Kit and Ivy: A Red Team Wedding Novella (5 page)

She drew back and looked up at him. “And now, about our other issue. You’re not going to do this again, right? You’re not going to make unilateral decisions for us about things that are optional.”

“This wasn’t optional.”

“We disagree on that. But now that I see how important it is to you, I’ll make it as important to me. But in the future—”

“In the future, for all things that pertain to us personally, I agree we’ll make joint decisions on them. You have my word.”
 

Ivy sighed and leaned against him again. After a minute, she looked up at him and smiled. “So how was it talking to my dad, really?”

Kit grinned. “I used one of Owen’s men to deliver the invitation. They’re coming out on Owen’s jet with a couple more men for the weekend.”

Ivy laughed. “Oh my God. I would have loved to have been there.”

“I talked to your dad on the phone afterwards. He and I are likely to have words. But we both made it clear that you, Casey, and your mom are to be treated like gold.”

“Kit.” Ivy shook her head. “This will definitely be a wedding to remember.”

“I love you, Iv. I hope we can find a way to make this work with your parents.”

Ivy felt fresh tears on her cheeks. Kit deserved this and much more. But there were only so many teeth a person could have kicked out, and her parents had kicked out all of hers and Casey’s. She’d be damned if she let them hurt Kit. She had no illusions for how her parents would behave or the prospects of their being a part of their lives in a healthy way. “I’ll do my best, Kit, to build that bridge. You have my word on that.” She thought of another issue her parents’ arrival caused. “What about the sheriff? He was going to walk me down the aisle…”

“I’ll talk to him. If things go south with your folks, we’ll still need him to do that. Don’t worry. He’s a cool guy. He’ll understand.”

Glass clinked as Kit pulled a bottle of beer out of the fridge. The girls were having their bachelorette party tonight. In the billiards room. The guys had wanted to take him out, but he didn’t want to go. With Ivy’s parents coming in tomorrow, he didn’t want to be hung over. Besides, Mandy had planned a formal dinner for Ivy and him and the whole team, and Casey was being allowed to attend it, too.
 

His sister had been running around like a crazy person, getting things ready for tonight. The girls had been secretive and giggly all day. Greer had turned off the cameras and mics in the billiards room—and locked the guys out from turning them back on. None of them knew what the hell was happening in there. He sipped his beer, wondering what dirty things were planned for the adult portion of the night. Greer was absolutely tight-lipped about it. The only thing he’d divulge was that they’d kept within protocol. Which meant they’d gotten any incoming entertainment approved. Or…hell, they were using
Val
to keep things in-house.

Blade and Rocco came into the living room. Blade grabbed a beer; Rocco had his sweet tea. When they sat near him, Kit sent them a pained glare. Blade grinned. “You look like someone’s been pulling your short hairs.”

Rocco didn’t smile. His somber gaze settled on Kit. “You sure about all this? Getting married?”

“It’s the one thing I’m absolutely certain of. How about you? Things with my sis going okay?”

“They are.”

He caught Rocco’s stillness and frowned. “You gonna give her your name soon?”

Rocco made a face. “I did that once. Totally fucked someone’s life.”

“That wasn’t a real marriage,” Kit countered.

“It was to her.”

“Yeah? Then why’d she try to kill your ass? And Zavi, too?”

Blade held up a hand as his gaze sliced toward Kit. “Not tonight. Tonight’s for mischief. Rocco doesn’t need to rush into anything. Unlike you, pining for Ivy since I met you.”

Rocco ignored that attempted redirection. “Has Mandy said something to you?”

“No. She’s happy, man. Happier than I’ve ever seen. You’re good for her. And I think she’s good for you.” He sipped his beer. “I got a favor to ask you guys.”

“Anything,” Blade answered without hesitation.

“Help me contain Val tonight. I gotta tie him up and lock him in somewhere.”

“Too bad my old cage is gone. Finally have a legit use for it.”

Kit was surprised Blade could joke about something that still haunted him. He set his bottle down on the coffee table and stood up. “Let’s go.”

“Where?” Rocco asked.

“Have a talk with Val.”

They went upstairs and down the hallway. They passed Fiona’s and Eden’s rooms. They were together in Fee’s room—the men could hear laughter as they went past. Kit shared a look with the others, his mood becoming almost as dour as Rocco’s. In the southern wing, he knocked on Val’s door. There was movement inside the room. After a minute, the door opened.

Val stood there shirtless in low-rise jeans. Jesus, the guy was ripped. “’Sup?” Val asked.

Kit pushed inside his room. Rocco and Blade followed him, closing the door behind them. Clothes were tossed all over the bed as if the pretty boy couldn’t pick just one outfit. “Goin’ somewhere?” Kit asked as he plopped himself down on Val’s bed, on top of the clothes, and leaned against the headboard.

“Yeah. Your bachelor party. Hold on. Let me finish getting dressed.” Going over to his dresser, he picked up a black bow tie and fastened it around his neck. “I’m ready.”

“What the hell, Val? Why would you do something like that? I don’t want to look at you,” Kit snarled.

Val grinned. “We’re crashing the girls’ gig.”

“No, we’re not.” Rocco tucked his hands under his armpits and spread his legs.

“Oh yes we are. They have
costumes
.”

“What kind of costumes?” Kit asked.

“No idea. They picked them out when we went shopping. Somebody”—he gave Kit the evil eye—“wouldn’t let me in the dressing rooms. Didn’t you see what Ivy brought home?”

“No. She put her stuff in my old room and wouldn’t let me go in there.”

“How about you guys?” Val asked the other two.

Rocco and Blade looked at each other. “No.”

“And you call yourselves Red Teamers. You’re a disgrace to the unit.”

Blade grinned. “So what’s the plan?”

Val held up a couple decks of cards. “We lie low until things heat up. When they send Casey out, we’ll know things are about to get serious. We let ’em drink, get rowdy. Then we crash it, when their resistance is down and they need some testosterone.”

“Just one problem with that plan. Have you talked to Greer?” Kit asked.

“No.”

“Then how do you know they don’t have the testosterone end of things covered with a few hired strippers?”

“That ain’t happening,” Rocco growled.

Kit’s glare went his way. “What do you think all the giggling’s about?”

“It’s cool.” Blade’s smile wasn’t quite a smile. “The only way in for their entertainment’s through the front door. And us.”
 

“So we wait.” Kit got off the bed. He picked up a black tee shirt and tossed it toward Val. “And cover up. I don’t need to see man-nips all night.”

Val pulled the tee on. Kit frowned when he saw that it didn’t quite hit the waistband of his low jeans, leaving a thin strip of skin to showcase his obliques. He slipped on a pair of flip-flops then held his hands out to show he was ready.

“Lose the bow,” Kit ordered.

Val pulled it off and slipped it into a pocket. “We could have brought in our own strippers and spared ourselves the torture of deprivation—and the need to crash their party, you know.”
 

“Who needs strippers when we’ve got the real deal?” Blade asked as he opened the door.

“One-third of the team is taken care of, but the other two-thirds aren’t. And you’re not sharing. Would it hurt you to at least let me get—or give—a lap dance?”

“Nope. Wouldn’t hurt me a bit.” Kit smiled. “But it would kill you.”

* * *

Kit looked up when Greer’s phone rang. The girls had been moving back and forth down the hall, lowering their conversations to hushed whispers when they passed in front of the living room. Kathy and Dennis had blocked off the dining room after lunch, moving the two large screens in front of the wide entrance into the living room. Dinner was being served later than usual. Kathy was feeding Zavi in the kitchen and Dennis was going to babysit him until Rocco and Mandy went to bed.
 

“Copy that,” Greer said, then hung up. The entire team was in the living room. Greer’s call hadn’t come from one of the guys.
 

“What’s doin’, Greer?” Kit asked.

“Nothing.” He set his beer down then tapped something on his phone, dimming the lights in the living room. “We got incoming.”

“Incoming what?” Owen asked.

“Women.”

Kit narrowed his eyes. “What kind of women?”
 

“From the eighteenth century, I’d say. And, before you kick my ass, all protocols were followed. Just for the record.”

The screens were pulled back from the dining room, revealing the long table shimmering in a white damask tablecloth with gold and white dishes, lit candelabras, pastel flower bouquets. Kit looked at Blade, wondering where the hell the fancy dishes came from. Blade just shrugged.

He heard a growing commotion in the hallway. When he looked that way, women were spilling into the room, lots of them, dressed in uber short, poofy skirts, laced-up bodices, thigh-high stockings, high heels. They wore tall white wigs that made Marge Simpson’s hair look tame. And ornate masks. He couldn’t tell who was who at first—nine of them and one very small woman. The little one came and stood in front of him, grinning up at him.
 

Casey.
 

In that absurd getup, she looked older than her twelve years, though, granted, her heels weren’t as high, nor her skirt as short as the adult women, who were now weaving their way among the men. Kit searched the room for Ivy, trying to calm his rage. Trying not to look at the rich array of breasts mounded above tight bustiers or the flashes of bare thighs exposed by the short skirts and thigh-high stockings.
 

Two women touched him and laughed, leaning against him before flitting away. His body was tightening. He could feel himself hardening at just the thought that one of these women was his Ivy. He looked around the room at the other guys, seeing they were all standing like wary statues. Except for Val, who was grinning like a child on Christmas morning. As Kit watched, he wrapped an arm around Greer’s neck and kissed his face. “I freaking love you, man.”

“Don’t thank me. This was all the girls’ idea.” Greer looked over at Kit. “I just followed the protocol.”

The fucking protocol needed an update.

“Isn’t it fun, Dad? It was so hard to keep it a secret from you.”

“I don’t like secrets, Casey.”

“But you like this one.”

Before he could answer, Ivy was there. He knew her first by scent, then by the feel of her arm in his, the heat of her body. “Case—go grab a Coke from the bar,” he said, sending her away so that he could speak with Ivy. “She’s a kid, Iv.”

“Yes. She is. And she’ll head to her room after supper. She has a couple of movies to watch.”

He looked around the room. “Who are these women?”

“Mandy, Eden, and Fiona, plus a few friends who were excited to spend an evening with your single teammates. After supper, we’ll leave you in peace and head down to the billiards room.” He wasn’t happy. She gave him that look. He could see it even through the mask. “Kit, it’s a masquerade, not an orgy. Chill.”

He looked down at the soft mounds of her breasts. He didn’t want to chill. He wanted her on his lap, wanted to watch her eyes through that mask while he slipped inside of her, wanted to bang her in that ridiculous outfit—

“I put some cherries in my Coke. Is that okay, Dad?” Casey asked as she rejoined them. Kit blinked down at her, but couldn’t find the words to answer her.

“It’s fine, sweetheart,” Ivy answered for him. “I see Kathy waving us in to dinner. Let’s go have a seat.”

Kit caught Ivy up against him before she’d taken a step. “You’re staying in that outfit after your party, feel me?”

She drew a long breath through red-painted lips. “Oh, I do. Did I tell you I’m not wearing anything under this?” she asked in a whisper.

He pulled her in tighter and bent to kiss her bare shoulder. “Fuck dinner,” he growled against her skin. “I can’t even move after seeing you in this.”

She laughed and pushed against him. “We’ve guests. Behave.”

Kit took his designated seat at the full dining table. Casey sat between him and Ivy. The women were vivacious, filling the room with the soft sounds of their voices and laughter. Kelan, Rocco, and Blade were quiet and often unable to tear their eyes from their women. Greer, Val, and Angel were charming the hell out of the women nearest them. Max was absent—Kit hoped he’d be able to make it back for the wedding. Owen was his usual somber self, but Kit didn’t miss his brooding glances down the table…toward Selena. Kit wondered if Owen was second-guessing bringing her onto the team.
 

When the meal was over, the group lingered in the living room. The girls were congregating around Val, Angel, and Greer. Eden and Fiona were with their guys and Owen at the bar. Rocco retrieved Zavi from the kitchen and took him over to kiss Mandy good night.
 

“Case—Zavi and I are going to watch some movies, want to join us?” Rocco asked.

“Sure. What movies did you get? I have some, too.”
 

He called off a few titles from movie franchises Kit didn’t recognize.
 

“I’m picking the first movie,” Zavi said.

“Okay. I’ll pick the second one.” Casey gave Kit a hug, then kissed Ivy. “I wish I could stay with you, Mom.”

“I know. But it’s grown-up time. I’ll tell you all about it in the morning—but not too early! I might need to sleep in tomorrow. Good night, sweetheart.”

Kit looked over at Rocco, silently reminding him they had plans for the night.
 

“Thought I’d give Dennis a break. I’ll be back after they crash,” Rocco told him as he lifted Zavi to his shoulders.