by Jenna Sutton
Quinn’s bride-to-be turned from the mirror, her wedding dress making a swooshing noise with the movement. Her brown eyes were wide, and her rosy lips were opened in an O of dismay.
“I totally forgot about ‘something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue,’” she said, her voice almost a wail. “I’ve never done this before.”
Amelia was one of the most pragmatic, levelheaded people Teagan knew, but the bride was a wreck today. She was trembling and breathless, and since she didn’t drink, there wasn’t much anyone could do to calm her down.
Teagan reached for Amelia’s hand, squeezing her fingers. “Don’t worry, I’ve got your back,” she said.
Dropping Amelia’s hand, Teagan pulled two velvet jewelry cases from her leather bag and placed one of them on a nearby table. Opening the other box, she turned it so the redhead could see the earrings inside it.
“These were my Grandma Vi’s, and when she died, she passed them down to me. My Grandpa Patrick gave them to her on their wedding day. If you want, they can be your ‘something borrowed.’ You can wear a little bit of O’Brien history when you walk down the aisle.”
Amelia looked down and ran the tip of her finger over the drop-styled earrings. With a square diamond stacked on top of a circular diamond in a starburst platinum setting, they were one of Teagan’s favorite pieces from Grandma Vi’s collection.
When the future Mrs. O’Brien looked up, her eyes sparkled like Grandma Vi’s diamond earrings. “Thank you,” she said softly.
Teagan smiled and handed the case to Amelia. “Wait . . . there’s more.”
Turning to the table, Teagan grabbed the other jewelry box and faced Amelia. She raised the lid and handed it to her future sister-in-law, who gasped when she saw the bracelet displayed on the black velvet.
“This is my ‘welcome to the family’ gift to you. It’s old and blue.”
After an exhaustive search involving the Internet and local jewelers, Teagan had found a stunning vintage bracelet studded with diamonds and tanzanite, one of the rarest gemstones in the world. Tanzanite could be found only in one place: the foothills of Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania. The stones in the bracelet were a bluish-purple, and they were a perfect match for Amelia’s bridal bouquet of lacecap hydrangeas.
“Oh, Teagan,” Amelia breathed, looking down at the bracelet, “it’s beautiful.”
“It is, isn’t it?” Teagan said, feeling very pleased with herself for finding the perfect gift for Amelia.
Amelia laughed and launched herself at Teagan, her arms outstretched in a big hug. The unexpectedness of the gesture caused Teagan to stumble backward on her tall heels and knock her hobo bag off the table. Fortunately, Ava Grace was there to steady her. Otherwise, both Teagan and Amelia would have tumbled to the floor in their wedding finery.
Teagan turned to pick up the fallen bag, but Ava Grace beat her to it. As the willowy singer scooped the bag from the floor, a leather jewelry case tumbled out. Teagan lunged for the case, but Ava Grace got to it first.
“What’s this?” she asked, holding it up.
Ava Grace’s question drew Amelia’s attention, and the shorter woman peeked around Teagan. She nudged Teagan’s shoulder.
“I’m already wearing a fortune in diamonds, but I’m sure I can find room for more,” she quipped.
When Teagan didn’t reply, Amelia glanced at her alertly. Teagan’s face heated, and she held out her hand for the jewelry case.
Ava Grace smiled mischievously. “Why are your cheeks so red, Ms. O’Brien?” she asked before glancing at Amelia. “Millie, I think there’s something special in this jewelry case—something Teagan doesn’t want us to see.”
“I think you’re right,” Amelia said, tapping her manicured finger against her bottom lip. “We definitely need to take a look.”
Ava Grace snatched the case out of Teagan’s reach and lifted the top. Her eyes widened when she saw the contents, and she turned the case to show Amelia.
“Oh,” the bride gasped, running her fingers over the bracelet and earrings. “I’ve never seen anything so gorgeous!”
Amelia looked up at Teagan, a little frown creasing the smooth skin between her brows. “Are these part of Grandma Vi’s collection, too?”
Teagan shook her head.
“Are they yours?”
“Yes.”
“Where did they come from?” Ava Grace asked, handing the case back to Teagan.
Teagan took a moment to smooth her fingers over the bracelet and earrings, which were a perfect match for the vintage necklace Nick had given her for her birthday. He must have commissioned the pieces months ago because it would have taken a jewelry designer several weeks to find the right gems and create the bracelet and earrings.
The hotel’s concierge had delivered the jewelry case to her that morning. A handwritten note had accompanied it, and Teagan had recognized Nick’s bold scrawl. I’ll never forget how beautiful you looked when you wore nothing but the necklace I gave you.
After she had read his message, images of their night together in Boston flooded her mind. After hours of lovemaking, Nick had pulled her on top of him, staring into her eyes as he trailed his long fingers over the diamond necklace. She had seen more than lust in his gaze, more than hunger.
She had ridden him slowly, letting the pleasure expand inside her until there was no room for anything else. Her orgasm had been so powerful it had bordered on pain, and when Nick climaxed, he’d called her name over and over in a hoarse, fragmented voice. In the deepest reaches of her heart, she believed that was the moment when they had made their baby.
The bracelet and earrings were the most recent (and most expensive) gift Teagan had received from Nick over the past two weeks. She didn’t know what had happened, but since he had returned from Quinn’s stag weekend, he’d changed the tone of his pursuit.
He had totally backed off, physically, at least. He no longer cornered her in dark hallways to kiss her senseless or bent her over conference tables to screw her senseless.
He gave her gifts instead, and all of them included a handwritten note. Some of the messages were sweet, some were X-rated, and all of them chafed at her poor heart until it was raw.
She had received a gorgeous bouquet of lavender roses with a note that said:
Do you remember the lavender roses I bought for you? I told you I bought them because you were sick, but I really bought them because I wanted you to be my Valentine.
She had scoffed when she’d read the message, telling herself it was cheesy. But her heart had said it was more sweet than sappy.
The next day, she’d found a white wicker basket sitting on her desk, overflowing with candles, bubble bath, and body lotion in her favorite scent. She had thrown the note in the trash, but hours later, she’d dug through the wastebasket to find it.
It had read:
I want to see you in the bathtub, your face limned in the glow from these candles. I want to see your skin all pink and slippery with bubbles clinging to it. I want to smooth this lotion over your body until you moan my name.
When she had finished reading the note, her panties had been damp, and she had been unable to concentrate for the rest of the day. The moment she had walked into her loft after work, she’d filled the tub with water and poured in some of the bubble bath Nick had given her. When it had overflowed with fragrant suds, she had climbed in with her waterproof vibrator.
She’d tried to fantasize about Hugh Jackman, but she and the X-Men star hadn’t been able to get the job done. Finally, she’d given in and imagined Nick in the tub with her, and she’d enjoyed three orgasms before the water had turned cold.
A couple of days later, she had discovered a plastic container on her office chair filled with chocolate sugar cookies. The note read:
Letty came to San Francisco with me. She promises to make your
favorite cookies anytime you want if you’ll stop by the house so she can finally meet you.
And two days ago, a big white envelope had been propped against her computer monitor. Inside she had found several brochures advertising tourist attractions around the Bay Area with colorful Post-it Notes stuck on the covers. The messages ranged from This sounds fun to We sailed Boston Harbor, let’s sail the San Francisco Bay to Alcatraz probably has a cemetery we can explore.
Nick wasn’t stalking her anymore—he was courting her. It was a subtle assault rather than the aggressive tactics he had used in the past, and it destroyed her defenses faster than she could build them.
“Teagan, where did the bracelet and earrings come from?” Amelia repeated.
“Nick gave them to me,” Teagan admitted, snapping the case shut.
Amelia and Ava Grace stared at her, clearly stunned by her answer. She slipped the jewelry case back into her bag.
“Why aren’t you wearing them?” Ava Grace asked at the same time Amelia asked, “Are you going to wear them today?”
“No,” she said, answering Amelia’s question.
“Why not?” they asked simultaneously, like they were Siamese twins who shared a brain.
Teagan held her bag in front of her body, feeling the outline of the jewelry case through the supple leather. Although she didn’t want to answer their questions, she also didn’t want to offend either one of them. She and Amelia had built a tentative friendship, and Ava Grace had extended her friendship to Teagan because of her relationship with Amelia.
After a lengthy hesitation, she answered, “Because he would see that as a sign that I’m giving him another chance.”
Ava Grace laughed huskily. “If a man gave me jewelry like that, I’d give him anything he wanted.”
“She’s not as mercenary as she sounds,” Amelia noted wryly.
“If you’re not going to wear them, then why are you carrying them around with you?” Ava Grace asked.
“I didn’t think they would be safe in my room,” Teagan prevaricated.
Teagan didn’t want to admit that she wanted to have the jewelry close by so she could ogle it whenever she got the urge, which was a lot. She was so tempted to wear the bracelet and earrings. They were so fabulous, and her bridesmaid dress would offer a perfect canvas to highlight them. But she was going to leave the jewelry in its leather case, and someday soon, she’d return it to Nick.
“And you think they’ll be safer here?” Ava Grace asked doubtfully.
Teagan shrugged and tried to redirect the attention to the bride. “You need to hurry and put on the jewelry, Amelia. You don’t want to be late to your own wedding.”
Ava Grace nodded in agreement. “We don’t want Quinn to think you’re a runaway bride. All hell would break loose. That man would tie you up, throw you over his shoulder, and head for the hills.”
Both Amelia and Teagan laughed at Ava Grace’s comment because it was true. Quinn wouldn’t let anything stop him from marrying Amelia—not even the woman herself.
Amelia and Quinn had chosen to marry and hold their wedding celebration at a newly renovated vineyard in Napa Valley. It featured a historic Spanish-style chapel, along with an indoor-outdoor reception area, gourmet restaurant, and boutique luxury hotel.
The entire wedding party was staying at the hotel, along with a large number of the wedding guests. Quinn and Amelia had booked the bridal suite for tonight and tomorrow night. The following morning, they would head back to San Francisco to hop a flight for their honeymoon. The location was a secret. Quinn wanted to surprise his bride, and he was the only one who knew where they were going.
Teagan helped Amelia fasten the bracelet around her slender wrist and watched as the other woman replaced the earrings she was wearing with Grandma Vi’s diamonds. Amelia turned toward the full-length mirror to see how the old, borrowed, and blue jewelry looked with her wedding dress.
Amelia nervously smoothed her hand over the front of her dress, which was the color of heavy cream. With a sweetheart neckline, pleated bodice, and trumpet skirt covered with organza ruffles, it wasn’t the kind of dress Teagan would have expected Amelia to choose, but it was perfect on her petite frame.
Amelia touched the necklace Quinn had given her, a delicate web of platinum studded with diamonds of varying sizes, before turning her head to study the earrings. Since her hair was piled on top of her head in a mass of red curls, they were very noticeable.
“Quinn is going to recognize the earrings,” Teagan told Amelia. “He’s going to be thrilled you’re wearing them today. We all loved Grandma Vi, and let me assure you, she would have adored you.”
Teagan and Ava Grace came up behind Amelia to flank her. The mirror was big enough to show all three of them, and Ava Grace laughed at their reflections.
“A blonde, a brunette, and a redhead walked into a chapel . . .” she quipped.
They convulsed into giggles, and when their laughter died down, Ava Grace picked up the long veil draped over the back of a chair. She placed it toward the back of Amelia’s updo and fluffed it so it fell in filmy folds past the bride’s waist.
“You’re ready,” Ava Grace said, her voice even huskier than usual.
Amelia sought Ava Grace’s eyes in the mirror, and she smiled tremulously. “Now is not the day to start crying,” she told her best friend.
Ava Grace’s glossy lips tipped up in a small smile, her hazel eyes shining wetly. “I have no idea what you’re talking about. You know I don’t cry.”
Teagan checked the clock on the wall. “It’s time.”
A light knock sounded on the heavy wooden door, and Teagan’s mom poked her head around it. When she saw the three of them standing together, she smiled and made her way to Amelia’s side. Grasping her future daughter-in-law’s hands, she kissed her cheek.
“I’m so happy you picked Quinn, and I’m so lucky I get to be your mother-in-law.” She grinned. “And I’m so excited you’re going to be the mother of my future grandchildren. Hint, hint.”
Everyone laughed at Kate’s comment. She had made no secret of the fact that she was desperate for grandchildren.
“I wanted to let you know all the guests are seated, and the men are on standby,” Kate said, heading toward the door. “We’re ready when you are.”
The door clicked behind her, and Amelia took a deep breath. She turned to face them.
“Let’s go. I can’t wait to see Quinn in a tux.”
The three of them grabbed their bouquets and made their way into the chapel’s vestibule. With the exception of the wedding coordinator, it was empty. Amelia’s mother was dead, and she’d never known her father. She and Ava Grace were each other’s family, and the tall blonde planned to walk Amelia down the aisle.
The wedding coordinator spoke into her headset, and the tempo of the music inside the chapel changed. The coordinator gestured to Teagan before opening the door.
She started the slow walk down the aisle, trying to keep her eyes on the officiant standing at the end of the rose-petal-strewn floor. She could feel Nick’s gaze on her, and her hands shook around her bouquet. She gripped them tighter, focusing her attention on the ribbon-wrapped stems to prevent herself from looking at him. Every step she took brought her closer, and finally she gave in to the overwhelming need.
When she saw him in his stark black formalwear, she was surprised she didn’t trip and fall on her face. Nick in jeans and a T-shirt was enough to make most women drool. Nick in a tux could start an estrogen riot.
Teagan knew the male wedding party all wore Brioni tuxedos—the same ones the actor Daniel Craig wore as James Bond in the 007 movies. The wool-and-silk blend formalwear was outrageously expensive, but looking at Nick as he stood straight and tall next to her brothers, she almost thought the price was worth it. The black fabric hugged his broad shoulders and long legs, while his white t
uxedo shirt emphasized his tan and his thick, shiny hair.
She met his green gaze, and he smiled slowly. Almost of their own free will, her lips tipped up at the corners to return it. His smile widened, his eyes heating. It was pretty obvious what he was thinking about, and a blush crawled up her cheeks as she took her place at the front of the chapel.
Over the past couple of weeks, Nick had dropped all pretense they were nothing more than family friends. He didn’t seem to care that his interest in her was obvious to her brothers, her parents, and other Riley O’Brien employees. He waged an emotional war on her with every single look and every single word.
The string quartet shifted into Richard Wagner’s “Bridal Chorus,” signaling the bride’s imminent arrival, and Teagan managed to pull her eyes from Nick to focus on the chapel’s double doors. The guests stood, and Amelia and Ava Grace made their way down the aisle.
Teagan glanced toward Quinn but immediately looked away because she felt like a voyeur when she saw his face. His emotions were visible for everyone to see: need, adoration, pride, possession, and most of all, love.
That deep, soul-sucking O’Brien love.
Tears burned the backs of Teagan’s eyes, and she blinked rapidly to push them back. She was happy for Quinn and Amelia. She really was.
But she was also jealous. She wanted what they had. She wanted someone to love her the way Quinn loved Amelia. She wanted someone to look at her the way Quinn looked at his future wife.
Amelia and Ava Grace reached Quinn’s side, and when the officiant asked, “Who gives this woman in marriage?” Ava Grace’s voice rang out in the chapel. “I do.”
Stepping aside, the tall blonde let Quinn take her place. He stared down into Amelia’s face for a moment before wrapping his arm around her waist and pulling her to him. Dropping his head, he kissed her until the wedding guests roared with laughter.
Teagan laughed along with them, but her laughter died in her throat when her gaze collided with Nick’s. His eyes were bright with hunger, and the expression on his face made it clear the courting phase of his strategy was over. He was moving on to the next one.
