“It’s time to go,” he said, nibbling frosting from her fingertips.
“Okay. As soon as AJ gets done screwing—”
“Hey, guys, what’s up?”
Keely looked over at her very mussed, very flushed sister-in-law. Before she shot off a snarky comment like Besides your skirt? Jack spoke.
“We’re getting ready to leave. Can you tell me where it is?”
“What? Oh, that. Umm, it’s at the senior center.”
“Thank you.”
Her gaze bounced between AJ and Jack. “What the hell are you two talking about?”
“Nothing to concern yourself with, sweet wife.” Jack’s smooch on her cheek didn’t mollify her at all.
Ramona bounded up. “Now that you’ve cut the cake, it’s gotta be close to time to throw the bouquet, right?”
“Yes. Round up all the single ladies. Maybe you could get Justin to help you track down the bachelors for the garter—”
“Not necessary,” Jack inserted, “because there won’t be a garter toss.”
“What?” Keely stared at him with total confusion. “But that’s tradition! You remove the garter—”
“Oh, I will be removing the garters, Mrs. Donohue, but not in front of your whole damn family.”
The set to his jaw indicated this was nonnegotiable.
Bossy man.
“Soon,” he added in that alpha male tone, which always made her weak-kneed.
AJ tugged on her arm. “Come on. I’ll help you get changed.”
As they turned the corner and started down the hallway, Keely saw her cousin Brandt McKay in a heated discussion with Jessie McKay, his former sister-in-law. Suddenly, Jessie pulled back and punched Brandt in the stomach hard enough that Brandt bent over to clutch his gut.
Keely gasped.
Jessie’s angry gaze zeroed in on Keely and then she glanced at AJ who’d frozen a few steps behind.
“Sorry. I didn’t mean…”
“To punch Brandt in the stomach? That was an accident?”
“Umm. No. I meant to do that. I didn’t mean to cause a scene and I…really have to wash my hands.”
Keely’s eyes stayed on Jessie, but Jessie wouldn’t look at her. “Don’t be too long. I’m about to throw the bouquet.”
AJ unlocked the door to the dressing room and Keely followed her inside.
“I can’t believe Jessie just slugged Brandt. What do you think is going on with them?”
“Nice try at distracting me, AJ, but I can’t believe you and Cord were having sex in here.” Keely reached under the layers of her wedding gown and yanked off the puffy slip-crinoline that’d started to itch.
Ah. Much better. “How is it you get to have sex on my wedding day? And I don’t? That’s not fair.”
“Being pregnant makes me horny. Plus Cord looks so damn good in that suit I just wanted him right then and—”
“And my brother just obliged you? During my wedding reception?”
She shrugged. “Hormones and lust are beyond my control, Keely, when it comes to my husband. And he’s always up to the challenge of taking care of my every need.” AJ smoothed her hands over the bulging front of her bridesmaid’s dress and frowned. “Good Lord. How Cord still wants me and sees me as sexy when I look like a beached whale is a miracle.” She caught Keely’s gaze. “Anyway, let’s get you outta that wedding dress and into your traveling clothes.”
Keely stood in front of the antique boudoir mirror, fussing with the lace panel on the bodice as AJ
began unhooking the hundred or so buttons running down the back of her dress. “Do you know where Jack is taking me for our honeymoon?”
“Yep.”
Her mouth dropped open. “How’d you get him to tell you?”
“I volunteered to keep his car hidden so none of your overzealous relatives would decorate it with soap, shaving cream, tin cans and toilet paper,” she said smugly. “That’s what we were just talking about.
Where I stashed it.”
AJ played dirty, knowing how much Jack babied that car. But Keely had a trump card. “So, BFF, seeing you and Cord going at it like teenagers just proves how little alone time you two get these days with two point three kids, so I’ll make you an offer—I’ll baby-sit the boys every Saturday night for a month if you tell me where Jack is whisking me off to.”
“No deal. If Jack finds out I blabbed… Well, he is much scarier than you, Keels.”
The door opened.
Speak of the devil… Jack sauntered in, and once again Keely marveled at how dangerously sexy he looked in his black tux. Plus, he was sporting that wicked get naked grin that always caused her body to pulse with anticipation.
“Jack, you’re not supposed to be in here,” AJ said.
“I need to talk to my wife.”
“It can wait.”
“No, it can’t.”
“My job as her matron of honor is to help her out of her wedding dress,” AJ reminded him.
Keely met Jack’s eyes in the mirror. “Jack is very good at getting my clothes off, aren’t you?”
“Dare I say…I’m an expert at it?”
AJ muttered, “And…that’s my cue to leave.”
“Lock the door and don’t tell anyone where we are for at least ten minutes,” Keely said as AJ fled the room.
Her body stayed perfectly still as Jack sidled in behind her.
“Only ten minutes?” He pressed a soft, warm kiss to her nape. “I should be insulted.”
“You could prove me wrong. I know firsthand that table over there is sturdy enough for whatever you’ve got in mind.”
His eyes narrowed. “How do you know that firsthand?”
Crap. “Only because I walked in on Cord and AJ havin’ a quickie.”
“Ah. However, just to be clear, buttercup, there is no quickie in your immediate future.”
“Then why are you in here?”
He sighed. “All you want me for is sex. I feel so cheap.” His rough-skinned fingers traced the bare line of her spine down to where the buttons of her dress were undone.
“I could make you feel used too,” she offered. She felt the fabric shift as Jack loosened her dress. Her skin beaded from his steady, gentle touch.
“Thanks, but no. To answer your question, I’m here to give you news.”
“Good or bad?”
“Both. The bad news is I’m undressing you now. Otherwise, I won’t have a chance to see the very sexy wedding night lingerie you’ve been teasing me with all damn day.”