Twenty-Five #2
I felt the support of my family, even though Amanda spent the entire reception practically in Sam’s lap.
She danced with him and led him to and from the floor with her hand in his; she fed him things off her plate and laughed like a hyena over everything he said.
When she caught the bouquet, since it was basically tossed to her, she begged Sam to go up and catch the garter.
He flat-out refused, and no amount of cajoling or begging or whining was going to move him.
He smiled when he said no, and his eyes twinkled, but he wasn’t moving.
Married men didn’t catch garters, and even though Sam didn’t tell anyone at Michael’s wedding that he was, in fact, married, he wouldn’t have lied if he’d been asked directly.
Denial was not part of Sam Kage’s repertoire.
When the best man caught the garter, Amanda took one photo with him before walking over and climbing back into Sam’s lap.
They took many suggestive photos, to the catcalls and whistles of the crowd.
“Good for Sam for not being a hypocrite,” Aja commented when I told her what was going on downstairs. I was in our room, changing, when she called to check on me. “I mean, the man is married, after all.”
“Is he?”
“Jory Harcourt!” she yelled over the phone. “That’s a terrible thing to say! Of course he’s married! He’s married to you! I was there when you guys exchanged your really weird, really sweet vows.”
I laughed, remembering Sam and me standing in front of everyone and the justice of the peace in Ontario, Canada.
I’d told him that I would love him forever and I would stick like glue no matter what.
His smile, the look in his eyes, had told me everything, even before he promised to use the swear jar for our kids’ college fund, to never let me get away from him again, and to love me until he was dead.
It was a little maudlin, Dane said “Okay” really loud once we were done, and everyone laughed before Sam grabbed me and kissed me breathless.
“Don’t let your brain start running,” she warned me. “We both know Sam loves you desperately. You just need to go back down to the party, get him, and bring him upstairs to your room. The wedding’s over, the bride and groom have retired, go get your man.”
I couldn’t hold in the laughter. Leave it to my sister-in-law to jolt me out of feeling sorry for myself. I was really very lucky. “Yeah? Go get my man?”
“Dane,” she called out, “come tell Jory to go downstairs and get Sam from the whore who thinks she has a chance with him!”
His groan was loud.
“Dane!” She was insistent.
“I’m certain Sam doesn’t need to be gotten from anything or anyone,” I heard my brother say.
“You’re both being ridiculous. I have no doubt that Sam is having a nightcap, closing out the evening, and participating in the final toast, as that’s the polite thing to do as a member of the wedding party.
He will be up as soon as that concludes. ”
Aja grunted.
“You’re adorable,” Dane murmured.
“Bye,” she said, giggling.
With Aja being possessive and Dane being reasonable, I felt better.
Everyone who was staying overnight had moved to the bar by the time I got back downstairs.
The bridal party was still drinking, along with some family members, friends, and various stragglers.
They were all sitting toward the back, all still in their wedding finery—bridesmaids’ dresses, tuxedos, suits, and gowns from the formal affair definitely showing signs that the festivities were coming to an end.
High heels had come off, ties had been discarded, and shirttails were hanging out.
It was about comfort, since no one but me had left to shower and change.
I walked to the bar, ordered a snifter of brandy—it was late, after all—and then walked over to the table where Sam was.
“Jory,” Sam’s cousin Jesse greeted me drunkenly, taking my hand the way he always did. The Kages were a big touchy-feely group. “I was wondering where you were.”
Sam’s head turned from talking to Amanda, and his eyes hit mine.
“Hey.” I smiled at him, taking a sip of my drink.
He looked me up and down before he rose and moved out of the cluster of chairs around the table to stand in front of me.
“I was thinking I’d go out while you stay here and hang with everyone,” I said, testing the waters just to see.
He took the snifter from me and took a sip of the brandy as he stared down into my eyes.
“Are you staying?”
Slight shake of his head as he passed me back the glass. I took another sip and licked my lips. It was really good brandy.
“Sam, come sit down,” Amanda called over to him.
His eyes were on my mouth, and he said something.
I had to lean closer, because I could barely hear him. “Sorry?”
“I said I didn’t get to tell you how good you looked in your suit before.”
“Oh, thanks.”
“Every time I got over to your table, you were off dancing with another one of my cousins.”
“You’ve got a lot of cousins,” I teased him.
His smile was slow, lazy, and very sexy. “And they all liked you.”
“Those nice Catholic girls from New Jersey are scary, Sam.”
He chuckled. “Oh, baby, I know.”
“So you liked the suit?” I fished.
“I did. I wanted to see it come off.”
I smiled at him. “Maybe I’ll just go up to the room and wait for you.”
“No waiting necessary,” he rumbled, taking the glass out of my hand and setting it down on the table before taking hold of my hand. “I was just having a last drink with everyone. I was in the wedding, you know.”
I did know. Dane, as usual, was right.
“Night, everybody,” Sam called over.
He tugged me out of the bar after him and then to the elevator in the lobby. I couldn’t help chuckling.
“What?” he growled at me.
“Why are you all mad?”
He gestured at me like I was nuts. “I’m not mad, but look how you’re dressed to come down to the bar. What were you thinking?”
I was in a long-sleeved pocket T-shirt and old, faded jeans. I didn’t see the problem. “How am I dressed?”
“And you’re all clean and…your hair’s wet.”
“Which has what to do with anything?”
The muscles in his jaw clenched as he squeezed my hand.
“You can stay down here if you want. I didn’t come down here to rush—”
“You’re being such an ass.” He shoved me into the elevator as soon as it opened.
Before the doors could close, there was a hand to stop them. Amanda was there, along with three other women.
“Sam, where are you going?” She laughed, and the others smiled.
“Wedding’s over,” he told them all. “I’m tired, and I just wanna lie down and relax and talk to my husband.”
All eyes were suddenly on me and my hand in his.
“Night, Amanda,” he said, smiling at her. “Ladies. We’ll see you all at breakfast.”
Amanda nodded, so visibly stunned that in that second before the doors shut, I felt sorry for her. She had set her sights on Sam Kage, only to watch him slide right through her fingers. It had to be a new experience for her, to not get what she wanted.
I had no time for my thoughts to linger on her as Sam turned on me, pinning me to the wall before he kissed my chin, jaw, and finally my lips.
The kiss was mauling, and I felt how excited he was as his body pressed against mine.
I couldn’t stop the sound that came out of me, and the mouth grinding down over mine was ravaging.
He was taking his time, and even though I couldn’t breathe, I didn’t care.
When he pulled back, I leaned with him, trying to keep my lips on his.
“What were you thinking?” he asked into the side of my neck, gently biting me before he pushed me out of the elevator. “Why would you ever be jealous of anybody?”
“Who said I was jealous?” I asked over my shoulder, getting out the key for our room.
He scoffed. “Please. I know you.”
At the door I turned and looked at him, up into the smoky-blue eyes of the man I loved. “You like her.”
“She’s fun,” he agreed. “She’s smart and nice, and she’s got a great laugh.”
If one enjoyed the sound of hyenas. It was a bit too Discovery Channel for me.
“And let’s face it…she’s beautiful. She—don’t gimme the look, J. She is, you know she is. You’ve been looking at her all weekend.”
I grunted. All my friends were prettier.
“But—will you look at me, please?” He was chuckling now, obviously enjoying my hatred of the woman, amused to no end.
I returned my gaze to his as his fingers slid over my jaw, tipping my head up. “I like you better. In fact, I like you best. More than anyone else.”
His statements were always so simple and always so perfect.
“Don’t be stupid,” he grumbled, snatching the plastic card from me to open the door and shove me inside our room.
“Quit pushing me around,” I snapped at him.
His snort of laughter made me smile in spite of myself. I loved it when he manhandled me, and we both knew it. I turned to him as he stepped in front of me, his hands on my face.
“Stop trying to pick a fight with me; there’s no reason to. You know you never have to worry. You’re it for me.”
And the way he said it, so matter-of-fact, like I was just so annoying, was better than any long-winded declaration he could have ever made. The truth was, the sun shone, the rain fell, and Sam Kage loved me. Doubting him or worrying about his feelings was a stupid waste of time.
“Kiss me.” His voice was soft and coaxing.
I smiled and heard his breath catch as my lips touched his.
“I love you.”
And I knew that, of course.