Playing With Pleasure (19 page)

“Okay, good.” Mac nodded succinctly. “Jase will be doing the security detail with you.”

Sawyer felt a small semblance of relief that his friend and co-worker would be there, as well. “So, just the two of us?”

“Yep.” Mac shuffled through the papers on his desk, then handed Sawyer one of them. “Here’s the time, place, and address. Your protection services are only needed until the bride and groom leave the reception, then you’re free to go, as well. Oh, and she requested that you wear a tuxedo, since it’s a formal affair. She wants the two of you to blend in and not look like security agents.”

“Okay.” Sawyer stood, the whole thing still sitting uneasily with him.

He headed out of the offices and down to his car. He had to let Paige know what was going on, and he had no idea how she’d react. Regardless, he’d have to suck it up for a few hours Saturday night, do the job he was hired for, and stay far, far away from Ashley.

*     *     *

Sawyer walked into
Couture Corsets with dinner for Paige, along with her favorite cupcake—red velvet—in hopes that the offering would soften the blow of finding out that he was going to be at a wedding reception that he had absolutely no desire to attend.

“She’s in the back,” Summer said when she saw him and grinned when she caught sight of the bags he carried. “And it’s a good thing you brought food. Paige skipped lunch, and she’s a bit snappy because of it.”

He chuckled, not at all concerned about Paige’s mood. “I can handle it and her,” he said with a playful wink at the girl, then continued to the back of the shop and through the crystal curtain separating the front end from the work area.

Head bowed over a dress she was meticulously sewing beads and crystals on to, and her brow furrowed in concentration, she put a hand up as soon as she heard the curtain rattle. “I don’t want to hear it. I can’t deal with one more thing right now.”

“You can’t deal with dinner?” he said and set the two bags down on her worktable.

Her head whipped up in surprise, her green eyes wide. “Sawyer! I thought it was Summer coming back here.”

She’d been so immersed in her project she obviously hadn’t heard his voice out front.

He hadn’t seen her since Sunday, and he drank in the sight of her. Her wild auburn curls were piled on her head in a messy knot, and her blouse was wrinkled and half untucked from her jeans. The slight shadows beneath her eyes accentuated how tired she looked, and yeah, she was a little grumpy judging by her initial greeting—but still so beautiful. He had the urge to take her home, draw her a bath, feed her, then put her to bed with him beside her and force her to rest.

“What are you doing here? Besides bringing me dinner,” she said as she stuck her needle and thread into a small cushion that was strapped to her wrist and filled with an array of other pins. She nearly pounced on the bag containing the grilled chicken sandwich he’d ordered for her. “God, I’m
starved
.”

For the moment, he evaded her first question and focused on her well-being instead. “You need to stop skipping meals. Why don’t you just call a place that delivers?”

“No time, or I just forget about eating because I’m so freakin’ busy right now.” She unwrapped the sandwich, took a bite, and moaned appreciatively. “Thank you for this. It tastes so good,” she said with her mouth full.

“The last thing you want to do is run yourself down,” he said, resting his hip against the worktable. “Not eating, working without breaks, not getting home until after ten at night, and up and out the door by seven.”

“I’m fine. Or I will be once I finish this stupid dress.” She glared at the gown she found so offensive.

Sawyer glanced at the froth of soft rose fabric and the top portion where she’d been adding the embellishments. “Is this the bridesmaid dress?” he guessed.

She nodded and swallowed another bite of her dinner. “Yes. It ended up being more work than I’d anticipated, but I need to get it done. The wedding is in three days.”

He could see the stress of that deadline creasing her forehead and resisted the impulse to reach out and smooth his thumb across those tense lines until she relaxed. “The dress looks great to me.”

She rolled her eyes at him. “You don’t have the first idea of what goes into making a dress or any other garment, for that matter. Perfectly aligned seams and hems and making sure the chiffon fabric drapes down the front like it should without any puckers…”

She went on with the sewing speak, and even though it was the equivalent of her talking in Greek to him, he let her get it all out of her system. She was right, he was clueless about what kind of workmanship went into her designs, but he understood Paige well enough to know that she’d be meticulous and conscientious about her work, which showed in all the beautiful corsets that were on mannequins lined up against the wall. A lot of them were all white lace, satin, and brocade, but there were a few others in soft, muted fabrics of pink, lavender, and pale peach.

When she was done giving him a rundown of her sewing process and she’d finished off her sandwich, he nodded his head toward the lingerie. “What about all those corsets? Are they for clients?”

“No, those are for the bridal runway show,” she said as she tossed her sandwich wrapper and bag into the trash. “I still have finishing touches to do on them, like accessorizing, making sure they fit all the models perfectly.” She exhaled a deep breath, a glimmer of uncertainty in her gaze. “I have so much riding on this show.”

“I’m sure it will be phenomenal,” he assured her and pushed the second bag toward her. “I’m really proud of you.”

“For?” she asked guilelessly.

“For all this,” he said, waving a hand to encompass the entire boutique. “It’s not easy running your own business, but you’ve really made something of your corsets and designs.”

“I’m trying.” She opened the small bag and peered inside, then glanced up at him with a smile that lit up her whole face. “You are such a bad influence on me. All those treats from Extraordinary Desserts, and now this,” she said, pulling out the clear plastic container with the cupcake inside.

He shrugged. “I figure you might need a little sugar rush to get you through the evening.”

“Oh, definitely.” She didn’t hesitate to pop open the lid and use the plastic fork to take a bite, her eyes glazing over with pleasure as she savored the chocolate cake and cream cheese frosting. “Okay, now that you’ve plied me with food, what is the
real
reason you stopped by?”

Oh, yeah,
that
. “I wanted to tell you about a security job I was assigned today.”

“Oh?” She raised her brows in genuine interest. “Something exciting?”

He laughed, but the sound lacked real humor.
It depends on your definition of exciting.
“Melissa called Noble and Associates to hire security for the wedding reception this weekend, and she asked specifically for me as one of the agents.”

Paige stopped chewing and gave him a bewildered look. “Why would Melissa ask for you?”

“I wondered the same thing.” He shoved his hands into the front pockets of his pants. “My gut is telling me that Ashley had something to do with it.”

She nodded slowly, her complexion losing a bit of that rosy glow from moments before. “You’re probably right.”

He watched her push her half-eaten cake aside. His own stomach twisted in knots, as well, and he sought to reassure her. “I’d say no to the job if I could. And I realize this might create an awkward situation with me at the reception, but I’m there to do a job, nothing more.”

“I know,” she said and gave him a smile he knew was forced. “And I wouldn’t expect you to turn down a job just because it’s not convenient or it’s uncomfortable for me.” She shifted on her feet and lifted her gaze to his. “Besides, I trust you.”

Sawyer lost his breath for a moment, because those words meant more to him than she’d probably ever realize, and she’d just given him a gift he wouldn’t take for granted.

“Thank you,” he said and hoped he was one step closer to a future with her.

S
awyer hadn’t been
back to the huge estate home where Paige had once lived since
the morning after
, as he was beginning to think of that day. Despite how uneasy he felt about being there, everything looked the same—elegant, refined, and expensive. Even the enormous backyard and courtyard had been transformed into a wedding wonderland, with twinkling lights everywhere and tables set up with fine china, crystal, and linens. Pale pink roses adorned
everything
and must have cost a small fortune, along with the towering centerpieces on every table that were overflowing with more exotic flowers and shimmering crystals. It was obvious that there had been no expense spared for the lavish affair.

“They’re on their way in,” Jase, Sawyer’s buddy and co-worker, said into the microphone earpiece they each wore to keep in contact throughout the night. “Time to take our places.”

Sawyer gave Jase a nod as he positioned himself at the back of the event, hands clasped in front of him, while his co-worker stood at the other end of the yard. The five-piece orchestra started playing music as the guests who’d been at the church wedding arrived, filtering into the courtyard—the men dressed in tuxedos and the women in long formal gowns and glittering jewelry. Mac had told Sawyer that a lot of high-profile people would be attending the reception, and judging by the way they were dressed and the way they carried themselves, they were definitely wealthy and upper-class.

Sawyer caught sight of Paige’s friend Kendall, who’d attended the nuptials as Paige’s date. She strolled over to him, giving him a playful once-over, which was far better than the last time she’d greeted him with a glare and a threat at Paige’s shop. She was wearing a black gown that was cut low in the front, and her dark hair was pinned back with a clip encrusted with crystals. Paige had told him that Kendall was thirty-five, but her friend looked as young and fresh as Paige’s twenty-seven years.

“You look quite debonair in your tuxedo,” she said in a deliberately hoity-toity voice. “Like James Bond.”

He smirked but kept his gaze on the mingling guests and the white-gloved waitstaff, who were carrying around flutes of champagne and little appetizers for everyone to enjoy. “Where’s Paige?” He was dying to see her, even if he couldn’t
be
with her tonight.

“She’s with the ‘bridal’ party,’” Kendall said while making air quotes. “The bride, groom, and Ashley. They’ll be making an entrance soon. Melissa wanted them to walk in all together, like a family.”

“Any drama between her and Ashley?” he asked curiously, since Kendall was well aware of Ashley’s tendency to stir up trouble when Paige was around, and he knew she’d accompanied Paige to the pre-wedding preparations at the church.

“Just her normal little spoiled fits and rude comments,” Kendall said drolly as she accepted a glass of champagne from a passing waiter. “Though I definitely saw a glimpse of a green-eyed monster.”

He cast a quick, concerned glance at Kendall. “What do you mean?”

“Have you seen the bridesmaid dress Paige made?” she asked, then added, “Actually
on
her?”

“No.” He’d only gotten a glimpse of the pile of fabric on her worktable and had no idea how the finished product had turned out.

“Well, she looks
stunning
. Absolutely
to die for
.” Kendall’s voice was infused with pride for her friend. “More so than Ashley, and everyone has been complimenting Paige on her dress, asking what designer created it and where she bought it.” The other woman’s eyes flashed deviously. “I think Ashley’s plan to humiliate Paige in that tight-fitting dress backfired on her, and she knows it. And since Ashley doesn’t hide her ugly feelings, it’s clear she’s jealous of the attention and envious of the dress.”

Now that didn’t surprise Sawyer at all.

“But of course Paige is a class act and has been downplaying the design of the gown,” Kendall went on. “But it doesn’t matter. I saw the resentful way Ashley was watching her. Paybacks and Karma are a bitch.” She grinned and took a drink of her champagne.

Sawyer didn’t care for the way that sounded. Resentment with Ashley would undoubtedly breed hostility, and that was the last thing he wanted Paige to have to deal with tonight. Then again, he could always hope that Ashley actually behaved herself on her mother’s wedding day.

“So, who’s your accomplice across the way who’s trying to look inconspicuous but is clearly security for the evening?” Kendall asked, nodding toward Jase.

“That’s Jase Burns. He works for Noble and Associates, as well.”

“Hmmm.” The sound Kendall made was definite interest. “Is he single?”

“
Yes
,” Jase said emphatically into Sawyer’s earpiece, obviously eavesdropping on the conversation.

“As far as I know,” Sawyer replied, shooting his friend an amused look. “You want an introduction after the reception?”

“Hell yeah,” came Jase’s eager reply. “Damn, she’s hot.”

“No, I can introduce myself,” Kendall said with a shake of her head, oblivious to the voice yammering in Sawyer’s ear. “Do you think he’d be interested in posing for some photos for romance novels?”