might have said something else, except Dean moved a little closer and lifted his hand to tug on one of the loose strands of hair that framed her face. “I can’t believe how wonderful you look,” he murmured. “I know how much you hate to take the time—”
At that she stepped back. Yeah, she had taken a lot of time on this, for this very reason. Yet, she hadn’t thought about what Dean would think, other than amazement hopefully. She’d wanted him to be amazed, all right. The way his eyes had slid over her and the shock, before he’d covered it, had done wonders for the still-healing wounds he’d inflicted on her pride.
But as the look in his eyes changed, Jaynie started to wonder why she’d needed this so badly. He had a familiar, intimate look in his eyes and his voice had dropped an octave or two, hitting that low, sexy rumble that had always driven her crazy. It wasn’t having the effect Dean had probably planned, though. Jaynie just wanted to hit him.
Hard, preferably right in his oh-so-perfect nose.
He eased a little closer, close enough now that she could feel his body heat and smell the scent of after shave. She’d always thought that cologne smelled so sexy, but now she found it a little pretentious.The way Brian smelled, warm and male—like soap and shampoo and something that was uniquely him—now that was sexy.
Dean reached up and laid his hand at the small of her back, his fingers splayed wide, caressing the skin left bare by the low back of the dress. “We should talk sometime, catch up a little.”
76
One of the Guys
“I think you should move your hand off before I take it off at the wrist,” Jaynie said with a chilly smile. She shifted away from him and slanted a look in Kit’s direction. “We don’t have anything to catch up on, Dean.”
His charming smile took on a harder edge. “Don’t we? We have a lot of history between us, Jaynie. That history is why you’re here, right?” Jaynie smirked. “No. That history is why I didn’t torch your clothes when I came back to get my stuff. The reason I’m here now is because I wanted to see what I would feel.”
Cocking a brow at her, Dean smiled. “And what do you feel?”
“Nothing,” she replied and that realization had her grinning widely. “Not much of anything at all, Dean. Kit’s welcome to you.”
She turned to go and ended up walking into Brian’s arms. He smiled down at her, bent his head and brushed his lips across one bare shoulder. She accepted the drink from him and glanced back at Dean before smiling up at Brian. “Come on. I’m ready to go.”
But Brian slid a hand down her arm and linked their fingers, bringing their hands to his lips. He kissed the back of her knuckles and murmured, “You still owe me a dance, Jaynie.” He slid his other arm around her waist, pulling her up against him.
The feel of him through the thin layer of her dress and his suit reminded her of what she wasn’t wearing—that Brian still had her panties in his pants pocket. The hot look in his eyes turned her knees to putty and she realized, embarrassingly, that she was swaying toward him.
“Besides,” Brian added, “We haven’t really offered our congratulations to the happy couple, have we?”
“Our?” Dean interrupted. Jaynie glanced back and saw that Dean was studying them with narrowed eyes. His eyes lingered down low and she realized that he was staring at Brian’s hand on her lower back. She shifted in Brian’s embrace, to stand with her back pressed to his front.
77
Shiloh Walker
“Our,” Brian repeated. He kissed her shoulder and Jaynie shivered a little when he touched his tongue to her skin. Then he lifted his head and surveyed the crowded reception hall. “Pretty decent party, I guess. Me and Jaynie, though, we’re probably going to go for something a little quieter.”
It took a minute for his meaning to penetrate and by the time it did, Dean was staring at them with a flushed face and disbelieving
At that she stepped back. Yeah, she had taken a lot of time on this, for this very reason. Yet, she hadn’t thought about what Dean would think, other than amazement hopefully. She’d wanted him to be amazed, all right. The way his eyes had slid over her and the shock, before he’d covered it, had done wonders for the still-healing wounds he’d inflicted on her pride.
But as the look in his eyes changed, Jaynie started to wonder why she’d needed this so badly. He had a familiar, intimate look in his eyes and his voice had dropped an octave or two, hitting that low, sexy rumble that had always driven her crazy. It wasn’t having the effect Dean had probably planned, though. Jaynie just wanted to hit him.
Hard, preferably right in his oh-so-perfect nose.
He eased a little closer, close enough now that she could feel his body heat and smell the scent of after shave. She’d always thought that cologne smelled so sexy, but now she found it a little pretentious.The way Brian smelled, warm and male—like soap and shampoo and something that was uniquely him—now that was sexy.
Dean reached up and laid his hand at the small of her back, his fingers splayed wide, caressing the skin left bare by the low back of the dress. “We should talk sometime, catch up a little.”
76
One of the Guys
“I think you should move your hand off before I take it off at the wrist,” Jaynie said with a chilly smile. She shifted away from him and slanted a look in Kit’s direction. “We don’t have anything to catch up on, Dean.”
His charming smile took on a harder edge. “Don’t we? We have a lot of history between us, Jaynie. That history is why you’re here, right?” Jaynie smirked. “No. That history is why I didn’t torch your clothes when I came back to get my stuff. The reason I’m here now is because I wanted to see what I would feel.”
Cocking a brow at her, Dean smiled. “And what do you feel?”
“Nothing,” she replied and that realization had her grinning widely. “Not much of anything at all, Dean. Kit’s welcome to you.”
She turned to go and ended up walking into Brian’s arms. He smiled down at her, bent his head and brushed his lips across one bare shoulder. She accepted the drink from him and glanced back at Dean before smiling up at Brian. “Come on. I’m ready to go.”
But Brian slid a hand down her arm and linked their fingers, bringing their hands to his lips. He kissed the back of her knuckles and murmured, “You still owe me a dance, Jaynie.” He slid his other arm around her waist, pulling her up against him.
The feel of him through the thin layer of her dress and his suit reminded her of what she wasn’t wearing—that Brian still had her panties in his pants pocket. The hot look in his eyes turned her knees to putty and she realized, embarrassingly, that she was swaying toward him.
“Besides,” Brian added, “We haven’t really offered our congratulations to the happy couple, have we?”
“Our?” Dean interrupted. Jaynie glanced back and saw that Dean was studying them with narrowed eyes. His eyes lingered down low and she realized that he was staring at Brian’s hand on her lower back. She shifted in Brian’s embrace, to stand with her back pressed to his front.
77
Shiloh Walker
“Our,” Brian repeated. He kissed her shoulder and Jaynie shivered a little when he touched his tongue to her skin. Then he lifted his head and surveyed the crowded reception hall. “Pretty decent party, I guess. Me and Jaynie, though, we’re probably going to go for something a little quieter.”
It took a minute for his meaning to penetrate and by the time it did, Dean was staring at them with a flushed face and disbelieving
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