Awakened (Intimate Relations) (35 page)

He took Mandy to her peak and over, and before she’d had time to come down completely, he did it again. But this time he was there, filling her with the length and strength of him, pressing deep as he made love to her, holding her close, reminding her once again just how very much he loved her.

*   *   *

They invited Ted and Theo for dinner. Lola had stuck a pot roast in the crock pot before going to work, and once they got home, Mandy fixed a big platter of roasted veggies. Kaz brought dessert—with a flourish. She waltzed through the door, and took a bow.

Jake held a hand up for silence. “I am pleased to announce Her Royal Highness, Kaz, the queen of store-bought gourmet pies.” He bowed with a flourish and added, “With ice cream.”

“Thank you. Yo, minion.” She gestured at Jake. “Ask Lola where she wants this.”

“So, I’m a minion now?” Grumbling, he took the two pie boxes and the ice cream and put everything away for later.

The dinner, as always, was a success, but for Mandy, the most memorable time of the night came once Queen Kaz served dessert. When everyone had a plate, Jake poured glasses of deep red port wine from the Tangled Vines half of Intimate Wines—Cassie and Nate’s engagement gift to Lola and Ben and Mandy and Marc.

Mandy tapped the side of her glass with a spoon and stood. “Ted and Theo, Lola and I have a favor to ask of the two of you. We figured we’d soften you up with Kaz’s gooey dessert first. So if you’re wondering, yes, this is part of our scheme. The thing is, we never had father figures in our lives, and we’re coming up to an event on the twentieth of August that truly begs for the presence of a father.”

Mandy grabbed hold of Ted’s hand and Lola took Theo’s, the plan being that if they held on tight enough, the guys couldn’t escape. “We realize that neither of you are old enough to be our fathers, but you are both men we love and admire.” She glanced at Lola.

Who was losing her battle at fighting back tears. Lola sniffed, looked at Theo, and shrugged. “I’ll get through this. Just give me a minute.” Then she laughed and shot a quick glance at Ben. He gave her a thumbs up signal and she nodded. “The thing is, Theo, and Ted…” She sucked in a deep breath. “Mandy and I would really appreciate it if you would be the men to walk us down the aisle at the wedding. It means you have to wear the tux and look debonair and sexy, but we don’t think that’s beyond either of you guys.”

“I would be honored.” Theo stood up, walked around the table and gave Lola a kiss. “Honored and very proud.” He held his arms wide and she hugged him as Ted reached for Mandy and gave her a hug and a kiss.

“Thank you,” he said, sounding every bit as emotional as Lola. Blinking back tears, he held Mandy close and glanced over the top of her head at Marc. “And thank you as well, Marc. You told me once you figured you’d have to build your own family because yours sucked. We know your mom was actually a pretty special lady, and every person in this room is just as amazing. Thank you for inviting me to be part of this wonderful clan. Mandy? Asking me to be such an important part of your special day just makes everything even more perfect.”

Healdsburg, CA—August 20

They’d gotten a room in Healdsburg at a beautiful upscale hotel for their first night as husband and wife. As it turned out, Jake and Kaz were in one just down the street, a place they’d stayed in during that first photo shoot where they’d fallen in love. Ben and Lola had chosen yet another beautiful hotel in town.

“Other than the paparazzi, that went well.” Marc stripped off his tux jacket and the white shirt and bowtie. Kicked off his shoes, toed off his socks, and sighed his relief. He’d been wearing what Mandy called his “grown up clothes” much too long today. Walking over to the small table by the window, he poured a couple of glasses of port he’d asked the concierge to have waiting for them.

Tangled Vines.
The manager had been interested in the winery, knew some of their history, and after tasting a glass from the bottle Marc had given to the man, had said he’d be ordering it for the hotel. They already carried Intimate wines. Marc liked doing what he could to push sales of the wines that Nate and Cassie made in tandem with his.

It was important to keep his vineyard manager and winemaker happy.

Mandy stepped out of the bathroom and Marc almost swallowed his tongue. Gone was the simple wedding gown. Instead, she wore a shimmering white nightgown that appeared almost translucent, backlit as she was by the brighter lights in the bathroom. She paused in the doorway, turned and flipped off the lights. The shadows of her long legs still showed through the silky fabric.

“Honestly?” She smiled that smile that was for him alone. “The paparazzi weren’t all that irritating, once you sent out waiters with glasses of wine and platters of chicken satay and egg rolls. I wonder if they’ll mention the bribery?”

“Hopefully not, though none of them were rude or pushy. They were just doing their jobs. Besides, it’s good advertising for Jake and Kaz. Bet Kaz’s Q score goes through the roof.”

Mandy laughed at that. “Did you know that a couple of weeks ago Kaz had to ask Lola what a Q score was? She asked me, but I didn’t know, either. She’s really famous, which is hard to get used to. What’s neat though is that I heard her dad telling her today how proud he was of her and admitting he’d been wrong to try and force her into business.”

“What did Kaz say to that? And you look absolutely amazing in that … wow! I have no words for what that gown is called. It’s certainly not suitable for public.”

“Don’t worry. You’re the only public who’s gonna see me in this.” She curtsied. “And Kaz said she told her father she was really glad he’d pushed her into business school, because she and Jake can both read all the contracts they’re dealing with and not worry they’re misunderstanding anything. That’s pretty important.”

“It is. I’m glad I took as many business classes as I did. Did you notice how glassy-eyed Ben looked at the wedding? Do you think it finally hit him today that he’s now a married man?”

“Actually, it hit him today that he’s going to be a daddy.”

“Holy shit. Really?” He sat down at the table. Not that the news hit him all that hard, but … well, maybe it did.

“Yes. Really. Lola told him she’s pregnant just before they went to bed last night. She’s not sure when it happened, but she’s suspected for the past couple of weeks. She went to the doctor last week to make sure, but she didn’t want to say anything to Ben or anyone else with the wedding coming up. She figured Ben’s got enough on his plate right now.”

Marc laughed. And, admittedly, felt a little jealous. “How’d he take it?”

Mandy sat across the little table from him and stared into her glass of port. “Lola said he cried and said it was the most perfect gift she could ever give him. I think Ben will be a terrific dad. It’s going to change things, that’s for sure.”

“We’ll need to add a playground in the backyard.” A big one, because Lola and Ben’s offspring wasn’t going to be the only child in this group. He couldn’t wait for the time when he and Mandy could plan their own family.

“I think we’ve got time. At least a couple of years.”

“Do you want to wait that long?”

“No, silly. Not us. Babies aren’t born wanting to play on the jungle gym. It’ll be at least that long until theirs is ready to play. Which reminds me,” she added. “Ted was right.”

“Ted’s always right,” Marc tapped the crystal lip of his goblet of dark port to hers and took a sip. “That’s why I hired him.” He wrapped his hand around hers. “So, what is Ted right about now?”

“Well, it could be when he told me I was the most beautiful bride today.”

“He nailed it with that observation.” He had, too. Mandy had been absolutely steal-your-breath gorgeous in her simple white gown, though the almost see-through nightgown she wore now was a close second. “What else?”

Mandy reached across the small table and took Marc’s hand. “When he said he’d never felt as much love in one place as he did today. That it wasn’t just us, but the people we’d invited—a lot of the same ones he’d had at his dinner right before he went back to Virginia, remember? That was really fun. He said it was the perfect wedding, joining together couples who had been tested by fire and had come through it stronger and better than ever.”

“Ted would know. He’s been tested as well.”

Mandy smiled. “And he’s passed. With flying colors. He told me tonight he’s never been in love before, but that he realized this week just how much he loves Theo, that Theo had really helped him embrace who he is, the fact he’s gay. He said the best part of all was how much fun they had together. I don’t think Ted’s had much fun in his life.”

Marc thought about that for a moment. “Ya know, if this software gig runs out, I could probably make a living as a matchmaker. Nate and Cassie. Jake and Kaz. Lola and Ben. You and me, and now Ted and Theo. Damn, wife. I’m good!”

“I like that.” Mandy set her glass aside, stood and walked around the small table. She straddled his lap and rested her arms on his shoulders.

He slipped his hands around her waist, rested them on the slight curve of her hips. “Like what? That I’m good?” He really loved teasing her.

“No, silly. Wife.” She kissed him. “You called me your wife, and I love the sound of it. Almost as much as I love knowing you’re my husband.”

Her eyes welled with tears. They couldn’t have tears, not on their wedding night. He slipped his arms beneath her bottom and lifted her against his chest. She wrapped her legs around his waist. “No tears, Mrs. Reed.” He walked the short steps to their bed where he sat with Mandy still hanging on. “I think it’s time that we consummate this marriage, don’t you?”

“I thought you’d never make your move, Mr. Reed. I was getting worried. I know your record.”

“Okay. So I was a slow starter.” He kissed her, and it was a long time before he came up for air. “Are you going to hold that against me forever?”

Laughing, she fell back against the thick down comforter. “Probably. I have a feeling I’m going to take a lot of convincing. You’d better get started.”

EPILOGUE

San Francisco, CA—3 months later

Marc had found a beautiful plot beneath a tree at the same Marin cemetery where the woman and child killed in Ben and Jake’s accident so long ago were buried. His mother’s remains now lay beneath verdant green grass with a plot of purple iris planted in a bordered garden around the headstone.

The memorial service had been somber but at the same time, joyful. All those closest to him had come—even Nate and Cassie with their newborn son, Nathanial Marcus Dunagan.

Marc had sensed his mother’s spirit close by, felt her approval. He thought she really approved of what they’d done with Steven Reed’s body. Donating it to science had seemed like a good alternative to burying him. Better the man do some good after his life than forever remain a reminder of all the hate he’d fostered and the misery he’d caused.

There’d been no hate in his mother. He knew there was a part of him that would always miss her, would always miss what they might have shared. She would forever be an empty spot in his heart. A spot that Mandy was filling more every day.

He was thinking of his mother now as he signed the papers establishing an endowment with a portion of his mother’s trust designated as the principal financial donor. The endowment itself was named in honor of the mother and son who had died, as well as his mother, Elizabeth Marchand Reed.

And of course there was Bett’s Place, the coffee shop that Mandy had recently opened with a crew made up entirely of women from this same shelter, the place they had gathered today to sign the final papers on the endowment that would ensure its survival as a viable safety net for abused women and their children.

Ben was the next to sign, and then Jake. Their attorney went over the signatures and then rose and spoke to the members of the press in attendance. Marc had been surprised at the amount of publicity this had garnered, but it appeared it was rare when a truly huge sum of money was put into an endowment bestowed in perpetuity to honor and help victims of domestic abuse.

Once the formalities were observed and the needed words spoken, it was time to get back to work—Marc to his office, and Mandy to the coffee shop. They’d left Theo watching the office and Ted keeping an eye on the women working in the shop. They were never without a guard, and there had been a couple of incidents where the presence of guards had kept things calm. Mandy’s suggestions for bulletproof glass and a safe room had been heeded—but luckily not yet needed.

He stood and tugged Mandy lightly to her feet, turned to Ben and Lola, Kaz and Jake. “You ready?”

They all got into Jake’s big Escalade. He glanced at Lola with her slight baby bump and laughed. “Hey, Jake? Thought about getting a bus? This rig isn’t going to work forever, you know. The family’s growing.”

“When the family gets too big for this rig, you’re all going to have to start using your own cars.”

Kaz poked his arm. “Spoilsport.” Then she turned to look at the rest of the group. “Don’t worry. I’ll work on him. I’m thinking bus, you know, like the ones that haul people to casinos? Jake could wear a cute little cap, and those buses have bathrooms. I like that!”

Marc tucked Mandy close against his side amid the laughter, and enjoyed the ride back to the office. It was all good. And every time he thought it couldn’t possibly get any better, Mandy made a liar out of him.

Life was good and getting better all the time.

Also by
Kate Douglas

INTIMATE

REDEMPTION

Available from St. Martin’s Paperbacks

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