No Love Allowed (Dodge Cove Trilogy #1) (18 page)

“I think my brother outdid himself this time,” Natasha commented, equally as breathless. “You’ll look stunning in it.”

Didi couldn’t stop staring, transfixed by the way the light bounced off the beadwork. “It’s so pretty.”

But before she could touch it, Natasha zipped the bag right up and laid it out on her bed. “More time to swoon over it later.” She took Didi’s hand and guided her to the
vanity. “It’s time for makeup. I will make you so drop-dead gorgeous all eyes will be on you tonight.”

Didi’s legs bobbed nervously as she sat in front of the mirror. A million clips secured her hair away from her face, which was currently being used as a canvas by Natasha. She rubbed her
hands against her thighs. Anxiety zinged beneath her skin like fast cars on the freeway without traffic cops in sight to apprehend them.

Despite the excess energy, fatigue still clung to her like a shirt on a muggy day. She had barely finished Caleb’s gift in time. The impulse to get the image just right consumed her, body
and soul. The last thing she wanted was to disappoint him.

“Are you sure the painting got there?” she asked for the fifth time.

The pretty socialite smiled at her patiently in the mirror. The bright vanity lights highlighted the elegant lines of her face. She looked like a live version of Vermeer’s famous painting
Girl with a Pearl Earring
. So enigmatic. So elegant. Didi had to remind herself not to touch Natasha’s face, no matter how much she wanted to. Because that would seem like all kinds
of weird.

“Didi, I know you’re nervous, but you need to relax or I won’t get your makeup just right. Nathan texted me that your painting is in a place of honor among the gifts.
Don’t worry,” she said reassuringly. “When did you start painting?”

Didi shrugged. “Six or seven. My mom brought me along to one of those free painting classes at the community center.”

“I’d love to see your work sometime.” Natasha set aside the brush she had been using to glide foundation onto Didi’s face, then picked up a smaller one for concealer and
got back to work.

A blush colored Didi’s cheeks. “You really want to?”

“Of course.” Eyes bright, Natasha smiled and winked. “Nathan tells me you’re really good.”

“Come over anytime.” Renewed excitement filled Didi. “Would you pose for me? I’d really like to paint you. Your face has such beautiful lines.”

This time it was the DoCo princess’s turn to blush. “I would love that. Let’s set it up. . . . Let’s say sometime next week?”

“It’s a date!” Didi met the other girl’s gaze in the mirror, opened her mouth to say something, but hesitated at the last second.

“What is it?” Natasha paused in her loose powder application. “Is something wrong?”

Didi shook her head so hard she thought the pins in her hair would come loose. “No. It’s not that.”

“Then what is it? You know you can tell me anything.”

Didi took a deep breath and said, “I just wanted to thank you.”

Natasha blinked in surprise. “For what?”

“For being so nice to me.” Needing something to do with her fidgety fingers, she played with the belt of the silk robe she had borrowed. “You, Nathan, even Preston. You have
all been so nice to me.” A pinch of sadness entered her heart. “I’m going to miss all of you when this is over.”

“Hey.” Natasha placed her hands on Didi’s shoulders and bent down so their reflections were at face level with each other. Her full lips stretched into a gentle smile.
“Who says we can’t be friends after this summer ends?”

Didi’s eyebrows came up. “Really?”

“Really.” She placed a quick kiss on Didi’s cheek. “Caleb’s lucky to have someone like you in his life. We all are.”

At the mention of his name, Didi blushed for a whole different reason. She hadn’t seen him in a couple of days. Not because he hadn’t been around. Quite the opposite. He had visited
her house every day leading up to his birthday party, but she kept turning him away, citing being busy, when all she really wanted to do was take him to her room and make out for the next few
hours. Caleb had been gracious enough to leave her alone after checking in on her. He had nothing to worry about, she had told him. Then, after he had left, all she had wanted to do was call him
back.

Nathan had made good on his promise of a Roaring Twenties party, Caleb thought as he walked the floor of the opulent ballroom that redefined decadence and excess. Everything
was a touch over the top.

The fourteen-piece band delivered jaunty jazz that floated in the air among the strains of conversation. Trumpets blared. Saxophones wailed. All accompanied by the stunning beats of drums. Snare
drums. Bass drums. Drums of every kind. The band members even had choreography depending on the song they were playing.

Gold and silver streamers hung from the ceiling, catching the light from the massive chandelier. Thank goodness it was crystal and had gone with the theme. Otherwise he was sure Nathan would
have had it removed and replaced.

Over the dance floor dangled clear balloons filled with gold and silver confetti, like upside-down orbs waiting to pop. No one was dancing yet. Guests were still arriving. But he expected that
to change soon with the amount of alcohol being served.

A twelve-foot black-and-white cake with edible pearls sat in a corner. His name was spelled out in gold letters, while unlit sparklers stuck out of the top three layers. Several bathtubs filled
with ice overflowed with top-shelf gin. Bartenders dressed as gangsters mixed signature drinks: mint juleps for the men, and champagne punch for the women, since Caleb hadn’t been able to
decide on just one when asked for his input. Beautiful cigarette girls with their box hats mingled, trays of drinks and hors d’oeuvres hanging from their necks. Table centerpieces boasted
more crystals and feathers and glitter.

All that sparkled, all that shone could be found inside the Parker Estate that night.

The guests had gone all out with their attire too. Flapper dresses and tuxedoes indeed. Many of them seemed straight out of grandma’s and grandpa’s closet. Vintage took on a
different name. The women were gorgeous and the men dapper. Cigars were passed around. Cigarettes with long filters too.

One massive table was filled to the edges with gift bags for when the guests left. Knowing his cousin, their contents would follow the night’s theme. No matter how much he disliked the
mention of his birthday because of all the fuss, Caleb had to admit that Nathan had done a mighty fine job. In his heart, he knew his mother would have enjoyed something like this. He looked up and
smiled. Ever since that afternoon with Didi in her painting room, thinking about his mother hadn’t hurt as much.

“What do you think?” Nathan asked, grabbing Caleb by the shoulders.

“Baz Luhrmann has nothing on you.” He picked up two mint juleps from a passing cigarette girl and handed one to his cousin. “I don’t think anyone would mind one
drink.”

Nathan accepted his and grinned. “A toast,” he yelled, and the people nearest them quieted. “To my cousin, for having the good sense to leave the planning to me. Happy
birthday, Caleb!” He raised his glass.

A chorus of “Happy Birthdays” came from the crowd as they raised their glasses. Caleb tapped glasses with Nathan, and they both took a sip at the same time. Smiles all around. A
great and wonderful energy floated in the air.

“You like it?” Nathan asked, choked up by emotion.

“I know I’ve been a massive buzzkill while you were planning this, and I’m sorry. You are a genius.” He pulled his cousin into a hug and patted his back.

“Oh, good.” Nathan discreetly swiped at tears. “Because I didn’t get you anything else.”

He laughed. “You did good. Proud of you.”

A twinkle entered Nathan’s eyes. “Wait till you see the fireworks.”

“Fireworks?”

Instead of responding, Nathan’s gaze moved toward the top of the stairs. As if his body could sense Didi’s arrival, Caleb’s heart pumped faster. He turned to face the steps to
the ballroom fully to find Didi scanning the crowd.

Caleb’s heart skipped a beat. She took his breath away in a beaded dress in a color similar to the blushes she got when he teased her. The fringe at the hem moved when she did. The beads
scattered down the front caught the chandelier light and sparkled. Drop earrings dangled from her ears while a headband brought attention to the soft waves of her hair. Seeing her all dressed up
was stunning.

On anyone else it would have just been a dress, but because Didi wore it, he couldn’t take his eyes off her. His father’s words about his mother came to mind,
Every time she
entered a room the air grew lighter
. He had never understood what JJ had meant until this moment.

As if an invisible force pulled him to her, Caleb handed his drink to Nathan and moved toward the stairs. He never took his eyes away from her.

A step below where she stood, he stopped and took her hand. He brought the back to his lips and pressed a gentle kiss against the soft skin. Her scent comforted him the instant he inhaled. Her
presence gave him the unlimited endurance he needed to get through the night. She whispered his name in greeting, and he looked up to see that her smile had softened. It was the smile she reserved
just for him when they were alone.

Climbing the last step so he could meet her on even ground, he placed the palm of her hand against his chest.

“You feel that?” he asked.

She nodded, matching him stare for stare.

“It hadn’t started beating until you got here.”

His words granted him the blush he so craved. “Happy birthday, Caleb.”

“Happy now that you’re here.” He eased closer to her side until his lips touched the shell of her ear. “You look beautiful.”

“You like the dress?”

“
Like
is too weak a word for how I feel about you in that dress.” He placed a kiss on her cheek. “I almost want to carry you out of here just so no one else will get
to see you but me.”

“As much as I would like to do that, it’s your birthday party. What would they think if we just up and left?”

He frowned and gestured to the crowd below. “They’re all too drunk to notice.”

She leaned in and kissed him on the lips—a quick, soft touch that ended too soon. “Nate promised really good cake. Can we stay long enough for that?”

“Why, Diana Alexander, are you handling me?” he insinuated with a grin.

She nodded boldly, not bothering to hide her manipulation. Then in a whisper, she told him, “And you still need to unwrap my present.”

“Is it anything under this dress?”

Gasping in shock, she slapped his chest. “Caleb Parker, behave.”

“You in that dress is making it very difficult.”

Biting her soft pink lip, she laced her fingers through his. “Come on, I want to see the band Nate promised.”

Unable to resist when her eyes brightened with excitement, he escorted her the rest of the way down to the ballroom floor.

“Why is no one dancing?” she asked, looking at the empty dance floor.

Caleb smiled. “We can easily fix that.”

She mirrored his smile and allowed him to guide her to the center of the floor. He pulled her into a gliding step. They moved as if meant for each other. Something in Caleb knew this to be true.
Didi was his the same way he was hers. He moved his hand from her hip to the small of her back, closing the already small gap between them. Looking into his eyes, she swayed. He loved the trust in
her gaze.

Soon they were no longer the only ones on the dance floor. The band switched to something more up-tempo and Caleb whipped Didi around, then pulled her back in just as quickly. She gasped, then
giggled. He knew he would give anything to keep her smiling like that.

The sparkling lights. The mix of cologne, perfume, and sweat. All of it seemed to seep into them as they moved with the mass of bodies. They jumped. They swayed. Didi closed her eyes and twirled
in his arms. The fringe of her dress whipped around her legs.

She opened her eyes and beamed. “Caleb! This, all of it!” she said above the music, breathless.

He brought his lips to her ear. “Having fun?”

As if on cue, the balloons popped one after the other, raining gold and silver confetti over them. It was magical. The entire evening was magical.

“So pretty.” She raised her hands again, catching the glittering squares in her palms, and bobbed from side to side as he moved his hands up her arms.

A tap on his shoulder from behind broke the spell. He turned around and came face-to-face with the icy glare of the last person he had wanted to see that night.

“Caleb, I need to speak with you,” JJ said.

“Father, can we not do this now?” he asked between his teeth. Didi’s hold tightened in his hand, giving him much-needed restraint as they stopped moving.

His father’s gaze hardened. “Yes, we are doing this now. I’m giving you the option of speaking privately in my study or out here in the open.”

Caleb’s mouth opened to respond, but Didi’s lips on his cheek stopped the nasty words from tumbling out. “Go with him,” she said softly so as not to draw attention to
them. “I’ll be fine with Nate and Tash.”

“You sure?” Even if he asked, he already knew the answer, so he caught his cousin’s gaze in the crowd. He shared a brief nod with Nathan. But before leaving Didi, he cupped her
face with his free hand and gave her the kiss he had wanted since she arrived—hard, hot, and full of promises. Only when she stared back at him with desire-dazed eyes did he let go of her
hand and follow JJ to his office.

“
CLOSE THE DOOR
behind you,” JJ said after entering his office and striding to his desk without as much as a look back.

Caleb did as he was asked, to save anyone else from the words about to be spoken in this room he had grown to hate. He kept his gaze away from his mother’s portrait. If only to spare her
from having to see his rising impatience at being pulled away from Didi.

“Father, can whatever you have to tell me wait until morning?” he asked. “We have a ballroom full of guests that I must attend to. In case you’ve forgotten, it is my
birthday
.” He emphasized the last word, but barely got a flinch of remorse from the man behind the desk. What else could he have expected?