I raised my glass and clinked it against Leo’s. Being married to my cousin Sophie had changed Carter. Earlier this year, I couldn’t have imagined hearing him talk like that, and I still couldn’t believe how fast someone could change.
For the first time in maybe my whole life, I was a little jealous of Kayson. He had found his other half and I was alone. It made a small part of me want what he had.
Once Carter sat, the servers moved through the crowd and set our plates in front of us and we began eating.
“Third wedding, I think we are probably pros by now, don’t you?” I asked Leo, just as she took a sip of her wine. I followed the graceful curve of her throat as she swallowed. I glanced up just in time to spy her tongue darting out and licking her pale pink lips to ensure that there were no trace amounts of wine left. Why had I never noticed how inviting her lips were? Or how they begged to be kissed? How would her lips feel wrapped around me? I knew that I shouldn’t be watching Leo’s lips or her tongue, and letting them send erotic thoughts splashing through my mind. She was one of my oldest friends, Sophie’s best friend, and for all intents and purposes a part of my extended family.
I knew why I shouldn’t be thinking all these things and all the reasons why, yet, it didn’t stop me.
“Yep, three weddings, but there are still two more of you Christakos boys. Then we will start baby showers.” I heard a crack and looked down to see Leo popping her knuckles. Placing my hand over hers, the corners of her eyes crinkle when she smiled as she slipped her hand from mine and turned her focus back to her dinner.
I wanted her to look at me, give me her smile, but that sounded stupid. Instead, I decided to try to get her to keep talking.
“Maybe Tristan, but I can’t see myself getting married anytime soon.”
Leo nodded as though appeasing me, but I was being truthful, I couldn’t see myself getting married.
“What have you been up to?” I leaned closer.
“Just work, riding with the girls, and helping your sisters-in-law plan their weddings.” There it was, she finally smiled at me, and when she did, it seemed to light up her entire face. “Thank God Sophie and Katy went for speedy weddings and not all fancy schmancy like this. Please go for simple, Ian.”
“Tell that to Tristan not me,” I defended again. “I know that I’ve already told you this, but you really do look good tonight.” I stumbled. “I mean, not that you don’t always look good, you do. But tonight, there’s this exotic beauty about you.” Her cheeks reddened at the same rate as my cock hardened.
“Thank you,” she replied and then cracked her knuckles. Again, I found myself reaching for her.
“Is cracking your knuckles a nervous habit?”
“No. It’s so I have something to do with my hands.”
“As opposed to holding your silverware?” I fought back my laugh because as soon as I’d called her out she had taken on this tough-girl persona.
“No, as opposed to smacking people who ask too many questions.”
I smirked at her reply. “Hmm, good to know.”
She went back to eating but turned her body to give Katy a little more attention. The two of them started laughing, I liked her laugh. Well, to be honest, I loved her voice. It was deeper than the other girls’ and reminded me of Demi Moore’s. I turned to give my attention to Tristan but then Katy caught my ear again.
“Bitch alert, bitch alert,” she hissed. “Tits McGee is at eleven o’clock.”
I looked out and then slightly left to the array of tables that circled the dance floor. The steak entree that moments ago had tasted not bad for catering had turned into a brick in the pit of my stomach.
“Your friend from work is here, and she is glaring at us,” Leo whispered.
I already knew whom she was referring to, and when Taylor saw me looking in her direction, her entire demeanor changed.
“There’s no way Kayson or Ariel invited her; she has to be someone’s plus one,” Katy said, her eyes on her plate and her expression nothing but cheerful as she talked shit. It was a talent women had that struck fear in most men.
“I don’t know anyone at the table Tits McGee is seated at, do you?” Leo asked. Katy shook her head and they both turned their smiles on me.
I just shrugged. Fuck. Fuck. Of all the people to be at this wedding, why her?
“Well Tits McGee looks pissed,” Katy stated. “I can’t tell if her death ray is directed at you or Leo but she is gunning for someone.”
Tits McGee, Taylor, my executive assistant from work, was the name the girls had given her when they had met her a few months back. She was the stereotypical spoiled bitch that lived off her daddy’s money and yet she was close to thirty years old. She couldn’t understand why the world didn’t operate her way. The kind of way that could have you in bed with her one night and have you engaged the next and you wouldn’t remember a damn thing. A week later, she’d have animal services calling because she had boiled a bunny. The woman wanted a husband, and for some reason, she’d decided that husband was going to be me. It didn’t seem to matter that I was never anything but professionally courteous. The way she always put herself in my way had been growing more annoying over the last few months. Still, what could I do? I worked for her father. I couldn’t tell her to go fuck herself.
“Promise me that you won’t leave me alone with her.” I stared at Leo, and she giggled. “You laugh, but I’m serious, Leo. Don’t leave me to the she-wolf.”
“I promise.” Leo raised one finger and crossed her heart. “It might be easier if you just let me deck her.” There it was...her smile.
“What are we promising?” Katy leaned forward so she could see both Leo and me.
“Ian’s afraid to be left alone with Taylor,” Leo informed her.
“I don’t blame him. She’d probably suck his blood and bury his socks under the moonlight or some freaky-ass ritual.”
“Did someone say suck?” Damon asked, joining our conversation.
I couldn’t help but laugh. I had to admit that had to be a perk of being married, ignoring what you wanted and dropping in sexual innuendos when they hit you. Oh, and having a great wife didn’t hurt.
I was saved from having to fill Damon in because the DJ cut in and everyone in the room fell silent. He called Kayson and Ariel to the center of the room for the first dance.
“Look at the two of them, it’s disgusting,” I whispered to Tristan, desperately trying to force away the pang of jealousy that was back.
“Maybe, but have you ever seen him look happier?” Tristan replied with a shrug.
“No, which makes it all that much more fucked up.”
Tristan jabbed an elbow into my ribs. “Shut up, you know someone is sitting out there trying to read our lips.”
“That’s also fucked up, how many women from our church are wondering which one of us is next and are going to try to shove their daughters in our faces?”
“All of them,” Tristan groaned.
“Come on, no time to worry about that now, song is almost over anyway, I guess that means it’s our turn. Are we ready for this?”
“As if we have a choice. I don’t know if I’m more afraid of Stella or Ringo if we mess up.”
“Relax, Ian. You’ve had a few drinks, you can do this.” Leo placed a hand on my arm, and that was all it took for me to relax.
I stood and held out my hand to her. Since this second dance was for the bridal party, we had something special planned. Only the eight of us, the three brothers and Carter and the four bridesmaids were in on this surprise. We got into position, and I pulled Leo into my arms, sliding one hand onto her hip as I took her other hand in mine as if we were going to dance a regular slow dance. She really was the perfect size to pick up and spin around. Her dress left little to the imagination, which was a strong change from the over-sized T-shirts and coveralls I was used to seeing her in.
The girl gave me an encouraging smile, as if silently telling me it would be all rig
ht.
I wasn’t so convinced.
Ringo had taught me my part, but my and Leo’s schedules made it so we couldn’t practice it together.
I pulled Leo even tighter into my arms as the first notes of “Say Hey” by Michael Franti filled the air around us. We all pulled apart for the beginning and moved into formation for our steps to the chorus. Tristan and Stella were up first since he was a doctor and she was a nurse, which was perfect since it sang about seeing pain. Carter stepped forward when the words hinted to crime, and Sophie joined him when it changed to seeing children.
By the time we were at the chorus again, everyone in the room was standing and cheering. I squeezed Leo’s hand since we were up for our spotlight next. I would never have thought that this song would be so appropriate for my family, but it was.
“You ready? Let’s show them up,” Leo whispered.
“Fuck, the things I do for my family.”
I stepped forward and proclaimed that I wasn’t into metaphysics but needed science. Leo then came around and bumped her hip into me. We brought our faces close and looked into each other’s eyes just as the song told us to do.
“So green.”
“Huh?” she asked and lost her step, but I caught her so it looked as if it was purposeful.
Shit, I hadn’t meant to throw her off, but her eyes really were a vibrant green. I spun her out and then back into my arms to rip-roaring cheers as Damon and Katy passed us on the way to do the final section about dancing in June, which was when they had gotten married.
When the song hit the part about momma and poppas rocking in the dance hall, Leo and I were right there, pulling them into the group with us.
They didn’t dance with us for long, which was okay because I was twisting Leo to the choreographed steps that Ringo had taught me and my brothers to use to “woo” the women—his words not mine. All the while, Leo laughed, not noticing that I was pulling her closer and closer to me.
We approached the finale, and I turned to get into position before singing, “I love you.” The words had my head speeding and a thin sheen of sweat breaking out over my skin.
Ariel was shouting and crying. Kayson was laughing and holding his new bride tight, which had made my moment of embarrassment all worth it. When the song was over and we moved around the room, we were hugged and complimented by the attendees. I worked to avoid the area where we had spied Taylor.
Leo, who was silently on board with my plan, tugged my hand and turned her mouth toward my ear so only I would hear her. “Thanks. If we see her, I may need you to stop me from slapping her.”
“Don’t do that, you look so gorgeous tonight. You might get messy.”
She gripped my hand tighter, and I smiled. She hadn’t let go from when we were dancing earlier. “A lot of these people are deputies, and they only know me as plain Jane messy Leo.”
“Nothing plain about you. If I’m lucky, I’ll get out of here without having to fight some guy off you because you look beautiful.” What I really meant was that she looked fucking hot.
She looked fuckable.
God, I couldn’t believe that I was having these thoughts about Leo. Little Leo.
“Thanks. But most of these guys have only seen me as the Harley mechanic. They’re probably trying to figure out why I’m here, playing dress-up.”
“I hate to break it to you, sweetheart, but you are a girl. And a gorgeous one at that.” Admittedly, that wasn’t something I’d thought before I’d seen her in that dress, but it was a statement I stood behind.
“Yeah, right. You have to say that.” Leo scowled at me. “You can’t very well go upsetting your partner for the evening.”
“Wrong. I never say anything that I don’t mean.” I took her words as a challenge. I’d make her see herself through my eyes.
“Never?”
“No, never. Why?”
“I don’t know…I just remember this one time I overheard you talking to your brothers—”
“Would someone care to explain what the fuck is going on?” Stella asked cutting off Leo’s words.
I gave Leo a halfhearted smile hoping she understood that I wanted to continue this conversation later.
Everyone in our group had congregated over by the back bar.
“Going on with what?” I was an intelligent man, I was a rocket scientist for fuck’s sake, but sometimes I felt as if I was missing something, something that everyone else knew.
“What’s going on is that Tits McGee is here, and last year, she and her friend made Katy’s life miserable.” Stella pointed at my sister-in-law, who was tucked under Damon’s arm. “She has to go.”
“We have no clue why she is here. We were all actually talking about that during dinner. She was staring at Ian something fierce.” Katy looked over at me.
“Hey,” I said, holding my hands up and laughing. “I didn’t invite her. Oh, and please tell me she knows you all call her Tits McGee.”
“Really, Ian? What fun would there be in that? Nicknames are funnier when people don’t know they have them.” Stella looked at me as if I should have figured this out.
“Truth.” I held up my fist in solidarity.
But something around me changed, and I felt Leo’s body stiffen. I turned to see where her stare was focused, and then heard the subtle crack before Leo was twisting her fingers together.
The girls moved like a group of soldiers with Stella flanking Leo stepping in front of Katy to shield her.
“Why the we-are-Spartans stance?” Seriously, any moment I was expecting to hear shields clang as they made a fortress like in the movie 300.
“She’s coming over here to stir the shit pot, and we aren’t letting her near Katy,” Sophie said as she moved to take point.
It was really quite an amazing sight to behold. If I hadn’t known that these women were totally harmless, I would have tucked tail and walked the other way. They looked like a pack of mean girls on steroids.
I snickered at the thought.
And that little snicker died a swift death.
“Ian, I was hoping to see you here. Would you care to dance?”
I stood there, frozen without a fucking clue as to what to say. I looked to Leo before I glanced back and answered Taylor.
“Hi, of course you’d see me here, it’s my brother’s wedding, after all. Sorry, I can’t dance right now, we’re discussing a few things.”
“How about later then?” She drew a little closer, and I stiffened—and not in a good way. Everything about her made my skin crawl. How could she not see that? Perhaps she did see it and just didn’t care. Taylor was the kind of woman who always got what she wanted no matter what those around her wanted. I blamed her father for that one.
“I don’t know about that.” I looked around at the others, pleading for help, but no one stepped up. Jerks. “I have a lot of responsibility, you know, groomsman shit and all of that.”
“I’m kind of shocked to see you here, I don’t remember seeing your name on the list.” Stella stated the question on all of our minds. I had to admire her for the way she kept her voice calm.
“Did you look under T?” Katy asked.
“For tits?” Sophie whispered, and I fought back the groan as the girls were trying to trump Taylor on the cattiness.
“No, it wouldn’t be under Taylor. I’m here with Sawyer Bressler.” Taylor stepped forward and wrapped one hand with her red painted claws around my upper arm.
I just looked down at it, hoping she’d get the fucking hint to remove it, but it wasn’t my night. “Your date would probably prefer you be with him.” I turned back to my group in the hopes that turning my back on her might send her away.
“Oh, no, we’re just friends. Actually, Sawyer and I are neighbors. He and I were talking, and he mentioned that he had a friend’s wedding to go to, so I offered to come with him.”
“Of course you did.” Leo was shooting daggers at Taylor.
“Anyway, as a groomsman you’re g
oing to need to dance and be social, right?” She squeezed my arm a little harder, and the urge to pry her off me was growing unbearable.
Desperate times called for desperate measures, and I prayed to God Leo would forgive me and that my family didn’t out me. I pulled Leo tighter into my arms and said, “Sorry, Taylor, I don’t think I’ve introduced you to my girlfriend. Taylor, this is Leo. Leo, this is Taylor, she’s the secretary at my office.”
Leo didn’t correct me, thank God. “Yeah, you’ve mentioned her before.” Leo held out her hand, and I was scared for Taylor. Leo would probably break her fingers. But I was shocked even more when Taylor didn’t reciprocate.
“Girlfriend? You haven’t said anything to me.” Taylor looked affronted.
“Why would I—”
“Okay, enough of this shit.” Stella stepped forward and forced Taylor to let go of me and take a step back. “Taylor, in case you didn’t understand, Ian has a girlfriend and you are wasting your time. His personal life is not and will never be any of your business.” Stella turned, effectively blocking Taylor out of any further conversation.
“Fine. I’ll just talk to him at work since I have him without all of you anyway.” Taylor turned and stomped off. I hated the thought of going to work on Monday.
Stella skipped all niceties as she whirled on me the moment Taylor was out of earshot. “What the fuck was that? Be honest, Ian, have you slept with that woman? Is that why she’s acting as if she has some kind of claim on you?”
“No, Stella, I haven’t slept with her.” I let every ounce of my incredulity leak onto my expression before I turned to Leo. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have put you in that position.” In that very moment, she was the only one I gave a damn about.
“I get it. No worries.” She let out a weak laugh and lightly punched my stomach. “Really, I get it. It’s okay.” Her voice was saying one thing, but her eyes were saying another. Clearly, she wasn’t comfortable being my pretend girlfriend but too nice to scold me for it.
I shoved my hands through my hair and nodded. Goddamn it, I really hadn’t thought this thing through.
Often (Iron Orchids Book 4) Page 3
