If I had any reservations about Ollie settling in with the group and having any problems, they dwindled away with each passing moment. She had the ranch hands all but eating out of her palms, and had a get-the-job-done attitude that I seriously appreciated. Between her and Dotty, I didn’t know which one was more bossy. But they were so effective that within an hour we were ahead of schedule. Enough so, that I felt comfortable enough to go inside and have my hair and makeup done.
My heart fluttered asI walked through the backyard, getting my first look at everything finally finished. Thiswas always my favorite moment of an event. The few quiet minutes before all the guests came in, where I got to simply soak up all of the magic I’d helped create.
The flower arch and arrangements had turned out beautiful—a mixture of blushes and rusty reds, with pops of mustard yellow and burnt orange here and there. All of the details—subtle rustic nods with the whiskey barrels, the western stitching on the napkins, the rope accents and wrought-iron touches—couldn’t have come together more beautifully. Georgette had been an evil bitch, but at least something good came out of her wedding.
“You out here, darlin’?”
I shivered at the sound of Hux’s deep, silky voice, and turned to take him in.
Holy God, he looked good. The cream colored suit jacket against the soft, sage green of his long sleeve shirt was the perfect combination to go with the light wash of his Wranglers. His hair was slicked back underneath a straw hat.
“I am,” I said, making my way over to him.
Some of my pre-event nerves eased as I placed a hand on his chest and melted into his touch. I think I had the same effect on him as he had on me. He inhaled deeply, some of the lines of his face softening. “You smell nice,” he said, pulling me tighter against his chest.
Pushing up on tiptoe, I smiled and kissed him. “So do you. And you look great. I like this color combo on you.”
His head cocked to the side and he stilled beneath my touch. “What color is it?”
“Your jacket is cream-colored and the shirt is a light sage.”
He huffed a soft laugh. “I thought I was wearing black.”
It was probably rude of me, but I couldn’t help but laugh. “Hux, I don’t think I’ve ever seen you in black other than the firsttime I met you. And even then, I’m pretty positive it was like a navy color.”
He shook his head, pulling his hat off to spear a hand through his hair before righting it once more. “Mama had one job…”
“What do you mean?” I asked, running a hand over his heart.
“Since the accident, Mama gets my clothes for me. I told her to just get me black so I wouldn’t have to worry about not realizing if I’m matching or not.” He chuckled.
I pushed up on tiptoe once more and kissed him. “Well, your mom has impeccable taste. I have been so impressed with the outfit choices you always make.”
One of his arms wrapped around me as he kissed me back, while the other slid down the soft satin of my dress, sparking little embers of desire to life along my flesh. “And what are you wearin’ tonight, darlin’?” he murmured, his hand drifting down to cup the curve of my ass.
God, he was being a tease tonight. I found myself leaning further into the embrace.
“My dress is like a dark blueish-green. Kinda like my eyes, if I’m being honest. It has a really low back and the straps form this, like, crisscrossed, braided pattern.”
His calloused hands slid up, up, up before scraping against the skin of my back. “Mmm, sounds nice.”
I laughed. “That’s only part of it. The way the front fits…well, it makes my tits look really nice.”
The deep rumble of laughter that erupted from his chest had me melting under his touch. “Is that so?” he asked, even as his hands slid up my waist, creeping up toward my breasts.
“Behave,” I warned, even though the words came out a bit breathless.
He captured my mouth in his, kissing me so deeply that for a moment I forgot where we were or what we were doing. Nothing mattered, nothing existed, except him and I.
It was a preview. A promise of what was to come.
Hux broke the kiss first, though he kept his arms caged around me—thank God. My legs had officially turned to jello. “Behavin’ is the last thing I wanna do with you right now, Quinn.”
I bit back a grin, trying to force air into my lungs while willing my heart to stop hammering in my chest. The way he affected me, so quickly and thoroughly with just the simplest touch would never cease to amaze me.
“How would that look, you and I hooking up on one of the tables when all of these people come walking in?” I asked.
He chuckled, brushing his fingers through my hair. “It would make headlines, that’s for sure.” I laughed and he pressed a kiss to the tip of my nose. “Alright, fine. I’ll behave.” Hux grabbed my hand. “Tell me what everything looks like. I wanna have an idea in my head.”
