Chapter One
Ava
April
“Sorry, was that your toe?”
I shook my head and bit back the words that hung like sharpened knives on the tip of my tongue. It was a wedding, a big celebratory family occasion and as much as I had enjoyed, and maybe shed a few tears, seeing my brother say his vows to his bride, my tolerance for fuckwits who were trying to cop a feel was wearing low.
“I’m a much better dancer if you turn round.”
Yes, so you can grind your cock into my ass mistakenly thinking it’s going to spellbind me into sleeping with you.“I think I’m going to take a break. These shoes are a nightmare.” I tried to flash a smile at some son of my parents’ friend who’d been brought as their plus one. His mother had smiled desperately when he’d offered me a drink and I’d heard the warning bells in my head that she was hoping she’d found her son – Bradley, I think - a potential wife.
“I’ll come sit with you. I’d like to get your thoughts on what area I should be looking at to buy a rental.” His hand was now on my hip.
If I had been in a bar or a club, or even at a function where my brother had not just committed himself to the most perfect woman for him, I’d have removed the hand from my hip and potentially from Bradley’s wrist too. But violence, so my mother had told me, was not on tonight’s agenda.
Another hand, this one firmer, touched my shoulder, causing my head to snap round. “Ava, I think your sister was looking for you.”
My smile this time was wider than the Cheshire cat from Alice in Wonderland and my sigh of relief nearly blew my saviour away. I knew for a fact that neither Payton nor Claire would be looking for me. Claire, my eldest sister, was heavily pregnant and had gone for a ‘lie down’ with her fiancé in their hotel room; Payton was currently having a drinking competition with her twin brother. “Thanks, Eli,” I said, my hand automatically moving to his arm. “Sorry, Bradley, I need to check on Claire.”
“No problem. Catch you later? I’d like to buy you a drink – maybe see if you’re free one evening next week.” Bradley’s eyes were too far south for anyone’s liking, apart from his. At least I’d got his name right.
I looked at Eli, hoping he could somehow read my mind and help me out of a situation that could end up being persistently irritating for the rest of the evening. The firm hand that had been on my shoulder transferred to my waist and I was pulled into his side. A possessive move. I let myself lean in a little and gave him a thankful look with a little extra eyelash fluttering for good measure.
Elijah Ward was a partner in my family’s law firm, Callaghan Green. He was the senior partner in my sister, Payton’s, commercial something department and was good friends with my three brothers who also worked there, one being today’s groom, Jackson. I was one of two Callaghan siblings who weren’t lawyers: instead I flipped houses and made them pretty, hence I had no idea about the department Eli worked in.
“I think we’re busy most nights this week. We have that meal with my sister on Wednesday.” He gave me an amused glance.
He was tall, almost a foot more than I was, which wasn’t difficult given that the women in my family were tiny.
“But thank you for the offer.”
Bradley’s jaw dropped. The urge to laugh was strong, but instead I focused on Eli, his dark pools of chocolate eyes and the six o’clock shadow that was grazing his jaw. “I’d forgotten about that. I’d better find out what Claire wants. Do you know where she is?”
We walked away from the dance floor, his hand on the small of my back, guiding me towards the courtyard outside that had been decorated with fairy lights and flowers.
“Thank you for saving me,” I said, the quietness outside almost unsettling with the party that was still going on.
“You mean you’re not coming to dinner with my sister on Wednesday?” Eli raised his hands in mock horror. “Damn.”
I laughed, sitting down on the bench, my feet genuinely aching. I would’ve abandoned the shoes by now, but my bridesmaid’s dress was long and I needed the extra height they gave my short-assed self.
Eli sat down next to me. “I would’ve ‘saved’ you sooner, but I wasn’t sure if it was needed.”
I wondered how long he’d been watching me for and why. I’d met him several times after work with my brothers and sisters when we’d gone for drinks. He was around my eldest brother’s age, nine or ten years older than me, and as far as I knew he was in a relationship, albeit a long distance one. His girlfriend had been out with us once or twice. She’d been pleasant - again, older than me, maybe older than him and very sensible. Payton and I had been on our fourth round of shots when she’d ordered water, giving us a knowing look that we’d thoroughly ignored.
“It was needed. He was about to get handsy,” I said, my own hands moving around, gesturing, which was how I usually knocked things over. “He’s the son of a friend of my parents and I think his mum was hoping he’d get lucky and find a rich wife. Or maybe even just a wife. Although I suspect he’d have been happy with a lay.” I winced. “I’d have dispatched him but I didn’t want to cause a scene.”
Eli chuckled, his face breaking out into a broad smile. “I almost feel sorry for him. He was looking at you as if you were all his Christmases rolled into one with a couple of Hanukahs too. Want to wait out here for a bit to give him time to move on? I could do with some fresh air.”
“You mean you want to get away from the madness inside?” I said, understanding how he felt. It had ended up being a big wedding reception after a smaller, more intimate service. Jackson and my brothers had looked horrendously handsome and Vanessa, my new sister, had been beautiful and excruciatingly happy. The day had been perfect - except for Bradley and his adventurous hands. But it had also been busy, the room now packed with colleagues, friends, old school chums and family connections such as Bradley and his mother, so I understood Eli’s desire to sit outside in the spring evening sun.
His laughter was deep and vibrated through me, waking up senses that had been dulled by alcohol.
“I could do with a break. How about I get us some drinks so you don’t have to fend off any more Bradleys?”
“Sounds perfect.” I stretched out my legs and figured I could get rid of the heels from hell. The bride and groom were too wrapped up in each other to notice that I’d disappeared, and given that alcohol was as plentiful as blood in most Callaghan veins right now, there was a good chance my siblings wouldn’t notice either.
