“Are you fuckin’ with me right now? It’s only a few days before the wedding and Reece is going to go crazy when this,” he waves his hand between us, “comes to light.”
“Look, I’ll tell Reece myself. I’m not ashamed to be with Mara. I’m also not willing to push her away because her brother doesn’t agree with us being together. She’s changed me. I only want her.”
I tighten my arm around her.
“Since when do you do virgins?”
What the fuck!
“You’re one of my best friends Phoenix, but I’m not going to stand here and listen to you talk about her like that. It’s no one’s business.”
“I’m still a virgin,” Mara announces before burying her head in my chest.
I can’t help but grin when I see Phoenix imitating a fish.
“If…I mean. What the hell have you two been doing if you’re still…still…one of them?” he asks wincing.
“Lots. Why are you here so early?”
He gets comfortable on one of the chairs and after swiping his hand down his face, drops his head back and answers me, “Reece has been trying to ring you,” he says, turning to glare at me, “so here I am. Just be glad it was me and not him. You need to tell him so he doesn’t catch you like I have.”
I whisper to Mara, “Go put some clothes on babe.” I clench my fists to my side to refrain from smacking her on the ass as I watch her leave.
I walk into the living room and slide into the chair opposite Phoenix. I watch as a shit-eating-grin spreads across his face.
“I knew it was only a matter of time before the two of you got together. My only hope was that Reece would have loosened up some beforehand.”
“Reece is never going to loosen up where Mara is concerned. He has five sisters, well six, if you count Dahlia, and it would just be my luck that he’s closest to Mara.”
Phoenix throws his head back and roars with laughter.
That’s how Mara catches us. “Well you two look to be having fun.”
“Come here, babe.”
She’s wearing her jeans from yesterday and looks to have borrowed my baseball jersey.
Climbing onto my lap, she snuggles against me as my arms wrap around her, keeping her close.
“Like the shirt,” I comment, and she smiles.
“Well, one things for sure,” we turn our heads to look at Phoenix as he continues, “you only have to look at you to see the difference between before and now. I hope Reece sees what I do.”
Phoenix stands and starts heading toward the door. “Oh,” he does an about turn, “Reece wanted you to swing by the wedding shop and pick up your tux, which is ready. Also, the rehearsal dinner has been confirmed at the country club. It starts at seven sharp on Friday. Mara, you’ll need to be there as well.”
“Of course she’s going to be there. Why wouldn’t she?” Now I’m confused. She’d be there regardless, but I’d want her with me as my guest otherwise.
“This thing between the two of you isn’t going to go down too well with her family, not just Reece. You need to consider that before you let the world know what’s going on before the wedding.”
“You want us to stay quiet until after the wedding? That’s what you’re trying to tell me?”
“It might save a lot of stress if Reece and Callie don’t find out until afterwards. We’re going away for a few days after the wedding so, hopefully, by the time we get back and Reece finds out, he’ll be too mellow to really get into it with you.”
Mara laughs. “My brother is going to get into it with us regardless of how much sex he’s had before hand, and you know that. I’m Donovan’s date for my brother’s wedding.”
“You are,” I blurt out before censoring my response.
“Of course I am because I’d seriously have to kill anyone else you took.” She grins at me.