Misty Blue (18 page)

When he released her from the kiss, she almost swooned and his arms supported her. He smiled down at her.

“How does it feel to be Mrs. Terrell?”

“It feels like heaven,” she whispered.

“Ladies and gentleman, may I present for the first time Mr. and Mrs. Damien Terrell.”

The sound of applause caught Mia off guard. She’d almost forgotten others were there. She turned with Damien toward their guests and accepted their good wishes.

When the men filed up to kiss the bride, Mia held Damien’s arm, thinking his father would try something. But he didn’t. He merely kissed Mia’s cheek and turned to look for her mother. If it weren’t for the look of desolation on Kathy’s face, Mia would have been happy. Although she’d wanted to steer Charles’s unwanted attention away from her, she hadn’t wanted it at the expense of Damien’s mother. It looked as if her mother and Damien’s father shared the same DNA. They were both selfish people who didn’t care who they hurt. Mia was determined that would not be her and Damien’s legacy. They would make a new start.

Within moments, the makeshift altar had been removed and Mia had been hurried along with Keefe and Charles, who’d been Damien’s best man, to take pictures. By the time Ashleigh, who’d acted as her maid of honor, had joined them, and all the pictures were taken, the flower garden chapel had been revamped into a huge ball room. Orchids, lilies, roses and flowers that Mia didn’t know the name of sat atop the tables and adorned the room. She smiled at her brother, knowing he was the one who’d taken care of the flowers. She’d ordered only daisies.

Mia danced with her new husband, feeling the constant new shivers that he created in her. She felt his arousal through the fabric of his tux and laughed. “How do you plan to hide that?” she asked as the music stopped and everyone hit their glasses with their silverware.

“I have no intention of hiding it. I couldn’t if I tried.” He laughed as the tinkling sound grew ever louder. “I want you, that’s no secret. Now you’re mine,” he teased. “No more running from me.”

Then he kissed her.

And she melted.

If she were a man the entire room would have been aware of her own burning desire.

The father-daughter dance was announced and she danced first with her brother, then with Jerry. For the next half hour Mia danced with every man in the room except her husband. Him she followed with her eyes as he twirled one guest after another past her, always swooping in to kiss her when he came near.

When he danced with her mother, she couldn’t help noticing that her mother was pressing her body in much closer than she had to. She saw Damien repeatedly pulling back. In fact, he looked as though he were about to leave her mother on the dance floor. Good, she thought. Mia was not aware that she was frowning until her mother called out loud enough for all to hear, “Lighten up, Mia. It’s only a dance.”

Jerry, her dance partner, smiled at her. “Don’t worry, Mia. She’s trying really hard to get you angry. Don’t let her.” He gave Mia’s shoulder a squeeze but it wasn’t until a couple of seconds later when Damien cut in that Mia felt better. “I want to dance with my wife,” he said. “Do you mind switching?” Jerry smiled. “No, I don’t mind at all.”

“Thank you,” Mia whispered, laying her head on her husband’s chest.

“For what?” Damien asked. “I meant it. I want to dance with my wife. All of this,” he looked around the room, “is nice but you’re the only woman I want in my arms.”

For the longest time Mia stayed right where she was, not stirring when someone came up to ask her for a dance. She could feel the movement of Damien’s head as he shook his head no. He’d asked the band to play only slow numbers for awhile and that was alright with her. It wasn’t until Keefe came up to them that it even occurred to her that they were being rude.

“You two need to mingle.”

Mia blinked. “We have been.”

“Not for the past forty-five minutes. Stavros said he’s going to start serving dinner in ten minutes. Now you two let go and allow someone else a chance,” he said as another guest came up. This time Damien relinquished his hold, but Mia knew it was reluctantly.

* * *

The next few hours passed in a blur, eating, dancing, kissing Damien and sipping champagne. Mia was deliriously happy, enough so that she was able to ignore most of her mother’s barbs.

It seemed Jerry had appointed himself one of Mia’s knights. Every time her mother got within shooting range, he’d come and whisk her away to dance. And always he’d smile at Mia, his smile telling her that he wasn’t going to let her mother ruin her special day.

Even Charles helped, although his reasons were his own. He was hitting on her mother hard. Mia finally saw what Damien had meant about his father’s charisma. He’d charmed more than half of the women there, her mother included.

“Mia, how much longer do we have to stay here?”

Damien leaned over to kiss her and she tasted the champagne on his tongue. The crisp sweet taste was an extra bonus.

“Not long,” she answered. “I think an hour or so. We haven’t cut the cake yet. After that we can leave.”

“I’m glad we only have to go upstairs,” Damien whispered. “Otherwise I’d have to make love to you right in front of everyone, or in the car.” He grinned wickedly as his hand wandered across Mia’s chest, dipping inside the bodice of her gown.

She tapped his hands. “Stop that. People can see you.”

“We’re married; I don’t care if they can see me.”

“I do. Now stop.”

“God, Mia. I want you.” He grabbed her hand and brought it down. “Feel me,” he ordered.

She felt his hardened flesh and tried to ignore the burning that had pushed its way to her face. “As soon as we cut the cake.” She felt as if she were falling backwards. Damien had her under a spell, one she hoped to never be out from under.

“You’d better make it quick.” He grinned at her, looked around the room and zeroed in on her mother. “There are other women in this room that find me simply irresistible and can’t seem to keep their hands off me.” He kissed her quickly. “Let’s hurry and cut that damn cake. I’m tired of waiting. I want to make love to you. Now.” Then he walked away across the room to her mother.

The spell was broken.
Oh Damien
, Mia moaned inwardly
. I
know you’re teasing, but…
She reached for her glass, surprised to find her hand trembling. Mia downed the contents of her champagne, the bubbles tickling her nose. She wasn’t much of a drinker. Truth be known, she didn’t drink, had never felt the need until now. Now she needed something to help her get through her wedding day.
How ironic
, she thought and held her glass up for a passing waiter to refill.

“Don’t you think you’d better slow down?”

“Keefe.” Mia looked at her brother. “I haven’t had that much.”

“Yeah, but you’re not used to it. It could really hit you later.”

She ignored her brother’s warning, bringing the glass to her lips and sipping, trying her best not to look at her husband dancing with her mother. He was grinning, waving at Mia, and pointing his finger in the direction of the cake.

“You okay, Mia? Why are you staring at Damien like that?”

“No reason.”

“You sure?”

Mia smiled at her brother. “He’s ready to go upstairs. He’s trying to get me to hurry.”

“By making you jealous?”

“I’m not jealous.”

He chucked her under her chin. “Tell that to someone who doesn’t know you. Mia, honey, she gets to you so easily because you care. Damien’s your husband now. Tell her to keep her hands off.”

“I can’t.”

“You can.”

Mia smiled. “I want to.”

“Then do it.”

For a moment she thought of doing just what her brother had suggested. “Maybe I’ll thank her for coming, tell her how much I enjoyed her visit.” She laughed and raised her glass to her lips only to have her brother take it away.

“Are you ever going to stop worrying about me, Kee, or stop trying to protect me?”

“Not as long as there’s breath in my body.” He smiled and kissed her forehead. “Go dance with your husband.”

She pulled her brother in for a hug. “Have I told you lately how much I love you, big brother?” She smiled as he finished off her champagne. “Why don’t you take your own advice and go and find Ashleigh?” Mia stood grinning. “Can you believe it? We made it. We’re both happy.”

* * *

Damien felt the woman’s hand brush against his crotch and ignored it. Surely it had been an accident. Then he felt her fingers groping him, kneading him right there on the dance floor. He couldn’t believe it. In a flash he searched for Mia. Good, she wasn’t looking at him at the moment; she was talking with her brother. He maneuvered his own hand and roughly brought Mia’s mother’s hand away from his crotch.

“Lady, you’re sick,” he mumbled, determined to keep his voice low, not to ruin the day for Mia.

“And you have a hard-on.”

“Big damn deal. I’ve had a hard-on the entire day but it’s not for you. I’ve been flirting with my wife the entire time I’ve been dancing with you. Are you crazy?”

“Do you really think she’s going to be able to give you what you need?” She laughed. “God, you’re both pitiful.”

“I think you’ve got that wrong. You’re the one that’s pitiful. Listen, if you ever put your hands on me again I’ll tell your daughter.” He walked away in disgust, no longer caring about not causing a scene.

Damien debated whether to tell Mia. He saw her smiling as she talked with her brother and made up his mind. He needed something a lot stronger than the champagne they were serving, he thought as he made his way to the bar, glad that there was a bar. He nearly collided with Ashleigh as he made a hasty beeline in the opposite direction of the banquet room.

“Whoa, Damien, where are you going?”

For a moment he stared at Ashleigh, then shook his head, deciding to tell her. After all, he believed she’d eventually marry Keefe and she’d be subjected to the same craziness. She might as well know what was coming.

He pulled her away. Finding a secluded corner he began talking. When he was done, the shock on Ashleigh’s face told him what this would do to his new bride.

“Do you think I should tell Mia any of this?”

“My God, no,” Ashleigh answered quickly, “not on her wedding day. I don’t know if you ever should.”

“Can you believe it? The woman’s sick.”

“Maybe she’s just drunk.”

“She’s not drunk, Ashleigh. You were there the first day that she came. She’s been coming on to me ever since. I’ve been staying out of her way. Some of this is my fault. I was kidding with Mia, trying to make her leave the reception, so I danced with her mother to speed things up. I never expected the woman to go that damn far. I didn’t for a minute believe she would, not until she pulled that number. And she has the nerve to think that I would actually want her.” He trembled in disgust. “God!”

“Poor Mia and my poor Keefe.”

“You gonna tell him?”

“I’m not sure but he can deal with it better than Mia. I’ll wait and see. I know it won’t be today.”

Damien sighed, shaking his head. “You have no idea how much I love her, Ashleigh. She means everything to me. The thought of someone hurting her…” He shook his head again. “It makes me so angry. I just want to protect her.”

“You’re beginning to sound like her brother.”

“But I’m not her brother. I’m her husband. Taking care of Mia will be my job from now on.”

“You both talk about Mia as though she’s a child. It’s not your job to take care of Mia. It’s Mia’s job to take care of Mia. Your job is just to love her, Damien.”

“That part’s easy,” he smiled. “I don’t know how I lived without her.”

* * *

Mia saw Damien leave her mother on the dance floor. She’d undoubtedly said something to him because he looked very angry. Mia glanced at her brother, then down at her empty champagne glass.

“You don’t need it,” he assured her.

“You’re right. And you’re right that it’s time I told Mom to keep her hands off of my husband.” She couldn’t hold back her smile. “I have a husband. I’m Damien’s wife.” She laughed, hugged her brother and headed off toward the dance floor, thinking maybe she’d give her mother a dose of her own medicine. She’d dance with Jerry.

* * *

“She’s not going to be able to satisfy him. Look at him. She’s still a virgin for God’s sake.”

“Are you lusting after Mia’s husband now?” Jerry asked.

“He’d be better off with me. The girl is dull as dirt. Matter of fact, both she and Keefe are the dullest people I’ve ever known. I’ve always wondered if I weren’t given the wrong babies. Really, I don’t think they’re mine, they can’t be. Poor Damien, he’ll probably fall asleep in the middle of the deed.”

“You’re so crude. Damien is wild about Mia.”

“If he’s so wild about her, why did he have an erection when he was dancing with me?”