Page 85 of Sinful Seduction
“Right? Archer said so. And I left Debbie in your care after she nearly crapped out on Felix.”
“Crapped out, Chief Mayet?” Mary tut-tuts. “What would Mr. Malone think if he heard you speak that way?”
“Archer?” I scoff. “He’s heard worse.”
“Felix,” she counters, fixing Aubree’s hair with small adjustments and secretly hidden bobby pins. “He adores you, Chief. He would be stunned to hear such crass verbiage.”
“I assure you, he’s heard worse, too. But you could nurse Steve.”
“I…” Frowning, she drops her hands and smooths the fabric at Aubree’s hip instead. “I don’t understand.”
“Steve Morris!” I gesture enthusiastically over her shoulder. “Mary…”Shit, I don’t know her surname. “Poppins! Mary, meet Steve. He was recently—as in today—discharged from the hospital. Myocardial infarction. He’s got shiny new tubes and a bangin’ scar on his chest. His surgeonswearshe’s healthy and should aim for fifteen minutes of exercise a day. He has an impressively demanding medication schedule, but you don’t have to worry about that right now. He doesn’t need any pills until dinnertime.”
“Chief Mayet…”
“You’re gonna do great!”
“Miss Minka…” Steve chides, settling into a wheelchair somehow summoned out of thin air. Because Archer isthatorganized. Or Tim is, maybe. “You need to stop.”
“No, she’s perfect!” I scramble out of the car and meet Mary, nose to nose. “You’re perfect. Please say yes. You’d be saving meso muchstress.”
“Chief Mayet…”
“I mean, I don’t want to pull rank or anything. But as Archer’s wife, as thefirstMalone wife…”I’m a bad person. I’m a bad, sorry, horrible person.“Married twice, even. Am I not in a position to… ya know…” I wrinkle my nose. “Order it so.”
“You’re such an asshole,” Aubree giggles.
“Please, Mary!” I grab the woman’s hands and sandwich them between mine. “It’s not forever. It’s just for a few weeks.”
“Move your backside, Chief.” Cato climbs out of the SUV behind me, holding my hips with entirely too much confidence. “I’m not complaining about the view. But we can’t start this shindig until you stop making a scene and attacking our sweet Mary.”
Sweet Mary.HisSweet Mary.Frenzied, I spin and latch onto his shoulders. “She raised you!”
He scoffs. “No one raised me. We considered it more of a free-range thing. It worked out in the end, since I’m pretty fuckin’ awesome, but?—”
“She was there. You were the baby, and she was around for all of it.” I turn again and pin Mary with a look. “Ask her, Cato. Do the spoiled brat baby thing and make her help.”
“Where would she stay?” Aubree fixes her gown, tucking her boobs where they’re supposed to be and dragging her veil around to settle on her shoulders. “We still have the lack of space and floor-sleeping situation to resolve.”
“She’s not sleeping on my floor either,” Steve grumbles, his easy smile wearing away for every moment we spend in the sun. Guards surround us like we’re at war, and at the doors of the church, Archer appears, his brows knitted and his eyes searching for what the hell is keeping us. “I’mfine,” Steve continues. “Go do the wedding thing. You’ll start sweating soon, and it will ruin your pretty dresses.”
“They sure are pretty,” Cato purrs, stepping forward until his chest touches my back and his breath feathers against the shell of my ear. “You look amazing, Minnnka. I look forward to arriving home later tonight and calling Cleopatra. I promised her a little three-way action.”
“The house!” I slam my elbow into his stomach and surge forward, latching onto Mary’s hands and taking her with me. “We’ll move into the house, Steve will come with us, you’ll switch your allegiances from Felix for a few weeks, you’ll get to see your baby,”that perverted prick behind me. “And I’ll get space. Oh my God,” I groan. “For the first time in a year, I’ll get space.”
“And she stuck the landing.” Aubree broadens her shoulders and offers her arm, like she expects me to scoop mine through. “I knew you’d get there eventually.”
“You just want me to move to the waterfalls so you don’t feel weird about your giant mansion anymore.”
“My wants, and the plan that works best, just so happen to align.” She leads me toward Steve, folding and placing her hand on his arm. “Thank you for coming to my wedding. I really appreciate that you’re here, even though I know you’re tired.”
“Wild horses couldn’t keep me away, Miss Aubree.” He beams, droopy-eyed and sleepy. “Go do your thing. Please don’t be offended if I nod off during the quiet parts.”
“She won’t be offended.” I drag her through the suited, highly armed crowd, and passing Mary, I flash a wide grin. “I’ll talk to Felix and smooth things out.”
“He brought her for Steve, just so you know.” Aubree creates a vision, gleaming white and damn near serene enough to make me emotional.Almost. “Archer already planned ahead, but he needed you to arrive at the house thing on your own, since you’re prickly and averse to change. Oh my gosh, you see my daddy up there?” Her breath catches as Eddie Emeri steps out of the church in a dapper suit and a proud smile. He wipes a tear from beneath his eye, his jaw trembling with the kind of adoration a good, loving father holds for their daughter. “He’s so handsome, huh?”
I look Archer up and down, shaking my head when his eyes land on my boobs and stay put. Stupid corset dress. Dumb jiggly boobs. “He sure is.” I take her hand and give it a gentle squeeze. “Happy wedding day, Aubs. I hope it’s everything you ever dreamed of.”
