Kara looked like a princess in her ivory Victorian gown of silk and the finest lace. The style suited Kara, who was tall and svelte; the gown was fitted until it reached her hips and then flared in a bell to the floor.
Maddie adored her own emerald green, tea-length dress with its off-the-shoulder, short bell-sleeves and plunging neckline, a daring bodice that had made her shudder when she’d first seen it. But after she had tried it on, she’d fallen in love with the fitted waist and billowy skirt that hit her below the knee. The outfit was accented with a black silky tie belt that floated behind her in shimmering waves. The ensemble was finished with black, strappy heels, and Maddie knew she looked as good as she could manage when standing next to a tall and stunning woman like Kara.
Maddie looked across the happy couple at Sam, who was absolutely breathtaking. Simon was in an identical black tux, but Simon was wearing a bow tie. Sam was wearing a thin black tie with tiny stripes of emerald green that matched her dress...and his gorgeous eyes. Everything about him looked urbane and sophisticated, right down to his stance and expression, a man obviously completely comfortable in his surroundings and attire.
Forcing herself to tear her eyes away from Sam, Maddie returned her gaze to Simon, watching him pledge himself to Kara.
When the minister reached the part of the ceremony where he asked if anyone had any objections, Simon scowled.
Turning his head briefly toward the man of the cloth, Simon informed the minister irritably, “She’s mine. Move on.”
Maddie bit her lip to keep from giggling. Simon Hudson was far from subtle about his possessiveness of Kara. Her eyes met Sam’s and her heart skittered. She could tell he was stifling a grin and his eyes were dancing with amusement. Their eyes locked and held, sharing a brief moment of silent communication, of shared mirth.
Finally, as she wrenched her gaze from Sam, she felt a cold shiver run down her spine, the sense of another set of eyes on her. She was at a wedding with at least fifty guests. People were watching. But she turned her head and her eyes clashed with a man in the first row, a dangerous-looking man in an expensive suit staring directly at her, his eyes never leaving her face. The man was handsome in a rugged, intense sort of way, with auburn hair and laser-sharp eyes, eyes that bored into her with a look of intense concentration. Unable to look away, compelled to keep her eyes on him, Maddie was startled when his lips suddenly broke into a grin and he winked, actually winked…at her. Really, there was something so magnetic about him that she couldn’t help smiling back.
Turning her attention back to Simon and Kara, she watched through eyes blurred with tears as the minister pronounced them man and wife. Simon kissed his bride…and kissed his bride again…and finally stopped when Sam slapped him on the back in congratulations, but Maddie knew it was really to keep Simon from devouring his new wife in front of the guests. Kara’s eyes were sparkling with tears as she hugged Maddie and took back her bouquet. Sam offered his arm and Maddie clenched it, following the newly-married couple down the aisle.
“I saw Max f**king you with his eyes. Don’t even think about it,” Sam rumbled under his breath, smiling broadly for the crowd while he said it.
“Who’s Max?” she asked, confused, as she took his escort behind Kara and Simon.
“Maxwell Hamilton. The bastard who was checking you out in the front row. He couldn’t take his eyes off you. Not that I blame him. But he better stay the f**k away from you or I’ll kill him,” Sam growled as they reached the end of the aisle. He wrapped a possessive arm around her waist, pulling her into his body.
Maddie had never met him, but she’d heard of him. Max Hamilton was another man who showed up in the gossip pages far too often because of his wealth and power. “You’re obviously friends. He’s here.”
“Yeah, he’s a friend, but right now I don’t like him. I don’t like the way he was eyeing you,” he answered briskly. “We do a lot of business deals together.”
The wedding had broken up and people were making their way to the lovely tents that were set up at the waterfront with tables of food, a bar and a monstrous cake. The sun was beginning to set and the reception area took on a fairytale appearance. Maddie took a deep breath of the salty, humid air, enjoying the mild evening. “Everything looks so beautiful,” she sighed.
“Yeah. Everything. You look breathtaking, Maddie. Did I tell you that?” Sam’s gaze was trained on her, his eyes moving over her, lingering at the plunging neckline of her dress.
“Once or twice,” she answered, blushing as he continued to stare. Actually, he’d told her at least five times since she had come down the stairs to make her way to the area where the ceremony was being held, and her face had flushed every damn time. It wasn’t the words that Sam said, it was the way he said them. He might as well have told her that he needed to f**k her or die, so needy was his tone, the timbre of his voice sending chills down her spine and moisture to her pu**y.
“How do you wear a bra with this dress?” he asked, his voice husky and desperate as he fingered the delicate sleeve.
“I don’t,” she whispered back to him, giving him a look of feigned innocence. “It’s not possible.”
A deep, vibrating groan came from his throat, sending a thrill to her core. Only with Sam had she ever felt this kind of feminine power, and it was heady.
“Jesus, Maddie. I’m already tied in knots from the last few days. I don’t know if I can take much more.” His jaw was clenched tight. “For God’s sake, don’t bend over. Every male at the reception will be salivating. Fuck! I need a drink.”
He took her hand, his grasp completely encapsulating her smaller one, and twined his fingers through hers in a proprietary way that had her heart leaping with joy. Every one of the wedding preparations had gone incredibly smoothly, everything perfectly planned. All the wedding party had to do was enjoy the festivities. Watching Simon and Kara together for the last few days had been achingly poignant, but satisfying. Maddie had no doubt that her friend would be happy with Simon. The two of them were like two parts of a whole, so happy together that it was almost painful to watch. Kara had been through so much, suffered for so much of her life alone. Maddie was grateful that Kara finally had a man who would make her ecstatically happy. Her friend was pregnant, but not enough to be showing yet. Although Maddie hadn’t thought it possible, it had made Simon even more protective and nurturing with Kara. They would both make good parents. Any child born to the two of them would be blessed.