Burn for You (14 page)

“Vic,” Graham snapped his fingers to get her attention.

More than a little annoyed to be snapped at like a dog, she turned back to him. “What?”

“What are we doing? When the DJ calls our name? How are we walking in?”

Distracted again, she winked at Jason who was trying to back away from Barbie without being obvious. “I imagine we’ll put one foot in front of the other. And repeat until we arrive at the head table.”

“Come on. You know what I mean. Beth Ann and your brother Alex are doing that walk from
The Monkeys
opening theme song.”

Ah, that’s right. She’d been waiting all day for someone to say Barbie’s name so she could remember it. Beth Ann. She made a mental note. Tall, inappropriately flirty blonde chick. Beth Ann. Not Barbie. “That’s a little dated isn’t it?”

“Exactly. We can come up with something better than that.”

“I don’t know, Graham. Can’t we just walk in and wave and smile?”

“What? You mean like a princess wave?” He experimented with a controlled, queen-like wave. “That’s a chick thing. But I guess that’s what makes it funny if I do it, right?” He nodded his head. “That could work, I guess.”

She sighed, not really caring what they did when they walked in. No one would be looking at them anyway. This day belonged to Camille and Tony, and at the end of the day, no one cared what cutesy little thing the wedding party did while walking into the reception. But then, Graham always had been a little too focused on what other people thought. Always trying to be Mr. Popular. The benefit of such a trait was that he worked hard to please people. He was warm and kind and—ninety percent of the time—genuine. The downside was the ten percent of the time when he was trying too hard.

“Whatever you want to do, Graham.”

Jason waved from the place card table, holding up his name card and pointing to the ballroom to let her know he was heading inside. She nodded and watched him dramatically step to one side to skirt past Barb—Beth Ann unnoticed on his way to the door.

“What’s so funny?” Graham asked.

“Hmm? What do you mean?”

“Just now. You were giggling. What’s so funny?”

It would be rude not to let Graham in on the joke, but there was something rather precious about having a private communication with Jason—a joke that hadn’t even needed words—that made Victoria want to keep her silence.

“Oh, it was nothing.” She took Graham’s arm and gave him a friendly smile. “Let’s get lined up for this princess wave, shall we?”

Chapter 11

Aunt Sophie was too innocuous a name for a woman as intense as Victoria’s aunt.

Jason didn’t have an aunt of his own for a basis of comparison, but Hollywood led him to believe aunts were lovable, affable creatures full of affection.

Not filterless propagators of the wedding inquisition.

He hadn’t been seated at the table ten seconds before the questions started. And Aunt Sophie didn’t pussyfoot around. There was no
hello, how are you?

Nope. Not with Aunt Has-no-filter.

She parked her oxygen tank next to his chair and started with “What are your intentions toward my great-niece, Victoria?” And just in case he misinterpreted what she met by intentions, she’d added, “Will you be staying in her hotel room tonight? You know she’s rented one, don’t you? I thought that was a little fast, but then my sister let her son do whatever he wanted, and now look what’s happened. He has a daughter who does whatever she wants too.”

Confident that she didn’t actually expect him to answer the original question once she derailed into criticisms over Victoria’s upbringing, Jason didn’t respond save for one small nod of acknowledgement.

“So will you?” she asked, adjusting the cannulas in her nose that fed her oxygen.

“Will I what?” Jason asked.

“Be staying in her hotel room tonight?”

“Uh…” The images that question brought to mind were more than a little distracting. It didn’t take much encouragement for his brain to recall the memory of Victoria descending those steps wearing a barely knee-length dress that had nearly knocked the breath out of his chest. Her legs…Her legs were nothing less than a work of art, sculpted by the divine creator himself. Toned and tanned and totally touchable.

She wore silver sandals with straps that went halfway up her shins. Surely they would’ve look ridiculous on anyone else, but on her, they drew attention to her muscled calves. And her short blond-streaked hair had a little more lift than usual. Probably some miracle product from having her hair done that day, but it brought the focus to her big brown eyes and that killer smile. She was a modern-day Venus de Milo.

No, that comparison was too cliché. Victoria was an original work of art. The nickname he’d given her fit her perfectly.
Toria
was completely unique. Just like her.

And now her aunt was asking if he’d be spending the night in her hotel room. His little captain had an answer for that. A resounding
hell yes
, but thankfully the brain in his head decided to engage as well. “No ma’am. I’ll be going home this evening.”

“Hmm.” Aunt Sophie looked him up and down. “I’m not sure if I’m glad to hear that or disappointed.”

That answer got a surprised laugh out of him.

“She thinks she’s been sly about it, but it’s no secret she’s had a crush on her brother’s best friend for years. I never could picture those two together though. Not a good fit if you ask me.”

With no idea what in God’s green earth propelled him to ask, Jason said, “Why’s that?”

“From the day that girl was born, she marched to her own drum. Actually, I’m not even sure it was a drum. Knowing her it was saxophone or something. Always had to be different, that one.”

Jason didn’t know Sophie well, but he’d venture to say the soft look that crossed her face while talking about Victoria was a rare event indeed.

“You might think because she comes from a family of police and firefighters that she just fell right in line when she became a paramedic. But you’d be wrong. You see, Russos think all those professions are fine for men, but nobody wanted that for Victoria. And to join the army first? Oh, I thought her father was going to have an apoplexy.” This thought appeared to make Sophie almost gleeful.

“But she did it anyway. Signed those papers and didn’t tell her parents until after it was over and done with.” She leaned closer to Jason. “You see, of all my relatives, Vicki’s the most like me. Strong. Independent. And that Graham she liked so much? Well, that was never going to work out.”

“And why’s that?” Jason asked again, unable to stop himself.

“Because he’s just like my ex-husband.”

He laughed. This Sophie, she was a firecracker all right.

Dinner was served and Sophie spent the entire meal giving Jason her opinions on anything and everything. She talked so much, he half expected her to need a reserve tank of oxygen. The others at the table engaged in their own conversations, all of them looking relieved that Jason was catching the brunt of Sophie’s chattiness. It was as if they’d unanimously decided to let him be the one to take one for the team.

Occasionally, he found his gaze wandering to the head table. But it wasn’t the bride who snagged his attention. It was the Maid of Honor seated next to her. Victoria always seemed to sense the moment he looked her way, and she’d smile and raise her glass in a toast. Or make a funny face, going crossed eyed while the groomsman next to her talked and talked and talked. He couldn’t help smiling at her antics even as Sophie discussed how Americans should be more open to the concept of communism.

Graham was seated next to the groom and separated from Victoria by the newlyweds. Jason couldn’t help wondering if the seating arrangement disappointed her. From meeting Tony, he knew that she’d told everyone he was her
friend
. Seemed she wanted to make it clear that they weren’t a couple. She’d said as much the day she brought the tie to his house, and it made sense. If Graham was the object of her affection, then she wouldn’t want him thinking she was unavailable.

Is that why she’d reserved a room? In case something happened between her and Graham?

Jason clenched the stem of his water goblet, surprised it didn’t break from the pressure. It shouldn’t bother him—he had no claim on Victoria, didn’t even want to make a claim. But dammit, the thought of her with that princess-waving tool really chafed.

Okay, that wasn’t fair. Graham was a perfectly good guy.

Jason just didn’t like him.

The DJ got everyone’s attention and started the bride and groom off on their first dance. The lights had been dimmed, but he could still see Victoria watching Tony and Camille from her spot at the head table. The words to Ed Sheeran’s
Thinking Out Loud
filled the hall while the couple swayed and whispered to one another. How two people could appear to be sharing something so private while on display for everyone to see, he didn’t know but Tony and Camille definitely did.

He glanced at Victoria again during the mother-son dance and caught her swiping her fingers under her eye as she watched her brother whisper something to his mother that had Mrs. Russo tearing up.

“You should ask Vicki to dance,” Aunt Sophie said.

“I’m sure I will.”

“Well, there’s no time like the present, kid. We’re not getting any younger here.”

“I’m pretty sure the floor is reserved for the groom and his mother at the moment.”

“So? Let them have the floor. You don’t need to be on the dance floor. Dance on the sidelines.”

Looking back at the head table, he watched Victoria sip her champagne, swaying to the music in her chair. For a split second he imagined walking over to her, holding out his hand, pulling her up from her chair and holding her in the shadows while they moved with the music.

He cleared his throat.

“Well?” Sophie practically pushed him out of his chair. That broad was much stronger than she looked.

“All right, all right. I’m going.” He smiled at Sophie, figuring it was best to placate the old lady before she made a scene.

Halfway to the head table, the pace of the music picked up considerably, and the DJ called the wedding party to the floor.

Opportunity lost, Jason watch Graham drag Victoria to the dance floor. Not wanting to return to his table and a lecture from Sophie, he found a spot of the wall that looked like it needed holding up. Arms crossed over his chest, he watched the wedding party rock out to that
We Are Family
song. And if his jaw started to hurt from clenching it too tight watching Graham twirl Victoria around the dance floor, he tried not to overthink it.

He wandered over to the bar for an ice water just to have something to do, and when he checked the dance floor again, a new groomsman had cut in to dance with Victoria. The guy sure wasn’t going to be passing any field sobriety tests any time soon either with the way he stumbled all over the dance floor.

At first, Victoria appeared amused by his antics—the over-the-top dance moves and attempts to be like that guy from
Saturday Night Fever
. But the smile left her face when the groomsman stumbled into her, grabbed her ass, and pulled her to him. She pushed him away, but McDrunkass didn’t get the hint.

Jason set his drink down on the nearest table and started for the dance floor. It was still just the bridal party dancing, but he didn’t fucking care. He wasn’t about to stand by and watch some douchebag put his hands where they weren’t welcome. Seeing someone get taken advantage of was the one thing sure to tip his temper into the red-zone.

And this guy didn’t want to see his red-zone.

“Excuse me.” He didn’t bother asking to cut in because he didn’t plan on giving the guy a choice.

“Dude, we’re just having a little fun.” McDrunkass stayed glued to Victoria. She was tolerating it, but probably only because she didn’t want to cause a scene at her brother’s wedding.

“Well, I’m afraid the fun’s over now. It’s time for you to move along.” Jason stepped closer to the intoxicated groomsman, but before he could do anything, Victoria gripped McDrunkass’ shoulder. Others watching would think she was giving the groomsman a friendly shoulder squeeze, but Jason could see she was actually digging her thumb into a pressure point at his clavicle notch.

McDrunkass went down to one knee in pain.

“You see?” Jason said, pasting on a tight smile and helping the groomsman to his feet. “I think the lady’s ready for you to move on.” He nudged the groomsman off the dance floor.

“All right. All right. Geez.” McDrunkass stumbled away, sending a disgusted look to Victoria that almost had Jason chasing after him—if for no other reason than to wipe that disrespectful look off his stupid face, but Victoria put her hand on his forearm.

“Thank you,” she said.

“Don’t thank me. I didn’t do anything.” Not that he wasn’t ready to, but Victoria could clearly hold her own.

He put his hands on her waist, figuring if he’d shooed that guy away on the pretense of cutting in, he’d better start dancing. Taking his cue, she slid her hands up to his shoulders and they started moving with the music. A new song now. One Jason didn’t recognize, but that was slow and sultry and brought several other couples to the dance floor.

“You pick up that little trick in the army?” he asked.

“No, my dad—he’s a Chicago cop—taught me to do that before I went to my first high school dance.”

Loving the feel of her hips moving beneath his hands, Jason found it difficult to focus. She’d said something…about her dad…

“Sophie tells me there are a lot of first responders in your family.” It was a miracle he managed something relevant to say with every curve of her body lined up against his, moving to the music.

“Yep, my brother Tony is a Chicago cop like my dad. Alex and Vince are firefighters in the suburbs, and Donnie is a federal agent in St. Louis.”

“Your family’s pretty close?”

“Unfortunately, yes.”

He steered them around another couple. “Unfortunately?”

“Because we’re so close, my mother feels she can meddle in every aspect of my life.”

“Ah. Like trying to fix you up with another woman?”