Craving a Hero: St. John Sibling Series, book 3 (11 page)

He pulled her into a shaded alcove behind a lilac bush, pressed her against the porch with his body, and kissed her.

"What's that for?" she asked when he let her up for air.

"To shut you up," he said and tugged her back out into the yard.

Before she could give her muddy heels or potentially smeared lipstick a second thought, he towed her to the edge of the lawn to a couple she recognized from the wedding ceremony.

"Mom, Dad," he said, dragging her close to his side with a hand around her waist. "This is Kelly Jackson. Kelly, this is my mom, Sarah, and dad, James."

Kelly extended her hand, but she'd barely gotten a "Nice to meet you" out before his mother enveloped her in a warm hug.

"How very nice to meet you," his mother said, stepping back without fully releasing her. "We so seldom meet any of Dane's lady friends."

His dad stepped in and gave her a light hug, "Hell, the boy never brings any girls home. You must be someone special."

She stood there, her head spinning as she tried to digest what his parents, his father especially, had said. Had he brought her here to meet the family after all?

"Looks like they need help setting up the tables," his father said, clapping Dane on the shoulder.

The next thing she knew, Dane and his dad had joined the other men in rearranging the chairs from the wedding ceremony to accommodate rows of long tables and she was left standing alone with his mother. Afraid his mother might ask her something as straight forward as Tess had, Kelly fell back on her CO habit of chatting up a person.

"So, Dane tells me you and your husband live in Japan."

His mother's smile was gentle. "Yes. We felt we'd seen all we wanted to see of Europe during our years living there. Time to explore the Orient."

Kelly nodded, knowing there was a plethora of questions she could be asking but lost to think of one. She was saved from the awkward silence by Cousin Annie propelling Dixie into their mix.

"I've told her she's the bride," Annie said in rush, "that she has to leave all this rearranging stuff to the rest of us."

"But someone needs to make sure the tables are set right," Dixie said. "You know the boys. We'll have wobbly, undecorated tables if it's left to them."

"Which is what your Maid-of-Honor is for," Annie returned. "You stay here and visit and I'll make sure the tables are set and decorated perfectly."

And just as quickly as she'd appeared, Annie was gone.

Dixie laughed, her blond curls dancing in the late afternoon sunlight. "Isn't this the most perfect day?"

Then she made eye contact with Kelly, and brightened even more. "You must be Dane's Kelly."

"H-he's told you about me?"

Dixie pulled her into a hug even warmer than the one Dane's mother had given her. "Of course he's told me about you. We tell each other everything."

"But we only met a few days ago," she said, extricating herself from the hug as gracefully as she could.

Dixie grinned at her, a grin so much like Dane's know-it-all grin. "Yeah, we St. Johns are pretty quick about knowing what we want."

Knowing what we want?
Just what the hell was Dixie telling her? For that matter, what did his telling his family about her imply? Even if Dixie and her mother weren't now deep in conversation about setting up the buffet, she didn't feel comfortable enough with any of the St. Johns to ask bluntly whether or not she might mean more to Dane than
a love the one you're with
moment. Maybe if she got Tess alone she could
interview
some information out of her.

#

Dane made sure she and Tess were seated together. Though thankful to be sitting with someone she knew well enough to talk comfortably with, at a table full of St. John family and close friends was no place to ask the kind of questions she wanted answers to. Then there was the fact the St. John in question was seated beside her, his arm slung across the back of her chair.

And damn, but she liked his nearness. But, was it for her or for the sake of one-upping his brothers?

We can sometimes be a bit competitive.

And his attentiveness, always seeing to it her punch cup was filled, offering her his last hot wing, asking if she wanted him to fetch her more potato salad…leaning close enough to brush her ear with his lips with each offer. She hadn't once caught him looking at Jake and Renn as though to make sure they saw he had what they didn't, a date.

"There's one more family member you need to meet," Dane said when they'd finished eating.

He hauled her off toward the back of the yard where the children in attendance played on a swing set. The smallest boy broke away from the group and came running toward them. Dane released her hand, caught Ben, and swung him around.

"Uncle Dane," the giggling Ben hooted.

They faced her and Dane did the introductions. "This is Ben."

She bent to accept the kid's extended hand, saying, "I know. I recognize you as Sam's Best Man."

"Sam said I was standing in for my dad," the child said, chest puffed up with pride.

"That's really great," she said around the lump in her throat, knowing that someday this little boy was going to look back on this day and understand how very profound his standing in for his father was.

"Ben," Dane said, "this is my friend, Kelly."

"You're very pretty," Ben said in that candid way little boys had about them.

"Thank you, Ben."

Dane ruffled the kid's head. "Where's Bear?"

"Mama said he had to stay in the house until everybody was done eating."

Dane gave the mostly vacated tables a glance. "They look done enough to me."

Ben whooped and took off toward the house.

Kelly smacked Dane in the arm. "I don't know what or who Bear is, but I don't think everybody is done with their meal."

"Bear'll help them finish," he said, just as Ben emerged from the back door, a full grown, black and white Great Dane bounding past him down the steps straight for the dining tables.

"You're a bad influence on that boy, Dane St. John."

"I've got to do something to stand out among the uncles."

What was she, a law and order girl, doing being attracted to a guy who played fast and loose with the rules? What was she doing laughing alongside him as they watched Bear vacuum his way about the tables for any dropped food?

She was falling hard for him. That's what she was doing.

#

The first dance for the bride and groom took place in the small barn on the far side of the circular drive, its floor swept clean and its open space lit by strings of white Christmas lights. Dixie swayed in Sam's arms on her impossibly high, ruby-red heels.

But it was the way Sam and Dixie gazed into each other's eyes as if they were the only people in the room as they danced that made Kelly want to sink back against Dane—made her wish he would be as moved by the scene and the music to want to hold her the way Sam held Dixie.

It almost took her breath away when Dane slipped his arms around her and pulled her back against him. Once the parents of the bride, uncle of the groom, and the rest of the wedding party had joined the newlyweds on the dance floor…when the rest of the guests were invited to join in, Dane swept her onto the dance floor and into the fairytale.

He held her close and they moved as one. How far around the dance floor they moved, she hadn't a clue. She knew only the feel of his arms around her, the ardor of his eyes locked on hers, and the singular movement of their bodies. When the music stopped, they were in a dimly lit corner in front of an unlit stall. He didn't release her and she didn't let go of him. Something unspoken passed between them and he lowered his mouth to hers.

The kiss was gentle, sweet yet deep, the sweep of his tongue across hers full of promise. She answered with a promise of her own.

"Get a room you two," a voice that sounded much like Dane's said.

She jerked back from Dane, tearing her mouth from his. Dane's hold on her loosened but he didn't let her go as he addressed Renn.

"Get lost, little brother."

Renn's grin slanted a mischievous angle. "Without at least one dance with this delightful creature you brought here to tease us with?"

Renn's words jolted her from the comparison of the brothers' grins. That Dane was using her to show off to his brothers had been among her fears of why he'd brought her to the wedding and it stung to hear that fear put into words.

"She doesn't want to dance with you," Dane said, his hand tightening on her hip.

She'd observed the possessive tendencies of men all her life—possessive over land, space, objects…women. Not that she'd ever been the focus of any man's possessiveness—not that she'd ever thought she'd like being possessed. But if Dane's possessiveness was for the sake of some competition with his brothers, she was having none of it.

Peeling away Dane's hand, she said, "I can answer for myself and my answer is—" She lifted her face to his brother and held out a hand. "—I'd love to dance with you, Renn."

Renn swept her onto the dance floor, the music Latin-inspired and far too sensual for her comfort. Too late, she realized she'd rather be in Dane's arms…even if he was using her.

"You're really stuck on him, aren't you?" Renn asked.

She looked up at him. "We've only known each other a few days."

"Yet you'd rather be over in the shadows with him than dancing in the light with me?"

"I— It doesn't matter."

Renn laughed, the sound so familiar it pinched at her stomach. "The hell it doesn't. You can't stop looking over there at him, you blush when I call you on it, and, even though we dance a dance that cries for two bodies to press themselves together, you haven't once given into the allure of my hard, hot body."

She stumbled. He held her upright.

"Easy there," he said, his teasing toned down. "I'm just kidding about the hard, hot body. Don't mean to unsettle you."

"Fine. I get it. I'm the game-piece you boys are using to show each other up. When does Jake take me on?"

Renn sobered. "I'm the only one playing here and my game is about riling Dane. Didn't mean to make you feel used."

She shrugged. "I suspect Dane didn't bring me to your sister's wedding just so I could meet the family. He probably had a game or two in mind as well."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that," Renn said. "Take a good look at him."

She followed the direction Renn nodded, and found Dane pacing the edge of the dance floor, watching them with eagle-eye focus, and scowling. "You sure he's not just pissed that you won me out of his arms?"

"I know my big brother. That look he's giving us has nothing to do with any game."

Renn pulled her close and Dane's hands balled into fists.

For her?
She wished.

But she couldn't be sure. She just didn't know him that well yet.

When the dance ended and Renn released her, she thanked him and turned to where she'd last seen Dane. He wasn't there. She scanned the barn and still didn't see him. Even Renn had disappeared. Someone announced they were putting on some line-dancing music. Dixie appeared mid-floor wearing red cowboy boots rather than the ruby stilettos. With a final glance around the room, Kelly still didn't see Dane but she spotted Tess filling punch cups.

As Kelly approached, Tess nodded between the punch bowl and beer keg. "Which will it be?"

"Make it a beer. I need something stronger right now."

Tess filled a tall plastic cup and handed it to her, filled a shorter one with punch for herself, and nodded toward one of the hay bales scattered around the perimeter of the room.

"Let's sit," Tess said. "That last dance just about did me in."

They found a bale that had been draped in oil cloth for comfortable seating and sat.

"Where's Roman?" Kelly asked.

Tess nodded toward a stall where a laptop-run music station had been set up. "He's setting up the file of country music for the line-dancing. Myself," Tess went on, "I prefer salsa. But baby plus heels—" she chuckled. "—I'll happily concede to the country music fans tonight."

Kelly sipped at her beer, her gaze snagging on the bride's red cowboy boots. "What's with Dixie's red footgear? Is it her favorite color?"

"Ah, you noticed that," Tess said. "There's quite a story behind the red footgear. Last Christmas, the boys conspired to add some humor to Dixie's Christmas."

"Of course. A joke."

"It was more than just another St. John brother prank," Tess said, the look in her eyes consoling. "They wanted to add a little humor to the holiday because the second anniversary of Michael's death was looming."

"Ben's father," Kelly murmured.

"Yes," Tess said. "So, the boys each picked out a different kind of red footgear for Dixie."

Kelly grunted. "Dane gave her the high heels, didn't he?"

"No, Jake did."