It Happened One Wedding (17 page)

His cock began to throb at the sight of her on the bed, legs spread and naked except for her bra and heels. “You are the hottest thing I’ve ever seen.”

“Vaughn,” she said in a husky voice. “Touch me.”

He was all too happy to comply. He slid his hands underneath her ass and tilted her hips upward, then gave her a long, teasing lick between her legs.

She moaned, her hands tangling in his hair. He took her hands and put them back on her knees. “Keep yourself spread for me. Show me how much you want my mouth on you.”

Then he lowered his head and set about the business of driving her absolutely fucking crazy.

Only when her entire body was shaking, when she was moaning almost nonstop, did he finally relent. “Do you want to come?” He circled his tongue teasingly around her clit.

“
Yes
. Please, yes,” she breathed.

He slid a finger inside of her, holding her right along the razor’s edge of an orgasm. “I love it when you’re like this. So turned on. So sweet.” He sucked her clit into his mouth again, knowing that would push her over.

When she cried out and her body clenched tight around his fingers, his cock strained against his zipper from the need to be inside her. He stroked her until she came down, then he stood up and undressed.

“My turn,” she said, as he climbed onto the bed.

When he’d gotten settled against the pillows, she straddled him. She smoothed her hands over his chest, and then down his stomach, her fingernails scraping lightly across his skin.

“So it occurs to me . . . that a man like yourself probably has a particular way”—she took his erection in her hand—“he likes his cock sucked.”

Sweet Jesus, Mary, and Joseph
.

“You can start by wrapping those red lips around me,” he said in a guttural voice. “I’ve been thinking about that all night.”

“Hmm. And then what?” she asked, still stroking him. “Should I lick and tease you for a while? Or would you prefer I just take you as deep into my mouth as I can?”

Vaughn suddenly found his throat a little dry. “I vote for all of the above.”

“Of course that’s what you’d say.” She bent down and licked a drop of precum from the tip of his shaft, then ran her tongue along the length. True to her word, she teased him with her lips and tongue, then finally slid him all the way in.

He groaned. “That’s so damn good, Sidney . . . suck me just like that.” He tangled his hand in her hair as she used her tongue to caress the underside of his throbbing cock. With one arm tucked behind his head, he watched her, and when she brought him close to the breaking point, he gave into the possessive feeling that had been clawing at him all night. “Look at me, baby. I want to see your eyes.”

She looked up, holding his gaze while she continued to slide her mouth over him.

The moment was so goddamn hot, he nearly came right there. “You drive me so fucking wild.” He saw the flare of heat in her eyes and touched her cheek. “I need to be inside you. Now.”

She slid him out of her mouth and sat up, grabbed his pants off the floor, and tossed him his wallet. Breathing heavily, he rolled the condom on and then watched as she guided the head between her legs and lowered herself all the way onto him.

“Put your hands on my chest.” He grabbed her hips and began gliding her forward in time with his thrusts. He started slow at first, until her body adjusted to him. Then he picked up the pace, the two of them moving together as she rode him hard. “You fit me so good,” he rasped as he hurtled toward the edge. “Come for me, baby. Let me feel it.”

She said his name, her body squeezing tight and milking his cock.
His jaw clenched from the force of his orgasm, and he shuddered as wave after wave hit him, until she collapsed on top of his chest and his arms wrapped tight around her, holding her close.

VAUGHN WOKE UP
to the sound of water running.

His head jerked up off the pillow and he blinked, quickly getting his bearings.

Sidney’s bed.

No gun on the nightstand.

Sexy, naked redhead missing. Damn.

That covered, he fell back onto the pillow with a groan, feeling as though someone had taken a hammer to his skull.

As his eyes adjusted to the daylight, he noticed something that
was
on the nightstand, presumably set out for his benefit. A bottle of extra-strength Tylenol.

He smiled, thinking it was cute that Sidney had thought of him, then popped two of the pain relievers into his mouth. Slowly, the events of the night came back to him: the things said, the fun times had by all, the even better time had by him and Sidney when they’d gotten back to her place and—hold the phone—had Huxley actually said the words
eye-fucking
?

Clearer evidence that they’d all been good and toasted, there could not be.

The bathroom door opened, and Sidney stepped out with her hair in a bun and a towel wrapped around her. She smiled when she saw he was awake. “How are you feeling?”

“Like I’ve been wrung out and hung up to dry.” Vaughn watched as she pulled a pair of cream lace underwear out of one of her drawers and let the towel drop to the floor.

He was quickly getting better.

Sidney slid on her underwear and a bra, then pulled her hair out of the bun and let it tumble over her shoulders in auburn waves. He tucked his hands behind his head, thinking he could watch that move all day.

“I’m making a Starbucks run,” she said. “What do you want?”

“You are a
goddess
. I’ll take a venti of their dark roast.”

She pulled on a pair of jeans and winced.

“Everything okay?” he asked.

“Let’s just say, I woke up with scruff burn in some very interesting places.”

He laughed, rubbing his unshaven jaw as he got out of bed. “Oops.” He came up behind her and kissed her on the neck. “Mind if I use your shower while you’re gone?”

“Uh . . . no. Not at all.”

Thinking maybe he’d heard her hesitate, he tilted his head and saw that she was looking at their reflection in the mirror over the dresser.

A split second after their eyes met in the glass, she smiled. “So. Starbucks.” She slid out from his arms. “I’ll be back.” She headed for the bedroom door.

“A shirt might be good.”

“Right.” She turned around. Wasting no time, she grabbed a shirt out of her closet—not even pausing to see which one—and walked out of the room, shoving the shirt over her head as she nearly flew toward the stairs.

Vaughn watched her go, thinking that was the fastest he’d ever seen Sidney Sinclair move.

Apparently somebody really needed her Starbucks.

 • • • 

AS SIDNEY HURRIED
down the stairs, she told herself to chill out.

So, for one teeny tiny moment while looking at her and Vaughn’s reflection in the mirror, she’d thought they looked cute together. So what? He was a very attractive man; he’d look cute standing next to a toaster. That didn’t mean she was having relationship-type thoughts about the guy—because she definitely knew better than that.

Vaughn was the guy who picked up random women in coffee shops. The guy who had a seven-day rule in order to avoid emotional entanglements, the guy who hadn’t had a serious relationship in years.

He was
not
a Mr. Right.

She’d made her pledge, and she was sticking to it. No more commitment-phobic men, no more player types, no more guys with issues or drama or whatever. She wanted someone who was solid and steady, someone who knew without any doubt that he was ready to go the distance.

Someone nice like Trish’s husband,
Sidney mused, while grabbing her keys off the console table for the three-block walk to Starbucks. She opened her front door.
Or Simon
.

Simon.

As in, the man who was walking up her front steps with Isabelle.

Sidney’s stomach dropped as her mind actually processed that.

Isabelle and Simon—here.

Vaughn in the shower.

Oh.

Shit.

“Perfect timing—I’m about to explode,” Isabelle said, her words as rushed as her footsteps. “I’ve had to pee since we left Starbucks.”

Before Sidney knew what was happening, her sister barreled right past her and ran into the house toward the first-floor powder room.

No
.

Simon, who wore sunglasses, gestured with the tray of drinks and paper bag he carried. “Isabelle and I wanted to say thank you for last night.” He smiled. “We brought coffee and apple fritters.”

“That’s so sweet of you,” Sidney managed.

This couldn’t be happening. If Isabelle and Simon discovered Vaughn inside her house—in her
shower
, no less—it would look like the two of them were . . . doing exactly what they were, in fact, doing.

With that in mind, she held out a hand as Simon tried to step inside her place. “Hey, I know—it’s such a nice day, why don’t we stay out here and enjoy our coffee and apple fritters al fresco?”

Simon made a face. “Too much sunlight.” He brushed past her, entering the house. “I don’t think I’ve been this hungover since college.” He headed in the direction of her kitchen.

Shit, shit, shit.

Sidney followed, wondering if there was any way she could at least hustle them onto her back terrace if she promised Simon a spot in the shade—or hell, a damn parasol. Anything to get them
out
.

Isabelle stepped out of the powder room and joined them in the kitchen. “Much better. Apparently, I’ve moved out of the nausea-and-vomiting phase of this pregnancy and into the peeing-every-half-hour phase.”

“It could just be all the juice you drank last night,” Simon said, grabbing an apple fritter out of the bag and taking a bite.

“Hey, those are for Sidney.” Isabelle came over and gave her a hug. “I didn’t get a chance to talk to you before we left the bar, since somebody”—she looked pointedly at Simon—“felt sick after deciding it would be a good idea to smoke a cigar for the first time last night.”

“Word to the wise. Don’t inhale, just taste,” Simon told Sidney.

Out of the corner of her eye, Sidney noticed Vaughn’s suit jacket hanging over the back of one of the barstools. “You know, actually, I was just on my way ou—”

Simon spoke at the same time, teasing Isabelle. “Besides, I figured that I needed to start practicing for when the baby comes. Isn’t that what I’m supposed to do: hang out in the delivery room smoking cigars, while you do all the womanly stuff?”

“I hate to break it to you, buddy, but you are going to be right next to me for every moment of
all
the stuff—womanly, or otherwise,” Isabelle said.

Sidney clapped her hands. “So. I can see you two are raring up for some sort of cute play-fight. And it would be totes adorbs to watch, I’m sure. But there’s this appointment that I’m very late for, so maybe I could call you later, Izz?”

“Huh. I don’t think you can pull off a totes adorbs,” Simon said, studying her.

Seriously.

“Is your shower running?” Isabelle suddenly asked. She looked up at the ceiling, which was directly below the master bathroom.

Think, Sinclair
.

Sidney thunked her head. “Look at that. That’s how late I am for this appointment. I was rushing around so much I even forgot to turn the shower off.”

Of course, that had to be the moment Isabelle noticed Vaughn’s jacket.

She gasped and stalked around the counter. “There’s someone here.” She picked up the jacket and held it up. “A
male
someone.” Isabelle paused, looking a little hurt. “You didn’t tell me you were dating anyone.”

“Well, well, well, Miss Sneaky,” Simon said, with a grin. “You were trying to rush us out of here before we could meet the guy, weren’t you?”

“Who is he?” Isabelle wanted to know. “How come I don’t know anything about him?”

Simon cocked his head, staring at the jacket. “What’s really funny is that jacket looks a lot like the one—” He stopped, his mouth falling open. “Oh. My. God.” He looked at Sidney, and then peered up at the ceiling.

He stormed out of the kitchen and up the stairs.

Sidney closed her eyes, bracing herself for the inevitable.

Seconds later, they heard the bathroom door open. Simon’s voice thundered down the stairs. “Oh. My. God.”

“Um, did he just walk in on a complete stranger taking a shower?” Isabelle asked.

“Not . . . exactly.”

Simon strode back into the kitchen. “Yep. It’s my brother.”

Isabelle blinked. “What?” She turned to Sidney. “Vaughn’s here? You slept with
Vaughn
?”

“By any chance would you believe we just went for a morning run together?” Sidney asked, going for a smile.

Judging from their expressions, they would not.

“It’s not a big deal,” she told them.

Isabelle pointed accusingly. “Amanda told me she thought you two were acting flirty last night.”

Sidney scoffed. “
Pfft
. Amanda. What does she know?” Aside from the fact that she was, in this instance, dead-on-balls correct.

Simon pointed, too. “I remember now! You guys were huddled in that alcove when I came over to talk to Vaughn.”

“And that didn’t strike you as suspicious?” Isabelle asked him.

“Did you see me last night? I couldn’t even
say
‘suspicious,’” Simon told her.

They both fell silent when the shower turned off upstairs. There was the sound of footsteps against the hardwood floors, and then everything went briefly quiet until there were more footsteps—this time heading down the stairs.

With damp hair, Vaughn walked into the kitchen while pulling on his shirt. Thankfully, he at least had pants on. “Apparently we have visitors this morning,” he said, looking slightly amused.

“We? You two are a
we
?” Isabelle asked.

“We are definitely
not
a ‘we,’” Sidney said.

“Can I have a word with you outside,
brother
?” Simon asked Vaughn.

Vaughn turned to Sidney. “That’s Man-Speak for ‘You’re in some seriously deep shit.’”

 • • • 

AFTER VAUGHN AND
Simon stepped out into the courtyard, Sidney took a seat next to Isabelle at the counter. “You probably have a few questions.”

“You think?” Isabelle asked. “How long has this been going on?”

It was just a drunken one-night stand.
The lie hovered on the tip of Sidney’s tongue for several moments. “The first time we hooked up was the night you had surgery.”

“I see. And how many times have you hooked up since then?”

“In our defense, you and Simon keep finding ways to throw us together. This wedding is like a damn pressure cooker.” Sidney saw her sister waiting. “Two more times. Oh, and we kissed up in Wisconsin. But that’s it.”

Isabelle blinked. “At their parents’ house? Where was I?”

“I don’t know, probably throwing up somewhere.” When Sidney saw Isabelle make a face, she decided to come clean. “You were looking at photo albums with Mrs. Roberts. I went outside to give Simon and Vaughn some bottled waters, and I just . . . needed a break from all the wedding stuff. And also from seeing you bond with Kathleen and being in that place that
I
was supposed to be in. So I took a walk and Vaughn followed me and we started arguing and, I don’t know . . . somehow we ended up kissing.”

Isabelle cocked her head with a concerned expression, momentarily ignoring the part about Vaughn. “Why didn’t you tell me that all the wedding stuff was bothering you?”

“You’re doing the head-tilt.”

“Come on, Sid. It’s me.”

Sidney sighed. “I didn’t say anything because I don’t want to spoil this for you. This wedding isn’t about me, Izz, it’s about you. And I guess I also didn’t say anything, because I don’t
want
to be bothered by this stuff. Brody and I split up over eight months ago. I need to move on with things—which is exactly what I’m trying to do.”

“I just wish you’d told me about all this.” Isabelle nodded in the direction of the yard. “Including Vaughn.”

“I thought it would be weird for you and Simon to know that we’d hooked up, especially since it’s just a casual thing.” Sidney could hear the men talking outside but ignored it, focusing instead on what was happening between her and her sister. “I really hope this doesn’t make things weird between us. You know I would never want that, Izz.”

“I know.” Isabelle reached over and squeezed Sidney’s hand. “And I know that lately I’ve been swept up in all the wedding and baby chaos. Everything’s changing, but one thing will always stay the same, Sid: you and me.”

Sidney smiled, repeating their mantra from when they were younger. “Sinclair Sisters forever, right?”

Isabelle smiled back, her eyes misty. “Always.” She reached forward and hugged Sidney tight, then pulled back and wiped her eyes. “Now. About this thing with Vaughn.”

“Shoot. I was really hoping you’d forgotten about that part.”

“Apparently I have a lot of catching up to do. The last time you and I talked about Vaughn, I was worried you didn’t even like him,” Isabelle said.

“Okay, so here’s the part where I have to come clean about something,” Sidney said. “Vaughn and I had actually met before we had dinner with you and Simon. It was completely random: that evening, we both went to the same coffee shop beforehand. I was there on a blind date and when the other guy left, Vaughn hit on me.”

“You’re kidding.” Isabelle thought about that, then folded her arms across her chest. “So basically, what you’re telling me is that you and Vaughn have been lying to me and Simon from day one.”

“‘Lying’ is such a strong word. I’d prefer to say, ‘omitting the truth.’” She saw Isabelle open her mouth to respond. “Kind of like what you and Simon are doing with this pregnancy.”

Isabelle closed her mouth. Point taken. “Okay. But is there anything else you’re ‘omitting,’ Sid? You say you’ve slept with Vaughn a few times now. He spent the night, he uses your shower . . . is it possible, maybe, this is turning into something more than a casual fling?”