Tangled Up In You (Rogue #1)

Chapter 56

56

CONOR

C onor had many regrets at Gavin’s wedding. He regretted that watching Sophie walk down the aisle toward him—or rather, toward Gavin—in her body-hugging white lace dress spurred lustful thoughts he knew he shouldn’t indulge. He regretted he could only really get away with dancing with her once. To try more than that would be too obvious. He regretted he wasn’t able to spend much time with Felicity, who had made the trip from Toronto to be there for the occasion. But most of all, he regretted ever thinking that bringing Sondra as his date would be a good idea.

He hadn’t thought it through. That was especially clear after he made his toast, in which he spoke glowingly of the singular love Sophie and Gavin had, and how he could only hope to one day find his own version of that. Sondra had turned hostile after the speech, refusing his offer to get her a drink or to dance. It was only when he got the chance to dance with Sophie that he understood what had caused Sondra to sour.

“That was a beautiful speech,” Sophie told him. “Well, the last part, anyway.”

He laughed. He had joked at the start about the fact that Sophie had been the one to pursue Gavin when they were in school, even though it should have been the other way around.

“I was only trying to find some words at the end that might match your beauty.”

“You are such a good flirt.”

“You make it easy, Soph.”

She tilted her head and eyed him. “In what way?”

He had meant because she was everything he wanted in a woman: gorgeous, sexy, smart, fun. But he couldn’t say that, not with this being her wedding, after all, so he scrambled for another response.

“I dunno. Just because we’re friends. We have an easy way, don’t we? I feel like we can talk about things. We can joke, flirt, whatever. It’s harmless.”

She nodded, seeming to accept this as a way to dismiss the attraction he was certain they both felt for each other. There was no way she could really focus on him, anyway, not with over a hundred guests in the room, all clamoring for her attention.

The outdoor, nondenominational ceremony had been simple but sweet. The venue was a private estate just over the border in Northern Ireland, and they had lucked out with mild weather. Sophie had chosen a dress that was perfectly her—elegant, but with a neckline low enough to have some sex appeal. She’d placed an emerald brooch at the base of it, near her breastbone, ensuring that her hazel eyes turned vivid green and making it even harder than usual for him to look away from her. In fact, he had barely taken his eyes off of her the whole afternoon, and now into the evening here in the banquet reception room. It was a restored Victorian-era space with brick walls, iron-framed windows, and gorgeous crystal chandeliers with soft amber lighting that set the party aglow. There was a live band consisting of a female singer and all male musicians. Fittingly, the singer was American and her band was Irish. She had a soulful voice and had been finding the right mix of mellow and more upbeat songs all night.

“You know that thing you said about wanting to find for yourself the kind of love Gavin and I have?” Sophie asked.

“Yeah?”

“I really hope you do find it.”

“Well—”

“But you can’t play games with the one you’re with if she isn’t it.”

He sighed and cast an eye around for Sondra. She was at the far end of the hall, gesturing drunkenly with one arm as she steadied herself with the other around the neck of Kevin, an old friend from school who was just as drunk.

“That was a bit of a mistake, wasn’t it?” he said.

“The speech? Or bringing her?”

“I think we both know the answer to that.”

“Be sweet to her, if only for tonight.”

He watched Sophie for a moment. They were dancing to a slow song, their bodies close together. He felt the warmth of her hand in his, and the same warmth where her other hand rested delicately on his shoulder. In fact, the heat of her skin on his was almost enough to expose exactly how he felt about her if he wasn’t careful. Forcing himself to digest her last comment, he nodded.

“Of course. Whatever you think of me, I know how to be a gentleman.”

The song ended and within seconds a faster-paced one replaced it.

“I know that. You’re one of the best, Connie,” she said, and smiled before kissing him on the cheek.

He watched her move away. She was engulfed by the crowd on the dance floor, with everyone who saw her wanting to stop her, to have just a piece of her.

He knew how they felt. Any little piece would do, even if it was fleeting. He’d soak it up and funnel his longing and ache for her into music. The inspiration would have to be his solace.