Do Not Disturb (22 page)

Annabelle had greeted her with a huge smile when Talia had knocked on the door to Jared’s apartment at ten this morning. Kate was already there. Jared had been banished to Ty’s apartment across the hall.

They’d run over a few last-minute details while Kate helped Annabelle into the gorgeous, candy-pink lace dress Kate had made for her for the brunch. Since the stylist wouldn’t arrive until three—which Talia had double-checked with a phone call this morning—to do her hair and makeup, she’d left it down, auburn curls so pretty against the pink.

Kate wore lace as well, but her dress was an understated ruby red that looked amazing against her pale skin and dark hair.

Annabelle had seemed remarkably calm. Excited but not hyper. Some brides she’d worked with had to be medicated to make it through the day without collapsing in a puddle of nerves.

Not Annabelle. She seemed to be taking it all in stride.

After making sure everything was on track there, Talia had knocked on Tyler’s door across the hall. Ty had given her an apologetic smile when he’d waved her in. She hadn’t understood why until she’d talked to Jared, half-dressed and pacing in front of the window.

She’d never seen Jared nervous or otherwise ruffled, and she hadn’t quite known what to do with him. She’d attempted to reason him down but that just made Tyler laugh as he steered her toward the door.

“He’ll be fine,” Tyler had said. “Trust me. Even if I have to stuff his head under a cold shower for a few minutes, he’ll be fine.”

Rolling her eyes, she’d said, “Just make sure he’s not in his tux when you do it.”

Ty had bowed, his amusement with his brother clearly visible. “I wouldn’t dare.”

Now that brunch was over, she wanted to plunge back into making sure everything was set for the six p.m. start of the wedding.

She’d almost made it out of the dining room without complication when she felt Dane brush her elbow with his fingers. She knew it was him just by his touch.

“Tally.”

Her mouth dried at the caress in his voice and the pet name he usually only called her in the bedroom. And even though she knew she should smile and continue on her way, she stopped.

“Hi.”

His smile was totally worth it. “Hey. Everything was great.”

And the praise in his voice made her smile widen. “Thank you. But I’ve got a lot more to do so . . .”

“I know. I just want to remind you that I want a dance and I don’t want any excuses.”

She wrinkled her nose at him but she was charmed. “Bossy.”

His gaze heated. “You like that about me.”

Yes, she did. But there was no use in letting it go to his head. “I’ll see you later.”

And she headed back out into the whirl.

She went to the atrium, where she checked everything she could possibly check, to the kitchen to make sure no problems had come up while she’d been at brunch, back to the atrium, where the floral designer was making last-minute adjustments and the trio playing the service was setting up. After that it was into the banquet room directly off the atrium, where she checked in with the band playing after dinner. She stopped at the back of the room, closed her eyes then let herself simply look.

And couldn’t see anything glaringly wrong.

Good. That was good.

Then she looked at her watch.

“Shit.”

She only had five minutes to get back upstairs to Annabelle before the hairstylist arrived. And the photographer should be here any minute as well.

Annabelle hadn’t wanted every second of the day documented, but she had wanted the photographer with her and her bridesmaids while they were getting ready.

Minutes later, hairstylist, makeup stylist, and photographer in tow, Talia knocked on the apartment door.

“Oh, yay! You’re back.”

Dressed in a white silk robe that matched the ones Talia had gotten for Kate and Annabelle, Sabrina grabbed Talia’s arm and practically yanked her through the door, waving the other women in behind her.

“What’s wrong? Did something happen?”

She looked around but didn’t see Kate or Annabelle.

“No, no, nothing’s wrong,” Sabrina said. “We were just missing you. If I ever get married, I’m having your assistant run everything the day of the wedding, and you will take the day off to enjoy being a bridesmaid.”

With a sigh of relief, Talia shook her head at Sabrina. “That’ll be a good trick, considering I don’t have an assistant. Where’s Annabelle and Kate?”

“Oh, you will soon enough. You’re going to have more work than you can handle by yourself after everyone starts talking about this wedding.”

“Yes, well, let’s not get ahead of ourselves, now. Annabelle. Where is she?”

“Oh, she’s in the bedroom. Kate made her put her feet up for a while so she can dance all night.”

Which Talia had suggested to Kate just before she’d left the brunch.

“Then she needs to get her ass out of bed.”

Sabrina laughed and, from the bedroom, Talia heard Kate snort and Annabelle giggle.

Clapping her hands, she turned Sabrina toward the bedroom and gave her a pat on the ass.

“Let’s get this show on the road, people. Shit’s about to get real.”

***

“Are you really this worried? What the fuck’s wrong with you?”

Forty-five minutes before the wedding, they were waiting for the photographer to get there to take some pictures before they headed downstairs for the ceremony.

Jed shrugged as he continued to wear down the carpet in Ty’s living room.

Jed’s nervous energy had started to make Dane wish he’d forced some whiskey down the guy’s throat before they’d donned their wedding suits. They’d all bought custom-made matching tuxedos for the occasion, but Jed kept fiddling with his coat like it didn’t fit right.

Which it did, of course.

“I’m fine. I just want to get started. All this buildup is fucking with my head.”

“All what buildup? Are you seriously getting cold feet?”

Jed looked at him sideways, disgust in the twist of his lips. “Of course not. I’m just . . . Forget it. It’s stupid.”

“What’s stupid?”

Jed shook his head. “Nothing. Forget I said anything.”

“Jared.” Dane put his hand on his best friend’s arm, causing Jed to stop. “What’s stupid?’

Jared’s smile finally looked like himself. “Me.”

“Why?”

“Because I’m worried she won’t be there.”

Dane rolled his eyes. “Okay, yeah, you’re an idiot.”

Jed shook his head as Dane laughed at him. “I know, I know. Laugh it up, asshat. I’ll remember this when it’s your turn.”

Dane didn’t immediately deny that would ever happen like he normally did, but Jed was too distracted to notice.

“Jed, trust me. She’ll be there.”

Rolling his shoulders, Jed started to pace again. “I know she will. I also know I’m being an idiot. I also know I don’t know what I’d do if I lost her. I can’t imagine living without her.”

“And you won’t have to.” Ty came up behind Jed and bumped his shoulder against his brother’s. “She loves you, which makes you one lucky sonovabitch.”

The knock at the door made them all turn toward the entrance.

As Ty headed for the door, Jed turned to Dane.

“Thanks. For standing up with me today.”

Dane nodded, his smile easier now that Jed seemed to be a little steadier. “I wouldn’t be anywhere else.”

“All right, gentlemen.” The tiny redheaded photographer dressed completely in black hustled into the living room, one hand pulling Ty along with her. “Line up. On the couch.”

Fifteen minutes later, after being bossed around by a tyrant with a camera who must have taken at least a thousand shots, they were in the elevator heading down to the atrium for the ceremony.

As soon as they stepped out of the cage, they were met by a smiling Talia.

Though her focus was on Jed, she did meet Dane’s eyes for a quick moment, giving him a smile that threatened to give him an erection. And now really wasn’t the time.

Talia disappeared again after issuing strict instructions on exactly where to stand.

The next half hour flew by in a blur and, in no time, he found himself standing in a line with Jed and Ty next to the judge. He’d had a few seconds to take in the beauty of the atrium, and then the musicians began playing “The Wedding March.”

Belle began her walk down the aisle.

The smile on her face radiated joy, and Dane snuck a glance at Jed, who finally seemed to have lost his nerves. His confident grin probably inspired several women in the audience to sigh.

And the vision Belle made probably had a few of the guys calling Jed one lucky SOB. Which he was.

When Belle finally took Jed’s hand and they turned to face the judge, Dane had a quick second to look for Talia.

He found her slipping into the end of the second row on the left, her gaze glued to Belle.

Beautiful. Absolutely beautiful.

His.

“Oh, my god, Talia. You outdid yourself today. You deserve a bottle of champagne all for yourself and that’s exactly what I’m going to get you. Ty, honey, Talia needs her own bottle. Stat.”

Draped across Ty’s lap, Kate was feeling no pain.

The clock had just struck ten p.m., and Talia’s last official duty for the wedding had passed. The band would play for another hour as Annabelle and Jared made their final rounds, saying thank you and good night to their guests.

Then the newlyweds would head back upstairs to their room before leaving tomorrow morning for two weeks in Italy.

Sitting next to Dane at the head table, Talia finally released the breath she felt like she’d been holding for the past thirteen hours.

Smiling at her friend, she nodded her head. “You know what? I think I’m going to take you up on that. Although I will share. If you’re nice.”

Kate shook her head, eyes closing for a moment. “I know I’ve had more than enough already. Nope, you earned it, it’s all yours. Ty, baby, make it so.”

“Yeah, Ty, be the man. Do as your woman tells you.”

Greg’s jab produced no response from Ty except the middle finger of his right hand pointed in his direction. With his other hand, he signaled for one of the waiters.

Everyone at the table laughed, Talia included.

Kate’s compliment, though, made her all warm and fuzzy inside and she’d barely had anything but water to drink.

But by god, she deserved that champagne now.

The ceremony had been beautiful and everything had gone like clockwork. Sure, there’d been a few near-misses. But if she was honest, those had been minor compared to other wedding disasters she’d had to correct.

She wanted to take a victory lap around the dance floor but she didn’t want to move.

No, that wasn’t true. She wanted that dance Dane had promised her.

And now was the perfect time because the band had started a slow song.

But before she could get the words out of her mouth, Dane stood and held his hand out to her.

“You owe me a dance. The champagne will still be here when you get back.”

“Well, most of it anyway.” Sabrina gave her an impish grin.

Taking Dane’s hand, she let him pull her to her feet, which immediately protested.

“Hang on. I’ve been sitting too long.” Kicking off her shoes, she sighed again. “Much better.”

“And here I thought you were the Bionic Woman, able to leap tall buildings in a single bound and spend an entire twenty-four hours in four-inch heels.” Kate winked. “My illusions are crushed.”

“Yeah, and so are you, sweetheart.” Ty covered her mouth with his and kissed her so hard and so long, a few people actually stopped and stared. “Come on, dance with me before you can’t stand.”

Laughing, Talia allowed Dane to tug her onto the dance floor.

“Hey, I’m not crushed,” Kate claimed in a haughty tone. “I’m slightly smashed. There’s a difference.”

More laughter from behind them but the second Dane took her into his arms, she was aware of nothing else.

Oh, she still heard the music, was aware of the other couples on the floor. None of it mattered.

Only the fact that Dane held her in his arms and danced with her in slow circles, as if he’d realized she was too tired for more than that.

Sitting down for those few minutes had allowed the fatigue to kick in. She’d been running on adrenaline all day and she was afraid she was going to crash as soon as she hit the bed.

And she totally didn’t want to do that.

She wanted him. Slow and easy. Hard and fast. Didn’t matter. She had this insatiable hunger for him that ate her up inside.

And there went those warning bells again. Which she totally ignored.

Without her heels, the top of her head barely reached his chin so she couldn’t wrap her arms around his neck. She settled for laying her head on his chest, wrapping one hand around his neck, and laying the other on his shoulder.

He had his hands splayed across her back in total possession, keeping her tight against him.

Heat radiated from him, sinking deep into her body, making her crave more. His naked skin against hers. Her breasts pressed to his chest. His cock thrusting between her thighs.

Apparently, she wasn’t too tired to be horny.

She wanted to leave now, but she always stayed until the band packed up and left. Usually, they were turning the lights out when she walked out the door.

So she let him sway her around in this little circle.

“I think I’m lucky I booked you for the company retreat when I did.” Dane finally broke the silence surrounding them. “I have a feeling you’re going to be busy in the coming week.”

She smiled, rubbing her cheek against the fine material of his shirt. He’d lost the coat a couple of hours ago.

“I did get a few business cards slipped into my hand today, but we’ll have to wait to see what happens.”

“You did a great job.”

Amazing how just a few words from the right man could make her smile even more as her eyes welled with tears.

It had to be the adrenaline leaching out of her system.

“Thank you. I hate to say this, but I’m glad it’s over. Of course, tomorrow’s Monday and I’ve got another event later this week, and the guy I’m working for is a real taskmaster.”

Dane laughed, a short, hard bark that widened her smile.

“Yeah, well, this taskmaster is about to order you back to your room for some sleep. You’re practically dead on your feet.”

He wanted to take care of her. Damn, the man was sweet.

“As soon as the band plays the last song, I’m out of here. But not until then.”

She didn’t know how long they danced after that, but they were still on the floor when the band finally announced the last song. It could’ve been an hour. Could have been ten minutes. She had no idea.

She only knew, the second the music stopped, Dane was hustling her back to the table.

Everyone else had gone and Dane stopped to grab her shoes and bag and his coat. With his arm wrapped around her shoulders, he steered her through the lobby toward the elevator.

Dane stopped to shake hands at a larger group, introducing her by name and making sure to announce that she’d been the wedding planner.

All of the women complimented her on a lovely event, and one woman who said her daughter was planning a January wedding asked for a card, which Talia gave her.

And then they were alone, staring at each other as they leaned on opposite walls.

When the doors opened, Dane swept her into his arms and carried her down the hall to her room.

She should have protested. She was perfectly capable of walking. But . . . she liked it. She’d allowed no other man to treat her the way Dane did. As if she was his.

For tonight . . . she was.

He didn’t bother with lights when he opened the door. He must have left a light on this morning because a soft glow illuminated the front room. Enough for him to navigate.

He didn’t stop until they reached the bedroom, even though she’d started to kiss her way up his neck.

Nibbling kisses that must have stung because she couldn’t keep from using her teeth on him.

The desire she’d been suppressing all day began to surge, making her heart race and her lungs strain for air.

Sinking her fingers into his hair, she tugged on the strands until he dipped his head and sealed their lips together, taking her breath away.

She couldn’t get enough of him. His taste, the feel of his hands on her body, the sense that he wanted to devour her. Only her.

That he wanted only her. It was a heady feeling and she couldn’t be bothered to care right now that that was dangerous territory.

Right now, she only wanted to have him.

Laying her on the bed, he came down on top of her, covering her completely. She reveled in the sensation of being surrounded by him for several seconds until he rolled. Now she was on top of him, their lips still pressed together, tongues entwined, breathing the same air.

His hands roamed up and down her body and on his last downward stroke, he caught the zipper at her back and pulled it down.

Cool air brushed against her bare back. She hadn’t worn a bra because she hadn’t needed one with this dress, and she couldn’t wait to shed every scrap of clothing and roll around on this bed naked with him.

But Dane didn’t seem to be in any big hurry. He stroked her skin through the opening of the zipper, making her shiver and moan. His fingers spread heat that tingled through her, stoking the blaze already firing through her.

Wriggling her hips against his, she wanted to hear him as she rubbed against his thickening cock.

He rewarded her with a groan, his hands tight on her hips. In the next second, she found herself on her back again, smiling up at him as he sat back on his heels.

“Don’t move.” He stripped off his shirt as she watched, and she was pretty sure he’d practically torn a button off it while he did.

She had no trouble obeying his order as he got rid of his clothes until he finally stood by the side of the bed after discarding his pants.

Naked. So beautifully masculine.

“Your turn now.”

She smiled up at him, though she could barely breathe at the lust chiseled into the lines of his face.

Slowly sitting up, she let the dress fall from her shoulders and down her arms. Keeping her gaze locked to his, she got it over her hips then handed it to him, leaving her in a tiny pair of bikinis and thigh high stockings.

“I like those.” He put one knee on the bed and touched a finger to the lace trim on her stockings. “Keep them.”

“So bossy.”

One side of his mouth kicked up. “Yeah. And you like it.”

She did. Maybe a little too much.

Shaking the thought out of her head, she pushed herself up onto her knees. “I think you should stop talking and start making me come.”

He lifted one hand to cup her breast and squeezed, making her suck in a deep breath. “It’s not gonna be that fast and easy tonight, sweetheart.”

“I certainly hope not.”

He caught her nipple between his thumb and forefinger and squeezed until she shuddered with pleasure. “I fucking love your mouth.”

Lifting his other hand to cup her jaw, he ran his thumb along her lips, his eyes narrowing when she flicked her tongue at the tip.

“Then lie back and let me use it for something other than talking.”

His chest expanded as he drew in a deep breath and she put her hands over his pecs, feeling his tight nipples press into her palms.

He stared down at her for several seconds before he threw himself on his back, hands behind his head.

“Suck me, babe.”

There was no grin on his face now, only lust, and her chest tightened. There was a demand in his voice she hadn’t heard before. One that backed up to the edge of a cliff.

He was ordering her to do something to him. There was no hint of a question.

And she had no second thoughts about giving him what he wanted.

Without hesitation, she leaned over and sucked his cock into her mouth.

She took him down as fast as she could, no tease, no build up.

His grunt of approval and the hand he shoved into her hair to hold her to him made her pussy ache. And made her suck him harder.

She worked him with her mouth, sucking him deep then pulling up until only the tip remained. She used her tongue to tease the slit, feeling his hand tighten in her hair until she could barely move.

When she did, the burn on her scalp made her moan.

As she took him back down, she felt his free hand slide down her back to her ass, smoothing against the skin before he lifted away.

And returning with a smack that made her shiver in reaction and swallow around him.

“Fuck. Yes.” His hand returned to stroke her ass again but this time, he slid a finger between her cheeks until he found her tight entrance.

She’d never had anal sex, and right now, with his finger circling that tight pucker, it was the only thing she wanted in the world.

For him to own her completely.

“You like that. Good. Because I’m taking that ass tonight.”

She shivered, taking him even deeper and swallowing.

“God damn, Tally.”

She had no other warning. In a flash, she found herself flat on her stomach with a pillow shoved under her hips.

“I’m only going to ask one question.”

His voice sounded so calm, but she knew beneath it, there was so much command. Her bones went limp and her hands latched onto the bed frame in front of her unconsciously.

“Have you ever had a man take your ass before?”

She sucked in a deep breath. “No.”

“Good answer.” He ran a hand from her right hip to her thigh, a hard caress. “Only gonna ask once. Yes?”

“Yes.”

“Thank you.”

She felt him press his lips to the base of her spine then he shifted around. She heard the bedside table drawer open and close, then he was back with his knees on either side of her thighs.

When he put his hands on her back, her eyes closed. For the next few minutes, he ran his hands along every inch of skin he could touch. Kneading, massaging, making her feel boneless and weightless. And so turned on she could barely breathe.

When every inch of her was sensitized and she felt ready to vibrate out of her skin, he shifted again, rearranging the two of them until his knees were spreading her thighs apart.

Cool air rushed against her burning pussy, which he quickly covered with his hand. His middle finger pressed against her clit and she moaned as if on cue. Flicking the little nub until she squirmed beneath him, panting, Dane pulled his hand back and pressed one long, thick finger inside her pussy and fucked her with it.

She tried to cry out in relief but all that emerged was a moan. Her fingers tightened around the slats in the headboard until they hurt, but she didn’t release them. Not even when he stroked the exact spot inside that made her come.

“Yes, that’s good, baby. Come for me.”

He continued to thrust his fingers inside her for several more long seconds but before he withdrew, she felt something cool and slick dribble between her cheeks.