
Mrs. McCray,
we have so much to do." Katie giggled as she pushed a glass of red wine in Carrie’s hand and forced the contents down her throat. "Relax, I've planned everything out. Jeff said I was a genius," she managed to state while checking off several items from her "to do" list.

"So, this is the bride!" A disappointed Edwardo huffed in a deep Latin accent as he took a look at Carrie's, thick bushy eyebrows, matted dark hair, and lean, curvy frame. “Yes, we are going to need everyone on tap for tomorrow. It looks like I'm going to have to work my magic to make this duck into a beautiful swan. So much to do in such a short time." He angrily shouted as he waved his hands in the air as a swarm of assistants came flocking to his aid.

Carrie immediately slumped down into a chair. The last thing she needed was to be reminded how unbelievably average she was. The pain of being always overlooked and never being recognized in a crowd throughout the years hit her like a ton of bricks. If only she could be beautiful for just one day, maybe Dylan would give her a chance into his heart.

Staring now at Katie, even at seven months pregnant, Carrie knew she was the type of woman who commanded attention. Secretly, she wanted to command that type of respect. For most of their college years, and all of her adult life, Katie had tried to convince Carrie to have a complete makeover, but she had always refused. But, this time, she wouldn't refuse her kindness. She couldn't, because too much was at stake.

So, for the next several hours, Carrie indulged her friend by trying to be the perfect bride. After trying on multiple gowns, she finally selected an Oscar de la Renta strapless Chantilly lace mermaid dress. It was simply stunning. The exquisite cut of the design, the plunge of the neckline and the intricacy of the exotic beading made it the dress of choice for the season. Even Edwardo nodded in approval as he eyed her from head to toe, admiring how well the material fell naturally against Carrie's skin. Her once hidden body was now clearly defined; from the roundness and perkiness of her full breasts to curves and valleys of her noteworthy hourglass waistline. Carrie was perfect. Simply perfect.

The rest of the day seemed to fly by. Katie and Carrie sampled wedding cake, selected shoes and jewelry and settled on a small, local quartet to play music as she walked down the aisle. She happily selected yellow roses for her bouquet. The color yellow symbolized her friendship with the only man she ever loved. When it came to selecting her wedding menu, Carrie selected all of Dylan's favorite food items. Of course, Edwardo protested saying that hamburger sliders and a French Fry bar wasn't elegant enough for a McCray wedding, but Carrie held her ground. It was the simple things in the life that made Dylan happy and she was determined to please him, if only for one more day.

Several hours later, after all the other details were ironed out, Carrie kissed Katie good night. She promised her she would get at least six hours of sleep so she would be the most beautiful bride the next day. Of course, she verbally agreed, but she was highly doubtful that anyone would consider her a beautiful bride. On her ride home, she contemplated calling Dylan at least ten times, so they could come to some common ground before the wedding. But each time she picked up the phone she found a reason not to reach out. She was miserable.

When she finally arrived home, she checked her voicemail, email and texts to see if her best friend had contacted her. All devices came up empty. Carrie felt empty. It was the night before the wedding and she felt like the loneliest woman in the world. Grabbing a bottle of cheap wine, she gulped down the contents, then curled up in her bed.

The last words she mumbled before she drifted off into a deep slumber sent daggers straight to her heart, "Tomorrow is my wedding day, and I just hope my best friend will show."

CHAPTER FIVE

The next morning, Carrie woke to another throbbing headache and several loud obtrusive knocks on her front door. Her first visitor was Dylan's attorney, Mr. Scott Franklin. He needed Carrie to sign a legal document stating that the marriage was one of love and not one of convenience, to ensure that Dylan adhered to the terms of his grandfather's will. Of course, Carrie immediately signed on the dotted line, because, for her, it was definitely a marriage of love. Before Mr. Franklin exited, Carrie inquired about signing a prenuptial agreement, to make sure that all of Dylan's inheritance was protected in case of a divorce, their inevitable divorce. But, Mr. Franklin quickly informed her that Dylan adamantly refused to draft one. A baffled Carrie was in shock.

The next group of visitors was Edwardo and his ten-member glamour squad. They immediately got to work, and boy did they work. After nearly two hours of plucking, tweezing, highlighting, coloring, curling and waxing, an elated Edwardo announced that Carrie was finally ready to walk down the aisle. She just hoped that Dylan was ready too.

***

Folly Beach pier, overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, was the site selected for their wedding. An exuberant Katie knew it was Dylan's and Carrie's favorite location in Charleston. So, Dylan's father, at Katie's request, called in several favors and a large section of the beach was reserved exclusively for their special day. Carrie was overly thankful. There wasn't anywhere else in the world she could have imagined getting married. Folly Beach had been their safe haven for years. The smell of the ocean, the ripping of the waves, and the feeling of crushed rock in between their toes was the place they went to talk when times got tough. The place where they laughed and joked out loud hysterically. It was the place that two long term friends had sealed their bond forever. And, now it would be the place they would marry.