Whipped (8 page)

Chapter Eight

The wedding rehearsal was beautiful and heartbreaking. Tina stood at the front of the chapel next to the other bridesmaids, holding a bouquet of fake flowers as she watched Angie walk toward Cody at the altar.

But her attention was fixed on Dane, who she could see out of the corner of her eye. He was so handsome in his jeans and suit jacket. She couldn’t wait to get him out of them. They had to make it through the rehearsal and the rehearsal dinner first. And then, after, there would be dancing and dessert.

It would probably drag on for hours.

She gave a great sigh when the rehearsal ended and they were released by their captors for a brief recess before the torture of dinner would begin. It would be an intimate affair, just family and members of the wedding party, but it would be torture, because some genius had decided on assigned seating.

She shot a glare at Angie as the ladies made a run for the restrooms. Angie missed it.

Assigned seating was annoying because it meant she was paired with Ransom—who was nice enough—but Dane, who was the best man, would be paired with Holli, the maid of honor.

Holli was over the moon about it. “I’m so excited,” she squeed, as they rushed into the bathroom. It was surreal, standing there in a neat line, waiting for an open stall, holding plastic bouquets.

“I beg your pardon?” Tina responded, when Holli repeated herself and added a nudge.

“I say, I’m so excited. I get to sit next to Dane Coulter at dinner.
Ohmygod.
He is so hot, isn’t he? They’re all superhot, but Dane is the hottest.” She shivered. “So tall and muscley. And that steamy expression he always has? God. I bet he’s great in bed. How funny would it be if Angie married Cody and I married Dane? They’re best friends you know. Sisters and best friends…” She gushed a sigh.
Gushed
.

Tina tried not to snap her plastic bouquet in half. Or whack Holli in the head with it. She’d just met the woman. She seemed nice. Tina liked her. But at the moment she wanted to smack her.

Yes, Dane was superhot. Yes, he had a steamy expression—usually when he looked at
her
. But Tina didn’t want Holli, or anyone, drooling over him. Thinking about him in bed. Or in a cloak closet. Or anywhere.

She knew she didn’t own him. No one ever owned a man like Dane Coulter. And she had no business feeling all possessive. She had no business wanting to smack all the women who
looked
at him—and they all did—but she wanted to.

It didn’t get better at dinner.

Tina battled her way through rubber chicken, glaring at Holli and Dane across the table.

It revolted her, the way Holli was leaning into him, batting her lashes and giggling at everything he said. The way he was looking back at her,
talking
to her…disgusting.

Tina did the only logical thing a girl could do when the man she wanted was not giving her the attention she required. She fixed her focus on Ransom and winked. “So,” she said in her best Joe Peschi. “How you doin’?”

He choked on his wine, then cleared his throat. “I’m, ah, doing well. How have you been, Tina Marie? Long time, huh?” As a skinny teen with a squeaky voice, Ransom had been painfully shy around girls. Now that he was all filled out and had grown into a man, it was funny to find him just as bashful.

“Mmm hmm.” She sidled closer. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Dane’s head snap around. She was pretty sure she saw a glower too. “So what have you been up to, Ransom?” she cooed.

He stared at her lips. Swallowed heavily. “Well, I’m in the Army.”

“Oooh. Love a man in uniform.”

He ran a finger around the neck of his shirt. Across the table, Dane’s muscles bunched.

She patted Ransom’s hand. Let hers linger. “Where are you stationed?”

A flush crawled up his cheeks. Really? So hard to believe they were brothers. “I’m at Ft. Lewis, ma’am.”

“Get out.” She smacked his shoulder. “I live in Seattle. We’re practically neighbors.”

It wasn’t fair, flirting with him like this, but damn it all, Dane deserved it. She flicked a look at him. He was staring at her—glaring at her—despite Holli’s attempts to regain his attention.

She shot him a smirk as she picked up her glass, then fixed her attention on his brother again, taking the straw between her lips and taking a slow draw. “So tell me, Ransom. Tell me about all your manly adventures…”

Yeah. Not fair at all. Poor Ransom choked on his indrawn breath, but it had the desired effect. Dane pushed back his chair and launched to his feet.

Goddamn it. He’d had enough. Enough watching Tina talk to other men and flirt with his brother when he couldn’t even get close enough to say hello.

Enough of this shit.

The band was playing a fast dance, but Dane couldn’t wait. Couldn’t wait to hold her again. He sprang to his feet and rounded the table, thrusting out a hand. “Dance.” One word. It was all he could manage. And not an invitation. A command.

Tina’s smile set a fire in his gut. “I’d be delighted.” She shot an apologetic smile at Ransom, who nearly collapsed with relief, and she set her hand in his. Her palm was warm as he led her to the shadowed dance floor.

As though fates were on his side—
finally
—the song changed, something slow and sleepy. His mood lifted. He pulled her close.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and cuddled in, pressing into him from chest to groin. As she swayed to the music, she rubbed against him like a sultry siren. Her movements reminded him of last night, of her on top of him, riding him. His cock hardened. Her perfume surrounded him, blinded him. Lust rose higher.

His hands slipped down her body, skimming over her back, her hips. He cupped her ass and pulled her closer.

It was amazing, having her in his arms again. Having her plastered against him like this. “Ah, I missed you, Bambi,” he said.

Her lips curled. “I missed you too.” She stroked his nape and he shivered. “Today has been crazy. One thing after another.”

It had been. A welter of activity. Dane decided, if he ever married, he would elope.

But now…now they were together. And it was heaven.

Until she said, “Did you talk to him?”

Oh, hell.

Dane gulped. “Not yet.”

Her smile evaporated. Her face scrunched up. “What? Why not?”

“There wasn’t time.”

“Wasn’t time?”

“We were interrupted.”

“Damn it Dane!” She pulled out of his arms and flounced off the dance floor. He followed her, even though she pushed through the double doors into the lobby. The suddenness of the bright lights, after the intimate shadows, startled him. The lobby was crowded, bustling with activity. A herd of Japanese tourists formed a knot by the registration desk and a gaggle of gamblers strode by, on the hunt for a winning machine. Others meandered around, as though lost, gazing into store windows. Hardly the place for a private conversation.

Tina didn’t seem to notice. She whirled on him. “You were supposed to talk to him. Before tonight.” This last bit, she hissed.

“Talk to who?”

Dane flinched as Cody sidled up next to them. Apparently, he had followed them from the room. Dane glanced at his friend and flinched again. Shit. Cody was pissed about something. But Dane ignored him, focusing on Tina instead.

“I told you, there wasn’t time.”

“You had all day.”

“All day for what?” Cody’s voice was silky smooth.

Dane whirled on him. “Did you want something?”

“Yeah,” Cody snarled. “I wanted to know why you had your hands on my sister’s ass.”

“I…what?”

Tina grabbed Dane by the lapels and yanked his attention back to her. “All day. You couldn’t manage one little conversation?”

“Because they were right there.” Cody made a cupping motion. “On her ass. Right there. For everybody to see. And I do mean
everybody.
”

Dane glanced from one to the other, unsure who to address first. “It was—”

“All you had to say was, by the way Cody, I’m doin’ your sister—”

“What?”

“Are you cool with that? Because she sure as shit is.”

“For Christ sake. My sister? My innocent baby sister?”

“She’s not your innocent sister anymore.” This Dane shouted at Tina, not Cody. His gaze bored into hers. Hers bored right back. “She tied me up and rode me.”

“She
what
?” Cody squeaked. They both ignored him.

Tina glared at Dane. Poked him with a sharp finger. “You tied me up first.”

“He…what? He what?”

“Only because
you
wanted it,” Dane snapped.

“She…”

Tina bristled. “Only because you thought I was a hooker.”

“A hooker!” Cody thrust himself between them, though they were nearly nose to nose. “You thought my baby sister was a hooker?”

“You should have seen her,” Dane roared.

He didn’t expect the fist to the gut. Or maybe he did.

It was hard. Real hard. Dane slumped to his knees, the wind knocked out of him.

He really didn’t expect Tina to haul off and slug Cody. And then fall to her knees at his side. “Are you okay, baby?” she cooed. “Did he hurt you?”

“Did I hurt him?” Cody shook out his hand. “Did
I
hurt
him
?”

“I can’t believe you punched him.” She reached up and smacked her brother again for good measure.

“He called you a hooker.”

“He didn’t call me a hooker. He said he
thought
I was a hooker.”

“Is there a difference?”

Tina set her chin in a way Dane recognized. Cody would be smart to just shut up now. “There’s an enormous difference. Besides, Cody, I’d just come from the Smexy Photo Shoot. I was all dolled up. You all were expecting a hooker and he assumed it was me.”

Cody’s lips flapped. “
You’re. My. Sister.
”

“And what does that mean? I can never have a lover?”

“Not my best friend!”

“I can never have sex? Never have a man? A husband? Never have babies? Just because we once exited the same vagina?”

Cody cringed. “Don’t say that word. Don’t ever say that word. And that’s not what I mean. Tina, sweetie.” Now they were all on their knees. Dane could only imagine what the Japanese tourists thought about all this. But, apparently, it was photo-worthy. “You gotta understand. There’s a code. Guys do not fuck their best friend’s sister.”

She put out a lip. “Not even if she wants him to?”

“Especially then.” He slashed his hand through the air.

“What if they like each other? Really like each other?” This, she said more to Dane than to her interfering brother.

“What if they want to explore?” Dane said back.

“Explore?” Cody bristled. “Explore what?”

Tina pushed him away, leaning closer to Dane, her gaze snagged in his. “What if it’s more than like?”

Something caught in his throat. He tried to swallow around it. “What if it is?”

“What if they l-love each other?” she whispered.

“What if they do?”

Cody froze. His gaze skated from Tina to Dane. It must have been plain on Dane’s face—the pain, the need, the surrender. “Do you…Do you love her?” he asked.

“Yeah. I kinda do.” Dane shrugged. “Sorry bro.”

Tina sighed. She gazed at him as though he’d hung the stars. “You do?”

He wove his fingers through her hair and held her steady as he gazed down at her beautiful face, those glimmering eyes, that tweaked up nose, those sweet, red lips. “I do.”

“Do you love
him
?” Cody’s voice floated, as though from far away.

Dane held his breath as Tina studied him, her big doe eyes wide and clear. “Shit Cody, I’ve loved him since high school.”

“That wasn’t love,” Dane felt compelled to point out. “That was a crush.”

“Don’t tell me what love is, Dane Coulter. All I know is you’re the only man I ever wanted. No other man ever measured up to you and they never will. What we shared was amazing. Mind boggling. Transformative—”

“Okay. Okay. Yeah. We get it.” Cody lurched to his feet. “Enough already.”

Dane stood as well and helped Tina up. “So you don’t mind if I see your sister?”

“You don’t mind if I see your best friend?” she asked, with an impish smile.

So impish, in fact, Dane couldn’t help yanking her into his arms for a kiss, regardless of what Cody said. She was too damn cute and he wanted her far too much.

He barely heard Cody grumble, “Fine. But if you hurt her, I will fucking skin you alive.”

“See?” Tina kissed his chin as Cody stomped back into the banquet room. “I told you he’d understand.”