Where There's Smoke (9 page)

"Hello, Eddie."

His expression in the dim light didn't register the same surprise she felt. Of course, he'd known she'd be here. He'd probably seen her with the wedding party. She hadn't expected him at all.

"You look good,” he said, moving closer, into the light.

"Thanks.” So did he, but she'd be damned if she'd tell him. The man had a big enough ego. Definite proof of her tier theory.

Why was he here? Was the universe dropping “Caution” signs as she considered how a romance with Seth would change her life? After all, she had vowed never to love another playboy, and here was the playboy she once loved. The one who said he was committed to her while committing all kinds of sexual acts with other women.

When he saw she wouldn't pursue a conversation, he looked past her into the ballroom. “They look really happy. I'm glad they made it."

More than once the four of them had gone on double dates. She'd always thought she and Ed would be the ones to make it; they had so much in common. Both were the children of firefighters, both only children.

Both thought Ed hung the moon.

He looked back at her. “You don't come by the station anymore."

"I do, every now and then. On your off shift.” She winced as she realized how much that statement revealed. Though to be honest, she hadn't checked his schedule in months.

He frowned. “I never meant to hurt you so much, Lauren."

"I've recovered.” That it was true surprised her. But what really sent her reeling, as she stood looking at the man she'd thought she loved, was the reason it hadn't worked out. It wasn't that he was a fireman, or that he was arrogant, or that he was three tiers above her.

It was that he wasn't Seth.

Seth stepped out on the patio to see Ed Sheridan standing way too close to Lauren, his head cocked to one side. Seth had seen that pose, many times, usually when Ed was seducing someone. And even though Lauren had broken up with Ed, she'd still been destroyed when their affair ended. He hoped she remembered it. The boiling in his gut was because of that. It wasn't jealousy.

When Ed stroked the backs of his fingers down Lauren's cheek, Seth's skin crawled and he cleared his throat. Ed dropped his hand and Lauren jolted.

"They're ready for the toasts."

Lauren turned, picking up her skirt and crossed the patio to Seth. She offered him a too-bright smile, more for Ed's benefit than his own. He knew that smile. She was covering something up. She wasn't falling for this damn fool again, was she?

"Escamilla,” Ed greeted, almost affably.

Seth merely glanced at him, then took Lauren's arm and guided her back inside. If she was, he needed to set her straight. He couldn't watch her go through that pain again.

"What the hell were you doing out there with him?” he asked low.

"I wasn't with him,” she hissed, but didn't pull away. Her skin was chilled and he let go to shrug out of his jacket. “I didn't even know he was here. Why is he here?"

He tucked the jacket around her and she pulled it tight. “Dad invited the whole house.” Just more proof the old man didn't care about anyone but himself.

"You might have mentioned it."

"He didn't say if he was coming. If it's bothering you that much—” He gestured for the door, ready to give Ed the boot.

She waved his concern aside, but she wasn't looking at him. The jacket slipped and they both grabbed for it. He closed his hand over hers as she guided the coat back into place. She looked at him but he didn't move his hand away, rested it just above her breast. The heat rolled off her skin. Her expression softened and her hand relaxed.

"I'm all right. H-he just caught me by surprise. Thanks for worrying about me."

Her voice had dropped, soft and low, and curled through his blood, which traveled south in response. He took a step closer, trailing his fingers up the collar of the jacket to her throat. Her lips parted in surprise, in unquestioning invitation, his own tingled in anticipation.

"Seth! The toast!” His baby sister Lisette appeared behind him.

He wished he had controlled his reaction; that he hadn't jumped away from Lauren; that she hadn't gone red at the interruption. Lisette no doubt suspected something. Seth turned around.

"Ed was outside."

Understanding relaxed Lisette's impatient expression. “Are you okay?” she asked Lauren, moving closer to rest a comforting hand on her arm.

"Peachy,” Lauren replied in a husky voice he'd never heard her use before. Lisette would think it was because of Ed. Seth knew better.

How could Lauren sit beside him? The way he looked at her, his eyes dark and ... wanting. How could she get through dinner with the way that look made her feel?

She managed somehow, though she didn't taste anything, only the champagne she sipped again and again in endless toasts.

And then the band called the wedding party to dance.

Okay, this was a test. Lauren took Seth's hand, but refused to look in those eyes that had every woman puddling at his feet. He drew her close, circled his arms about her waist, anchoring her to him. She clutched his sleeves for balance, released them almost immediately when the muscles beneath his tux registered. Of course he had muscles, he was a studpuppy fireman.

She couldn't think of that. So instead of touching his arms, she linked her hands behind his neck. Whoa. He wasn't much taller than she was in her heels, but her reach brought their bodies dangerously close. She felt the dampness of his skin at the back of his neck, smelled the expensive cologne laying lightly over his own male scent. His breath stirred a tendril of hair against her cheek.

She looked up, determined to be unaffected, and her breasts brushed his chest. A jolt went through her, and she saw the echoing flash in his eyes, which then darkened. He slid his hands to her hips and for an awful moment she thought he would push her away.

Seth flexed his fingers in the soft flesh of Lauren's hips as he fought the urge to slide his hands to her bottom to drag her against him. She was ... disturbed, he could tell, her breath came in little pants. And she looked everywhere but at him.

What the hell was this? He could have—had had—any woman he wanted, but he was in heaven because Lauren Stokes was in his arms. He pulled her marginally closer and realized their feet were barely moving. He lowered his head to say something just as she raised her face and his lips brushed her cheek. She sucked in her breath and froze.

The song ended and an upbeat
cumbia
started. Wedding guests surged to their feet and swarmed about them, but Seth and Lauren stood rooted to the spot, breathing as if they'd danced ten cumbias. Seth lifted a hand to her cheek and she turned toward his touch, lips parted.

"Kiss her or dance!” Oscar shouted as he and Sandra danced past.

Seth looked at Lauren, slightly flushed, and she reached for his hand. He pressed his other hand to the small of her back and danced backwards, bringing her with him.

They'd danced this dance a hundred times, but never with this intensity. Neither smiled, not did they look away from each other. His hips cradled hers, and she had to feel his arousal, but she didn't pull away. He saw awareness in her eyes, and something else. Pleasure?

Damn, one of them had to have some sense here. With a flick of his wrist he spun her around and pulled her back against his body, splaying his hand over her stomach, her bottom tucked against his hips. She gasped and turned to look back at him. He hooked her hand behind his neck in a lover's pose, trailed his fingertips down the soft skin of her bare arm. He watched chills rise along her skin, felt her intake of breath. He shouldn't have done that, not in public. But his pounding pulse had taken control. Nothing mattered but touching Lauren. He took her hand and spun her out, then drew her back so they were face to face.

She curled her fingers in his hair, making sure their gazes locked as the beat drove their feet. Her own hair started tumbling down, clinging to her damp skin and he had an immediate, erotic vision of her rumpled in his bed.

"Lauren.” He brushed his thumb over her lips and was suddenly doused by something cold and wet.

Lauren and Seth leaped apart before they realized they'd circled around to the table Seth's band had commandeered, and someone had shaken and sprayed a beer on them. Chris and Tony howled with laughter, Rob merely smiled shyly.

Seth gave his friends a tight smile, full of the promise of retribution. “Nice.” Lauren held her arms out, like Cinderella whose ball gown had just become rags. “Are you okay?"

She nodded, but her dismayed expression broke his heart.

"Come on, we'll get you cleaned up.” He led the way into the ladies’ room, didn't hesitate before charging in.

"You can't come in here,” Lauren protested.

"Watch me."

He guided her in and sat her in a wing-backed chair in front of a wall of mirrors. Her dress had taken the brunt of the spray and was ruined. He knelt before her, then pulled a bunch of paper towels out of the dispenser and wadded them against her dress. Fibers of brown paper clung to the dark fabric. She pulled a towel from him and dried off her shoulder and arm.

The smell of malt assaulted him. “Hope I don't get pulled over tonight,” she said. “It would be hard to convince anyone I'm not drunk."

"Jerks,” he muttered. “I think they ruined your dress."

"Well, it's not like I'll wear it again.” She sighed. “And they did cool me off."

"Which reminds me.” He reached up and loosened her hair expertly and it tumbled in big fat curls around her shoulders. Oh, damn. His body reacted again as if he'd taken off her dress instead.

She pressed her hands to her head. “What'd you do that for?"

"It was coming down anyway,” he said, reaching beneath her hair to stroke the softer hair at her nape.

Her eyes went a little wild, her breathing a little uneven as he caressed her, but she didn't pull away, or even blink. Pleasure at her reaction twitched his lips. He wanted to kiss her, and she wanted him to. He leaned in and she fisted her hands in her skirt.

"Seth Escamilla, what are you doing in the ladies’ room!” scolded his Tia Lupe, entering. “Get out!"

Seth rose reluctantly and reached for Lauren's hand. He had to get her alone, had to feed this hunger.

Lauren rose and Seth swept her past the entering women. He turned away from the ballroom, toward the patio at a determined pace. Once outside the French doors, he turned abruptly, caging her between his arms and the wall. She looked excited and a little frightened and he did his damnedest to remember why he shouldn't be doing this. But he couldn't.

"No more interruptions,” he said, and touched his mouth to hers.

He didn't touch her body, didn't trust himself to. He chased after her mouth with his own, and the rest of the world disappeared as he lost himself in Lauren. Her mouth was soft and hot and eager. Good Lord, he never thought she would set him on fire like this.

A small moan of pleasure escaped her as she moved into him. She curled her hands in his hair, then stroked his cheeks. Her breathing sounded as wild as his own, and then he couldn't not touch her anymore. The delicate fabric snagged beneath his hands as he dragged her closer until her head fell back, until her hair cascaded down her back, brushing erotically over his hands.

"God, Lauren,” he said, pulling back a little, looking down into her face. “God."

Seth's eyes were dark and unfocused, his mouth wet from their kiss, his hair tousled from her fingers, and he'd never been more handsome. Lauren allowed herself a thrill of feminine pleasure that he looked this way because of her.

"I didn't want it to be this way,” he said, threading his fingers through her hair and resting his forehead against hers.

She went cold. That couldn't be good. “What way?"

"This wild gotta-have-it way. I didn't think it would be, with you. I mean, we've been friends for so long.” He shifted his hips, as if she couldn't already feel his arousal.

"So, you gotta have me?” she asked with a small smile. Okay, that was good.

"God, don't joke,” he said on a moan.

"Seth, are we going to have sex tonight?” she asked breathlessly.

He made that desperate sound again, almost a sound of pain. She felt the tension running through his body, and ached to ease it.

"Should we, um ... go?” she asked.

"We can't.” His voice held the desperation she felt. “We have to wait until Crystal and Enrique leave. But give me a minute. I can't go back in there like this."

God, please don't let this be a mistake, she wished fervently. Don't let us screw up a wonderful friendship because of hormones. Maybe this had been building for years. Maybe they were just at the stage in their relationship where familiarity led to passion, and they needed to get past it before they could go back to being friends.

Maybe she was rationalizing, but she didn't care.

Seth moved to the edge of the patio, taking deep breaths. She stood beside him. He turned and smiled, stroked her hair back.

"You look like you snuck out of the wedding to kiss one of the groomsmen,” he teased, then turned his whole body. “You are beautiful."

"We should go back in,” she said shyly, not wanting to go at all.

"Not just yet.” He slid his hand under her hair and kissed her softly, gently.

"People are going to talk if we walk back in there together, then leave together,” she whispered.

"Yeah?” He brushed his lips lightly over her forehead. “And that would be bad because?"

"If our families see us together...” She drew out the last word to let him derive his own conclusion.

He pulled back slowly. “They'll think we're together."

"And they'll never leave us alone about it.” And she wanted to savor this without having to explain it to anyone.

"They'll think they were right all along."

Lauren stepped back. “We can't do this."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa.” He caught her arms, brought her toward him. “We can. We just have to do it very, very carefully."

"I thought bridesmaids dresses were supposed to be ugly."