Jonah took the proffered cufflinks and threaded them through Marcus"s cuffs one at a time. "You know, there"s something I"ve wanted to talk to you about. I know maybe this isn"t the best time, but frankly, I need some brotherly advice."
Marcus didn"t hide his surprise. "No problem. Shoot. It"ll take my mind off the waiting."
Jonah rocked back on his heels. "I started seeing someone."
Marcus broke into a wide smile. "That"s great. Anyone I know?"
"Actually, yes. Anna."
Marcus examined the cufflinks and pulled on his sleeves. "Anna? You mean Anna Foster? Are you sure that"s a good idea?"
"It"s going well so far. She"s wonderful," Jonah added.
Marcus rubbed the back of his neck. "She also works in your area."
Jonah paced across the floor. "Yeah, that hasn"t been a huge issue so far, but we"ve been pretty discreet. I"m not sure anyone knows yet."
Marcus hesitated with his response as his manner became pensive. "I don"t mean to burst your bubble, but you should look further afield. When you and Anna break up, it could be very awkward."
Jonah stopped in his tracks, turning his incredulous gaze on Marcus. "What do you mean, when?" His voice rose with indignation.
Marcus shook his head. "Jonah, you"re my brother and I love you, but you go through women quickly. You wear them out."
Jonah took a deep breath. "Marcus ..."
Marcus held up his hand. "Don"t get me wrong. You"re a nice guy. I"m not saying you mistreat them, exactly, but you"re unwilling to compromise. You"re unwilling to make s.p.a.ce for someone in your life. That doesn"t make for good long-term prospects."
Jonah considered Marcus"s statement. "You might be right, I hadn"t considered. But that isn"t what I wanted to ask you about."
Marcus moved to the mirror and checked his tie, pulling on the ends. "I"m sorry. I a.s.sumed you were asking about the advisability of dating someone from work."
"No. Anna and I have pretty much come to terms regarding working together."
Marcus grasped the knot of his tie, still trying to perfect it as he looked in the mirror. "Okay."
Jonah"s fingers curled into a fist before he forced himself to relax. "Make sure you keep what I"m going to tell you to yourself, okay?"
Marcus"s eyes caught Jonah"s in the mirror. "Absolutely."
A flush spread up Jonah"s neck. "It"s regarding your ... tastes and preferences."
Marcus"s hands stilled. "Mine?"
Jonah"s head jerked. "Yeah, Anna is kind of into the same thing."
Marcus pulled at his tie impatiently. "What tastes and preferences are you referring to?"
Jonah cleared his throat. "s.e.xual ones."
Marcus"s forehead wrinkled as he considered Jonah"s statement. "Anna likes to be dominant?"
Jonah stifled a cough. "No, she wants me to be."
Marcus hooted. "Are you serious?"
Jonah"s lips shifted into a wry smile. "Totally."
Marcus"s eyes gleamed with amus.e.m.e.nt. "I didn"t think that was your thing. Are you up for that?"
Jonah scratched his head. "I don"t know. Did you always know? That you wanted that?"
Marcus shook his head. "No, it was something that developed over time."
Jonah"s eyes darted to Marcus. "How did you know Tabitha was into that?"
Finally satisfied with his tie, Marcus turned from the mirror. "I didn"t and she wasn"t."
Jonah fumbled with the b.u.t.tons on his shirt. "Aren"t you concerned about ...?"
Marcus raised his hand. "No. Without going into detail, she"s into it. Now, anyway."
Jonah removed one suit jacket from its hanger and handed it to Marcus. He grabbed the remaining jacket and slipped it on. "I see. I guess that"s what I was getting at. If it was something a person could get used to."
Marcus frowned. "You can"t just tolerate it. It has to be something that you want, too." He shrugged into his jacket.
Jonah flipped up his collar and laid his tie in place, adjusting the ends. "I know. You"re right. How can I know?"
Marcus smoothed the lapels of his jacket and fastened the b.u.t.tons. "Try it? Honestly, the fact that you even come to me to discuss this indicates that you must have some interest. If you didn"t, you would"ve rejected it out of hand."
Jonah looped the ends of his tie and tightened the knot. "Yeah, probably. But where do I start?"
Marcus pushed Jonah"s hands aside and fixed the knot in his tie for him. "You start by talking to Anna instead of me."
Jonah finished b.u.t.toning his jacket. "All right. Well. We"d better get downstairs. Things ought to be starting soon."
"Yeah." Marcus picked up the pocket squares from the dresser. He stuffed one in his breast pocket and tossed the other to Jonah.
Jonah caught the piece of fabric in his hand. "Marcus?"
"Yes?"
Jonah thumped his brother on the back. "Thanks."
Marcus flashed a smile. "No problem."
Anna sat halfway back on the groom"s side but still had a good view of the proceedings. Marcus and Jonah stood side by side under the arbor, both handsome in their tailored suits. Though Marcus was a good-looking man, Anna couldn"t help but be biased toward Jonah. He"d been more attractive to her than any other man for a long time. Now, with an intimate knowledge of the well-toned muscles that lay beneath his suit, no one else compared.
Tabitha looked glorious in a champagne-colored confection that warmed her complexion. Even from a distance, Anna glimpsed the sparkle in the bride"s eyes. Tabitha and Marcus radiated happiness as they held hands before the minister and spoke the vows that tied them together for life. They"d exchanged more personal vows before, but these were for public consumption.
Anna"s eyes misted as the emotion of the day swamped her. She turned away from the happy couple. The tent muted the sun, but outside, the strong beams heated the garden landscape. She spied Marcus"s father and sister sitting in the front row. How happy they must be that Marcus had found someone to love. Her heart lurched. She was thrilled for Marcus and Tabitha, and yet, their happiness highlighted what was missing from her life. She loved Jonah. She had for so long. Now it was happening - she was getting her chance. But what if it didn"t work out? What if Jonah couldn"t be the man she needed him to be? What if she wasn"t the woman who could take priority over his work? If things didn"t work out, would her heart release Jonah and free her for another? It had to. The thought of spending her life mooning over a man she couldn"t have was horrifying. Quite frankly, she probably should"ve worked harder at letting him go before. She"d dated some nice men, but she"d never given them a real chance, so fearful was she of settling and regret. But she wasn"t going to dwell on the past right now. She wasn"t going to apologize for loving Jonah. But she needed to steel herself. If this didn"t work, she must move on - for good.
Her eyes returned to the ceremony. It was almost over. The short length of marriage ceremonies always surprised her. Such a monumental event seemed like it should be longer.
Marcus enfolded Tabitha in his arms and kissed her pa.s.sionately. Anna imagined Jonah kissing her that way. The image was so strong that her body reacted. Her nipples peaked. Moisture grew between her legs and she uncrossed and recrossed them.
Everyone stood as the bride and groom paraded down the aisle. They were riveting - exuding love and bliss. This time Anna didn"t turn away. She let the joy and excitement roll over her. She would have that for herself, one way or another, she vowed.
The attendants followed and Anna"s eyes locked with Jonah"s. She wanted to be near him, touching him. The music played and guests trickled out of the aisles and onto the gra.s.s. Another large tent nearby held the tables for the luncheon and a dance floor. Anna watched the musicians gather their instruments to move to the new location while she waited for the crowd to move away.
Jonah wouldn"t be able to spend any time with her until the main part of the luncheon was over. As his brother"s best man, he"d sit with the rest of the bridal party surrounding the newly married couple. She needed to make her own way for a little while, no matter how intimidating it might be.
Stepping out from beneath the tent, the warm summer sun engulfed her. Her stomach rumbled, and Anna wondered what was on the menu. Given the overall quality of everything so far, she imagined it would be something tasty. Nerves had prevented her from eating more than a few bites in the morning.
She approached her table with trepidation. How had she allowed Jonah to talk her into this? She hated trying to mingle with strangers. He didn"t need her here, not really. She sighed with relief as she saw a few familiar names of work colleagues on the place cards near her own. That wouldn"t be so bad, would it?
As Anna pulled out her chair, someone snaked an arm around her waist from behind. She jumped before her body recognized it was Jonah.
Anna swatted at him playfully. "Jonah, you startled me."
"I"m sorry." His tone contained no apology. "I wanted a moment with you. It will be a few minutes before speeches and food."
Anna turned in his arms. "The ceremony was lovely."
"Yeah. It was nice." Jonah urged her onto the lawn and away from the crowd.
Anna stumbled on the gra.s.s. "Where are we going?"
Jonah steadied her. "I wanted to have a moment of privacy. Any objection?"
"No. But where?" Gazing around, Anna saw people everywhere.
"There"s a hidden spot in the hedges. I"ll show you." Jonah took her hand, and they strolled across the gra.s.s, away from the noise and confusion of the crowd.
Anna glanced back over her shoulder. No one paid any attention to them.
Jonah guided her to the expanse of tall green hedges. He ducked through a s.p.a.ce in the shrubs, pulling Anna behind him, and led her around the corner. Several feet of s.p.a.ce between the stone wall and the hedge allowed room to move. "There"s only one way in."
Anna trembled as Jonah pulled her close. Her lips parted eagerly underneath his. Dappled sunlight spilled though the leaves, but she didn"t notice as her body opened to Jonah. The burning desire he"d lit inside her superseded all thought of time and place.
Jonah"s hand caressed her b.r.e.a.s.t.s, sliding over the slick material of her dress. Yanking at the top of the garment, his skilled fingers kneaded and grasped as urgency bloomed between them.
Anna clutched his shoulders for support and writhed against him. "Oh, Jonah ..." A ragged moan escaped her as the sensual blaze threatened to consume her.
Jonah"s hand found its way beneath her skirt and slip. He slipped two fingers under the edge of her panties. Pulling the fabric away, his fingers explored her slick folds.
Cool air chilled Anna"s heated skin and, as her knees weakened, she sought support from the wall behind her. Jonah"s nimble fingers left her breathless.
He nuzzled her neck. "Someone"s already wet. What have you been doing?"
Anna shivered as his hot breath entered her ear. "I was thinking of you. That"s all it took."
Jonah"s fingertip circled her c.l.i.t and traveled down to her opening. He pushed inside.
Anna gasped at the intrusion but didn"t protest. She wanted Jonah to touch her. She needed Jonah to touch her. She twitched around his fingers as he slid another into her.
Jonah leaned into Anna, crushing her into the wall. His mouth devoured her hungrily as his fingers thrust into her. Suddenly he stilled.
She heard the voices and tensed. People were walking along the other side of the hedge. Could they see through?
As the sound faded, Jonah started anew. He eased his fingers back inside her, curling them along her internal wall. His thumb found her tender bud and ma.s.saged it.
Anna grasped at him for support. She gave in to the demand growing inside her and let go of her inhibition. Desire carried her away, and she contracted around his fingers. As o.r.g.a.s.m seized her, she melted around him.
"Anna, I want to be inside you." His statement wasn"t a request but a demand.
Incapable of speech, she simply nodded.
Jonah unfastened the front of his pants and lifted her, bracing against the wall. His hands cupped her a.s.s as he pressed between her spread legs. Driving inside her with reckless abandon, Jonah reached his release in minutes.
In the aftermath, they clung to one another. After a moment, Jonah lowered Anna to her feet and leaned against the wall to catch his breath.
Anna tugged her dress back up over her b.r.e.a.s.t.s. "People might be wondering where you are."
Jonah refastened his pants as he nuzzled her neck.
Anna fixed her underwear and straightened her skirt. "My hair. Is my hair okay?"
"Turn around. I"ll look."
Anna turned and Jonah brushed off her back where dirt from the wall had attached itself to her dress. "Is it obvious?"
"No, it"s fine." Jonah kissed her thoroughly, exploring her lips with an urgency that matched their encounter. He broke away and led her back through the break in the hedge onto the lawn. Grasping her hand tightly, they made their way back to the tented area.
As they rejoined the crowd, Marcus strode over to them. "Where have you been? I"ve been looking for you."
Jonah remained impa.s.sive. "I took a short stroll."
Marcus"s speculation was evident. "Anna, I hope you don"t mind if I steal Jonah away. We"re ready for toasts."
Anna smiled. "Of course not, if Jonah promises me a dance later."
Jonah frowned. "You know how I feel about dancing."
"Don"t worry. He"ll dance with you." Marcus tugged Jonah"s arm and they headed toward the front table.
Anna made her way to her a.s.signed seat and found the table empty. She sat back in her chair, feeling relaxed and sated. She blinked, taking in the profusion of floral arrangements. White calla lilies and baby"s breath composed the centerpieces. Fairy lights cast a warm glow over the interior of the tent, even though it was daytime. The effect was stylish and elegant.