by Larissa Ladd
“That’s quite a spread,” Van told Ava, admiring the buffet table set with a vast array of brightly colored fruits and other appetizers. “I can’t wait to see the main course!”
Fawning under the praise of a man that was as handsome as Chad but a little more rugged in the face, her mother blushed prettily and giggled. “Why, it wasn’t much trouble. And I can guarantee that the main course, when it is served, will be even more exciting.” She turned to Jayden and winked. Skyler had to swallow a groan at the melodrama and tugged on Chad’s arm. “I need a drink. Do you think they open the bar before the wedding party arrives?”
He raised an eyebrow at her with an amused half-smile. “I don’t know, but I think there is likely a way to compel the bartender to provide a beverage or two.” Holding out his arm, he waited while Skyler wrapped her hand around his elbow and then led her across the large ballroom, weaving between tables, to the bar. He smiled that devastating smile at the female bartender, and for a moment, when the woman responded with genuine interest, Skyler was insanely jealous. Of course, she was the one who’d asked for this, but it really was harmless.
“Can I help you, sir?” the woman in the vest asked with too much sugar in her voice.
He leaned on the bar. “I just thought maybe I could coerce you to pour a quick drink for myself and my date. She’s a little nervous tonight. She hasn’t spoken to her cousin in years and almost didn’t come, but she wanted to make things right. What better occasion than the girl’s wedding day? I think, though, it might go a little easier for her if she is a little less anxious, and a quick shot of something could help relieve her tension.”
Cutting her eyes toward Skyler with an almost imperceptible sneer, she returned her gaze to Chad with an apologetic smile. “I’m sorry, sir, but we aren’t serving yet.”
With a disappointed frown, he leaned a little farther, and Skyler watched him lock eyes with the wanton woman. “I understand you aren’t serving to the general crowd, but if you haven’t noticed, the general crowd isn’t here yet. Now, it would be lovely if you could pour two whiskey sours, one for myself and one for the lady.”
Skyler saw the woman swallow, her entire countenance changing, and suddenly, she laughed cheerfully. “Oh, I suppose I could break a rule. After all, it’s going to be an open bar. From what I hear, your girlfriend’s cousin is loaded.” She winked and went about her business, providing them with two heavily poured beverages.
Raising his in the air as Skyler grabbed hers, they clinked glasses, and Chad toasted, “To delicate persuasion.”
Skyler could’ve choked on her drink. Of all the things that they could toast, he had to pick something that hit home. Checking his suit, she didn’t see the pen; then again, he’d worn it on the inside pocket of his jacket many times before. The love spell was still intact, but she still wasn’t sure if it was working or if he was indeed a warlock. Jayden had told her after the first night with Chad that she was jumping to conclusions just because she had found some things at his place. After all, any witch wanna-be could go to the local witchcraft shop and purchase an athame and other wiccan items. As if to reassure her that the spell was working, Chad bent his neck and kissed her between swallows. She had grown to adore the taste of him in a very short time, and with that, she had let her guard down and started to truly fall for him.
He was, after all, quite a catch, even if some of his behavior was questionable. They returned to the table where their place-cards were set, Jayden to Skyler’s left and Van on the other side of her. “Is the bar open already?” Van asked, eyeing the drinks in their hands.
“Nope,” Chad told him, polishing off the last of his. “I am just a master of persuasion.”
With an appreciative grunt and an up-and-down assessment of Jayden, Van smiled. “You aren’t the only one. Jayden here has persuaded me to dance with her twice and then to take her out for a real dinner, where she can eat without worrying about splitting her seams. Not that I would mind a little peek or that I think she could possibly need to worry about such things, but in my world, we aim to please our women.”
Jayden’s face was the color of a turnip, she blushed so hard. Skyler couldn’t help but laugh. “Are you seriously not going to eat the expensive dinner plate that will be delivered to you by my mother’s caterers and paid for by a man who wronged you?”
Stubbornness was written all over Jayden’s face. “I think it’s more satisfying to not embarrass myself, to show off the wonderful man who has brought me here, and to waste the money he spent by not eating the food.” Skyler could almost hear the thought that followed. Just in case your mother’s spell goes wrong, you might want to avoid eating yours as well.
Rolling her eyes at the extreme paranoia while also wondering herself if it was safe, she settled in, waiting for the rest of the guests to arrive.
Chapter 5
The sound of Jayden giggling surprised Skyler as the newlyweds were announced and entered the ballroom. It wasn’t exactly the reaction she’d expected. Elbowing her friend, she leaned over and whispered, “Are you alright, or have you gone off the deep end? I can spell you silent if that’s the case, at least, long enough to get us home.”
But Jayden shook her head and covered her mouth and nose as a snort escaped. “I’m fine. In fact, I’m better than fine.” She pointed none too furtively at the new bride. “That dress makes her look like a fish with two tumors just above its tail. Are you seeing how bad she looks right now?”
“Shh!” Skyler hushed her, muttering a few words that would make their voices a little more than a whisper so that others couldn’t hear their discussion. “You are being incredibly rude.”
“Oh, stop it. Wasn’t the entire point of being here to amuse myself and make me feel better?” Jayden crossed her arms over her chest. “So far, that’s been a little difficult. But that whale that’s bouncing around on the dance floor without anything even remotely like rhythm makes me look like a goddess.”
“I don’t know why you don’t see yourself that way in the first place,” Skyler heard Van’s low growl in Jayden’s ear as if he spoke to her directly. The man was smooth, that was for sure, and it made her smile to see Jayden blushing at the compliment. “I happen to think you’re the most beautiful girl in the room.”
Jayden fidgeted, her eyes still locked on the bride, who wasn’t exactly heavy but could have chosen a dress that didn’t create rolls like a walrus where she didn’t have them naturally. “How am I supposed to know you aren’t just laying these lines on me because you want to get laid?” she asked in a teasing voice, though Skyler knew her best friend well enough to know the question was a test. Crap, had she dropped truth serum in his drink?
“I’m not going to lie,” he responded. “It’s part of the reason I agreed to this date. My brother told me you were my type, and I knew you’d be sexy as hell. I had every hope of taking you to bed. But let me assure you, I find you utterly intriguing, and I’d like to see you again, whether you sleep with me tonight or not.” Skyler was impressed and even giddy when Jayden agreed, breaking her fixation with the new happy couple long enough to turn and offer Van a smile. At that response, Van kissed her forehead, muttering against it, “Of course, I will also make you a promise that, if you do decide to partake of physical pleasure with me tonight, I will worship at your altar until you are blind with ecstasy, and then I might repeat the performance if you haven’t passed out completely satisfied.”
Okay, that made even Skyler want to drool, and she felt Chad behind her, shifting from one foot to the other. He’d heard the conversation. She leaned back against him and asked, “Would you be willing to make the same offer if I extended you that opportunity tonight?”
His fingers crept along her arms, from her wrists to her neck, and she shivered with excitement. “Have I ever turned down that opportunity?” He nibbled at her ear, and she smacked his hand.
“Behave,” she whispered harshly as the DJ played a romantic tune and the bride and groom
danced their first dance. A part of her was jealous, wishing she was in the spotlight right now, wondering if she’d ever have the perfect love and marriage. As much as she let herself fall for Chad, he didn’t exactly seem like the type to settle down for the long term. It hurt her heart, but she considered her options. She decided that the love spell truly had worked, but who was to say another spell wouldn’t make him think about things like marriage and a family?
“You seem deep in thought all of a sudden,” Jayden muttered through her teeth, drawing Skyler out of her crazy internal dilemma. “Please tell me you aren’t considering a nice, little happily-ever-after right now.”
Grimacing, Skyler shot back, “What if I am? Aren’t you?”
Huffing like a little kid throwing a fit, Jayden shrugged. “Maybe I am, but I have a right to think about it. For both of us to be on that kick is just pathetic.” They both giggled quietly, and Skyler shook her head. Jayden was right. She needed to get off her little trip and enjoy what she had. She was at a wedding, with an incredibly gorgeous man who she’d spelled into worshiping at her feet, about to enjoy a delicious free meal. She was sure she could convince Chad to dance the night away with her, and when they got home, drunk off the open bar, she was going to have hot, magical sex with him.
It was all quite gratifying.
Returning to their seats as the wedding party took the dance floor, Skyler didn’t miss the gesture as Van slipped Jayden’s hand into his much larger one, gently and with grace. Leaning into her own date, she told him, “I think you made a very good call with Van. He and Jayden seem to be hitting it off pretty well.”
A half smile of acknowledgement crossed Chad’s lips. “I’m usually pretty good with matchmaking. Besides, I’ve spent enough years with my brother to know what he likes, and I’m usually a pretty good judge of others. I could sense somehow that they needed each other.”
Skyler considered his words as she sat down in front of a glass of champagne and an empty wine glass, which she promptly filled from the open bottle of red on the table. It was very insightful, for sure, but there was something about Chad’s actions today that bothered her immensely. She couldn’t put her finger on it, but he was different. While it didn’t exactly make her skin crawl, it did give her a sense of unease. Testing the waters, she asked, “What’s with your brother anyway? There’s something almost tragic between the two of you, no matter how happy the two of you seem as brothers.”
Chad instantly clammed up, and that spoke volumes to Skyler. She tensed as he responded shortly, “We’ve both suffered our share of loss. It hits Van harder than it hits me, and there are times when he has trouble dealing with it.”
Skyler didn’t like the sound of that, and she glanced over at Jayden and Van as she sipped her wine. Jayden was so happy right this minute, but as much as she liked the chemistry between the two of them, Skyler had to wonder if a man such as Chad described wouldn’t break her heart yet again. She didn’t deserve it and likely wouldn’t recover if it happened a second time. She wanted to rant at Chad for setting them up, if this was true, but he sat forward, a hand on her knee. “He’s stable now, Skyler. I’ve made sure of it. He’s had counseling and everything else, which is why I want him to get out and date. I feel that your friend will be the healing element to the last few pieces of him that need to be addressed.”
Unsure, Skyler stared at him. With the things that had happened between them, it hurt to admit to herself that she wasn’t sure she could trust him. Taking a deep breath, she told him, “I know you care for your brother, but Jayden is like my sister. And I can’t let him hurt her. So if there’s even a remote possibility . . .” She trailed off, not wanting to say the words she was thinking.
Chad looked her straight in the eye, capturing her gaze, and she frowned as something strange happened to his irises. They seemed to glow, and for a split second, it looked as though they completely consumed his pupils. “There is no possibility he’ll hurt your friend, Skyler. You can trust me.”
She wanted to believe that, and though his words compelled her in that direction, she still wasn’t certain. A foreign fear crawled up her spine and seemed to latch on at the back of her neck, and she shook her head to try to clear it. “I do trust you, Chad. But you can’t control your brother, and that’s what worries me.”
Chapter 6
Fighting the twitch in his jaw, Chad thought, watch me. He had been keeping his brother from erupting with the energy of a supernova for a long time now, and he could keep it up. But more annoying than that was that, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t force Skyler to believe it. He didn’t really have a response for her right now, not without turning into some sort of animal that would only frighten Skyler away.
And that was the goal, wasn’t it? So, why didn’t he just rail at her, make her want to get as far away from him as she could? The answer was simple—he wasn’t ready to do that yet. He really liked having her around sometimes; she made him less lonely, even if she still felt like a threat, and she worked wonders for his stress as the perfect partner in bed.
He opened his mouth to offer her more reassurance that he wasn’t sure would do any good, but he was saved as the plates were delivered by the impeccably dressed wait staff. The first course was an elaborate-looking salad, and Chad was relieved as Skyler, while looking reluctant, turned away from him to grab her fork and stab at the creation. Glad to drop the subject, Chad did the same, devouring the food quickly and indulging in a second glass of wine.
Van could be nuclear, he thought. He’d seen it happen more than once, and he managed to thwart it these days with forced visits to the rehabilitation center. Chad would have thought he had learned his lesson with Leanne, but he’d obviously been sorely mistaken. Hopefully, Van could remember the consequences of that atomic explosion and what he’d lost as he sat there, his eyes shining with adoration as he stared at Jayden. If not, he was certainly in for a much worse end of days very soon, and there wasn’t a damn thing Chad could do to stop that disaster if Van set it in motion.
Willing time to go faster so they could get through dinner and get to the dancing, Chad strove to keep conversation between all four of them going, as well as to avoid as much in-depth discussion as possible, especially as Ava Duran came by and told them to pay special attention to the groom over the next couple of hours. Chad raised his eyebrows at Skyler who groaned and told him not to ask. She turned instead to Jayden and said, “It sounds like you might want to catch a dance with David before things start to go south.”
Jayden looked at her with wide eyes. “You don’t really expect me to dance with him, do you?”
But Van caressed her shoulder. “Come on, darling, it’s your way of showing him what he lost and how happy you are today. I’ll even walk you over, if you like. There’s no need to be frightened.”
Chad saw his opportunity, and stood, holding out his hand to Skyler. “I think this is our cue as well. Why don’t we go cut a rug and keep your friend company while she gets her revenge?” He winked at her for good measure, and she couldn’t hide a flirtatious smile. “That’s my beautiful girl,” he said as she stood, and he placed a firm kiss on her lips before leading her to the dance floor, expecting that Van and Jayden were on their heels.
The beat picked up as they hit the dance floor, and he twirled Skyler out and back into his arms, making her eyes grow wide as saucers as she laughed. “He dances!” she cried happily as he began to move her around the dance floor.
He smiled back, winking conspiratorially. “Don’t tell, and don’t expect to see it very often.” He played it well, and he danced with Skyler until she was so winded she looked like she might pass out but with a smile on her face that spoke to how much she was enjoying herself.
She shook her head. “I’m done. I can’t go any longer.”
But the romantic ballad that came on was too much to resist. If he was going to reel her in, this was his chance. “I’m sure you can sway back and forth with me for o
ne more number.” She hesitated, and he locked his gaze on hers. “You want to, Skyler. Don’t deny me the pleasure.”
She frowned at him with a nod. “Now that you mention it, I can’t think of any place I’d rather be than on this dance floor, in your arms.”
Chapter 7
Skyler had been listening to Van, Jayden, and David the entire time she’d danced with Chad, and it disturbed her. Jayden had approached David mid-dance and asked to cut in. His response had sounded frightened. “Jayden, I can’t believe you’re here. I mean, I . . .” He couldn’t finish the sentence.
Jayden had spoken with a fake smile. “I came to let you know I didn’t hold a grudge, David. I wanted to send you away with your new wife with my best wishes. And now, all I ask is for one little dance.”
David had sputtered, and Van had stepped in. “Grant the lady her wish. It’s a small thing to ask, and after she’s done, you’ll forget all about her.” The words hadn’t sounded like a request, and they’d given Skyler a chill. She’d dared a glance in their direction and found David shrugging and holding out a hand to Jayden.
She knew they were dancing when Jayden told him, “I’m better off without you, you know.”
“You look fabulous,” he’d replied.
“Thanks. I just wish you could see what you gave up, all over something that had no impact on you whatsoever. And even if you felt like leaving was the right thing to do, you could have been a little nicer about it.” Jayden had paused. “I’m not here to ruin your night. I’m just here for closure. I wanted to say that, and I really did want to give you and your bride my best.”
“I’m sorry, Jayden. I didn’t mean to hurt you. And you really do look amazing. And that man over there seems to completely adore you. Thank you for not hating me. I wish you every happiness as well.” The words were mechanical at best, and it sat wrong with Skyler. She would have expected sarcasm, fear, anger, but not a complete lack of emotion in the words.