Chapter 29

Cassie stuck to him like glue at the bridal shower, and he didn’t care in the least. He was grateful, in fact. Spending all that time in the sex shop had gotten him all worked up and he’d been sporting a semi all afternoon. They hadn’t had time to do anything other than a quick change when they got back from their shopping trip, so he was still suffering. It was pure torture and absolute bliss that Cassie kept touching him, leaning her body against his as they made small talk with the other guests, brushing her hand over his arm, his chest, his butt, sneaking little chaste kisses here and there. Coupled with the images he’d had of what he could do with some of those toys they’d looked at he was lucky to even be having a coherent thought with all the blood in his head being occupied elsewhere.

He managed to corner her in a secluded part of the garden, crowding her against a garden trellis, pressing his erection into her hip.

“When I get you back to the hotel,” he whispered into her ear, loving the shiver that trembled through her body, “I’m going to turn you over my knee and spank you.”

“Why, Mr. Colleen,” she replied in a breathless voice, “have I done something to upset you, sir?”

The whole Mr. Colleen thing and the sir and the submissive voice made him grit his teeth against the groan.

“Ms. Smith,” he replied, “you have been driving me to distraction all afternoon, and seeing your pretty little arse cheeks turn pink is exactly what I need.”

She gripped his shirt as her breath hitched and a violent tremble went through her body. He lowered his lips to hers and kissed her hard, pushing his body into hers, memorizing the feel of her soft places against his hard ones.

“Brian! Are you out here?”

God damn it! Nothing kills an erection faster than your mother calling you.

He pushed away from Cassie and took a breath.

“I’ll be just a sec,” he called to his mother, barely keeping the irritation out of his voice.

Cassie snickered and he looked down at her flushed cheeks and swollen lips and his cock jumped back to attention. He sighed and pressed his forehead against hers.

“I suppose we should go back to the party,” he said.

“You go first,” she replied. “I need to fix the mess you made of me.”

He took in her slightly mussed appearance and lust roared through him. He liked her like that, knowing that he had been the one to muss her up.

“No,” he said, grabbing her hand and pulling her along with him, “we’re leaving, now.”

She laughed again. “We can’t just leave,” she said, tripping after him.

“Watch me,” he said as they stepped into the garden proper where the party was taking place, almost colliding with Nathan in the process.

“Shit,” he said taking a step back and eyeing up the two of them. “What the hell have you two been up to?”

Brian gave him his biggest shit-eating grin and swaggered away, not answering. Nathan glared after them and he pulled Cassie closer, maybe letting his hand slip down from her waist to cup her ass. She slapped him lightly on the arm, but it was worth it just to see Nathan’s furious face.

“Stop it,” she whispered harshly.

“Can’t,” he replied. “I need to get you out of here and somewhere private so I can have my wicked way with you or I am going to self-combust.”

She rolled her eyes at him, but he could tell she was just as hot for him, the telltale flush in her pale skin was a dead giveaway and he could see her nipples beading under her dress. He kissed the corner of her mouth and whispered in her ear.

“I’ve got a surprise for us.”

“Me too,” she replied and he redoubled his efforts to get them out of there.

But his plan was foiled by his mother.

“Brian! There you are,” she bussed his cheek and then gave Cassie a tight hug. “Where did you disappear to?”

“I was just showing Cassie the gardens,” he replied smoothly.

“They’re lovely,” Cassie said with a sweet smile for his mother.

“Thank you,” she replied, glowing. His mother loved her gardens and the quickest way to get her side-tracked was to start talking about them.

“Was that a new planting I saw towards the back?” he asked, grabbing for anything in order to distract her from their obviously disheveled appearance.

“No, just some pruning,” she replied. “Getting ready for the winter cold snap.”

“Winter? Here?” he snorted.

“Oh, stop it,” she said with a grin.

“So, mum, Cassie and I are going to head off—”

“Oh, you can’t go yet,” she said, “they haven’t opened the gifts yet.”

“They’re opening them in front of everybody?” Cassie asked, her eyes wide with panic.

“Of course, dear,” she replied. “The other bridesmaids are just gathering them all together in the gazebo so Nathan and Ainsley can do the honors.”

“Ah, excuse me,” Cassie said, extricating herself from Brian’s arm. “I should go and help them.”

He grinned. Cassie hadn’t expected the gifts to be opened in public and he couldn’t help having a little chuckle at her expense. She probably wouldn’t have been so cavalier about their gift if she’d known.

“Brian,” his mother said, drawing his attention, “I wanted to talk to you about tonight.”

“What about tonight?” he asked, lifting his eyebrow in question.

“Well.” His mother looked nervous or embarrassed. “I know it’s Nathan’s buck’s night,” she said, “and I’m a little concerned that things might get a little out of hand.”

He laughed and shook his head. “It’s a buck’s night,” he said, “of course it’s going to get out of hand.”

“I know,” she said, “but, well, I know Nathan and his friends and I’d just feel better if I knew that you were keeping an eye on them, you know, to make sure they don’t do anything stupid.”

“You want me to babysit Nathan?” he asked, incredulous.

She nodded and he swore under his breath.

“Okay, fine,” he said with a sigh, shoving his hands into his pockets. “I’ll keep an eye on things.”

Cassie rushed over to the gazebo where the other bridesmaids were stacking the presents. She desperately looked for the distinctive shape of the gift basket she’d put together, hoping to grab it and stash it inside somewhere so they could find it later. She didn’t mind embarrassing Ainsley in the privacy of her own bedroom, but she was not the kind of person to make her feel uncomfortable in public…not without copious amounts of alcohol, anyway.

Ah, there it was! Cassie grabbed the parcel and tugged it towards her, it was a heavy sucker. She pulled it into her arms and turned to walk away with it.

“Hey!” Number One called to her. “Where do you think you’re going with that?”

Cassie grabbed the gift card off the top and tucked it into her hand before turning back to the annoying maid of honor.

“This one doesn’t seem to have a card and, oh, look, there’s a small tear in the wrapping paper,” Cassie said sweetly. “I didn’t think they’d like to open a gift when they didn’t know who it was from.”

“That’s ridiculous,” Number One said. “The person can simply own up to it when they open it.” She grabbed the gift and pulled it out of Cassie’s hands, putting it on the table with the rest of the gifts. “Why don’t you see if you can find the card, it may have just fallen off.”

Cassie sneered at the back of her head and waited for her to walk away from the table. There was no way she could hide the present now, but there was absolutely no way she was going to own up to it being from her and Brian.

She stepped up to the table and pulled a few other tags off the gifts, mixing them up in her hand. She pulled one out at random and then stuck it on the sex shop gift basket and then randomly stuck the other tags on the other presents. That way it would look like a few of the gifts got their tags mixed up and hers and Brian’s wouldn’t be so obvious.

“Found it,” she said with a smile when Number One returned.

“Fine,” she groused at Cassie. “Why don’t you go and help the other two hand out the champagne.”

Cassie rolled her eyes and walked off, her heart beating a million miles a minute. She didn’t know why it was the bridesmaids’ job to hand out the champagne when there were perfectly good, paid, waiters to do it, but she dutifully picked up a tray and wove through the crowd. She took the opportunity to down two of the glasses herself, trying to steady her nerves.

“What the hell Cassie,” Nathan’s growl in her ear and his firm hand gripping her elbow nearly made her spill the entire tray of glasses.

She steadied the tray and pulled her arm out of Nathan’s vice-like grip before turning to glare at him. “What the hell, Nathan,” she retorted.

“What the fuck were you and Brian doing in the garden?”

“That’s none of your business,” she hissed back at him.

“You think you can walk away from us Bae?” he asked his voice softening. He lifted his hand and caressed her cheek. She shook him off and took a step back.

“You walked away from us, Nathan,” she said.

“No, Bae,” he replied, “I told you I still wanted you.”

“Oh for fuck’s sake, Nathan,” she growled. “You think I still want you after this?” she indicated the party they were standing in the midst of. “You think I want to be your piece of arse on the side?”

“It never bothered you before,” he groused.

“Fuck you, Nathan,” she spat, turning on her heel to walk away from him, but he grabbed her again, stepping close and whispering in her ear.

“We’re not done, Cassie.”

“Yes, we are,” she snapped, pulling away from him again with such force that the whole tray of drinks she was carrying went flying, drenching a couple of nearby guests.

Brian materialized at her side, sliding his arm around her waist protectively and pulling him into her side.

“You okay?” he asked her, but his eyes were on Nathan.

“She’s fine,” Nathan snapped.

“I didn’t ask you, asshole,” Brian hissed.

“I’m okay, Brian,” she said in a small voice.

Brian and Nathan glared at each other for a minute before Nathan turned and stormed away. She let out a breath and sagged into Brian’s side.

“Thanks,” she breathed, her pulse racing and her throat tight. Tears welled, but she refused to let them fall.

He pulled her into his chest and wrapped his arms around her, engulfing her in his warmth security, and assuredness.

“Okay, can I have everyone’s attention,” the best man was saying over the microphone. “It’s time to open the presents.”

“Oh, God,” Cassie groaned into Brian’s shoulder. “Can we just leave, right now?”

He sniggered, his body rumbling against hers. “No such luck, my love.”