Honey Red (20 page)

“Shh, baby, listen. It’s this wedding. I knew we shouldn’t try to do all this crap. I hate it, and it’s made you insane.” Gavin soothed, his eyes wide and confused.

She yanked herself away from him. “I thought you wanted it. Why didn’t you tell me you hated it?” She stood, chest heaving, glaring at him, her face flushed red. “How can we possibly be married?” She sank into a seat, face in her hands. Gavin stuck his hands in his pockets and looked around, worry in every line of his face. She glanced up, her hair escaping its many clips and dripping around her face. “We can’t even communicate about this?” Her last words were loud, and Jamie clapped his hands over his ears.

Gavin set his jaw, took Alyssa’s arm and drew her up to her feet. Ian watched, mesmerized as his brother pulled the hysterical woman into his arms. “You’re right. My love,” he kissed her hair tilted her face up and brushed her tears away with his thumbs. “I’m so sorry.” He put his forehead to hers.

Nick touched his arm, and they started to make their way out to give Gavin and Alyssa some privacy. As he moved towards the door, he heard words that made his heart clench with happiness for his brother and no small amount of jealousy that he couldn’t find the same kind of soul mate.

 “Listen to me,” Gavin said as he and Nick passed them, paying no more attention to all the family in the room than he would a fly in the window. “Alyssa Gail Traynor—I love you. I want to be with you forever. With our family.” Gavin touched the swell of Alyssa’s belly. “And I vow right here and now to never keep anything from you again. These last few weeks have been a nightmare—and now I know why. Because neither of us were being honest. I would have eloped with you—anywhere you wanted. I thought you wanted all this,” he waved his hand around. “All I want is to make you happy.”

She nodded, and put her hand to his face. Nick gripped Ian’s arm; Brutus whined. “I love you too. And I’m sorry to make such a stupid scene at my own wedding.”

Gavin chuckled, kissed her forehead and held her close. Ian caught his brother’s eye again. Gavin gave him a thumbs-up sign over her shoulder. “So are we back on here sweetheart? Or do I tell all these people to hit the road?” Ian said, loving the feel of Nick’s hand on him. “Drama over?” She turned, wiped her eyes, and smiled. “You joining this family or have you come to your senses and decided to bolt before it’s too late?”

She held out her hand grabbed her brother, tugging him close. “No, I think I’m all in, Ian. Sorry.” She closed her eyes a split second.

Nick’s voice was sharp as he moved out of her embrace. “Alyssa, you okay?”

“No,” she said, her voice a little high and thin. “I need to sit…a minute.”

Gavin eased her into a chair. She blew out a breath. “Um, water?”

Hannah handed her a bottle. Jamie jumped on the dog. Nick frowned. “What the fuck is going on. I can tell something’s wrong. I hear it…Lyss, the baby….”

She leaned back, her eyes closed, holding the bottle to her flushed face. Nick crouched beside her and she grabbed his hand. “I’m good. Baby is fine. I just haven’t eaten today—too nervous. Feeling a little light headed.”

Gavin put a hand on her shoulder. “Anybody got a granola bar?”

“There are some over there,” she motioned towards a leather bag on the floor. Hannah grabbed one and handed it to her. “Thanks,” she said. Nick frowned and rose, backing away from Hannah fast, stumbling over a chair. Brutus growled, grabbed his hand in his huge jaws shaking Jamie off who promptly burst into tears.

“Okay, then,” Ian grabbed his son and took Hannah’s hand. “I’m gonna go remind people we are here for a wedding. That work for you, drama queen?”

Alyssa gave him a thumbs-up.

“Lovely, just as I suspected.” He sighed, patting Jamie’s back. She turned the thumbs-up into a middle finger. “Yeah, that’s the sister-in-law I want.” He tugged Hannah out with him, ignoring Nick completely. Unfair perhaps, but if he didn’t get the hell away from the man there would be yet another scene, and he figured that could wait for another day.

Nick gripped the dog’s lead and felt Alyssa put her hand through his arm. “I love you.” He said, leaning over to kiss her cheek. “I’m sorry.”

“What for? I’m the one causing the problems today.” She shivered. But he could still hear the comforting and now familiar whoosh-whoosh of her baby’s heartbeat. Now that he was used to it, all the extra sensory shit like hearing things no one else could was not so bad. He patted her hand as the music changed.

“Um, is this right?” He shifted from foot to foot, more nervous than he’d been in a long time. The string quartet and piano were playing…but not quite the song he expected. “Alyssa, seriously.” He muttered, then laughed.  “Al Green? Jesus.”

She leaned into him as the strains of “Let’s Stay Together” became clear. “Let’s go. Walk me down the aisle, damn it. I need to get to my man.”

He kissed her. “I wish I could see you right now. I know you are beautiful, but ….”

“Shh, Nick,” she put a cool palm against his face.

“No, I’m sorry for being this giant pain in your ass. Something you have to worry about all the time.”

“I worried about you anyway, you dummy.” She bumped him. “You are no more a pain in the ass than you ever were. And I’m glad you’re here with me today.”

“Me too,” he said and felt a rush of fresh air against his face. Brutus pulled him forward and he heard the sighs and “ahh’s” of the crowd as he walked his sister down the aisle. At one point he hesitated, getting a whiff of it again—the sweet smell of honey. The same scent he got when Ian’s date Hannah passed near him to hand Alyssa a granola bar. It nearly bowled him over then, and it was now too.

“You okay?” Alyssa whispered, letting him stop a second.

“No, but what else is new?” He gulped, and kept walking, cursing fate that took his sight, blinding him not only to his sister’s wedding day but also to the woman Ian had brought who smelled so tantalizing.

Brutus stopped, indicating they had reached the end of the walk. He felt Gavin’s hand on his arm, then gripping his. “Thank you Nicholas. I promise I will take good care of your sister.”

He nodded, unable to form words at that moment, kissed Alyssa’s cheek and let the dog lead him to his seat. The ceremony was simple and heartfelt and before he knew it he was standing, clapping and getting jostled out to the aisle again.

“Hey,” Ian’s voice hit his ear, making him want to turn and pull the man to him, to kiss him so hard they’d both collapse from the effort. “Nice job,” the man said. A strange sort of anger and sadness gripped him, choking off words. He felt Brutus dancing around beside him, sensing his anxiety. “C’mon.” Ian’s hand was on his elbow, propelling him forward and out of the crowd.

Then he realized Jake was on his other side. “Nick, the car’s this way.” He let the other man turn him from Ian without a word, but the honey-like fragrance he’d gotten keenly when Hannah had been so near him lingered around Ian like a fog. He frowned, as Jake led him away from the man he wanted, even more than he wanted to have his sight back.

Chapter Twenty

Hannah stared around at the happy group at the reception. Beer rock stars abounded, as befitted the celebration of the nuptials of two of their own. The tables were gorgeously simple, with cream-colored tablecloths, red roses in the center and rich white china and crystal at every place. But as if in a nose-thumb to convention, the food was a mash up of “gourmet” and “beer snacks” which made for an incredible combination of giant pretzels with beer cheese made from the Ypsi Brewing India Pale Ale, to “burgers” that were actually sliders of lamb with rich blue cheese on top. It was classy to a fault, but over the top, including the five medium sized ice sculptures of beer steins that graced the giant buffet.

She sat back, sipping her beer and watching the party unfold. She should so not have come here, especially not with a Donovan brother. Jesus. She closed her eyes a split second, relishing the way she felt—sated, enervated and tingly with anticipation all at once.  She and Ian had been fucking around nearly daily, unable to keep their hands off each other, and her body was beginning to adapt, and want more which Ian was eager to accommodate probably more than was strictly necessary.

The words “just this once more” had become a sort of code for “come over here and fuck me.” Which he had, in his office, between fermenters, at his house and once, memorably, in her own office while she was trying to conduct a conference call with her on-the-road sales staff. She sighed, sipped some more and caught Jamie as he barreled by already high on an unlimited supply of cola and cake. “Hey, mister, come sit with me.” She loved this kid, there was no doubt about that. His endless supply of positive energy was contagious. She knew Ian stressed over his parenting skills, but she had reassured him more than once that such a happy, comfortable in his own skin little boy did not occur by accident.

“Hannah, lemme go. I want to see the dog.” He squirmed out of her grasp.

“No, Jamie, don’t bother him….” she startled when a warm, wet, distinctly canine nose shoved her arm hard. “Hey,” she said, smiling and scratching the dog between the ears. She looked up, letting her gaze take in the full Marine dress uniform of the man attached to the animal. The crisp, formal clothes seemed to hang on him even though he was fit. It was obvious at one time he had been even bigger. His classical, masculine V-shape was breathtaking. His shoulders were broad but not bulky, his jaw firm, clean and the rest of his face at that moment showed stress that marred it. His golden yellow hair was thick, and touched the collar of the uniform jacket. She bit her lip and dispelled the sudden erotic loop of imagery—Ian and this man, together. “Hi,” she said, holding out a hand. “I’m Hannah.”

His face turned to hers, and his smile was so incredibly sexy and innocent at the same time her heart started hammering in her chest. He held onto her a few seconds longer than was polite. She tugged but he wouldn’t let her go. “I hear your heart,” he said, quietly.

“Oh, wow, that’s…um, cool.” She had no idea what to do with her arms, hands, or heartbeat. Jamie was all over the dog, and Brutus was panting and wagging his tail like mad. The party flowed around them, getting louder by the minute. Suddenly, Hannah wanted to be alone or more precisely she wanted to be alone with the man in front of her. He wore his emotional pain like a medal on his uniform. And something about him compelled her to want to help—or possibly it was because Ian still loved him.  Wow. This could get messy. She squared her shoulder and decided to stick with what usually worked best for—brutally direct. “You must be Nick.”

His grin faded slightly. “Yeah, I guess I am the only blind ex-Marine with a dog date here, huh?”

She leaned into him, determined to keep to the path of directness. “It’s okay. I know about you and Ian”

He stiffened. “Really. Well, tell me something then, Hannah.” He put his lips near her ear. The overwhelming compulsion to put her hands on him made her knees wobbly. She gripped the chair back. The party noises kept ramping up. But she barely heard them, too mesmerized by Nick’s face, voice, and the warm hand at the small of her back. “Tell me what you think you know about me. And Ian.” His lips tickled, making her break out in goose bumps. She turned her head, saw Ian, caught his eye. And it gave her strength.

“I know he loves you.” She said, then took Jamie’s hand and was about to lead him away before she said or did anything she couldn’t take back with the sad-faced, ridiculously handsome blind man in the Marine uniform.

But Nick gripped her arm lighting a small fire on her skin. The dog snuffled around her leg, whining as if sensing his master’s distress. “The hell you say.” He said, his jaw tight. “Besides, he has the smell of you all over him right now. I don’t know if it’s your perfume or shampoo or what, but you smell like rich, sweet honey. And I can tell he’s been dipping into it—into you. Not that I blame him.”

 “I don’t wear perfume and use unscented shampoo.” Her knees shook at his innocuous yet sexy words.  She ran a fingertip down his face, unable to resist.

“Don’t,” he flinched away. “I’m not interested in your type.” But his low voice said otherwise.

“You say that now….” she muttered, not even believing herself as she spoke. How she’d gone from celibate to caught between two smoking hot men more interested in each other escaped her understanding. But she was full on horny now. And knew who could help her out. Something about Nick’s vulnerable strength made her want to weep, to hold him to her breast, and to climb all over him and fuck him silly at the same time.
Jesus, woman you are out of control.