A Price to Pay

by Alice Raine

  ‘Gouging would require touching, which isn’t allowed, apparently,’ Sasha murmured darkly as she continued to perfect her already flawless makeup.

  I frowned and slid a little closer. ‘That’s the second time you’ve mentioned no touching. What do you mean?’

  Shoving her lipstick back into her bag, Sasha stood tall and looked me in the eye. Her expression was still closed off, but I could see a trace of what looked like frustration in her features. ‘Nothing, Rob. Just leave it, OK?’

  I shook my head and stepped sideways to block her exit from the bathroom, holding up a hand to stop her. ‘No, it’s not OK. You’re obviously upset, and so was Marcus. Something must have happened between the two of you, and judging from that little show just now, it wasn’t something good.’

  Sasha tipped her head back and gazed at the ceiling for a second, and then levelled her gaze on me again. ‘You’re wrong there, it was good. For about five minutes,’ she replied cryptically. Seeing my confused look, she let out a breath and closed her eyes. ‘We kissed last week, all right? It was great, but then we decided to go our separate ways.’

  Wow. OK, I hadn’t been expecting that.

  ‘If it was good, why didn’t things carry on?’

  Sasha rolled her eyes and shook her head. ‘He doesn’t do one-night stands, and I don’t do relationships, so we’re totally incompatible.’

  Placing a conciliatory hand on her shoulder, I tried to soothe her obvious tension. ‘And the no touching thing?’

  Sasha made a disgruntled face. ‘I have no bloody idea.’ Blowing out a breath, she shrugged. ‘I tried to grab hold of him in the heat of the moment, but he held my hands behind my back.’

  I let out a low hum and nodded. ‘Oliver does things like that sometimes,’ I admitted, feeling a blush colour my cheeks. ‘I like it… did you?’

  Sasha bit down on her lower lip, and I could immediately tell from the look in her eyes that yes, she had enjoyed it just as much as I did.

  ‘Yeah. It was hot.’ She shrugged. ‘When I asked him about it he said he had some weird rule where I couldn’t touch him, apart from holding hands, but he wouldn’t tell me why.’

  ‘What, never?’ I asked in surprise.

  She shook her head. ‘Nope. He said there could be no touching at all apart from hand-holding.’

  ‘Huh. That is strange.’ There surely must be more behind it, and I wondered if Oliver might be able to enlighten me.

  ‘So anyway, now you know that my love life is a fucking disaster do you want to tell me about the “important chat” you wanted to have with me tonight?’

  I’d texted Sasha earlier, telling her I needed to speak to her, but I wasn’t sure that now was the right time to tell her I wanted her to be my bridesmaid. I debated it for a few seconds and decided that something exciting might brighten her mood, so I took her hand and led her from the bathrooms – it was hardly a nice setting for my announcement – and dragged her towards the bar.

  I ordered two glasses of fizz from Natalia, handed one to Sasha, and chinked the rim of my glass against hers. ‘My important chat is this…’ I paused just long enough to make it a bit dramatic, but Sasha interrupted me with a loud gasp.

  ‘Oh my God, you’ve not got a bun in the oven, have you?’ Her eyes widened and she lowered her gaze to my stomach and she yelped again. ‘Are you preggers? Fuck me! Has Oliver got you up the duff before you’re even married?’ We were in a crowded bar surrounded by people, but of course that didn’t stop Sasha yelling her assumption for all and sundry to hear.

  ‘No! Bloody hell, Sasha! Sshhhh! Keep your voice down!’ Her incorrect guess and matching expression of gawking shock were so amusing that I couldn’t help but throw my head back and laugh long and hard, which no doubt confused anyone around us who was trying to listen in and get some juicy gossip.

  ‘I’m not pregnant. My important chat was that I wanted to ask you to be my bridesmaid, you silly cow!’

  Sasha raised her eyes from my stomach and her shocked look was quickly replaced by a grin as broad as the River Thames. ‘Really?’

  Nodding, I returned her broad smile. ‘Really!’

  After a characteristically over the top shriek, Sasha did a little jig on the spot and nodded frantically. ‘Of course! I’d love to!’

  The next minute passed in a blur of hugging, where we spilled bits of our drinks all over each other and giggled like kids until Sasha finally disengaged herself. She flicked her long hair back over her shoulder, smoothed down her dress again, and flashed me a wink. ‘To be honest, I’d have been bloody offended if you hadn’t asked me.’

  Laughing at her typically blunt comment, I chinked my glass with hers a second time and took a sip, enjoying the fact that she was looking relaxed and happy again.

  The weird situation with Marcus might still be hanging over her, but at least I’d managed to put a smile back on my best mate’s face for the time being.

  Oliver

  I’d been looking for Marcus for so long that I was just starting to think he’d gone home when I finally spotted his unmistakable mop of blond hair disappearing into a far corner.

  I made my way through the packed dance floor and found that he’d chosen to hide away in probably the darkest, most secluded area of the club. The amount of people who’d had sex in this corner over the years was probably uncountable, but I ignored that unsavoury thought and strode towards him.

  Marcus was leaning on a wall with his head tipped back and eyes closed. At first you might be mistaken for thinking he looked quite serene, lost in the music, perhaps, but knowing this man as well as I did, I immediately saw signs of his stress. His hands were clenched at his sides, he was grinding his jaw, and his entire body bristled with tension.

  In short, he looked like he wanted to hit something really fucking hard, and I just hoped that it didn’t end up being me on the receiving end.

  Tucking my hands into my trouser pockets, I coughed loudly to announce my presence. I propped myself against a tall stool and waited patiently until his eyes opened and he acknowledged me by briefly flicking his gaze towards me.

  ‘Want to tell me what that was about?’ I asked.

  Marcus let out a sigh and clenched his teeth again. ‘Nothing.’

  ‘Nothing?’ I gave a disbelieving roll of my eyes. ‘Really? Because from the sparks flying it looked a lot like the two of you were seconds away from ripping each other’s clothes off and getting down to some hot angry sex right there in the middle of the club.’

  Marcus let out a dry laugh and dropped his head forwards to look at me. ‘We probably were.’

  I had made the comment as a joke, so his quiet admission shocked me. ‘Has something happened between you two?’ Marcus pushed off the wall and took the stool opposite mine. He lifted his big body up slowly as if exhausted from the stress of the evening. ‘Yeah.’ Running a hand through his hair, he rolled his eyes. ‘We kissed last weekend.’

  I could sense there was more to this story, but instead of prying I sat silently and let Marcus decide how much he wanted to share.

  ‘Just kissed. It was fucking hot, but after making out for a while I chose to walk away because she only wants a night of sex and I want more.’

  He wanted more? That was quite a confession, especially seeing as he and Sasha hadn’t even been out on a date as far as I was aware.

  Marcus must have seen the surprise on my face, because he gave a wry smile and nodded. ‘Yeah, yeah, I know I used to sleep around, but I’ve changed. I’m not like that any more.’ He rested his elbow on the table and propped his chin into his palm dejectedly. ‘There’s a real connection between me and Sasha. I don’t just want a casual night with her. It feels like we could have something really good together.’ Dropping his eyes away, he sighed. ‘I like her, Oliver.’ After another pause he looked up and his expression was grim. ‘A lot. But she refuses to consider anything other than a one-night thing.’

  Marcus and I used to be quite the players whe
n we were younger, wooing a different girl most weekends, but now I’d met Robyn I could completely understand where he was coming from. ‘From the little Robyn has said I think Sasha has some emotional issues when it comes to relationships.’

  ‘Yeah, I assumed it was something like that. She won’t tell me for sure, though.’ He nodded and took a swig on his beer which turned into him downing half of it in one go. ‘The stupid thing is, since things with Celia ended I have trust issues, too, so Sasha and I would probably be a perfect pair. We could sort our hang-ups out together.’

  Once again, I wanted to push for more details on what had really happened between him and his ex, but I respected his privacy and didn’t force him. I knew he’d tell me when he was ready. We contemplated it all in silence for a moment or two, but as much as I wanted to offer him some helpful advice, I couldn’t really see a way around the impasse that he and Sasha had reached.

  ‘Can I ask what she meant when she said if she couldn’t touch you, you couldn’t touch her either?’

  Marcus gave a thin smile and shrugged. ‘I like restraint these days. I held her hands behind her back when we kissed.’ He hesitated, picking briefly at the label on his beer, and it seemed to me to be a way of avoiding eye contact for a minute or two. ‘There’s a little more to it than that, but it’s not something I really want to discuss, if that’s OK.’

  ‘Of course.’ Marcus and I might be best mates, but that didn’t mean we had to share all our deep dark secrets. ‘So, you’re sure there’s no future for the two of you? The looks you exchange are pretty potent.’

  ‘Nope. Not unless she changes her mind, because I sure as hell won’t be changing mine.’ Sitting up straighter, he offered me a tired smile. ‘It’ll be fine. Sasha and I just need to avoid each other for a while.’

  Nodding, I smiled apologetically. ‘That might be a little tricky.’

  He shook his head. ‘Nah, I know we both come to the club, but I can stay away from her. It’s fine.’

  ‘That’s not quite what I meant.’ Shifting on my stool, I looked him straight in the eye and decided to ask my question. ‘This isn’t exactly the situation I wanted to be in when I asked you this, Marcus, but I was hoping you’d agree to be my best man?’

  Marcus’s eyes widened in surprise, and then he grinned and reached across to slap me affectionately on the shoulder before grabbing my hand in a firm shake. ‘Mate! I’d be honoured!’

  ‘Thank you. I’m asking Nathan, David, and my good friend from Spain, Matías, to be part of the wedding party as groomsmen.’ Nathan and Marcus were my closest friends these days, but as Nathan and I had met via a slightly different route than the norm – I’d trained him to be a dominant – he still retained a slight professional distance from me, so Marcus had seemed like the perfect choice for my best man.

  ‘Awesome, thank you so much for asking me, Oliver.’

  ‘I wouldn’t want it any other way.’ I paused, wondering how to break my bad news to him, and deciding that the only way was to come right out with it. ‘The only slight issue is that we’re planning on having the wedding quite soon and Sasha’s going to be a bridesmaid, too.’ Robyn didn’t know quite how quickly I wanted to have her as my wife, but if I got my way we’d be married before the end of summer. ‘We’ll have planning to do, so avoiding Sasha might not be quite as easy as you’d hoped.’

  Marcus drew in a long breath through his nose and then gave a dismissive shake of his head. ‘We’ll make it work somehow, don’t worry.’

  After their fiery outburst earlier I had my doubts, but only time would tell.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  Robyn

  Oliver filled both of our wine glasses and then joined me on the sofa. He chinked his glass against mine in a silent toast. I took a sip, enjoying the cool crisp wine he had picked. I was no connoisseur, but since meeting Oliver I’d discovered that I was particularly partial to a Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough in New Zealand. Luckily it was also one of his favourites, too.

  After taking a sip he placed his glass down, and then gave me one of his characteristically intense looks that always made me shiver with desire and wonder if he were going to initiate something sexual. ‘So, I’ve been thinking about wedding venues.’

  Not a sexual interlude, then, but an interesting topic nonetheless. I’d been pondering venues, too, scanning websites and nosing around in the stack of wedding magazines that I’d purchased, but I still had no idea where we should choose. ‘Oh yeah? Any good ideas?’

  Oliver nodded slowly, and I found myself staring at him, almost hypnotised by his handsome features. ‘I have, but I want you to be totally honest and tell me if you don’t like it.’

  He suddenly looked really thoughtful, verging on concerned, but I couldn’t for the life of me imagine what he could possibly suggest that could provoke such a serious expression. ‘Um, OK.’

  ‘I was wondering how you’d feel about getting married in Spain.’

  My eyebrows rose in surprise, but then I smiled with excitement. I’d loved our visit there. It was a beautiful country, warm and characterful, and his home; it could be a perfect location for a wedding.

  I was so deep in thought I didn’t reply immediately, which Oliver obviously took as hesitation because he frowned and leaned in to take my hand. ‘I completely understand if you’d rather marry here in England. I know all your family are here.’

  Shaking my head, I grinned. ‘No, no, that wasn’t why I didn’t reply. I was just thinking it through. I like the idea, a lot.’

  ‘Really?’ He looked so expectant it was as if he was hanging on my every word. Bless him, my usually confident man actually sounded unsure for a change, so I immediately set about reassuring him.

  ‘Really. It was so beautiful over there and the weather was amazing.’ I gave his hand a squeeze and my heart clenched as a look of boyish happiness burst across his face. Sometimes I still couldn’t believe that this was real – that I was really going to be marrying Oliver – but talking about it was setting off an excited fizzle in my belly and I matched his grin with one of my own. I loved him so much, and it was all starting to become real.

  Oliver’s face was completely relaxed now, a lazy smile putting crinkles at the corners of his eyes and a dimple in his cheek which I adored.

  ‘It is. I was thinking… well… I was wondering how you’d feel about marrying in the citrus grove at my parents’ house?’

  A small, excited gasp left my lips as I took in his words. The citrus grove. As soon as he said the words I was instantly transported back to the day when he had first introduced me to his family. Oliver had given me a tour of their beautiful stone farmhouse and the well-tended back garden before taking me out to see the larger estate beyond the garden walls. There had been neat vegetable gardens and some chickens and goats in a grassed area, and then, after walking through another gate, we’d come to the citrus grove.

  Orange and lemon trees had lined a narrow path through the grove, and beyond them was an open terrace that had taken my breath away with its views. The terrace showed just how high up we’d been in the village and overlooked lush hillsides with no other houses even visible. Oliver had told me that you could see the lights of Barcelona from up there at night, but even squinting and shielding my eyes I hadn’t been able to see the city in the bright sunlight.

  From memory there was a stone bench and table under a larger tree to the side of the terrace. Oliver had told me that was where he’d sat with his grandfather to have lunch when he was a child and helping harvest the fruit.

  It had been my favourite spot on his parents’ estate, and I couldn’t really think of anywhere more perfect to exchange vows with him.

  ‘Oh my God, Oliver, that would be amazing!’

  He grinned at my response, and leaned forwards to place a lingering kiss on my lips. My mouth parted, and I indulged in a few moments of lazy kissing as his tongue explored and threatened to completely distract us from our conversation. Oliver pulled back
with a rueful chuckle, rubbed the tip of his nose over mine, and smiled.

  ‘I saw how much you loved it there, and I have very fond memories of that spot, too, so it immediately sprang to my mind when I was considering places significant to us that we could marry in.’

  It was such a small thing, but I loved the fact that he’d been spending time trying to plan the perfect spot for us to marry. He really was such a soft romantic under the dominant façade he wore.

  ‘It would be perfect. But can we do it there? Doesn’t the land have to be consecrated or something?’

  Oliver picked up his wine again and took a long sip before nodding. ‘There are certain papers we’d need, yes, but for a fee that can be arranged.’ I wasn’t used to having access to money, but I supposed pretty much anything could be bought for the right price.

  He extended his free hand along the back of the sofa and trailed his fingers through my hair, sparking tingles across my scalp and causing a lusty moan to creep up my throat as the heat from his earlier kiss reignited in my veins.

  ‘And don’t worry about flight costs. I’m more than happy to cover them for your family seeing as it was my idea to marry abroad.’

  We might not be as rich as Oliver’s family, but I knew that with the new low-cost airline flights to Spain it wouldn’t be a problem for my clan to make their way out there. ‘Don’t be silly, they won’t mind at all.’ Leaning my head into his touch, I closed my eyes with contentment as he continued to massage my scalp. ‘We need to think about guest lists, too,’ I murmured, his caresses making me feel sleepy. ‘I don’t have a very big family, but I know you do.’

  ‘Hmm, yes, us Spanish are known for our huge extended families,’ Oliver agreed with a wry smile.

  ‘I don’t mind if you invite them all. I’d like to meet them,’ I offered groggily.

  A loud laugh from Oliver made me open my eyes again and I saw him shaking his head in amusement. ‘If I invited every uncle, aunt, and cousin we’d have to find space for about three hundred people, so I was thinking perhaps we could keep it quite small. Perhaps just parents, siblings, and close friends?’