by Jennifer Ann
Chuckling quietly, I trace the fine line of her jaw with my index finger. “Baby, you can’t imagine what you’re doing to me in that dress, although two hundred people probably have a pretty good idea the way I kept having to adjust myself up there.” I dust my other hand over the satiny material covering her tight little ass. “Any chance I can convince you to skip over the reception and head back to my hotel room so I can show you how hot you’ve made me?”
“Lord baby Jesus, yes, but please don’t ask because I don’t have the willpower to say no and Shar will murder me if I skip out.” With a slow smile, her fluttering fingers brush over her graceful neck. “But there’s something I want to tell you that may keep you going until the party’s over.”
I cock my eyebrows. “You’re not wearing panties?”
She releases a strangled laugh. “If I weren’t I would’ve soaked through my dress with the sight of you.” Then she rests her hands on my chest and locks our gazes. “I’ve decided I am going back with you. I want to give this a fair shot.”
“Hell yes!” I cheer a little too loudly. Heart in my throat, I sweep her into my arms and nuzzle my face against her neck. Everything about this feels right. The fact that we’re moving forward, the way she feels in my arms. She feels like home. “Damn, beautiful, I can’t wait to have you back in my bed where you belong!”
“Pipe down before someone hears you,” she scolds. But I can hear the excitement in her tone. “We still have to keep this on the down-low. Tonight belongs to your brother and Shar.”
“Yeah, I get it.” I stand tall, still holding her. My cheeks are ready to split open with a grin. “Will you at least stay in my hotel room tonight?”
“Are you kidding?” Her heavily lidded eyes sweep over my chest. “Nothing could stop me from watching you strip out of that suit.”
Though I want to tell her that I love her—hell I’d even ask her to marry me on the spot—I simply draw her back into my arms and drop a long kiss onto her forehead. No sense in pushing her any harder when I can already feel her giving in.
This is fucking happening.
Once the tables have been cleared of what’s left from the seared tuna on a bed of rice that literally melted in my mouth, the band Nolan hired as their wedding present sets up a make-shift stage on the far end of the building. I take a minute to stretch my legs and give my cheek muscles a rest. The head photographer and his assistants have been clicking away non-stop since we left the church, making it hard as fuck to sneak any looks Katie’s way since she’s seated at the opposite end of the head table.
Taking a good look around the place, I chuckle. Our brother went all out for the reception, bringing a taste of the farm back home to the building that I guess was once a sugar factory. Between the boxy shape of the tall stone walls, cedar beams crossing over the thirty-some-foot ceilings, worn plank flooring, a handful of potted trees, and round light bulbs strung over long tables, I’d swear we were in an old barn if a large cluster of windows didn’t overlook the Manhattan skyline.
Since James has always called Sharlo “his butterfly,” he incorporated the theme into nearly every detail—some subtle like the white shapes blending in with the white flower centerpieces and hidden among the lace pattern covering the back of the chairs, others highly obvious like the mobile-thingy that hangs over the dance floor and the details of the giant cake. Considering it’s not overdone and tasteful, I wonder how much of it was my brother’s idea and how much was put in the hands of the wedding planner.
Either way, Sharlo was crying like someone fucking died from the surprise when they first arrived. And from the dopy eyes she’s giving him as they shuffle around the dance floor, I guarantee she’s planning to thank him well into the morning hours. The big oaf knows exactly what the fuck he’s doing.
While I’m waiting for a drink from the bar as James takes Sharlo out for their first dance, Hunter moves in beside me. “Can you believe this place? James is even more whipped than I thought.”
“Not so sure I’d call it ‘whipped,’” I tell Hunter, shrugging. “If you came to visit them more, you’d see how much Sharlo and the baby have changed him. He’s the happiest he’s ever been.”
“Yeah well someone has to stay back and run the farm since the rest of you losers bailed.” Grunting to himself, he orders a gin and tonic from the bartender.
I know he’s just dicking around and didn’t mean it as a legitimate dig, but the implication stings a little. Everyone, even our dad, knew from the beginning that farming was never my thing. I was all about sports from day one and spent my free time at the gym while Hunter, James, and Evelyn drove tractor three seasons out of the year.
Still, after Uncle Orin snapped and killed Dad over some bullshit money, I often wondered if I should’ve dropped out of the Marines and stepped up to help keep the family business from going under. Luckily our cousin helped Hunter take over since James chose to focus on his fighting career, and I was stationed over in Japan. Farming is a hell of a lot of work. If your heart isn’t in it and you don’t have the know-how for the business side of it, you can plan to go bankrupt.
“Everything okay back home?” I ask.
“Everything’s fine,” Hunter answers thoughtfully. “Just sucks sometimes being the only one who stuck around, ya know? Especially now that everyone’s settling down and having babies way the hell out here.” His smile slips as he glances out at the sea of guests. Though he’s not as built as his twin, he’s suddenly a near carbon copy of the serious James we all knew and sometimes loathed before Sharlo came along and removed the stick from his ass. “I’m always going to be that weird Uncle Hunter they’ll only see a dozen or so times before they graduate high school.”
“Let’s be honest. You’re always going to be the weird uncle whether or not you see them often.”
“Fucker.” With a rolling chuckle, his eyes flicker up to the rafters. “What about you? Seems like you’re pretty settled in California. Shit, this family couldn’t spread out any farther away from each other if we tried. It’s like we can’t stand being in the same state. Mom used to go out of her way to keep us together. It all went to shit after she died.”
“Except James and Sofia ended up here after Evelyn made the move. I don’t know, man, there’s something about that area of Brooklyn where everyone’s settling down. You should stick around awhile after this weekend, spend some time with Sof and Ev. It’s the middle of winter. You don’t have any reason to hurry back.”
“Maybe,” he says as the bartender hands him a lowball glass with a slice of lime. “Have to say I wouldn’t mind sticking around to get to know Charlie’s sister a little better. I haven’t been laid in forever and she seems like she’d be up for a little fun. That is one fine piece of ass, aged to perfection.”
Rage seeps into my veins with a dull burn and my thoughts turn to a loud static.
The. Fuck?
Ready to grab him by the nuts and make him apologize for his derogatory comments, I’m completely thrown off when he busts out laughing loud enough to grab the fleeting attention of everyone near the bar. “You should see your face right now! Relax, Braden! I’m totally fucking with you!”
Fuckin’ A. Running a hand over my hair, I grumble to myself. Who isn’t on to us? “How long have you known?”
Hunter finally quiets down, shaking his head like he’s still impressed by his own joke. “I was in the church basement after the wedding, looking for a pisser, when I saw you two going at it. If you’re hoping to keep it under wraps, you might want to be more careful where you sneak off to next time. You know, having sex in a church basement probably falls under one of the seven deadly sins.”
I slug his shoulder, none too gently. “That wouldn’t stop you.”
My eyes skate across the crowd until I catch sight of Allen sitting alone at one of the empty tables. Arm slung over the back of a chair, he sips from a glass of something dark and stares off into the distance with glossy eyes narrowed. Other than
being drunk, what the hell is that kid’s problem?
Following his scowl, I discover Katie talking with James’s buddy Asher, both of them laughing over something. Though I’m admittedly jealous that he’s free to flirt with her without having to worry about unwanted attention, the way her beautiful face lights up with joy and her head’s tipped back has my gut clenched and my dick stirring. This night can’t go fast enough.
Forgetting for a second that I’m not alone, I start when Hunter says, “Ho-ly shit. You’re really into her, huh?”
“Into her” seems incredibly lame in comparison to the intense feelings clenching my chest.
“I’m going to marry her,” I declare.
Guests applaud as the song comes to an end and James dips Sharlo back for a kiss.
The lead singer of the band, an older woman wearing a colorful outfit straight from the hippie era, sets the microphone back on the stand. “The lovely couple asks that the rest of the wedding party join them for this next one.”
Turning back to my brother who seems to be stunned into silence, I hand him my drink. “I’m going to dance with my girl. I’d appreciate it if you didn’t say anything to anyone else until we’ve had a chance to break the news to Charlie.”
I march over to where Katie stands with Asher. She looks conflicted as he’s gently tugging her toward the dance floor. I wedge myself in between them and take her hand.
“Go dance with Angie,” I tell Asher over my shoulder.
“Brae,” Katie pleads despite breaking into a little smile, “everyone’s watching.”
“Let them. I promise I’ll behave.” I draw her into my arms, careful to keep it casual without touching her inappropriately even though it’s fucking killing me not to grip her ass and push up against her hot little body, or inhale her intoxicating scent. “I want to dance with my girl.”
The band plays an old school song that’s slow and sexy with a whiny guitar riff. I recognize it once the woman begins to sing lyrics about looking wonderful tonight. We easily blend in along with the rest of the wedding party without anyone other than Evelyn giving us a second glance. Whenever our eyes are lined up and our dance partners aren’t looking, she keeps giving me this ridiculous smile. Honestly, I can’t help but smile back.
“I think we should tell your brother about us,” I tell Katie. “Tonight. If you’re really going back with me, I don’t want you to have to lie about it to anyone, and I don’t want to treat it like some dirty fucking secret. ”
“Me too, but are you sure you’re ready for that?” she asks, lifting her eyebrows. “It could cut into our plans for later.”
“What time do we have to be at Leona’s for gift opening in the morning?”
Her face lights when she follows my train of thought. “Not until eleven.”
“Either way we’ll have time.”
Looking into her sparkling eyes, I can’t stand it any longer. I slip my hand down her ass and draw her in closer, needing another taste of her beautiful lips. She trembles slightly beneath me and whispers my name as her eyes flutter shut. But I don’t have a chance to kiss her before she’s yanked away from me.
“Back away from her, you fucking pervert!” Allen roars as Katie tries to pry his fingers off her arm. “Why can’t you find someone your own goddamned age!”
Everyone on the dance floor stops moving, their eyes frozen on the three of us. My heart slams to a stop along with them.
“Let go of your mother,” I snarl, curling my fingers into fists.
Charlie appears next to me. “What’s going on?”
“Your little brother is fucking my mom!” Allen slurs while pointing a finger at Evelyn. “Did any of you know this was going on behind all your backs?”
Katie cringes at her drunken son’s side while the rest of the wedding party reacts to the news. Fucking great. As much as I want to lay the little shit out on his back for talking so crudely about his mother, I’m sure it would only make everything worse. But I’m fucking gutted by the pained look in Katie’s eyes when they meet mine.
“What the fuck?” Charlie turns to me just as the song comes to an end. He appears relatively cool and collected, but I get the feeling he thinks his nephew is only spewing drunk nonsense. “Do you know what he’s talking about?”
I glance Katie’s way, finding her face wet with tears. Unable to get a read on her expression past her obvious embarrassment, I remain tight-lipped. This is all wrong. If I tell Charlie in front of all these people, he’ll see it as a cheap fling.
“Everyone’s staring,” Evelyn tells Charlie, setting her hand on his chest. “Get your nephew under control and we’ll talk about this somewhere a little more private.”
Nodding, Charlie approaches Allen and Katie. His nephew puts up a reasonable struggle as Charlie drags him off toward the entrance until Connor joins them. I hang back with Katie and Evelyn, waiting for Katie to make the next move. The band starts up with a new song, and everyone around us goes back to dancing.
“Come on…I’ll help you guys break the news to him,” Evelyn offers quietly, pulling Katie against her side. “He’ll get over it.”
Then Katie’s watering eyes lock with mine as she utters the words I’d hoped I’d never hear. “I can’t do this. I’m sorry, Brae. I want to, I really do. I just…can’t.”
Watching her run off alone is like taking a shotgun blast to the chest at close range.
What exactly can’t she do? Spend the night in my hotel room? Go back to California? Is she saying she can’t be with me? Would she really give up on us just like that?
What the fuck just happened?
Chapter 15
KATIE
All I’ve wanted my entire adult life is to make my boys happy. I never put my needs above theirs, never did anything that I feared would hurt them. They’ve already been through a world of shit and back all because of their sperm donor, and it’s entirely my fault for being suckered by Jason’s charms. If it weren’t for their uncle, they wouldn’t have had any male influence to speak of since their father wrote himself out before Allen could walk. Even though Charlie’s life decisions weren’t always stellar back in the pre-Evelyn era, for the most part he taught them how to be a decent human being.
I can appreciate why Allen would have a hard time accepting someone as young as Braden tying to step in as a role model. Whether it’s that or something else about me being with Braden that bothers him, it isn’t something to be brushed off or ignored. I can’t risk my relationship with one of my sons to be with a man they don’t approve of. That’s a total deal breaker, even if the thought of letting Braden go makes me deathly ill.
When I catch up to my brother by the coat racks, Allen’s hurling into a bush right outside the glass doors and Connor’s standing watch over him like a prison guard.
“He’s totally loaded,” Charlie tells me with a deep frown. “Time for him to go home.”
“Thanks for that, Captain Obvious.” Rolling my eyes, I push past him en route to the doors. “Can we use your town car?”
Charlie grabs my arm, stopping me. “Hold on. We need to talk first. What’s this about you and Braden? Is it true?”
Oh Lord, here we go. I look over at the boys, making sure they’re still occupied and walk in on this conversation. Holding my chin high, I lock my gaze with Charlie’s. “We’ve been seeing each other, all right? It just kind of…happened.”
Releasing me, he rubs circles into his temples. It’s far from the Hulk-smash reaction I expected, but it’s still not the best sign. When agitated, he can be a total ass. “How long has this been going on?”
“I know what you’re thinking, Char, but I swear I didn’t seduce him. He came onto me in Vegas and then we spent some time together in California while I was there. It wasn’t a cheap fling.”
He stops his obsessive circles to read my expression. “Wasn’t? Does that mean it’s over?”
I remain tight-lipped, unable to admit aloud that I’m giving up on Braden.
“Kate, he’s just a kid.”
“No he’s not!” I snap as my face burns hot. “You clearly don’t know him at all if you can stand there and make that kind of judgment!”
Suddenly there’s hurried movements on the other side of the door, followed by raised voices. Charlie and I both start for the doors, blasted by the cold winter air as we step outside. We catch sight of Allen running away on the sidewalk.
I push on my oldest son’s arm. “He’s drunk, Con! Go after him!”
With a shake of his head, Connor refuses to budge. “He doesn’t want to be coddled, Mom. It’s better if we give him some time to cool off. He does this kind of thing all the time. He’ll be fine.”
Panic swells in my chest as I cross my arms, warding off the chill. “What do you mean he does this kind of thing all the time? What, like he runs off when drunk?”
As Charlie’s setting his suit jacket over my arms, Connor glances at his uncle and shrugs. “He’s been a lush for years. He’s just better at hiding it from you than I was.”
“Are you trying to say he was drinking in high school?” I ask, slipping my arms into Charlie’s jacket. The thought of my 4.0 son getting drunk in high school is laughable. Connor was an entirely different story—a total party animal who was lucky to keep good enough grades to get accepted into college. “We’re both talking about Allen, right?”
Connor’s eyes roll to the dark sky. “Mom. Seriously. You’re surprised by this?”
I gaze off in the direction Allen disappeared. How could I have missed the fact that my teenage son has been drinking for so long? It’s not like I was off doing my own thing. Aside from trying to earn a decent living to pay for the things my generous brother didn’t provide, the boys have been my life since I was fifteen.
Glancing Charlie’s way, I sigh. “Don’t you think we should go after him?”