Kiss the Bride (17 page)

“I’m keeping them occupied while Gina and Nana are packing up Grampa Leo’s personal effects,” Nick explained. His voice sounded as tight as her chest.

Her eyes met his. “That’s got to be difficult for your grandmother.”

Nick shrugged. “Yeah, that’s why they didn’t need these little sea monkeys around. With school out for the summer, Gina didn’t have anyone to babysit, so I volunteered.”

Delaney’s heart twisted. Nick acted all macho and nonchalant, but one look at his face told her it was hard on him too, and he was happier watching the kids than being the one sorting out his grandfather’s belongings. “That was nice of you.”

“I don’t mind. Sea monkeys can be a lot of fun.”

“Hey,” Zack, or maybe it was Jack, protested. It was really tough to tell them apart. “We’re not sea monkeys.”

“You sure squirm around like sea monkeys.”

The twins made faces and jumped around, letting their arms flop loosely as if they had no bones in them. Delaney smiled. They were so cute, and Nick was adorable with them.

“How about you?” Nick asked her. “Why are you here, looking decidedly out of your element?”

She didn’t miss the gaze that he slid down her body in a disconcertingly intimate fashion, and then his eyes lingered on her inappropriate footwear. The intensity of his stare should have made her uncomfortable. Instead it ignited the sparks that had been simmering between them from the day he’d flipped her onto her back in the grass outside Evan’s building.

Delaney didn’t want to tell him the truth, so she skipped over his question. “Did your grandmother tell you that she and I are having lunch with her real estate agent to discuss the renovations and a time schedule for listing the house on the market?”

“Yeah, she told me, but that still doesn’t explain why
you’re at the amusement park looking like you stepped from the pages of some fashion magazine.”

“We wanna go on the Ferris wheel.” Jack tugged on his uncle’s hand. “You promised.”

“Would you like to come with us?” Nick inclined his head toward the biggest ride in the carnival that jutted high into the cloudless blue summer sky. “Plenty of time before your lunch date. Unless you have something else going on.”

She hesitated.

He’d leaned in close, his face just to the side of hers. “Come on,” he coaxed. “Have a little fun.”

Was it her imagination, or was he standing just a bit too close and pushing just a bit too hard?

“I… I…”

“I gotcha. You’re too fancy for Ferris wheels.”

“I’m not,” she denied indignantly. He had a way of pushing her buttons.

A half smile hovered at the edges of his lips. His warm breath fell against her neck, heating her all the way through. Was he doing it on purpose? Was he
trying
to make her uncomfortable?

“Come on. What do you say? Please, don’t leave me alone with the sea monkeys.”

Delaney was about to refuse his invitation and then she thought,
Why not?
She was twenty-five years old, and she’d never been on a Ferris wheel because her mother had made her afraid of them. It was pathetic really.

He gave her such a winning smile she decided she must be reading more into his body language than he actually intended. He was a cop; crowding people was probably just second nature. Nothing personal. Right?

“Pretty please.” His grin widened.

“Well, when you put it like that, sure,” she said. “I would love to.”

The sun shone brightly on her face, and rather than worry that she hadn’t put on sunblock and was exposing herself to the risk of premature wrinkles, she simply threw back her head and laughed. Then, she stumbled over a thick extension cord running across the midway and fell against Nick’s side.

“Whoa there, Rosy,” he said and put a hand on her shoulder to steady her. “You okay?”

“Fine,” she chirped, feeling finer than she’d felt in a very long time. She couldn’t explain where this sudden exuberance was coming from, but it sure felt good.

Nick said nothing. He angled an odd look her way just before he bought their tickets. The twins climbed into one of the cars of the Ferris wheel ahead of them, leaving her alone in the second car with Nick. They were the only customers on the ride.

The operator lowered the restraining bar, locking them in together. He stepped over to the controls and started the ride.

The cars jerked forward.

Delaney squealed and grabbed on to Nick’s elbow.

He chuckled and slid his arm around her shoulder. “Scared of Ferris wheels?”

“Never been on one.”

“You’re kidding me.”

“My mother was a bit overprotective.”

“I’ll say. It’s not like it’s a roller coaster.”

“I’ve never been on one of those either.”

For the first time, she realized how high up they were and that they were just dangling in the air. She eyed the ground, feeling decidedly nervous. Were they supposed to be this high up? It didn’t seem right.

“Have no fear, Nick is here,” he teased. “I’ll protect you.”

Sitting so close to Nick with his arm draped around her shoulder, she felt too giddy and way too free.

“Do you have any idea how tempting you are?” he murmured and touched the simple gold hoop earring at her earlobe.

“Um.” She raised her left hand between them, flashed him her engagement right. “Just a reminder, I’m engaged.”

“So I see.” He said it with such regret in his voice. She searched his face for the emotion behind his words. His smile turned tender, wistful.

What was with him? He was acting as if he wanted to date her.

Delaney huddled into herself. His arm felt too good resting over her shoulders. She felt safe and protected. But she shouldn’t be feeling this way. It was wrong. In just over six weeks she was marrying Evan.

Around and around and around the Ferris wheel churned.

Her head spun dizzily. Her stomach clenched. She thought of all the horror stories her mother had told her over the years about carnivals and amusement parks. About people getting hurt or killed on the rides. About safety violations and bribed inspectors and drunken ride operators.

Around and around and around.

The ride seemed to be lasting forever. It wasn’t supposed to be this long, was it?

Colors were more vivid. Sounds intensified. Time stretched. What should have been only seconds felt like an hour as the rusted old bucket of bolts creaked and groaned.

She heard the twins laughing in the car ahead of them. They were having fun. This was supposed to be fun. How come she wasn’t having fun anymore?

They circled around to the bottom. This was it. The
ride operator had to let them out now. She shifted, getting ready to stand up.

Get out of here and far away from Nick Vinetti.

But the ride did not stop; it whizzed on by the operator and swiftly climbed back into the sky.

Delaney’s mouth went dry. Her muscles contracted. She wrapped her fingers around Nick’s forearm.

“Stop,” she squeaked and laid a hand against his upper thigh.

“Stop?”

“You’re a cop. Do something. Stop the ride.”

“I can’t. We’re in midair.”

She peeked over at him. He was trying hard not to laugh at her. She dug her fingers deeper into his flesh. Her breathing was fast and raspy. “Get me off this thing.”

“You’re serious,” he said, his body tensing beside her. “You’re really scared?”

She nodded.

Nick leaned over the edge of the ride just as they were cresting the top. “Hey,” he shouted down at the operator. “We want off.”

“Thank you,” she whimpered. “Thank you very much.”

His pulled her close against him. “It’s okay. I’m here. I’m sorry for laughing at you. I didn’t realize you were really scared.”

Delaney went stock-still as his chest made contact with her breasts and a surge of unwelcome desire ripped through her. His body heat warmed her and the connection of his raw, masculine power overwhelmed her. Even more unsettling, his comforting scent of nutmeg and leather invaded her brain.

She wanted him.

Desperately.

Oh, this was a terrible state of affairs.

Nick tilted her chin up, forced her to look him in the eyes. “Are you okay?”

Emotions she couldn’t deny, but had held in rigid check ever since she’d met him, surged inside her. Stunned, she could barely nod.

“You’re safe,” he murmured. “I promise.”

The thing of it was, she did feel safe. He made her feel safe. Safer than she’d ever felt with anyone. And that was far scarier than the Ferris wheel ride. She was loopy and frightened and she wanted him to kiss her even more than she wanted off this contraption.

He dipped his head toward her and she was already opening her lips. Already eager and ready for him.

He’s going to kiss me, yes, yes, yes.

But he didn’t kiss her.

Just as his lips were about to softly brush against hers, the ride stopped.

And so did Nick.

Leaving her hanging, quite literally, her mouth open and wet and wanting him.

He pulled back, raised his head, removed his arm from her shoulders, and did not look at her.

Her mind spun with sensory overload. What was happening to her? The taste of frustrated anticipation lay bittersweet in her mouth. The lonely sound of the metal bar clanking echoed in her ears. The feel of the empty space between them as he got out of the car stretched long and lonely. The smell of ocean breeze and cotton candy came rushing in to fill the void left by his leaving.

But Nick did not stray far. He turned and reached back for her. Offering his hand to help her step out. His touch was a furnace, his body heat seeping into her skin.

She took his hand and he pulled her gently across the seat toward him.

Delaney felt the material of her pants tug tightly across her bottom. She heard a soft ripping sound, like the tearing of silk. She jerked her head around and saw that the seat of her pants had snagged on a small jagged hole in the aging metal. When she stood up, she felt the air against her bare skin and put a hand behind her to examine the damage.

The tear was much bigger than she’d feared. She gasped at the six-by-six-inch square of nearly severed material that had once been covering her left butt cheek, but was now flapping in the Gulf breeze. Unfortunately, she also happened to be wearing thong underwear.

“Hey, Uncle Nick, that was fun.” Nick’s twin nephews came walking toward them.

“Please, you’ve got to help me out here,” Delaney whispered urgently to Nick. “Before the boys see me.”

“What is it?” He ducked his head.

“Put your hand on my backside and you’ll find out.”

“An unorthodox request,” he said, “but okay.” He pressed his large palm flush against her bare flesh. “Uh-oh.”

“Uh-oh is an understatement.”

“Here, boys.” Nick reached into his pocket with his free hand and pulled out several one-dollar bills. “Go get yourselves some cotton candy.”

“Mom said we can’t have any junk,” Jack said. “She says it’ll spoil our lunch.”

The boys were peering at her curiously. Delaney gave them a shaky smile. “What kind of kids is your sister raising?” she whispered out of the corner of her mouth. “They can’t be bribed with cotton candy?”

“Kids that will have all their teeth?”

“Look at them, they’ve already lost teeth.”

“Baby teeth.”

“This isn’t funny,” she said.

“Yes, it is.” He grinned.

Her initial impulse was to get upset. Torn pants that had cost her a fortune. A blow to her dignity. Then she realized it
was
funny, and to get huffy was exactly like something her mother would do. It was just a pair of pants. No major catastrophe. As for her dignity, big deal. She was loopy from a cheap amusement park ride. Dignity didn’t figure into it.

Delaney giggled. “Any suggestions, Detective? On how to make an exit without everyone”—she waved her hands at the twins—“seeing my… er… exit?”

“I’ve got you covered. I’ll send the boys on ahead of us and I’ll walk with my arm around you, holding up the flap of the loose material with my hand.”

“I’m going to need a new pair of pants. I can’t meet with the real estate agent and your grandmother looking like this.”

“You and Gina are about the same size. I’m sure she’s got something at Nana’s that you can wear. Maybe not as snazzy as your outfit, but at least you won’t be naked.”

“Stop teasing,” she pleaded. “I can’t hold still while I’m laughing.”

“Where’s your car parked?”

“Along the seawall about a block up.”

“Come on, boys, we’re walking Delaney to her car. You guys lead the way to the seawall.” Nick’s arm circled snuggly around her waist and his big palm rested hot and heavy on her butt.

Animal instinct tussled with her sophisticated demeanor. Her pulse pumped. Her skin tingled. Self-control had been
drummed into her from birth, but nature was nature. Polished manners and civilized etiquette didn’t stand a chance against pure animal magnetism.