LITMIR.BIZ

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it under the rug.”

      Megan laughed. “Maybe you could, but not me. Even knowing she can’t keep a confidence to save her life, I don’t keep secrets from my mother. I’ll tell her what’s happened as soon as I get home. And then the minute I hang up...” Megan’s eyes closed, and she drew in a slow breath. “Believe me. I’ll be hearing about this for the rest of my life. Regardless of the outcome.”

      Connor offered a hand to Megan. “You okay with that?”

      Megan wagged her head a little, eyes on the ceiling. “It’s my life. So yes. I’m good with it.”

      Damn, he liked the things that came out of this woman’s mouth. He liked the way she thought. The way she cared. The way she lived. The way she stood by the choices she believed in. And despite his initial reaction to her not wearing his ring, he liked the way she could see past her own situation to consider the feelings of those around her.

      That strength of character was what he wanted for his family.

      “And with me?” he asked. “If I promise not to bring up the wedding, are you still good with me?”

      Megan’s eyes were soft, steady as she met his. “I’m good with you too.”

      * * *

      The wedding went off without a hitch. Gail and Roy tied the knot in a chapel not so different, according to Connor, from the one where they’d been married the night before. The vows were made, the rings exchanged and then the marriage was sealed with a kiss. It was beautiful, despite Jodie and Tina making jokes at Megan’s expense throughout the ceremony, laughingly suggesting in her lack of experience she’d managed to botch her one-night stand by dragging it into the next day.

      She’d been prepared for the barrage of teasing. Had warned Connor about it. But what she hadn’t expected was how protective her new husband was. And the way he managed to sabotage most every joke the quibbling duo attempted. Still, the girls were nothing if not persistent.

      “So, really, Connor, what are you doing here?” Jodie asked, straining to be heard over the nightclub music booming around them. “I mean, sure, Megan reeled you in last night, but aren’t you ready to rip the hook out and take off yet?”

      Whether she’d been going for flirtation or just a joke, the question was typically tactless, and Megan reminded herself white-chocolate martinis weren’t a solution. Not since the idea of them alone had her stomach ready to revolt.

      Connor stretched his arm across the back of Megan’s chair, the warmth of it permeating the tuxedo jacket he’d wrapped her up in as soon as the ceremony ended. “Not at all. Megan’s incredible and I see this relationship going the distance.”

      Tina leaned forward, putting her best assets on display. “Relationship?”

      A slow heat began to build in Megan’s cheeks as all eyes shifted to where Connor’s thumb ran a lazy pattern against her shoulder. He’d been attentive without being overly demonstrative throughout the evening, obviously making an effort to respect her wishes and keep their marriage under wraps at least until the ink dried on Gail’s matching certificate. But this line of questioning could lead them toward the truth in a hurry if something didn’t change.

      Tina’s shrewd eyes darted between them twice, before she stepped back with a cool laugh. “Oh, Megan, tell me you didn’t?”

      Her heart sank. Somehow Tina had figured it out. Gail, who was waiting as expectantly as everyone else, would never forgive her.

      “Tell me you didn’t go and make another friend?” The last word fell with such disgust it took Megan a second to realize she hadn’t been discovered. She didn’t need to feel ashamed for hijacking her cousin’s wedding. Relief washed over her in a wave, buoying her mood enough she couldn’t contain the smile stretching across her face.

      “What are you talking about?” Connor asked, casually enough. Only, something about his voice sounded off, and as she turned to face him, she didn’t like the look of his half smile at all.

      “Nothing. It’s nothing, Connor,” she said, hoping he’d recognize the plea in her eyes for him to leave it. The plea and the promise that she’d explain later when they weren’t within glowering distance of Gail’s wedding party. “I’d love another tonic. Any chance you’d come to the bar with me?”

      After a beat, the smile turned more genuine and Connor stood, offering her his hand. “How about a dance first.”

      Before she could mutter a protest, he had her flush against his chest and was deftly leading her with his hands, thighs, chest and hips into the midst of the clubgoers. Moving in a way that was all easy rhythm and physical confidence. Nothing friendly about it.

      Within a few minutes, she’d returned to the state that teetered between laughter and lust and was totally unique to her experience with Connor, leaving Tina and Jodie and all their barbs a distant memory.

      * * *

      Connor signed off on the open-bar bill for their group and then grabbed the tall tonic and ice Megan had requested, eyeing their table like a man about to face the gallows. Megan was still in the ladies’ room, but something told him waiting for her outside the door would smack of stalker. So rather, he made his way to the table prepared to deflect the pointed questions about his bank accounts, Reed Industries’ worth and whether Megan had managed to snag any of his sperm.

      He was ready to get out of there. First, because his wife’s laugh, which was all kinds of sexy abandon, was proving to be a temptation he couldn’t resist much longer, and second, because Tina and Jodie, and even Gail, were grating hard. Pushing buttons he hadn’t known he had. Megan’s ability to let it roll off her back gave him the sense she’d had too much practice. And he didn’t like it.

      As it turned out, Gail had kicked off her shoes and propped her feet on one vacant chair, leaving the only other available between Tina and Jodie, whose antics had vacillated between mildly annoying and downright nasty.

      No, thanks.

      Roy and his two groomsmen were huddled in the same kind of quiet conversation they’d been engaged in through the rest of the evening—excepting the ceremony, of course—the monosyllabic, extended-silence kind.

      Opting to stand off at the side, he watched the dance floor while he waited for Megan.

      A cackle of laughter had the muscles of his spine tightening unpleasantly. And then Gail’s chiding reprimand. “You two are terrible!”

      He didn’t want to know. Shouldn’t even have been able to hear over the music.

      A less-than-delicate snort from Tina. “Please, it’s pathetic.”

      But their voices.

      And Jodie. “She can’t stop collecting these guys.”

      That brought his head around. They hadn’t noticed him standing behind them, and again they were talking about his wife. The woman who’d fought with him in an effort to respect this day.

      “I don’t know who she thinks she’s kidding with this one. There’s no way—”

      “No way,” chimed in Tina.

      “—he’s anything more than the next ‘friend,’ trying to do her some sort of favor. Keep us off her back probably.”

      Gail held up a hand between them. Good. Her cousin, showing some loyalty. Only, then she started talking and his vision went red.

      * * *

      Megan’s steps faltered as she approached the table.

      “...keep wondering with all these ‘buddies’ is if she’s so great to talk with, then what exactly is bad enough to drive these guys away?”

      Megan’s breath caught in her throat as Gail sloppily speculated on her life with Connor standing directly behind her.

      He’d heard.

      She

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