by Jo Raven
I clap a hand over my mouth, stifling laughter.
Zane comes to greet us with his girlfriend, Dakota, and his shrewd dark gaze takes us in.
“Jesse,” he says gravely, then his face breaks into a grin so wide I’m afraid his face might split in two. “And Amber. What a surprise.”
I have a feeling it’s not a surprise for him at all. Did Jesse talk to him about me? I glance at the man cuddling me to his side, but he’s waving at a tall blond guy who’s attached like a limpet to a pretty girl with skin like caramel.
Rafe and Megan, Jesse’s coworker at the café.
So many hotties, but the cutest one is by my side.
“Hey, guys.” Megan does a double take when she notices how close Jesse and I are standing, how interlocked we are, and I want to laugh.
Because he’s right, his presence warm and real, shoring me up. I’ve never felt so relaxed around people before. I bet he can sense it.
But still he doesn’t let go.
Before I know it, we’re moving again, this time away from the altar. I guess we’ll talk to Asher and Audrey later. Looks like the ceremony’s about to start.
In the gathering dusk, the spotlights illuminate the pair. Audrey’s hair is loose on her back, red curls tumbling like a waterfall. It’s as if she stepped right out of a medieval castle, in her long white dress. She’s cradling the baby in her arms, her bunch of flowers clasped underneath, and Asher has his arm around her waist.
Like Jesse has his around mine.
The best maid and best man take their places at the sides of the couple—Tessa and Zane, the latter standing out with his Mohawk and the colorful ink sleeves running down his arms.
I glance at Jesse’s tattooed arm, remember the scars and the terrifying story behind them. I somehow don’t think he’s told me everything that happened to him that night. Not that such an attack isn’t enough to give anyone nightmares.
The Justice of the Peace, a tiny woman in a gray suit, clears her throat, and the whispers fade. A sultry breeze blows from the lake, and I shiver.
Jesse tucks me to his front and wraps both arms around me. I lean back against his hard chest, my mind blanking out. It feels so… familiar. Intimate. Natural.
Easy and yet exciting, exhilarating, and sexy. Fire races over my skin, and the tips of my breasts tighten when his hands shift over my belly.
From the hard rod digging into the small of my back, I’m not the only one aroused.
The Justice of the Peace says a few words, inviting the couple to reflect on the journey ahead of them and reminding them they hereby agree to a legal and binding contract of marriage, or something of that sort, the words lost in the buzzing in my ears.
“Okay?” Jesse breathes in my ear, and I gulp.
“Yes.” I really am, much better than I thought I’d be, though I’m pretty sure his arm around me, his warm presence is helping. “I’m fine.”
I take a fortifying breath, as if about to jump into the ocean, and brace for him to release me.
He still doesn’t let go.
“Good,” he says, and I can hear the smile in his voice as he tugs me back against his hard-on. “I’m fine, too.”
Laughter tickles my throat, wants to spill out, and I swallow it down, trying desperately to pay attention to the ceremony.
Asher is saying his vows, telling Audrey that she and their son are the most important people in the world to him and that he’ll love them forever, that she saved him and he’ll never forget it.
My eyes fill up. I barely know these people, and yet his speech is so passionate and rings with so much honesty that I’m touched. He really loves his woman and kid, and you can tell she feels the same way when she turns toward him and they hug, their baby held between them gently, like a fragile flower.
A small applause goes around, and I find myself clapping, too, because honestly, this is heartwarming. Even more so when they part, and she gives her vow, too, telling him how much she loves him, and how glad she is he made it out of hell alive to be with her.
Crap, they’re going to make me bawl. I wish for love like theirs, for someone to hold me as tightly as Asher does Audrey and their son.
Like Jesse is holding me right now—but for how long? Until tomorrow, next week? What about forever?
Jesse shifts, and I realize the ceremony is over. The couple are kissing amidst cheering and clapping, and Zane has taken out a piece of paper and is frowning at it.
Then he steps in front of the now wedded couple, balls up the paper, throws it to the ground, and lifts a hand.
“All hail Zane Madden,” Jesse whispers in my ear, and although there’s a hint of laughter in his voice, he manages to sound sincere at the same time. “Asher says Zane saved him too many times to count. He is the shit, you know?”
Boy worships Zane. Knowing now that the man took him in from the street and gave him a home and a future, I can understand why.
He has quite a presence, too, imposing with that war-like hairdo and the tattoos. I don’t know his history, but from his almond-shaped eyes and broad cheekbones you can tell he has some Asian ancestry. A sexy, handsome, dangerous-looking boy, like his friends and protégés.
One of whom is squeezing the breath out of me, his arms crossed underneath my breasts, his chin resting on my shoulder.
Not that I’m complaining. Frankly, as Jesse whispers my name and kisses my neck, raining shivers down my back, there’s nowhere else in the world I’d rather be. In fact, I wish I could stop time and keep this instance, this precious moment where everything is possible.
Where Jesse Lee might be in love with me.
“Good evening,” Zane says, when everyone has quieted down. The spotlight casts him in stark contrast, leaching out all color from his tattoos and hair. “I believe it’s custom for the best man to make a speech. I honestly don’t see why the best maid can’t make one, too,” he winks at Tessa who grins back at him. “But I leave that up to her. I have a few things I want to say.”
A few whispers escape the gathering. Speculation, probably, as to what he’s about to talk about.
“I know I’m supposed to give a speech after everyone has been seated at the table, but I’ll do it now. I have my reasons.”
More whispers.
Zane waits until they fade away. Asher and Audrey are looking at him solemnly, and I wonder if they know what he’s about to say.
“I also know the groom and bride might want to give a speech, but who the hell cares? They’ve said more than enough for one evening, if you want my opinion, and I bet they’re dying to be on their way to their wedding reception. They can’t believe I’m keeping you for this stupid shit, can you, guys?”
A round of laughter begins as he grins and waves at the couple. Asher flips him off and shakes his head, snickering.
“I don’t have any funny stories to tell you about the groom. His only saving grace is loving Audrey and having such an awesome kid with her. Well done, Ash, you fucker.”
More laughter. Hooting. A few shocked exclamations.
“As for how he met Audrey, well that’s a long story and who cares anyway? Main thing is they’re here now, right? I mean…” His voice softens, as does his face, and his gaze goes distant. “Now isn’t a good time for bad memories, and I don’t wanna get all misty-eyed and shit, but there were moments I thought we’d lost Ash for good. Especially one cold winter night when things turned to shit and he went missing. We thought… We thought we’d be too fucking late, because…” He swallows hard, and the crowd is silent, barely breathing. “Because Audrey and I hadn’t realized how close he’d come to dying this time.”
A collective gasp. I glance at Asher to see his reaction and find him wrapped around Audrey and their baby, his face hidden in her hair.
Oh God.
“We looked everywhere,” Zane goes on, his voice wavering, “and snow was falling. It was goddamn cold. But Audrey never lost faith we’d find him, and we did. Right here, behind a tree.” He points, and
we all strain to look into the darkness beyond the glare of the spotlights. “Because Ash loves the water and Audrey had a hunch he’d come here. That’s how we found him, and how we find ourselves here today: Audrey saved Asher from death and they lived happily ever after.”
We all start to clap, and Christ, tears are running down my cheeks. A sniffle escapes me.
“Embers.” Jesse turns me around in his arms, hugs me close. “Come here.”
Zane is saying something about having the toast at the reception later, but all I know is Jesse’s heart booming against my own, his hands sliding up my back, over my shoulders, smoothing my hair back from my face. The way he’s looking at me is doing funny things to my insides.
“We’re here now, too,” he whispers, and I shake my head without thinking, because what I think he’s saying… “Embers?”
“We are,” I say and kiss him. He sighs, tugging me closer, then draws back just enough to undo the knot on his leather bracelet. “What are you doing?”
“Give me your hand.” I lift it, and he ties the band around my wrist. “There. Rub it when you feel scared. It’ll keep you safe.”
“JJ…” I gape at him. I remember his reaction when I returned it to him. “Why? This means a lot to you.”
“You mean even more,” he says and smiles.
“So where’s the wedding reception being held?” I ask as the newlyweds return to the limo and speed away. “I didn’t catch the name of the restaurant.”
I read the invitation twice, but the name of the place didn’t stick. Too many new names to retain in these past few weeks.
Besides, I’m distracted by the warm leather band on my wrist. His leather band. His talisman. There’s a burning behind my eyes I’m trying to ignore. This boy… He’s hacking down every defense I own.
“Hm… The reception won’t be at a restaurant.” Jesse glances distractedly around as the crowd departs in a wave of perfume and clickety high heels. “It’s at a house. Belongs to a friend of Dakota’s.”
Dakota. Zane’s spunky girlfriend. I catch a glimpse of her in a short black lace dress that leaves her back bare and reveals a huge tattoo of wings covering it. She’s holding the bouquet Audrey threw. She was the one who caught it.
Zane had picked her up, then, and spun her around, everyone laughing and yelling at him to propose.
So he went down on one knee and proposed on the spot. Dakota went into hysterics and couldn’t speak for ten minutes, until Zane picked her up upside down and she shouted yes so loudly I bet the people in cars passing nearby must have heard her.
It was hilarious, and again touching. I never thought I could have such fun at a wedding.
Or that I’d be left thinking. There’s so much love going around in this little group. These boys are so nice behind their tough exteriors.
The exact opposite of the guys who bullied me at my school, boys with trendy clothes and clean hairdos, hiding so much senseless violence and craziness.
Then of course my mind returns to Nick, and I shudder.
“Okay.” I need a distraction. Weren’t we leaving? “Are we catching a cab? Do you know how to get to this house?”
He nods and hums under his breath, his arm around my shoulders. I don’t think there’s been a single second he hasn’t touched me since he appeared at my door this evening.
“Can’t see Ev or Kayla.” I squint in the dimness. Apart from the rumble of cars passing by less than thirty feet away, it’s quiet. “I was thinking we could catch a cab with them.”
“Come,” he says and tugs me toward the old synagogue, away from the departing guests.
The technicians are turning off the last spotlight, and a woman in a smart navy blue dress is gathering the flower pots and ribbons. We walk toward them, and at first I think Jesse wants to ask them something, or help them pack up—which would be weird, but why not?
He doesn’t stop. He takes me round the back, where the trees are thick and the shadows deeper.
“Where are we going?” I whisper, half expecting someone to jump from behind the trees and attack us. I’m tensing, even with his arm around me. I dig in my heels, my skin breaking into goosebumps. “Wait.”
He slides his hand down to the small of my back and turns me toward him. “Trust me. Can you trust me?”
It seems light, as questions go, but it feels much heavier with meaning, as if he’s asking me not just to trust him in this moment but in everything.
“I do.” Weird how I don’t have to think about it twice.
“Good. Because I need you, Embers. Need you now, can’t wait.” Stunned into silence, I let him walk me backward a few steps, his hands smoothing over my dress to settle on my waist. His big body bumps into mine, and even from that brief contact I can feel how hard and ready he is. It turns my blood to burning lava.
I suck in a sharp breath. The tips of my breasts ache, pressed to the wall of his hard chest. “JJ…”
“And before you ask, no, I’ve never done this before. Never wanted anyone this damn much. Like I can’t control myself one second longer when I’m around you. Like I have to be inside you, right fucking now.”
He presses me to him, to his swollen cock, and I bite back a moan. The feel of that hard rod of flesh, the knowledge of how aroused he is, is a bolt of fire straight to my core. His mouth seeks mine and I surrender, looping my arms around his neck and rising on tiptoe to taste him.
Salted caramel and sugared nuts, I think, pressing my breasts, my legs, every part of me to him, and he groans in my mouth, his tongue parting my lips and thrusting inside, his hips rocking against me.
He pushes me backward until my back meets something hard and knobby—a tree trunk, I realize before his hands roam all over me. He breaks the kiss to trail kisses down my neck, and he’s whispering something.
“Only you,” he’s murmuring. “Nobody but you. Just you.”
Over and over again.
He lifts my skirt and runs his hands on my thighs, tugging down my panties. They drop down my legs, and his hand wanders up.
“Oh God.” I squeak as cool air rushes up my girly parts, and his thumb brushes over my clit, sending shocks of pleasure through me. I clap a hand over my mouth when I realize what had escaped me for a blissful moment: I’m standing in a park, with people less than twenty feet away, with my panties around my ankles and a man’s hand between my legs. “We can’t.”
“Keep your hand over your mouth,” he instructs me, his voice rough with desire, and he goes down to his knees in the soil and stones. I reach for him, trying to stop him, but he slips from my grasp and then his mouth is on me.
A low keening sound leaves my mouth, and I can’t even bring myself to care, guests or not. Sweet pleasure is pooling between my legs, heaviness is gathering in my belly as the sensations wash through me. His tongue is doing wicked things to me, licking along my seam, parting me, reaching my center and then—
Stars go supernova behind my eyelids. His tongue is stabbing into me, thrusting into me, and I’m tittering on the edge, one hand still pressed to my mouth, the other gripping his shoulder so hard it’s a miracle I haven’t torn his shirt with my nails.
Then the pressure increases, pleasure spiking, and I’m vaguely, distantly aware he’s using his hand down there now, too, stroking me deep inside while he kisses and licks, his firm lips soft, a counter point to his rough tongue. His mouth moves up, sucking on my clit, and the need sharpens, cutting me like a knife.
I wail behind my hand as my whole body tightens and contracts in a spasm that’s near pain, riding the first wave of release. My back scrapes on the rough bark of the tree, and I’m sure an insect is crawling up my leg, but then the second wave hits, pleasure through and through, and my knees bend, unable to hold me.
Before I fall, Jesse is up on his feet, his arms around me. “Whoa, kitten.” He’s holding me up, my legs like jelly. “God, you taste good. Like cream and sugar. I thought I was going to come from your taste. Shit.”
/> I blink at him, out of it completely.
He suddenly grins. “I was that good, huh?”
I laugh and swat at him. Hard to do when he’s the one holding me up. “You’re insufferable.”
“But you like me anyway.”
I’m pretty sure he’s teasing me, but I nod anyway, because it’s the truth. “Yes, I do.”
“A lot.”
“Yeah.”
“Cross your heart?”
“Yes.” I frown, my face pressed to his muscular shoulder, some of the haze clearing from my mind. “And you? Do you like me?”
My heart thuds heavily while waiting for his reply.
“I do,” he says, quietly, easily, and I smile against the scratchy material of his shirt. “Very much.”
Jesse Lee has admitted he likes me. Which is just a technicality—speaking the words out loud when he’s been showing me as much—but it makes it more real somehow.
Not that it means anything. I mean, liking someone isn’t unusual. Friends like each other.
Friends don’t go down on each other, a smug voice whispers in my mind. They don’t kiss so much either, and they don’t roll in the sheets naked together.
Speaking of naked… My panties are lying somewhere on the ground, and it feels weird to be bare down there. Bare and wet from coming, and as he presses into me, his erection rubs against my slightly bruised mound, sending electric jolts to my insides, making me clench painfully.
For shame, Amber. You just came so hard you almost passed out.
But this man is like a drug. The more time I spend with him, the more I want him, and the way he’s moving his hands over my curves, the way his cock twitches…
“Embers.” My name is spoken in a growl, sending shivers over my skin. “Need to fuck you.”
No idea why these few crude words make me moan and burn for him so badly. “So do it,” I breathe, hitching one leg up, around his thigh and fumble at his fly. His hard-on is tenting the front of his pants.
His hand is already there, unzipping and pushing the heavy cloth down. His breathing is unsteady, shallow and fast, as he reaches into his pants and pulls out his heavy cock, and like every time, the air leaves my lungs at the sight of it. Big, flushed dark, the head wet and glistening, a thick vein throbbing on the side.