Two Weddings and a Fugitive (The Chanel Series Book 4)

by Donna Joy Usher

  ‘I mean look at me,’ Nick continued, ‘I’m the best she could do.’

  ‘But you’re so nice.’ I smiled at him. ‘And such good company.’ I may have agreed to it but I was still going to make him pay for that.

  ‘Yes,’ Martine said, ‘and you’ve got such a generous nature.’

  ‘I do?’ He looked between the two of us.

  ‘Oh yes,’ I said. ‘When you said that you wanted to donate a couple of thousand dollars to an animal shelter I nearly cried.’ I could tell by the wild look in his eyes that he had also read Tara’s brief the night before.

  ‘Oh.’ Bet Babcock looked like she was going to cry as she clutched her hands to her chest. ‘If you haven’t yet decided on which animal shelter is going to be the lucky recipient of such a generous donation, perhaps I could interest you in mine.’

  Tara saluted me with her glass and whispered, ‘Touché.’

  I was sure if Nick’s legs had been long enough, he would have been bruising my shins right then. But seeing as how they didn’t touch the ground, he didn’t stand a chance. It seemed hanging out with a midget had some advantages after all.

  ***

  ‘I swung by the chapel on the way back from lunch.’ I held a hand above my sunglasses and looked over at Billy.

  Matt and Tara were spending the afternoon at the hotel dealing with last-minute wedding plans. We were sunbaking on the little deck at the front of our apartment. Sal was at the gym and Nick had disappeared in a huff as soon as we had arrived home. He wasn’t taking parting with two thousand dollars very well.

  ‘What do you think?’

  ‘It’s pretty exposed, but the angle of the hill is quite steep. A sniper would have to be out at sea to get the angle they would need. And the nearby bushes are too small to hide somebody. There’s only that one pine large enough for someone to hide behind, and even then they’d be pretty exposed.’

  ‘So the reception then?’ Billy took a sip of his icy water.

  I tried not to notice how some of the condensation dribbled off the glass onto his chest. I had been trying not to notice his chest for a while now. And the water running down between his pectoral muscles was not making my job any easier. It just asked to be licked.

  ‘Yeah, the reception. The hotel is pretty exposed.’

  ‘You’re wondering why we haven’t moved it somewhere safer.’

  I sat up and looked over at him. ‘Why haven’t you?’

  ‘If we make it too hard to get to Matt, Boris will back off and I need him to come out into the open so we can grab him. We need to dangle him enough to make it seem like he might succeed.’

  ‘What if he does succeed?’

  Billy drew in the mist on the side of his glass with a finger. ‘He won’t. I won’t let him.’

  ‘You can’t be everywhere at once. Speaking of which, I placed one of your men today.’

  It was his turn to sit up straight. He lifted his sunnies to the top of his head and peered at me. ‘You did?’

  ‘The one you sent to the hotel at lunch. He sat next to us.’

  ‘How did you know he was one of mine?’

  ‘Little things.’ I thought about it for a second. ‘The whole area was vacant but he chose to sit next to a table full of women.’

  ‘Could have been a pervert.’

  I laughed. ‘No. He wasn’t watching us like that. There were a lot of good-looking women at that table but he was only giving us cursory looks.’

  ‘What else?’

  ‘He’s on a tropical island, but he had shoes with socks on. He only drank water. He had no tan whatsoever.’

  ‘So, like he had come from a colder climate?’

  ‘That, or he was a vampire.’

  ‘Can vampires go out during the day?’

  ‘Depends.’

  ‘On what?’

  ‘On whether it’s a Stephanie Meyer vampire or not. Hers just sparkle in the sun. Nearly everybody else’s burst into flames.’

  ‘Did he sparkle?’

  I could feel my smile stretching across my face as I shook my head. I had missed bantering with Billy.

  ‘So not a vampire then. Anything else?’

  ‘He read without reading.’

  ‘Pardon?’

  ‘He had a book but his eyes weren’t moving normally over the page. And he seemed to turn the pages randomly. So it might take him a couple of minutes to read one page and then only ten seconds to read the next.’

  ‘Could have been distracted.’ His stomach muscles rippled as he leant back into his sun lounge.

  ‘He didn’t go back and re-read any of it. You do that when you are reading distracted.’ And talking about distracted…my eyes drifted of their own accord to his stomach. Boy I hoped he couldn’t see my eyes through my sunglasses.

  ‘Billy,’ Sal’s voice drifted out from inside.

  ‘Out here,’ he yelled back.

  ‘So how’d it go today with you and your girlfriend.’

  He smiled. ‘She fitted right in.’

  He’d better have been talking about what I thought he was talking about and not the thing I didn’t want him to be talking about.

  Sigh. My jealousy was going to give me stomach ulcers if I wasn’t careful.

  ‘What about you and Nicky boy?’

  I flicked my sunglasses up and stared down my nose at him. ‘As if that was ever going to work.’

  ‘What are you talking about?’

  ‘Oh please.’ I flicked them back down and lay back and closed my eyes. ‘They all think he’s my Plus One because I’m too much of a loser to have a boyfriend.’

  He laughed. ‘Why did you go with that story?’

  ‘He was going to try to crack onto the bridesmaids. It seemed the only safe option.’ I didn’t bother mentioning it had been my idea.

  Sal pushed open the door and a whoosh of cool air floated over us. ‘There you are.’

  I cracked one eye open and peered at her, hoping with all my might that she wasn’t wearing a swimsuit. The reality was far worse than I had feared.

  Her breasts oozed over the top of her black, string bikini. Were they real? How could they sit like that if they weren’t? She turned and pulled the door shut giving me and Billy a full shot of her toned, brown bottom. The way it sat so pertly spoke of many hours of squatting in the gym.

  The door opened again and Nick appeared in it, wearing blue swimming trunks and a towel. ‘Oh Sal.’ He did a fair imitation of surprise. ‘I didn’t realise you were back.’

  I let out a snort. Oh puulleease. Like he hadn’t been waiting for her voice all afternoon.

  ‘Well now that we are all here,’ Billy said, ‘perhaps we should debrief before dinner.’

  ‘Toots and I split up.’ Nick pulled a sun lounge towards us and then vaulted onto it. ‘Sorry Princess.’ He looked over at me. ‘I know you’re still all broke up about it, but they needed to know.’

  I ignored him.

  ‘So you two are pretending to be what exactly?’ Sal waved a hand between the two of us.

  ‘He’s my very generous, annoying friend.’ I grinned at him.

  He poked his tongue out at me. ‘I’m her Plus One.’

  The look on Sal’s face said she didn’t think anyone would go for that, but she shrugged her shoulders and said, ‘Billy?’

  ‘What’s done is done. More importantly Chanel spotted an FBI agent this morning.’

  I was going to ask why that was so surprising but I was distracted by Sal sitting up straight. Her boobs heaved in that little top and I held my breath as I waited for at least one of them to pop out. I could tell by the way that Nick rubbed his hands together that he was waiting for the same thing.

  ‘What do you mean she spotted an FBI agent?’ I don’t know why she was so surprised. I mean my breasts may not have been able to sit up and beg the way hers could, but I had two eyes and a brain.

  ‘He sat beside them at lunch.’

  ‘Isn’t that interesting?’ Her eyebrow
s went up and then she relaxed back into her chair. Her boobs, however, stayed on the alert. ‘I’ll have to see if I can spot him at dinner.’

  What was this, a competition? I didn’t want to compete with her on any level. Not in front of Billy anyway. I had a feeling I would be found wanting.

  ‘What’s on the agenda for tomorrow?’ Nick hadn’t taken his eyes off Salindra’s chest.

  Hang on.’ Billy hopped up and opened the door. He returned a few moments later with more folders which he passed to us.

  I flicked mine open.

  9am – Facial and Massage

  12.30pm – Lunch

  3pm – Beach Volleyball

  6.30pm – Drinks and then Dinner

  This protection detail life really sucked.

  ‘Beach Volleyball?’ I looked up at Billy.

  ‘Nothing like a bit of light competitive sport between friends.’ He rubbed his hands together.

  I mean it wasn’t that I wasn’t looking forward to watching him play volleyball – especially if he did it without his shirt on, it was more that I didn’t want him seeing me play it. I was awful. I’d only ever played once at school and the court hadn’t seemed to be big enough for me to keep the ball in it.

  ‘I love volleyball,’ Sal said.

  Of course she did.

  ‘Will we have time to catch up with Mum and Harry?’ Mum was going to be pissed if I didn’t spend some time with her.

  ‘Sure. Don’t see why they can’t come down to the beach.’

  Oh goodie. Mum and I could watch the rest of them play while we drank cocktails. I sighed and corrected that thought. While Mum drank cocktails.

  ‘What about the next day?’

  ‘We’re taking a boat to Whitehaven Beach to snorkel and have a picnic.’

  Yep, sucky, sucky protection detail. I didn’t know how I was going to handle it.

  ***

  A few hours later, while I watched Sal and Billy hold hands, I really didn’t know how I was going to handle it. The sight made me want to scratch the back of my eyes out to erase the view.

  I think I looked quite cute in my polka-dot fifties style dress, but she had taken my cute and whacked it out of the ball park. Stunning did not quite sum up how amazing she looked in her green-silk dress. It clung to her hips and her breasts while still managing to appear floaty, and stopped far enough above her knees to give us an eyeful of long, muscular legs. I could feel my fingers twitching towards the stem of Martine’s champagne flute.

  ‘So this bikini?’ Martine murmured. ‘Was it really Brazilian style?’

  ‘Yep.’ I watched Salindra flick her hair back over her shoulder and felt a pang for my missing blonde hair. ‘Love child of a full brief and a G-string.’

  ‘And she really dropped her towel and bent over to retrieve it?’ She had her best scandalised voice on.

  ‘It was like something off the cover of a Penthouse magazine. I thought Nick’s head was going to explode.’ That part of it had been funny.

  Salindra laughed and leant in closer to Billy to whisper in his ear. Her golden hair brushed across his face and for a second I thought she was going to kiss him.

  ‘Oh look, there’s Tara.’ Martine grabbed my hand and dragged me over to the edge of the balcony. ‘If looks could kill,’ she murmured.

  I took a breath and relaxed the muscles of my face from their contorted position. ‘Tara.’ I leant in and kissed her cheek. ‘You look lovely.’ She really did. Her shiny brown hair hung in loose curls around her shoulders.

  ‘I love your dress.’ She held me out at arm’s length. ‘I’m never brave enough to wear things like that.’ She looked over at Sal and said, ‘And I’m certainly not brave enough to wear that.’

  ‘None of us are brave enough to wear that,’ Martine said.

  ‘Come and meet Matt.’ She grabbed Martine’s and my hands and started dragging us through the crowd. ‘I mean I know you’ve met him, but not properly.’

  Matt was standing near the bar looking across the crowd. His face broke into a broad smile when he saw us approaching.

  ‘Ladies.’ He kissed first mine, then Martine’s hands. ‘So glad you could make the party.’ His arm wrapped around Tara and he tucked her into his side. It was almost an unconscious movement, as if his brain didn’t even know his body was doing it. And sure enough, at the contact, a tension he probably hadn’t even known was there, dissolved; as if only now, with her there could he relax.

  Matt and Tara were two pieces of a puzzle that, while whole by themselves, when fitted together made a perfect shape.

  God. I wanted that so badly. I wanted to be somebody else’s other half. Not just for the sake of having a boyfriend or a husband, but for the sake of having that connection. That somebody that made the world make sense. That somebody that lived for you and through you and because of you, had a better life.

  I felt an ache set up in my chest and I had to squash a sudden urge to run to Billy.

  ‘And thank you for coming to help us out.’ He gave me a wolfish grin and his eyes sparkled.

  Was he actually relishing the idea of Boris trying an attack?

  Well, this was the guy who had saved Billy’s life in Afghanistan. And yesterday Tara had shared a story with me about how Matt had gone into a burning building in India to save some orphans. I shouldn’t be surprised that he wasn’t scared.

  Well, I would be scared enough for the both of us. It was the least I could do for the man.

  Matt paid the bartender and handed Tara a glass of white wine. Then he led us back to where Billy was standing and gave him a bottle of water.

  Billy caught my eye and winked and I felt myself blushing. I seriously had to get a handle on my emotions. Being near Matt and Tara was making me all pathetic.

  ‘Your Mum sent me a text,’ Martine said. ‘She wants to know if you’ve lost your phone.’

  I pulled my phone out of my clutch and checked the screen. Mum had texted me four times in the last ten minutes. Sighing, I rang her.

  ‘Darling, where have you been?’

  ‘Sorry, had it on silent.’

  ‘But what if I needed to tell you something important?’

  ‘Do you?’

  ‘Your father and I were wondering if it would be okay to join you for drinks.’

  I felt a twinge of guilt. They were here to see us, and while I was sure they had been quite busy with each other all day, I hadn’t even spared them a thought.

  ‘I don’t see why not. Hang on.’ I put my phone down and pulled a face at Tara. ‘Would you mind awfully if our parents came for a drink?’

  ‘We have a policy in our family. The more the merrier.’

  I told Mum where we were and hung up with a mental note to myself to be nicer to her. I couldn’t keep blaming her for all my woes.

  ‘Mum and Harry are on the way,’ I said to Billy.

  He put his hand to his ear and pulled a face. It was getting loud in there. I wiggled past Martine and another man I hadn’t met yet to Billy’s side. Billy leant down so I could get my mouth closer to his ear.

  ‘Mum and Harry are coming.’ As I said it, the crowd jostled and suddenly I found myself shoved against his side with my lips pressed against his neck. One of his arms snaked around my waist to catch me before I fell.

  His skin was so smooth and soft. A wave of memory washed over me. Of trailing my tongue from his jawline down his neck to his collarbone. Of losing myself in his kiss. Of feeling his hands on my skin as they urged me on.

  ‘Aghhhh,’ Nick shouted. ‘Brother and sister cooties.’

  I managed to regain my footing and dragged myself upright.

  Nick had a huge grin on his face as he pointed at me. ‘You should see your face. Anybody got a fire extinguisher?’

  Honestly, I hadn’t seen the little guy all evening and then he shows up at the worst possible moment. He had a gift.

  I glanced up to see if Billy had heard me. His eyes blazed into mine as he released his hold on my
waist. I took a deep breath and stepped back, hoping he couldn’t read the desire written on my face. Hoping nobody could read it.

  I licked my lips and stared over his shoulder, and there in the corner of the bar was the FBI agent from lunch that day.

  ‘He’s here again,’ I said, nodding in that direction.

  ‘Who?’

  I looked back up at him and smiled. ‘Your agent.’

  Billy turned his head and looked in the same direction that I had. ‘Where is he?’

  I glanced back over but couldn’t see him. ‘He was in the corner.’ I scanned that part of the bar but he was gone. ‘He’s quick.’

  ‘He does seem to be,’ Billy said. ‘What did he look like?’

  ‘About your height. Dark, short hair. Pasty-white face. He was wearing a navy-blue t-shirt and blue jeans. Freaky-deaky pale eyes.’

  He nodded once and looked around the rest of the bar. ‘Let me know if you see him again.’

  ‘Chanel.’ I swivelled in the direction of Mum’s voice and waved. She waved back and I saw Harry head to the bar while she tottered towards me on skyscraper wedges. ‘Darling, introduce me to your friends.’ She air kissed me on both cheeks.

  A few minutes later, I left her and Martine chatting with Tara and the bridesmaids and walked to the edge of the balcony. The moon glinted off the ocean, drawing a silver path along the surface to the edge of the water nearest me.

  ‘Want to share a beer?’ Billy leant up against the balcony next to me.

  ‘Are we allowed to?’

  He chuckled and handed me a bottle. ‘All work and no play make Billy a boring boy.’

  I took a sip and said, ‘Oh you could never be boring.’ Christ. The alcohol hadn’t even hit my blood stream and I was already saying inappropriate things.

  He took the bottle back from me and had a swig.

  ‘Billy,’ I said it slowly as my brain finished processing the information. ‘There is no pasty-white FBI agent, is there?’

  He handed me back the bottle. ‘Nope.’

  I nodded my head while I remembered his surprise when I had first seen the man. ‘In fact, there are no other FBI agents at all.’ I turned to face him, took another sip and handed him back the bottle. ‘You think the man I spotted is with Boris.’