“Huh!” She spun around in front of me, bringing us both to an abrupt halt. Her eyes narrowed as she thrust an accusing finger in my face. “I know you were in charge of the accommodation for the families of the bride and groom. You put me and Connor in the room right beside yours on purpose. Admit it!”
“Do you and Connor have a problem being in the room next to mine?” I asked, all innocence and light. “There is a wall between us. It’s not like we’re sharing a suite. Neither of you even knew I was there until you came barging through the door and saw me. We could have gone through the whole wedding without realising we have access to each other’s rooms.” Okay, that part was a bald-faced lie. If they hadn’t discovered the unlocked door on their own, I would have found a way to reveal its existence. My plan to seduce them would never work if they had no idea how easy it would be for the three of us to cross the line, or in this case, the doorway.
“The adjoining door would have been locked when you checked in,” Gabi continued. “You got housekeeping to open it and I demand you get them to lock it again the second we get back.”
I lifted my face to the winter sun, enjoying the afternoon rays. “I quite like it the way it is,” I told her with a cheeky grin. “You never know who might drop in.”
“Oh, you are infuriating,” she screeched before spinning around to continue down the path. “Andwhywere you naked?”
Catching up to her with a few long strides, I put a hand to my chest in a show of dignified defiance. “I wasn’t naked. I was inmyroom, changingmyclothes. I thought it would be nice to show up at the chapel wearing something other than jeans and a t-shirt. You can’t blame me for interrupting your afternoon delight because you and Connor chose to sprawl yourselves all overmyfloor.”
“We did notchooseto sprawl ourselves on your floor,” she argued. “We fell.”
“Yes, I saw.” I lifted my eyebrows at her, all smiles. “It’s nice to see the two of you going all weak-kneed and starry-eyed over each other. I can relate, believe me.” The subtle heaving of her chest told me it was more than anger that had her agitated. I chose my next words carefully, wanting to keep the tone light but still strike while the Gabi was hot. “It’s that mouth of his, isn’t it?”
She startled like a stunned deer, her steps faltering. “Excuse me?”
“His lips,” I continued, slowing to match her new pace. “They’re like a feast waiting to be gorged on. I didn’t realise I could be turned on by a guy’s lips until I found myself wanting to take a bite out of Connor’s. And those eyes, fuck me, they used to lift me up so high I was in danger of asphyxiation.”
“Do you mind?” Gabi snapped. “Keep your eyes, and everything else, to yourself. Connor ismydate.”
“Believe me, I know he’s yours. He always has been, and now he’s got you, he won’t be letting go.” I paused for effect, before adding, “Especially if he knows about that thing you do.”
The words hung there between us as we neared the entrance to the chapel. Frank and Caroline were out the front, along with Mandy, Caroline’s flower girl, and both sets of parents. It wouldn’t be long before we lost the opportunity for private conversation.
Tutting in annoyance, Gabi stopped dead and glared at me. “What thing?”
The internal crowing was deafening, but I fought to stay cool and collected on the outside. “You see, Gabi, when you’re really enjoying yourself, you make this sound, quiet like, in the back of your throat. It’s like a keening, all breathy and hot. It’s how I knew when you were close to orgasm, back when we were together.” She breathed deeply, her body wound tight as she watched me. “We may not have had sex in the full meaning of the word, but we got pretty damned close, and I remember all of it.” I chanced taking a step closer, allowing my gaze to roam over her face. “When you get hot you are insanely gorgeous. No man in his right mind would let you go after getting a hit of that. Not if he had a choice.”
I hadn’t had a choice, of course. She’d broken up with me, and for good reason. I’d cheated on her with Connor. It hadn’t been my intention, and in the heat of the moment I’d lost sight of the betrayal, but the damage had been done, nonetheless.
For five years I’d tried to get over her, over both of them. Any progress I might have made fragmented the instant Gabi and Connor decided to parade their first date in front of me, knowing full well what it would do to me to see them together. Whether the date was real or a charade, their actions suggested they either hated me enough to be cruel, or they wanted me and didn’t know how to say it—to me, or to each other.
I knew only one thing for sure. If Gabi wanted me to back off, she’d have to stop looking at me like she did now. Like she wanted just a little bit more.
“Come on,” I said, taking her hand to tug her down the path. “If we’re late Frank will skin me alive.”
She huffed out an exasperated sigh but followed me anyway. “I suppose you are prettier with your skin on.”
* * *
By the time I made it back to the main building, the sun had set and it was almost time for dinner. Going over the details of the ceremony with Frank, Caroline and Mandy, had taken longer than expected. Gabi, and the others who had minor roles, had been able to leave much earlier.
Although I was already dressed for dinner, I couldn’t resist the urge to dash upstairs long enough to check on the status of the door linking my room to Gabi and Connor’s.
The knob turned easily in my hand. Unlocked.
Trying to keep the grin off my face, I headed back down to the bar, where Gabi and Connor were already mingling with the other early arrivals. While most of the wedding guests wouldn’t show up until tomorrow, both Frank and Caroline’s immediate families were there, along with Mandy and her boyfriend, the flower girl and her family, and a few of the happy couple’s close friends. It was enough people for a party, apparently, and already the alcohol flowed like a river.
Gabi had changed into a pair of slim navy pants and a red top that hugged her frame and showed a hint of cleavage. Connor wore tailored trousers and a perfectly fitted dress shirt that looked like it was made by some swanky designer label. The damned thing probably cost more than I made in a month. I could barely take my eyes off them as I made my way around the room, stopping now and then to talk with the other guests. Gabi became caught up in a conversation with Caroline’s father, and I saw Connor exchange a quick word with her before heading for the bar.
Following, I came to a stop beside him, unsure what to say. There were no good conversation openers when the end goal involved sharing a man’s date in bed, followed by sharing the man with the date.
I stood there, discarding various options, until Connor glanced at me sideways. “What are you drinking?”
“Huh?” My charm knew no bounds. He’d be putty in my hands before the night ended.
“You’re standing at a bar, Lawrence,” he said, gesturing to the many bottles of alcohol lining the shelves. “Either you’re here to continue staring at me with your mouth open, or you’re here for a drink. Which is it?”
