by Nalini Singh
Because he’d be there tomorrow afternoon at Molly and Fox’s “backyard wedding,” as Molly was calling it. She and Fox were determined to slide under the paparazzi’s noses and have a celebration unmarred by flyovers as the media fought to take photographs. As part of that, the guest list was strictly limited and everyone knew not to say a word to anyone who might purposefully—or accidentally—spill the beans.
All staff hired for the event had the same reputation as that which was the foundation of Sarah’s business: flawless discretion about clients.
Getting into her car after loading everything she’d need tonight and tomorrow, Sarah turned the vehicle’s air-conditioning to high, then drove out. Despite how friendly Molly had been, Sarah might have felt awkward about tonight, as if she were barging in, except that Molly had made it a special point to ask Sarah to come.
“We can hang out and talk,” Molly had said with that huge smile of hers that made it impossible not to smile in return. “And as a bonus, we’ll all be here for the morning pampering and makeup session.”
“Are you sure?” Sarah had asked, undone by Molly’s generosity. “I don’t want to intrude.”
“You’re my friend, Sarah.” The other woman had squeezed her hands, her brown eyes luminous. “We might just be starting out in that friendship, but I know it’s one that’ll last.”
Keeping Molly’s words in mind, Sarah drove through the gate after someone opened it for her without her having to push the buzzer, bringing her happy little red car to a halt in front of the house. Three other vehicles were already there: a black sports car, a midnight-blue BMW, and a large, dark gray SUV with rental plates. She’d just opened the back passenger-side door to start gathering up her things when the front door of the house was thrown open.
Molly ran out, dressed in a fabulous halter-neck swimsuit in black, a white sarong tied at her waist. “Sarah!” Her eyes sparkled, every inch of her bubbling with joy. “You’re here!”
Laughing, Sarah met Molly’s hug halfway. “So,” she said, “you’re just slightly happy to be getting married?”
“Hah!” The other woman pushed playfully at Sarah’s shoulders. “I can’t wait to be Molly Webster-Fox!” She looked about an inch away from floating off the ground. “I’ve decided I’m going to be that newlywed—you know, the one who gets monogrammed towels and shows off her wedding photos at every opportunity.”
Infected with Molly’s happiness, Sarah grinned and said, “Why not?” She pulled out the garment bag in which she’d zipped up her turquoise dress.
“Let me take that.” Molly folded the bag carefully over her arm, then took the hatbox so Sarah could grab her overnight bag and the shoebox. “I’m so glad you could come. We are going to have way too much fun. There will be giggling and cocktails and dessert.”
Sarah’d had girlfriends when she was growing up, but her home life hadn’t allowed her to spend time over at their homes or ask them to visit hers. And after she’d run… Well, she’d never actually hung out with a bunch of women and giggled. It sounded oddly appealing.
Having grabbed everything, Sarah shut the car door, then followed Molly into the house. The curvy woman with creamy skin and soft, ink-black hair that curled wildly when not tied back, led her to a large downstairs room. “This is our dressing room,” she said, hanging Sarah’s dress on a clothing stand. There were already three other dresses on there, as well as Molly’s wedding gown.
Molly brushed her fingers over the antique lace on it before putting the hatbox on a table and indicating Sarah could place the shoebox beneath it. “Come on, I’ll show you where you can leave your overnight bag.”
That proved to be another downstairs room, this one set up as a guest room. “I thought you’d like the view into the garden,” Molly said. “It’ll be private even during the wedding since the garden’s hedged off to be a secret nook.”
“It’s wonderful, Molly.” Sarah put down her things. “Thank you.”
The other woman beamed. “You want to change into your suit? We’re going to hang by the pool.”
Sarah felt a stab of that old lack of confidence, a sudden awareness of her height and size. “Can I spy on what the others are wearing first?” she asked in a whisper.
Molly winked. “Sure. Let’s go up.”
Having kicked off their shoes, they padded up the stairs toward the sound of other female voices. “We’ll be doing makeup and hair upstairs tomorrow morning,” Molly told her on the way. “It’s sunnier and we’ll have a view of the water.”
An instant later they reached the sprawling open-plan kitchen/living area.
“Sarah!” Closest to the stairs, Kit came over and kissed Sarah on the cheek.
The actress wore a two-piece in checked red and white, the bottoms little shorts and the bikini top simple but supportive with two thin straps. It gave off a slightly old-fashioned vibe that Sarah liked. Given Kit’s profession, her body was flawless, toned and without an ounce of fat.
“Hey there, my fellow CEO. You want a glass?” Thea held up a bottle of champagne, her golden skin glowing in the early-evening sunshine that flooded the area.
The leggy publicist, whom Sarah had always secretly admired for her innate sense of style, wore a sleek red one-piece over which she’d thrown a floaty garment that covered her arms and came to her thighs. The slick-straight strands of her hair were pinned carelessly in a knot at the back of her head, but somehow Thea still managed to look cool and sophisticated.
Thea had intimidated Sarah during her marriage to Abe. That was before she’d learned how ferociously the other woman protected those who were her own—and also how kind Thea could be. It was Thea who’d taken charge of ensuring Sarah’s security was up-to-date and who’d brought over her things while Sarah was staying with Molly and Fox.
“I’d kill for a latte actually,” Sarah admitted. “I know it’s weird, but I’ve been jonesing for one all afternoon and wasn’t able to get to my favorite coffee place.”
Thea turned to Kit just as Thea’s phone began to ring. “You’re faster at the machine.” She was on her phone seconds later, no doubt ensuring the media hadn’t discovered Molly and Fox’s wedding plans.
As Kit cheerfully used the gleaming coffee machine to make Sarah her latte, Sarah smiled at the last woman in the room aside from Molly—a petite blonde whose silky hair came to an inch or two below her shoulders. Seated at the breakfast counter, she was dressed in a cobalt-blue bikini top and a pair of short black board shorts. Her hazel eyes sparkled in welcome at Sarah behind the clear glass of her wire-rimmed spectacles.
“Hi, Charlie,” Sarah said. “I meant to tell you—I think I put on five pounds after sampling all those cakes.” It had been impossible to resist the deliciousness; Charlotte was one mean baker.
“That was probably her cunning plan all along.” Molly jumped onto a breakfast stool beside her best friend. “To make us all burst the seams of our dresses while she remains tiny and adorable.”
Charlotte elbowed Molly. “I would kill for your curves,” she said before returning her gaze to Sarah. “And yours are seriously dangerous.”
Confidence boosted by the friendly atmosphere and the fact all the other women were different sizes and shapes, Sarah smiled. “Thanks. Let me go get into my suit so we can head out to the pool.”
It only took her a few minutes to change into the bronze two-piece that was her favorite. The top cupped her generous breasts firmly, then hugged her body to the waist. It also had small ties that caused pretty ruching along the curve of her waist on either side. The bottoms were simple and not too high cut.
Pulling on a floaty beach top similar to Thea’s over the outfit, she walked back upstairs just in time to hear one of the women say, “…worried about fitting into the dress?”
Molly’s laughter was open warmth. “My dress isn’t formfitting, but even if it was, I could still gorge on dessert to my heart’s content.” She glanced over at Sarah, filled her in. “They’re teasi
ng me about the dessert bar I had the caterers come in and set up by the pool.”
Taking a sip of the divine latte Kit had made for her, Sarah smiled her thanks at the amber-eyed woman whose skin held a natural bronze glow thanks to her Venezuelan ancestry on her mother’s side. “I guess we’re all used to brides freaking out about their weight.” Sarah certainly had prior to her own wedding—and all it had gotten her was the urge to binge-eat chocolate. “It’s nice that you’re not.” Not that Molly needed to worry—she had a beautiful body, all soft curves and lush sexiness.
“I actually lost a few pounds without trying,” Molly admitted. “When Fox and I went on that hiking trip.”
“Yes.” Charlotte grinned, her gaze wicked. “I’m sure it was the hiking that made you sweat, Miss Molly.”
Pretending to strangle her best friend, Molly blushed. Which only made everyone laugh and fueled further teasing until Molly ordered them all out to the pool.
CHAPTER 10
FORTY MINUTES LATER, after a swim in the clear blue waters of the infinity pool lit from below, Sarah took a seat on a lounger under the night sky that had eclipsed the last of the sunlight and tried one of the triple chocolate fudge brownies Charlotte had whipped up and added to the catered items. She groaned. “These are the devil’s work.”
Charlotte looked over from the neighboring lounger where she was sipping a cocktail. Her face dead serious, she said, “Thank you.” Then she set aside her cocktail and used her fingers to make tiny horns on top of her head.
Sarah burst out laughing. And that set the tone for the rest of the evening. She’d never had a night like this, with women who were all close friends with each other… and who’d pulled her firmly into that circle.
Not once did she feel like an outsider.
The conversation flowed freely, as did the desserts and cocktails and food, though Sarah stuck to nonalcoholic drinks. Her stomach was a touch unsettled. Not enough to really bother her, but enough that she didn’t want to aggravate it with alcohol.
“The men probably think we have a stripper here,” Thea said at one point while she was treading water in the pool, the pool lighting making the water and her suit glow like jewels. “We could torment them by sending updates about our imaginary stripper,” she suggested to a round of grins. “He could be wearing a fireman costume.”
“Will he bring his own pole?” Charlotte asked with a sparkle in her eye.
Kit nodded. “An important consideration. What is a fireman without his pole?”
“That’s like poetry,” Thea said. “Where dost thou placeth thy pole?”
Slapping a hand over her mouth when a snort of laughter escaped her, Sarah met Molly’s eyes. The other woman began to giggle too, and then it was all over.
In the end, they decided not to mess with the men’s heads. Right now, the five males were having their own get-together at Thea and David’s place.
“What about you, Sarah?” Charlotte asked innocently ten minutes later, the two of them alone on the loungers while the other women swam. “Are you seeing someone?”
Sarah felt her stomach drop in a steep dive. The correct answer was no, but her brain kept flashing back to how it had felt to be in Abe’s arms again, to hear his deep voice in her ear, to see his smile. So right. It had felt so right. Not just the sex. Everything. Speaking to him about Aaron when she barely spoke on that painful subject even to Lola, listening to him speak about Tessie. All of it had felt right.
For the first time in forever, she hadn’t felt as if she stood on shaky ground.
She was still fumbling for an answer when Charlotte reached over to touch her hand with her delicate one. “It’s okay.” Gentle words. “I know sometimes things are complicated.”
Grateful for the quiet kindness, Sarah released a breath she hadn’t been aware of holding. “How about you tell me about this T-Rex Molly mentioned.”
Charlotte’s cheeks filled with color, but her grin was wicked and sweet both. “That’s what I secretly called Gabriel when we first met. He was my boss.” Then, as Sarah listened, Charlotte told her about a relationship that had begun with a stapler thrown at the boss’s head.
“He used to bring you cupcakes to say sorry?” Sarah sighed. “That is seriously romantic.”
“First he’d drive me insane with his demands—Miss Baird, I need this. Miss Baird, why haven’t I got this already?—and right when I was about to scream, he’d bring me cake.” Charlotte’s cheeks creased. “I adore him beyond life.”
Sarah couldn’t help but smile even as her own heart clenched; once, she’d worn her love for Abe as openly on her sleeve. “You two getting married as well?” She nodded at the stunning diamond on Charlotte’s finger.
“In just under two months,” Charlotte confirmed. “Molly and Fox are going to fly out to New Zealand for it. It’s going to be a traditional church wedding.” She found her phone, brought up a photo of four gorgeous and built men with their arms around each other’s shoulders. “This is my Gabriel.” She touched her finger to the image of the biggest man in the group, his shoulders and height reminding Sarah of Abe.
Both could’ve been linebackers.
Charlotte’s Gabriel had black hair and steel-gray eyes, his skin sun-golden. One of the men in the photo looked very much like him except that his eyes were a startling blue. The other two were younger and had a warm brown skin tone, different features, but there was something about them… “Brothers?”
Charlotte nodded. “Sailor, Danny, and Jake.” She scrolled through her photos to show Sarah several more not only of the four brothers but of a number of other good-looking men. Most were in sports uniforms that exposed strong thighs and biceps. Whoever else was in the shot, however, it also always featured either Charlotte’s fiancé or one—or more—of his brothers.
“Gabriel used to play rugby professionally, and his two youngest brothers still do,” Charlotte explained. “Sailor does it for fun.” The petite blonde shook her head. “Most of Gabriel’s former teammates are coming to the wedding, and at least half are currently single. I’m running out of single female friends to invite!”
Shoulders shaking, Sarah took a strawberry from the bowl Kit passed over before the other woman took a seat on the lounger next to Charlotte’s. She bit into the juicy red flesh as Charlotte showed off her man and his brothers to Kit. As she’d already guessed, Charlie was head over heels for her “T-Rex,” and if the look in Gabriel’s eyes in those photos was any indication, he had a serious thing for the woman who’d taken the photographs.
Sarah swallowed and glanced away into the distance for an instant. She’d never had anyone look at her that way—as if she were his heart and his soul and his reason for waking up in the morning. Once, she’d hoped Abe would someday look at her with that depth of love.
That dream had died a hard death, but as the interlude in her kitchen showed, she was still dangerously susceptible to the man who’d been her husband. She’d have to be careful the romance of the wedding didn’t seduce her into making a mistake that led her right back into his bed.
Why?
The question came from a sinful, hungry part of her that wasn’t the least bit sorry she’d gotten down and dirty with Abe. Her face flushed even now at the memory; she was grateful the other women were too busy nibbling at dessert and chatting about the wedding to notice.
Not wanting to miss out, Sarah wrenched her attention back to the matter at hand and joined in. As for Abe and her response to him, she’d deal with that tomorrow.
THE NEXT MORNING—AFTER A WONDERFUL LATE night where they’d ended up talking for hours—Sarah showered, then put her pajamas back on and joined her friends in the kitchen. Kit had just come in from using another shower in the house and went straight to the coffee machine.
“Need caffeine,” she said, her arms held out like a zombie’s.
“You want me to do that?” Sarah asked Kit. “I think I’ve figured out the machine.”
“No, let me.�
� Kit yawned. “It’ll wake me up a bit more. What does everyone want?”
Two minutes later, while Sarah was quietly and happily listening to Charlotte and Molly discuss the flower arrangements, Kit slid across Sarah’s latte.
The aroma was heavenly. “Thanks, Kit.” God, it was nice sitting here with women she liked, doing nothing in particular. She did miss Flossie though, but Sarah’s pet enjoyed the rare times she got to go to a special “pet hotel” where she hung out with other dogs and had doggie sleepovers.
“What do you want for breakfast, Sarah?” Molly swung off the stool even as she spoke. “I can whip you up some—”
“Sit down!” Charlie’s voice was unexpectedly fierce. “This is your wedding day. Act like a bridezilla.”
Scrunching up her face, Molly stuck out her tongue at her best friend but retook her seat. “T-Rex is a bad influence on you, Miss Baird.”
Sarah laughed at the darkly uttered words before getting up herself.
“Cereal’s my usual—”
“No, no, I have something better.” Charlie waved Sarah back down and, jumping off her own stool, went around the counter.
Lifting a cover, Molly’s best friend said, “Ta-da!”
“Wow, those muffins look delicious.” Sarah’s stomach rumbled, though she wasn’t usually a big breakfast eater. “Apple and walnut?”
“Pear and walnut.” Placing one on a plate, Charlotte passed it over.
Sarah went to break it in half using her fingers, felt her eyes widen. “It’s still warm!”
“I made them just before.” Picking up another muffin, Charlotte put it in front of Kit, the actress having grabbed the stool next to Sarah. “Forget about being a superstar today,” she ordered. “You’ll still fit your clothes.”
Kit drew in a deep breath, the scent of the fresh muffins filling the air. “I surrender.” Putting down her coffee cup, she went to take a bite. “You’re bossier than you look.”
“T-Rex has a lot to answer for.”
“Hush up, half of Foxy.”