Chapter Twenty-Three

 

January

 

The hairdresser held out a long lock of her hair and shook his head. “It would be a crime to straighten all of these beautiful natural curls,” he clucked. “Now, your hair definitely needs a good cut and some definition, but I don’t think straightening it is the right answer. That stick straight look wouldn’t do a thing for you, sweetie.”

“I’ve been trying to tell her that,” Mirai interjected. “But she’s been hell-bent on this Brazilian blowout thing for years now.”

Ruben, who’d been cutting Mirai’s hair for several years, grimaced. “That sort of treatment wouldn’t last very long on your hair type, Cara,” he cautioned. “At best, they last three months, maybe four. But your hair’s so thick and curly it might not even be two months. And I’d hate to see you waste your money that way.”

Cara hadn’t expected this sort of resistance from Mirai’s longtime hairdresser, and stubbornly stuck her chin out. “But my hair is so hard to manage this way,” she pointed out. “And I’m terrible with a blow dryer, and don’t have the time to style it every day. I figured if I straightened it all I’d have to do is wash it and let it dry naturally and it would look great.”

Ruben, who was short, slim, and more than a little flamboyant in both his dress and mannerisms, continued to shake his head. “Frankly, with your hair type I can’t even guarantee that the straightening treatment would work at all. And as far as the manageability is concerned, why don’t you let me try and work a little magic on you, hmm? I’m getting a really fabulous idea here about what I’d like to do with this gorgeous mane, and I can guarantee you’re going to love it.”

“Let him try, Cara,” urged Mirai. “There’s a reason why Ruben is regarded as one of the top stylists in the city. Even my mom makes sure she stops in for an appointment with him whenever she’s in town, and if he can please her he can make anyone happy. Trust me, okay?”

“She’s right, sweetie,” chimed in Ruben. “Tell you what. If you don’t like the end result today, you come back to see me in a couple of days and I’ll do the straightening treatment for free. Mirai’s my witness, aren’t you, girl?”

Mirai nodded emphatically, leaving Cara little choice but to sigh and nod in agreement. Ruben and Mirai high-fived each other triumphantly, and then Ruben got to work on what he termed “creating my masterpiece”.

Cara still had serious doubts about the ultimate outcome, and half-wished she’d found her own salon instead of letting Mirai strong-arm her into coming here. But she obediently let Ruben shampoo and condition her hair with some admittedly divine smelling products, and then tried to keep an open mind as he began to cut and layer her hair. The one thought that continued to console her throughout the process was Ruben’s promise to still straighten her hair if this cut didn’t meet her expectations. And while that was cutting things a little close – no pun intended – she would still have a day to spare before the wedding on Saturday.

For the past couple of days, she and Mirai had been searching out the very best deals at all of the holiday clearance sales. Thanks to Dante’s extremely generous gift, Cara had been able to use the money she’d earmarked for a new computer towards replenishing her wardrobe instead. Combined with the funds she’d saved by not traveling to Florida or buying gifts for her father and his family, she now had nearly a thousand dollars to spend on clothes, shoes, and lingerie, plus her haircut. And that didn’t even take into consideration the dress and shoes Mirai had promised to buy her as a belated Christmas present.

But while that amount of money sounded like a small fortune to someone like her, who’d been scrimping and saving like a miser these past few years, a thousand dollars was a mere drop in the bucket to Mirai. Cara knew for a fact that her BFF could spend that amount on a single handbag or pair of shoes or, if she was lucky enough to hit a sale, maybe a skirt and a blouse. So when Mirai had tried to steer her into such high end stores as Neiman Marcus, Barneys, and Saks Fifth Avenue, Cara had balked and instead hit up more reasonably priced retailers like Macy’s, H&M, and Marshall’s. And while Mirai might have turned up her pert little nose upon entering some of the lower-end stores, she hadn’t been able to deny the fact that Cara’s limited funds had gone a much longer way there.

They had yet to find a dress and shoes for the wedding, however, and planned to continue their search once Cara’s hair appointment was over. Thus far nothing had felt quite right to her, hadn’t matched the mental image of herself that she’d formed. The problem, she realized as Ruben reached for the blow dryer, was that she wasn’t exactly sure what sort of image she wanted to project at the wedding – svelte and sexy, dramatic and mysterious, soft and feminine, or none of the above. She had envisioned herself in all of those images with straight, sleek, and shiny tresses, however, and wondered just how different she was actually going to look when Ruben was finally finished.

But she had never in her wildest imaginations pictured herself looking quite like this – her formally untamable, overwhelming mane of curls tumbling in artless disarray over her shoulders and down her back. Ruben hadn’t taken all that much length off, but he’d certainly added layers and definition to the style, with shorter strands around her face and forehead. He’d used some sort of finishing gloss on her hair, a spray-in product that brought out some very subtle red highlights she hadn’t even realized were there.

The cut made her look older, more sophisticated, and definitely – well, sexy. And she realized immediately that this style was far more suitable to her bone structure and the shape of her head than the long, stick straight tresses she had initially requested.

“I love it.”

Ruben beamed at her words, and impulsively pressed a kiss to her cheek. “Didn’t I tell you, sweetie?” he replied triumphantly. “Ruben knows what he’s doing. And you look amazing. No, amazing isn’t the right word. She looks - ”

“Stunning,” inserted Mirai, touching Cara’s glossy waves with reverence. “And drop dead gorgeous. Just wait until we find the right dress and shoes for you, Cara. And with the makeup job I’m going to do on you, everyone at that wedding is going to be staring at you all night. Especially that bastard who dumped you for his skinny blonde ex-girlfriend. You’re going to look so amazing, in fact, that he’ll beg you to take him back. But instead you’re going to walk all over him in the stiletto heels you’ll be wearing.”

Cara rolled her eyes, exchanging a look with an amused Ruben. “She’s watched way too many episodes of Real Housewives,” she explained. “And I never agreed to stilettos. I’ll fall flat on my face, or twist my ankle. Probably at the same time.”

Ruben chuckled as he gave her hair a finishing comb through. “So you haven’t found a dress yet for this wedding? Hmm, if I might make a suggestion? Look for deep, rich colors – maybe something in a jewel tone, like sapphire blue or topaz. Mirai, when you do her makeup make sure to do a bold brow, hmm? And red lips. Definitely red lips. She’ll look like an Italian movie star, a real bombshell.”

Mirai nodded. “Got it. And I was already thinking along those same lines.”

Cara raised her hand. “Hey. Do I get a say in any of this?”

“No,” Ruben and Mirai replied at the exact same time.

Cara sighed in resignation. “That’s what I thought.”

 

 

 

“See? Aren’t you glad now that you let me have my way? Seriously, Cara, I’m really starting to think I should forget the fashion merchandising thing and go to cosmetology school instead. I have a real talent for this, don’t you agree?”

Cara could only stare at herself in Mirai’s bedroom mirror, reaching out a hand to touch the image reflected there to make sure this was really her. Mirai had done her makeup numerous times before this, of course, but she’d taken much greater pains today to make sure everything was perfect. And for once Cara hadn’t protested that Mirai was using too heavy a hand with the blusher, or that she didn’t like wearing eyeliner, or that the shade of lipstick made her mouth look too big – because the end result was positively stunning.

Mirai had followed Ruben’s suggestions and given Cara both a bold eyebrow and ruby red lips. She had also made Cara’s eyes look enormous with some subtle shadow, several coats of mascara, and discreet eyeliner. And Cara wasn’t quite sure what products Mirai had used on her cheekbones, but they looked far more defined than usual. Of course, some of that was due to her recent twenty pound weight loss, which had helped to slim down her formerly plump cheeks.

“You’re a genius, is what you are,” enthused Cara, studying her face in the mirror in some disbelief. “And while you definitely have a talent for doing makeup and hair and nails, you should plan to stick with the fashion merchandising. I certainly wouldn’t have chosen a dress like this for myself. It took someone with a real eye for fashion to know that this would end up being the perfect one for me.”

After her hair appointment on Wednesday, she and Mirai had hit the stores yet again in search of the perfect dress for Cara to wear to the wedding. After striking out at a half dozen different large department stores, they had happened upon a small but charming boutique tucked away on a side street near Union Square. The place had specialized in petite sizes, and the moment Mirai had spied the emerald green gown she’d declared that this was definitely the one.

Cara hadn’t been convinced at first, since green had never been her favorite color. Plus, she had been envisioning herself in something more overtly sexy than the sleeveless, tea-length dress with the semi-sheer lace panels covering the bodice – something shorter, tighter, more provocative, perhaps in black or red. But as soon as Mirai had zipped her into the gown, Cara had known instantly that it was perfect for her.

She’d been thrilled that she could actually fit comfortably into a size six now, but even more delighted by the way the gown flattered her newly slim but still curvy figure. The color had done amazing things for her dark hair and olive skin, and Cara had never felt prettier or more feminine in her life.

Mirai hadn’t even glanced at the price tag when she’d paid for the dress, but admitted to Cara afterwards that it had cost far less than she had expected, especially since it had been marked down by forty percent from the original price.

Shoes had come next, and they’d snagged a pair of strappy gold evening sandals and a coordinating clutch bag at the Macy’s storewide clearance. And while Cara was still definitely on the busty side, her bra size was also smaller now after the weight loss, necessitating the purchase of a new strapless bra and panty set in nude lace. She decided to forego stockings since her dress would reach nearly to the ankles, and had already agreed to borrow some jewelry from Mirai for the occasion.

“Okay,” declared Mirai, setting aside her makeup brushes. “My work here is done. Time for you to get dressed. Kai’s supposed to pick you up in less than half an hour so you’d better get a move on.”

Kai was one of Mirai’s half-brothers, the same one who co-owned a very successful restaurant in New York City. And when Mirai had seen him over the Christmas holidays, he’d casually mentioned a planned visit to San Francisco for the purpose of scouting out a location for a second restaurant. Determined that Cara arrive at Angela’s wedding with a date – and not just any date, but a good-looking, well-dressed, and successful one – Mirai had talked Kai into being her BFF’s escort.

Fortunately, Cara had met Kai on at least two prior occasions, and was at ease with the affable, charming man who was in his late twenties. Kai was the product of his father’s second marriage to an Australian woman, and he had noticeable traces of an Australian accent when he spoke. He was also proudly bisexual, and currently living with an equally good-looking male model back in Manhattan.

Cara had resisted the idea of bringing a date at first, not wanting to feel like some pathetic wallflower who needed to get fixed up with her best friend’s brother. But Mirai had insisted that she couldn’t show up at the wedding alone, especially not with Dante’s gorgeous actress girlfriend in attendance.

“Don’t you want to rub all of this in his face?” Mirai had demanded. “Remember the whole concept about how looking good is the best revenge? Well, you need to be holding on to some seriously hot man candy to complete the look. And even though Kai is my half-brother, there’s no denying that the boy is droolworthy. Bringing him along as your plus one will definitely make that bastard Dante sit up and take notice.”

It had been pointless to argue with Mirai that she couldn’t care less about Dante’s reaction, either to the way she looked or to her bringing a date to Nick and Angela’s wedding. For one thing, Mirai evidently did care – a lot – and second, she also knew that Cara was lying through her teeth with such half-hearted protests. And it might have made her seem petty and vindictive, but Cara found herself rather eagerly anticipating Dante’s reaction to seeing her in just over an hour from now – looking better than she ever had in her life, and being escorted by a suave, sophisticated, and extremely attractive male.

If the gorgeous green gown had looked amazing when she’d tried it on in the boutique three days ago, it looked beyond mesmerizing now when it was part of the whole package – hair, makeup, shoes, and accessories. Mirai had loaned her a gold bangle bracelet and diamond studded gold hoop earrings, but not a necklace, insisting that it would be overkill with the dress’s lace inserts.

“Stand still, would you?” demanded Mirai as she snapped half a dozen photos of Cara. “You might never look this good again, so we’d better make sure we document it.”

Cara stuck her tongue out, then scowled when Mirai took a picture of her in that pose. “Thanks a lot. Way to build up my confidence just before I have to face the music.”

Mirai laughed merrily. “Oh, come on! You know I’m kidding. And speaking of facing the music, are you sure you’ve practiced walking in those shoes enough? Wouldn’t want you toppling over when Kai twirls you around the dance floor. Did I mention that in addition to being too handsome for his own good, smart as hell, and successful, that my brother’s a great dancer, too?”

“I don’t recall hearing that part. But considering I haven’t danced since my senior year recital, I’m not sure he’ll be able to persuade me into humiliating myself,” drawled Cara as she checked her clutch to make sure she hadn’t forgotten anything.

“Oh, come on! You’re a great dancer and you know it. And that’s not exactly true about not having danced since high school. I seem to recall at least a couple of wild parties where you got up on a table to shake and shimmy,” teased Mirai.

“Oh, God.” Cara closed her eyes at the embarrassing memories Mirai had just evoked. “Okay, that so doesn’t count! I was drunk and stupid and I like to think I’ve moved past that sort of behavior. Just in case, though, I’d better warn Kai to cut me off after two or three drinks.”

“You’ll be fine.” Mirai gave her shoulder a squeeze. “And speaking of Kai, that’s probably him now.”

As Mirai let her half-brother into the apartment, Cara thought with a little sigh that it was really too bad he was currently in a relationship. Because Kai was without question one of the most attractive men she’d ever met. A quarter Polynesian, he was of above average height, lean-hipped, and with smooth golden skin. His dark gray suit and striped tie looked like they had been custom tailored to his slim frame, and if he took after his fashionista sister Cara was willing to bet his clothes had cost a small fortune. His black hair was cut in a trendy style, short on the sides and back and longer on top, and he sported a small diamond stud in one earlobe.

Kai was also incredibly charming, and his golden brown eyes twinkled merrily as they took in Cara’s appearance. “You look so different than you did the last time we met,” he marveled. “Not that you didn’t look good then, of course, but now – well, you take my breath away. Almost makes me want to give my significant other the boot and switch teams again.”

Cara laughed as he bent to kiss her cheek. “Oh, no! I can’t see myself as the other woman under any circumstances. Though in this case, would I be the other man? I mean, how does that work when you, uh, play for both sides?”

Kai roared with laughter. “To be honest, I’m not sure what you’d call it,” he admitted. “But as beautiful as you look, I’m pretty committed to Marcel right now so you don’t have to worry about breaking us up.”

Mirai did one final touch up to Cara’s hair and lipstick, instructed her to take tons of pictures, and all but ordered her to have a good time.

“And Kai knows about the whole fiasco with Dante,” Mirai whispered in her ear. “I told him to really lay it on thick whenever he’s nearby. You know, holding your hand, body contact, whispering sweet nothings in your ear, that sort of thing. Make sure you flaunt yourself and your new man in front of the SOB whenever you get the chance.”

Cara rolled her eyes. “Seriously, Mir? And I doubt that your brother would appreciate being referred to as my “new man”.”

“Trust me,” insisted Mirai. “Just follow Kai’s lead, okay? And try to enjoy yourself, would you? Needless to say, I’ll expect a full report when you return.”

Since Rene was out of town for the weekend, Mirai had persuaded Cara to spend the night. Kai, who was far too fastidious to stay with his untidy half-sisters, was staying at the Ritz Carlton instead.

“I hope you don’t mind that we’re taking a taxi to the wedding,” he apologized as he held the door open for her. “I’ve lived in New York so long, since my freshman year of college, that I use taxis and the subway exclusively to get around. I don’t even have my drivers license.”

“Of course I don’t mind,” assured Cara. “And I can’t thank you enough for going with me to this wedding, Kai. I’m sure you have plenty of other things you’d rather be doing while you’re in town.”

“Nah.” He waved a hand in dismissal. “I’ve already finished my business here, so the next day or so is just for enjoyment. And Marcel is kind of the jealous type, so he’s relieved that I’m not going out clubbing or partying without him. A wedding is pretty tame in comparison.”

They chatted companionably during the relatively brief taxi ride to the church where Nick and Angela were to be married. Kai was both witty and amusing, and their conversation helped keep Cara’s mind off the fact that very soon now she was going to be seeing not only Dante – the man who’d broken her heart – but the woman he’d left her for as well.

Since they’d exchanged texts on Christmas Day, Dante had made it a point to contact her every other day or so, usually with just a quick text to wish her good morning or ask how her day was going. Cara had hesitated at first to respond, thinking guiltily that she really shouldn’t be communicating with someone who was in a relationship, and especially since she still had such strong feelings for him. But the texts they exchanged were so harmless, so casual, and no different than something she’d send to a girlfriend, that she had continued to reply to him.

The quaint little church where the ceremony was being held was well over a hundred years old, and one of the most charming sites Cara had ever seen. The brick chapel was located in the exclusive Pacific Heights neighborhood of the city, and parking looked to be at a premium, so it was likely a good thing that Kai had chosen to take a taxi here.

“You ready?” asked Kai as he placed a hand at the small of her back.

Cara took a deep breath, trying not to think of who might already be inside the beautiful little church at this moment, and keeping her fingers crossed yet again that she wouldn’t do something silly like trip over her own feet. “Ready as I’ll ever be,” she told him bravely. “Now, like my dance teacher used to say before one of our performances – it’s showtime!”

 

 

 

“Not getting cold feet are you, Nick? Because even though I wouldn’t have a shot at taking you out myself, I think the matron of honor just might be able to kick your ass if you backed out of this now.”

Nick shuddered at the mention of Angela’s best friend and matron of honor. “I ever tell you about the time that bloodthirsty she-cat threw a switchblade at me? Barely missed, too. And as pissed off as Lauren was at me then, if I were to even think about not going through with this wedding – well, let’s just say I don’t think she’d miss this time.”

Dante chuckled at the image of his imposingly large best friend at the mercy of a female who didn’t look strong enough to fling a butter knife, much less a deadly weapon. “Yeah, she’s a tough lady, that’s for sure. And while Lauren is definitely a looker, she’d be way too much for me to handle.”

Nick snorted. “You and ninety nine point nine percent of the male population of this world. Somehow Ben wound up being the one person in the world who could handle her. And you’d never guess it to meet him, since he’s one of the quietest, nicest guys you’d ever meet. Go figure, huh?”

Dante patted the groom-to-be on the back. “Well, good to know that you aren’t having second thoughts, regardless of the consequences. You and Angela belong together, you know. Always have. So I’m glad that you’re doing the right thing by her, and for the baby. Though I won’t believe you can actually change a diaper until I see it with my own two eyes.”

“You and me both,” grunted Nick. “But, hey, one thing at a time, man, okay? Let me get through this wedding first before I have to deal with fatherhood. Jesus, you do know I used to flat out refuse to attend anyone’s wedding, don’t you? And now here I am at my own. What the hell happened to me, Dan?”

“You grew the hell up, that’s what. Oh, sorry. Guess I shouldn’t be saying that inside a church, huh?” he asked sheepishly. “But it’s true, Nick. You and Angela were both pretty messed up people the first time you dated, and if you had asked me then if there was any chance at all you’d wind up marrying each other someday I would have laughed for a week. I think it took being apart for all that time to make you both wake up and realize the truth. And for both of you to get over your issues and learn how to actually have a relationship.”

Nick peered in the mirror of the small waiting room he and Dante were utilizing until it was time for the ceremony to begin. “Speaking of relationships, how are things going with you and Katie?”

Dante paused before responding, choosing his next words a bit carefully since he knew that Nick wasn’t Katie’s biggest fan. “Okay,” he replied casually. “She’s still throwing hints right and left about moving in with me, but I’m not in any hurry to get that serious with her again. Especially since if I let her live with me, she’ll lose whatever motivation she still has to find a real job or start school.”

Despite all of their discussions on both matters, Katie had continued to procrastinate about enrolling in college or some sort of trade or vocational school, and had missed all of the spring semester sign-ups as a result. She was working at least, at a high-end designer clothing consignment store owned by a friend of her mother’s, but kept insisting that it was only temporary until she found something more suitable. And just recently she’d moved in with a girlfriend here in San Francisco, though that situation also sounded short-term, only lasting until the friend’s roommate returned from an extended work assignment in Europe.

And of course now that she was back living in the city full time, Katie expected to see him a lot more often than just weekends as they’d been doing since getting back together. Dante wasn’t in any rush to change that state of affairs either, however, and they had had several near-arguments on the matter. Overall, Katie had become far clingier and more possessive than she had ever been previously, but instead of making him feel flattered by all of her attention, he just felt hemmed in.

She was also far needier than before, both in terms of financial and emotional support, and it seemed that her self-confidence – as well as her ego - had taken a severe blow when she’d been all but forced to give up the acting career she had loved so much. Nearly every time they went somewhere, she would fret over her appearance, and ask him repeatedly if she looked okay. She worried about gaining half a pound, and could spend as much as three hours getting ready.

And more recently, Katie had begun to flirt rather openly with other men whenever they were at a party or other event with a group. That type of behavior wasn’t anything Dante hadn’t dealt with before in their relationship, but oddly enough it didn’t seem to bother him overmuch this time around. Before, it had driven him crazy to see her flirting with other men, and he’d been wild with jealousy if she so much as smiled at someone else. But perhaps because he had the upper hand in things now he found it didn’t affect him nearly as much. If anything, Katie’s often overt flirting was something of an embarrassment, particularly if she tried to use her wiles on one of his friends.

“Stick to your guns, man,” Nick advised now. “It’s my wedding day, so I’m not going to get into any sort of heavy discussions with you, but I’m damned glad to see that you’re keeping a level head about things this time around. Make sure it’s going to take this time before you move things to the next level.”

Dante was saved from having to think up a suitable reply by the arrival of the minister announcing that it was time for them to go. He took his place by Nick’s side at the front of the church, then turned to face the guests assembled in the wooden pews as everyone waited for the bride to walk up the aisle.

His gaze skimmed over the hundred or so people seated in the small, warmly lit chapel, recognizing Nick’s flamboyantly dressed movie star mother, as well as several of his former NFL teammates. Angela’s mother and sisters were easy enough to pick out, given Nick’s less than flattering descriptions of them, as was the beautiful, shapely female seated several rows back who was the twin sister to Lauren, the matron of honor. Julia, too, was happily married, and was holding hands with her handsome husband Nathan.

Katie, who hadn’t been especially pleased that she would have to sit alone during the ceremony, was nonetheless chatting animatedly now with Nick and Angela’s boss Paul McReynolds - even though Mrs. McReynolds was seated on his other side and visibly displeased that he was basically ignoring her at this moment.

For once, Leah and Tyler weren’t bickering with each other, though neither looked particularly happy, either. Deepak was here, too, with a pretty Indian girl that Dante was willing to bet he’d been set up with by one of his family members.

And then his gaze froze as it fell on the two other occupants of the row where Nick’s support staff was seated. It was Cara and the debonair young man who was apparently her date, and she looked so unexpectedly gorgeous that she all but stole his breath away.

The green dress was the perfect color for her hair and skin, and from what he could see of it as she remained seated, the fabric clung to her newly svelte figure without being too tight or revealing. She’d cut her hair, though it was still luxuriously long, and the dark brown curls shone with health. She was wearing a tad too much makeup for his liking, but there was no denying that it made her big eyes look enormous, and her plush lips looked positively sinful glossed over in scarlet. She looked older, more mature, and far more sophisticated than he’d ever seen her. She looked, he realized with a little pang of regret, like a woman, instead of the sweet, guileless, and slightly ditzy girl she had always been until now.

Dante’s fists clenched tightly as he watched Cara’s male companion slide his arm around her shoulders, then murmured something that made her laugh softly. He guessed her date to be in his late twenties or very early thirties, and the young man looked as though he might have some Hawaiian or Filipino in his genetic makeup. Dante recognized the cut of the other man’s suit as Dolce and Gabbana, his silk tie as Prada, and wondered where Cara had met someone as obviously wealthy as he appeared to be.

He was obliged to look away at that moment as the string quartet hired for the occasion began to play the processional music. All of the guests stood and looked towards the back of the chapel as first the matron of honor and then the bride walked up the aisle.

The matron of honor - the aforementioned Lauren - looked effortlessly beautiful in a simple gown of burgundy silk. It was difficult to believe that this was the same woman who’d hurled a switchblade at Nick, or who Dante had once seen dismount from the seat of a Ducati motorcycle.

But it was Angela who elicited a collective sigh of delight from the assembled guests as she glided along the aisle on her adoring father’s arm. Her ivory bridal gown had long, sheer sleeves appliqued with lace, the same lace that adorned the V-necked bodice. The long tulle skirts of the dress skimmed over her still-narrow hips down to the tips of her white lace shoes. If one wasn’t already aware of her condition, there would have been no possible way of knowing that she was almost four months pregnant, given how slim she still was, and the way the fabric of her gown hid any trace of a baby bump.

Dante had always considered Angela a beautiful woman, though he hadn’t always liked the way Nick had compelled her to dress when they had first dated. Some of the outfits he’d chosen had made her look too old, and occasionally too flashy. Since the two of them had reunited about eighteen months ago, Dante had been pleased to see Angela asserting herself with Nick, no longer permitting him to boss her around or call all the shots in their relationship. Unlike, he realized guiltily, the way he’d always controlled things with Cara, how he had dictated when and where they would see each other. The words she’d flung at him last September about not being good enough to meet his family and friends still stung, but he had no idea how to ever convince her otherwise.

Today, in her bridal finery, Angela looked younger, softer, and exquisitely feminine, a look that wasn’t always easy for a woman who was nearly six feet tall to pull off. And the expression on Nick’s face as he beheld his bride was one of mingled joy and wonder, and he looked happier than Dante could ever recall seeing him.

Angela’s father Gino was practically giddy with happiness as he gave his youngest daughter a lingering kiss on the cheek before placing her hand in Nick’s. Dante knew that Angela’s relationship with her family, particularly her mother, hadn’t been an easy one. But at least it seemed far better than the distant, almost nonexistent one that Cara had with her father.

‘Cara’s probably closer to her half-senile old landlady than she is to that asshole of a father,’ thought Dante grimly.

The ceremony began then, forcing his thoughts away from Cara, and focusing his attention instead on the bride and groom. Nick had insisted on keeping the ceremony as brief as possible, half-joking that the longer he remained inside a church the higher the chance that he’d burst into flames. But though the marriage rites were relatively short, the minister seemed unhurried, his voice clear and calm.

Dante did his part as the best man by handing Nick the wedding ring for Angela at the appropriate time, then joined in clapping with all the other guests when the minister pronounced them a married couple.

He and Lauren were obliged to remain behind after the ceremony for the dozens of pictures the photographer snapped. The photography session seemed to go on for nearly an hour, what with all of Angela’s family members wanting to be included, and Dante had to stifle a grin as he observed how Nick’s patience began to rapidly dwindle away.

Katie, it seemed, was even less patient as she remained seated in one of the wooden pews during the endless round of photos. Dante offered her up an apologetic smile every so often, but she was visibly displeased at having to wait, and probably even more so that she was being excluded. But since she wasn’t a member of the bridal party, there was no logical reason for her to be included in this round of photos.

She was silent and moody during the drive to the Gregson Hotel on Nob Hill where the reception was being held, but for once Dante didn’t try to cajole her out of whatever was bothering her. Frankly, he was getting a little fed up with her moods and demands and her ever escalating level of neediness. And where once upon a time he would have bent over backwards to make her happy and spoil her rotten - well, as the saying went, that was then and this was now.

The reception was in full swing by the time Dante and Katie walked inside the elegantly appointed banquet room at the posh hotel. Nick was sparing no expense for this shindig, including an open bar with top shelf booze, so Dante wasted little time in ordering drinks for himself and Katie. She seemed happier now, but then she loved parties and being surrounded by lots of other people, so he wasn’t all that surprised. She clung to his arm possessively as he introduced her around to Nick’s former football teammates, said hello to several mutual friends, and inched ever closer to where Cara was standing, her date practically glued to her side as they chatted with the other members of Nick and Angela’s office staff.

Dante didn’t bother to disguise the scowl on his face as he continued to sneak sideways glances in Cara’s direction. She looked happy, really happy, and beamed up at her date as he slipped an arm around her waist. Dante didn’t care if it sounded like the biggest bunch of sour grapes known to mankind, but there was something about the guy standing hip to hip with Cara that rankled him. The guy was almost too handsome, too perfectly groomed, and if he hadn’t seemed so enchanted by everything Cara was saying, Dante would have rather scathingly pegged him as gay.

“What do you keep looking at?” hissed Katie urgently, tugging at his arm. “You’re being rude, Danny, hardly joining in the conversation.”

“Sorry,” he replied carelessly. “It’s just that since I’m the best man I think we ought to make more of an effort to circulate. Let’s go say hello to Nick’s team from the office. They’re right over here.”

Katie grumbled a little at this, since they’d been conversing with one of Nick’s biggest clients - a multi-billionaire magnate who apparently had numerous Hollywood connections. Dante was all too aware that Katie was still very, very interested in current goings-on in the entertainment world, was constantly reading updates online, poring through magazines, and keeping in touch with friends and associates in the business. And when he’d challenged her on this, reminding her about the numerous vows she had made that she was definitely, one hundred percent finished with that part of her life, she had made up one excuse or the other for her continued fascination with show business - none of which he truly believed. It gave him cause for concern that Katie didn’t really mean what she’d assured him of countless times - that she had no further interest in pursuing an acting career, and would never even consider returning to Los Angeles under any circumstances.

And he wanted to shake her just a little when she barely acknowledged Tyler, Leah, and Deepak during their introductions. But it was when Katie got her first glimpse of Cara that the expression on her flawless face morphed from mere boredom into something more closely resembling a snarl.

Katie hated competition from another female, couldn’t stand the thought that some other woman might be viewed as prettier or sexier. And while Katie looked undeniably beautiful tonight - in a short, close fitting dress of black lace that he privately considered a little too risqué for a wedding - she faded into the background standing next to Cara in that classy but still provocative emerald green dress.

“Hey, Cara,” he greeted, striving with all his might to sound casual. He bent to brush a kiss on her cheek, just as he’d done to Leah as well as half a dozen other females here this evening.

But none of those other females had smelled as good as Cara did, nor had their skin felt as soft beneath his lips. And he hadn’t been the least bit tempted to run a hand over their hair, or hook an arm around their waist and hug them close. And he definitely hadn’t felt the urge to give the men standing by their side a good hard shove, and tell them to get lost.

“Dante.” Cara gave him a brief nod of acknowledgment before taking a step backwards. She turned her face up to the man who was glued to her side, giving him a bright smile. “This is Kai Robinson, my, um, date for the evening. Kai, this is one of Nick’s top clients - Dante Sabattini. And I’m sorry - I don’t think we’ve met,” she said to Katie, extending her hand. “I’m Cara Bregante, Angela’s PA.”

“Katie Carlisle,” replied Katie, reluctantly taking Cara’s proffered hand. “Dante’s significant other.”

As disinterested as Katie seemed to be in meeting Cara, it was just the opposite when she was introduced to Kai. Dante had to grudgingly admit that the other man was even more attractive up close, though a bit leaner than he had first assumed. Kai was also exceedingly personable, with an easy smile and twinkling eyes, and Dante was annoyed to realize that he and Cara matched up well.

After a few minutes of decidedly awkward conversation - with Katie doing her utmost to openly flirt with Kai - the call thankfully came to sit down for dinner.

Nick and Angela had nixed the idea of having a special table just for the bridal party, given that they each had just a single attendant, and instead were sitting with her parents, Nick’s father and his current wife, and Nick’s mother Sheena and her much younger boyfriend. Apparently it was to be the first time in two decades that his long-divorced parents would be in such close proximity to each other, and Nick was hoping that they would both mind their manners for the duration of the meal and be civil towards each other.

Katie’s good mood was rapidly restored when she discovered they’d be sitting with another couple that they knew, as well as two of Nick’s NFL teammates and their spouses. She turned on the charm that she could exude so easily when she wanted, laughing and smiling and regaling everyone at the table with stories of her Hollywood experiences.

Dante’s mood, meanwhile, was anything but good at the moment, and getting worse with each passing minute. And his ill humor had little to do with the fact that Katie was blatantly flirting with the hunky retired football player seated to her right. Instead, he was becoming increasingly pissed off - and increasingly drunker - every time he looked across the banquet room and saw Cara.

Unlike him, she was having a wonderful time, chatting animatedly with the others at her table, and cozying up to the too-perfect-to-be-real Kai. Every time the bastard put his arm around Cara, or whispered something in her ear, Dante felt the urge to refill and then quickly drain his wine glass. It was either that, he thought grimly, or stalk over to their table and forcibly yank the two lovebirds apart.

Cara had a new boyfriend, he thought glumly. One who obviously cared for her, treated her like a queen, and made her happy. Unlike the way he’d treated her when they had been together. It was little wonder, Dante supposed angrily, that Cara had been more or less ignoring him all evening, not so much as glancing in his direction even once.

At some point, the wine wasn’t enough to quell the burning anger he was struggling so hard to keep at bay, prompting him to make regular trips to the bar for a double shot of whiskey. By the time the dancing started, Dante was well on his way to being shit-faced, and protested when Katie dragged him out to the dance floor.

“God, how much have you had to drink tonight?” she hissed in a low voice as he clumsily stepped on her toe. “You reek of booze, Danny. And you look like you’re going to keel over any minute. What’s wrong with you anyway?”

He shrugged. “Nothing. Just having a good time at my best buddy’s wedding is all.”

“Well, you’d better stop enjoying yourself quite so much,” admonished Katie. “That and have two or three cups of black coffee so you can sober up a little. There is zero chance you’re driving me home in this condition.”

“I’m not drunk,” he insisted, his voice a little louder than he’d intended it to be. “And if it makes you feel better, I’ll leave my car here at the hotel overnight and get us each a cab home.”

“Or,” she suggested sultrily, her arms clasping around his neck as she rubbed up against his crotch, “we could get a room here for the night. I haven’t stayed at a Gregson hotel for years, but they’ve got a reputation for being the top luxury chain in the world.”

“I’ll think about it,” he told her, trying not to make his reply sound like the brush-off that it actually was. If he was being really truthful, the hotel room would be a complete and total waste given his level of inebriation. Dante didn’t think it was possible for him to get it up tonight, if his current physical state was any indication. Even with Katie rubbing her breasts and lower body against his in a very suggestive manner, he wasn’t the least bit aroused, and he couldn’t say for sure that all the booze he’d belted back was entirely to blame.

The band switched from the slow number they’d been playing to a much faster, up-tempo song. Dante groaned in protest when Katie insisted on dancing to this song, too, but shy of making a scene he wasn’t left with much choice but to go through the motions and hope he didn’t pass out there on the dance floor.

And then his foul mood really took a downturn when he spied Cara and Kai dancing together a short distance away. They moved together smoothly, as though their dance steps had been rehearsed, and were attracting a lot of attention from the other guests. Dante knew that she’d had some sort of dance training as a girl, had once flipped idly through a photo album in her apartment that featured pictures of her in a variety of costumes. But evidently her training had been a lot more intense than he had previously believed, given how practiced and professionally she was moving now.

Kai happened to catch his eye, and gave him a cheery little wave just before hooking an arm around Cara’s waist from behind. Dante snarled as Cara began to deliberately grind her ass against Kai’s crotch, both of them bending at the knee and dipping low as they dirty danced with great enthusiasm. He wondered wildly just how much of a scene it would cause if he rushed over there and slugged the sly little bastard in the gut.

Fortunately, the song ended at that precise moment, and he all but dragged Katie back to their table despite her protests. Feeling his head begin to spin, he followed her earlier suggestion and poured himself a cup of coffee from the carafe that had been left on each table. Katie glared at him before announcing that she was headed to the ladies room, but not before telling him to forget about the hotel room after all since he was obviously in no shape to take advantage of it.

‘Good,’ thought Dante sullenly. ‘Saves me the trouble of telling her I wasn’t about to get a room anyway.’

He drained his coffee, then poured a second cup, hoping that the jolt of caffeine would sober him up fast. If he made a drunken ass of himself at Nick’s wedding, Nick would not only never forgive him but probably inflict some sort of bodily harm on him as well.

Dante watched as Katie re-entered the banquet room, only to take a seat at another table to chat up the billionaire client of Nick’s she’d been flirting with earlier. She didn’t even glance in Dante’s direction, and seemed to have forgotten the fact that she was here with him tonight. Not that he blamed her entirely, though. Given his foul mood at seeing Cara fawning all over her new boyfriend, he certainly wasn’t fit company for anyone right now.

And then it was Cara’s turn to leave the room, ostensibly to visit the ladies room herself, and he wasted no time in following her out. Dante was relieved to find that the two hastily consumed cups of coffee had helped at least a little to sober him up, enough that he felt steadier on his feet. He remained a discreet distance behind Cara as she made her way to the restroom, being careful that she didn’t notice him. He was pleased to discover an darkened alcove that separated the men’s and women’s bathrooms, and waited there none too patiently for her to reappear.

She gasped in stunned surprise when he stepped out from his hiding place, only to grasp her firmly by the upper arm and drag her back with him.

“Dante, you scared me half to death!” she protested. “What in the world are you doing out here anyway?”

He kept an iron grip on both of her arms, pushing her up against the far wall as he stared down into her enormous, still startled eyes. “I wanted to talk to you,” he rasped. “To make sure that you’re okay. That you know what you’re doing with that - with Kai.”

He almost spat the name out, the image of Cara dancing so blatantly, so erotically, with her escort this evening enraging him, bringing out a possessive side to him that he hadn’t known existed where she was concerned.

“Seriously, Dante?” she sighed in what sounded like disgust. “What are you supposed to be - my big brother or something? If it makes you feel any better, I’ve known Kai off and on for several years now, and I trust him implicitly. He’s been a good friend, and would never try anything that I didn’t want him to do.”

“A friend?” he asked incredulously. “Do you mean to tell me you dance that way with all of your so-called friends? Jesus, a few more minutes and the two of you would have really been giving everyone a show.”

Cara’s eyes darkened in anger. “We were just dancing, Dante. Not that anything I do is any of your business. And once again, you’re not responsible for me, so why don’t you just lay off?”

He made a low, feral sound deep in his throat as he pushed her closer against the wall, his own body now holding hers in place. “Well, maybe somebody should damned well be responsible for you,” he muttered. “Because the way you’re acting tonight makes me believe that you’re too naïve to realize when a guy is putting the moves on you.”

“Oh, for God’s sake!” she cried, trying in vain to push him off of her. “Believe me, I know exactly what’s going on with Kai, and he and I are just having some fun together, that’s all.”

“Yeah?” he demanded. “So is all of this for him then - the new hairstyle and the sexy makeup and losing all this weight? Did you do it so you could attract old Lover Boy Kai?”

“No!” Cara shook her head stubbornly. “I didn’t do any of it for him.”

Dante was quickly becoming aroused by his close proximity to the beautiful, sexy little thing he had pinned against the wall, his cock hardening rapidly as it nestled into the notch between her thighs. “So who did you do it for, Cara mia?” he murmured seductively, his hand caressing her bare arm. “For me? You knew I was going to be here tonight. Did you come here looking this way in the hope that you could turn me on? That I’d find you irresistible?”

She gasped in outrage, her lower body wiggling in protest as he continued to grind himself against her. “Are you out of your mind?” she squeaked. “I told you before, Dante - I did all of this for me! To make myself happy. To feel good about myself. I’ll be damned if I’ll ever be weak enough to let some man walk all over me again, to take advantage of me and use me. That was the old Cara, the weak, silly little fool. From now on, I’m going to be the new Cara. The one who won’t hesitate to tell a guy to go fuck himself when he’s being an asshole. And the one who’s strong enough to say no when she doesn’t want something. Or someone.”

“Are you sure you don’t want me?” he purred. “Because I can already tell your nipples are hard. Even without touching you.”

“Ohhh!”

She moaned softly, her head falling back limply as he cupped one of her full breasts, his thumb brushing over the nipple that was indeed hard and pointed.

“I’m glad to see that you didn’t lose too many inches here,” he whispered, squeezing her breast roughly. “That would have been a crime, considering how spectacular these tits are.”

“Dante.” Her voice was more like a whimper as he continued to fondle her breast.

His hand began to slowly work its way up under the full skirt of her dress, caressing her thigh as he hooked her leg around his waist. “Shh. I know, honey,” he soothed. “I can already tell how wet you are, can smell the sweet scent of that pretty pussy. God, I’ve missed the taste of you, missed how tight you feel around my cock while I’m fucking you. Missed hearing the little moans you make when you come so hard.”

He kissed her then, savagely, open-mouthed, and it was dirty and forbidden and goddamned erotic to hear her pant and groan beneath the pressure of his lips. As his tongue ravaged her mouth, he used two fingers to push aside the soaked crotch of her silk panties, then shoved those same fingers deep inside of her vagina. She climaxed instantly, her back arching gracefully off the wall as she continued to ride his hand.

Cara stared at him glassy-eyed, watching in stunned disbelief as he slowly withdrew his fingers from her body, only to bring them to his lips and carefully and deliberately lick off her juices from the tips.

“Mmm.” He smacked his lips. “Tastes even better than I remember. Let’s find a more private place to see if your pussy is still tight as a fist. Come on, Cara mia.”

But she pulled her wrist out of his grasp with surprising strength, giving him a little shove as she twisted away from his body. Hastily, she smoothed the skirt of her dress down, then patted her hair back into place frantically, looking around to make sure they hadn’t been seen.

“I’m not going anywhere with you,” she told him scornfully. “In case you’ve forgotten, your girlfriend is waiting back inside the banquet room for you. The girlfriend that you decided you were still so much in love with that I didn’t matter any longer. So why don’t you hurry on back to her now, hmm?”

“Cara,” he began, wanting desperately to apologize, to explain, to beg her for a second chance, to tell her that – what? That Katie meant nothing to him, that things weren’t the same with her any longer? Or that he’d suddenly realized he wanted Cara more, that he had feelings for her he hadn’t realized until now?

But Cara held up a hand in protest, backing away from him in a near-panic before he could say anything. “You had your chance with me once, Dante,” she told him angrily. “And you know what? I would have done anything you asked of me then, anything at all. But you shoved me aside when something better came along, let me down just like every other man in my life has done. So leave me the hell alone from now on, Dante,” she cautioned. “ No more texts, no more emails. And definitely no more of – of this!”

She gestured wildly at her body before turning on her heel and storming away, leaving him to gaze after her sorrowfully, regretfully, and hopelessly.