by KB Winters
“Why haven’t you been answering your phone?”
I blinked quickly as she pushed through the doorway. She came in and threw herself onto the couch. I slowly closed the door completely confused.
“I’m sorry?” I narrowed my eyes at Kayla when she mumbled something into one of the cushions of the couch. I couldn’t understand what she said. “What’s going on?”
Kayla lifted her head and looked up at me. “Benjamin’s parents moved the wedding up.”
I blinked in confusion. “His parents moved the wedding up.” I was still so confused. “I don’t understand. Can they do that—just move it up without asking you?” I prodded her feet until she moved them and sat up. Her makeup was streaked and I was startled to realize that it looked like she had been crying. “Are you okay?” I put an arm around her shoulder.
“No,” she replied with a sniffle. She lifted her hands and rubbed them both over her face smearing her makeup even more. At this point, I wasn’t even sure that she cared. “And I don’t know why. Ben called me this morning and told me that they wanted to move the wedding up to tomorrow or cancel it until next year.”
“Oh wow.”
She looked up at me, despair clear on her face. “I don’t know what I’m going to do. I can’t even get all of my family here by tomorrow.”
“Well, can you talk to them maybe and try to let them know that moving it up to tomorrow is too soon?”
“I guess.”
I looked at her for a moment. “Are you…are you, maybe, having second thoughts about getting married to Ben in the first place?” I broached the question very carefully hoping that she wouldn’t take it the wrong way. “Maybe they sense something?”
“Of course I’m ready to marry Ben!” She exclaimed. “I’ve been ready and if not for his parents’ initial request, we would’ve been married already.”
I put my hands up in surrender. “I wasn’t trying to make it seem like you weren’t.”
Kayla sighed and gave me a sheepish smile. “I—” Her words cut off as she looked over my shoulder. “Well, hello.”
I turned my head. My eyes widened when I saw Nicholas standing in the middle of my hallway. His gaze caught mine and the smile he gave me was brilliant. Despite feeling a twinge of embarrassment that Kayla no doubt knew, or had some guesses, about why Nicholas was in my house, I couldn’t stop my smile.
“So this is new,” Kayla said softly. I looked back over at her. Her lips were curled into a wide smile. “How long has he been here? Do personal trainers make house calls now?”
I felt my face heat up. I thought about saying yes only to avoid any more questions that were sure to arise, but I didn’t want to do that. I was far from ashamed about Nicholas, and I hoped last night meant he felt the same about me. “No. He came over last night to…” My voice trailed off as I ran out of words to explain why he had come over last night.
“I came over to let River know how I really felt about her,” he finished for me. I gave him a look of relief at not having to say it myself.
“Oh, is that so?” Kayla said. She stood up and walked over towards Nicholas with a look on her face that I recognized well. It was the look she always got when a man was trying to date me and she planned on sussing out whether he was worthy or not. The fact that she was doing it now made me smile. “And how do you feel about my dear River?”
I giggled when Nicholas looked over at me in amusement. “Well, that’s kind of between me and her, don’t you think?”
Kayla walked around him as if he were a work of art and she were studying him. I couldn’t help but laugh a little louder at her antics and how well he was taking it in stride. He looked relaxed and comfortable which made me feel the same. When she finished her orbit around Nicholas, Kayla took a step back and considered him with narrowed eyes.
“Come to dinner with us tonight.”
I blinked. “Wait, what? Who is going to dinner?” I asked. Kayla looked over at me.
“Since I’m apparently getting married tomorrow, tonight is going to be our emergency wedding rehearsal dinner.” She walked back over to where I was standing beside the sofa. “You have to be there because you are my bestie, and unfortunately, Ben’s bestie otherwise known as, The-One-We-Do-Not-Speak-Of, is also going to be there and you don’t want to go alone.”
I glanced over at Nicholas noting a slight change in his expression. He made eye contact with me and gave me what seemed to be a reassuring smile. “Hell no, she doesn’t want to go alone,” he replied. He walked over to where Kayla and I were standing and put his arm around my waist.
She turned to me. “Bring him. Dress sexy. Just because my in-laws are pushing for a quicker wedding doesn’t mean I’m going to let them run the show.”
I laughed. “You tell ‘em!” Kayla’s newfound enthusiasm was contagious. I looked over at Nicholas. “Are you sure you want to come?”
He pulled me closer into his arms. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Kayla’s bemused expression and I knew once Nicholas left, I was going to hear all about how she called him and me getting together. Still, I didn’t mind—it was kind of true anyway.
“I wouldn’t miss it for anything,” he replied. Nicholas leaned down and brushed a soft kiss against my lips.
I was nervous about being face-to-face with my ex again after so much time had passed, but with Nicholas by my side, how bad could it be? I let myself fall into him and deepened the kiss. All thoughts melted away as I lost and found myself in his touch.
“Jesus you two, get a room.”
We separated and Nicholas huffed out a laugh. I smiled while not moving from his embrace. Unfortunately, I knew I couldn’t stay wrapped in his strong arms forever, but I definitely wished I could. I wasn’t looking forward to tonight, but maybe I could get through it without breaking down or going psycho with him there. I only hoped I wasn’t making a huge mistake by jumping all in.
Chapter Six
I pulled at the hem of my dress and inwardly cursed at having let Kayla talk me into wearing it. It was much shorter than the ones I usually preferred showcasing quite a bit more of my thigh than I felt comfortable with.
“Leave it alone, you look beautiful.”
I shivered in pleasure at the feeling of Nicholas’ breath skating across the rim of my ear. I squeezed my other hand that was currently clutching at his thick arm and took a few deep breaths.
“Sorry.” I couldn’t help my nervous twitches. Despite the fact that I knew I’d shed a few inches from our workouts, I still didn’t feel secure—especially when it came to who I’d come face to face with. I looked up at Nicholas. “I’m just a bit nervous.”
He smiled and squeezed my hand back. “No need to be.”
“I know, but…” My voice trailed off. I didn’t want to bring up my ex-boyfriend—not when things between Nicholas and me were so new. Wasn’t it an unspoken rule that you didn’t talk about exes? I couldn’t remember, but I didn’t think bringing it up would be the best.
“And do you know why you don’t need to be so nervous?” he asked. His lips were curled up into a smile and against my better judgment—I felt the edges of my mouth curl up as well.
“Because of your awesome physical training turning me into a raging beauty?” I said jokingly. I was expecting him to laugh along with me, but his expression all at once turned serious, and he turned until his body hid the sight of the building from me. He brought his free hand up to gently cup my cheek. Some of his warmth leeched into my skin and I felt my body relax slightly. “How do you do that?”
“Do what?” he asked. His eyes changed as they peered down into mine. His voice was quiet and rough.
“How is it that I am so calm and relaxed around you?”
Nicholas smiled slightly. “Don’t you know?” I shook my head and leaned into him. My eyelids fluttered as I felt his answering movement towards me. Our faces were close and I wanted to lean in the last few inches that would bring our lips together, but I held back
. “Werewolf magic.”
I blinked. “Werewolf magic?”
Nicholas nodded brushing his lips across mine. “Animal magnetism.”
“Are you kidding me?” I furrowed my brow when his smile grew wider. “You are such a jerk.” I hit his chest with the back of my hand even as my lips quirked up into a smile.
He laughed and wrapped his arms around my waist. “Of course I’m kidding. There’s no such thing as werewolf magic…though I think an argument could be made for animal magnetism, don’t you think?” He lifted his eyebrows in a cheesy display.
“You are ridiculous,” I said with a small giggle.
Nicholas leaned his head down until our foreheads rested together. “Maybe, but at least I got you to relax and smile.”
I narrowed my eyes, but I couldn’t keep my serious expression for very long. I finally gave up rolling my eyes at his antics. “You think you’re clever.”
Nicholas chuckled. He planted a chaste kiss on my forehead before taking a step back. “Wolf. Being clever comes with the package.” His arms fell away, but one of his hands curled around one of mine. He pulled it lightly in the direction of the building and I let myself once again be led towards it.
“Mmhmm,” I hummed noncommittally while giving him a look to suggest I didn’t quite believe him. Still, we were a little late to begin with, so I knew we needed to get in there. Kayla was probably having a nervous breakdown as it was. I’d tried to call her earlier, but never got a response. I could only hope that Ben’s parents hadn’t pushed her over the proverbial edge. I sighed. “Let’s get this over with.” Nicholas looked at me, but didn’t respond to the distinct lack of excitement in my voice. I shook my head a little before straightening my posture and putting one foot in front of the other.
The restaurant for the rehearsal dinner was one of the swankiest in town, and I wondered how Kayla managed to get reservations for it so quickly. Then again, she was marrying into the Brokers’ fortune and money took you very far in this town. Some names were even more important than celebrities, and I didn’t doubt this was the reason for such quick reservations not being a problem.
“Have you ever eaten here?” I asked absentmindedly as Nicholas opened the door. I couldn’t help but glance around at the décor. It seemed no expense was spared to decorate the place, and I had to take a double-take at what looked to be gold trim on the reservationist’s booth.
“A few times.”
I blinked rapidly and glanced quickly over at Nicholas. “A few…what?”
“What?” He looked down at me, confusion clear on his face.
“You’ve eaten here a few times?” I asked again to be clear.
He cocked his head. “Yes. I usually don’t frequent family businesses, but—”
“Family!” I was completely flabbergasted. “This is your family’s business?” I could see some people starting to look over at us, but all I could think about was what Nicholas just told me.
The smile he’d had on his face was now gone and replaced with a slight frown. “Yeah, well, in a way.”
I blinked rapidly. “In a…way…”
“Yeah. It’s not owned by my entire family. My sister owns it, and she can be kind of—”
“Nicky!”
Nicholas winced when a shrill female voice rang out from across the restaurant. He groaned before putting a hand over his face. “Why me?”
I didn’t have time to ask him what he meant before a flash of gold darted in front of my eyes. I felt his hand slip from mine and found myself staring at a sea of sun-spun hair in front of me. “Uhm.” My mouth clicked shut when the new person turned around.
If I had thought Kayla was beautiful, she still couldn’t hold a torch to the woman in front of me. Her wave of golden hair was thick and perfectly styled with not a strand out of place. She had thick eyebrows slightly darker than Nicholas’ but they sat above the same indescribable colored set of eyes. She had the same nose as well, but her lips were full—far fuller than I could ever hope mine would be without a little surgical help and her cheeks were rosy.
I suddenly felt very, very ugly.
“You must be River!” she exclaimed, her voice just as boisterous as it had been when she first spoke.
“Yes, I—” My voice was cut off as I was suddenly enveloped in a tight bear hug. Her arms were thin, but I could feel the strength in them as if she could lift me with very little effort. Before I could catch my breath, her head lifted and rubbed her warm cheek gently against mine. “Uhm…” I was at a loss for words.
“Nicky was right about you,” she said quietly. She lifted her head and pushed me back slightly. I wasn’t used to being so easily manhandled by someone smaller than me. It was a bit disconcerting. Her piercing eyes stared into mine. “You do smell amazing.”
I blinked quickly, but found myself helpless to stop the flush that spread to my cheeks. “I…thank you?”
Her lips split into a wide smile and instantly I could see even more how closely she resembled Nicholas. I wondered briefly what color her wolf was.
“Golden,” she answered abruptly.
“I’m sorry?”
“You said you wondered what color my wolf would be.” She cocked her head to the side similar to how Nicholas always did. It had to be a wolf thing. “My wolf is golden—similar to my hair, but more the color of sand and less yellow like the sun.”
“Oh, I…I’m sorry.” I glanced over at Nicholas, but he was no help. He stood there with a half-smile on his face. I let my gaze slip back to her. “I didn’t mean to ask if it’s rude.”
She let go with one hand and waved it in front of her face. “No worries. Ask all of the questions you need. I’m sure it was quite a shock finding out about all of this—especially with Nicholas being your—”
“Aleksis,” Nicholas hissed. I glanced back over at him in time to catch his panicked expression.
“What?” Aleksis turned around to look at him as well. They stood there for a second—not moving—not speaking. Around us, I could hear the sounds of people talking and laughing, oblivious to the weird stare down going on near the entrance to the restaurant. After watching them for a few moments longer, I decided to say something.
“Are you guys okay?” My voice seemed to snap them out of whatever was going on, and I wondered again if maybe Nicholas really was psychic. That could make things a lot weirder if so.
“Yeah,” Nicholas replied finally. His gaze skirted back to me. “My little sister here just has a way of completely bypassing the rules of polite society.”
Aleksis snorted. “Don’t be a prissy bitch, bro. Polite society dines with me nightly.”
“What did you call me?”
“Your place is amazing,” I spoke up, changing the subject. I looked around. The walls were painted a deep red and the drapery around the windows was sheer and shimmery, but not in a gaudy way that would have been over the top. The lights were dimmed low giving everything a very romantic vibe. “I see why the reviews always mention dining here being an experience.”
Aleksis slid around me and curled an arm around mine. “You are a delight.” She looked over at Nicholas. “I like her. Can we keep her?”
I giggled even as Nicholas sputtered in response. I’d never seen him so off kilter and it was fun to watch. “We can’t just keep her like she’s a pet, Leks.”
“Oh fine,” she breathed out. She leaned in towards me and I realized I was only an inch or so taller than her even with no heels on. “If he lets you go, come find me. I may not have the same working parts as him, but I definitely know how to—”
“That’s quite enough from you.” Nicholas moved and before I could even laugh, he had an arm wrapped around her shoulders in what looked to be a loose headlock. I smiled at their antics, enjoying this new side of him. Watching him squabble with his sister like a normal person made me even more comfortable. It was very endearing.
“There you two are.”
I looked away when I heard Kay
la’s voice. She looked radiant in an off-white slip dress and strappy, matching heels. Her hair was pulled up in a messy bun that showcased her slender neck and diamond earrings that caught the light. I felt my smile wane at the tightness around her lips.
“Are you okay?”
Her expression didn’t change, but she waved my question off. “I’m fine—just pre-wedding jitters. I’m hoping tonight goes well after having to change everything on such short notice.”
“Well, I can assure you my staff and I will do everything in our power to ensure that your dinner goes off without a hitch.” Aleksis stepped up beside me and reached a hand out towards Kayla. Her expression changed to one of confusion. She reached out her own hand and shook Aleksis’ as her gaze slid back and forth between Nicholas, Aleksis and me.
“Am I missing something?”
I smiled. “Kayla, let me introduce you to Aleksis. She’s the owner of this fine establishment and Nicholas’ younger sister.”
Kayla’s eyebrows lifted in surprise. “Younger sister?” She looked at Nicholas and Aleksis again. “Now that you mention it I can see it. They have the same eyes and nose for sure.”
“True, but I got the winning personality and flawless talent,” Aleksis said with a wide smile. “Nicky here just got the height and ability to reach into tall cabinets.” I giggled. Aleksis was really something.
“Well,” Kayla continued with a small smile. “It was great to meet you and thank you for fitting us all in on such short notice.”
Aleksis waved her hand. “No problem. It’s not every day that I have such an esteemed family come through my doors. Plus, any friend of River’s is a friend of mine.”
“Don’t you mean any friend of your brother’s?” Nicholas asked as he crossed his arms.
