“You okay?” She squeezed my hand lightly, bringing me out of my recollections.
“Yeah.” Stuffing my phone into the Eighteenth-century reticule, Aunt Sarah’s mother had loaned me to match the dress, I rolled the drawstring over my wrist.
“Come on.” Aunt Sarah guided me to the top of the stairs. “I’m going down ahead of you, so I can take some photos of you descending the stairs, okay?” At my nod, she left me there.
I could hear Dad and Jim chatting then laugh at Alan’s meek reply. Turning my head, I glanced at a photo of Mom on the wall. We’d taken it at Christmas. Dressed in an oversized red sweater with Rudolph the reindeer embroidered on the front, she was throwing a kiss as the camera clicked.
“I made it, Mom. Shay and Dad did a good job raising me, didn’t they?” I twirled for her, laughing. “Love you.” I blew her a kiss as I heard Aunt Sarah call for me to descend.
I was halfway down the stairs, posing for Aunt Sarah and Dad’s cameras, when the front door opened, and Griffin walked in. Shocked, my legs gave way to an unsuspecting tremble, and I grasped the banister to keep from falling forward. If he was here, then that meant...I let the hope deflate before it spiraled into something I’d be hard-pressed to hide.
Catching sight of me, he froze mid-step. Then he let out a low whistle. “Damn, you’re all grown up, aren’t you, baby girl.” He winked, moving away to greet his father and Dad.
My breath was already stuck in my throat, anticipation coagulating in my stomach as I heard his footsteps on the deck outside before he appeared.
Shay.
He paused in the doorway and in a slow appraisal starting at my heels, his eyes dragged upward to finally meet mine. One dark brow rose in that cocky way I loved, and I was certain he liked what he saw before his lips parted in a slow smile, deepening that lone dimple. It took everything I had, not to swoon.
A year away had changed him. His body-fitting white t-shirt and dark jeans wrapped around muscles that looked bigger, thicker. Tattoos now covered his entire right hand while the head of a dragon curled around his left bicep, peeked out from under his sleeve. His dark hair, thick and shiny had grown and although still short on the sides and the back, the top was longer with several locks falling over his brow, giving his eyes a sleepily sexy look. Move over Sean O’Pry.
God, why was he so handsome? Worse, why was he my brother?
Normally, I would’ve flown down the stairs and vaulted into his arms, but my reluctance now was two-fold. The high-heels and evening dress wasn’t cut out for flinging my body anywhere. Second, I wasn’t sure how my body would react if he touched me right now. That foreign sensation I’d felt the time I saw him naked, flooded my body in droves. Conscious of the heated flush to my skin and the need for air, I descended the last few stairs with an elegance I didn’t feel.
At the bottom I was suddenly unsure how to act, as Shay dropped his duffle and neared me. “You made it,” I said, nerves making me sound breathless.
“Did you think I’d forget?” He tilted his head to one side, studying my expression and I silently prayed he couldn’t read the lust skating my insides.
“You were gone so long, I thought you weren’t coming back,” I mumbled, not wanting to bring up the reason why he’d stayed away in the first place.
“I’ll always come back, no matter what. Just for you.” He dragged his knuckles down my cheek, a whisper of a touch I almost didn’t feel. “Have I ever missed an important day in your life?”
My heart clenched along with my stomach. Without thinking, my tongue peeked out to run across my bottom lip, and I was sure his eyes widened just before his hand dropped to his side.
“I can’t take my eyes off you, Blue.” Slowly, he shook his head, his expression one of disbelief and my insides melted, my heartbeat an unsteady rhythm. “You look beautiful, so perfect.” Was I imagining the hoarse breathlessness in his voice? “Can I hug you or would it ruin your dress?” his teasing was accompanied by a devilish smirk.
Guess I imagined it.
Forcing back my anxiety, I laughed. “You can.”
He grasped me in a familiar hug that now seemed to suffocate me. Regardless, I held on, loving his warmth and the intoxicating scent of his minty aftershave mixed with his woodsy cologne. On the brink of closing my eyes to savor the moment, I snagged Grandma’s unimpressed expression over Shay’s shoulder, and it stifled the little air I managed to inhale. Almost like she could see into my very soul, opening the files to the disgusting thoughts I held for Shay.
“You’re going to be late, Skye,” she said, stepping closer.
Startled by the ferocity of her stare, I pulled back, catching Shay’s frown as I did. He opened his mouth to say something but Alan moving into my periphery had Shay turning to look at him.
“Your Grandma’s right, Skye, you ready to go?” he asked.
I glanced between him and Shay. In school, Alan outshone most of the guys when it came to looks and build. Next to Shay, he didn’t even rank a close second, third or fourth for that matter. I didn’t think he ever would.
“What’s your name, boy?” Shay towered over him and Alan visibly cowered. Griffin coming up behind him, didn’t aid the situation much.
Alan shrank. “Al...Alan.” A sudden sheen of sweat beaded his upper lip.
I bit the inside of my cheek to keep from laughing out loud then came to his rescue. “Stop frightening my date, you two.”
“I’m not frightened,” Alan immediately reproached.
