“No way,” I breathe, seeing a big placard saying “TABLE 4.” And it’s right in front of the top table. “Why would she do that?” I ask, cursing my cousin to wedded hell.
“Hopefully you’ll be on the far side,” Lainey says, trying to placate me.
“But then I have to look at her.”
“Okay, hopefully you’re nearer so your back’s to her.”
“But then I might catch something.”
Lainey bursts out laughing, holding on to my arm. “We can sneaky switch the place settings if we need to.” She’s off across the marquee, heading for the top table and walking the length of it, smiling, pointing at pretty flowers, and generally looking like she’s simply admiring the beautifully dressed surface. I smile like a loon and hurry over to join her, following her lead as I pretend to admire the decorations, too, when what I’m actually doing is scanning the name cards at each place setting. “Here,” Lainey says, pointing to one with Annabella’s name on it. “We need to move it as far away from table four as possible.” She swipes it up discreetly and carries on meandering the length of the table.
I follow, catching up with her. “The last place,” I instruct.
She arrives at the last place and stops. “Who’s Declan?”
“Oh, the groom’s brother. Move him.”
Lainey scopes the area quickly before swapping the cards and moseying on back down the table to Anabella’s original place and setting Declan’s name card down. “Done,” she declares, turning a smile onto me. “My reward?”
Dipping, I kiss her cheek. “Just for now,” I confirm, making her giggle. “Come on, let’s take our seats.”Lainey’s plan worked a treat. Annabella wasn’t even in eyeshot throughout dinner, and the fact she was in the wrong place at the table was only noticed when she opened the gift at her setting during the speeches. She got some silver cufflinks. It was fucking hilarious. And Declan? He got some silver charm bracelet. It suits him. I’ve always thought he was a bit of a girl.
“This cheesecake is delicious,” Lainey breathes. I’ll have to take her word for it, since I ordered the Eton mess. She breaks a bit off with her fork and turns into me, grinning. “You have to try it. Open up.” Her spare hand rests on my knee, encouraging me to push my chair out to face her.
“You’re going to feed me? That’s a bit romantic, isn’t it?”
“You want to try it or not?” Redirecting the fork, she starts taking it to her own mouth, and my hand dashes out, seizing her wrist, my eyebrows high. Her eyes sparkle. “Open up,” she mouths, moving in closer.
My mouth falls open on demand, my eyes on hers as she slides the fork slowly into my mouth. Lainey mimics my motions, slowly opening her own mouth and closing when I take the cake. Then she pouts, waiting for my verdict. I can only hum my approval with my mouth full, and she smiles, before leaning into me, her face drawing closer and closer to mine until my whole body is on fire.
“You have a crumb here.” Her mouth meets the corner of mine and licks away the offending morsel. Attempting to stop myself from turning my mouth onto hers would be a waste of time and energy. And anyway, why do that when she’s this close? My lips find hers and we fall into a deep, fervent kiss, Lainey moving onto my lap, forcing me to tilt my head back. She encases me in her arms and works my mouth like she knows it inside out, and I forget everything. Where we are, what we’re doing, and the audience. Until I hear a throat clear. It’s not me who pulls away slightly though, my mouth quite happy where it is. It’s Lainey. She looks at me, licking her lips, as if trying to taste me still, and then we both turn to see who wants our attention.
“Hi,” Annabella says, large as life and as confident as I remember her.
“Hi,” I say curtly, increasing my hold around Lainey’s waist when she starts to lift from my lap. Oh no. She’s staying exactly where she is. It’ll stop me from diving at my bitch of an ex-wife and strangling her with one of the pretty organza bows on the back of the chairs. What the fuck does she want? I feel Lainey go rigid on my lap, and it just makes me even more pissed off. I was lost in the moment, and it would have been shitty enough if anyone would have disturbed me, but her?
“Hi,” Lainey chirps, dropping her arms from around my shoulders. I scowl to myself, watching as Annabella forces a fake smile at Lainey.
“What can I do for you, Annabella?” Her name feels like acid on my tongue, and I immediately want to wash my mouth out. I look away, showing my contempt and disregard for her presence.