Temptation in the Wedding Dressing Room: A Bridesmaid and

Passions Only

NATURAL HIGH

The air in the small dressing room was thick with the scent of gardenias from the bridal bouquet, a perfume that seemed to intoxicate them both. With the wedding delayed, a sudden, hushed quiet fell, amplifying the frantic rhythm of their own heartbeats. Peter’s gaze, heavy with unspoken longing, traced the line of Ashley’s shoulder, his thumb following its path in a whisper-soft caress that made her shiver. Her breath hitched as she leaned into his touch, her own fingers tentatively finding the warm, solid plane of his chest beneath his crisp shirt. A soft, yearning sigh escaped her lips when he gently tilted her chin up, his eyes holding hers with a tenderness that made her feel utterly weightless. The distant murmur of the waiting guests faded into nothing as he slowly, reverently, lowered his mouth to hers in a kiss that tasted of stolen time and sweet anticipation. Her hands slid up to tangle in the hair at the nape of his neck, pulling him closer as the kiss deepened, a silent conversation of desire and devotion. Every gentle exploration of his hands on her back, every shared, shuddering breath, felt like a promise whispered against flushed skin. In that suspended moment, surrounded by satin and lace, they discovered a universe of feeling contained within a single, breathless embrace. The world outside, with its schedules and ceremonies, simply ceased to exist for them.