Speechless: Finding Love, #3

By Paris Hansen

What happens in Vegas doesn't always stay there. 

 

After a weekend celebrating her friend's upcoming nuptials, the last thing Meghan Crosby expected was to find out she got married while in Las Vegas. She knows firsthand how life can change in the blink of an eye, so she decided long ago marriage wasn't for her. Unfortunately, drunk Meghan never got the memo.  

 

Oliver Brooks knows it's going to be a struggle to convince his new wife to give their marriage a shot. The stubborn woman has stolen his heart and he has no idea how to get into hers. She's got walls of steel around her and she's using them to push him away. Good thing he's never been one to back down from a challenge. 

 

The Finding Love series: 

Restless (Savannah and Gabriel) 

Powerless (Finley and Liam) 

Speechless (Meghan and Oliver) 

Breathless (Brooklyn and Declan) 

Priceless (Andi and Braeden) 

Harmless (Sylvia and Logan) - A Finding Love Holiday Romance

 

The books in the Finding Love series can be read as standalones, however, for optimum enjoyment, they are best read in order.

 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Paris Hansen
• Release date: Mar 22, 2018
• ISBN: 9798201286477

Paris Hansen

Paris Hansen currently writes both crime fiction and contemporary romance novels filled with strong heroines and sexy heroes. She has a moderately unhealthy obsession with Chris Evans, so if you happen to see him around be sure to send him her way. When she's not writing, Paris loves to curl up with a good book and a glass of wine or watch sports with her nephew.  

Book preview

Chapter 1

W ho the hell goes to Vegas with an itinerary?

Meghan Crosby didn’t need to look up from the paper on the table in front of her to know who was talking. As soon as the double-sided, laminated itineraries for the joint bachelor/bachelorette weekend were handed out, Meghan knew the groomsmen were going to be unhappy. She also knew the only one stupid enough to complain about it would be Braeden.

This is ridiculous. I don’t see any time set aside for going to a strip club. You can’t go to Vegas for a bachelor party and not go to a strip club. Gabriel, what is this? Braeden asked.

Dude, this trip isn’t about you. I’m sure Gabriel and Savannah have no interest watching naked women dance. Just shut up already.

Thank you, Oliver, Finley, the bride’s best friend said. On the back of the itinerary, you’ll find your room assignments. Sorry guys, but we had to put the three of you in one room, so you’ll have to fight over who takes the couch; unless you want to cozy up and share a bed.

No way am I sharing a bed with one of those assholes, I’m sure I can find a great pair of legs to fill my time; I’ll get my own room, Braeden announced eliciting a laugh from everyone. There might be a chance to save this trip after all.

Meghan hadn’t been surprised by the itinerary or how well organized the trip was. It might have been last minute to her, but she was pretty sure Savannah had been planning the trip for a while. Finley was organized, but not double-sided, laminated and planned down to the very second organized. That had Savannah St. James written all over it. Savannah was one of the most thorough, efficient people Meghan had ever met. Those impressive organizational skills had led to her friend single-handedly opening four bakeries in the last six years.

I’ve wanted to see this show for a while. I’m glad we’re getting a chance this weekend, Brooklyn said taking the attention away from Braeden and the debauchery he was probably planning.

Savannah’s sister was always good at reading the room and helping to dissolve any tension or awkwardness. Although she’d only met Gabriel’s friends when he started dating her sister, to Meghan it seemed like Brooklyn had known them her entire life. She handled Braeden better than anyone else, never letting his antics get the better of her. Oliver was probably the easiest of Gabriel’s friends to deal with, especially when compared to Declan who seemed to push every single one of Brook’s buttons.

Brooklyn would never admit it and neither would Declan, but it was obvious to everyone else that they had a thing for each other. They argued like an old married couple about the most ridiculous things. The chemistry between them was so off the charts, Meghan was certain if they didn’t break the tension soon, one or both of them would explode. Of course, Brooklyn hated that Declan was able to get to her. Meghan knew Brooklyn tried to fight it, but she suspected they were both too far gone to change the situation now. He was the last thing her friend wanted, but Meghan wasn’t sure Brooklyn had a choice.

Just like Meghan wasn’t sure if she had a choice where Oliver was concerned. When she first started working for Gabriel at Arrow, she became enamored with her boss’s friend. He was tall, extremely nice and sexy as hell. She often joked with the girls that she wanted to climb him like a tree. When Gabriel and Savannah started dating, their friends started hanging out. That was when she finally had her chance to see if Oliver was as much fun in the sack as she thought he’d be.

At first, they would casually hookup here and there, neither of them interested in anything more. Then the hookups became more frequent and things became a little less casual. Suddenly, Oliver was talking about a relationship he knew Meghan wouldn’t give him no matter how much she wanted to.

She’d been trying to avoid him since he told her how he felt, but it was tough to do when he came into her work all the time. It was one of the reasons she’d almost skipped out on the trip. She didn’t want the tension between them to make things awkward for their friends. She wished she could be honest with him and tell him why she couldn’t take their relationship to the next level, but she was a coward. Her past made starting a relationship with anyone too much of a risk. As much as she liked being with Oliver, she just couldn’t take the chance things would end the way it had for her parents.

When she’d arrived at Arrow for their pre-weekend dinner, she’d nearly turned around and left when she realized Oliver had been the first person to arrive. Instead, she waited outside the empty restaurant until Brooklyn arrived so she wouldn’t have to be alone with the man who drove her crazy. It didn’t matter that Gabriel and Savannah had also been inside. She needed more of a buffer than the engaged couple could provide.

So, we’ll be flying out of Boeing Field Friday at one, Savannah announced breaking Meghan out of her thoughts. Braeden please be on time, even though it’s a private plane, we will be on a tight schedule and we will not wait around for you. We’ve got too much on the schedule to deviate. So whatever it is that always makes you late, please refrain from doing it on Friday.

If you really want to know....

NO! a chorus of voices cried out.

How rude, Braeden said as he crossed his arms over his chest and sat back in his chair.

Watching a grown man start to pout made Meghan snort as she tried to hold back laughter. The ridiculous noise drawing the attention of the man across the table from her. She could feel Oliver’s eyes boring into her as she kept her gaze on her itinerary. He’d been staring at her most of the evening, but she’d done a pretty good job of avoiding eye contact. Meghan knew he wanted to talk to her; he’d been calling her nearly every day since the day he’d screwed everything up. All she wanted to do was go back to the way things were.

I’m so excited to get away this weekend. It’s been a while since I took any kind of vacation, Brooklyn said from the seat next to her.

As she turned to look at her friend, Meghan snuck a peek at Oliver. He was still watching her while carrying on a conversation with Declan. Heat rushed to her cheeks as he winked at her. She should have known she wouldn’t be able to slyly catch a glimpse of him without him catching her.

I’m glad I’m able to go. It’s nice of Finley and Liam to pay for the trip for everyone. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have been able to make it. Still feels a bit weird though, Meghan said as she took a sip of her wine.

I don’t get why you feel weird.

Meghan sighed. I know, but we’ve only been friends for a little over a year. Gabriel’s known the guys forever, you’re Savannah’s sister and she and Finley have been best friends for years. Sometimes I feel a bit like an intruder.

Shut up, Brooklyn said harshly.

She smacked Meghan’s hand and then apologized when wine sloshed out of her glass and onto the table. Brooklyn had become the closest thing to a best friend that Meghan had had since she was a little girl. She loved being around the tight-knit group and she knew Brooklyn didn’t see her as an intruder, but Meghan couldn’t help but feel like one anyway.

You know damn good and well that you’re one of us. If you want to go by your logic, we’ve all only been friends since Gabriel and Sav got together, which means we’ve all been hanging out barely more than a year. Now I don’t want to hear you say that shit again. We love you, we love hanging out with you. If we didn’t want you around, Sav wouldn’t have made you a bridesmaid.

I know. I’m sorry, Meghan said. I promise not to mention it again.

Brooklyn smiled, her face lighting up. Good. Now that we’ve got that crap out of the way, can we please talk about the fact that Oliver has barely been able to take his eyes off you since we walked into the restaurant? Or how about the fact that you’ve been doing everything you can to avoid him? Care to explain to me why?

Suddenly Meghan wished they could go back to talking about her being an outsider. It was a hell of a lot easier than a conversation about Oliver. She was going to have to figure out another way to distract her friend from the questions that had been plaguing her for a week. She couldn’t help wondering if it was too late to get out of going to Las Vegas.

AREN’T YOU GLAD YOU came? Brooklyn asked yelling loud enough Meghan could hear her over the deafening music blaring from the speakers.

You were right, this is exactly what I needed, Meghan yelled back as she threw her arms up. She moved with the beat of the music, a smile on her face as she realized just how much she was enjoying herself.

Even though she’d had the itinerary since Monday, she still had a hard time believing she was in Las Vegas enjoying an all-expenses-paid trip with her friends. When word of a bachelorette party had started to make the rounds, she assumed they’d go out to eat, maybe go dancing at a club in Seattle. She figured they’d all wear penis necklaces while Savannah wore a plastic tiara with the word bride decorated with rhinestones. Instead, they were in Vegas, no penis paraphernalia or tiaras in sight. The actual bachelorette party was definitely better than what Meghan had dreamed up.

Together, they’d had an amazing dinner at the hotel’s acclaimed restaurant before heading to one of the shows on the strip. After that, they ended up in the club where they all went their separate ways. Meghan had spent so much time on the dance floor with Brooklyn she had no idea where anybody else was. The last time she’d seen Finley and Liam they’d been sitting in their reserved booth giving any paparazzi in the club great PDA shots. Savannah and Gabriel had been MIA since they’d arrived, which she figured meant they’d gone back to their hotel room.

The groomsmen had also been missing since they’d gotten to the club. Meghan had been trying not to think about the kind of trouble they were likely getting into. She knew Braeden was out looking for someone to warm his bed, since it’s the reason he’d opted to get a room of his own. What the other two were up to was anyone’s guess.

She didn’t know Declan well enough to care what he was up to, but she knew Brooklyn would care, even if her friend would never admit it. Then there was Oliver. Meghan didn’t understand why the thought of Oliver following Braeden’s lead felt like a punch to the gut. She shouldn’t care what Oliver was doing, he wasn’t hers to care about. No matter how many times she’d spent the night screaming his name, they weren’t exclusive and he could do whatever he wanted. Given his declaration the week before, Meghan should have been hoping he was out finding someone else so maybe he’d finally leave her alone.

Shaking her head, she tried to get rid of thoughts of Oliver and the impossible things he tried to get her to agree to. When she started hooking up with him, she never expected he would want anything more than sex from her. Oliver had always been a player like Braeden until suddenly he wasn’t. She’d made it clear from the start that a relationship wasn’t a part of her plan. At least not with someone she could actually see a future with. It was one thing to be exclusive with someone she barely liked; it was something completely different to be in a relationship with someone she could fall in love with.

Meghan closed her eyes, hoping the music would block out her thoughts. The song had changed from an upbeat dance number to something a bit more sensual. She slowed her movements, her hips swaying in time with the beat. Hands found her waist as a body pressed against her back. They moved together, her ass brushing against the man behind her. She didn’t bother to open her eyes; there was no doubt in her mind who was there. It was like her thoughts had conjured him into being.

There had been numerous guys throughout the night who had tried to dance with her, but this one was different. He didn’t push his crotch into her ass like all the others, he held her against him gently as his hands moved from her hips, past her waist, and up her arms. His thumbs gently brushed against the sides of her breasts, the touch bringing goosebumps to her skin. With his hands on her shoulders, he leaned in until his mouth was against her ear.

Why are you avoiding me?

Her body shivered, reacting to his breath against her skin. The minute he touched her, she knew she was in trouble. Now that he had her attention, he wasn’t going to let her push him away. That didn’t mean she had to give him what he wanted though. Ignoring his question, she continued to focus on the feel of the music coursing through her body.

You know I’m not going to let you continue to ignore me. Answer my question. Tell me why you’ve been avoiding me, Oliver said a hint of anger in his deep voice.

This time he spun her around so they were more or less chest to chest. Even with her platform sandals, she had to strain her neck to look up at him as he towered over her. His hands gripped her elbows as they stood in the middle of the dance floor, neither of them moving.

I’m not avoiding you. I’ve been on this dance floor since we got here. You could have joined me at any time, she yelled up at him, hoping he could hear her over the music. He hunched over a bit so he could respond without having to yell too.

You made sure to sit as far away from me as you could on the plane, at dinner, and at the show. The minute we got here you hightailed it out of the booth as quickly as you could. I hoped we could spend the weekend together since we were both here, but you’re making that nearly impossible.

Look, I told you we want different things. I’m not interested in a relationship with you or anyone else. You should use this trip to find someone to distract you, and then when we get home, find someone else entirely.

That’s bullshit and we both know it. You want this as much as I do, but you won’t admit it, Oliver insisted. Just spend the night with me.

Meghan shook her head, her body screaming at her to take Oliver up on his offer, her head screaming at her to run away. They barely knew each other, but he didn’t seem to care. He insisted they could be great together, that getting to know each other would be a part of the fun. Unfortunately, she knew he was right.

Oliver was the kind of guy that was easy to fall in love with. Whenever they were together, he treated her like a queen and in the bedroom, he drove her wild. He was everything she had ever looked for in a man, but Meghan couldn’t be with him. She wasn’t going to be the girl that got the happily ever after. Hell, she wasn’t sure if she was even going to get an ever after at all; which was something she tried not to think about.

Nothing good could come out of us spending more time together. Please just let it go, she said before breaking out of his grasp.

Hurrying off the dance floor, she made a beeline for their booth. She had no doubt he was going to follow her, but if she had to deal with him, Meghan knew she’d need more tequila. Finley and Liam were sitting in the same spot they’d been the last time she came to get a drink. Cuddled together, talking and kissing and barely noticing the fact that there were other people around them. Declan was also in the booth, a beer in his hand, a scowl on his face as he watched the dance floor.

Sitting down on the opposite side of the booth from Declan, she was careful not to block his line of sight. She grabbed a shot glass from the tray in front of her and the bottle of Patron from the bucket of ice. Meghan did her best to ignore Oliver when he sat down next to her, but it was harder than she thought it would be. His leg pressed against hers from hip to knee. She could feel his eyes on her as she filled the glass then downed the shot quickly.

Oliver didn’t say a word as she repeated the process. The burn of the alcohol flowed through her until she felt loose and ready to get back on the dance floor. Meghan refused to let Oliver and thoughts of a future ruin the fun she was having. There was no telling if she’d have the opportunity to party in Vegas again, at least not as a VIP. She wasn’t going to let real life get in the way of her good time, so she poured one last shot of tequila. Before she could bring it to her lips, Oliver stopped her.

Are you sure that’s a good idea?

Best one I’ve had all night. You should try it. Might wake you up a bit so you realize what a colossal waste of time I am, Meghan said as she handed him the bottle.

She had no idea how much he’d had to drink before he’d found her. His breath smelt faintly of alcohol, but that could have been from dinner or the show. Meghan didn’t know why she was challenging him. It probably wasn’t the best idea she’d ever had, but tequila made her do questionable things. Without another word, she grabbed a shot glass from the tray and handed it to him. She watched him fill the glass knowing she was once again in trouble.

Oh darling, you have no idea what you’ve started, Oliver said as he took the shot he poured, then poured another one. He clinked his glass against hers before they downed the shots together.

As the music pulsed around them, they went shot for shot, each one doing the opposite of what she’d wanted. Instead of getting away from Oliver, she was moving closer to him. Instead of heading back out to the dance floor, she was practically sitting on his lap; his hand resting on her thigh, just under the hem of her skirt. There was no one else in the booth with them, she had no idea when the others had left; Oliver and the shots had kept her so consumed that nothing else mattered.

A moan escaped her lips, as he casually stroked her thigh. The bastard knew she couldn’t resist him when he touched her. It’s why she’d left the dance floor earlier and it’s one of the many reasons she’d been avoiding him as much as possible since they’d gotten to Vegas. She was putty in his hands and he knew it.

If I slid my hand up further would I find you wet and needy for me? Would you come apart right here if I skimmed my fingers over your aching clit? Even though everyone could see you...

Meghan tried to be angry about the situation she’d gotten herself into, but her body was on fire. She ached to be touched, to be fucked. She almost didn’t care that they were in a very public place with cameras recording their every move. She knew exactly what Oliver was capable of, how easily he could push her to the brink. It was one of the things that made him dangerous and so hard to quit.

Stop fighting it, Meghan. You know we work. I don’t know what’s holding you back, but just let go and give this a try. A relationship with me isn’t going to kill you.

Oliver’s final words were like a bucket of ice water to her hormones, killing the mood as soon as they were off his lips. It didn’t even matter that he was nibbling on her earlobe, which usually drove her wild. She pushed him away then scooted back so they were no longer touching.

Why can’t you just leave it alone? Why can’t you just be happy with sex and leave it at that? Meghan asked again for what seemed like the millionth time in the last week.

"Because that’s not all