Lush (5 page)
04
men away from his sister.”
05
Especially ones who looked like this one, Mary wagered. Then
06
again, she bet Cal thought Damien was hot, even if he didn’t like
07
that Damien was lusting after his sister. Cal had good taste.
08
The reception tent was so pretty inside. She headed for the
09
table she’d been told to sit at, not at all surprised to fi nd he’d 10
been placed right next to her. That Gillian totally kicked butt.
11
He pulled her chair out.
12
“Like I said, your mother did a good job with you.”
13
He ducked his head a moment. “What do you mean?”
14
“You put your arm out for a woman to hold. You pull chairs
15
out. Your compliments are genuine. Manners are something so
16
many people take for granted or don’t think are important.”
17
He laughed. “Would you like a drink?”
18
“Yes. Sit. There’ll be people by with champagne and other
19
drinks in a moment.”
20
He obeyed, scooting his chair closer to hers.
21
“What have you been up to this month?”
22
“Catering jobs. Prepping recipes for this and for the recep-
23
tion the label is doing for Adrian. What about you?”
24
“Oh! Food on the way.” He brightened and it fl attered her
25
to see the genuine interest he had.
26
The server saw her and made a beeline. She’d spent a great
27
deal of time training her staff to be sure they served in the way
S28
she thought best, so Mary approved when they did it right.
N29
• 23 •
9780425256084_Lush_TX_p1-308.indd 23
9780425256084_Lush_TX_p1-308.indd 23
23/11/12 12:24 PM
23/11/12 12:24 PM
Lauren Dane
01
He bent perfectly and she waited for Damien to peruse and
02
then grab what he wanted. Mary nodded when they were fi n-
03
ished and the server melted away.
04
The champagne hadn’t begun to fl ow yet, though. Hm. She
05
looked around, waiting, and began to get antsy.
06
“Would you hate me if I disappeared for a bit to check on a
07
few things?”
08
He grinned, putting his boot on her chair. “Yes.”
09
Surprised, she paused and then laughed. “Did Adrian or Gil-
10
lian talk to you?”
11
He fi nished off a Thai chicken slider and rubbed his belly.
12
“About what? Also, my god, I want to keep you in my pocket
13
and hoard all your talent to make me food like this every day.”
14
Oh. My.
15
Some men complimented her looks. Or her hair, whatever.
16
But to compliment her food? Well, that was the way to her . . .
17
um, parts.
18
“So”—he paused to hold up the shot glass—“this is . . . ?”
19
“Sweet potato bisque. I should really get to the kitchen to
20
check on something.”
21
“Are you fucking kidding?” He drank it down. “This is . . .
22
If I come back, will you make me a whole pot of this?”
23
Her anxiety lessened again at his praise. “Yes, of course. It’s
24
pretty easy to make. It’s one of Gillian’s favorites.”
25
Finally, several servers came through with trays of cham-
26
pagne and the sangria she’d made the day before.
27
He noted her attention on the servers with the drink trays.
28S
“Ah, you were anxious about the drinks?”
29N
“They should have been out ten minutes ago. Before the food.
• 24 •
9780425256084_Lush_TX_p1-308.indd 24
9780425256084_Lush_TX_p1-308.indd 24
23/11/12 12:24 PM
23/11/12 12:24 PM
Lush
Two people just got married. Everyone needs a glass of cham-
01
pagne.”
02
“It looks like they’re catching up now and everything is fi ne.”
03
He paused to get them each a glass of champagne.
04
The server spoke quietly. “Had a mishap in the kitchen.
05
Everything is back on track now.”
06
“What sort of mishap?” She stood.
07
“We couldn’t fi nd the right glasses. But then we remembered
08
you’d set them aside so we could fi nd them easier. I’ve been told
09
to promise you all is well.”
10
“Can I help?” Damien looked up at her as he sat and a shiver
11
made her knees weak. What would he look like on his knees on
12
front of her naked?
13
“I just need to be sure everything is all right. I’ll be back in
14
a bit.”
15
He smiled, unfurling himself to stand very slowly, very close
16
to her. “You like things your own way, don’t you?”
17
“I . . .” She gulped. “This is for Gillian. It needs to be per-
18
fect.” She hoped she didn’t get too breathy on that one, but holy
19
cow. She could scent his cologne, feel the heat of his body. See
20
the beat of his pulse at his throat. Her mouth watered to taste
21
his skin right there.
22
Speaking of Gillian, her friend made her way over, hugging
23
Mary tight as the server escaped, most likely to warn the kitchen
24
she was on her way.
25
“You have that look, Mary Whaley. Who got in your kitchen
26
and mixed up the fl atware?” Gillian’s tease referred to a dinner
27
incident and some salad forks. That’s when the no-one-in-my-
S28
kitchen- but-my- chosen- assistant rule came about.
N29
• 25 •
9780425256084_Lush_TX_p1-308.indd 25
9780425256084_Lush_TX_p1-308.indd 25
23/11/12 12:24 PM
23/11/12 12:24 PM
Lauren Dane
01
“I’m so sorry. The champagne is late.”
02
Gillian smiled, taking Mary’s hands, squeezing. “Are you
03
apologizing for something so silly? I see it’s all out now. Adrian
04
and I just got in here. So I’d say it was perfect timing. Now we
05
can all toast.”
06
“I want it to be perfect. You deserve it.”
07
Gillian paused, blinking away tears before leaning in to hug
08
her friend. “
You
are perfect. You and Jules, Daisy, all of you 09
have been so good to me. I’m so happy right now and you’re the
10
reason. This is amazing. I already had one of those salmon
11
things. Okay, so I had three, but that’ll be our secret.”
12
Adrian, Gillian’s brand- spanking- new husband, showed up,
13
putting an arm around Gillian’s waist and hugging her to his
14
side. Any time Gillian came into his view, his entire focus changed 15
and there was nothing else in the world but her. Mary thought
16
that was an entirely appropriate way to look at her friend, as
17
Gillian happened to be awesome, gorgeous, smart, talented and
18
absolutely perfect in every way. Like Mary Poppins. Only, you
19
know, with a rock- star husband.
20
“Mary is trying to escape to go prod the kitchen staff.”
21
Damien had a drawl when he spoke to Adrian. Hm. It wasn’t
22
fake. Maybe just something he did around those he was totally
23
comfortable with?
24
“And I was telling her everything was totally perfect and to
25
have a lovely evening.”
26
Adrian kissed his wife’s temple. “I’m with Gillian on this.
27
Sit. We’re joining you.” He held a chair out for Gillian and their
28S
friends also made it into the tent.
29N
• 26 •
9780425256084_Lush_TX_p1-308.indd 26
9780425256084_Lush_TX_p1-308.indd 26
23/11/12 12:24 PM
23/11/12 12:24 PM
Lush
Soon the table was full of their close friends and family and
01
she’d been urged to leave the kitchen to the staff and enjoy
02
herself.
03
“A whole table of Delicious!” Jules grinned and held her glass
04
high.
05
“Delicious?” Damien looked to Adrian.
06
“It’s what these gorgeous women refer to themselves as. It’s
07
also the name of Mary’s supper club.” Adrian sipped the sangria
08
and nodded. “And I should add, what this sangria is.”
09
“Jules needs to make a toast. Now that we all have cham-
10
pagne and everything.” Cal winked at Mary and she rolled her
11
eyes.
12
“Me? Why not Brody? Brody is best man, that’s his job.”
13
Brody snorted and grabbed some of the stuffed dates. “I’ve
14
got some for later.”
15
Jules stood and there was tapping and clapping and whistling
16
until the room quieted down. “I’m told since I’m the maid of
17
honor I’m supposed to do a toast.”
18
Mary knew that Jules had not only prepared a toast, she most
19
likely prepared fi ve or seven and practiced them all. Mary was
20
organized. Jules was compulsively so. And this was about Gil-
21
lian, so it would have been incredibly important to Jules to get
22
every last detail totally correct and perfect.
23
“Fourteen years ago, this woman moved into our neighbor-
24
hood with her infant son. We went to check her out, as you do.
25
And it turns out that while she was totally beautiful and had a
26
great accent, she was sort of wary. Which would not do. At all.
27
I wanted her to be my friend because she was awesome. So I just
S28
N29
• 27 •
9780425256084_Lush_TX_p1-308.indd 27
9780425256084_Lush_TX_p1-308.indd 27
23/11/12 12:24 PM
23/11/12 12:24 PM
Lauren Dane
01
sort of . . . um, bugged her relentlessly until she fi nally just gave 02
in and even better, shared that sweet baby with our group of
03
friends. I’ve been fortunate enough to count Gillian as my best
04
friend ever since. And that sweet baby is now a fourteen- year-
05
old boy who is taller than his godmother.
06
“It makes me incredibly happy to see Gillian with someone
07
who deserves her the way Adrian does. Though he had his
08
moments and I wasn’t so sure we should let him have our lovely
09
Gillian.” Jules winked and Adrian blushed at the memory to his
10
not-so-stellar entrance into Gillian and Miles’s life. “But in the
11
end, he proved himself to be the man Miles could be proud to
12
call Dad and Gillian could call her partner in life. So let’s lift a 13
glass to Gillian, Adrian and Miles— the Brown family.”
14
Mary held her glass aloft and took a drink, believing every
15
word to be true.
16
“Stop now or I’ll start crying again.” Gillian took the hand-
17
kerchief Brody handed her way, dabbing her eyes.
18
“It’s your wedding day, English. You’re supposed to cry.”
19
Though Adrian’s eyes were pretty glossy too.
20
There was cake and laughter. Drinking and music.
21
Damien couldn’t stop looking at the back of her neck where
22
the little curls had won free from the bun. He wanted to press
23
kisses right there. Wondered if she was ticklish. Wondered what
24
she tasted like.
25
They’d performed a few songs, from Adrian’s new CD, one
26
he’d written for Gillian. Miles had played with them, and then
27
did a song of his own for his parents. Damien liked these people
28S
and their strong sense of love and family a great deal.
29N
When he’d fi nished up, they’d sat together again and he’d
• 28 •
9780425256084_Lush_TX_p1-308.indd 28
9780425256084_Lush_TX_p1-308.indd 28
23/11/12 12:24 PM
23/11/12 12:24 PM
Lush
wanted her even more. She’d disappeared; he fi gured she’d gone
01
to hound her staff again.
02
He and Miles had discussed music for a bit and fi nally,
03
Damien had gotten an itch only she could scratch and he excused
04
himself to fi nd her.
05
06
07
08
09
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
S28
N29
• 29 •
9780425256084_Lush_TX_p1-308.indd 29
9780425256084_Lush_TX_p1-308.indd 29