Читать книгу Best Friends…To Lovers - Jules Bennett - Страница 14

Six

Mac pulled out the chair for Jenna. Once she was seated, he moved her hair from her shoulder and placed a kiss on her bare, sun-kissed skin. Her familiar floral scent mocked him. He knew firsthand that she dabbed her favorite perfume beneath her ears and put a dot between her breasts. Not only had he seen her do it a time or two, but when he’d been making a path from her neck to her chest, he’d inhaled that scent and he’d wanted more.

“This is so exciting.” Amy beamed from the other side of the table. “I’m so happy for you guys and I’m really glad we could carve out this time to spend together. After all, we’ll all be family soon enough.”

Family? No. His family was his brother, sister, Ryker and Jenna. That was all. Small, simple, effective in making his life complete.

“I finished one of the small bouquets today,” Jenna stated, as if she wanted this conversation to take another path, too. “It’s even more beautiful than I thought it would be.”

Yeah, instead of taking hours to get ready like most women he knew, Jenna had opted to work on an arrangement, then had showered and transformed into evening-ready in minutes. She was stunning tonight with her bare shoulders exposed. Her dress hugged those curves he was dying to get back beneath his hands.

Amy reached across the table and patted Jenna’s arm. “I didn’t ask you to do the flowers because you’re my sister. I asked because you’re the best.”

Settling back in his seat, Mac could relax a bit more now that the sisters had fallen into their easy chatter. The waitress popped over to their table to take their drink orders. Mac and Nathan ordered the local beer on tap, while the ladies ordered a house wine and slid right back into all things wedding.

“Don’t look so glum,” Nathan stated with a laugh. “It’s not that bad. And if she’s happy, then that’s all that matters.”

Mac grunted. “I think eloping would be the easiest.”

Amy gasped, focusing her attention on Mac. “You don’t mean that. Jenna has always dreamed of a big wedding. She even has our mother’s wedding gown in storage because she wants that vintage feel.”

Apparently word traveled fast and Jenna had already discussed the “engagement” with her sister. Mac glanced at Jenna who was waving her hand in the air. “I’ll be happy with any wedding, Amy. So long as it’s to the man I love. I’ll get my happily-ever-after,” she assured her sister.

Jenna didn’t meet Mac’s stare. When he reached beneath the table to slide his hand over her leg, she shifted away just enough so that no one could see, but her silent message delivered a blow.

He’d hurt her earlier. He’d hurt her with his own selfishness and lack of control. But when that bastard Martin had spouted off about Mac’s family...well, he’d been looking for an excuse to punch the guy since he found out Martin had cheated on Jenna.

The waitress brought their drinks and took their orders. The open restaurant provided a view of the crystalline ocean, which glowed even more in the moonlight, palm trees swaying in the gentle breeze and couples strolling around hand in hand. The carefree lifestyle here would be so easy to get lost in; it was the perfect romantic setting, but he wasn’t here for romance and his plan of seduction was backfiring in a major way.

Jenna deserved more than a fling. Mac took a hard pull from his beer and realized he was no better than Martin—as difficult as that was to admit. Martin had used her and Mac was attempting to do the same. Oh, Mac could justify his means by saying he’d always wanted her physically, which was true, but after this week he would go back to his life and Jenna would be left with...what? She didn’t have feelings for him beyond friendship, but she was the type of woman who wanted that fairy-tale ending. Hadn’t her sister just stated as much?

The only role Mac would ever play in a fairytale would be a villain. The villain never got the princess.

“Mac?”

Blinking, he sat his glass back down and looked to Amy. “I’m sorry, what?”

“I asked what happened.” She nodded toward his injured hand still curled around his frosted mug.

“He had a slight altercation,” Jenna chimed in. “No big deal.”

Oh, hell, no. She wasn’t coming to his defense or making lame excuses for him.

“I punched Martin.”

Jenna sighed and dropped her head. Amy jerked back in her seat and Nathan narrowed his eyes.

“Why?” Amy demanded in a whispered tone.

“He cheated on Jenna and—”

“And nothing,” Jenna stated, her voice rising over his. “Let’s just leave this conversation for another time.”

“He cheated on you?” Amy asked, her wide eyes turning to her sister. “I knew you guys broke up, but you never said why. Oh, honey, I’m so sorry you have to walk with him during the ceremony.”

Mac clenched his teeth. The thought of Martin getting close to Jenna only made him see red all over again.

Amy turned to Nathan. “Did you know about this?” she demanded.

Nathan held his hands up in his defense. “He’s my best friend, but I had no clue. I’d say he didn’t tell me for obvious reasons.”

Jenna reached for her wineglass. “Seriously, it happened a few weeks ago and I didn’t want to ruin the wedding, so let’s forget this conversation ever happened.”

As she sipped her wine, she turned just enough to glare at Mac. He wasn’t going to apologize. Amy and Nathan needed to know what kind of asshat was in their wedding party posing as a friend and all-round good guy.

Mac couldn’t help but smile at the thought of the jerk sporting a shiner for the ceremony. Probably not something Amy would find amusing, but Mac sure did. They should be thankful Mac hadn’t broken the guy’s jaw, or worse.

“Please, don’t let this ruin anything,” Jenna begged.

Amy studied her sister and finally nodded. “So, tell me what you’ve decided on for your wedding. Surely you have a date in mind or some details.”

Hell. He was going to need something stronger than beer to get through this.

“Actually, this is all still so new to us.”

Yeah, like two days.

“I want to focus on your wedding before thinking about my own,” Jenna went on. “Did the resort get with you on the time I can start setting up in the dining area for the reception?”

“They told me after the rehearsal would be fine. Does that give you enough time?”

“Of course.” Jenna’s tight smile implied the arrangement was anything but fine, but she’d never tell her sister anything different.

Nathan asked Mac about the auction business and Mac kept his answers vague. Though O’Shea’s was thriving even more than usual, Mac’s mind was on the scrolls and how Ryker was doing with his lead. Ryker wasn’t one to just send random check-ins, though. He wouldn’t contact anyone until he discovered something substantial.

When Mac’s cell vibrated in his pocket, he slipped it out just enough to see his sister’s name on the screen.

“Excuse me,” he stated as he came to his feet. “I need to take this.”

His sister wasn’t one to chat on the phone for fun, so the fact that she was calling had him on alert. Shoving his chair back, he offered a smile in reply to Jenna’s worried look.

“Laney.” He answered the phone as he walked from the table and out onto a fairly empty dock.

“Would you tell the family Neanderthal to stop checking on me?” his sister demanded.

Mac flinched at the anger lacing her voice. Laney wasn’t an angry person, but there was one man who brought out such emotions in her and Mac didn’t have to ask which Neanderthal she was referring to.

“What’s going on now?” Mac asked, trying to keep his frustration from coming through.

“I started talking to Carter again—”

“Oh, Laney,” Mac groaned. “Are you kidding me?”

“Anyway,” she continued, ignoring his protest. “Suddenly Carter calls and tells me he can’t see me anymore. You guys may not like him, but my personal life is not your concern. We had a rough patch and I was going to give him another chance.”

Actually, it was very much their concern, but he wasn’t getting into that now. Having Laney as a baby sister was exhausting at times, but they usually handled her by going behind her back to keep her safe. Mac wouldn’t let any harm come to her as long as he was alive, and he knew full well Braden felt the same way, as did Ryker, even though he was only a friend of the family.

“And how does Ryker come into play?”

Laney laughed. “Seriously? He obviously called Carter and said something to him. We were supposed to go out tonight for the first time since we broke up and Carter was adamant he couldn’t see me again.”

Mac shrugged, even though she couldn’t see him. If Carter was scared off that easily then he didn’t deserve Laney. End of story and good riddance.

“Listen, Carter isn’t a good fit for you,” Mac started as he glanced back into the restaurant and met Jenna’s eyes. “You deserve someone who will put you above everything else and be completely loyal.”

“Maybe Carter was that person,” she retorted.

Something flashed in Jenna’s eyes before she turned her attention back to whatever her sister was saying. A punch of reality hit him in the gut. From here on out he had to do right by Jenna. She trusted him, only him, to come to her rescue. If someone ever set out to “help” his sister by means of seduction, Mac would rip him limb from limb.

How could he seduce her when she’d placed her heart, her protection in his hands? The answer was as simple as it was complex...he couldn’t.

“We went to great lengths to get Carter out of your life when you needed us to step in,” Mac went on as he took a few more steps down the dock and away from a couple who had just come outside. “Even if Ryker did call Carter to scare him off, then you need to realize he has your best interests at heart.”

“He doesn’t have a heart.”

That was debatable, but still. Mac wasn’t going to keep arguing. “You need to settle this with Ryker.”

“He won’t take my calls.”

“He’s working on a lead.” He didn’t need to say what for. They’d all been diligently searching for the scrolls since their father had made them promise to uncover them. “Don’t take it personally.”

“If you called him he’d answer,” she muttered. “If that jackass thinks he can avoid me...”

Mac smiled. “I’m sure he’ll return your call soon enough. I need to get back to dinner.”

“Sorry. I know you’re with Jenna. Tell her I said hi.”

“Will do. Love you, Laney.”

“Love you, brother.”

Mac shoved the phone back in his pocket and made a mental note to contact Ryker tomorrow. Laney was an adult, yes, but she was beautiful, and as the only female O’Shea, some men saw her as a challenge. Like hell.

“Everything okay?”

Mac jerked around. “Yeah. My sister said to tell you hi.”

Jenna’s face softened. “I haven’t seen her since she came down to Miami to visit you.”

Mac slipped his arm around her shoulders. “Let’s get back to dinner.”

Jenna paused, her hand on his chest as she looked up at him. “If we could hurry and pretend we can’t wait to get back to the room that would be great.”

Mac swallowed at the thought of her in a rush to get him alone, but he quickly reminded himself he’d vowed to cool it and respect her during their charade. But he had a feeling that keeping that vow would test every ounce of his willpower and sanity.

“Martin just came in and sat at another table, but I want out of here before you blacken his other eye.”

Mac kissed her forehead. “No more punching tonight, I promise.”

Jenna patted his chest and laughed. “You’re all heart. My sister is pressing for more wedding details, so we need to keep the conversation on something else.”

“Not a problem.” He’d discuss the damn weather before he got into a conversation about his impending nuptials. That day would never come and even in theory, the idea made him cringe.

As they neared the table again, Mac slid his hand along Jenna’s neck, smoothing her hair aside. “I hope you’re ready to put on a show to make this believable. We’ve still got that bet on the line.”

Jenna froze beneath his touch, but quickly recovered enough to throw him a killer smile. “I think you need to get ready for my performance.”

Mac nipped at her lips and pulled her close. “Baby, I’m always ready.”