Chapter 36
36
KAISEN
I practically shoved Cullen out the door, my hand gripping his shoulder a little tighter than necessary. He was still grinning, the prick. I knew exactly what was coming next.
“Cullen, don’t.”
“I knew it,” he said.
“Don’t.”
“Dorie, huh? I see it. Eliza told me but I wasn’t sure.”
“Told you what?”
“She mentioned you two were spending a lot of time together,” Cullen said, his grin widening. “But damn, I didn’t think it was this kind of time.”
“It’s not what you think.”
“Oh, really?” He raised an eyebrow, clearly not buying it. “Because from where I’m standing, it looks exactly like what I think. You and Dorie? Together? I mean, I guess it makes sense. She’s pretty. But she’s my bride’s sister, so if this is?—”
“Enough,” I snapped, cutting him off. “This isn’t a joke. It’s complicated.”
He was still grinning like an idiot. Threatening me and smiling while he did it.
“She’s a good girl, Kaisen.”
“I agree. Please, keep this quiet. For Dorie’s sake, okay? She doesn’t need everyone knowing her business. There’s already drama with some of those vipers your bride associates with.”
Cullen held up his hands in mock surrender, but the grin never left his face. “Relax, man. Your secret’s safe with me. But, uh, you know I’m telling Eliza, right? And she’s definitely telling everyone.”
I groaned and shook my head. “Yeah, I know. Just give me a little time to figure this out, okay? Don’t go screaming it from the rooftops just yet. Dorie is shy. She isn’t comfortable around those women.”
Cullen’s expression softened a bit. “Hey, I get it. Dorie’s not like the other girls. She’s different. In a good way.”
I nodded, feeling a rush of protectiveness. “Exactly. She’s special, Cullen. This isn’t just some fling.”
He studied me for a moment, his teasing grin fading. “You really like her?”
I hesitated, not used to being open about my feelings. But this was Cullen, my best friend. If I couldn’t be honest with him, who could I be honest with?
“Yeah,” I admitted. “I do. A lot. More than I’ve liked anyone in, well, ever.”
Cullen whistled low. “Damn. Never thought I’d see the day. Kaisen Seely, actually falling for someone. At least you chose well.”
I rolled my eyes. “Don’t make a big deal out of it. I’m not ready to walk down the aisle. But I like her. She’s more than a one-night thing.”
“Good, because I know Dorie. She’s not the type to just jump into bed with someone. Don’t pull your usual bullshit. Do not, I repeat, do not fuck with my bride’s sister before our wedding.”
“I hear you. But maybe you don’t need to tell Eliza.”
“Wrong. I’m not about to keep this from her. If she finds out I knew about this and didn’t tell her, she’ll be hiring a divorce lawyer and I’m not about to let that happen.”
I sighed because I knew that was the way of things. I learned a while ago that Cullen and Eliza basically shared the same brain these days. There were no secrets. “She’s probably mortified right now, thinking everyone’s going to be talking about her.”
“I’ll tell Eliza to keep it quiet, but I make no promises,” he said. “I’m not getting between two sisters.”
“Fine. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got someone waiting on me.”
“Alright, don’t have too much fun.”
I walked back into the room, closing the door behind me. Dorie was still sitting in bed, the sheet pulled up to her chin. Her cheeks were flushed bright red. She couldn’t quite meet my eyes.
“I’m so sorry about that,” I said. “I should have checked who it was before opening the door.”
She nodded, still not looking at me. “It’s okay,” she said softly. “It’s not your fault.”
I sat down on the edge of the bed, reaching out to take her hand. “Hey,” I said gently. “Look at me.”
Slowly, she raised her eyes to meet mine. The embarrassment was clear on her face.
“It’s okay,” I said. “Cullen’s not going to say anything. Well, he’ll tell your sister, but that’s it. And even if he does, who cares? We’re both adults. We’re not doing anything wrong.”
She sighed, her shoulders slumping. “I know. It’s just I’m not used to this. To being caught like this. I feel like a teenager who just got busted by her parents.”
“Cullen isn’t going to tell the guys,” I said.
She laughed softly, shaking her head. “You really believe that?”
I shrugged. “Not really. But hey, if he does tell Eliza, and she tells everyone, I guess that just means this is real. And happening.”
Dorie looked at me, her eyes searching mine. “And you’re okay with that?”
I hesitated for a moment, then nodded. “Yeah. I am. Are you?”
She smiled. “Yeah. I think I am.”
We sat there for a moment, just looking at each other, before I leaned in and kissed her. It was soft and sweet, a promise of something more. When I pulled away, she was smiling again.
“Breakfast?” I asked, gesturing toward the room service menu on the nightstand.
She nodded, her smile widening. “Breakfast sounds perfect.”
We ordered a huge spread—pancakes, eggs, bacon, fresh fruit, and coffee.
“I’m not sure we’re going to have time to eat all of that,” she said with a laugh.
“We don’t have anywhere to be,” I said. “Our best man and maid of honor duties are done. We’re officially off duty.” I flopped on the bed next to her. “Breakfast will be here in twenty minutes. I have an idea of how we could pass the time.”
She giggled. “You’re insatiable.”
I nodded. “Yep. Got me.”
“I’m going to take a shower,” she said.
“Sounds like a good idea. I’ll come with you.”
She laughed but didn’t protest too much.
I couldn’t help but smile as I watched her. She was beautiful—effortlessly so. I felt a strange feeling low in my belly. Something deeper than attraction, something that made me want to pull her closer and never let go.
She turned to me and frowned. “You know, you’re supposed to actually wash yourself in the shower, not just stand there staring.”
I grinned, reaching for the soap. “Oh, I’ll wash. But I might need some help getting to those hard-to-reach places.”
She rolled her eyes but stepped closer. She took the soap from me and slid her hands down my chest in a way that had little to do with actually washing my body. I reached for her, pulling her against me.
“You’re not playing fair,” I murmured, brushing my lips against her temple.
“Neither are you.”
I stepped back. “But I better get out of here or our room service is going to be left in the hall and might get jacked.”
“We wouldn’t want that.” She smiled.
I gave her a quick kiss and left the steamy heat of the shower. I had been out less than a couple of minutes when I heard the knock on the door. I grabbed some bills from my wallet and opened the door.
The smell of bacon and fresh coffee filled the room. Dorie emerged a few minutes later looking absolutely gorgeous with her bare face and wet hair.
“Wow, that smells amazing,” she said.
We sat at the table, enjoying our breakfast like we had done it a hundred times before. It was peaceful. Easy.
But of course, the peace didn’t last long. Dorie’s phone buzzed on the nightstand.
“And so it begins,” she sighed.
“Eliza?”
She picked up her phone and glanced at the screen. “Not Eliza. It’s a text from Toby.”
I watched the serene look disappear as she read the message.
“Everything okay?” I asked.
She frowned, typing out a quick reply before looking up at me. “He’s at the bakery doing some prep work for the week, and he says there’s a problem with the oven. He’s not sure what’s wrong, but it’s not working. He’s tried all of our usual tricks.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Can’t it wait until tomorrow?”
She shook her head. “No, I have to go. If the oven’s broken, it could throw off the whole week. I need to figure out what’s going on.”
I watched as she hurried around the room, pulling on her dress. “Do you want me to come with you?” I asked, half-joking.
She paused, looking at me with a small smile. “No, it’s okay. I’ll handle it. But I’ll touch base with you later, okay?”
“I could fly you back.”
“I drove that fancy new SUV you bought me,” she joked. “I need to drive it back.
“Good point.”
She grabbed her bag and headed for the door, pausing just long enough to give me a quick kiss. “Thanks for everything. I’ll see you later.”
And then she was gone, the door closing behind her. I sat there for a moment, staring at the empty space where she’d been, before shaking my head and smiling to myself. I’d never met someone as passionate about their work as Dorie was. It was one of the things I admired most about her. Her dedication. Her drive. Her independence. It was so refreshing and one of the many reasons I respected her so much.
I finished my coffee and got dressed. I was bummed I didn’t get to enjoy a lazy morning with her, but I was going to go out of my way to make sure I spent as much time with her this coming week. With the guys crashing at my place, I was going to convince her to let me hang out at hers.
I headed downstairs to meet up with Cullen and the rest of the guys. We were flying back to New York for the night. I found Cullen and Eliza first.
Eliza looked me up and down. “Where’s my sister?”
I grinned, shoving my hands in my pockets. “Had to bail. Oven emergency at the bakery.”
“Oven emergency? Is that code for you scared her off already?”
“Give the guy a break, Eliza,” Cullen said. “Dorie’s not exactly the type to be scared off by anything.”
“She really did have to drive back,” I said.
“You two are officially a thing?”
I hesitated, not surprised Cullen already told her. “Yes. Maybe. I don’t know. We’re figuring it out.”
“I never thought I’d see the day.” She grinned. “But she’s my sister, and if you mess with her, I won’t hesitate to take you out.”
“Thanks. I’ll keep that in mind. Where’s the rest of the gang?”
“Liam and Marcus are wishing for death right about now,” Cullen said.
“I think the girls are in the same boat,” Eliza replied. “You two snuck away early. Everyone else partied till dawn.”
“I’ll get the pilot squared away,” I said. “Wheels up at noon still work for everyone?”
“I’ll drag Liam and Marcus out of bed,” Cullen said.
“And I’ll find the girls. I’m sure they’re somewhere in the hotel.”
“I’ll have a car waiting,” I said. “If they’re not going to make it, text me.”
I returned to my room, packing my suitcase and making the necessary calls.
By the time I got back to the lobby, Cullen had managed to rouse Liam and Marcus, who looked every bit like they’d been hit by a truck. Eliza had rounded up the rest of the group. They all looked equally worse for wear. We piled into the SUVs waiting outside and made our way to the private airfield.
The flight back was quiet, everyone nursing their hangovers with varying degrees of success. I sat by the window, staring out at the clouds, my thoughts drifting back to Dorie. I pulled out my phone and shot her a text: Hope the oven’s not giving you too much trouble. Let me know if you need anything.
Her response came a few seconds later: Thanks. I’ll keep you posted.
I slipped my phone back into my pocket and leaned back in my seat with a smile on my face.