He checked his watch. “I should go in soon. They plan on doing the cake around seven ten. I’ve got to get pictures.”
“Oh. Crap. Right.” Keelie stood up. “I forgot you were handling that.”
He shrugged. “I’ve already gotten a lot and they left the party packs out for the guests to get some pictures, too. Abby already fussed at me to make sure I have fun, too. A twenty-minute break isn’t going to hurt me.” Standing out here staring at Keelie was going to do him a lot of damage, though. He wouldn’t sleep without seeing her in that dress, without dreaming about peeling it off.
She passed by him and another jolt of her scent went straight to his head.
His cock tightened. Just once . . .
A yelp of pain jerked him, and his dick, back to planet Earth. He caught Keelie right as she would have toppled.
She crashed into his chest.
Five feet nine inches of sleek, strong woman. Automatically, he braced her weight with his arm around her chest.
“Are you okay?” he asked, his voice rough. His heart started to race. She was so close.
Her mouth . . .
“Ah . . .” She licked her lips.
His gaze dropped, tracing the damp path her tongue had just taken.
A groan ripped out of him.
Just once.
* * *
Keelie didn’t know what she’d expected when she’d kissed Zach a couple of months ago. A chorus of angels, an explosion of stars . . . something. Anything would have been nice.
But there had been nothing.
Now, though . . .
Her brain kicked off as Zane’s mouth brushed against hers. It was a soft, almost questioning touch. As if he sought permission.
Curling her hands into the lapels of his suit, she sucked in a breath as he lifted his head.
Permission granted! She might have shouted it, except she couldn’t breathe.
Instead, she did what he’d done, focused her attention on his mouth, and that seemed to convey the message just fine, because his head lowered once more.
At the same time, one big hand came up, cradling the back of her skull, and she shuddered as his tongue stroked along the seam of her lips.
Stars exploded behind her eyes.
Zane Barnes kissed her and stars exploded.
There might have even been angel song, but how could she tell? She heard nothing over the roar of her own blood rushing in her ears.
He nibbled his way along her lower lip, traced her upper lip with his tongue, taking his slow, sweet time, before he did anything else. By the time he deepened the kiss, she was clutching at him in desperation.
Then he slid his tongue into her mouth.
Her knees buckled and she sucked in a breath. At least she tried. That single action drew him deeper into the kiss and she wanted to sob from the pleasure of it as he tightened his hold on her.
She felt the world spin around her and then a rough brick wall was pressed to her back, while Zane’s chest was a hot, solid presence against her front. Trapped now, she arched. That drove her farther against him and she whimpered in pleasure as that single move had him brushing back against her.
So very close.
She throbbed.
That teasing contact left her pulsing and throbbing for more. She didn’t know if she could handle any more.
Stop. A logical little voice in her brain whispered. You should stop.
Like hell. Awkward, she pressed closer to him and the hand gripping one hip tightened ever so slightly. More. She wanted more.
As though he’d heard her, he started to guide her, a slow, easy motion that met his, and her breath stuttered to a halt as their movements had him passing right over her.
She tensed, jerking her head back and driving it against the brick wall. A sharp breath hissed out of her.
He did it again.
Pleasure twisted inside her and she felt it gathering in her core. He did it again and she started to moan, shuddering.
“Keelie . . .”
His lips trailed down her neck, but she didn’t hear him, didn’t hear anything as he continued to rock and move against her. Blind, she hooked one knee over his hip and swiveled against him. I need I need I need . . .
“Zane! Hey, Z!”
She didn’t even hear it.
* * *
Blood pounded in his head.
The sound of one of his brothers calling for him was one of the most unwelcome sounds he’d heard in a long time.
Keelie’s eyes were blind.
What in the hell was happening?
Lifting his head, he looked around, spied the narrow dip in the brick wall, and he twisted, taking them inside it. The solid weight of her in his arms, the feel of her body against his was heady, a wonderful pleasure, one he didn’t want to give up.
“Zane . . .” She whispered his name as he turned her around, tucking her back against his chest.
“Shhh . . .”
He could feel how close she was. Her entire body had gone rigid. He wanted to pull her skirt up, tear her panties away and sink inside. But he’d be damned if the first time he made love to her happened here . . . like this.
Still, her body trembled, a fine subtle tremor that came from deep inside. When he lay his palm on her belly, the muscles jumped at his touch. Slowly, he slid his hand down and toyed with the hem of her skirt. “May I?” he whispered, pressing his mouth to her neck.
“What?” The question was a thick, velvety caress.
He slid the tips of his fingers up. “Let me do this,” he said softly. His cock jerked in jealous demand. It had better ideas, but that wasn’t going to happen.
She didn’t say anything, but neither did she pull away, so he slid his hand higher, the clinging material of her skirt rising up. He reached her panties and she was already wet. He could feel her through the damp material. Slipping his fingers inside her underwear, he circled her entrance and waited.
She bucked against him, a ragged noise escaping.
Off in the distance, he heard somebody shout his name again. One of the twins. Shit.
He covered Keelie’s mouth with his free hand, keeping the pressure light. She bit his palm and then turned her face toward him. “Zane, please . . .”
Mindless, he pushed two fingers inside her slick, tight passage.
She moaned, turned her face back into his hand so that the sound of it was muffled.
“You’re so damn wet. So tight . . .” he muttered, his mouth to her ear. He spread his fingers wide, twisted and felt her body clamp down on him. He did it a second, then a third time. She tightened around him, riding his hand.
This was insane.
She cried out as he flicked her clit with his thumb and he snarled against her neck as her strangled cry was smothered against his hand. She moved on him desperately. He arched against the curve of her ass, wished they were alone somewhere, anywhere, just so he could push her skirt up and sink his cock inside her, hear those broken cries instead of silencing them.
She went rigid.
The firm nub of her clit throbbed, swollen under his thumb. He pressed and circled it even as he thrust his fingers deep, hard.
She came with a weak, broken little moan.
He wanted to catch it with his mouth.
Even as she went limp against him, he heard the voice again.
Too close this time.
“Damn it, Z. Where the hell are you?”
* * *
Keelie froze, blood rushing to her face, scalding her skin as the world came crashing back.
What the hell?
Between her legs, she throbbed.
Her ankle ached—
Shit. Her ankle.
“Let me go,” she whispered, turning her head away from Zane’s hand.
He hugged her against him instead and she winced as he turned his head, shouting. “Give me five damn minutes, Travis.”
Travis. Son of a bitch. I just let Zane get me off while one of
his brothers was out here looking for him.
Shame twisted through her and she tore away from him and then had to bite back a yelp as her weight hit her injured foot. Glaring at him in the scant light, she said, “You should go. It’s probably time for the pictures.”
“They aren’t going to start until I’m there anyway,” Zane said, his voice soft. “What’s . . . Keelie. Wait.”
She batted his hands away. “Would you go? If your brother shows up here, he’s going to figure out you were . . . we were . . .”
“That was Travis. He’ll give me five minutes, unlike the rest of them,” Zane said, his eyes lingering on her face.
She looked away.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.” She swallowed the knot.
“Bullshit.” He moved in.
If she could have walked away, she would have. But her ankle was screaming at her and she felt like she was going to cry—not just from her ankle, either. She didn’t entirely know why. She just knew she felt like she was falling apart.
Frozen, all but trapped there, she went rigid as he reached up and touched her cheek. “I guess . . . shit.” Zane looked away, his hand lowering when she flinched. “I’m sorry.”
Then a low, raw laugh escaped him. “Even saying that feels like a lie. I’ve wanted to kiss you for so long, I can’t even remember a time when I didn’t think about it anymore. But you clearly didn’t want me to. For that, I am sor—”
“Stop.” She forced the word out, made herself look back at him even though her head was spinning from what he’d just said. I’ve wanted to kiss you . . . Her heart started to thud against her ribs and she got that same, lightheaded rush she’d felt when he first put his hands on her. Don’t. Stop. Be logical. “If you think I didn’t want you touching me, then you clearly don’t know much about women.”
His eyes came back to hers.
That intense, soul-searing gaze left her feeling naked and vulnerable.
“Then what’s wrong?”
How did she even explain that? Her gaze dropped to his mouth and to her dismay, she thought about reaching for him again, dragging him against her. Her hands curled into fists and she kept them locked at her sides to stop herself from doing just that. “I don’t even remember the name of the last guy who made me feel like that.” She met his eyes unflinchingly despite the fact that the blush on her face might have lit up the night sky. “Let’s just say it’s been a while. I prefer it that way. Then you go and put your hands on me and my brain leaks out. Your brothers, your parents, people I’ve known for years are just a few yards that way and I’m over here losing my mind because I can’t think about anything but finding a flat surface.”
His jaw went tight. “Vertical works for me.”
Her knees went weak. “No.” She licked her lips, ignoring the way her body screamed at her in denial. “That’s . . . I don’t do this, okay?”
For a long, taut moment, he just studied her and then he backed away.
She stared at his back as he turned toward the path.
Pride warred with pragmatism as her ankle continued to throb.
But she didn’t have to say anything.
Zane stopped before he’d even taken a step.
“Your shoe broke,” he said softly, crouching down and picking up something from the ground. He held out his hand and she grimaced at the sight of the sparkling heel in his palm.
“I noticed.” She glanced down at her ankle to avoid looking at him.
She practically felt him follow her gaze—felt it, like a burning caress.
“That . . . doesn’t look good.”
Her ankle was already starting to swell. “No. It really doesn’t.”
* * *
With her foot elevated, Keelie sat at one of the tables nearest the dance floor. Those were the “reserved” tables and her chair had been angled so she could see the dance floor, as well as the table piled high with presents . . . and Zane.
Too easily, she could see Zane.
Her abdomen went all tight and hot every time she saw him.
He’d picked her up like she’d weighed nothing, carried her inside.
When everybody was rushing around, he disappeared and returned with an icepack for her ankle.
Now, long after the cake had been cut and distributed, she was still trying not to look at him.
He’d gone into what she decided was his work mode, focusing on snapping pictures from every imaginable angle—and some she hadn’t imagined.
He’d long ago shed his tuxedo jacket and she couldn’t help but notice just how well he filled out the white shirt underneath. The bowtie hung askew around his neck and she found herself thinking about how much fun it would be if she could tug it off, unbutton the shirt the rest of the way—
“I can’t believe you twisted your ankle at my wedding.”
Keelie jerked her head away from Zane, focused on Abby.
“Better me than you, right?” The words popped out without her even thinking them through and then she winced. “That . . . sounded kind of shitty. Sorry.”
“Oh, no.” Abby grinned and dropped down into the seat next to Keelie. “I absolutely agree. Although I’m really sorry it happened—cuz that looks painful—I’d much rather you twist your ankle here than me.” She gave Keelie a dry look. “I appreciate that sacrifice.”
Keelie tipped her glass of champagne in Abby’s direction. “It’s the least I can do.”
Zach came up behind Abby and pressed his lips to her brow. “Can we leave yet? Can we leave yet?”
Abby turned her face to his. “You’re awful. You just asked that ten minutes ago.”
“I meant it just as much then as I do now.” He cupped her face, stroked his thumb over her lips. “You look beautiful.”
A dreamy smile curved her lips.
“You two are killing me.”
Keelie glanced up at the sound of Javi’s voice as he settled in the seat next to her, his wife taking the other one. “Javi, be nice,” Aida warned, her eyes dancing with humor in her round, friendly face. She smacked her husband in the arm before propping her elbow on the table and resting her chin on her palm. “The two of them are adorable.”
“Adorable?” Sebastian, the youngest of the Barnes brothers, joined them in that very moment. He studied his older brother for a long moment and then shifted his attention to his new sister-in-law. “Yeah. I guess I’d say they looked adorable.”
There was an edge to his voice that Keelie didn’t quite understand.
Zach glanced up at that very moment and Keelie caught the sharp blade of warning in his blue eyes. He opened his mouth, but before he could say anything, the twins joined them. Travis smacked a hand across Sebastian’s head. “Behave, kid.”
Then he grinned over at Keelie. “He’s upset that for once, he’s not the center of attention.”
Keelie studied Travis for a moment, then shifted her eyes to his twin, Trey. “Yeah, I’m sure Sebastian’s ego is getting a beating tonight.” Sebastian shot her a devious grin, but before he could say anything, she looked back at Zach and Abby. “He’ll survive, though. Zach and Abby just look too sweet tonight. He might be a hot commodity in Hollywood these days, but right now he can’t hold up against . . .” She paused and waved her hand at the couple. “That.”
At that moment, Abby glanced away from Zach. “If everybody keeps calling Zach sweet and adorable he’s going to find somebody to arm wrestle just to prove his manhood.”
“I don’t need to prove my manhood.” He pressed his face to her neck and then groaned as Abby pushed him back. “Can we leave now? Can we leave now?”
“Hush!” Abby said, but there was laughter lurking under the words. “This is my wedding and I’m going to enjoy it.”
Zach leaned in, murmured something to Abby that had her face going red.
“Killing me,” Javi said again, his voice mournful.
“You’re not kidding.” Sebastian rolled his eyes and turned away
. Over his shoulder, he said, “I think I need another beer.”
Zach opened his mouth. Abby jabbed him in the side. “Behave,” she whispered.
At the same time, Aida looked at Javi. “You hush. You’d think you don’t remember your wedding night.”
Javi slid his wife a sly look. “Maybe I don’t. You wanna remind me, mi corazón?”
Aida shook her head, but the look in her eyes spoke volumes.
Being surrounded by happy people suddenly made her feel that much more acutely alone.
“Zach, not to interrupt whatever dirty thoughts you’re whispering to Abby,” Javi said, “but I promised my baby I’d ask—hey!”
“Not now, Javi,” Aida scolded.
“But they’ll disappear for two weeks,” Javi said, rubbing his side where Aida had elbowed him. “I told Evie I’d ask.”
“Javi . . .” Aida said, her tone full of warning.
“It’s okay, Aida. Javi, what’s your baby girl need?” Zach asked, his tone teasing.
Their baby girl was fifteen, not really a baby anymore, but Javi still insisted otherwise. He gave his wife a smug look and leaned forward. “She’s trying to raise money for a workshop she wants to attend over the fall break—it’s a few months away but they have to get it worked out early. It’s in DC and it’s up to the student to raise the funds. We agreed we’d cover half, but if she really wants to do it, she has to raise the other half.”
“How much does she need?” Abby asked.
“She’s raised fifteen hundred. She needs another five—and no, I don’t want you covering all of it. She was going to ask you herself, but her asthma was too bad for her to come tonight.”
Travis whistled between his teeth. “A workshop that costs four thousand and they think students have that kind of money handy?”
“Some of the kids at her school do—or their parents do.” Javi shrugged. “She’s lucky—when I was her age, only way I’d have that kind of cash would be if I stole it. We can help with half. A lot of the kids, though, they want to go, and according to their teacher, it can open a lot of doors, but half of them won’t be able to attend.”
Keelie looked up. “What’s the workshop for?”
“Something in the science field.” Javi shrugged. “Evie wants to be a physicist. It’s still a pretty rough field for girls, she says. Not that they can’t do it, but . . .”
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