Decoy Date

by Mira Lyn Kelly

  “That’s really sweet,” Tina said, elbowing the blissed-out bride-to-be out of the way. “But, Gwen, who cares about his laugh? The only thing I want to hear about is whether you’ve test-driven that criminally hot mouth of his…or anything else.”

  Everyone’s focus went laser sharp as they crowded in.

  “God, yes. Tell us about his mouth.”

  * * *

  By the time they spilled out of the party bus at Spin Out, Brody was pretty sure most of the guys were going to be hating life the next day. Some more than others.

  Bret elbowed Brody and nodded over to where Ted was trying to fish his phone out of his pocket—but his hand kept missing, and the confusion just kept getting worse.

  “He’s more fucked up than me,” Bret grunted with a shake of his head. “Something’s off. Tried talking to him about it, but he clammed up.”

  Based on the handful of times Brody had caught Ted giving him the side-eye throughout the night, he had a pretty good idea what the problem was. Prick.

  It didn’t surprise him Ted hadn’t wanted to confide in Bret. While Ted was in the wedding party, that had more to do with Bret not having much family and needing to even out the lines than the two men being particularly close.

  “Don’t worry about him. Just have fun.” Brody clapped Bret on the shoulder, urging him up to the club entrance where he gave their names to the bouncer. A minute later, they were being led up to a VIP area where the bride’s party was already waiting.

  Gwen was standing by the private balcony that overlooked the dance floor. The girls were all wearing black dresses, mostly the kind that were tight and left less to the imagination than if they’d been wearing nothing at all. He had a deep and abiding affection for those dresses, but when he saw Gwen’s, his heart started to pound in a way he couldn’t remember happening before.

  By comparison, her dress was conservative, with a skirt that flared to a few inches above her knees and a top that gathered across the chest and came together into a halter behind her neck. It was a dress that had his imagination working overtime, and in the best possible way. She was gorgeous. And with her hair pinned up like it was, showing off the smooth length of her neck, he could clearly see the hint of a smile playing on her lips as her thumbs blurred over her phone.

  He wanted to know what that barely there smile was all about, and a second later, the vibration of his phone promised he would. A second after that, those whiskey eyes came up, finding his.

  Damn, he liked the sight of that smile.

  Then she was crossing the distance, meeting him halfway, and stepping easily beneath his outstretched arm for the hug that had become standard with them. The one he’d gotten hooked on like some kind of junkie and had been waiting to get again all week.

  When she peered up at him from beneath her lashes, his heart started hammering, and it took everything he had to keep his hands where they were instead of letting them coast over the bare skin of her back, then lower to the cut of her waist and curve of her hip.

  “Miss me?” she asked.

  “More than I should.” He looked around and found Ted watching them from where he was holding up the wall. Someone had already gotten him another beer, and Brody didn’t like the look in those eyes. Signaling one of the other groomsmen, he pointed to Ted and mouthed “water.”

  Then peering down into Gwen’s upturned face, he asked, “What do you say we get out of here for a few?”

  She nodded, her smile going wider still. “Perfect.”

  Taking her hand, he led her down the stairs and through the main part of the club. “Hope you don’t mind, but I promised the owner I’d stop for a drink. He’s a good guy. You’ll like him.”

  Gwen shook her head, letting him guide her through the club to the back hall. “I’d love to meet him, but I would have been fine if you’d wanted a few minutes to catch up with him on your own.”

  She might have been fine, but Brody wouldn’t have been. Not after he’d seen her. Not after he’d seen the way Ted was watching them.

  “Call me selfish. I wanted my fix.” But then he knew he needed to tell her the rest. “But so you know, Ted’s had too much to drink tonight. It might be better if you give him a wide berth.”

  She stopped walking and turned to look at him. “Is he okay?”

  Of course, she’d be worried about Ted. She wouldn’t be Gwen if she wasn’t. “Yeah, but he’s going to feel it tomorrow. And I’d feel better if you stuck with me.”

  Grant Wendel’s office was in the back of the club on the second floor, and when they arrived, the guy took one look at Gwen and let out a low whistle.

  “Come on, man. Ever heard of ‘Nice to meet you’?” Brody demanded, giving Wendel a light jab in the shoulder while tucking Gwen closer beneath his other arm. To her credit, Gwen wasn’t fazed and, once proper introductions were made, seamlessly joined their conversation. With Christmas only a week away and the wedding on New Year’s, they talked about the usual things. Holiday plans and horror stories of weddings past. A half hour later, Wendel was in love, and Gwen was as oblivious as ever about how she’d affected the man.

  They were passing the exit on their way back to the main part of the club when Gwen pulled Brody to a stop. “Hey, umm…one second.” She peered up at him with apologetic eyes. “You probably ought to know it’s been a bit of a feeding frenzy with the girls tonight. They’ve scented romance in the water, and when you get up there, they’re probably going to eat you alive.”

  “That right?” Brody asked, not concerned at all.

  She blew out a breath and rubbed the pointed toe of her high heel over a spot on the floor. “They’re relentless.”

  Was that guilt he detected in her pretty eyes?

  “Gwendolyn Sidney Danes, did you kiss and tell?”

  Her neat white teeth bit into her bottom lip, and she glanced away. Definitely guilty.

  “I held them off as long as I could. But they were determined.”

  He had no doubt. But now he wanted to know what she’d said.

  “At least tell me you were complimentary.” He was only half teasing and didn’t expect her to blush so hot, he could see it even under the club lighting.

  “Gwen, that good?” he pressed, his ego inflating to monumental proportions. “Now you’ve got to tell me.”

  Her mouth fell open in shock. “Brody!”

  “What?” he asked, all innocence as she leaned back against the wall, covering her face with her hands. This was going to be good. “You’re going to have to tell me what you said.” He moved closer, bracing a hand at the wall above her head as he leaned in to speak into her ear. “You know, so we’re on the same page.”

  Chapter 7

  Brody wanted to hear what Gwen had told those girls for only one reason: so he could see her face when she told him about the kiss they’d shared. To find out whether she’d been as affected by it as he had.

  He was a damn fool.

  Because no way was Gwen going to get all breathless talking about a kiss that she’d only let him have to get another man’s attention. More likely she’d recount the events in clinical detail for him, issuing the swift kick to his ego he deserved.

  Or worse, she’d tell him it had been nice.

  Maybe that’s what he needed to hear.

  But then she was peering up at him from that too-small space where he’d crowded her.

  “I told them that even though I’d seen the kiss coming, known it was going to happen, and thought I was ready for it…it caught me by surprise.”

  Her whiskey eyes held with his, drawing him in until there was nothing but the two of them. Until he wasn’t sure he was still breathing or if he even needed to.

  He needed to look away. Step back. Get his shit together.

  He didn’t move an inch. “Because it was good?”

  S
he shook her head, and he could feel the warmth of her breath against his neck. “No, I knew it would be good. I was ready for good.”

  Jesus, she was killing him. “What weren’t you ready for?”

  He didn’t want to know. He shouldn’t know.

  “I wasn’t ready to get caught up in it, to get a little lost in it, and forget why we were there. I wasn’t ready to be disappointed when it ended. And I really wasn’t ready for how much I would think about it after. Is that crazy?”

  Not as crazy as how badly he wanted to thread his fingers through her hair, tip her head back, and kiss her again. Kiss her because he wanted her and not because he knew some unworthy prick was about to walk by. But whether Gwen had thought about his kiss or not, she hadn’t given up on Ted.

  So instead of taking what wasn’t his, Brody brushed her soft cheek with his thumb and smiled. “Let’s get back to the party.”

  * * *

  Gwen was reeling as they made their way back to the VIP area. There was no way that had just been her. Sure, Brody flirted and teased, but the way he’d been looking at her…the way he’d all but boxed her in with his body? She pressed a hand to her belly. Forget butterflies, these had to be hummingbirds.

  What just happened with Brody hadn’t felt like it was for someone else’s benefit. It felt private and right and like maybe despite how all this business started, they were getting to a place that was more about them than some age-old crush she wasn’t even interested in anymore.

  As if conjured by that thought, Ted stepped up to them. The hand Brody had been resting at the small of her back tensed, and Gwen immediately recognized that Brody had been right. Ted’s eyes were unfocused, his posture off.

  “Been gon’a while, huh?”

  And he definitely didn’t sound right either.

  “Everything okay, Ted?” she asked warily.

  He looked away before meeting her eyes with a hostile glare. “Not so much, Gwennie.”

  Prickles of alarm skittered down her spine, and the flutters in her belly became a lead weight.

  Brody’s hand closed around her hip, as if he was preparing to hold her back. “Hey, man, you look like you should sit down for a break.” The words weren’t said with any malice, but there was a stern edge to them, and when she glanced back at him, Brody seemed even bigger than usual. As if each level breath he took was somehow filling him out more.

  But Ted wasn’t looking at Brody. Ignoring the suggestion completely, he stared at her. “The back alley? Really, Gwen?”

  What? And then she remembered the EXIT sign they’d passed in the hall on the way to Wendel’s office, and it clicked. “Ted, no.”

  God, this was embarrassing.

  “That’s enough, Ted,” Brody said, stepping around her so his body was between them.

  “Don’t deny it on top of everything else. I saw you leave, pass the ladies’ room, the dance floor, the bars,” he accused, bordering on yelling. “Christ, Gwen, what would your parents think?”

  She felt like she’d been slapped. Stunned, it took her a second too long to register the menacing growl coming from Brody’s chest or that his hand had shot out and was gripping Ted’s shoulder in a hold that had definitely gotten his attention.

  “Brody,” she choked out, reaching for his arm. But she hadn’t needed to worry.

  “Ted, you’re off base. You’re drunk. And you’re going to regret the hell out of this tomorrow. Understand?”

  “I understand that Gwen’s too good for some asshole with so little respect for her that he’d take her to the back alley behind Spin Out. What, did you have to wait for wall space beside the Dumpster?”

  Ted was drawing more and more attention, and Gwen could feel her cheeks heating at being the center of it.

  “Ted, Brody knows the owner. His office is upstairs. That’s where we were.”

  He blinked and looked away, his face still twisted like he didn’t believe her. But then a couple of the guys from the wedding party stepped in and, taking over, suggested they all grab a seat and sober up some.

  When she turned to Brody, the muscle in his jaw was jumping, and his eyes were as hard as she’d ever seen them. “You deserve better than that guy, Gwen. When are you going to realize it?”

  * * *

  “Gwennie, you’ve gotta believe me when I tell you how sorry I am about last night.”

  Ted looked like hell, his usually neat hair sticking out at unflattering angles and dark circles under his eyes offsetting his sallow complexion.

  She believed he was sorry, and if not for how he had behaved with her, then for the sheer amount of booze he’d consumed. Because he looked wrecked. Still, there was no excuse for what he’d said.

  “What were you thinking?” she demanded, uncrossing her arms to throw one hand out at him. “Even if Brody and I had been sneaking off somewhere, which we weren’t…” she emphasized with a pointed glare. “What business is it of yours? What business is it of anyone’s? You’re not my brother, you’re not my boyfriend, and to the best of my knowledge, you’ve never been on my father’s payroll to keep me out of trouble.”

  Shaking his head, Ted ran a hand over the stubbled growth on his chin and looked at her with bloodshot eyes. “I know, I know. I’m none of those things, and whatever you do with O’Donnel is between you and him.”

  Head cocked to the side, she waited. Because she’d known this man all his life, and she knew without a doubt there was a but coming.

  “But, Gwennie, him?” Ted looked pained. “You know the guy’s got a reputation.”

  Gwen’s brows raised, her voice following along. “Brody? Yeah, I’m pretty sure he does have a reputation. For a lot of things. Like being one of the nicest, biggest-hearted guys in the city.”

  Ted shook his head. “I know he’s nice.”

  “And for being one of the most loyal men anyone has ever met.”

  “He’s good to his friends. No question.”

  “Then what the hell else could it be, Ted?” she snapped, the temper she’d been trying to keep in check since he showed up at her door unannounced getting away from her. It was bad enough that he’d embarrassed her last night, but to come over here this morning and start in on Brody again?

  “He’s a heartbreaker, Gwen.”

  That stopped her. “What? No, women love him. He’s friends with all his exes.”

  “Yeah, but you know he’s not a forever kind of guy. He’s a while-it-lasts guy, and the only reason I’m telling you this is because, deep down, despite the fact that you act like that’s not what you want, I think you’re a forever kind of girl. And I don’t want you to get hurt.”

  Gwen stared, frozen in place. Unable to believe what she was hearing. That Ted…Ted was warning her off Brody.

  “You’ve got to be kidding me.” The words were barely a whisper, mumbled under her breath. But Ted had heard them.

  Walking over to grab his coat, he shook his head. “Honestly, I wish I was. But either way, last night wasn’t cool, and I know it. It was no way to treat a friend, especially not one who means as much to me as you do.”

  Ted really was a good friend. Even if he had made some bad choices, selfish choices, over the years. But the thing was, she wasn’t nearly as hurt as she would have expected to be. Irritated? Absolutely. But nothing deeper.

  She nodded. “Okay, Ted.”

  “You forgive me?” he asked, flashing the crooked smile that had been getting this guy out of jams for as far back as she could remember.

  She nodded and waved him toward the door. “Guess I have to. It’s not like I can ignore you through Christmas.”

  He pressed a palm into his forehead and winced. “Plus there’d be the whole awkward drive home.”

  “We couldn’t have that.” She laughed and then walked over to the coffee table where she had a bottle of ibuprofen.
Pouring two into her palm, she held them out in offering. “I forgive you.”

  * * *

  “Gwen, relax. It’s going to be fine,” Ted assured her Thursday night from his seat at the high top beside her.

  Brody looked out the front windows of Belfast at the snow that had been falling since ten that morning and was forecast to keep coming.

  He wasn’t so sure Ted was right about this one. But as usual, the smug prick thought he knew everything.

  After what had happened at the bachelor party, Brody had been hoping Ted would crawl into a corner somewhere and never come out. But that hadn’t been the way it went. He’d apologized to Gwen face-to-face, then stopped by Belfast on his way home from work Tuesday to scowl at Brody while he acknowledged he’d been unfair to Gwen at the party, while stressing that she’d completely forgiven him. Great.

  The guy was such a dick. But the thing was, the few times Brody had talked to Gwen this week, he’d realized how much a part of her life Ted was. Even if she got over him completely, he would never go away. She wouldn’t want him to. And that was starting to weigh on Brody.

  Ted had made a fool of himself Friday, but no way was it the first time in twenty-six years. Gwen wasn’t the type to hold a grudge. She was understanding. She was generous. And she’d been in love with this clown for what Brody was starting to think might have been decades. And suddenly, Ted wanted her.

  During the most romantic season of the year.

  Surrounded by the family that loved them both.

  While Brody would be back in Chicago with nothing to do but wait.

  Unless they were snowed in.

  Gwen shook her head, worrying her bottom lip between her teeth. “Ted, I want you to be right. I really do. But they’re talking about up to two feet overnight. And with the wind—”

  Blizzard conditions.

  Ted reached across the table and took her phone, placing it facedown on the table. “They always exaggerate. Besides, even if we do get dumped on, I’ll be able to drive it, no problem.”

  Until that point, Brody had been pretty quiet.

  This was something between Gwen and Ted. But no fucking way was he letting Gwen get in a car with this cocky dipshit. Not for a three-hour drive in near blizzard conditions out to rural Illinois. He remembered what the roads had been like the last time the snow came down this way. And if he wasn’t mistaken, getting stuck in that storm was what put Jase and Emily, former enemies, on the track to getting married.