by Jayne Rylon
“I can see your reflection in the damn window, Nola,” she barked at her sister. “Why stop him now? Tell me what else is screwed up, Carver.”
“Oh. Shit.” Meep looked from her face, which had to be stormier than the sky outside, then to her sister and their friends before making good on his nickname. “Well, uh, I think my phone is buzzing. Probably Roman. You know, with groom stuff. Gotta go.”
Then he flew out the door, sandwich still in hand, saving himself from a freshly ripped asshole.
Amber felt her teeth click together as they chattered. She was tired and on edge. This could not be happening. Gavyn stepped aside right when she needed to lean on him most. It would have hurt her if she hadn’t realized Nola was squeezing between them to surround her in a gentle hug.
“Amber, I love you.” Her sister stayed that way for a while then retreated, rubbing her noticeable baby bump. “I appreciate everything you’ve done to make today wonderful for me and the rest of the Hot Rods. But honestly, we have the important stuff already. Our friends and family are here. We’ve got food and music and each other. Today is a celebration, yes. Rain or no rain, we’re going to enjoy every minute. So please, don’t worry or spend an instant of it being upset. That’s the absolute last thing I want.”
Gavyn put his hand on Amber’s shoulder and squeezed. Could he know that her heart was shriveling, wondering if all her effort had been for nothing? Either because it would be ruined or because it didn’t actually matter to anyone except her at the end of the day.
Nothing like feeling useless.
Especially when she’d spent her whole life taking care of her sister, trying her best to help Nola survive, aiming for them both to be happy. In reality, the spectacular woman her sister had grown into hadn’t needed Amber for anything in a very long time. Now, she was officially out of a job.
At least the man holding her hand seemed to have some ideas on how she could spend her free time. For the next few days, at least. Then what? When she packed up and went back to Middletown, where would that leave them?
A fun memory, she supposed. Possibly the only one from this disastrous event.
“Come on, sis.” Nola waved toward the living room. “Why don’t we keep on your schedule and hope it blows over? No use getting upset for nothing, right?”
“Sure.” Amber smiled her best fake smile and went to check out the other gorgeous brides in their distinctive gowns. They truly did look lovely. Kaelyn wore a more casual, though no less dazzling, hand-painted silk gown covered in a riot of wildflowers. Nola had on the flowing lavender dress with a beaded crystal bodice and an empire waistline she’d fallen in love with the first time she tried it on.
They were stunning and unique.
Amber couldn’t help herself. She diverted toward the window to curse the skies for taking anything away from the three beautiful friends and their five handsome grooms.
Two hours later, Amber stood at the floor-to-ceiling windows in the main house, watching rain pour in streams down the panes. They were supposed to be taking group portraits in the flower gardens as of fifteen minutes ago. Hope of that happening had vanished.
She glanced down at her phone and updated the radar once more. It seemed like a cluster of rogue clouds were parked directly above Bare Natural. If they would just scoot out of the way…
Of course, she’d been thinking that very thing for the past hour and a half.
So at first she thought she was imagining it when the rain came slower and slower.
In the distance she spotted blue skies. Limning the edge of them and growing stronger and stronger, sunlight pierced the gloom.
Gavyn squeezed her hand, his fingers entwined with hers as they had been since she’d taken up watch over the storm. “Hey. It’s breaking up, love.”
She turned to him with a mammoth smile, but when she faced the room she found no one else looking except her. The rest of the guests were laughing, snacking on the finger foods the caterers had set out, talking and generally enjoying their time together. Decked out in their snazziest clothes, they lounged around the log cabin as if it were the posh surroundings she’d precisely arranged for today’s festivities.
How much had she missed out on with her back turned in the pursuit of perfection?
Deep in her gut, she felt something shift, and realized that everyone was right. Nola, her mom, Gavyn…
She had to learn to let some of this go.
After today.
Amber raised her voice. “Everyone, I think we have a shot. If you want to do this outside, let’s give everything an hour to dry out and we’ll start the ceremony.”
Not too much later than they’d planned, either. Sure, she’d have to move to Plan B for the pictures. The rest could be salvaged, she’d bet.
The wedding party sounded off in agreement.
Amber went back to work. This time she focused on how to get her friends married rather than creating some storybook vision. Fortunately for the Hot Rods, her excessive preparations meant they’d have both.
Chapter Seven
Gavyn had attended quite a few weddings. Guys from law school getting hitched, former clients remarrying—usually to the people they’d cheated on their spouses with—and even one he’d crashed when he’d followed some hot chick in a pretty dress to the ceremony she was a bridesmaid in. Usually the only thing he liked was the free liquor.
Somehow this was different.
He stood beside Roman, Carver and Quinn under one of the four arches that ringed the large pergola. Beneath each of the other ones was another of the Hot Rods couples tying the knot. In the center, a diverse group of friends and family sat in a circle. As the focus switched from couple to couple, they turned their seats ninety degrees.
Amber really had made a potentially awkward situation into something spectacular and inimitable, like the people pledging themselves to each other that day.
Gavyn stared at her, directly across from him, where she attended her sister.
As if she could feel his gaze, she met it with her own warm stare and smiled.
It was as though trouble had lifted from her soul at the same time the rain had vanished, leaving behind the boldest rainbow he’d ever seen. Sure, the gang had missed out on getting their photos taken in the gardens, but they’d ended up with a backdrop that couldn’t be arranged or bought.
The pergola had sheltered them and been perfectly framed by the complete double arch of vibrant colors. The grooms had held umbrellas over their brides, adding another interesting element to the scene. The photographer had just about passed out with delight when he’d reviewed the shots on the display of his digital camera.
Probably figured he’d be booked solid for the next ten years at least when he added those images to his portfolio. Of course, Gavyn’s favorite part had been the way he and Amber were paired up as the two solo attendees in the wedding party.
Knowing he’d have a memento of their time together sat well with him. Really well, although he wished he could cling to more of Amber than a photograph.
He tuned back in to the ceremony in time to hear the four couples reciting vows that left everyone reaching for the tissues Amber had included in the program packets at their seats. At the last moment, before the recessional music began, Amber announced to the crowd that the Hot Rods ladies had a surprise for their guys. Each of them revealed a matching shop logo tattoo, proclaiming themselves Hot Rods for life.
Gavyn knew the meaning went deeper than business. He was envious of the network of love and lust they had built. He wasn’t greedy. If he could win a single woman’s heart—one particular woman’s—he thought he could be happy with that.
Roman elbowed him in the ribs. He looked directly at Amber, then back to Gavyn, and whispered, “You know, I’d be glad to return this favor someday.”
“That might be a little premature. I ha
ven’t even gotten her to sleep with me yet.” He tried to laugh it off. For the first time, a single hookup didn’t seem like the end goal. Burying himself inside her once wasn’t going to be enough. He already knew that.
“Good luck.” Barracuda smirked. “I don’t think you need it. She’s giving you you’re-going-to-get-lucky eyes.”
“God, I hope so.” He disguised his chuckle behind a faux-cough when Ms. Brown turned her head in his direction. She tipped the wide-brimmed purple hat that made her look like an old-Hollywood starlet so she could glare at him from the opposite side of the space, as if she had supersonic hearing. Or magical powers.
Like her daughter, who had cast some kind of spell on him.
With a dazzling smile, and maybe a hint of laughter, Amber watched him from across the room. Only the thunderous applause and whistles of the Powertools and Hot Rods not on display broke their connection. He realized the four couples were sharing their official first kiss.
Beside him, Roman had dipped Carver and was about to jam his tongue so far down his throat he licked the guy’s toes. Impressive.
Gavyn whooped along with everyone else. Mostly because wrapping up here meant he got to spend time with Amber. Alone, eventually. He’d settle for dinner and dancing until then.
She rounded to his side of the pergola as the recessional went on and he fell into step beside her, offering his arm, which she accepted without hesitation.
“Congratulations.” He kissed her cheek as they headed for the pavilion a little way down the path. Even the soggy grass looked dazzling, covered in raindrops. The fresh scent of spring filled the air. “I can’t imagine how that could have gone any better. You did a fantastic job, Amber.”
“Thanks.” She smiled up at him. “At the end of the day, seeing them all so in love… Yeah. That’s what counts. I kind of got lost for a while, I guess.”
“You’re on the right track now?” He held out her chair at their shared table.
“I could be.” She leaned closer to whisper in his ear, “If you still plan to help me do something wild later.”
“That can be arranged.” He was so engrossed in her that it caught him off guard when the waiters circling hovered over his shoulder and offered them a tray of glasses. White wine on one side, red on the other. Without thinking, his hand reached for one.
Then jerked when Amber gasped, “Gavyn, no.”
Awkward and ashamed, he froze with his fingers dangling in midair.
“Neither of us will be drinking tonight, thank you.” She covered graciously for him as he fought the parched sensation in his mouth that begged the man to return and pour the entire contents of his serving dish down Gavyn’s throat.
Blindsided, he wrestled with the powerful and uncontrolled urge.
Roman must have seen the whole incident. He stepped over with Carver and crouched beside Gavyn’s chair, between him and Amber, while Meep made the rounds and distracted the rest of the guests from the near disaster.
“It helps me to think about something else I really want,” Barracuda said, to no one in particular. Both Amber and Gavyn hung on every word of his advice. “Sometimes the only thing that can make a craving stop is Carver. Sex, I mean. It’s not worth it, Gav. Just think, if you have one, you’ll have a dozen. Tomorrow you won’t even remember your night with Amber. Don’t do that to yourself. Don’t delete this happiness from your memory.”
Gavyn put his hand on Roman’s shoulder as his logic returned. “I’m good now. Thanks. It just…I wasn’t expecting it, that’s all. It helps when I’m prepared.”
“If it gets bad, you come find me.” Barracuda slapped Gavyn’s back.
“I’m not going to interrupt your fucking wedding night—”
“You will. If you need to, you should. I want you to.” He smiled at his new husband. “Carver would say exactly the same thing.”
“Okay.” Gavyn swallowed hard, some of the cottony feeling dissipating. “Okay, I will. Thank you.”
Then he couldn’t sit still a moment longer. He shot to his feet and held his hand out to Amber. “Dance with me?”
“I’d love to.” She smiled. Except this time her lip wobbled, tempting him to bite the plump flesh she worried between her stark white teeth.
“Don’t pity me,” he grumbled in her ear as they whirled around the floor in time to the live band, who covered some classic crooner.
“I don’t. But I am worried about you.” Her hand rested high on his back, holding him close to her. “Same as you were for me earlier. Neither one of us has been at our finest today.”
“Hey, it’s not about perfect, remember?” Though she did a pretty damn terrific imitation of flawless as he held her in his arms and twirled her around.
“Yes. Do you?” She looked up at him, so beautiful and trusting. He could do nothing except earn her respect.
So he nodded and was surprised to feel some of the oily sickness the alcohol debacle had left behind slipping from his soul. They danced and danced, practically fused together, until the food was served, and again after.
Gavyn couldn’t believe that Amber left her tablet behind so long and didn’t even check to see if the cake cutting happened at the prescribed hour. Things took care of themselves, because she’d done her work in arranging them thoroughly. She went with the flow, enjoyed the moment and lived so fully that she hurt to look at.
Gorgeous and bold, she was unstoppable in his eyes.
When, finally, the guests began to wander away to their own cabins, she made her final rounds with the vendors and her clients. She hugged her sister tight and offered her blessings one more time. Assured that everything was taken care of for the rest of the night, she held out her hand and Gavyn wasted no time in taking it.
“Walk me home, Gavyn?” she asked.
“How about something faster? Can I run you there instead?” He bent down and scooped her into his arms, loving the sound of her riotous laughter. The guests burst into a round of applause as he carried her off into the night, Roman and Nola hooting loudest of all. She tossed them a royal wave at their spectacular exit.
At the edge of the reception area, Gavyn spotted her mother and Tom snuggled together on a bench, looking up at the stars. When Ms. Brown noticed them together, she winked, then went back to her own business.
Gavyn figured that was about the most ringing endorsement he’d ever receive.
Amber tempted him to stop and kiss her senseless with every second that passed. He held off, wanting to seduce her properly this time. Her gown fluttered in the wind as he went as fast as he dared on the slippery path.
Feathers floating on the breeze kept ending up in his mouth, giving him an idea.
“What’s that diabolical grin for?” Amber asked as she reached up to free the dress from his lips.
“You’ll see,” he promised. He couldn’t help but reflect her seductive smile as he finally made it to her cabin, which seemed like it had taken forever. He took the stairs two at a time and practically crashed through the door.
Chapter Eight
Gavyn kicked the door shut and marched to the studio-style cabin’s bed, which was the fancy four-poster kind with mosquito netting draped from the top. It reminded him of their indiscretion at the pergola the day before, and he hummed.
He set Amber on the mattress gently then followed her down. His shoes hit the floor with a double-clunk as he toed them off before crawling between her legs. He lifted first one then the other, running his hands along her toned calves to her ankles then slipping her high heels from her feet. Though honestly, they were fucking hot and seeing her naked except for those would have been a treat.
Tonight, however, he wanted something richer than that. Something more romantic, though no less steamy. Maybe the weddings had rubbed off on him. He needed to feel a connection with Amber that went deeper than physical.
It wouldn’t be hard.
Placing her feet on the mattress, he smiled as her toes curled in the thick comforter where they peeked from beneath the riot of fluffy feathers. A few had come loose, dangling by a thread here or there. He toyed with one, then plucked it from the dress.
Gavyn set it aside and went to work on getting her naked so they could finally press together, skin on skin, something he’d been craving since before she’d even come to Bare Natural in person. The first time he’d seen her on the videochat screen he’d gotten an insta-hard-on that had hardly let him forget about her since.
Now she was here, smiling up at him, her hair a riot of midnight curls haloing her face. As if he’d made his request out loud, she rolled onto her stomach, leaving the lace-up back of her sinful dress exposed to him. He leaned forward, covering her, dusting her hair out of the way so that he could nibble on the base of her neck.
Amber practically purred. She turned restless, squirming slightly against the bed and his chest. Only then did he lift up enough to untie the sash bow at her waist. With that out of the way, he worked along the crisscrossing back, unwinding the ribbon that had held her tight all day.
She sighed as the pressure released.
Gavyn helped her sit up, amused when she crossed her arms, cupping her breasts as the bodice of her dress tumbled into her lap. She rested in a pool of luxurious purple satin and feathers, looking every bit like a pin-up girl or maybe a classy centerfold.
“Beautiful,” he murmured.
Everything he did was slowed by their endless kisses. He couldn’t help himself from taking a new taste of her every few seconds, and she seemed as hungry as he was. Amber forgot her modesty long enough to bury her fingers in his hair and knead his scalp as she met him for endless sweeps of their lips over each other’s.
When he couldn’t stand to wait any longer, he cupped the unharmed side of her face and drew his thumb down her lips, loving how swollen and rouged they were from their exchange. Her eyes were large and bright, even in the dim light, supplied only by the moon and the stars.
