I forced my attention elsewhere, but it didn’t stay there for long. The moment I actually looked at him properly, I realized what I had been trying not to notice.
The light copper linen shirt he was wearing brought out the blue in his eyes more than usual.
His khaki jacket sat perfectly across his shoulders, the fabric shifting naturally when he moved, and the cut of his trousers did nothing to distract from the strength in his legs.
My gaze slipped briefly before I caught myself and looked away again.
“You look nice,” I said.
One corner of his mouth lifted. “Only just noticed?”
Heat rose straight to my face. His grin widened, clearly pleased, and then he let his attention drift away from me toward the rest of the house.
Blue hydrangeas filled oversized arrangements along the hallway and spilled into visible reception spaces beyond.
Blue ribbons had been woven along railings, and pale blue linens covered tables set just out of sight through the open doors leading toward the back of the estate.
“You know,” Dane said thoughtfully, “if this were our wedding…”
I blinked. “Our?”
“Or mine. Whatever.”
That somehow made it worse than it should have.
“I’d use less blue.”
I stared at him. “That’s your complaint?”
“There are at least seven different shades going on out here,” he said, completely serious.
“It’s a beach wedding.”
“Exactly.” He leaned in slightly then, just enough that I could feel the warmth of his breath near my ear. “Blue? At a beach wedding? They’re really taking risks.”
The sound that came out of me wasn’t quite a proper laugh, but I hoped it passed for one anyway.
Thankfully, a familiar face emerged from the crowd.
Glen spotted us almost immediately, his face lighting up the moment he did. He intercepted a passing waiter, plucked two champagne flutes from the tray, and made a direct line toward us.
“Seth.”
His gaze shifted between me and Dane as he handed us the glasses, then narrowed as if something had only just occurred to him.
“Wait a second. Why aren’t you wearing one of the suits I brought you?”
I nearly choked on my champagne. Beside me, I could feel Dane’s attention sharpen in a way that was entirely too focused on my answer.
“It was a little big,” I said, recovering quickly. “And honestly, I didn’t feel that comfortable in it.”
Dane slid an arm around my waist. He was really getting good at that. “What he’s wearing now suits him better.”
I became acutely aware of the weight of his hand at my side. Glen’s eyes flicked down, and I felt Dane’s fingers tighten just slightly, subtle enough that no one else would notice, but enough that I did.
I chose to ignore whatever was going on between them, looking instead for any sign of Gabby in the crowd.
She was coming out from the direction of the kitchen, talking over her shoulder to a woman carrying a clipboard and what looked like three separate seating charts.
