Approaching the door to the groom's suite, she took a break to steady herself, listened to the rowdy sounds of men behind the door, and twisted the knob.
"Hey, Cam," Drew said, walking over to fold her against his bare chest. He wore his slacks and his shoes already, though the button of the slacks had been left open; his belt was threaded around his waist but also unfastened. Releasing Cameron, he turned to their brother Michael to accept the undershirt being handed to him.
"What are you doing in here?" he asked, popping his head through the neck of the simple t-shirt.
"I'm the planner," Cameron said with a grin, propping her hands on her hips. "It's kind of my job to come check that all is in order and going properly."
"Nyeh, nyeh, I'm the planner, my responsibility, nyeh, nyeh, nyeh," Evan mocked, raising his voice to a girlish tone. The boys all laughed as Cameron rolled her eyes at the youngest Kingsley brother.
"Now, boys, be nice to your sister," Adam said, stepping through the crowd of men in the room to drape an arm over Cameron's shoulder. Winking at her brothers first, he looked down into her dark eyes and said, "But if you came here looking for sexy muscles, Mac's not in here."
Cameron flushed, fire rising to her cheeks as her father and brothers roared with laughter. "Well, I can see there's no worry the beers left in here would go to waste, then," she retorted tightly.
"Oh hang on," Drew said, holding his stomach as if to hold in his laughter. He dipped his hand into his pocket and lifted his cell phone, flipping it open as the noise in the room quieted.
Cameron watched curiously, her lips lifted in a mocking grin as she watched her brother's eyes grow wide. His mouth fell open, and her laughter spilled out.
"You're welcome," she said, and turned to leave.
***
Sitting in the pew behind her parents, Cameron watched the flash of Tabitha's bright grin as she worked with her camera. Tucked behind the minister who was officiating the ceremony, Tabitha was the one in charge of capturing the most emotional parts of the ceremony and preserving this day for the wedding couple.
"They look so in love up there, don't they?" Mac whispered from beside her. His fingers were laced through hers, their hands resting together on her thigh as they watched her brother and his love take their wedding vows. With a last look at Drew and Cass standing between the Kingsley brothers and the Keaton sisters, Cameron turned to study Mac's easy grin, taking in the dimples that flickered in his smooth cheeks, the twinkle in his blue eyes.
"You are loving this, aren't you?" she whispered back with a grin.
"What can I say?" he answered. "I love love. Ooh, it's time for the good part!" He raised the hand that wasn't attached to hers, pointing toward Cass and Drew as they began the process of speaking the words that would bind them together.
"I promise that I will love you always, and that I will encourage you as you grow in your role as my wife," Drew said, turning to take Cass's hands into his own.
"I promise that I will love you also," Cass answered, her voice wobbling slightly. "And that I will encourage you as you grow in your role as my husband."
"I promise to hold you when you cry, to nurture you when you are feeling broken, and to communicate with you fully and honestly," Drew said, his voice going rough with emotion. From her vantage point in the second pew, Cameron could see the glimmer of a tear as it slipped down his cheek.
Reaching up to catch the tear from his face with a nervous giggle, Cass sniffled and answered him, saying, "I promise to appreciate your strength, to accept your need to help and provide for me, to lean into you when I am struggling, and to be a safe place that you can lean when you are in need. I promise also to communicate with you fully, and honestly."
Blinking rapidly, Drew's chest swelled and then narrowed with his sigh. He winked and said, "I promise to be the big spoon, to leave the toilet seat down, and to keep my socks put away throughout our life together."
Cass's mouth tightened momentarily in surprise, her eyes widening. She grinned, then, and answered saucily, "I promise to be the little spoon, to keep the dishes clean, and to keep you pleasantly surprised throughout our life together."
Drew grinned, having lightened the mood and sent the audience into giggles. Sobering, he stepped slightly closer to Cass and said, "I promise I will love you if we have plenty, and not to blame or resent you if we are in want. I promise to care for you if you are ill, and to celebrate with you when you are in good health. I will treasure you and cherish you all of our days, until the day that one of us leaves this life behind."
Cameron felt Mac stiffen, and she squeezed his hand in sympathy, knowing he must be thinking of his deceased wife. He squeezed back, and they listened together as Cass repeated her vows to Drew, saying tearfully, "I promise I will love you if we have plenty, and not to blame or resent you if we are in want. I promise to care for you if you are ill, and to celebrate with you when you are in good health. I will treasure you and cherish you all of our days, until the day that one of us leaves this life behind."
Taking one hand from Cass, Drew raised a fingertip to swipe his eyes, his face flaming with embarrassment at the emotional display. "Here before our families and our friends," he said, "I vow to remain faithful to you, to remain respectful and honorable at all times, and to never let you forget how very much I cherish your presence in my life."
"Here before our families and our friends," Cass answered, her voice hoarse with emotion, "I vow to remain faithful to you, to remain respectful and honorable at all times, and to never let you forget how very much I cherish your presence in my life."
"How perfect," Mac whispered, draping his arm lightly around Cameron's shoulders and pulling her close. Dropping a kiss on the top of her head, he lowered his mouth to her ear and murmured, "I'm so glad I'm here with you."
Smiling, Cameron dropped her eyes to her lap, unsure of what to say.
"And the circle of this ring," Drew was saying, slipping Cass's wedding ring onto her finger, "represents between us the bond that holds us together. I bid you always wear this ring as a symbol of the love I feel for you and the commitment that I offer you."
Cass took a ring from Chelsea, turning back and slipping it onto Drew's finger. "The circle of this ring represents between us the bond that holds us together," she said, her voice breaking toward the end. She sighed shakily, gathered herself, and went on. "I bid you always wear this ring as a symbol of the love I feel for you and the commitment that I offer you."
"Oh," Cameron said softly, love and happiness for her brother and his new wife warring with her own sense of envy. Mac tightened his arm, pulling her in closer to his side.
"And now for the unity candle," the officiator said, waving to Janet Keaton and Eva Kingsley. Together, the mothers walked to the altar, each hugging the other woman's child before lighting one of the candles on the altar. Hugging their own children then, they returned to their seats. Drew and Cass each took their mother's candles, tipping them together to merge the flames and lowering them to light the center candle together. "And now we are one," they said together.
Drew left Cass at the altar, walking back to the pew and presenting Janet and Eva each with a small bottle of colored sand. "Please take part with us in one more joining," he said to each of them.
Walking back to the altar, the mothers uncorked their bottles of sand, along with the bottle uncorked by both Cass and Drew. Taking turns, they poured the sands together in crazy but beautiful stripes of amethyst, emerald, sapphire, and pristine white. "And now we are one family," Cass said, kissing each of their mothers in turn and sending them back to their seats.
"And now you are man and wife," the officiator said, as Cass and Drew came together in front of him again. Taking Cass's hands in his, he kissed her cheek and instructed, "Thou shalt be a loving wife." Passing her hands over to Drew, he laid one hand gently on Drew's shoulder and instructed, "Thou shalt be a proper husband."
Placing one hand on each of their shoulders
, he turned the couple to face their audience and said loudly, "I give you, with pleasure, Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Ryan Kingsley!"
***
Mac turned her one last time and as the song faded out, slowly bleeding into the next tune, they left the floor together. A catering server passed them; Cameron reached out to touch his arm, thanking him for the punch she swiped from his tray.
"I don't know why I'm so thirsty," she laughed. "Must be all the dancing. You really are a great dancer, Mac."
"Well, you know, I try. Still, I had no idea you knew the Macarena," he answered, running a loose curl through his fingers. He'd been giving her heated looks all night, and as they'd danced, Cameron had had to struggle not to press herself wantonly against his body. He was just so warm and strong, and at the same time completely safe. It was intoxicating, being around him.
It's a good thing I don't drink, she thought. Or I'd probably have had my panties on the floor by now. Jeez, he's sexy.
Aloud, she said, "Well, you know, I try." Giving him a sassy wink, she downed her punch and pointed over to her brother Drew, standing near the sweetheart table nuzzling his new bride. "Don't they just look so happy?"
"They do," Mac laughed, loving the sparkle in her eyes, the silly grin that took over her when she watched her brother with Cass. She might be a tough girl to get close to, but Mac was thinking more and more every time he saw her that she was definitely worth it. It had come to the point where she took over his thoughts even when he wasn't with her, and Logan had dubbed him "lovey-face-man" at home.
Studying Mac as he watched Cass and Drew together, Cameron's dark eyes followed the straight line of his jaw, the curve of the lower lip. She watched as his deep blue eyes swept the room, the heat of his hand warming hers.
Shame on me, she thought, giggling to herself in her mind. I'm at my brother's wedding, surrounded by my other brothers, my parents and all of our family friends. And all I can think about is what this man's chest probably looks like when he's naked?! Jeez, I’ve never been so glad in my life that people can't really read minds.
That thought made her giggle out loud, and Mac turned back to her, surprised. "You okay?" he asked.
"Yeah, I'm just really glad you could come," she answered, pressing a chaste kiss to his lips, reminding herself that this would not be a good time to let her dress slink to the floor.
"Okay. You want to go dance some more? Or are you hungry?"
"Actually," Cameron said, "I have to go check on the party and everything, make sure all is well. You know, work stuff." Before I jump you right here in the middle of all these people. What the heck is wrong with me?!
"No problem, I think I’m gonna go chat with the guys, then," Mac answered, pointing over to where Cameron's father Adam was telling something to her brothers that was making them all laugh like loons.
"Oh I'm sure that'll be a blast," Cameron laughed. Turning to walk away from Mac, she nearly bumped into Tabitha. Slipping an arm around Tabitha's waist, Cameron said, "Hey, I was just looking for you!"
Tabitha laughed, lifting her camera to snap a photo of Mac as he wandered over toward Cameron's brothers. "What were you looking for me for? Everything in order?"
"Well, everyone seems to be having a good time," Cameron said. Especially me; what is wrong with my head tonight? Wedding high, I guess ...
"Yep, we've pulled off another spectacular shindig," Tabitha laughed. "Are you okay?"
"I'm good; why does everyone keep asking me that?" Cameron asked, her eyebrows lowering and coming together. She frowned. "Is it so unusual for me to be having a good time?" Reaching out toward a server that was walking by, Cameron lifted another glass of punch from the serving tray.
"Cameron, have you been drinking that all night?" Tabitha asked. "The pink punch?"
"Yeah, you said the pink was the one without alcohol, didn't you?" Cameron asked, lifting the glass to her lips.
Tabitha reached out, quickly pulling the glass from Cameron's fingers. "No, Cam; oh my God, I said the red was the one without alcohol. How many of these have you had? And when?"
"I'm not sure, two or three maybe, in the last couple of hours. I just had one a little while ago. You really said it was the red?"
"Yeah," Tabitha answered, gripping Cameron around the waist and steering her away from the party. "I really said it was the red that was okay to drink."
"Well that explains a lot then," Cameron muttered. "What the heck did they put in that stuff then? It doesn't smell like alcohol, so I thought it was fine. If that's the spiked punch, I don't even know how I'm still walking!"
"I know. And since you don't drink, I'd say you're going to be pretty hammered here in a while when all that kicks in. Come on; let's find you something to eat."
"You know, I think I'm okay for just now," Cameron said, edging away from Tabitha. "Really, I'm good. I'm just gonna go find my mom and tell her I'm not feeling well, and I'll go sleep it off in one of the cabins or something. Can you handle the rest of the party though? Make sure it all goes okay for my brother and Cass?"
"Yeah, I got it," Tabitha said. "Want me to walk you?"
Cameron held her hands up in front of her, blinking away the slight fuzz that had settled into her peripheral vision. "No I'm okay. It's not far to the low deck, and if I'm feeling off by the time I find my mom, I can have her walk me. You watch the party."
Walking away from Tabitha, Cameron was shocked. How had she ended up spending the entire evening drinking the wrong punch? No wonder she couldn't stop thinking sexy thoughts about Mac! Not that she wasn't usually thinking them anyway, but - hey, maybe tonight would be a good night to let go and take things to the next level! She'd wanted to ever since she'd ridden with him on his motorcycle, but had been too afraid to reach out in that way.
But tonight, the alcohol could help her; with it, she could drop a decade of fear and inhibition. Maybe with a little liquid courage, she could finally let go of her past and embrace a real future. She could take a little more pleasure for herself, giving Mac a little more of what she'd started that night after the carnival. Following her thought processes, her body warmed; her face flushed and heat pooled in the space between her thighs.
"Thanks," she said, tilting her head at the unfamiliar server who had stopped for her. He smiled, holding his tray steady so that she could choose a drink. To her surprise, there were red and pink drinks together on the tray. Choosing a spiked drink, Cameron gave the server a stern lecture about mixing alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks on the same tray. Feeling her face flush with heat from alcohol and anger, Cameron sent the boy away, giving him a stern message to be more careful of his serving habits in the future.
"Last time I take a risk on a new catering company," she muttered. Holding the glass to her nose, she sniffed again for the scent of booze; finding it absent, she made a mental note to have a talk with the caterer about training their new hires. Fortunately, there were no known alcoholics present to be accidentally knocked off the wagon.
Looking around for her tall and handsome date, Cameron sipped her drink, suddenly noticing the slight burn in her stomach from the alcohol. Why didn't I notice that before? she thought. Well, maybe it really will be liquid courage for me. Maybe I'll finally be able to reach out and take something for my own; maybe I'll finally be able to at least act like I'm not scared.
Finally, her roving eyes settled on broad shoulders, dark hair. He turned, his blue eyes met hers, and he smiled. Oh, Mac. I really, really, want to let go with you. Taking another drink from her glass, she took the step that would lead her into his arms.
***
"You get everything checked out okay?" Mac asked, reaching out to pull Cameron close to him. She curled into his side, surprising him, and took a sip of her drink.
"Not really," she answered. "Can we talk?"
Raising an eyebrow, Mac cocked his head to the side. He pulled back slightly, raising a hand to lift Cameron's chin. "Sure. Is everything okay?"
Cameron nodded,
dipping her face to drop a quick kiss into his palm, smiling to herself as his eyes widened. "It will be," she said. Placing her half-empty glass on the table beside them, she took his hand and tugged, forcing him to follow her. Leaving the sounds of the party on the upper deck, Cameron led Mac down a flight of stairs to a lower deck, walking around the outer railing in the starlight.
"Cameron?" Mac asked, stopping and pulling her close to him again. "Are you sure everything's okay?" His eyes were dark as night, warm on her face against the cool of the evening breeze. Her body heated, looking up into his face and seeing the flicker of insecurity there.
"Mac?" she asked him, reaching out to cup his cheeks, her thumbs dipping into the spaces that dimpled when he smiled.
"I'd rather if you didn't take me to a wedding to break up with me," he said quietly.
Confusion darkened her gaze, tightened her hands on his face. The alcohol was still working in her, softening her fears, nurturing her courage. Still, it fuzzed her thoughts, dulled her typical clarity. "Break up with you?" she asked. "Why would I break up with you?"
Prescription For Love (The Kingsley Series) Page 16