Chapter Eleven
The dinner and speeches were over. The cupcakes had been handed out by the bride and groom. The happy couple had danced their first dance, and Tyler had had several beers. It was a pretty good night.
His mom had driven him a little nuts with all the photographs, but overall she was too busy socializing to have time to bug him, and he’d actually enjoyed talking to some of his relatives—aunts, uncles, cousins—who were interested in his life in Chicago and his new business, and it was cool to talk to them too and hear about their lives, to reminisce a little. The wedding was almost…fun.
He looked around for Nick and Kaelin and found them together. On the dance floor. Talking and smiling at each other as they moved to the slow song. Tyler leaned back in the chair and lifted his glass to his mouth, watching them.
He hadn’t had much time to think about last night. After being so rudely awoken that morning—okay, not rudely, but abruptly—they’d been racing around all day getting things ready, then getting pictures taken, then the wedding, then more pictures.
He should be shocked as hell by Kaelin’s behavior last night. Sweet little Kaelin, the town sweetheart. He wanted to laugh, thinking about what people would think if they knew. His eyes roved over the guests—his parents, who loved Kaelin and thought she could paint a rainbow in the sky. Paul Bickford, the town’s most prominent lawyer, his dad’s best friend and coincidentally, Kaelin’s boss. Reverend McTavish, who’d performed the ceremony. What would they all think if they knew the truth about Kaelin?
His mouth twisted into a wry smile. They’d probably still love her. In fact, they probably wouldn’t even believe it.
Was he shocked? Somehow, no. He had complicated feelings about what had happened last night, that was for damn sure, but shock wasn’t really in there. Amazement, arousal definitely, admiration for her guts at going after what she’d clearly wanted so deep-down inside, and even something that felt like…gratitude.
Maybe because she hadn’t been shocked. Not at what she herself had done. She’d wanted it. But she hadn’t been shocked at him and Nick. And for some reason, that tugged at his heart and made him feel something huge and warm and… Jesus. He sat up straight. It felt like those old feelings he’d had for Kaelin back in high school, especially that last summer before he’d moved away, that summer they’d spent all that time together and he’d gotten to know her better and…
The summer he’d deliberately hurt her because he knew she was having the same feelings for him, and he knew there was no fucking way he was anywhere near good enough for her. The town sweetheart and the town asshole? Not likely. Not to mention she was two years older than him and his big sister’s best friend.
He drained the last of the beer and sighed. He’d been having such a good time, why did he have to start thinking about crap like that? He should just drink more beer and keep himself busy so he didn’t start thinking things that would get him into trouble. Like he always did.
Kaelin smiled at Nick. She’d been a little nervous about how she was going to feel with him and Tyler today after what had happened. But as always with Nick, she just felt comfortable and warm. He didn’t make her feel like the town slut even after what she’d done. And strangely, when she examined her feelings, she didn’t feel like the town slut anyway.
Sure it had been wicked. Wicked fun. Wicked sexy. Something she’d remember for the rest of her life. ’Cause that would never happen again.
Only, was she ever again going to be satisfied with vanilla missionary sex with the lights out, like Brent had wanted? It hadn’t satisfied her. It had driven her crazy with frustration and a deep, hungry yearning that she couldn’t find the nerve to tell him about.
“What’s wrong?” Nick asked, looking down at her, his hands on her waist, hers linked around his neck.
She smiled. “Nothing.”
“Regrets?”
She shook her head. “No. Not the way you mean.” She peered up at him. “You never told Tyler we kept in touch, did you?”
“No. I told you that in my emails.”
She nodded. “Thank you.” She’d asked him not to, but she’d never been sure if he’d kept that from Tyler.
“Did your ex-fiancé really give you a speeding ticket this morning?”
Her smile disappeared. “Yes.” She frowned. “He really did.”
“Jerk.”
“That’s the thing. He’s not a jerk. He’s a really nice guy.”
“Sounds exciting.”
She eyed him and saw the understanding in his eyes.
“Nice guys are boring,” he said.
“You’re a nice guy.”
“Gee, thanks.”
She laughed. “No! That’s not what I meant! You’re not boring! My god, how can you think that!”
“I’m boring compared to Tyler.”
She shook her head slowly. “No. You’re different, that’s true. But not boring. Never.”
“Thanks.”
They shared another smile.
“Why’d you break up with him?”
She blinked at him.
“Brent,” he clarified.
“Oh.” She dropped her head to his shoulder briefly then looked back up at him. “Because he was boring.”
Nick grinned. “See.”
She nibbled her bottom lip. “I never realized how much I wanted something…more. Something wilder.”
“You think you’re gonna find that here? In Mapleglen?”
She stared at him, his question reminding her of their conversation last night. “What are you saying?”
He lifted one shoulder. The song came to an end and they stopped moving, stepped apart. “I don’t know. I guess I’m saying last night was special. And after that, are you going to be satisfied with some other guy like Brent?”
“Maybe I just needed to get that out of my system.”
He tipped his head to one side. “Maybe.”
Tyler appeared beside them. “My turn,” he said, elbowing Nick out of the way. Nick just grinned and moved away and Kaelin turned to Tyler.
“Hey,” he said. “Great job on the wedding.”
“Thanks.”
The music started again, the tinkling opening notes of “Babe” by Styx. Tyler took her in his arms and she moved against him. He was a couple of inches taller than Nick, leaner, but just as strong. She couldn’t help but smile as she thought about how she would have reacted to this in high school, slow dancing with Tyler Wirth. God, she would have been so tongue-tied and intimidated. Now she’d slept with him. Lord. That flippy, fluttering feeling down low inside her returned. “And thanks for your help this afternoon.” She had to keep things cool tonight. Even though she couldn’t help thinking about Tyler and Nick’s hotel room, just a few floors above them, with that big king-size bed and…
Oh. She took a breath. Oh dear.
“You helped us out last night,” he said.
She drew back and stared at him. “Help?” Did he mean she helped him and Nick? That was…
“At the police station.”
“Oh! Oh yeah. Well.” She shrugged.
Tyler’s hands slid lower on her hips, his fingertips resting on the curve of her butt. Heat pooled between her thighs at the sexy touch.
“Um. So. Speaking of last night. Do you often take the blame for things that aren’t your fault?” she asked him.
His thick gold brows drew together. “What do you mean?”
He moved them out of the path of a tipsy couple with gentle pressure on one of her hips.
“I mean, like last night, when you tried to take the blame for stealing the fire truck.”
“We didn’t steal it. We were just taking it for a ride. We were going to bring it back.”
She arched a brow. “Remember when you totaled your parents’ car? When you were seventeen?”