“Shit, Mal! Up.”
He immediately righted me. Blood rushed about inside my head and the room spun. Beside us, Ben and Lena laughed. I think Jimmy was busy doing his bored-stare thing. It was hard to see with my head still spinning. I’m pretty sure people were watching. If I heard an upside-down girl shouting obscenities, I’d probably take a look.
“No one saw anything,” Mal said, reading my mind. “You okay?”
I nodded. “Fine.”
His thumbs rubbed circles into my hip bones through the fabric of my dress. He held his face close to mine. “Sorry, pumpkin. I didn’t think.”
“It’s okay.”
He squinted down at me. “Is it really okay or are you just saying it’s okay and you’re going to bust my balls about it later?”
I thought about it for a moment to be sure. “No. But don’t do it again or I’ll hurt you.”
“Got it. No more throwing you around.”
“Thank you.”
“I won’t embarrass you again, Anne. Promise.”
“I’d appreciate that.”
“See,” he said, his smile huge. “Our communication skills as a couple are f**king excellent. We’re working out great!”
“Yeah, we are,” I said, my heart elated. It was strange, we’d only known each other a few days but I trusted him. I liked him and I was really grateful to spend this time with him. After the disaster with Skye, I needed Malcolm Ericson in my life right now. Hell, after the last seven years I needed him. He brought out the sun.
“Yeah,” he whispered.
And then he kissed me and ruined everything.
CHAPTER NINE
It wasn’t a soft kiss. No passing brush of the lips or token peck of affection would do for Mal. Hell no, of course not. It was an amnesia-inducing drug of a kiss. No memory of another remained. Chemical bliss. I’d obviously never been really and truly kissed before because this … he covered my mouth with his and owned me. His tongue slipped over my teeth and his hands slid into my hair. In response, I grabbed two fistfuls of his vest. It might have started out being in surprise or anger. But it turned into a safety measure fast. My knees went weak.
The man kissed me stupid.
His tongue rubbed at mine, encouraging me to play. It might not have been the smart thing to do, but I couldn’t hold back. I moaned into his mouth and kissed him hard. Every bit as hard as he was kissing me. My thighs tensed and my toes curled. Every hair on my body stood on end. His hold on me tightened, as if he couldn’t let go. I, on the other hand, was basically clawing my way through his three-piece suit. The need to get closer was huge. Nothing else mattered.
All around us applause broke out, which was fair enough. A kiss this awesome deserved a standing ovation. Fireworks wouldn’t be overkill. The string quartet seemed a little odd, however. Surely a crazed drum solo would be more in keeping, something primal to match the demented beat of my heart.
“Guys,” Ben hissed, nudging us with an elbow. “Knock it off. Guys!”
I tore away from Mal, trying desperately to catch my breath. He was panting too, his green eyes dilated. Stunned was probably a good word. Sordid wasn’t too far behind. After all, we were mauling each other’s mouths in public.
I stood there staring at him, shaking. Holy shit. What the hell had just happened?
“That was fun!” He grinned, looking at me like he’d just discovered a new game. One that he really, really liked.
No.
Fuck no.
My heart was trying to burst out of my chest, Aliens style. I couldn’t blame it for wanting to run for cover. This was insane. I had to keep this shit locked down. What if he’d been able to tell what it did to me? He’d call off our arrangement in a heartbeat.
Time for some damage control.
“It was nice.” I gave him a pat on the cheek.
His arrogant grin slipped.
People all around us continued clapping. They were also all facing the other way, though many gave us sideways glances. I turned and went up on tippy toes, to see what was going on. In the open front doorway stood Ev in a simple ivory gown. I saw the whites of her big surprised eyes from across the room. Beside her stood David in a suit similar to what the rest of the guys wore. Slowly, he got down on one knee. I was too far away to hear what he said, the room too noisy. But then Ev was nodding and crying and mouthing the word “yes.”
“Davie wanted to do a surprise second ceremony,” Mal said, joining in with the clapping. “She doesn’t remember last time—it was a quickie drunken Vegas wedding–so he’s doing it over for her.”
“Th-that’s sweet.” I licked my lips, ignoring the lingering taste of him. So good.
His arm slipped around my waist and it was all I could do to keep still, to not try and move away. Some breathing room would be great. Just until I got my body back under control.
“I think everyone saw us, yeah?” he said.
“Mm.” Without a doubt, we’d established ourselves as a couple. We’d probably managed to momentarily upstage the bride and groom. Excellent. They’d be inviting us back here for sure.
A man dressed in a bling-covered Elvis jumpsuit burst out of the hallway, sporting a big black wig and all. He began to sing “Love me Tender” as played by the string quartet. Everyone laughed and smiled. Ev started laughing and crying. They repeated their vows and even my eyes misted up after I got myself back under control. It was so wildly romantic. Jimmy moved quietly through the crowd and slipped his brother a ring. The gentle smile on his face surprised me just a little.
Ever so damn slowly my heart rate returned to something nearing normal. I glanced over my shoulder at Mal. At first I couldn’t work out what he was looking at. His attention was fixed on an older couple on the other side of the room, Ev or David’s parents, perhaps? He looked unhappy. The distance was back in his eyes, the line between his brows. Then he caught me watching. He frowned and returned his gaze to the front.
“Can you believe Davie got her another ring after three months?” Mal whispered in my ear. “He is so f**king wrapped around her finger. It’s ridiculous.”
“They’re in love. I think it’s sweet.”
“At the rate he’s giving her diamonds, she’s going to have a tiara by Christmas.”
It was one thing for me to be caustic within the sanctity of my own skull. But I hated hearing Mal be so against the idea of love or coupledom or whatever it was that had set him off.