Sam shot the pitcher a look that could hurl daggers. Startled by his friend’s overt jealousy, Brian quickly took the hint, but he couldn’t stop the knowing grin that spread across his face. Sam Tremont was falling fast and hard for a woman.
Harry chuckled as he watched his sister amble toward the three of them. He hadn’t caught the look that signaled Sam’s intense interest in Gwenyth so he said what was on his mind. “My sister has that effect on men. The interesting thing about it is that Gwen honestly doesn’t seem to notice.”
Sam couldn’t stop the spurt of possessiveness that rose up from Harry’s words. “What do you mean she has that effect on men?” he bellowed.
Shocked by his burst of temper, Harry’s head snapped around to regard Sam. Sam took a deep breath when he realized Harry had guessed his proclivity right on the money. He could see it in his old pal’s eyes. The man might be a bit of a prude, but he was hardly stupid. Sam had never met a more intelligent guy than Harry Jones.
Harry’s eyes narrowed dangerously. “Are you sleeping with her?” he gritted out.
Sam shuffled on his feet and blew out another breath.
“Sweet Jesus, I don’t believe it!” Harry fumed in a heated whisper, not wanting a reporter to overhear their conversation. “Some best friend you turned out to be!” he hissed.
“Now wait a minute, Harry!—”
“No,youwait a minute!” Harry ran an agitated hand through his tawny hair so much the color of Gwenyth’s. “That woman over there happens to be my sister, Sam. My sister! She’s not some goddamn groupie you can just fuck and cast aside!”
Sam’s teeth clenched. He wanted to yell at the top of his lungs, as angry as he was that Harry could believe he’d ever do that to Gwen. But no matter how pissed off Harry was making him, he’d never jeopardize his friend’s chances of going to Capitol Hill. “I assure you that where Gwen is concerned my intentions couldn’t be more honorable.”
That sentence alone caused Brian’s eyes to widen and took the sails right out of Harry’s steam. Neither of them had ever heard Sam say something like that about another woman. Not ever. Not even regarding Stacy.
“Are you serious, Sam?” Harry asked softly. “You plan to marry Gwen?”
“Yes!” Sam stated emphatically. And the more he thought on it, the more he knew the statement was true. So what if they’d only been reunited for less than a week? He and Gwen had known each other for over twenty-one years. “Just as soon as I can get Cupcake to say yes,” he qualified somewhat sheepishly.
Harry and Brian both laughed at that. Harry clapped him on the back. “In that case, you’re forgiven.” He raised his eyebrows in a teasing gesture of mockery. “And good luck with Gwen.”
Sam grumbled something unintelligible along the lines ofthanks, I’ll need it.
Across the room, Gwenyth was morosely aware of the fact that the closer she got to Sam, the faster her heart began beating. And he looked oh so fine in his tux, so sophisticated and polished. As the memories of their heated lovemaking rose to the forefront of her brain, Gwenyth’s cheeks flushed ever so slightly. She turned to Candy for moral support, but then remembered that her best friend had gone off to the ladies room “to tinkle” as Candy had so eloquently phrased it.
Gwenyth apprehensively bit into her lip. She’d have to approach the trio of men alone. The two fair-haired men, including the one she didn’t recognize, didn’t frighten her in the least. But the dark-haired, sinfully sexy one in the middle certainly did.
Good grief. That flight to LA couldn’t begin boarding soon enough.
As Gwenyth drew closer, she smiled warmly at the three handsome men, leaning up to kiss her brother’s cheek once she stood before him. “Congratulations Harry. This evening is wonderful already.”
Harry smiled lovingly down at her. “Thanks for putting off the Vantrys long enough to be here, Gwen. It means a lot to me.”
Gwenyth nodded then turned her gaze toward Sam. There was something belligerent about his appearance tonight that reeked of danger, of possessiveness. He smiled down at her, but the gesture didn’t quite make it to his eyes. “You look beautiful tonight, Cupcake.”
Gwenyth could feel herself blushing. She’d never gotten embarrassed when Sam called her by his pet name for her in the past, but now that they had been sexual together, the name seemed to take on a more intimate meaning. “Thank you, Sam. You look pretty handsome yourself.”
Sam inclined his head, then motioned to the stranger standing beside him. “Gwen, I’d like you to meet a good friend of mine. This is Brian Goodman. He’s the starting pitcher for the New England Crusaders. Brian, this is Gwenyth Jones.”
Brian held out his large, callused hand and grasped Gwenyth’s smaller one in it. He gallantly raised her hand to his lips and kissed it sweetly. “A pleasure to meet you, Gwenyth.”
Gwenyth grinned, already disarmed by the charming, handsome man. “Likewise. And please, call me Gwen.”
Sam’s eyes narrowed into menacing slits. Gwen only let people she liked call her by the shortened version of her name. Unable to control the primitive need to publicly brand Gwen as his own, Sam wrapped his well-muscled arm around her shoulder in a gesture of unmistakable territorialism. “Are you hungry, honey? It’s almost time to eat.”
Gwenyth’s eyebrows flew up in surprise. Sam was all but declaring them a couple before her brother. She glanced nervously at Harry, but saw nothing condemning in his expression. In fact, he looked rather pleased. “Yes, I am a bit hungry,” she stammered out. “But we have to wait for Candy before we take our seats. She should be back any moment now.”
Sam caressed the nape of Gwenyth’s neck in a way any outsider would have taken as a symbol of normal affection for a girlfriend. Harry and Brian knew better. They realized it for the possessive action it was. “Whatever you want, Cupcake.”
Sam’s jealous.
That thought, as ludicrous as it would have seemed to Gwenyth only a few short days ago, now seemed the highly probable answer. The skittish side of her nature rebelled at the possibility that Sam was publicly staking claim to her. The romantic, hopeful side of her nature was giddy with excitement about it.
