Chapter 194

Nolan teased me with his fingertips till I was writhing, unable to stay still though he had a tight hold on my body and kept me seated in his lap. His mouth was busy on my neck, alternately breathing heavily to take in my scent and giving me hard, sloppy bite-kisses that felt like they’d leave bruises.

I ran my fingers through his hair, slid my hands down his neck and all across the broad muscles of his shoulders.

And grumbled impatiently, “Oh, fuck me.”

“Thought you’d never ask,” he said, then he stood up with one easy step, turned, and threw me down onto the bed.

He climbed on top of me. My legs wrapped back around his middle like they belonged there. His mouth went my ear and he licked the edge of it, giving me a chill.

Then he whispered, “Any other requests?”

“Hmm. Just a question.”

He arched one of his dark, thick and lovely eyebrows. “Oh yeah? What’s that?”

“Do you want me to be quiet this time?” I asked. “Or do you want everyone on this train to hear what you can do to me?”

The expression on Nolan’s face went dark and serious, and his whole body started to vibrate with a deep growl.

He hesitated for two seconds. Then said, “Be as loud as you want to be, Princess.”

I took that permission and ran with it.

Nolan always seemed to have an inexplicable burst of energy after sex. Like he’d just chugged an energy drink or something.

I myself rested in bed for the remainder of the train ride. I’d gotten up for one trip to our little private bathroom and my legs had been so shaky, it felt like they might give out any second.

I caught up with some stuff on my phone while Nolan paced around the room, gradually re-dressing himself and conducting a series of calls on speakerphone.

He talked to the nursing home again, first. Sounded like we were going there in the morning to pick up the old man’s belongings. Then he called the hospital and had a conversation with someone about what was happening with his remains.

I half-listened to all this while scanning my email inbox and then texting Lucy. I told her about our plans for renewing our vows.

It’s not exactly a real wedding, I wrote her, but it’ll be cute… and I’d love for you to be my maid of honor!

She wrote back right away: Omg. I would be so thrilled to do that!!

Nolan and I wanted to do the vow renewal right away, but we did need some time, first, to settle everything with Alaster. So we made a plan to have our ceremony a little later in the week.

I shared these details with Lucy. Then, before I could even mention that I wanted her to help me make a dress, she brought it up.

Yena… Are you going to try to put together a WEDDING GOWN in 2 days?!

I wrote her back: You know me so well…

But then I put her mind at ease and explained the design I was imagining.

Of course I was going to make myself another wedding dress for this. How could I not?

But it was going to be something simple, no train or heavy layers or ruffles or tulle. I told Lucy all about my idea, and of course she was all about it.

EVAN

Lucy bounded down the steps from her parents’ house and over to the curb with extra pep in her step and a giant smile on her glossy pink lips.

“Evan!” she shouted through the open window of his car’s passenger door.

“Lucy!” he replied, playfully mocking her over-excited tone. “What’s got you all hopped up?”

Lucy popped the door open and got settled down into the car quickly. She clutched Evan’s wrist.

“I’m just so excited!” she whisper-shouted. “This is gonna be so fun! You wanna be my date to this thing, or what?”

“The hell are you talking about, Lucy?”

“Yena and Nolan’s wedding. The vow renewal ceremony?”

Lucy’s phone dinged. She looked down at it, poked the screen, and said, “Oh, oops.”

“What?”

“I guess I assumed you knew about that already. Sorry. She just sent me another text saying you don’t know yet and not to mention it till she could talk to you. Whoops. That was bad timing.”

“Yena and Nolan are having another wedding?”

“Yeah.” Lucy bit her lip, looking down at her phone. She thumbed a quick reply, then locked and put her phone away. “In a few days.”

“Huh.” Evan shifted into drive and eased away from the curb, getting started on their way to the boxing gym.

Lucy was no athlete, but after they’d played around at the gym once with Yena, she caught a taste for boxing and begged Evan to give her lessons. Now they went to the gym together every couple days and he coached and trained her.

It was when he realized he was living for those hours with Lucy and missing her in between them that Evan had decided to go to Yena for advice.

And his sister gave him, actually, a much-needed wakeup call.

Lucy was recovering from a recent heartbreak. And, Evan had to admit, so was he.

He had let go of his hopes of ever being with Yena, but that didn’t mean his longing for her all disappeared in an instant. Lucy and Evan… maybe they were both using each other for distraction right now.

But that was not all it was. Lucy had become a friend, and a good one. And she needed a friend, herself, right now.

So that’s what he would be for her, Evan decided.

“Hey. Are you listening to me?”

“Sorry. What were you saying?” He made a turn toward the boxing gym and pretended like his focus on driving was what distracted him from their conversation.

In reality, Lucy had been saying something about Yena’s wedding dress, and Evan’s brain had taken on a bad habit of checking out when the two of them talked about clothes. Which was pretty often. The fashion talk just sort of sounded like a foreign language to him.

“I was just telling you that Yena said Nolan wants to come over to your parents’ place and tell you guys about the second wedding in person.” She shrugged, back to looking at her phone. “Just be cool about it, okay? I know she wouldn’t be mad that I told you, but I hate to spoil a surprise.”

“No worries. You have my word – I will act completely surprised.”

Lucy made a pfft sound. “Somehow I get the feeling you’re not the best actor. She’s gonna know you already knew.”

“Hey! I could be a very talented actor. You don’t know.”

“Hmm.” Lucy narrowed her eyes at Evan, pressing her lips together against a smile. “Nah. I doubt it.”

“Mean. You’re mean to me.”

Lucy laughed. “I am just honest. Listen, it’s okay. You’re good at many other things.”

Evan tried to keep his eyebrows from jumping up. He wasn’t sure how well he accomplished this. It was just that Lucy’s comment struck him as maybe, probably accidentally, a little suggestive.

“So who else is gonna be coming to this wedding?” he asked, blowing past it.

“Sounds like just me, you, your parents, and his parents.”

“Nolan’s parents.”

“Mm-hmm.”

“As in, the Alpha King and Luna Queen.”

“Yeah. Right? Kind of intimidating.”

“And that’s all? No one else comin’?”

“That’s all. I think that’s the only people that even knew about them being separated.”

They entered the gym parking lot and Evan drove to the back, where there were lots of open spaces, and parked in the same stall he always parked in.

“Yes,” he said.

“Yes what?”

“You asked me to be your date to the wedding. I’m saying yes.”

“Oh.” Lucy laughed, unbuckling her seatbelt and preparing to exit the car. “Very good. Just one question. Do you know how to dance?”

“Uh… a little. There’s gonna be dancing??”

Lucy shrugged. Then she looked over at Evan, saw the expression on his face and busted up laughing.

“No need to panic,” she said. “I don’t know, Yena didn’t mention it specifically but it’s a wedding… usually there’s dancing at weddings. If that makes you nervous, we could practice before.”

“Okay. I’ll take you up on that.”

“I bet you’re a good dancer, actually. Or could be.” Lucy squinted at Evan thoughtfully.

“Why do you say that?”

“You’re athletic. Quick on your feet.”

“Hm. Well… I guess we’ll see. You can teach me a little? So I don’t make a fool of myself?”

Lucy grinned. “I know a step or two. I can teach you.”