We walked down the aisle, hand in hand, with the twins holding our free hands, and headed up the hill to where the reception was being held. Within minutes, we were surrounded by everyone, wishing us congratulations.
There was a large platform set up for dancing, with the DJ equipment off to the side. On the side of that there were round tables and chairs set up, with white clothes and beautiful flowers from Hawaii. The head table was situated in the middle of the round tables, because we wanted to be in the middle of everyone, rather than off to the side. And, finally, on the opposite side was the buffet setup, including the giant roasted pig.
It was pretty, simple, and perfect.
“Thanks for decorating, it looks amazing,” I told Cade’s mom after giving her a kiss on the cheek.
“Oh, of course, it was my pleasure,” she replied. “And your friends were such a big help. They helped with the food, the flowers, and the decorations. You’re very lucky to have so many wonderful friends.”
“I know,” I agreed, my cheeks already hurting from how much smiling I was doing.
I couldn’t help it though. I couldn’t stop, I was too happy.
Everyone was milling around, mingling and having a good time. Enjoying the open bar that Cade had insisted on having. And I was taking it all in. The smiling faces, the laughter, the diversity of our group.
That’s when I saw it . . . At the end of the buffet, on the opposite side of the pig . . . the cake.
I drifted toward it as if in a dream, my mouth watering and my eyes glazing over.
It was three tiers, covered in ivory fondant, with pearls accenting each layer, and purple, yellow, and white plumeria flowers cascading down the tiers.
“Do you like it?” Amy May asked from beside me.
“I love it. It’s beautiful. What’s inside?” I asked.
“This tier is chocolate, this one coffee, and this one, is chai.”
“Oh, chai,” I moaned. “My favorite.”
Amy May chuckled.
“I know.”
“You know, you’re going to have to share that cake with everyone here,” Cade said, coming up on my other side.
I glared at him.
“I know that,” I said, although it came out more like a pout.
He laughed deep, from his belly.
“Don’t worry, I made a cupcake cake, too. All Chai, just for you,” my best friend said.
I turned to her and beamed.
“And, this is why I love you.”
“Oh, a plumeria cake, it’s beautiful!” Cade’s mom exclaimed as she joined us.
She was carrying a plumeria flower in her hand, and when I turned to face her, she tucked it behind my left ear.
“In Hawaii, when you wear the plumeria over your right ear, it means you’re available, and when you’re taken, you wear it over your left,” she said as she stepped back and cupped my face with her palm. “You are now officially, and permanently, taken.”
“Thank you,” I said, then I looked at Cade and added, “He should get one too.”
“Not on your life,” was my husband’s response.
Typical.
MY BELLY WAS full and I was grateful that the skirt of my dress was poufy enough to hide my food baby, and I was swaying to the music Ripper was playing as I nursed my glass of champagne.
“Congratulations,” Bran said as he came up and bent to kiss my cheek.
“Bran!” I cried happily. “I’m so happy you’re here.”
I’d missed him at the ceremony but understood that with things the way they were between him and Cade, he hadn’t felt totally comfortable being there for the wedding.
“Of course, I couldn’t let your big day pass without stopping by,” he said, his gaze flitting over the crowd before landing on Carmen, who was on the dance floor with Shannon and Amy May.
“She’ll be happy you’re here, too,” I said, tilting my head toward Carmen.
He nodded, then looked warily to where Cade was standing and talking to Chris.
“You know,” I began, “This is probably the best mood you’re ever going to find him in . . .”
Bran’s looked to me, startled.
“You mean . . . here? You want me to talk to Cade now? At his wedding?”
“I’m just saying, he’s very happy, and it will only take a minute. Plus, I think you’d be able to relax and enjoy yourself if you just got it off your chest . . . put it out there.”
“You don’t think it’ll piss him off, me bringing that up now?”
I shook my head.
“I really don’t.”
Bran took my champagne glass and downed it, then handed it back and said, “Now or never, right?”
“Right,” I agreed, then watched with my heart in my throat as he walked up to Cade.
Shit, I hope Cade doesn’t clock him.
Cade turned as Bran approached, and he didn’t scowl or anything, so I took that as a good sign. I saw Bran ask if he could talk to him, Cade motion to Chris that he’d be right back, then the two of them walk a couple of steps away.
Bran was almost as tall as Cade, but while Bran was built like a runner, Cade was built like a linebacker, making Bran look somehow small next to him.
I felt a twinge of guilt when a shadow crossed Cade’s face as Bran talked. Maybe I should have left things alone, or at least, not pushed Bran to bring up bad memories on Cade’s wedding day.
But, then Cade’s face cleared, he clapped Bran on the shoulder and nodded, said something, and then walked back toward Chris. Before he could get to him, his was waylaid by Slade, who looked like he had something serious to discuss.
Bran turned and grinned at me, gave me a small thumbs up, then went to join Carmen on the dance floor.
I was watching Slade’s lips, and saw him say, “Don’t worry about a thing, brother,” then he headed toward the bar and Cade went back to Chris.
I crossed to Cade and put my arms around him from behind.
“I love you,” I said as I rested my cheek against his back.
“You’d better,” he replied, but I could hear the teasing in his tone.
“Why don’t you dance with your wife, brother?” Chris chided, and I realized we hadn’t had our first dance as husband and wife yet.
We’d decided to forgo all of the traditional dances and such, preferring to let this feel more like a party than a reception, but I liked the idea of doing the husband and wife dance.
“Yeah, dance with your wife,” I agreed.
Cade turned and took my hand and led me onto the dance floor.
We walked all the way to where Ripper was spinning and Cade left me to whisper in his ear, then he was back.
Norah Jones’s Come Away with Me started playing, and Cade took me in his arms.
“Thank you,” I told him as I moved as close to him as I could without seeming indecent.
“For Braswell?” he asked, and I nodded. “It’s not a big deal. He explained. And, not only is he with Carmen now, but I know he’s had your back more than once, so . . . we’re good.”
Seriously, this guy.
“Is everything okay with the club?” I asked.
No, I didn’t usually get involved in club business, but we had just recently had a run in with the Diablos, and I wanted to make sure there hadn’t been any blowback. I also wondered if we needed to be worried about retaliation.
“Slade said they have a meet scheduled with Cueball,” Cade replied. “It’s nothing you’ll need to worry about.”
I nodded, trusting he and his brothers would handle things, then tilted my head up and offered him my mouth, which he accepted.
I parted my lips beneath his and lost myself in his kiss as we swayed to the sultry sound of Norah Jones. His fingers dug into my sides as he deepened the kiss and I eagerly met him kiss for kiss.
“Are you having a good time, wife?” he asked with a grin when we finally stopped kissing and focused on dancing.
“The best time, husba
nd,” I replied.
“Are you ready to know where we’re going on our honeymoon?”
Cade had let me have carte blanche with the wedding, in return for him getting to decide and plan the honeymoon.
Since the less I had to plan, the happier I was, I’d agreed instantly, then promptly swept it from my mind. I’d be happy spending time alone with him anywhere, honestly, unless it was somewhere with a tent and a sleeping bag, which he’d promised it wouldn’t be.
“I am. Where are we going? When do we leave? And, how long will we be gone?”
“Europe. Day after tomorrow. Three weeks,” Cade replied, and my mouth dropped open.
“Europe? Are you serious?” I asked, unable to wrap my head around it.
I figured he’d take me to Mexico or a mountain somewhere, but . . . Europe?
“Oh my God . . . day after tomorrow? Three weeks? Where are we going to stay? What cities are we going to? I need to pack!”
Cade chuckled and caressed my back.
“Breathe.”
I took a moment to collect myself, let out a long breath, and said, “Okay, now answer my questions.”
“I’ve got a couple buddies with places in Europe. Paris, Venice, Barcelona. I figured we’d rent a bike and drive the countryside for a while. Hop a train when we need to. Just, travel around and see where the wind takes us.”
“A couple buddies with places in Europe?” I asked incredulously.
“Yeah, from my football days. They went on to play pro, so they’ve got houses and stuff, said they’d be happy to let us crash and apologized for not making it out to the wedding.”
“Huh,” I managed, dumbfounded by all of the information he was laying out.
Then I grinned broadly and said, “We’re going to Europe . . . for three weeks. On our Honeymoon. Alone.”
“That’s right, darlin’.”
“Have I mentioned, I love you?”
“I don’t mind if you keep saying it. Every day. For as long as we live.”
“Then, I’ll do just that.”
Turn the page for an excerpt from Too Tempting,
The Lewis Cousins Series Book 1
TOO TEMPTING
Chapter One—Gabe
I TOOK A deep breath as I walked out of my cabin and onto the wooden deck overlooking the lake and forty wooded acres of my camp.
I’d built Camp Gabriel Lewis over three years ago, after I’d retired from the NFL and decided to make my dream of working with teens a reality. My camp was not just a football camp, and not just your traditional sleepaway camp; it was a combination of both. It was the culmination of a vision I had when I was a young kid, and the only things I gave a damn about in life were football and my annual camping trip with my cousins.
“Son of a bitch, it’s good to be back here!” I grinned over my ceramic coffee mug at my cousin, Reardon, who’d just pulled in.
Crazy tall, blond, and charismatic, he was the person I’d been closest to growing up. My best friend. Now he was a lawyer in the small town he grew up in.
“Happy to get away from the hustle and bustle of Cherry Springs?” I asked with a chuckle.
“No, man, things there are quiet as usual,” Reardon responded as he pulled his duffle bag from the trunk of his Mercedes. “I’m just looking forward to kicking your ass at family sports day this year.”
“You wish, cupcake,” I responded wryly, feeling ridiculously happy to see him again.
“Hey, I’ve been working out,” he countered with a grin.
When he reached the top, we came together in a quick hug, each giving the other a sharp clap on the back before pulling apart.
“C’mon, I’ll walk you down to your cabin so you can get settled in. Jasmine and Dillon are en route. They’ll probably get in tonight. Serena had to work today, but said she should be in first thing in the morning.”
“Sounds good.”
I followed him back down the steps and onto the trail, which led to the row of cabins. The counselors stay in the cabins when camp is in session, but my family always lived in them when we came down for our annual trip the week before opening.
“This is you, as usual,” I said, jogging up the steps to open the door, since his hands were full. “So, what have you been doing since Easter?” I asked as he tossed the bag effortlessly onto the bed.
“Had a couple cases, nothing really exciting,” he replied, opening the drawers to the dresser so he could unpack.
“Things still good with Brenda . . . or was it Bonnie?” I asked, honestly unable to remember the name of the girl he’d brought for Easter dinner.
“It’s Becca, and no, we broke up.”
When I looked at him pointedly, asking him what happened without saying the words, he shrugged.
“She liked the idea of being with a lawyer, but not living in a small town. She kept trying to convince me to move to the city . . . kept leaving brochures around and shit. I finally told her that leaving was not an option for me, and she bailed.”
“That sucks, Rear, I’m sorry things didn’t work out,” I said sincerely. Neither of us had ever been married. In our twenties, we’d enjoyed playing the field, but we’d recently agreed that we were ready to stop all the bullshit and settle down.
Unfortunately, the kind of women we seemed to attract weren’t the kind that we wanted to marry. Now we were older, and set in our ways, we were finding that women our age were set in theirs too, so it was difficult to find someone who wanted the same things we did.
“It’s for the best,” he replied, rolling his bag up and shoving it in the closet. “It’s better to find out now, then when I proposed, right?”
“Was it that serious?”
“I don’t know . . . It could have been.”
I looked my cousin over, determined he didn’t look heartbroken or anything, and figured he was better off. He’d find the right woman soon enough, but for now, it was time to enjoy a week with our favorite people.
“I was just about to take a look around, see if anything needs to be fixed,” I said, tilting my head toward the door. “You wanna head out?”
“Yeah, sounds good. Let me just hit the head real quick and we can take off on foot.”
I went back out onto the porch to let him take a piss in peace. These cabins had their own bathrooms, and were usually shared by two counselors of the same sex. Once you got to the part of camp where the campers stayed, there were communal bathrooms and showers. Each of those cabins had five bunk beds, and a twin bed for the junior counselors.
“All right, let’s do this,” Reardon said as he rushed outside, the screen door slapping as it closed.
We took off at a brisk pace as we walked. I was probably three inches shorter than Reardon, but even though I was retired, I still kept myself in pretty good shape. My cousin was no slouch by any means, but he did spend a lot of time behind a desk. Even though he knew I was faster than him, and almost always came out on top in any competition, Reardon was still the most competitive person I knew. That was why, after less than a half mile of him trying to walk faster than me, he took off at a sprint, his laughter floating behind him.
“Really?” I shouted. “You’re starting this shit already?”
Then I was off, running at full speed and gaining on him within moments. Right before we reached the break in the trees to the center of main camp, I gave it an extra push and passed him with a whoop.
I stopped at the flagpole, hands on my knees as I looked up at him, laughing at his red-faced scowl.
“When you gonna give it up?” I asked good-naturedly. A big part of our relationship included giving each other a hard time.
“Never,” he vowed, like he always did, then held his side. “I think I caught a cramp.”
“Serves you right, cupcake.”
Reardon shook his head as he looked around.
“The place looks great.”
“I had a team come in about a month ago. Did general landscaping and maintenance. M
ade sure everything was on point for opening day. I’ve used them before, so I knew they’d do the job I hired ‘em to do, but a lot can go wrong in a month. I want to make sure that at some point this week we put eyes on every facility. Make sure nothing broke, fell, or got eaten by a wild animal since they left.”
“Sounds easy enough,” he replied, then asked, “I know it’s kind of early, but I’m starving. What are your plans for dinner tonight?”
“I was thinking we could either do brats or steaks. I picked up a tri tip too, but figured we could save that for the last night.”
“That sounds good, and for tonight, steaks sound perfect.”
“We can head back and get the grill fired up. I can always hop on the four-wheeler and take a quick turn around the camp before dinner.”
“Perfect.”
We were headed back toward our cabins when the sound of leaves crunching had me bracing and looking to my left.
The last thing I expected to see was a leggy brunette in cut-offs and a tank top come walking out of the woods. Being an hour away from the closest town meant we didn’t often get unexpected visitors, but I was more curious than worried when she spotted us and relief flooded her face.
“Hey,” she said, her low, throaty voice open and friendly. “I’m so happy to see you guys. I parked back in the welcome lot, which is empty by the way, and have been growing more and more worried. This is Camp Gabriel Lewis, right? I’m supposed to be filling in for my sister as chaperone for the week while my nephew’s here at camp.”
I took in her big brown eyes and long dark hair, which was currently going wild and trying to escape its ponytail, then shot Reardon a look before turning back to her and replying, “I hate to say it, darlin’, but camp doesn’t start until next week.”
Too Tempting is Available Now!
AWARD-WINNING AUTHOR BETHANY LOPEZ BEGAN self-publishing in June 2011. She’s a lover of all things romance: books, movies, music, and life, and she incorporates that into the books she writes. When she isn’t reading or writing, she loves spending time with her husband and children, traveling whenever possible. Some of her favorite things are: Kristen Ashley Books, coffee in the morning, and In N Out burgers.
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