Callum cuts his eyes in the rearview at me.
“Lizzy!” A blush tinges my cheeks.
“Everlee, I’m just kidding,” she says louder than necessary while shaking her head no. She holds out both her fists, sticking her index and middle finger out and pointing them at her face. “Mouth yoga,” she whispers, then freezes.
My gaze follows hers, and standing out front of Bo’s is a handsome man waiting for his bride to be. Tony is wearing a dark blue suit over a cream-colored shirt, with a light pink rose tucked in his front pocket. His straight back and unwavering legs are a stark contrast to his busy hands in front of him. While they may be clasped, his thumbs are rubbing feverishly on each hand. If I was Lizzy, I may call out that he looks like a bundle of nerves because that is one of her favorite things to read in books, but I’m not. Obviously, because I’m much more mature, I laugh at myself.
When Callum pulls up front to drop us off, we climb out of the car and Lizzy grabs Tony’s hand to give it a squeeze. Pushing past her own nerves and excitement, she is trying to calm him down.
They are perfectly matched. In both their strength and bond, as well as their attire.
If this is any indication of how their wedding is going to be, then we’re in for a beautiful and over the top treat and I can’t be more excited.
Callum walks around the front of the car and hands the valet his key before holding out his arm for me to take. “Such the gentleman,” I mumble, casting him a side eye. On the streets, because he sure as shit isn’t one in the sheets. A memory of Callum pressing me up against a wall and taking me from behind last night flashes through my head, causing a heat to race across my skin.
He turns and gives me a devilish grin, almost like he knows what I’m thinking. “We’re going to have to do something about your wardrobe.”
“If you think for one second, you can dictate what I wear, or don’t wear, you have another thing coming buddy.”
His other hand crosses his body and lays gently, but authoritatively, on mine. “Underwear. It’s a simple thing.”
“That gets in the way and leaves lines. And this dress is tight.”
“Trust me. I know how tight your dress is,” he growls, and a heat vibrates through me. “Are you wearing anything under your pants?” I retort.
“This isn’t about me.”
“Answer the question, Callum,” I command defiantly.
He stops and turns to look at me, his face inches from mine, his eyes narrow and squinted like he’s fighting with himself. “No.”
“You…” Another flush sweeps across my skin. Mother's ass! I should have brought two dresses because I’m a hot mess. A hot, moist mess!
Lizzy calls over her shoulder, “I’m going to need you two to stop fucking for a few hours so I can have my party. I know. I’m a selfish bitch, but really, I’m looking out for my vagina. And when I say my vagina, I mean the one between Everlee’s legs.”
I laugh, and Callum is left speechless. It’s rare that happens, but Lizzy has figured it out and has a knack for keeping him off balance. Keeping them all off balance. Emmett and Knox usually fall right in with her, but Jax and Callum… clams. Lips shut and eyes wide open in shock. Probably not an actual clam, but I’m envisioning some cartoon version with gigantic blinking eyes dangling off its shell.
Tony opens the door and the smell of fresh bread wafts through, swirling around us.
“Everlee,” the doorman nods with a slight smile. He’s probably closer to his seventies and has short salt and pepper hair, which stands out in contrast to his dark brown skin. His eyes are brown and hold a tinge of cloudiness behind them, but they always sparkle when he smiles.
“Fredrick.” I nod and smile back. I make it a point to greet him every time I come here, which lately has been at least once a week, during the guy’s Monday meetings.
“Your party is upstairs waiting for you, Ms. Lizzy.”
“Thank you, kind sir,” Lizzy says with an English accent, tipping her invisible hat.
Another thing she does when she’s nervous. She talks with random accents, sometimes mixing several into one sentence. One time, I forget what we were doing, she went from a deep southern country twang to Russian and then Italian. And then my favorite time was in college when she gave her entire senior thesis presentation with a French accent.
She’s never been to France.
Or studied French.
But one of the panel members she was presenting to was. So that was super awkward. She apologized several times throughout the presentation and would try to correct, but would eventually go back to the accent.
Fredrick looks at me with a furrowed brow and I just nod. He also knows Lizzy by name, since she’s in here probably more than me, talking to Emmett about the reception and wedding catering.
The wedding is still a year away, not exactly sure of the date, but that’s not stopping her.
