Lush (4 page)
26
your staff most likely but would be around later today.”
27
“I do not scare my staff.”
28S
Daisy waved it away with a perfectly manicured hand. Which
29N
was unusual, as she usually had paint and other stuff in her
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cuticles. “I’m not playing make- believe with you. I know exactly
01
where you’ve been because that’s also where Jules was. Anyway,
02
it was nice that you weren’t here when he asked. Gives you some
03
mystery.”
04
“Mystery? Yes, nothing more mysterious than a caterer mak-
05
ing sure the basil is nice and fresh.”
06
“And it was, wasn’t it?”
07
Mary scoffed at the very question. Of course it was. As if
08
she’d serve anything else.
09
Raven turned from where she’d been working on Gillian.
10
“You two. Ready for your makeup?”
11
“Ready as I’ll ever be.”
12
“You sit there and I’ll just do you both at once. No, you don’t
13
get any say in what colors I use. I know what’s best and I don’t
14
work with others well unless I’m in charge.”
15
“That sounded totally dirty and bossy.” Daisy beamed.
16
Raven paused and then laughed. “It did. Wouldn’t be the
17
fi rst time I’ve done two at once.”
18
“You really need to share those details. Keep us entertained
19
while you work.”
20
“A lady doesn’t kiss and tell. So I guess it’s good I’m not a
21
lady.”
22
“Do tell.” Daisy leaned forward and Mary held still while
23
Raven put a drape over her dress so no makeup got on it.
24
“I’m positively boring compared to Jules and Erin.”
25
Mary laughed at that as Jules and Erin both snorted. “You’re
26
many things. Boring isn’t one.”
27
Raven was . . . well, not boring, that was true. She lacked
S28
fi lters, which made her hard to deal with in more than small
N29
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Lauren Dane
01
doses. She was defended, closed off. But at the same time, she
02
went out of her way to help Gillian. Even though Raven and
03
Adrian did not like one another at all. And Erin, Adrian’s sister
04
and someone Mary liked a great deal, adored Raven.
05
There was more beneath the surface to this woman. Though
06
Mary wasn’t sure she’d ever know just exactly what. Or even
07
that she wanted to know. But one thing was certain: Raven was
08
compelling.
09
Especially as she told them randy details of a threesome she
10
had some years before. Then again, it left Mary feeling a little
11
itchy without anyone to scratch it for her.
12
She thought about asking for a different color lipstick, but
13
Raven would have ignored her anyway. Tattoos, piercings and
14
makeup were Raven’s art and she seemingly had all the confi -
15
dence in the world over her choices.
16
And little tolerance for other opinions once she made up her
17
mind. Mary wasn’t entirely sure if she admired it or was annoyed
18
by it. Probably a bit of both.
19
“I see you sneaking looks at that pink gloss. You don’t need
20
pink. Not with this dress and your hair. You’re all dark and
21
doe- eyed. Work it.”
22
“You’re scary.”
23
Raven snorted. “I’m right.”
24
She stepped back, handing Mary a mirror. She had to admit,
25
Raven had indeed been correct. “You were right about the lip-
26
stick.”
27
“Didn’t I just say exactly that? Of course I was. I’ve been
28S
doing makeup since I was nine years old.”
29N
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“Really? That’s got to be some story.” Daisy grinned. “I love
01
the thing you did with my eyes.”
02
Raven neatly dodged the reference to her story. “I like it too.
03
You have the perfect face for it. The vintage thing works on
04
you.” She packed up her stuff. “Erin Brown, you are next. Get
05
over there.” She sent a look back over her shoulder to Mary and
06
Daisy. “I’ll see you both downstairs later. I hope Adrian realizes
07
Gillian is way too good for him.” She sniffed and gave her atten-
08
tion to Erin.
09
“She’s like a hurricane,” Daisy said under her breath.
10
Mary looked to Daisy. “Yeah. But she loves our Gillian, so
11
that means she’s got some sense.”
12
Daisy hugged Mary. “Totally. Also? You look gorgeous.
13
My god.”
14
Mary blushed but sneaked a peek in the mirror. She sort of
15
did. If she saw Damien Hurley, and if he made the right move
16
at the right time, she might just, you know, let him get on it.
17
“You’re totally thinking about boning Damien Hurley.” Jules
18
came up behind them, putting an arm around each one of their
19
waists.
20
“Jeez, you know, you ladies get boyfriends and suddenly
21
everything is about sex.”
22
Jules rolled her eyes. “I suppose it’s probably true that when
23
you have someone who makes your life really nice, you want
24
that for your friends. Also, it means we want every last dirty
25
detail afterward.”
26
Mary snickered. “Look, this is all conjecture. He’s hot, and
27
if the tabloids are telling any truth at all, he’s a legend with the S28
N29
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Lauren Dane
01
sexytimes and all. But this is
not
what you have with Gideon 02
and Cal, not what Gillian has with Adrian, or what Daisy has
03
with Levi. If it happens, it’ll be hot sex and then it’ll be over.
04
I’m not looking for a relationship and you know he sure isn’t.”
05
She had a career that was fi nally taking off. A business to
06
run. Family and friends to be with. She had no time, and really
07
no real desire for a romance. Hot sex? Sure. Forever? Too busy.
08
09
10
Damien milled around the yard, trying, not so sneakily, to locate
11
Mary. He’d heard her voice a few times. Heard people talking
12
about her. Had even asked her friend Daisy about her earlier
13
when he’d bumped into her in the kitchen of Adrian and Gil-
14
lian’s house.
15
He supposed he’d see her when she came down the aisle in
16
any case.
17
She’d been on his mind a lot in the month since he’d fi rst met
18
her. Had found himself looking forward to the wedding because
19
he knew he’d be seeing her again. He’d even talked to his mom
20
about her. Just a mention, but enough that she’d given him a
21
narrow- eyed once- over and said that if Mary was as nice as he’d
22
said, and if she wasn’t like one of those
fl oozies
he’d been tak-23
ing up with, that it might be a good thing if he pursued it and
24
found himself a woman worthy of him and his family.
25
He wasn’t sure it was that big a deal. She was a pretty woman
26
he liked. Different from those aforementioned fl oozies. Someone
27
not from that lifestyle, but a woman a lot like him in many ways.
28S
A woman he seriously wanted to get horizontal with.
29N
The music changed and he meandered to fi nd a place to sit.
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That’s when he saw Mary’s brother Cal and fi gured he may as
01
well introduce himself. He sat next to Cal and held his hand out.
02
“I’m Damien. You’re with Gillian’s friend Jules, right?”
03
The brother looked dubious but not entirely unreasonable or
04
without manners. He shook Damien’s hand. “Cal Whaley. And
05
yes, Jules is with me.” Cal looked around and waved at the blond
06
guy from the engagement party. “Him too.”
07
“You too, huh?” He did actually know, but he didn’t want
08
to seem like he’d gossiped about them. “I knew about Erin. Well,
09
more power to you. Oh, and you’re Mary’s brother, aren’t you?”
10
Ha! So smooth. He wanted to groan at what a dumbass he
11
sounded like.
12
The blond came over to sit on Cal’s other side so Damien
13
held a hand out. “I’m Damien.”
14
“Gideon.” He shook it.
15
Before they could say anything further, the music started and
16
everyone turned to watch the procession.
17
And there she was. Holy shit, she looked fi ne in that dress.
18
Her hair was up in some pretty bun thing but he bet it would
19
start coming undone before the ceremony had fi nished.
20
That made him smile, as did the way her ass was so beguil-
21
ing as she walked. Side to side. Side to side. Damn, he wanted
22
to dig his fi ngers into that luscious fl esh and take a bite.
23
The ceremony was nice, as wedding ceremonies went. He
24
liked Gillian a great deal. Really liked how happy she made
25
Adrian, who’d been a bit restless and bitter the last few years.
26
That kid of theirs was fabulous too.
27
He’d spoken to Adrian about it, but Damien really felt like
S28
the boy had so much talent it would serve him to either go to
N29
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Lauren Dane
01
an arts- based school or get him in the studio and out on the
02
road when he could.
03
The kid’s mom wanted a normal life for him. And Damien
04
respected that more than Gillian could know. His parents had
05
made all the brothers fi nish school and he was glad of it. But
06
Miles was Adrian Brown’s son. Normal was relative at that
07
point. And talent like his wasn’t common.
08
But right then, Damien had other things in mind. He moved
09
through the crowd of well- wishers, heading in her direction.
10
When she turned and he caught her eye, she smiled and it zinged
11
through him.
12
Chemistry. They had it. It made him sort of nervous and
13
excited. Like a teenager.
14
“Hey there, Mary Whaley. You’re looking mighty fi ne today.”
15
As he’d thought, a curl had already won free from the pretty
16
updo. He tugged on it and she sighed.
17
“It never behaves. Once, I had it blown out all straight and
18
sleek. It was so pretty and within half an hour it was already
19
curly again.”
20
He leaned in close. “I kinda dig it that your hair is so 21
naughty.”
22
She laughed, but it was lower than it had been moments
23
before. Husky, full of promise.
24
“What sort of deliciousness did you prepare today? I’m really
25
hungry because I skipped breakfast to have room for your feast.”
26
She blushed and took the elbow he held out for her.
27
“Your brother is really suspicious.”
28S
Mary looked up to catch sight of Cal giving them the stink
29N
eye. She sent him a raised brow. The man was there with his
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boyfriend and his girlfriend! He was going to give
them
a look?
01
Puh. Leeze.
02
“Don’t mind him. He’s a dork.”
03
Damien laughed. “He’s your big brother. It’s his job to scare