by Lynsay Sands
“There’s no reason to apologize. That’s why I came early, to help with the wedding,” Terri said, squeezing her cousin’s hand affectionately.
Bastien noticed that the two women hugged and touched and patted a lot. It was nice in one way, warm and affectionate, but he also felt a pinch of jealousy, wishing he was the recipient of some of those hugs, pats and touches. But Terri had been keeping her distance since Kate and Lucern had arrived. She’d even been avoiding eye contact, and that troubled him. He wanted to put his arm around her and claim her as his own. She didn’t seem to feel the same.
“What?”
Terri’s startled exclamation drew Bastien’s attention back to the conversation. Obviously, he’d missed something important. She was looking alarmed, her gaze meeting his for one of very few times since the other couple had shown up.
“Well, I want our wedding night to be special, and it won’t be if we spend every night beforehand together. So, I thought staying apart for this week would be a good idea. And Lucern agreed. He’ll be staying here at the penthouse until the wedding.”
Bastien’s lips curved with amusement as he glanced at his brother. Lucern might have agreed, but he didn’t look happy about it. In fact, his brother looked pretty miserable. Bastien’s amusement died at Kate’s next words, however.
“So, you can stay at the apartment with me and we can have girl time. It’ll be fun.”
Bastien now understood Terri’s expression. This must be what he’d missed; Kate announcing that Terri was to move into her little apartment for the week. He didn’t like the idea at all. In fact, panic swamped him at the possibility of Terri sleeping so far away from him. He’d just moved the relationship up to the physical level, and he was damned if he was going to lose it now.
“Lucern looked pretty miserable,” Terri commented.
“He did, didn’t he?” Kate laughed. She moved back to the couch with a fresh bowl of popcorn and set it between them. “He wasn’t exactly thrilled with the idea when I brought it up in California, but he agreed to please me.”
Terri nodded and tossed another tissue-paper flower in the usable box. They had brought the Kleenex and string with them to Kate’s place. It was a good project to keep them busy, and it did have to be done. Kate had claimed that she didn’t trust the men to finish the job without being there to ride herd.
“Bastien wasn’t looking too happy himself at dinner,” Kate commented, and Terri glanced at her sharply.
They had headed out for a meal right after Kate’s announcement about the new living arrangements. Once seated in the little French bistro Kate had suggested, Bastien had launched into an attempt to argue that Terri should stay at the penthouse. First he’d pointed out that she was all settled in the guest room. Then he’d said the penthouse was larger and more comfortable. He’d tried countless other excuses, too—even suggesting that Kate should move in and leave Lucern in her apartment instead—but none of his arguments had gotten him anywhere.
Terri had finally pointed out that this was the reason she’d flown from England, to stay with Kate and help with the wedding. The moment she’d said that, he’d ceased trying to prevent the unstoppable and had sat quiet and grim through the rest of the meal. Terri had never seen him so silent. She missed his smiles and the talk they usually shared.
“Didn’t he?” Kate prodded, drawing Terri from her thoughts.
“Did he?” she countered mildly. “Perhaps he has a touch of food poisoning, too. We all tried that casserole.”
“Hmm.” Kate’s lips twisted with sardonic amusement. “I gather that means you aren’t going to tell me how things are going between the two of you.”
Terri was silent for a moment. She fanned out the petals of yet another flower, then glanced up. “He’s a very nice man.”
“Yes, he is,” Kate agreed.
“Handsome.”
“Definitely handsome. All the Argeneau men are. Of course, Lucern is the cream of the crop, but Bastien is good-looking too.”
Terri had a different opinion, but she let it go. “He’s so…” She glanced toward the ceiling, searching her mind for the word. “Special. The way he opens doors, and the way he orders for me—and he’s so funny, Kate. And smart. He’s definitely smart. And charming, and when he kisses me—” She stopped abruptly and blinked. “Well, he’s just a lovely man.”
“You love him!” Kate crowed. “I knew it! I knew you two would get along like a house on fire. Oh, this is wonderful, Terri! We can be sisters-in-law as well as cousins and best friends and—”
“Slow down,” Terri gasped, cutting her off. “Jeez. I only met him a week ago.”
“So?” Kate asked staunchly. “I didn’t know Lucern very long before I knew he was the one. Of course, we had some things to work out before it all came together, but when you meet the right one, you know it. And you two are right together, Terri.”
“Hmm,” she murmured, concentrating on the flower in her hands. She wanted to believe her cousin was right, but was afraid to get her hopes up. Having to pack her things and move to Kate’s had been a horrendous blow. Terri had wanted to sit down on the side of the bed and cry at the very thought. She wanted to spend time with her cousin, but she didn’t want to lose out on time spent with Bastien too. Or the chance to kiss him, to make love to him, or to be held in his arms. It was as if she’d been offered a taste of heaven then had it snatched away. When she’d worried about pursuing this relationship, Terri had known it would end, but she’d thought she had the full two weeks. She hadn’t been prepared for today being the end, and the wrenching of her heart was horrible.
“Really. It’s plain for anyone to see that he cares for you. His eyes rarely leave you and he’s terribly attentive. I’m positive he’s in love with you, Terri.”
When she kept her head ducked and said nothing, Kate patted her hand reassuringly. “It will all work out, cousin. Trust me. There will be things for you two to work out too before it does, but…”
Terri glanced up, noting the way Kate was staring off into the distance. There was a worried look in her eyes and she bit her lip. “What kind of things?”
Kate’s eyes jumped back to her with a start. She’d obviously been far away. Now she got an evasive look on her face and concentrated on collecting tissue and string to make another flower. “You’ll find out. It will be okay.”
“Tell me,” Terri insisted, but Kate shook her head.
“I can’t. He has to do it.”
Terri stared, anxiety crowding in on her. What could Bastien have to tell her that “they would have to sort out”? Suddenly, she wasn’t as nervous that he might love her back, as she was about the fact that there was some secret that could be a problem and come between them. She had known this relationship was too good to be true.
“Don’t look so miserable,” Kate said with a grin. “We’ll see them both tomorrow.”
“We will?” Terri forgot about Bastien’s possible secret and glanced over eagerly.
“Well, of course we will. It’s Sunday.”
Terri blinked, not seeing the connection. “So? It’s Sunday.”
“The wedding rehearsal is tomorrow,” Kate explained. Then she frowned. “Oh, maybe I forgot to mention that to you. Originally, I didn’t think you’d be here for it. We were going to have it without you, then take you by the church the night before the wedding to get a look and have a quick run through. But now you’ll be here for both the rehearsal and dinner. Lucern and I are taking everyone out to dinner afterward.”
Terri nodded happily and ducked her head back to the flower she was making. She’d see Bastien tomorrow! Just the thought of seeing him caused a tingle of excitement in her. And nervousness. They hadn’t really talked since the relationship had changed. First, there had been the need to take Chris to the hospital, and when they’d returned she’d collapsed from sheer exhaustion. Then, today, Bastien had woken her up in such a lovely manner, after which they’d slept again and then she’d decid
ed to wake him up the same way—only Kate and Lucern had interrupted.
They hadn’t really got a chance to talk, and Terri found herself anxious and nervous with Kate and Lucern around. She felt awkward, unsure how she was supposed to behave with Bastien in front of them. Were they boyfriend and girlfriend now? Did people even use those terms now a days, and at her age? And did she have the right to touch Bastien, kiss him, hug him in front of others?
Terri was naturally affectionate, but she found herself stifling that tendency—at least with regards to Bastien in front of Kate and Lucern—because she didn’t know where she stood with Bastien. And she knew she would still feel that way tomorrow unless he gave her some indicator. If Bastien greeted her with an affectionate kiss and hug, or put his arm around her, or took her hand, then she would feel free to allow her natural affection to show.
And why hadn’t he done so in front of Kate and Lucern? Terri wondered as she tossed another finished flower in a box. He had held her hand and kissed her in public the day of the trip to the museum. But that had been in front of strangers. Bastien had taken her hand to lead her out of the hospital this morning, too. But that had only been in front of Vincent. He hadn’t done anything of the sort in front of Kate and Lucern.
Perhaps he didn’t want them to know what had happened between them. That seemed a good possibility. After Kate’s reaction over the phone, when she’d learned that Bastien was taking Terri around the city those first couple of days, it was possible that if Terri and Bastien acted openly affectionate and revealed how far their “friendship” had gone, the woman might start making wedding plans. She was already leaning that way, and that was a lot of pressure. Especially from a new sister-in-law. It could make things a bit uncomfortable for Bastien. Especially if he was considering this just a casual relationship. Which was more than possible. They’d only met a week ago.
Terri picked up the string and began to measure out a length. It might be best to keep what had happened just between them. She didn’t really want to, though. She’d rather be able to be herself; but she didn’t want him feeling uncomfortable. Terri decided she would just play it by ear. If he greeted her tomorrow as just the cousin of his soon to be sister-in-law, she would respond accordingly. If Bastien greeted her with a kiss and hug or something like that, Terri would respond in kind. The ball was in his court.
“Thanks, brother.”
Lucern grimaced. “I don’t want this any more than you do.”
“Yeah, but you agreed to it. I didn’t get a vote,” Bastien muttered, walking around the bar with a glass of blood in hand. That was about the only nice thing about Terri being at Kate’s; he didn’t have to drink out of a bag anymore, grabbing a quick fix behind closed doors. But that was the only nice thing. And he’d gladly ingest bagged blood forever to have her back. He dropped onto the couch with a sigh.
“So?” Lucern peered at him curiously. “How is it going between you two?”
Bastien frowned, then admitted, “I don’t know.”
Luc’s eyebrows rose. “You don’t know?”
He shrugged. “Yeah. I don’t know.” Sighing, he sat forward and set his glass on the coffee table and ran a frustrated hand through his hair. “I thought things were going great. I mean, Luc, you wouldn’t believe how well we get along. Even I don’t even believe it. It’s all so perfect and natural and easy. We talk all the time, finish each other’s sentences, we just…I don’t know. Click. It’s like she was made for me.” Bastien shook his head, then added, “I’m even eating. And it tastes good. I can hardly believe now that I actually got bored with doing so in the past.”
Lucern grinned. “That’s pretty serious.”
“Yeah.” He nodded enthusiastically. “And every time we kiss? Pow!” Bastien slammed the palm of one hand against the other. “We have a sexual chemistry like I’ve never experienced. And it isn’t just sexual. I mean, I want her all the time—but it isn’t just wanting sex. I want to…” He paused, searching for the words to explain. “I want to give her pleasure. I want to hold her while she finds her pleasure. I want to take her inside me, my heart, and keep her there warm and safe and always a part of me.”
“Yeah. That’s how I feel about Kate,” Luc said softly. “Have you tried to read her yet?”
“Yes, I have. And no, I can’t.”
“It’s sounding pretty good then.”
“Yeah.”
“But?” Luc asked when Bastien sighed.
“But I don’t know how she feels,” he said miserably. “I just assumed that she felt the same, but then you guys showed up and she hardly looked at me after that.”
“Oh, well, I wouldn’t worry. She was probably just happy to see Kate. They’re pretty close and—other than those few minutes last Friday when Kate dropped off Chris and grabbed me to go to that conference—they haven’t seen each other in over six months.” Luc clapped a reassuring hand on his shoulder. “They’ll talk up a storm tonight and get all that girl stuff out of the way. Then, tomorrow at the rehearsal, she’ll be all over you.”
Bastien nodded, but wasn’t sure he believed the prediction. He understood that Terri hadn’t seen Kate in a while, but she hadn’t even looked at him tonight. What if she regretted what they’d done? Or what if she didn’t want Kate to know about it? Maybe she was thinking of this as just some vacation fling and wanted to keep it secret to avoid pressure from Kate. He really didn’t think Terri was the type—he was almost positive she wasn’t—but then again, he never would have predicted that once Kate and Lucern showed up, she’d avoid touching or even looking at him.
Bastien supposed he’d have to wait until the rehearsal to get a better idea of what was going on. He’d wait to see how Terri greeted him and go from there. If she acted like her normal cheerful and affectionate self, he’d know it was all going to be okay. But if she acted reserved and avoided eye contact, he’d know something wasn’t as it should be.
Personally, Bastien hoped Terri would just walk up and either take his hand in hers or slip her arm through his, or even kiss him hello. He preferred the last option, though if she did walk up and kiss him, he couldn’t promise he wouldn’t kiss her senseless on the spot. But he didn’t really expect that to happen—they’d be in a church after all. Still, Terri was naturally affectionate, and if she liked him as he hoped, she would greet him with some outward show of affection. That would free Bastien to be openly affectionate back. The ball was in her court.
Chapter Fifteen
“What is Bastien doing?” Kate asked. The minister had just finished giving his last-minute words of advice, wished them good evening, and moved off to speak to the wedding coordinator.
Lucern glanced down at her, then followed her gaze to where his brother stood silent and grim-faced beside Terri. “Standing there,” he said.
“Well, I can see that. Why isn’t he talking to Terri?” Kate shook her head in exasperation. “He didn’t even smile at her when we arrived today, he just nodded.”
“So? That’s all she did, too,” Luc pointed out.
“Only because that’s what he did. Terri wasn’t sure how to greet him, and she waited for his greeting to see how she should act. He was cool, so she was cool.”
“You’ve been reading her mind,” he accused. There was amusement in his tone, however.
“You’re darned right I have. Terri’s as close-mouthed as a clam. If I didn’t read her mind, I wouldn’t have a clue of what was going on between those two.” Kate watched her cousin and Bastien unhappily. “I don’t know why he doesn’t just grab her and kiss her. That’s what she wants.”
“He probably wants it, too, but I think Bastien thinks Terri wouldn’t welcome it because of how she acted when she was with you yesterday,” Lucern explained, finding himself also watching. The couple was studiously ignoring each other.
“What?” Kate glanced at him. “How did she act with me yesterday? And what has how she acts around me to do with Bastien thinking she doesn’t want him
to kiss her?”
“Well, she paid a lot of attention to you the moment we arrived, and pretty much ignored him.”
“And he’s jealous? Of me?” Kate asked with disbelief.
“No. Not jealous. But Bastien said she hardly even looked at him. I think he’s worried that maybe he was just…well, sort of fill-in entertainment while you were gone.”
“Oh, for heaven’s sake. Terri isn’t like that.”
“Perhaps not. But Bastien doesn’t know that. Or at least, he can’t be sure of it. They only met a little more than a week ago,” Lucern pointed out, then his eyes narrowed. “Look. They’re talking. Maybe they’ll work it out now.”
Across the room, Terri said, “I should thank you for allowing me to stay in the penthouse.” She spoke the words almost desperately. The tension was just killing her. She and Kate had arrived at the church at the same time as the car had brought Bastien and Lucern. The men and women had met on the sidewalk, and Kate and Lucern had kissed and hugged each other as if they’d been apart forever. Terri had watched them with a small smile, then glanced to Bastien to see him watching too. Then, as if sensing her eyes on him, he’d turned her way, waited a moment as if expecting her to say something, then had nodded and murmured a polite hello.
Terri had felt disappointment drop over her, but had tried to hide it, merely nodding in return. And they had been like that ever since. All through the ceremony rehearsal, they’d been stiff and polite. Yet Terri had caught Bastien glancing at her a time or two, with a look of hunger he’d quickly veil whenever she caught his eye. Once, she’d caught him looking at her with an expression she thought might be longing, but Terri couldn’t be sure. He’d cloaked that as soon as she glanced his way, too.
“There’s no need to thank me. You are more than welcome in my home. And I enjoy your company.”
