When she was finally able to focus, he had his weight balanced on his forearms above her and was eyeing her through narrowed eyes.
“Hi.” She dimpled up at him.
“Just what do you call that little stunt you just pulled?”
“Getting to Know Me 101?”
“Try again.”
“Getting to Know You 102?”
“I’m starting to discover things about you already.”
“Oh?”
“You’ve got a smart mouth on you.”
“You’re only just realising that now?”
Devilment danced in his eyes. “Let’s see if I can kiss some of that smartness away.”
This time when he kissed her it started playfully, but it wasn’t long before it turned deeper, hotter, her moan greeted with a low, murmured approval from Blue right before he took advantage of her parting lips to breach the opening, sliding leisurely through her mouth, tasting her, leaving his heady flavour.
She felt the hardening of him against her, his mouth claiming hers while one hand ran down to clasp at her waist, fingers curving into the indent between her waist and hips, thumb flicking across her t-shirt before moving upward, making her breath catch as his thumb scraped against the underside of her breast.
Blue broke the kiss, lifting enough to gaze down at her, the heat in his eyes making her heart stutter.
Desire was stamped openly on his face, the need for her evident in both the faint flush on his cheekbones and the hard nudge she felt against her belly.
Almost immediately Blue rolled off her to the side, dropping onto his back to gaze up at the foliage overhead.
A little uncertain as to his mood, trying to calm her own growing arousal, Charley was relieved when he caught her hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze.
Relaxing back on the grass, she cast him a sidelong glance to find him doing the same to her.
He was the first to break the silence. “When do you go back to work?”
“After the wedding.”
“Day after tomorrow, then.”
She nodded.
“Great. Date night tonight.”
“Maybe I have plans tonight.”
“Do you?”
“Let’s see.” She squinted thoughtfully. “Plans. Hmmm. Tonight. Uhhhh… Let me think. Do I have any plans tonight?” Rolling her head to face him, she grinned widely. “I may have to check my diary.”
“I can see I’ve got my work cut out for me. No time like the present to start dealing with you.” He grabbed for her.
Shrieking, she rolled over onto her belly with the intent to scramble onto her knees and get away, but he had other plans and moved a hell of a lot faster. She didn’t even manage to start pushing up to her knees before he flattened her belly first onto the grass.
Pinned beneath him, she giggled, only to immediately clap a hand over her mouth.
“What’s this?” He growled into her ear.
“I don’t giggle,” she replied primly.
“Is that so?” One big hand landed on her ribcage.
“Don’t you dare tickle,” she warned him.
“I want to hear that giggle again, Sunflower.”
“You tickle and I’ll scream for help!” She started writhing beneath him in an attempt to get away. “Let go!”
“Should have thought of that before you tempted me.” The words were serious but his voice held laughter.
“You better get used to being told the truth,” she retorted pertly, only to gasp when his fingertips dug lightly into her side. “Oh geez!”
“Tsk tsk.” His fingertips flexed, sending a shiver through her of dread and anticipation. “You really need to think before you-”
“No! No, don’t! I beg you!”
“Oh, I like that-”
The back door slammed open, both their heads jerking up to see a teenage boy skid to a halt on the edge of the veranda.
Charley took one look at the dark-haired, dark-eyed gaping teen and groaned. When a tall woman with black hair and similar features appeared behind him, she elbowed Blue. “Let me up!”
“Hey Cole, Shea,” he greeted them without moving.
“Blue!”
“Look, honey,” he said cheerfully. “It’s Cole and Shea.”
Horrified, not quite knowing which way to look, Charley bit her lip. “Um… Hi.”
Shea’s eyebrows were raised in mild amusement as she surveyed them.
Cole, however, was ogling with outright curiosity.
“We heard your shout,” Shea explained. “Came rushing to your rescue.”
Hands braced on the lawn, Charley tried to push upward against the heavily-muscled body leaning so easily atop her while maintaining a calm façade. “Yes, well, you could rescue me by getting this oaf off me.”
Coming down the step uncertainly, Cole’s gaze flicked between them.
“We were having a wrestling match.” Laughter edged Blue’s tone. “Isn’t that right, darling heart?”
Her cheeks blazed. “I’ll bloody darling heart you.”
“Aw, sweet talking already. I love it!”
Shea cast them both a knowing look. “Perhaps we’ll just wait inside.”
As Cole followed his sister back into the house, Charley, propped up on her elbows, sighed.
Leaning down, his front pressed to her back, Blue whispered into her ear, “Saved by the bell, Sunflower.”
“I’ll make your bell ring,” she threatened, half laughing.
“Promises, promises.”
“I’m finding things out about you already, too.”
“Oh?” he asked innocently.
“You, Blue Wells, need taking in hand.”
“God, I can’t wait.”
Before she could retort, he pushed up off her, making her give a dismayed squawk when he looped an arm around her waist and brought her with seemingly ridiculous ease up with him.
It was heady, it was thrilling, it was mortifying. Oh Lord, she was no lightweight! Not like his ex’s with their trim little figures! “Blue, you shouldn’t-”
“Yep.” Looping an arm around her neck, he pulled her into his side and started walking towards the house. “You, me, the motorbike, tonight. Can’t wait.”
“Wait. What?” She stopped. “The motorbike? Your motorbike? Tonight?”
“Yep.” He propelled her forward again.
“I don’t like motorbikes.”
“We’re going to fix that.” At her dubious expression, he dropped a kiss on top of her head. “Trust me.”
“After what you just did to me on the lawn?”
His grin was wide. And wicked. “Oh Sunflower, you naughty girl.”
“What?” Her cheeks blazed again, but she couldn’t stop the giggle.
“Told you I’d make you giggle again,” he said with ultimate satisfaction, steering her up the veranda step.
Allowing him to usher her into the house, Charley couldn’t stop smiling even when faced with an openly inquisitive teenage boy who waggled his eyebrows cheekily at Blue, and Blue’s sister-in-law who simply smiled while stating mysteriously, “It’s written in the stars.”
Chapter 7
“Stop pulling on your tie.”
“Can’t.” Luke ran a finger around his collar. “It’s too tight. I feel like I’m suffocating. I am suffocating.”
“You’re just nervous.” Aaron watched his younger brother.
Sitting on the sofa, Blue grinned at Luke. “Just think, everyone will be there watching you, waiting for you to trip and fall on your face.”
Luke glared at him.
“Don’t,” Aaron advised. “Dad will be upset if you two start wrestling like kids.”
“I wasn’t going to jump him,” Luke denied.
Aaron just looked at him steadily while buttoning the cuffs of his white shirt.
“Okay, I was, but he’s being an arsehole.”
“Can you just imagine Mikki’s expression if you face-plant?” Blue needled.
Luke fiddled with his tie. “I’m not going to face-plant.”
“He won’t face-plant,” Aaron confirmed.
“Aw, look, big brother is looking after his little brother.”
“I’ll be his only brother in a minute if you keep this up.” Luke pulled at the knot of his tie, jerking it loose before collapsing on the sofa with a sigh. “This is killing me. I’m a wreck. I don’t want to do this. Is it too late to elope? I want to elope.”
“Never too late,” Blue said.
“I’ll find you,” Aaron stated calmly. “You’ll be fine. Mikki will be there, family and a few close friends. Nothing big.”
“Because she saw you start to hyperventilate when the wedding plans first started,” Blue put in. “There’s no way she’d risk you fainting by even being late. Now quit worrying.”
“After what you just said?” Luke’s head dropped back against the sofa. “I can’t do this.”
“You can,” Aaron said firmly. “You will.”
“Easy for you to say.” Luke waved one hand in the air. “Strode down the church aisle like you owned it, waited for Shea, watched her come down the aisle, had that Zen thing going, married her, didn’t stumble, fumble or crumble. Pretty much what anyone would expect of you.”
“Yep.” Blue nodded. “Now Luke, we’d expect him to wander up the aisle with shit on his shoes from fertilizing the garden, a bit of hay stuck out of his hair, and smelling like a sweaty armpit.”
The corners of Aaron’s eyes crinkled in amusement.
Luke’s eyebrows shot up. “Is that actually an expression on your face?”
Blue peered at his oldest brother. “By Jove, old bean, I do believe you are right. Mr Zen himself is almost cracking a grin. I do believe…” He squinted. “Yes, there is the faintest of curves.”
“Maybe it is a day of miracles.” Luke yanked at his tie again.
Aaron surveyed Luke. “This is for Mikki.”
“Yeah. I’m in a tie, aren’t I? I wouldn’t do it for anyone but her.”
“This is her day, this is your day. Family and a few friends. Marrying the woman of your dreams.”
Luke thought for a minute, nodded, eased back on the sofa. “You’re right. It’s all good.”
“You know everyone. It’s just like standing up at the Christmas party and reciting family anecdotes, except you’re dressed a little better and repeating vows. That’s all.”
“Okay.” Luke took a deep breath. “I’ve got this. You’re right.”
“Want a Coke or something?” Blue asked.
“Then I’ll want to piddle. Better not.”
Stretching out his legs, Blue crossed his ankles and surveyed his shoes. Polished, black, dressy. He wondered what Charley was going to be wearing. At Mikki’s request, she’d taken her dress and left to meet Mikki, Izzy and Shea at Mikki’s Aunt Elspeth’s house. Last night she’d been wearing-
“So, you and Charley on the motorbike last night,” Aaron stated in that spooky way he had of somehow seeming to read people’s thoughts.
Leaving his tie alone, Luke grinned at Blue. “Oohh, yeah. You and Charley.”
Blue nodded.
“So, just how did you manage to get her to go out on the motorbike with you?”
While he loved stringing Luke along, Blue cut him some slack. The poor bugger was nervy, never did well at fancy dos, and was going to be one of the two stars at the wedding. Wouldn’t hurt to divert his mind for awhile - at least long enough to calm down and stop jerking around the bloody tie. “Just had to ask, that’s all.”
“Really?” Luke was sceptical. “Because Charley doesn’t like motorbikes.”
“She likes mine.” That was stretching the truth a little.
In fact, he’d had to coax her onto the motorbike in the first place, doing up her helmet while smiling reassuringly into her big-eyed face. He certainly hadn’t needed to remind her to hold onto him when he’d patted the seat behind him. She’d clung like glue to him as soon as they started down the street.
It had been good actually, the powerful engine throbbing beneath him, Charley pressed so hard against him he could feel every delicious curve, the warmth of the apex of her thighs pressed tight against his bum, those rounded thighs along the outside of his, her arms tight around his waist and that bountiful bosom pressed against his back.
Shame she’d only clung to him because she’d been a nervous wreck. Heck, if he’d put her expression last night beside Luke’s of just a few minute’s ago, they’d have looked identical.
“I saw you ride past the office,” Aaron said. “You couldn’t get a toothpick between your bodies.”
“Heh heh.”
Luke shook his head. “That’s sad. That’s sick. The only way you can get a girl to hang onto you is by scaring them.”
“Charley was hanging on because I’m a bad boy bikie.”
Aaron just looked at Blue.
Luke hooted.
“She trusted me.”
“I saw the panic on her face when you went past,” Aaron said.
“What, did you spend the evening hanging out of your office window watching for us?” Blue asked. “You didn’t have anything to do? Hunting some terror cell, or retrieving someone from some Godforsaken country, or recusing a damsel in distress? Creeping through some jungle dressed in black? Or whatever other shady shit you do at times?”
Aaron smiled slightly.
“I hear that you and Charley were all over each other on the lawn in your backyard,” Luke announced.
“Cole has a big mouth,” Blue replied. “So what? Jealous?”
“No. I’m worried about the lawn. Don’t kick around on it too much in this hot weather, you don’t want to expose the roots to the heat.”
“Are you kidding me?”
“No. This heat dries the lawn out.”
“That’s what you’re worried about? The lawn?”
“What’s your problem?”
“That’s what you got out of Cole’s little dobbing session? The lawn?”
“Listen, gardening is a serious business. I busted my arse on your gardens and lawns, I don’t want to see them damaged.”
“Why? Because it’ll upset you?”
“Hell yes. Plants are not to be trifled with.”
Blue looked at Aaron. “Can you believe this shit?”
Aaron nodded.
“That’s sad. That’s really sad.”
“Be sadder when your lawn starts to die,” Luke muttered.
“Let’s change the subject.”
“Why? Just because you’re not mature enough to appreciate a good lawn-”
“Try not to slip while going up the aisle in front of everyone, okay? You’ll embarrass Mikki. And us.”
Luke scowled.
Aaron laughed softly.
Mr Wells appeared in the doorway, Jason right behind him with Cole hovering in the background. His gaze swept across his three sons, a smile of pride on his lips that only grew when he glanced at Jason behind him before including Cole.
Jason smiled back, a full-on smile that most people rarely saw.
Mr Wells nodded, then his gaze went to Luke. “How you holding up, son?”
“Blue’s trying to rattle me, but I’m good.” Luke stood up. “Nothing can rattle me. Look, cool as a cucumber.” Holding out his hand, he spotted the slight tremor. “Shi-crap. Okay, maybe a little nervous, but all’s good, right, Aaron?”
“He’s fine.” Aaron clapped a hand on Luke’s shoulder.
Luke wobbled slightly at the knees.
“Careful,” Blue said. “He needs all his strength for the honeymoon.”
“And the brains for the wedding service,” Jason added.
Luke flipped his cousin the bird.
“Okay, boys.” Mr Wells stood aside. “Time to head for the church.”
Blue, Aaron and Cole followed Jason out. As expected, Mr Wells stopped Luke, spoke softly to him. Blue took a quick glance, watching his brother’
s face soften, the way he listened intently to their father, the quiet pride in Mr Well’s eyes, and Blue sure as heck didn’t miss his brother give their father a sudden hard hug.
As he walked out onto the veranda, Blue cleared his throat.
Jason gave his shoulder a squeeze.
“Let me guess,” Blue said. “Dad gave you a talk, too, on your wedding day?”
Jason nodded.
Blue glanced at Aaron, who nodded.
“Don’t worry.” Aaron herded the two younger men and the teenager, who happened to be his really young brother-in-law, off the veranda towards the waiting cars. “You’ll get your turn.”
With Charley? The thought popped unbidden into Blue’s mind. Possibly. Maybe. Damned good chance of it. He certainly wasn’t going to dwell on it, though. It was early days in their relationship, time enough for serious stuff later. Right now it was Luke’s wedding day.
He settled into the back seat of Aaron’s car, Cole sliding in beside him as Jason took the passenger seat. Aaron started the car and backed out of the driveway as Luke and Mr Wells came out of the house, both of them heading for the freshly washed and polished car that Mr Wells only brought out of the garage for special occasions.
Today was definitely a special occasion.
At the church the men waited until Luke and Mr Wells arrived, then Luke and Aaron disappeared into the church while Jason, Mr Wells, Cole and Blue stood around waiting.
Sure enough it wasn’t long and Izzy’s little car pulled in. Jason immediately opened the driver’s door, helping Izzy out and kissing her cheek as soon as she straightened. She smiled up at him sweetly.
Blue had to admit that Izzy had been good for his cousin, just as Shea had been good for Aaron. Or maybe that should be the other way around, he thought, as he noted Cole help Shea out in a similar manner to Aaron’s.
The thoughts disappeared as soon as he opened the door for Charley. Taking his proffered hand, she got out and straightened with a smile.
God, she took his breath away. The dress she wore skimmed her lush curves to swirl around her knees, a soft yellow with tiny pale lilac flowers all over it. Her sandals were the palest lilac, her small clutch the same colour. The thick honey-blonde hair was pulled back in a neat chignon, several little curls dancing loosely around her cheeks. He couldn’t hep but glance at her ears - yep, tiny pale lilac studs. His woman did like to match everything.
The Wells Brothers: Blue Page 19