by Layla Hagen
"When is the last time you've been wild, sis?" I challenged. I often thought my oldest siblings never got the chance to live a little and be wild, let loose. Val had jumped from juggling the pub and our family to building her business. Sometimes I wondered if Val would even know how to let loose and be wild.
"Ufff... I think navel piercings were in style. But we're not talking about me, are we?" Val asked.
"Girls, I'm a single mom, remember? I don't just have myself to think about."
"Single parents do date, you know," Val said.
Deep down, I knew that, but I wasn't sure how to go about changing things without shaking the precarious balance Milo and I had reached.
"Sometimes I wonder if you’re single to protect Milo, or yourself," Hailey said.
"What do you mean?"
"You're still afraid to put yourself out there. You're afraid to let a man in your life," Val explained.
"Of course I am." Was I not supposed to be?
"Dating doesn't always lead to something permanent, obviously," Val said, pointing to both her and Hailey, "but you've been alone for a long time. You deserve some fun."
"You girls are filling my head with crazy ideas."
"Mission accomplished. Val, pass me the Quick-Dry," Hailey said triumphantly.
While Val used the curling iron on my hair, I did Hailey's nails. We'd perfected the art of getting each other ready at the same time during our teenage years.
An hour later, all three of us had our nails painted. Mine were bright red. My hair was styled in a high ponytail with curls cascading down on my back. I'd done my own makeup, trying on a subtle smoky eyes look. I was rocking it. Val handed me a small, unlabeled bottle of perfume.
"What's this?" I asked.
"An exclusive sample."
I sprayed the air and immediately fell in love with it. I detected notes of lilac, vanilla, and something spicy.
"It smells amazing."
She winked. "I know."
Hailey inspected me from head to toe then gave me a thumbs-up. "You’re gorgeous."
I felt gorgeous as I put on my shoes. I'd brought my trusted nude pumps, because they looked sophisticated but were comfortable. I found Milo and Jace downstairs, gulping water and breathing heavily.
"Wanna kiss me goodbye?" I asked my son.
"Mommy, you’re so pretty," Milo said, kissing my cheek.
"You're working?" Jace asked slowly. I nodded.
His brother-senses were picking up on the trying-too-hard vibes I had going on. In those years when Will had been part-time bad boy, Jace had watched over me and Hailey like a hawk. At thirteen, he'd seemed more like sixteen. Not only had he been tall, but his strong build had intimidated anyone who wanted to pick a bone with us. He'd gotten excellent at sniffing out “bad intentions.” Luckily for me, those instincts had dulled over the years. Jace didn't ask any more questions. Will would have. His instincts had only gotten sharper; I blamed it on him being a cop.
He wouldn't have anything to sniff out, though. Yes, I was a little too put together for a working event, but a girl could indulge once in a while, couldn't she? For her own pleasure?
Chapter Ten
Lori
The rehearsal dinner was taking place in the wedding tent. Amber agreed that it made sense to host it there.
"I'm so happy I listened to you about the flooring. I'd have fallen on my ass five times already otherwise," Amber said, tapping her right foot lightly over the faux-oak flooring inside the tent. She'd initially protested, saying it was too expensive and we could just have a thick carpet instead.
I'd explained that a carpet was a good option when laid on concrete, but Graham's yard was au naturel. Green grass as far as the eye could see. Looked beautiful, but could be a death trap when wearing heels.
We did lay a carpet inside the house, to protect the whitewashed oak floors from more than eighty pairs of shoes moving to the ceremony aisle on the deck and then back out to the tent.
For the rehearsal, Amber wore an elegant, pink beach dress. She had her wedding shoes on, white Jimmy Choos with five-inch heels.
"Let's get this thing going." Matt rubbed his hands together, looking at Amber like she was walking on water. Earlier, I'd caught him asking her if those shoes were safe for a pregnant woman. What would happen to the baby if she fell? Amber replied that he'd better catch her. They were adorable.
Not all couples were that way. I always watched with a heavy heart when they'd fight at every planning meeting, snapped at each other even on their wedding day.
As Amber and Matt practiced walking down the aisle, I made note of the wedding party. Six bridesmaids and six groomsmen. I swooped my gaze over every one of them, trying to memorize their faces. I tried to linger the same amount of time on each person, but when I reached Graham—I'd saved the best for last—I couldn't help indulging for a beat longer. God, the man was a work of art. Those lips, those cheekbones. Since he was talking to one of the groomsmen, I decided it was safe to indulge some more and took in the rest of him.
I knew he'd seen me checking him out before I lifted my gaze. My body reacted to him. When I finally did look up, he was smiling at me, and he took my breath away. He gave me the onceover, lighting up every inch of me he studied.
For the rest of the evening, I was aware of Graham no matter what I was doing, as if we were connected by an invisible line. He wasn't making things easy either. Whenever he was by my side, he touched my lower back, my arm, or my shoulder. They were all innocent touches, but damn, did they make my skin tingle. Maybe because he lingered a little too long, leaned in a little too close.
We were not alone, but in a rare moment when I was by myself in a corner of the tent, studying the schedule for tomorrow, he came next to me, and whispered, "You’re stunning tonight, Lori." His voice was thick and sexy, and I thought inexplicably of a lava cake. All that warm, flowing chocolate. Delicious. I felt his presence deep inside me, like a hook pulling right behind my navel.
"Thank you."
I tried to make sense of this crazy pull I felt toward him. Was it because he was handsome? Because I hadn't been with a man in seven years? But I'd met handsome men before him, and I hadn't had the urge to climb them like I did with Graham.
"Did you sleep well last night?" he asked.
"I've always been a troubled sleeper, so like usual."
"I'm not a troubled sleeper, but last night I couldn't stop thinking about you."
I made a small sound at the back of my throat. It sounded a little like a moan.
"If you make that sound again, I'll kiss you right here," Graham said.
I put some distance between us, pursing my lips. "Maybe I don't want you to kiss me."
"Pupils dilated." He touched my wrist. "Pulse quickened. I like my chances."
He pinned me with that molten gaze of his, and I felt my skin heat up all over. If the chemistry between us would be any hotter, we'd set this place on fire. Our moment was interrupted by one of the bridesmaids asking if I had a hairpin. Afterward, I handed out tomorrow's schedule to everyone in the wedding party. Since the ceremony took place on the same premises, it required much less coordinating, but I still wanted everyone to know what was happening when. The maid of honor, Jackie, looked at me funny when I handed her the printout.
"This seems like overkill," she commented. "I know all this."
"You can throw it away if you want. But the wedding day can be hectic and emotional. Doesn't hurt to have it as a backup. You can fold it and make it very small. Won't take up much space in your purse. Up to you."
She cocked a brow. "Isn't this your job? Reminding us what to do?"
"Of course I'll do that. The printout is a bonus."
Both brows lifted now, she turned on her heels and walked to the buffet. I'd ordered some simple canapés for food and had set them up on a buffet table in one corner of the tent. Tomorrow, there would be a five-course menu brought by servers, but they wanted something simple tonight. I
brought out the groom's cake toward the end of the evening, after Amber and Matt had given out the gifts for the bridal party and their parents. All that was left were the speeches. I'd told the couple it was a good idea to get some of the speeches out of the way today, so we wouldn't have a dozen of them tomorrow. Too many speeches tended to set a sleepy mood, and animating everyone for the party afterward was no walk in the park.
Toward the end of the evening, I stepped out of the tent to call Milo and tell him goodnight. The smell of lavender and sage surrounded me, instantly pushing me into a Zen state of mind. This yard was something. I'd spied apple and lime trees and even guava. After I finished talking to my boy, I saw Graham come up to me.
"Those were quite some speeches," he remarked. We'd heard four, two from friends of Amber's, two of Matt's.
One was okay. The other one....
"I especially liked the one who'd wondered if there would still be a wedding if Matt hadn't knocked up Amber," I said sourly.
He'd said it jokingly, but the laughter he received sounded fake. Amber had been shooting daggers with her eyes at him.
"I understand what you mean about bad jokes now," Graham said. "Guy was always a bit of an idiot. They wanted to get married for years, but kept postponing it because they didn't have time to plan. Then Amber found out she was pregnant. Matt proposed the same day."
"That's a lovely reaction," I replied. My mind automatically flew to the day I'd found out I was pregnant.
Something in my expression must have given away my trail of thought, because Graham asked, "Brings up ugly memories about Milo's dad?"
"I don't think of him as his dad. He said we'll try to make it work... then changed his mind and bolted."
"I'm sorry. You and Milo deserve better."
"What can you do? Things don't always work out. But I have a great support system." Feeling the urge to lighten things up, I changed the subject. "I forgot to tell you—Milo sends extra thanks for the tickets."
"He's welcome. Both of you are. But do me a favor?"
"You kind of have me there. Ask me anything."
"Anything? You’re sure? That might end up being the most dangerous thing you've said."
If the tingling in my center was anything to go by, it was already the most dangerous thing I'd done.
"So what's the favor?"
He tilted his head playfully, as if considering this. "I'm reserving the right to cash in on it later."
"Decided on a price for the new tickets?"
"I'm still adding up to that tally. Getting more ideas by the hour."
"I sense they'll end up being expensive."
"Very."
"You know I could change my mind and not accept them, right?"
He came a little bit closer. "But you don't want to, do you?"
A gust of wind ruffled my hair, entangling my ponytail in my left earring. I fumbled with my fingers to disentangle it, but I couldn't see what I was doing, and I suspected I was making it worse.
"Let me," Graham said.
"I think I caught a strand from the back, somehow."
He walked behind me, and I stilled when his thumb touched my earlobe. He was so close that I could feel his hot breath on the back of my neck.
"I like your hair up," he murmured. "I had a perfect view of your neck all evening."
He freed the strand and then traced the pad of his thumb up and down the back of my neck, from my hairline to the neckline of the dress. And then he placed an open-mouthed kiss in the middle.
Feeling his wet lips sent a wave of shock to my body. Feeling the tip of his tongue on the skin he'd warmed with his thumb wired the next wave of shock straight to my center.
He spun me around, and our gazes locked. The pull he had on me was so powerful I couldn't look away even if I wanted to. I stopped hearing the waves, the voices filtering out from the tent. I felt alone with him in our bubble. He pulled me in for a kiss, and I lost all sense of time and space. His lips felt exquisite. I opened up for him, and when our tongues touched, I felt the connection straight between my thighs. I felt him slide one hand at the back of my neck, tilting my head at the angle he needed to explore me better, deeper. When he slid a hand down to my hip, his fingers digging into my flesh possessively, I whimpered at the realization I'd drenched my panties.
Almost as if someone had poked our bubble, I became aware of our surroundings: the sea, the voices.
With a start, I jerked my head back. Everyone was still in the tent, thank God. Lust was dancing in Graham's eyes. It was intoxicating to realize he wanted me. I felt my nipples turn to pebbles in my bra. How could one look affect me so much? Or maybe that was the lingering effect of the kiss.
"Why do you have to be such a great kisser? I'd hoped I imagined it," I whispered.
"You didn't imagine it. You changed your perfume?"
"What? Oh, yes. My sister Val brought me a tester from the new collection."
"I like it. Liked the other one too."
"No one's immune to her perfumes," I agreed.
"Nah, it's just you. I'm not immune to you."
"I'm still working," I murmured.
"So proper." He locked those gorgeous eyes on my mouth, and I felt myself starting to fall under his spell again. But I shook myself out of it. I needed to clear the air.
"Graham, I don't know what this is, but... I’m not sure that I’m who you need. My life revolves around my son."
"I like that about you. It’s part of what attracts me to you. You're a fascinating woman, Lori."
Wow. I hadn't expected that. I didn't have the chance to dwell on his words, because as I shifted my feet on the cobblestone pathway, I slipped and fell so hard on my ass that the breath was knocked out of me. I thought I heard a riiip too. I felt Graham's arms around my waist, lifting me up onto my feet.
"Did you hurt yourself?" he asked, voice laced with worry. I shook my head, even though my tailbone still hurt like hell. I had bigger issues. When a gust of wind chilled my privates, I groaned. I'd ripped open my dress. The slit had been on the right thigh, but now it went all the way up. I was wearing sheer tights, because it was too chilly in the evening for bare legs, but still. I held the loose parts together with one hand, but I couldn't go back inside the tent this way.
"Lori, are you okay? Did you twist your ankle going down?"
"No, ankle's fine. My pride, on the other hand...."
Amber walked to us. "What happened? I heard a cry."
"That was me," I confirmed. "I fell. The cobblestone is wet from the sprinklers. Take care where you step. We'll have to disable them tomorrow, so no one else falls."
Amber took in the sight of my dress. "You poor thing. Why don't you go home? We're done here."
Normally, I stayed until everyone was gone to check that everything was set for tomorrow, but my dress wasn't decent anymore.
"Yes, I'll do that. Sorry to take off earlier."
Amber waved her hand, smiling.
"Ladies," Graham said, offering Amber and me each an arm. "Allow me to escort you off this death trap."
Amber laughed as she snaked her arm around Graham's. I did the same, because I didn't want to risk landing on my ass again. I warmed all over when Graham tucked me close.
Once we were on steady ground, he let go of us, and I instantly felt cold where he'd touched me.
"I need my tote. Can either of you bring it from inside?"
"I'll bring it," Amber replied. Graham remained by my side while she headed inside the tent.
"Are you sure you can drive?" he asked.
"Of course. My tailbone still hurts, but I'll manage."
A playful twinkle appeared in his eyes. "Massage?"
The thought of his hands on me was doing naughty things to my body despite the pain. "No, thanks." Almost unconsciously, I touched the sore spot and winced.
"I'd feel better if you'd let me drive you. You could lie in the back," Graham said. Worry replaced the playful twinkle. I felt as if someone had
wrapped a warm blanket around me.
"Graham, I'm a big girl. It's nothing. But thanks for the offer. I'll see you tomorrow morning."
Amber returned with my tote, and I asked them to excuse me from the rest of the party. I couldn't say goodbye myself, given the state of my dress. When I climbed in my car, pain seared the base of my spine the second my ass touched the seat. Maybe taking Graham up on his offer would have been smarter. Lying down instead of sitting sure sounded like a better plan. And it would have earned me more time with the handsome and charming man. But I powered through and started the engine. Despite the throbbing pain in my ass, I smiled a big, goofy smile. I caught my reflection in the rearview mirror. I looked a little loony.
Then I buried my face in my hands, even though no one could see me. My smile stretched into a grin against my palms. Val and Hailey were right—they typically were. All these years, I hadn't just wanted to protect Milo, but myself too. Before Graham, no man had made me want to dip my toe in the dating pool. Would this be a good idea? The man was disenchanted with marriage; he'd admitted it himself. But did it really matter? As my sisters realistically put it, dating led nowhere most of the time. It was a fun thing to do, and I hadn't had fun in a long time. Was it time for changes in my life? Could I handle them? I had no answers. But my loony grin remained in place the entire drive.
Chapter Eleven
Lori
The next morning, I arrived at Graham's house at the same time as the florist, Gigi.
"You can start setting everything up in the tent. I'll be with you in a few minutes. Need to get my stuff inside first," I informed her.
I was already wearing my wedding suit, but I had a spare blouse and shoes, so I'd be covered in case I had another mishap like yesterday. I wanted to bring them to the room Graham had told me I'd be staying in. I realized Graham's car wasn't in his driveway. Even though he had a detached two-car garage next to the guesthouse, he never used it. Did he have errands to run? If he did, they couldn't be wedding related, because I had all those on my schedule.
As I deposited my things in the gorgeous room, I started wondering if my staying here was really a good idea. Wouldn't it be wiser and safer to drive home after the wedding ended and return the next morning? It probably was the smartest thing to do, but the reality was, I'd only sleep a wink if I did that. I'd be a zombie when I'd take my boy to Universal Studios tomorrow afternoon, and he deserved my full attention. Four hours of sleep were better than one.
