My Ex-Boyfriend's Wedding (16 page)

Dalton darted around the counter, stomping toward Jemma with his jaw set and fists clenched at his side. "Are you guys happy now?" He pushed into the group, spinning to evil-eye each person. "This," he spat, spreading his arms wide, "is the only place in the whole city that would hire me, and you got me fired." He turned toward Kate, inching forward until his nose almost touched hers. "I'm taking you to court and emptying your daddy's bank accounts. If
he
can make it impossible for me to work, then
you
can pay me alimony."

Kate's spine straightened, adding height to her tiny five-foot frame, but she didn't back away. "We didn't even consummate the marriage afterward, so how do you plan on getting alimony?"

"Hmm, let's see?" He stroked an imaginary beard; his eyes squinted in over-exaggerated thought. "You were pregnant with my baby when we got married, so prove that we
didn't
consummate the marriage. I've already told you that I won't sign an annulment, and this just seals the deal on the whole alimony case." A malicious look devoured his face. "I'm not going to have to work another day in my life." He released a enthusiastic laugh as he strutted away.

Kate's shoulders slumped when he finally disappeared out the doors, and she shook her head in defeat. "How am I going to prove we didn't have sex after the wedding? The burden of proof will be on me once he files the appeal. The baby I lost,
his
baby, will be the first evidence he'll bring up, no doubt." A single tear made a slow trail down her cheek.

Jemma wiped the renegade droplet from her face. "I think I have just what the doctor ordered." She reached into her purse and pulled out a USB drive. "I've kept this here for just such an emergency. I was actually beginning to lose hope that I'd ever be able to use it against him."

Kate's brow crinkled in confusion. "What is it?"

"
This
is the answer to all of your Dalton problems. On this little zip drive is a picture I took of Stacy and him in the hall during your wedding reception. I believe that she's attempting to suck the lips off his face."

Kate threw herself into Jemma's arms and squeezed her in a surprisingly solid hug.

It must be a family thing.

Jemma pushed her to arms length and curled the drive into her hand. "It's all yours now. I don't need it anymore. Just promise me you'll nail his ass to the wall." She waggled a brow. "You might not want to tell him about this until you're in court. The element of surprise would be so wonderful and give him less of a chance to explain it away. I just wish I could see the look on his smug, pompous, holier-than-thou face."

"Well, you did take the picture." Revenge contorted Kate's soft features into a lopsided sneer. "So, you'd probably have to testify. Are you up for that?"

"Wow." Jemma fanned her face and clutched the collar of her dress in mock excitement. "I thought you'd never ask."

Kate and Jemma plotted revenge as they walked out to the car. Sliding into the seat next to Tony, everything seemed right with the world. Peace, for the first time in a very long time, enveloped her during the ride back.

Tony opened her door and held a hand out for her and didn't let go even after she was standing next to him.

Jemma's mom caught sight of them as they walked toward her, still hand-in-hand. She bounced up and down, erratically waving her arms about like one of those plastic inflatables in front of a store's grand opening. Squealing, she bellowed, "Oh, my baby got her man back!"

Over and over.

Jemma skidded to a stop. Mortified, she turned rounded eyes to Tony before clamping them shut. Silently, she prayed for a hole in the ground to open and swallow her.

It didn't happen.

Instead, when she opened her eyes, her mother was standing in front of her.

"Oh, honey." Throwing her arms around Jemma, she continued bouncing on a smaller scale in an attempt to share her excitement.

That didn't happen either.

"What's the matter?" she stopped and pushed her daughter back to arm's length. "Aren't you happy, too?"

"Mom, I'm ecstatic. Please calm down. Now," she begged quietly.

Tony avoided her pleading gaze, snickering to himself.

Jemma stomped over to her father and took Penny's leash from him, so she would have an excuse to wander off into the trees alone.

But, Tony followed close behind. "What? It was funny. I don't know that I've ever seen such a deep shade of red on anyone before, and your expression was priceless. You know you would have laughed if the shoe were on the other foot."

Jemma groaned. "I could never imagine your mother screaming 'my baby got his woman back'." She continued on her trek at a heated pace, Penny pulling hard at her lead.

"I'll have you know, my mother has embarrassed me many times."

"Yeah, well, I wasn't there to laugh at you then, was I?"

He grabbed at her arm. "Slow down."

Jemma shrugged away. "Hey, talk to the dog. She's leading this expedition."

She mentally willed Penny on so she didn't have to face Tony just yet. Anger and awkwardness boiled to a head over a silly little embarrassing instance, and she wasn't quite sure why. Penny made an abrupt stop to sniff at a tree, and Tony bumped into Jemma's back. He wrapped her in a bear hug to keep from plowing her over.

"Whoa. When she decides to stop, she makes it happen," Tony murmured into Jemma's ear.

The familiar feel of his embrace melted away the turmoil.

Tony spun her toward him. "Jemma, I'm so very sorry for everything, even for laughing when you were embarrassed. Can we get past what happened? Can I ever make it up to you?"

She blinked up at him, studying his handsome features, reveling in the feel of his hands nestled in the small of her back. She grabbed the front of his T-shirt and pulled him closer. So close, she could smell the mint of his gum. "You can start by kissing me."

"That's a tough request," he growled. His lips inched closer to hers.

The sensual hum of his words echoed through her.

Penny took off after a squirrel and nearly yanked Jemma's arm from the socket, burning her palm as the leash scraped from her hand.

"Ouch!" She turned and watched the dog run back toward the picnic table and her father.

"Would you like to walk for a bit?" Tony asked, waggling a brow and bobbing his head in the opposite direction.

"Walk, huh?" She gazed down the path through the thickening woods and remembered all of the times she and Mikey had blazed new trails.
The cave.
"Okay, I'm game."

Hand-in-hand, they wandered farther into the wooded area, with Jemma guiding the way. They came upon a small, shallow cave. It was just where she'd remembered, though her pre-pubescent memories portrayed it a bit larger.

Tony stopped as she tried to tug him through the opening. "That doesn't look safe."

"Trust me?"

Two little words should not have caused such somber looks and inner turmoil, but they did. It wasn't the sketchy looking cave or anything either of them did. It was Dalton and all of his lies.

Tony's hand traced the side of her face, stopping to cup her chin, tilting it upward. His gaze scanned her face, settling on her eyes, reaching clear through to her soul. "I will do whatever it takes to make this up to you, to erase the hurt still lingering in your eyes, to regain your trust, to convince you…" His hands dropped to his sides, and he leaned against the cave, staring off into the trees.

Jemma shifted herself into his line of sight. "Of what?"

He pulled her into his arms, his head lilting to the side, and whispered, "That I'm falling for you. These past weeks have been hell."

"Me, too," she breathed.

A single brow arched. "The falling or the hell?"

She nodded. "Yes."

His mouth seized hers in a kiss brimming with need and passion. Jemma's heart swelled with hope again, while the rest of her filled with want.

She pulled away, but just enough to speak, and nodded toward the opening. "I promise; it's bigger on the inside."

"Huh, so basically, we are about to enter the TARDIS of caves."

Jemma couldn't contain her enthusiasm. "
Casablanca
and
Doctor Who
? Wow."  

He backed through the opening, pulling her along with him. "Do I want to know how you became aware of this little gem?" He glanced around the cool, dimly lit cave but never let go of her.

She swatted him lightly on the chest. "Mikey and I played here when we were little. It took Mom and Dad over an hour to find us one time. We were grounded for…" Jemma squinted in thought before realizing an actual time range didn't really matter with a willing hunk of a man standing in front of her. "Forever, or so it seemed."

"So, do you suppose they're looking for us now?"

"Really? Did you not just see my mother's reaction? I'd imagine she's built a barricade, guarding it with her life in hopes that we are, well, you know,
reconciling
." Her fingers made air quotes.

"We don't want to let your mother down, then," he growled. 

His lips found hers again, and he pushed her against the cool, smooth stone wall. The fingers of one hand danced along her spine, stopping at the small of her back. He bunched the fabric of her dress, the hem rising with each knead. He slid his other hand beneath the shortened edge, his fingers exploring the back of her thigh, sliding across her bare bottom until discovering the string of her thong. With a seductive nip on her bottom lip, he pulled away ever so slightly, his shadowed face softened with passion. He released a low growl and skimmed his thumb under the lace, pulling her hips to his. His other hand reached around and pulled her up off of the ground. Animal instinct took over as his lips again claimed hers. Jemma wrapped her legs around his waist, her shoes dropping from her feet, slapping against the rock floor.

Jemma sucked in her breath, dropping head back against the wall with a frustrated groan. "I doubt the cave has a condom machine."

"Don't worry. I've got it covered."

"You carry them?" Her response came out a bit more accusatory than she'd planned.

"I'm a guy."

She opened her mouth for a snide 'typical male' retort, but he slipped a finger to her lips.

"A responsible guy. I keep one tucked in my wallet for just such an emergency."

"And these emergencies happen often?" She knew she was fishing but didn't much care. If he wasn't holding her against the wall, she might've even flounced a bit.

 "Not nearly as often as I'd like." Chuckling, he continued, "But don't worry; it hasn't been in there so long it'll fall apart either."

"Well, aren't you a regular Boy Scout."

Tangling his fingers in her hair, he gently tugged her head backward. "You talk too much," he purred as he captured her lips with his.

The space between them blurred, passion swaying them both, and they became one. No one else existed but them; time seemed to freeze. Satisfying the only need that mattered right then, they forged a bond deeper than either expected.

"That was nothing short of amazing," Jemma purred as the world came back into focus.

Tony responded with a growl. "I'd have seconds if we had another condom."

"Well, you'll just have to return that Wilderness Preparedness Badge." Laughter echoed in the small space. "We've been in here for over an hour. We should probably attempt an innocent return to the party, although I'm not sure I can wipe this smile off of my face." Jemma dropped her head onto his shoulder and nuzzled. "At least I am now positive there's nothing
littl
e about you, Ant'ny or not."

He slowly returned her to her feet, a proud grin of satisfaction and inflated ego curling his lips. "Can't we just wave as we jog by on our way to my car? I have a whole box at home."

She contemplated it for a moment but knew the teasing would be endless. She dug inside her small purse and produced a couple of fast food napkins, handing one to him so he could clean up. "It sounds like heaven, but we need to make an appearance." She shimmied out of her panties and tucked them in the side pocket.

 "Are you extremely adamant on torturing my very soul today? Now I get the pleasure of knowing that you have no panties on under your dress. Please refrain from bending over in front of me. I'd hate to clear the picnic table and take you right there in front of everyone."

"Hate?"

"You've been warned."

"I like knowing how much control I have over you today. This might be fun."

"Fun?" Tony followed her out of the cave and down the path toward the edge of the trees. "This is not my idea of fun. Fun is what we just did back there; fun is not sexually frustrating me while I'm wearing basketball shorts. That would be the complete opposite of fun, as I'd have no way to hide my
interest
in you, so to speak. Please behave yourself."

Jemma turned to face him, contemplating his dilemma. She noted the strong, pleading look in his eyes. "Oh, all right, I'll be good."

"Being good is not the issue at hand. I've experienced that. I need you to behave."

"Okay, that too."

It only took a few weeks for Dalton's alimony case to go to court. Partly because it held up the divorce proceedings and partly because Kate's dad pulled some strings to get a quick date. With the late summer heat of September almost unbearable, Jemma found few reasons, other than getting back into her photography business, to leave Tony's bedroom—and his king sized bed—since their picnic at the park.

Jemma walked up the large stone courthouse stairs after everyone else had entered the building. She was the surprise witness and didn't want to give her presence away to Dalton or his attorney. Butterflies danced in her stomach as she yanked open the heavy front door and walked into the enormous marble entry. She smoothed the skirt of her conservative gray business suit with one hand, while grasping the paper sack in a death grip with the other. She then clutched it to her chest as she wandered the hall, until she found the right room. Curiosity piqued, she pulled one of the courtroom doors open just enough to see and hear the proceedings.