Sanctuary (Family Justice Book 3) (61 page)

“This is for the wedding,” she told him timidly. “Yay or nay?”

He couldn’t move. His tongue froze in his mouth, and whatever brain cells he needed to form words took a lunch break.

“Please say something.”

He tried clearing his throat. When that didn’t help, he sat up with both feet firmly planted. Pointing at the dress, he squeaked, coughed, and tried again.

“Uh, it’s …” He stopped. “Did you know?” Shit. That wasn’t right either. “Your eyes …”

He must have made some sort of sense because she beamed at him. “It’s the same color as my eyes. Is that what you’re trying to say?”

He nodded like a bobble head doll.
Smooth, you asshole. Real smooth.

“It’s called honeyed lace,” she told him with a husky purr. “I love it.”

Brody just sat there, marveling at the shimmery bronze. She didn’t have to model it for him to know she was going to look ah-mazing.

“I’ve never worn anything so … romantic,” she murmured. Her tone was a combination of wistful and hopeful. “Do you see the little black sheath underneath?” Holding the padded hangar closer, she described the finer points that as a guy he’d never even notice. “That’s how they are able to use such sheer lace. Stephanie doesn’t like the silky black sash, so I got a sparkly bronze and gold belt that’ll match the designs on the lace. And the cut of the skirt?” She was practically cooing with delight. “The gathers will make it sway when I walk. It’s divine, don’t you think?”

“Sway while you walk,” he repeated.

“Yeah, yeah. Stephanie says your silhouette should always draw the eye with movement.” Shyly smiling she added, “Apparently, men like a little wiggle in the walk. A dress like this is supposed to be a showstopper.”

“Can you put it on? Let me see for myself?”

Her open smirk got him all fired up. “Not with that expression, I’m not! Something tells me the dress wouldn’t survive your raunchy pre-game action and I’m not taking any chances with this baby.”

“Raunchy pre-game action? Is that what you think?”

She stowed the beautiful dress in the garment bag and draped it lovingly over a chair. “Not what I think, Mr. Jensen. What I hope.”

He felt a little late afternoon fuckery coming on. “You show me just one thing from that bag,” he challenged with a pointed look at the lingerie she was hoarding, “and I’ll warm us up in the bullpen.”

Regarding him with a humorous grin, she murmured, “Hmm,” and fished around in the bag. Every so often, she’d glance at him thoughtfully then shake her head and keep on rustling through the tissue paper. It was quite a performance.

Eventually pulling out a wad of pink tissue, she unwrapped something tealish-blue in color and hung it on her pinky finger. “As requested.”

What did that mean?

“Will these do?”

He took the flimsy teal off her finger and examined it. How the fuck do women know what to do with this shit? From what he saw, there were some straps, some sheer lace, and a degree of sexy engineering that he could barely comprehend. Looking at her with a stupid expression, he shrugged. She’d have to enlighten him.

“They’re panties! Crotchless. Teal because I liked the color. That’s what you wanted, right?”

Oh, man. This was too good to be true. “Put them on,” he growled.

“Ask nicely,” she replied.

“I wasn’t asking.”

She stared at him with those mesmerizing bronze eyes. “Oh. Okay.” Turning to the bedroom, she said, “I’ll just be a minute.”

His response? He eased back against the sofa, man-spread his legs, and rubbed his hand over the hard-on threatening to break through his zipper.

“One test run comin’ up.” She snickered lustfully before disappearing around the corner.

When she was gone from his sight, he grunted with satisfaction. Nothing quite like an obedient lover to make a man’s day, and he didn’t give a fuck how sexist that sounded.

Into the silence of the room, he drawled, “Start your engines,” and then waited for her to return.

I
HAVE A
surprise for you.

Alex stealthily glanced around the big round table at his three companions. As usual after a couple of drinks, they were engaged in a round of who’s the bigger douche and not really paying him much attention. Perfect opportunity to text-play with his naughty bride.

His thumbs moving rapidly over the phone’s keyboard, he replied.
Is it hot? And wet?

At first, the struggle to remain abstinent with Meghan upping the damn ante at every opportunity had made him a raging, frustrated bear. And then he had a sort of epiphany. One of those out-of-the-blue thoughts you had in the middle of the night.

He’d had a shitload of surprises along the way in his relationship with the bombshell teacher who came with a set of tits and an ass that made a sane man act like an idiot. But one, in particular, was particularly enchanting and mind-blowing considering what a fierce ballsy female she was. His sexy Meghan had quite a taste for bondage. And him? Well. He was becoming a master with knots. To fully understand the significance of her trusting surrender, he’d really given this a lot of thought.

Bondage was so much more than rope and restraint. A lot if it was emotional. Symbolic, of course. And he’d discovered that waiting and anticipation were formidable tools in his bondage arsenal. Knowing what was to come but having to suffer through the waiting was powerful bondage mojo. By the time they were finally free to intimately consummate their union, both of them were going to fly.

In that light … why not a bit of sexting? His perpetual erection wasn’t going away anytime soon as it was, so why the fuck not?

The eye-rolling emoji appeared in their message.
Really? Always the sex with you, Major. Gawd!

He smiled.

“Oof!” Cam laughed. “Nerd burn.” High-fiving Drae, he cocked his head at Parker. “Gonna let him get away with that, counselor?”

His best man, the guy he’d grown up with who knew most if not all of his secrets, and who was now unbelievably saddled with Alex’s pain-in-the-ass little sister, gave his Justice Brothers a dry look. Holding up both fists, he started turning one in a circle—like a crank. The other fist slowly unfurled the middle finger until he was giving the other two men a special salute.

“Ew! Christ almighty,” Drae groaned. “Put that thing away, would you? Your girlfriend’s brother is watching, you fucking pervert.”

Before he responded to Meghan’s text, he paused and shot Parker some well-deserved shade. Nobody knew Parker Sullivan as he did and that included a working knowledge of the guy’s preferred kink. All the stuff a brother really didn’t need to know about the man his sister shacked up with. He had the good sense to look somewhat sheepish under Alex’s hard glare.

The three moved on to more insults and wild stories in a never-ending attempt to one-up each other. Too bad half the shit they spewed was totally made up. Shaking his head, he went back to playing with Meghan and thought about his next response.

No good? Damn. And here I thought you were going to help me out of my misery.

I’m going back to the girls if you can’t be serious.

He pictured her in a t-shirt that read:
You can’t scare me. I’m a teacher
. It never failed to fire him up when she tried her no-nonsense shtick on him.

Don’t be a bitch
, he typed then snickered when he imagined her outrage at reading the text.

What have I told you? When you call me a bitch, at least, use my full title. Bitch Goddess to you, sir. Thank you very much.

Ah. The Bitch Goddess. He liked her very much. She was responsible for almost all of his bride’s attempts to top him, and sometimes, he goaded the naughty BG into trying. Nothing like some creative submissive topping to make things interesting.

Tell me, my misbehaving Goddess Bitch
,
is there a SHUT UP you want to add?

LOL, not until you provide some damn details on this new tally.

Yeah. He was still working out the details, so he let that one slide. Didn’t want to get pushed into a corner with a quick answer. Not when the situation held so much promise. If he could get away with it and not raise a million eyebrows, he’d install a fancy leather spanking bench in their bedroom. Something he could tie her to as she worked off her naughty points. They’d both enjoy the experience; that was for damn sure.

Alex spied the wait staff making their way over to the table and reluctantly knew their playful exchange would have to wait. This was a special dinner. Just him and his groomsmen. There were things to say. Things he knew she was going to be saying in a different restaurant across town where she’d gone with her bridal supporters.

Baby,
he typed.
The boys are forgetting their table manners
. She’d understand what he meant.
Can your surprise wait till we’re alone?

His face lit up with a happy grin when she answered.
Meet me in the lobby at 10. I’ll be the one wearing the chastity belt.

His hunger roared to life when sizzling planks of steak were set on the table. Nothing like a bit of rare, bloody meat to satisfy his inner beast. For now, anyway.

“Put the damn phone down, Red,” Angie demanded. “If you don’t, I’ll call my kinky pervert of a brother and tell him to give you a rest and go try pump soap and a steamy shower.”

Meghan gave her a sly smirk. Angie knew damn well they weren’t doing it right now. And why. Never had sticking to her resolve to save the tattoo reveal for their wedding night seemed like such a shitty deal as it did right now. Honestly. If she got any hornier, she was sure her lady parts were going to melt.

“Done,” she sniped as her phone went facedown on the table. “And pump soap? Really?” She shuddered and pulled a face. “Let me suggest Astroglide X for shower play. I’ll send some to you. Tell Parker,
with my compliments
.”

Tori erupted with a loud snorting laugh. “By the way, Angel, thanks for the inside info on the hunky lawyer. Telling us he likes to perform the slide ‘n’ squeeze while you watch just made Meghan’s burn twice as funny.”

Lacey turned beet red. “Aw, come on. Just for one night, can’t you guys, at least, pretend to be proper ladies?”

Meghan couldn’t love these three women more if she tried. “I saw what you picked up today,” she teased.

Lacey’s blond hair, swept into a high, elegant ponytail, swished when she swiftly turned to Meghan. “You promised not to say anything,” she crossly scolded. “Besides. It wasn’t my idea. Heather started it.”

Angie, having been officially designated the Ladies of Justice Chief of Troublemaking, pounded her hand on the table and boomed, “Crotchless panties for everyone!”

Meghan looked for a hole to crawl into when the very proper-looking couple at the next table flinched from the racket and turned to glare at them. Victoria surprisingly rescued the situation before things got out of hand.

“I think a toast is in order. That’s what bridal parties do, right? Toast and drink?”

“No drinking games,” Meghan pleaded. “Last time we did that, I had a tequila hangover for days. Who knew a couple of rounds of
I Never
could be so deadly.”