A black Humvee limo pulled up, much to the excitement of the few people left at the wedding. Hannah looked shocked as well. “What did you do, Auggie?” she asked with a laugh, leaning over to kiss his cheek.
August smiled, eyeing their friends. “I knew these fools were going to decorate our truck, and I couldn’t have that cramping our style, baby.”
Anjali hollered, “Seriously? Aw, that’s no fun at all. What about the photos of you guys driving away with soup cans on strings in the back?”
“Soup cans on strings in the back I can handle.” August shook his head. “It’s the smeared Oreos and shaving cream I refuse to deal with right now.”
“My husband is brilliant,” Hannah said after kissing him again. “Baby, take me away.” She giggled as he tugged her close and placed a few soft, slow kisses on the top of her shoulder before the driver opened their door.
Mabel appeared at Zane’s elbow, the moonlight shining on her gleaming blonde hair.
“Zane?” she said quietly. “It’s my turn to steal you away from a wedding once they’re gone. Don’t you think?” She squeezed both hands around his elbows, tugging at them playfully.
It was too dark to read her expression fully, but something about her demeanor boded well. The dip of her chin and the slight wobble to her voice were like a magnet to his soul.
Yes. Zane did think he would like to be stolen away from anything as long as it was Mabel doing the stealing.
Chapter 11
Mabel let go of Zane’s arms and watched as Hannah attempted to climb in the enormous Humvee in her hoop-skirt gown. Sleeveless, with a classic sweetheart neckline, and in a lush, creamy brocade, her gown had knocked the socks off everyone in attendance. But now, it was proving difficult to jump up into the vehicle in the thing.
It was okay that it was taking a while. Mabel had made a move on Zane, sort of. It was her first one in over a decade and a half, and now she was frozen at the possibilities. Had she really just said she wanted to steal him away? It was a good thing that they could now be distracted by Hannah’s attempts at getting into the vehicle.
“I didn’t think through our getaway, did I?” Hannah joked, and the onlookers laughed.
“You had other far more important things on your mind, huh?” Weston asked in a snarky voice, and the group laughed even more.
“Guilty as charged.” Hannah held up a hand and then turned again to August for help.
He reached down and hiked her skirts up to above her knees, bending the wire lining so that they all shifted to one side. “You just need to Scarlett O’Hara it, baby,” he said in his low, gravely voice.
“Well, it kind of is a Scarlett O’Hara house.” Hannah’s mom motioned with her hand and then pulled Hannah’s little brother closer to her.
The wedding had been perfect—exactly what the romantic-at-heart Hannah had wanted. They’d all even survived the celebrities who had swarmed the premises, complete with their own security teams and assistants.
A lump grew in Mabel’s throat. Dang it. She wasn’t going to cry. Again. But they looked so adorably happy together. Besides, the longer it took for Hannah to get in the limo, the more time Mabel would have to gather her thoughts. Why she’d said that to Zane was beyond her, and she needed to think this through for a minute.
It was just that the thought of him leaving the wedding before really talking with him had filled her with white-hot dread.
The limo finally drove away, and Zane turned to her, a slow, cautious smile forming. He bent to whisper in her ear. “I’m yours for the taking, Mabel Joan.”
Oh. My. Word. She couldn’t even with the way he smelled and the way he’d tickled her hair away from her skin as he spoke in her ear.
She wanted desperately to flirt back, but all she could manage was a little smile. She spun on her heels and charged up the walkway in front of the Bailey mansion, stopping only to glance back at him and step out of her shoes. She laughed when Zane bent to pick them up.
Mabel held her hand out. “I got those.”
“Just go.” Still holding her shoes, he motioned to the massive front door. “Let’s snag a couple of drinks in here first, and then we’ll go wander.”
He looked behind him, and Mabel felt the same hesitation. If the KNO people saw them leaving together, they would be questioned, teased, and whatever else.
Carefully, and satisfied no one was looking in their direction, they pushed through the door, into the grand entry, and then around to the kitchen, squeezing past catering staff as they went.
“Water for me, please.” Mabel was tired, and the buzz in her toes and the rest of her needed liquid. Liquid and Zane.
Zane grabbed two water bottles from the fridge and caught her hand when they heard voices approaching the kitchen. She dodged a caterer and stepped in front of him. By the time they reached the backyard, they’d broken into almost a run.
He didn’t let go of her hand. They were trying the friendship thing, and that was better to her than nothing. But she’d keep holding his hand if he let her.
