Chapter Fourteen
Jacket
“Why is Scherri waiting for her father? Where’s Stick?”
That’s weird how a sickening feeling runs through my gut – like, has something happened to one of the men?
“Oh, he’s staying at an inn tonight. You know – he’s not supposed to see the bride the night before the wedding.”
“Shee-eet.” I say. “That’s cold.”
“Maybe we should do the same,” she says, her eyes lift up from under those long lashes.
They don’t even require that black stuff she’s stroking over them with a little stick thing. I ought to say okay, whatever you want, call her bluff. Because I know she wants me to stick around tonight as much as I want to stay. And I also know enough about women to understand that they like to be told over and over how desirable and perfect and unique they are.
“No way, Sweetheart,” I tell her, coming up behind where she’s standing at the mirror painting her face that doesn't need it.
I line my torso against her back and feel the small quiver of heat pass through her at my touch. I clasp the round swell of her hip, my fingertips daggering down toward the sweet spot I’m desperate to uncover again. I trail a soft line of kisses along the side of her neck, making her tremble harder. I know a rash of goosebumps has lifted down her arms.
“We’re engaged and we haven't seen each other for months. No way I’m getting kicked out to the Inn. I’m sticking around.”
It’s a joke. Of course it is, we’re just getting involved in the role playing for the weekend. But the idea doesn't strike the usual amount of terror in my soul. I’m settling into this game quite nicely.
“Hmm,” Bella moans softly.
She presses her gorgeous round ass back into my solid wood, already granite hard and bursting at my jeans. This girl really knows how to press my buttons. She shivers again as my lips graze lightly along her neck. Looks like I’ve discovered her sensitive spot – one of them. The heel of my palm travels up her stomach and I cup the underside of her breast.
My other hand slides under the fabric of her panties and glides over the swollen wet folds, making her shudder into me. She presses back harder, circling her perfect cheeks against my raging bulge as I strum my thumb pad over her erect nipple.
“Bella,” An aggressive shout from the bottom of the stairs.
“Jee-zuss.” She leaps out of her pleasure reverie, taking me along with her. “I feel like a kid again.”
We end up acting like all married couples - running around getting ready for responsibilities. I’m a little cranky that I didn't get to bury my raging steel inside Bella. Or watch her get dressed which is such a sexy thing to do. Watching a woman slip into her clothes is something I rarely get to enjoy. So many of my encounters are quickies in back alleys. Or at her place, where it’s her watching me getting dressed and usually with a sullen stare of loathing.
“And it doesn’t help that you keep distracting me.”
“Okay, I’m going,” I say, stepping away with the greatest difficulty.
The blood won’t stop pummeling through my veins. I’m like an addict needing a fix. Every cell is shimmering with emptiness and needing to be refilled – with a taste of Bella.
“Only for now. Because later tonight, once this rehearsal dinner thing is done with, I’m going to get back to biting every sensitive area I’ve found on that delicious little body and plan to discover a few more.”
She turns around and smiles at me. I take my chance to hook her into my arm and pull her to me for one more kiss before I go. Her luscious round tits cramming against my abs have me pounding with hungry need yet again. She’s going to be the end of me, this woman.
I have nowhere to loiter but downstairs and I see three very irritable faces at the foot of the stairs, looking up expectantly and turning even more sour when I come bounding down.
“Where’s Bella?” The man I don’t recognize but assume is a family member demands.
“She’ll be right along.”
Scherri has turned away like she doesn’t want to look at me. Is she blaming me for making Bella late? Why are they even still waiting? I take it the family intend to travel together to the dinner so I make excuses and duck out. I have no clue where it’s being held but Bella mentioned the name of the inn Stick’s staying at tonight. I beeline over there.
The receptionist at the Inn caves in almost immediately and gives me his room number with a fluttering of her lashes. Actually she’s cute and it surprises me how immune I am to women’s flirting these days. How does that suddenly happen? I turn thirty one and I’m old all of a sudden?
“Who is it?” Stick shouts from inside, anger and irritation in his voice which is not normal for him.
I try the old brass door knob and it opens.
“It’s me, Dude,” I say.
“Fuck this stupid thing,” he says, fighting with the tie around his neck.
“Why are you wearing that?”
“I dunno. I’m supposed to be vintage, aren't I?’
“Yeah, vintage cool not uptight.”
I pull the stupid garment away from him and toss it.
“Go as yourself.”
“What are you going as? Head of the MC?”
“I thought you’d lend me something, but screw that, what’s eating you? Are you pissed that I’m here?”
“No man, honestly I’m glad to see you. I haven't got anyone here but my dad and he’s co-opted to Lyndsey.”
I wait for it – I know what’s coming.
“Scherri and I got into it.”
“About me?”
“Yeah, no, I don't know. She wanted to invite the entire fucking platoon.”
“For your sake, man. So you would have back up.”
“Yeah but we’re over that now. And I don’t want go back there.”
“Yeah, I know. I get it. Dude, it’s just nerves and all this family stuff. You got one day then you’ll be off on your own again, just you two.”
“She’s all I want, man. I just like being with her.”
“I get that.”
“Do you? When I’m with her it’s like nothing bad can ever happen again.”
“Yeah,” I nod in agreement. He thinks I don’t get it but I do. “It’s like coming home.”
“And Peb. Thanks again for that dog, Dude.”
“Yeah, you got it. Now let’s go girly and play dress up. Find something to wear and get to this thing before you’re late.”
That was a profound conversation for us guys. We both knew we were talking about the fallout. What some assholes now call PTSD. We didn’t need to label it or go any further into it. The validation was there.
We arrive seconds after Scherri and her sister, with the parents. Stick filled me in that the angry dude is Scherri and Bella’s real dad. I’m getting the idea that he’s pissed about being at this thing with his ex calling all the shots. Lyndsey’s trying to push him to one side except when it comes to the tab. But I could be wrong about that shit. I don't know much about family life.
I know that three of the four are glaring daggers at me, probably blaming me again for making another member of the wedding party late.
Bella’s smiling proudly at me, like I’ve done something great. Fucking weird how that sends a warm swell though my rib cage.
Then I see Scherri checking out our outfits and her face breaks into a smile.
“You two look adorable,” she says coming up and kissing Stick and wrapping her arms around his barrel torso.
He tucks her under his wing and his face settles into contentment.
“It was Jacket’s idea,” he says, beaming at me.
I guess my flash of inspiration worked. Fortunately Stick and I are the same six three, two hundred pound build. I fit into a pair of his peg trousers. We added white shirts, sleeves rolled up and undone at the neck, then the suspenders he had strewn over the bed in different colors. We were laughing and trying to decide what to wear like a pair of girls, for fucks sake. With our still boyish charm, I guess we managed to pull off a country look, all we need are a couple of fiddles.
I don’t know how I got roped into yet another responsibility for this weekend, but I’d do anything for my buddy after everything we’ve been through together and I told him so. I didn’t need to be reminded that the groomsman traditionally has first dibs on the bridesmaids, of which there is only one. The one I want more than anything.
I have to get through the introductions to Bella’s father and his fireman’s grip would be crushing if it weren’t for the fact that I have hands like steel jaws. What’s he trying to pull?
“Fiance huh?” he says.
Scherri and Stick have gone into the dinner and Lyndsey has disappeared, leaving me with Bella and her dad. Bella’s face crumbles with agitation so I know I have to make it okay for her.
“Uh huh,” I say, tossing him my most serious grin.
“Yeah. Well we’ll see about that later.”
“I’ll be here, whenever you’re ready, Sir,” I say.
My soul lights up when I glance over and am gifted with a smile of relief and gratitude from the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen.