by Candis Terry
So maybe it was about time to toss the “take it slow” out the window. He’d been pretty darned patient.
Back to business, she poked paper cups in each cupcake well. The blue color reminded her of the plaid shirt Mike had worn the day he built the castle playhouse. The day he’d worked so hard he’d built up a sweat that glistened on top of all those scrumptious muscles. The day he’d backed her into that tree and pressed his hard, straining erection into the welcoming softness of her thighs.
Just thinking about the man made her body hum with need.
Yeah, there was no maybe about it. She’d taken slow about as far as it could go.
It was time.
After answering a few phone calls from people inquiring about the catering side of her business–which she hadn’t started up yet–she pulled down the containers of flour and sugar from the shelf and prepared to make an experimental batch of raspberry lemonade cupcakes. It was summertime, when most people preferred to eat things that were light and cool, like watermelon and fruit sorbet. She figured why not put that refreshing taste into a cupcake.
A knock on the back door interrupted her. Thinking it must be Jana bringing Izzy home early, she went to answer. When she opened the door, she found Mike leaning one strong forearm against the threshold. Because he’d been in her thoughts earlier, she was very happy to see him.
“Hey. I was just thinking about you.”
His gaze traveled the length of her body, then slowly came back up to her face. “You locked me out.”
“I know.” She grinned. “Now you can’t yell at me.”
“Perfect. Because there are so many other things I’d rather do.”
“Like?”
“This.” He pushed away from the door, kicked it closed, and pulled her into his arms. Then he backed her up all the way to the stainless prep table until the metal edge pressed against her rear end.
From beneath the cotton shirt, the heat of his body warmed her palms. When she slid her arms up around his shoulders, he brought her up against his chest and lowered his face into the curve of her neck. His lips lightly brushed across her sensitive skin as he worked his way up to her mouth. And then he kissed her, soft and sweet with a hungry edge that made her head feel light, her breathing rushed, and her nipples pucker into hard, aching points.
She plowed her fingers into the sides of his silky hair and held his head as he made love to her mouth. The hard contours of his muscled chest pressed into her breasts and created a wild tingle that ran like a party elevator from the base of her throat down to the girls in the lingerie department. His fingers slipped beneath the bottom edge of her shirt and caressed her bare skin with featherlight touches. Then his warm hand cupped her breast through her satin bra, and it was all she could do not to start tearing off her clothes.
He settled a knee between her thighs and pressed his erection against her pelvis. He felt enormous and so hard that she knew she had to touch him. She slipped her hand down between their bodies and took him in her hand. He groaned his pleasure from somewhere deep in his throat. From behind the thick cotton, his erection pulsed against her palm. She rubbed and squeezed him gently. Wanting to feel his flesh, his heat, her fingers searched for the tab on the zipper.
And then the phone rang.
They continued to kiss until the voice mail clicked on, and Jana’s voice came through the speaker.
“Hi, sugarplum. Dinner’s over, and Martin and I are bringing Izzy home. Just wanted to give you a ten-minute warning in case you’re doing something fun and naughty,” Jana said, like she could see through the telephone. “See you soon.”
When the buzz of the dial tone forced them to come up for air, Mike leaned his forehead against hers. “God, I missed you,” he said. “Every time I leave here, I remember the way you feel in my arms. Your taste. Your delicious scent. The way you moan when I kiss you.” He took a breath. “I want you, Fiona. I want to feel you, touch you, kiss you, and make you moan.”
She leaned her cheek into his palm and sighed. “I wish we had more time together.”
“We do.” He cupped her face in his hands. Looked down into her eyes. Swept his thumb across her bottom lip. “Be my date for the wedding.”
Chapter 17
Most weddings had some kind of glitch you could laugh about afterward. Even if it wasn’t funny at the moment it occurred. After dropping off Izzy—the flower girl—with Abby, Annie, and Charli, Fiona was doing her best not to let anything derail her part of the festivities.
All the years she’d worked at the bakery in San Antonio, she’d never had to deliver a wedding cake or assemble it on location. She’d heard of nightmare mishaps and wonky designs. The cakes leaned, melted, or even imploded. Brides had insisted on monogrammed cakes where the initials accidentally read SOB or PMS. There had even been stories of Beanie Baby teddy bears being stuck on the top to symbolize the wedding couple. On one occasion, when the beanies took a tumble down the frosting, the newlyweds rolled straight into divorce court.
Today, holding true to her promise to Abby and Jackson to give them the chocolate wedding cake of their dreams, she drove her gently used Kia slow and steady toward Wilder Ranch. The three-tiered fondant-covered design with chocolate scrollwork and gold candy pearls ended up being her masterpiece. The hours she’d spent making it turn out perfect gave her red eyes and sore fingers. But if it added to the joy of Jackson and Abby’s special day, every second spent was worth it.
The happy couple had forgone a rehearsal dinner in favor of using every available hand for setting up the ranch for the ceremony and reception. When Fiona parked in the shade of the barn, she could see that the decorating frenzy remained an ongoing process.
On the lawn beneath the canopy of live oaks, there were rows of white chairs and a center aisle that led to a beautiful, hand-built arbor decorated by vines and orange cabbage roses. On each side of the arbor, shiny milk cans bloomed with bouquets of orange and white roses. From the tree branches hung the Mason jar candleholders all the girls had made. Some had also been filled with fresh wildflowers. It was country without being corny. And it epitomized Jackson and Abby’s love to a T.
With the wedding only a couple of hours away, most of those putting on the finishing touches were dressed, as was Fiona, in their wedding clothes. Jackson headed her way in a pair of jeans, an old T-shirt, and boots. He opened her car door and held out his hand. Fiona took his help and was pulled into a hug.
“You look great,” he said. A slight tremble only those closest to him would notice, touched his words.
“Thanks.” She chuckled to put him at ease. “But I hope you’re not wearing that to marry the woman of your dreams.”
“Nope.” He flashed the famous Wilder grin. “They’ll put me in a traditional monkey suit soon. I just thought I’d help out with any last-minute stuff. But between Mom and Allison, I think they’ve got it covered.”
“The place looks amazing. I don’t know why, but I’m always surprised at the many different faces this place can take on depending on the celebration. So how are you holding up?”
“I’m good.” He shrugged. “Better now that you’re here, and I know everything is okay.”
She smiled and touched his arm. “Everything is perfect. Just the way it should be. You know me, I’ve always been a sucker for happy endings.”
“So does that mean you have your own in sight?”
“Maybe.” Hopefully. “Only time will tell. He’s got baggage. I’ve got baggage.”
“We all do, Fi.” He cupped his hands over her shoulders. “As you know, I left mine behind kicking and screaming. I just want you to remember that yours and Izzy’s happiness has to rise above all. If Mike’s the one for you, then don’t let him slip through your fingers. He’s a great guy. And if it comes to that, I know he’ll make a good partner for you and a great stepdad to Izzy.”
“Whoa.” She put her hands up. “You’re completely jumping the gun.”
“Am I?” He win
ked.
“Yes.”
“Well, then how about I put this obscenely accurate mind and body in motion and help you get this amazing cake set up.”
“You go get ready to say I do.” She gave him a gentle push. “I’ll find someone else to help.”
“It goes in the barn. And I’ve got just the right person for the job.”
“The barn?”
“Yeah. Wait till you see the makeover Charli did. I think she even broke her own speed record.”
As he guided her toward the big wooden barn, they passed an antique decorative gate, where photos from various stages of Jackson and Abby’s lives together had been clothespinned to the wires. Stepping inside, Fiona learned the photo gate was just one of the many personal touches added to the celebration.
On ladders, there were bodies—big masculine bodies—attached to gorgeous men named Reno, Jesse, Jake—who’d thankfully been granted leave from the Marines to be the best man, Brady, Aiden, Ben, and Mike, all stringing fairy lights and white paper lanterns from the rafters, around the posts, and along the stalls.
The dirt floor had been covered by pine boards. On one side of the enormous space, tables were set with white linen cloths and Mason-jar centerpieces. The other side provided a bar and dance floor. Near the dining tables sat a separate table with a gorgeous floral arrangement in the same orange and white as the arbor. And a huge round slab of oak with the bark still attached was to be used as a base for the cake.
“Wow.” Fiona gasped. “This is amazing. That Charli sure knows her stuff.”
“Yeah. And Reno’s hoping her and mom get their shop open soon so she’ll quit changing stuff around in their house.” Jackson laughed, then cupped his hands to his mouth. “Hey, Mike, can you give this lady a hand with the cake?”
High atop a ladder, Mike turned with a loop of little white lights in his ever-capable hands and flashed a smile that made her knees go a little wobbly.
Though they were attending the wedding together, Fiona had told him she’d meet him at the ranch because she had to deliver the cake. And since this was their first real official date, she had the jitters. Her hands were a little shaky and her stomach a little jumpy. If she dumped the wedding cake now, it wasn’t going to be her fault.
“See you later.” Jackson departed with another wink as Mike came down off the ladder with the athletic ease of someone who climbed them for a living.
In a blue dress shirt and charcoal slacks and looking like something straight out of a fantasy, Mike came toward her. His dark eyes sparked like lightning. “You look . . .”
At his hesitation, she nervously smoothed her hands over the tan print chiffon dress. Though the short in the front and longer in the back, figure-flattering, billowing style made her feel elegant, she’d bought the dress for its understatement. She never believed in overdressing for a wedding. All eyes needed to be on the bride. But that hadn’t stopped her from wearing a kick-ass pair of black strappy high heels.
After all.
She was on a date.
But now, as that date stood before her not saying a word, she wondered if she’d chosen poorly.
“What?” she dared ask.
“I was going to say you look beautiful. But that’s such a nondescriptive word for the way you look. Breathtaking fits much better.”
The compliment washed over her and kicked her heartbeat into dazzled territory. “Thank you.”
“And you wore your hair up, so I could see that sexy tattoo.” His fingers touched the back of her neck with the lightest caress.
Tingles snapped tantalizingly down her spine.
“You wore long sleeves so I can’t even see yours,” she said.
“Well, if the band breaks out with I’m too sexy for my shirt, I’ll see what I can do.”
“Ha. I’m sure the ladies would love that.”
“I don’t care what the ladies love.” He moved closer and cupped his hand at her waist. “Only you.”
She melted like an ice cube in a hot tub.
“You ready to do this?” he asked with a smile touching those kissable masculine lips.
Yes!
“This?”
“Go public.”
“Oh.” She looked around at the controlled chaos and felt like all eyes were on them. “Well, I’m not ready to start making out in front of everybody.”
His deep chuckle sent a dancing little tingle down into her core.
“Neither am I. I just want to make sure you still want this.”
“More than anything.” She gave him a smile that might possibly have quivered with anticipation.
Just a little.
It was difficult to sit in the front row of a wedding ceremony and not think about your own disastrous nuptials. Remembering the misery that came afterward seemed much easier. But as Mike sat among the Wilder family and beside Fiona with flower girl Izzy–who’d walked up the aisle dropping her petals like a pro–tucked by her side and Annie Morgan’s baby boy snuggled in her arms, he refused to let anything poison the moment.
When he reached down and held Fiona’s hand, she looked up at him with a smile that filled him with goodness and hope. Any woman who could sit at her ex-husband’s wedding with a genuine smile on her face fell into some kind of special category.
To some—he supposed—the situation might seem a little . . . bizarre. After all, he was watching his best friend get married while on a date and sitting next to his best friend’s ex-wife.
He glanced at the woman beside him.
Fiona was his focus now. He not only wanted to bring her happiness, he also wanted to bring her pleasure.
Mind-blowing, heart-stopping, let’s-do-it-again pleasure.
He’d learned a lot in the past couple of weeks. He’d learned the more he was away from her, the more he wanted to be with her. Right now, they both might have more questions than answers, but it was going to be damned fun figuring things out.
Some brides were stunning, like Charli had been at her wedding to Reno. Some were flamboyant, like Kim Kardashian in one of her many weddings. Some were understated–way understated–as she’d been in her courthouse nuptials to Jackson. Abby exuded absolute joy and looked like she needed anchors to keep her Western boots on the ground. The strapless sweetheart neckline dress she wore was ruffly with a long train that looked like layers of clouds to hold her up off the ground. A beaded sash and those cowboy boots added the Boho look Abby had become reacquainted with when she moved back to Sweet.
Formally dressed, there were no handsomer men than the Wilder brothers. While “It’s Your Love” played, Jackson in his tux gave Izzy a wink while he and baby brother Jake—in his Marine dress blues—stood together at the rustic, flower-adorned arch waiting for Abby and her sister Annie to walk up the aisle. When Jackson laid eyes on Abby, his entire face lit up with love.
In that moment, Fiona felt her heart expand and overflow with the best feeling she’d had since Izzy’s birth. The way Jackson looked at Abby felt so right. Fiona was truly happy they’d found each other again.
And she had to admit that the look on Jackson’s face was exactly how she wanted a man to look at her—with that light in his eyes and a smile on his lips, meant just for her. A look that said he’d love her for eternity and beyond.
She glanced down at her and Mike’s clasped hands.
Where all this was going between the two of them was up for grabs. Though she’d initially sworn off hot firemen, something with Mike felt . . . promising.
And on a day that was all about promise, things were looking good.
With Jackson and Abby’s heartfelt vows written in the books, the delicious Tex-Mex dinner devoured, and the wedding cake sliced and greedily enjoyed, the next step in the festivities swung into bubbly champagne and dancing.
Two dance floors had been constructed to accommodate the large crowd. Inside the barn beneath the white fairy lights and paper lanterns was where Jana, Martin, and Izzy were getting down with their fun
ky selves. The other dance floor was outside beneath the stars and Mason jar candlelight. The band had set up inside the barn so outside the sound was a little more muted and romantic. Providing they weren’t playing something like “All My Rowdy Friends.”
After the first slow dance as a married couple, Abby had removed her long ruffly train and got down to some two-stepping with her new husband. Other couples, like Charli and Reno, wandered outside for a little cheek-to-cheek.
In Fiona’s early years of being a single woman, she’d often heard the question “where did all the good men go on a Saturday night?” She could now verify that the best place to find a hottie was at a fireman’s wedding. The single women in the crowd were eating up the attention of the SAFD and the Sweet volunteer fire department’s finest. The atmosphere was prime for a good time. She wished Sabrina was there because a fun fireman named Smiley looked like he could be Sabrina’s perfect match.
Fiona had just finished chatting with Ben Marshall, yet another hot guy from Sweet. With his dreamy blue eyes, dark hair, and chiseled body, she couldn’t understand why the former Army Ranger remained single. His sister-in-law, Paige, was convinced he was still healing from the grave effects of his time as an Army Special Forces combat medic. But the available—and lusty—women in Sweet continued their best to talk him into good health. Or their beds.
“So . . . I hear you’ve been pretty busy lately.” This from Jake Wilder, who’d shed his dress blues and traded them in for a white button-down, jeans, and boots. Both looks equaled devastating on the baby brother who towered above the rest.
Fiona looked up and caught a flicker of mischief in his eyes as he lifted a bottle of Shiner Bock to his lips. “Oh, you know,” she said, “just some simple things like crashing my car, moving into a new house, and opening a cupcake shop. Nothing special really.”