All I Ever Wanted(79)

I wasn’t about to let that go unchallenged.

“He’s here because Laura asked him to come,” I said, coming out and staring at the two women. “It meant a lot to her.”

“Is that what you think? And who are you?” the first one asked, not at all nicely.

“Yes, it is what I think…what I know, actually. And hello, I’m Callie Grey, Ian’s date,” I said, glad that here, at least, Ian wouldn’t contradict me. “So nice to meet you.”

How I wished Ian would let me pretend to be his girlfriend to show people that he’d moved on…even if he hadn’t. But no, when I rejoined him a minute later, he relentlessly introduced me as his friend, didn’t hold my hand, didn’t smile at me, didn’t indulge in any body language that said he was crazy about me. Which I thought was really too bad, because let’s be honest. I was definitely feeling things. Any man who could do what he’d done in the foyer of that church…well. Not to mention how smokin’ he looked in that tux.

We made it through dinner well enough, though of course we were seated with the snotty pair from the bathroom. If Ian was quiet, I made up for it by being my usual chatty self. He seemed to grow more and more still, tension making him almost brittle as he doubtlessly counted the seconds ’til we could leave gracefully.

The best woman gave an endless speech, riddled with inside jokes and references. When that was finally over and we’d all dutifully sipped champagne, Ian and I looked at each other. “Want to go?” I whispered.

He nodded.

Then Laura stood up and took the microphone.

Ruh-roh.

“Thank you all for coming tonight,” she said. “It means so much to Devin and me to have you sharing our happy day.” She paused, and Ian seemed to freeze, as if sensing what was coming. “But,” Laura continued, “there’s one very special person here who put aside a lot—a lot—to come tonight—”

Oh, God. Poor Ian, I thought, my stomach contracting in horror.

“—and I just wanted to say how overwhelmed and grateful I am, Ian—” her voice grew husky “—that you found it in your heart to be here. You are so special. Thank you so, so much. I’ll never forget this.”

Every one of the roughly two hundred guests swung around to get a look at Ian, who sat as if carved from granite. His face was grim, and I knew that this was just about the worst thing that could happen to him…all that attention, all that emotional diarrhea, aimed right at him. A swarm of fascinated whispers rose from the guests.

Well, I couldn’t just let him sit there. I leaned over, a sweet smile on my face, and kissed him on the cheek. “You’re right, Laura,” I called, settling my head on his shoulder. “He’s a prince!”

There was an “aw” from the guests, a few chuckles. The nasty bathroom woman sneered, but up at the head table, Laura beamed. “Yes, he is,” she agreed. “Well, I guess that’s it from me! I hope everyone dances and eats cake and has a great time! Thank you!”

The roar of conversation resumed, and I looked up at Ian. “You okay, buddy?” I whispered.

He fixed me with those blue, blue eyes. “Yes. Thank you.” For what, I wasn’t sure. In fact, he might have been mad. Hard to tell.

“Careful, now,” said the bitchy bathroom woman. “He might turn you into a lesbian, too.” Her companion gave a snort.

I just smiled at her, snuggled a little closer to my guy. “I’m not worried,” I said, tossing her a little wink. Then I looked up at Ian. “Want to dance?”

“Love to,” he answered. He grabbed my hand and practically dragged me onto the dance floor.

There weren’t too many people out there yet, but Ian didn’t seem to mind. The band was just starting their second song…“If I Ain’t Got You” by Alicia Keys, and the singer was pretty damn good. Ian slid his arm around my waist, and we assumed the position.

The wave of lust I’d been riding since I saw him in his tux seemed to swell.

“So how are you, Ian?” I asked. My voice sounded embarrassingly sex kitten, and I cleared my throat.

He tilted his head to one side. “Better now,” he said, and those girl parts of mine started yowling like ruttish cats. “Thanks for rescuing me.”

“Oh,” I said, blushing. “It was…I…it was nothing.”

“It was something.” His eyes crinkled slightly, and I fought off a swoon.

He smelled so good…that clean, fresh smell of rain in the spring, and the heat from his body seemed to pull me closer. My hand was so, so happy, being held lightly in his, and when his cheek brushed mine, the faint rasp of razor stubble against my skin, my knees almost buckled.

“This is a nice place,” I said.

“Yes,” Ian agreed, and his voice scraped some tender place inside me.

“So, Ian,” I breathed, fighting off the urge to pull a Bowie and just climb on. “Everyone’s watching us. You could definitely kiss me now. End all that speculation.”

He pulled back and looked at me, and his eyes seemed…warm. “I’m not going to kiss you because someone’s watching, Callie,” he murmured, and his eyes dropped to my mouth.

And he didn’t kiss me, but somehow, my God, that meant even more, though why, I couldn’t tell, as my blood supply was cheerfully fleeing from my brain to my reproductive organs. He pulled me a little closer, and we weren’t moving so much now, but the feeling of him so close made me forget how to breathe. I wanted just to slide my hands under his coat, unbutton his shirt, kiss his neck, pull him closer, feel his mouth on mine, taste…