“What about the wedding dress?” Patton asked, watching Bianca.
She didn’t look like a blushing bride when she announced, “I’m wearing your mom’s dress.”
“Are you kidding me?” Zach sat his fork on his plate.
Bianca looked at him. “No.”
“Bianca,” he sighed, sitting back in his chair. “Why?”
Patton saw Bianca’s quick glance at Cady.
“I like it. I like the idea of carrying on a family tradition,” Bianca explained.
Zach just stared at her. “I’m in favor of starting some new traditions. Let’s start one right now—making each other happy. I love our families, but this wedding is about us.”
“I know...” Bianca smiled at Zach. “I know. Maybe we should take a break from all this wedding talk? Cady, isn’t your office party coming up?”
“Next weekend. I’m giving a presentation this year.” Cady glanced at the couple then Patton. “But if there’s important wedding business, then I can get someone to cover.”
“I thought a promotion was on the line,” Zach joined in.
Cady shook her head. “It’s not going to happen. With all the extra hours and training Charles is getting, I’m pretty sure he’s being groomed for the position. And, honestly, I’m not sure I want it.”
“All right. Who are you and what have you done with Cady?” Bianca deadpanned.
Cady grinned. “I’m serious. If my job continues to be an even split between Charles damage control and my actual job, it’s too much extra work and stress. Even if they offered it to me, I’d want assurances about my responsibilities—what and whom.” She shook her head. “I’m not sure a nice office and piles of money is worth it.”
Bianca shook her head. “It’s that bad?”
“Charles is actually pretty sweet.” Cady shrugged. “However, he is absolutely clueless about the job. For every hour I spend training him, it takes me two to undo his mistakes. It’s almost like he’s become my full-time job. On top of my regular accounts. And the big Japanese firm we want to take on.” She wrinkled her nose. “I don’t know anymore.”
“It’s because he likes you,” Bianca interjected.
“Bibi, contrary to what you believe, not every man likes me. Though I’m flattered that you think so.” Cady laughed.
Bianca shook her head. “You said he asked you out—”
“I declined,” Cady cut her off. “It’s fine.”
“Why not take a date to the office party? Introduce him as your boyfriend so it’s clear you’re unavailable—just in case Charles didn’t get the message,” Bianca suggested. “And it shows you’re settling down, you know, ready for more responsibility.”
“How does taking a date say that?” Zach asked.
“Cady always goes solo. Always.” Bianca offered, “So it would be a statement. Surely you have someone you could take? From what you’ve said, they’re not exactly fun parties, so take a date that will be.” Bianca nudged Cady, smiling. “Ooh, there’s that muscle-y guy at the gym that likes you.”
Patton saw red. Was this jealousy all but choking him? It was so fast, so overwhelming, he couldn’t say or do a thing.
Cady took a sip of her white wine. “Possibly.”
Patton spent the next twenty minutes trying to figure out why he was reacting the way he was. While the others were chatting about movies and having a good time, he was grappling with a serious case of misplaced possessiveness He had no right to feel angry or threatened by some guy she might or might not take to her office party.
When things turned back to wedding talk, he perked up. This was why they were here. Not so he could obsess over Cady’s personal life—that was dangerous territory. It sounded as if they had a few opportunities to mess things up. Apparently the wedding dress and cake were still sore spots, but he wasn’t sure how that was useful. There was lots of potential with the upcoming bridal shower and the bachelor and bachelorette party. Tonight would be a good time to drill Cady for information—he just needed to stay focused.
By the time Zach and Bianca were saying their goodbyes, his anger had cooled a little. And yet, as soon as they were alone, his thoughts returned to Cady and Charles.
Cady closed the door, looking at him. “Okay, detective, what dark deeds are swirling in that brain of yours? You got awful quiet there at the end.”
“I’ll go with you,” he offered.
Cady frowned. “With me?”
“The office party.”
Her brown eyes went round. “No, Patton... Why would you want to do that?”
She was waiting for his answer. Which frustrated him further. He didn’t know why. He started rinsing the dishes and loading the dishwasher. He should be glad she’d brushed him off. He didn’t need to be spending his energy on this. Cady was more than capable of taking care of herself. But he wanted to go.
“Are you...mad?” Cady asked.
He glanced at her. Standing barefoot, leaning against the counter with her gauzy shirt hanging off one shoulder. Her red bra strap caught his attention. How had this sexy woman gotten in his head? How had he let it happen? And why? “No,” he muttered.
She was trying not to smile. “You’re sure—”
“Yes.” He turned off the water and turned to face her. “I think Bianca has a point. If you’ve never brought a date, people will assume it’s serious. Might help. Might not. But it won’t hurt.” He paused before adding, “If you’ve decided the best thing for your career is to stay home instead of reminding your superiors why you deserve this position, then I’m sure you’ve thought it through.” It was too easy to look at her, to watch the subtle nuances and ticks that revealed her thoughts. She was irritated. He’d irritated her. Good. Now they were both frustrated.
“Dammit, Patton,” she growled. “I’ll go if I want to go. With or without a date—it shouldn’t matter. My work should speak for itself, the minutes, hours, days and months of my life I’ve given to them. I’m the best at what I do—especially within the company. If they can’t see what an asset I am to the firm, maybe I don’t want the promotion.”
“Why don’t I believe that?” he argued. He wanted to touch her. The moment she’d spit out his name, his body jolted awake—hungrily.
She scowled. “Believe what you want. You don’t know me.”
Her words were true, but it still stung. “Maybe not.”
She continued, fuming, “This has nothing to do with Charles as a guy and everything to do with his work performance.” She shrugged. “And the whole date thing? Sounds a little weak to me. But Bianca’s always been more...dramatic than I am.”
“Bianca might be right about Charles, even if you don’t see it,” he bit out. “Maybe seeing you with someone would help. Someone who won’t hesitate to remind him you’re off-limits is a good idea.” His anger bubbled up.
She blinked, her gaze searching his face. She drew in a deep breath, the front of her shirt quivering. He had to find something to occupy himself with, or he was going to reach for her. Because every cell in his body wanted him to reach for her and pull her against him.
“Can this go in the dishwasher?” he asked, pointing at the wok in the large steel sink.
She continued to stare at him, flustered. “Leave it,” she murmured.
He walked to the end of the bar, putting space between them. It wasn’t enough—the air practically sparked with electricity.
“Bianca found the perfect wedding dress today,” she spoke quickly, sliding her phone across the counter to him. “Here, I took pictures. The first is your mom’s dress, the other is—”
“The dress she wants.” He frowned. “Why would she choose my mom’s when it’s obvious which one she really wants?”
“That’s Bibi,” Cady explained. “Putting others first.”
He sighed, nudging the phone back to her.
Cady nodded, studying the picture of Bianca before setting her phone aside.
He reached for the wok and started scrubbing, needing a distraction.
“How’s work?” she asked, wiping off the counter.
“I’m trailing a meth manufacturer. A lab exploded and left one hell of a mess behind.” He didn’t know why he was telling her this.
“Seriously? Holy crap.” She froze, staring up at him. “Anyone hurt?”
He dried off the wok and hung it from one of the hooks on the wall. “A young mom, with a rap sheet.” He carried his beer into the living room and sat on the couch. He ran a hand through his hair and took a long swig of beer. “She’ll end up implicated if I can’t find some concrete leads. And her kid will probably end up in the foster system. She’s covering for someone, I know it. I can feel it.”
“Why would she do that?” Cady sat beside him, cradling her wineglass.
“Fear,” he answered.
“Can’t you protect her?” She frowned. “Where do you start? I mean, that’s so...so overwhelming. How do you know where to look? Who to talk to?”
He looked at her, taking in the empathetic furrow and concern in her brown eyes. She was listening to him. Ellie would have tried to brush it aside, to pretend he didn’t deal with real, messy situations. “I follow leads. For every five, I hope one turns something up.”
She took a sip of her wine then set her glass on the end table. “That sounds...defeating.”
He laughed. “Sometimes.”
“Why do it?” she asked.
He relaxed into the leather couch. “It’s what I do, Cady. Who I am.” He looked at her, waiting, wondering why she was so easy to talk to all of a sudden. “It’s my...responsibility.” He shrugged.
She nodded. “How did Zach avoid becoming a cop?”
He snorted. “Zach’s wired differently. He’s more...impatient.”
“I’m getting that,” she agreed. “He seems more like the take-a-girl-home-for-a-night versus taking-her-home-to-the-family type.”
He couldn’t exactly argue, so he nodded again. “He has a pretty damn thick black book, I’ll give you that. But he seems different. What about Bianca? You said she’s not a drinker and she rarely dates, so why my brother?”
Cady shrugged. “I have no idea.”
Patton laughed then. “He’s not that bad.”
Cady laughed, too. “I didn’t mean it like that.” She sighed. “So...about this plan. Diandra...” Cady leaned forward, sitting cross-legged on the couch. “What if...” She stopped, looking uncertain. She looked adorable, all wide-eyed and flustered.
“Go on,” he encouraged. “We’re never going to get anywhere if we try to be careful about this. We don’t have a hell of a lot of time. So pretend my brother’s cheating on her or in the mafia or something—whatever you need to do to make this okay.” He looked at her, waiting.
She took a deep breath, blurting out, “What if Diandra mixes up the cake orders?” She did air quotes as she spoke. “What if Bianca ends up with a baby shower cake instead of a wedding cake... It would shake things up and get people talking.”
“Sounds like a good place to start,” he agreed. “But we need...more. I think we need to send strippers.”
“Strippers? To the wedding shower?” Cady stared at him, horrified. “But your mom will be there. And Bianca’s grandmother—and her grandmother’s gardening group. Don’t you think—”
“One of Zach’s exes is putting herself through law school stripping,” he explained. “If I can get her to come, we’re talking major fireworks.”
“Oh.” She seemed to be thinking it over. “So he’s into models and strippers. Bianca really isn’t Zach’s type. Go for it... I guess.” She shrugged, her eyes locking with his. Her hunger knocked the air from his lungs. She picked up her wineglass and drained its contents. He watched the line of her throat as she swallowed. She looked at him. “It’s been over two days.” Her voice was low and husky.
“Since?” He tried to breathe, determined not to lose all control.
“Since we got naked and attacked each other.”
He was rock hard. “I thought you were in favor of delayed gratification,” he growled back, aching.
“That’s one option.” She nodded. “Now I’m wondering if we shouldn’t try something else first.”
“Like?”
“Give in to whatever this is...” Her gaze locked with his, blazing and desperate.
His heart was hammering in his chest. “Could be potentially fatal.” But he was willing and ready to take the risk.
“I thought cops liked to live on the edge.” Her fingers ran up his forearm.
A flash of Russ intruded, dampening his desire. “Some, maybe.”
She froze. Her brown gaze explored his features, picking up on his sudden shift in mood. Her hand stroked the hair from his forehead.
“My brother Russ was like that,” he muttered, turning into her touch. “He lived every single day on the edge.” He paused. “I don’t. My life is routine. I get up, walk my dog, go to work, hit the gym, come home, walk the dog, nuke my dinner and go to bed...” His gaze ran along her lower lip. “And that’s the way I like it. Work throws me enough shit. My life is orderly, controlled—”
“Boring?” she whispered, biting his thumb.
He hissed, watching his thumb disappear between her lips. He reached for her then, pulling her onto his lap to straddle him. His hands settled on her hip, grinding her against him. He smiled at the broken curse that spilled from her mouth. “So if you’re looking for someone who lives on the edge, what are you doing with me?” he asked.
She shook her head, pressing against him. “Anything you want,” she answered before bending to kiss him.
He gripped her hip with one hand and wrapped his arm around her waist with the other. “Bedroom?” he asked as he stood.
“End—” her lips latched on to his earlobe “—of the hall.”
He moved forward, only stopping when she was on her back in the middle of her massive bed. Bold colors and patterns caught his eye. He glanced quickly around the room, instantly recognizing this as Cady’s space. Stacks of books, textured quilts, vibrant framed photos... This was where Cady spent most of her time... With who, he didn’t want to know.
“Patton.” She threw her shirt at him, then her shorts.
When her lacy red bra and black panties sailed past his ear, he stared down at her—taking his time. “Damn, Cady, you’re gorgeous.” He shook his head, bending forward to trace her sides with his fingers. Her chest quivered, her nipples tightening as his touch barely brushed the dark rosy peaks. She arched into the caress, seeking his touch. He couldn’t wait. He shrugged out of his clothes, slid her to the edge of the bed and buried himself deep inside her.
She cried out, her hands gripping his forearms. He stood, holding her hips up to meet him. It was too fast, the clenching of her body threatening his control. She opened her eyes, her lips parting as he continued to thrust into her. So deep, again and again... Again, so close to the edge. He sucked in a breath, concentrating on her pleasure first. He tilted her hips and slid so deep he was lost. She cried out then, her nails piercing the skin of his arms as her climax ripped through her. He watched, spellbound by the sight of her. He kept moving, thrusting until he had no choice. His orgasm was hard, tearing a groan from his throat while he clutched her to him. He ground into her, every muscle clenching from the power of his release.
8
SHE COULDN’T SEEM to catch her breath. Her fingers slid through his thick black hair, tugging ever so slightly. “You said something about fatal?”
Patton turned his head, breathing heavily. “Complaining?”
She s
miled, then giggled. “No. Not in the least.” She’d spent the last several hours tangled up in Patton. Hours of unrelenting, desperate, uninhibited and mind-blowingly satisfying sex. She felt strangely exhilarated yet totally exhausted.
He studied her until the rapid rise and fall of his chest slowed.
The longer he stared at her, the more nervous she became. She’d never brought anyone home with her. Ever. She liked her privacy, liked going home alone when the party was over. She was the leaver, not the one that got left. But this was different. She had the urge to scoot closer to Patton, to slide her arm around his waist and rest her cheek on his chest. Even now, she wanted to touch him. To talk to him.
What if she never got him out of her system? She swallowed, rolling onto her back to stare at the ceiling.
“I’d like to go with you to your office party.” His voice was low.
She turned her head on her pillow, surprised. “Why?”
“I want to.”
She didn’t know what she’d expected, but that wasn’t it. Her heart thumped a little. “I can handle it,” she argued, strangely pleased when he frowned at her.
“I’m not asking,” he bit back.
Why did she find his assertiveness such a huge turn-on? She rolled onto her stomach, resting her cheek on her hands. “You’re bossy.”
“I’ve heard that before.” His hand rested on the curve of her rear.
She closed her eyes, pleasantly exhausted. She sighed.
“Tired?” he asked.
She opened her eyes. “Are you up for another round?”
He laughed. “Give me...twenty minutes.”
She glanced at the clock, grinning. “I’m timing you.”
“Have any other ideas for the wedding shower?” he asked, his fingers stroking along her spine.
“For wrecking it, you mean?” She sighed.
He looked down at her. “Having second thoughts?”
“I don’t want to hurt Bianca,” she explained. “I mean, that’s the point, right? To prevent her from getting hurt?”
“Yes. Not just Bianca, though. This wedding affects more than just the two of them.”
Seducing the Best Man (Wild Wedding Nights #1) Page 10