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“I don’t think it’s at all manly to admit to being ticklish.”

  She giggled at his confession. “Hmm, well then, I wonder what would happen if I did this.”

  Sliding down the bed, she ran her tongue over the ridged lines and she heard his indrawn breath. She smiled to herself before doing it again, and he buried his hand in her hair. Becoming more adventurous, she slid down a bit further, running her tongue over his growing erection. He rolled over onto his back and she drew him in past her lips, rolling her tongue over him before taking him as deep as she could. He moaned and gripped the sheets between his fingers. She hollowed out her cheeks, increasing the pressure before repeating the motion, and he grabbed her underneath the arms, pulling her up his body and impaling her quickly. She lifted herself up, rocking against him. He pushed against her, matching her stroke for stroke. She kissed him deeply, their tongues matching the rhythm of their bodies as they both worked towards the same goal. They exploded at the same time, and she heard herself chanting his name. She realized in that moment that this was the man she should have been afraid of. This was the man that was going to break her heart.

  It was an hour before the sun would rise, and Genie slept peacefully on her side. She hogged the bed, and the covers, as well as the pillows, but it was totally worth it. He didn’t lie to her when he said he’d probably hate her in the morning. She was the kind of woman that made a man want things, and he was a man that deserved nothing. He thought he accepted a life of emptiness, and then she came along tempting him with a life he could never have, and he couldn’t help but wonder if this was to be his new punishment. Had God decided he wasn’t suffering enough so he devised a new method of torture? He watched her sleeping a moment longer, stealing just a moment out of time; a single moment of peace. He searched the room until he found some paper and a pen, and he scratched out a quick note. Leaving it on the pillow next to her head, he slipped away like a thief in the night, returning to the reality of his life.

  CHAPTER TWO

  Six months later

  Genie hated weddings, with a passion. She hated getting dressed up and sitting in a pew until her ass went to sleep. She hated having to stand thirty minutes in a line to shake the hand of someone she saw every damn day at work just so they would know she actually showed up, even though they probably wouldn’t remember five minutes after they saw her. But most of all she hated that weddings always managed to shine a bright light on the emptiness of her own life.

  Unfortunately, there was no way she was getting out of going to this particular wedding since it was Bradley and Flower’s. Bradley was her team member, she considered him to be a friend as well, and she really was happy he was finally marrying the girl of his dreams since he deserved all the happiness in the world, but lord how she hated her own life.

  “Why are you looking like you ate bad sushi last night?”

  Genie glanced over at Steven, her other team member and escort for the evening. “How long have we been here?” she asked, ignoring his question.

  He snuck a peek at his watch. “About fifteen minutes, why?”

  “Damn,” she muttered. “It feels like we’ve been here for hours. I wish they would get the show on the road.”

  “I agree,” entered a new voice. “Don’t they realize everybody showed up for the open bar? The rest of this is just pomp and circumstance.”

  Genie twisted in her seat to find Shannon squeezing into the empty seat on her other side.

  “Hello Mr. Alfred,” he said over her shoulder. “Oh good. You wore a watch. You can keep us updated on how much longer we’re going to be forced to suffer through this.”

  Steven flushed at Shannon’s words and turned to make conversation with the elderly lady seated on his other side, effectively ignoring them, but she noticed he also tugged his sleeve down nervously, hiding the watch from sight.

  She looked at Shannon questioningly, but he only chuckled.

  “How have you been, beautiful?” he asked, turning her attention away from Steven.

  She smiled despite herself since no woman alive no matter the circumstances could be completely immune to his charm. “I’m alright, and you?”

  “I’ve been covered up with work; which, while a good thing, has left me exhausted, and it’s hot as hell. Oh, excuse me, hot as heck in this church. When are they going to get this thing started? Good grief?”

  Genie suddenly felt a little better now she realized she wasn’t the only one being affected by the great wedding effect. The wedding march began. They all stood to watch the bride coming down the aisle, except when Genie turned, the world screeched to a halt as she recognized Weave seated directly behind her. Her eyes locked with his for a split second, but she looked away just as quickly thinking she might be sick. He stared straight through her as if she were no more than a stranger, and she never hated another person in her life as much as she hated him in that moment. Everybody began to reclaim their seats, and she dropped like a rock into her own, staring straight ahead, frozen like a deer in the headlights. How long had he been sitting there? She swore she could feel his eyes on the back of her neck, and the hair stood up on her arms. It took every ounce of her willpower not to glance over her shoulder. She never heard a word of the vows being exchanged, and she didn’t even realize when it came to an end until Shannon reached over linking his fingers with hers. She looked over to find him searching her face. “Is everything okay?”

  Her smile felt wooden, but she refused to let anyone see her distress. “I’m fine.”

  “Your fingers are like ice,” he said, sounding concerned. “Let’s go find that open bar.”

  He held her hand and helped her to stand. She followed him out without a single thought as to what happened to Steven, and she kept her eyes straight ahead in fear of even accidently setting eyes upon Weave again. As promised, Shannon skipped the receiving line and headed straight for the bar. He ordered up two shots of whiskey, and Genie tossed it back. She swiped his as well, before he was given a chance to drink it, and tossed it back as well.

  Shannon looked shocked but ordered up two more, and as she was throwing back the third she heard the voice she was dreading. “How have you been, Genie?”

  She forced herself to set the glass down gently and gathered her strength to face him. She managed to arrange her features into an expression of amused confusion. “I’m sorry. Have we met?” Gathering up the hem of her dark blue dress, she swept past him, not giving him time to respond, but she didn’t make it far before Shannon was on her heels. “What the hell was that all about?” She might have ignored him and continued on her way, but he sounded really pissed, which caught her off guard. What the hell did he have to be pissed about? Nobody screwed him and then snuck off in the night, never to be heard from again. She paused in her steps long enough for him to fall in beside her then continued outside towards her car.

  He laid his hand on her arm, bringing her to a halt. “Are you going to tell me what that was all about?”

  She looked down at his hand before slowly bringing her eyes back to his. Whatever he saw on her face must have finally clued him into her anger. He dropped his hand. “Seriously, Genie. What is going on?”

  “I’m going home. That is what’s going on.”

  “After three shots of whiskey you’re getting behind the wheel of a car? Are you insane?”

  Her shoulders slumped at the censure in his voice, and before she could stop it, a single tear fell from the corner of her eye. Shannon groaned like a doomed man. “Oh good Lord. Come on, I’m parked over here.”

  Weave watched from the doorway as Genie climbed into Shannon’s SUV. She was pissed. There was no doubt about it. He knew she would be, but he was still shocked by the level of anger in her eyes. Damn. She looked beautiful too. The dark blue dress she was wearing was cut low; her blonde hair was pulled up in the back while framing her face perfectly. Even mad as hell, there wasn’t another woman alive as drop dead gorgeous as her. He wanted to chase her down and explain
everything to her, but that would be even worse. Right now, she hated him because she thought he was a womanizer, and in his mind that was a step up from what he really was; maybe even ten steps up. Therefore, as much as he hated it, he would watch her leave with Shannon. It was better this way for everyone involved.

  Shannon stared straight ahead watching the road. He didn’t know what the hell just happened, but there was a really bad feeling in the pit of his stomach. A part of him wanted to pull over and demand Genie tell him what the hell was going on, but another huge part of him wanted to stick his head in the sand. After a few miles of driving, the tension drained some from his shoulders and he was finally able to glance over at Genie. She was staring out the window and didn’t seem to be crying, which helped ease the tension. He hated when women cried. It was one of those things he was completely inept to deal with. He loved women for all the obvious reasons, but he liked them as well. The way their minds worked always left him totally fascinated, and he liked to hear their opinions because they possessed the ability to find the most complicated path to the simplest answers, which always left him completely blown away.

  “Are we going someplace specific or were you waiting for me to give you directions to my house?”

  “Honestly? I was kind of driving around aimlessly,” he admitted before asking. “Where do you live?”

  “Turn here,” she answered, pointing him in the right direction. He found her house with ease, and she let him in through the front door. He looked around impressed. It didn’t look all that large from the outside, but inside the furnishings were really expensive, making him wonder if she came from money. He didn’t know all that much about her, but he liked her and wanted to know more.

  “Make yourself at home. If you don’t mind, I’m going get out of this dress. It’s strangling the life out of me.”

  “Go right ahead. I’m fine to wait.” She left the room and he walked the length of it looking at the pictures sitting around. One picture in particular caught his attention. It was an older couple; both were blonde haired and blue eyed, bearing a striking resemblance to her. There was another of a man around the same age as Genie, maybe a couple of years older; he had brown haired with amber eyes. Genie’s voice sounded behind him. “That’s my brother, Jacob.”

  He startled a little when he realized she was standing so close. “You two don’t look a thing alike.”

  She pointed at another picture of a dark haired man with the exact same shade of eyes as her brother. “Just a freak of genetics. See he looks just like our dad’s brother. That’s Uncle Jackson. Which one of your parents did you end up looking like?”

  She sounded genuinely curious. “My dad. Do you want to tell me what’s going on now?”

  Genie smiled sadly at Shannon’s question. She really expected him to have already heard the whole of it, but at his repeated demands, she was forced to admit that Weave must have stayed silent about their night together. It was obvious that Shannon wasn’t going to let it go until she told him everything. “I’m an idiot,” she admitted.

  “I seriously doubt that.”

  “I slept with Weave,” she blurted out before she could change her mind. He was the first person she ever said the words to, and by his shocked expression, she knew it wasn’t an act. This was his first he heard of it.

  “You did what?” He asked numbly.

  “Are you really going to make me repeat it?”

  He scrubbed a hand over his face. “When was this?” he asked, finally.

  “When y’all were in town six months ago.” As stupid as she felt talking about her problems with Shannon, she also felt strangely relieved to have someone to talk to.

  “I’m well aware of the fact I’m about to say something that is going to sound like every other stupid woman all over the world, but it doesn’t make it any less true. I thought it meant something to him. I thought I meant something to him, but when I woke up he was gone, and then I never heard from him again, with the exception of seeing him tonight of course.”

  Shannon groaned before sitting down hard onto the couch. He pulled Genie down with him into his lap. He wrapped his arms around her and she felt comforted as if she were a little girl again. “I’m sorry baby, but I swear I didn’t know.”

  “I know. I could tell by your reaction that this was the first time you heard it. I’m sorry to be dropping my bullshit on you. I’m totally aware of the fact that he’s one of your best friends, and I don’t want to put you in the middle of anything.”

  He rubbed a small circle on her back, staring off into space. Genie tilted her head back, openly watching him while he was lost in thought. His eyes were almost the exact same color as her big brother, and it made her suddenly homesick. She could see she was dividing his loyalties, and she felt like a total bitch, a needy one at that. She scrambled off his lap. “You should head back,” she told him. “Your friends are probably wondering what’s happened to you.”

  His eyes snapped to her as if forgetting she was there. “The thing is that I don’t know what I should do. This is one of those moments in my life where I’m torn between being right and doing right, you know?”

  “No,” she answered honestly. “Nothing you just said made sense.”

  He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees and clasping his hands in front of him.

  “I’m going to think on it and get back to you.”

  “Okay,” she drawled out slowly. “Well thanks for listening. I hope you don’t leave here thinking badly of me, and if you have time, maybe we could go to lunch or something while you’re in town.”

  He stood and pulled her into a tight hug. “Now you are being an idiot. Of course I don’t think badly of you. I think you might be the answer to my prayers. We’ll get together tomorrow if you’re not busy.”

  “I’d like that,” she told him, relieved he didn’t hate her. She missed having a friend. That was one of the hardest parts about moving so far away from home. Maybe I should move back, she thought. It was the best idea she’d had for a long time.

  Shannon sat in the parking lot of the hotel where he was staying, lost in thought.

  He knew, just knew, something had happened, making Weave fall into an even deeper pit the last six months, but was unable to figure out what it was. Now it was so obvious it was Genie. He noticed the way Weave watched her that night at the bar, but he also believed he would never allow himself a moment of happiness to act on it, so he put it out of his mind; but Weave had acted on his feelings. Now what was he supposed to do? He knew all along that it would come down to one of them having to step in, but now there was Genie. Did she have what it would take? More importantly, did Weave care about her at all, or was she just a one-night-stand to him? Shannon didn’t think so. Genie wasn’t one-night-stand material. There were two types of women in the world; there were women you fucked and women you married. And Genie Cook was a woman you married. Giving up on solving all the world’s problems for the night, Shannon climbed out of the SUV and made his way inside. He wasn’t surprised to find Weave sitting in the chair waiting when he opened the door. In truth, he almost crowed in relief because the fact that he waited to see him come in for the night proved his theory she was important to him.

  Weave calmly came to his feet as Shannon closed the door, but when he turned back to face the room, Shannon ran into a solid wall of Weave’s fist. The blow snapped his head back. He didn’t give him time to recover before tackling him to the floor and landing several blows to his body, but Shannon gave back as good as he got. Weave and he had sparred many times over the years, and it almost always ended in a draw, but Weave held unadulterated fury behind each one of his blows and Shannon knew then without a doubt, what the right thing to do was, because Weave was in love with Genie Cook. Finally, after several minutes of scuffling around on the floor, the two of them rolled over onto their backs staring up at the ceiling, trying desperately to catch their breath.

  Shannon was the first to break th
e silence. “You are such a fucking idiot Weave.”

  “Dick head,” Weave returned just a quickly.

  “If you’re in love with the girl, you should tell her the truth. It’s not her fault you’re a fucked up mess, and she didn’t do anything to deserve being fucked over the way that she was.”

  “Do you think I don’t know that? What she doesn’t deserve is to be saddled for life with a murderer. Do you think it better that I should tell her that? I didn’t let her make the decision for herself; I took away her choice on the matter when I didn’t tell her beforehand, and that was because I’m selfish. Everybody always loses to my selfishness.”

  Shannon pushed himself up off the floor. “You’re right. You are selfish because you think your pain is your own, and you screw the rest of us out of being able to share it with you. It is emotional blackmail, and I’m getting to be just a little bit tired of the whole damn thing. Maybe I should marry Genie. Wouldn’t that solve all your problems then?” Shannon was getting really warmed up now, his helplessness feeding his anger. “That way you don’t ever have to admit that you made a horrible mistake one time with horrible consequences, and you won’t have to worry about her happiness, because I’ll make sure she’s kept happy at least twice every night” he added for good measure. It produced the desired effect.

  “You mother fucker. If you think to touch her I’ll slit your throat.” Weave’s voice shook with the level of his fury, and Shannon knew he spoke the truth, but he couldn’t resist getting in one last jab.

  “If it’s not me, it’ll be someone else, and better the prick you know, right?”

  Shannon limped away, slamming his door for good measure, and Weave slumped his shoulders in defeat. Bob stood silently outside his own door watching the entire scene. Weave met his brother’s knowing eyes briefly, and without a word, Bob stepped back inside his room, closing the door behind him. Dropping onto the couch, he slung one arm over his eyes, trying to hold it together. They didn’t understand. They would never understand. He couldn’t trust himself to be with her. What if he lost his temper? Just now was a perfect example. He had threatened to slit Shannon’s throat, and he meant every word of it; but could he really do it? He feared he was about to find out because he didn’t doubt the sincerity of Shannon’s threats. He would try to win Genie over and make right all of Weave’s wrongs. The gauntlet was thrown. He could kill Shannon or watch him marry Genie, because there was no third choice for him, and he couldn’t be with her himself.