Commissioned In White (Art of Love Series) (10 page)

Likely encouraged by her actions, Brooke felt Drake pressing even closer, his insistent erection signaling the truth their brains were still resisting. Both of them groaned, conceding to the erupted passion. Brooke felt the shock of wanting him all the way to her toes.

“Drake,” she whispered. “I don’t understand what’s happening between us.”

Hearing his name said so breathlessly finally snapped Drake out of the lust haze that had dropped over him after so many years of—
nothing
, he decided—feeling absolutely nothing like this for any woman. With an abruptness that felt like someone cutting off an arm, Drake made himself let go of Brooke Daniels and move away.

He went back to the table. Keeping his gaze only on Jessica’s art, he picked up the second piece, wrapped and stowed it in the box. Still not looking at Brooke, and still not saying anything about what happened, he carried the box past her—and simply—left. An apology wasn’t possible when he only wanted to kiss her again. It might not ever be possible.

Would she understand that? Probably not, Drake decided. She would just make more snarky comments and God only knew what the woman was thinking about him.

So he got into his car and drove away. It was either that or go back and seduce her for real. He’d come damn close even knowing full well that Brooke Daniels detested him. That was probably more true now, he thought. How could she not be more put off?

Drake sought the numbness inside himself that had kept him company for the last seven years, but it was nowhere to be found. Instead, there was a rising heat in its place, a nearly forgotten ache in his groin, and a vision in his head of exactly how to have what his body had decided so abruptly that it wanted from her.

Maybe it had been Michael’s teasing that caused it. Maybe it had been because it was the first time he’d been truly alone with Brooke. Whatever the reason, it definitely had happened, and the resulting erection hadn’t gone down yet.

“Damn it, I shouldn’t have kissed her that way,” Drake whispered harshly, voice echoing in the car.

He also shouldn’t have looked back either. In the rear-view mirror, Drake saw Brooke standing in Jessica’s doorway watching him leave, arms crossed. He knew better than to hope she would just forget today. No, there would undoubtedly be a price for giving in to his lust for her.

Drake just hoped it didn’t cost him his professional relationship at the gallery.

Chapter 6

The day of Will and Jessica’s wedding had finally arrived, and they had all poured into the van to make the trip. Because the pedals were adjusted to fit her, Reesa had to drive. It had been a strange sensation to have Shane sitting in the passenger’s seat while the kids tortured each other behind them.

When they got to the church, Chelsea, Zack, and Brian opted to sit at the back, but Reesa insisted Sara sit up front in the groom’s section with Shane and her. It took her all of three minutes to regret not letting Jillian babysit Sara after all.

Reesa didn’t blame the five-year-old for being enchanted with her surroundings. Sara had touched the flowers on every seat as they moved to the front, irrepressible in her enthusiasm. But if she had to keep explaining the bridal party to Sara over and over, looping in an endless argument that could not be changed, Reesa knew she would go quietly nuts.

“I don’t understand why everyone else gets to wear a princess dress and I don’t,” Sara said, mutinous because she wasn’t being allowed to dress as she pleased.

“Well, I’m not wearing a princess dress either,” Reesa answered calmly, motioning to her teal colored suit. “The only people wearing princess dresses are the women in the wedding. When Aunt Jillian or Chelsea gets married, you can be in their wedding and wear a princess dress then.”

“Promise?” Sara demanded.

“Yes,” Reesa said, hoping that at least one of them would want Sara to be a part of the ceremony. It was unlikely the girl would forget the reluctantly offered promise, but Reesa was desperate to end Sara’s nagging before the actual ceremony began.

Shane slid into the seat next to Michael and Carrie, letting Reesa and Sara sit nearer the end of the pew so they could see better.

Moments later, Shane’s mother came tearing down the aisle in a pale pink suit, and slid in quickly next to Sara. They had seen Luke outside the church happily working over Will’s truck when they had arrived.

“
Queen Melon
,” Sara said happily, throwing her arms around her. “Did you see the princess dresses?”

“Yes, I did,” Ellen whispered back, just as excited as Sara. “They’re beautiful. I helped picked them out. Wait until you see the bride.”

Reesa listened to the chattering females, breathing a sigh of relief that Ellen was there to handle Sara’s questions for a while. For whatever reasons, Sara adored Shane’s mother, and the feeling appeared to be mutual. Reesa had some reservations about the woman, but was glad her niece didn’t.

She looked up just as a very nervous, serious-looking Will walked out of a side room with a snickering best man grinning idiotically behind him. Another much younger, good-looking man Reesa didn’t know followed as a second groomsman. They all took their places in front of the minister. The best man took hold of Will’s broad shoulders in his charcoal suit and turned him slightly to face the aisle and door where the bride would come in.

Reesa laughed and reached for one of Shane’s hands to hold. “Your father looks scared to death.”

Shane put his free arm around the back of the pew and leaned down to talk quietly to his wife. “Just wait. Dad is always a bit nervous at first, but he will surprise you when the pressure mounts. The man is the captain of cool when he has to be.”

Reesa laughed because the “captain of cool” was even then patting his pockets looking for rings that the best man obviously had. The best man grabbed Will’s shoulders again, this time leaning forward and whispering urgently. Whatever he’d said must have worked because Will settled down immediately.

The music began and a smiling young woman walked down the aisle in a flowing blue dress that made a slight swishing sound against the floor when she walked. Sara made a tiny squealing noise of delight, and Reesa was grateful when Ellen gently shushed her.

The next attendant was obviously the maid of honor, an older blonde somewhere near Jessica’s age, smiling sweetly as she moved down the aisle, wearing an identical blue dress to the first bridal attendant, but offset with a gleaming white pearls at her throat. Reesa watched the maid of honor wink at the best man, who winked back and smooched the air. They were obviously a couple, and their silent communication made Reesa smile.

Then the music rose and all the occupants in the church stood as the very tall, majestic bride filled the doorway in a dazzling white dress that was blinding in all its sparkling glory. Standing next to the vision in white, Brooke looked calm and conservative in her black, tuxedo cut silk pant suit.

No doubt about it, Reesa decided, Jessica with her hair curled and pinned back with pearl clips looked like she’d stepped off the pages of a bridal magazine. The beaded lace dress closely draped her tall, lithe body, maximizing her curves and showing just how very female she was. A long train of lace flowed out behind her as she and Brooke made their way slowly down the aisle to the front.

Reesa tore her gaze from Jessica to look at Will, who was being restrained by his best man from walking to meet his bride. Reesa bit her lip to hold in the sigh at how obvious it was he wanted to go to her. The look on Will’s face was unmistakable. Pride. Ownership. Desire.

She recognized the look and knew what it meant because she saw it on Shane’s face all the time. It had been there when they had kissed in her kitchen. It had been there last night while he lay on top of her.

While it made her uncomfortable to see it mirrored on Will’s face, she to admit that possessive macho attitude only complemented his James Bond-esque suit and mostly confident demeanor. It was a fact that the groom looked both ultra masculine and incredibly in love as he waited for his bride, but Reesa completely understood why even a strong woman like Jessica had been cautious about taking on a man who wanted her that much.

But at the same time, Reesa had to admit that Will was a man any woman would be crazy not to say “I do” to if given the chance. Men like him were rare, and Reesa had dated enough to know.

“Wow,” Sara said, breathing out the word in awe as Jessica glided by their pew. She turned a gaze as sparkly as the bridal gown on Reesa, eyes dancing with all the wedding drama. “
Her princess dress looks just like
your princess dress
,
Aunt Teresa
.”

Reesa winced as Ellen’s startled gaze swung from the bride and groom to her. “You have a wedding dress?”

Not able to just baldly lie to Shane’s mother, but also unable to explain anything in that moment, Reesa merely nodded and kept her lips compressed. Shane’s hand holding hers tightened painfully, but she didn’t complain or dare look up to meet his gaze. She knew what she would see. After the conversation they’d had several nights ago, Shane probably thought now that she had lied.

Damn.
She should never have dragged the dress out of the closet until she was ready to get rid of it, Reesa thought. But it was too late now to handle disposing of it discreetly. Sara had informed the Larson world of its existence.

Putting her attention firmly back on the bride and groom, Reesa noticed Will had indeed morphed into the calmest, most serene groom she had ever witnessed as he repeated his vows. He carefully slipped the shiny band on Jessica’s finger, looking so profoundly affected by the moment that Reesa’s heart did a twist in her chest.

She bit her lip hard to keep from sighing again when Will took both of Jessica’s hands in his while he promised in a husky voice full of emotion to love her forever. With such an intense look of love on his face, no one could possibly question the sincerity of his vows.

However, the bride looked like she was going to keel over, Reesa thought, growing slightly concerned at the hazy expression in eyes that usually bore into people. Was she on drugs? Jessica’s normally confident gaze was replaced with demure acceptance, which totally didn’t seem right. In fact, Jessica was looking less sure than Reesa had ever seen the outrageous woman be.

Over the past few weeks, Reesa had witnessed Jessica handling people and situations regarding questions about her art that would have made a bordello madam blush. It never fazed the confident woman to talk endlessly about breasts or vaginas when she needed to speak her truth. In fact, Reesa had come to think that Drake Barrymore’s nude portraits of his wife seemed rather tame in comparison to Jessica’s flagrant art.

Yet now, that same gutsy woman, that gutsy artist was trembling hard as she struggled to slide the gold band onto Will’s finger. Rather than looking dewy and bride-like, Jessica looked ill and frightened. Reesa gave her mega brave points for continuing to face Will, who was still looking at his bride like she was the only woman on earth.

Reesa watched Jessica absent-mindedly chewing her lip and was reminded of her own ceremony, where she felt like a robot doing what she was told just to get it over with. She had been in so much shock about agreeing to actually make it legal, that the marriage ceremony itself had seemed surreal. Most of it was still a blur.

And the migraine that followed all that stress hadn’t helped soften the memories at all. Lost in her empathy for Jessica’s fears, the minister’s voice finally brought Reesa’s attention back to the bride again.

“Jessica Elaine Daniels, do you take William Everett Larson to be your wedded husband? To love, honor, and cherish him, in sickness and in health, so long as you both shall live?” the minister demanded with all sincerity.

There was almost a full minute of silence while Jessica stoically held Will’s gaze with a totally bemused look on her face that made Reesa almost want to laugh.

“I do love you,” Jessica said finally, her distinctive voice ringing out in the small chapel where everyone was silent now because they were all holding their breaths.

She was not exactly answering the minister, Reesa decided, but Jessica certainly seemed sincere in what she was saying. Reesa listened to her tell him again, clearing her throat to say it more clearly. She wondered if the only answer the poor woman seemed able to make could be counted as her vows.

She heard Carrie, Michael, and Shane all snickering. Their lack of sympathy made her frown.

Meanwhile, Will smiled, sighed loudly, and nervously rubbed Jessica’s fingers, making the entire audience laugh softly in the background.

“What kind of medicine did you take today, honey?” he asked, voice soft and full of understanding.

“Just some kind of pill the doctor gave me—I’m not sure. But I definitely think it’s working now,” Jessica said, pulling one of her hands free from his to tug at the lace across her breasts. She held it out and blew down her front. “Boy, it’s getting really hot in here. Don’t you think?”

The congregation laughed at her words and actions, and many people leaned forward in their seats to better hear. Will’s eyes merely crinkled in amusement watching his bride, and suddenly Reesa couldn’t help grinning herself.