Jesse (Damage Control 2)

He’s right. Besides, it seems we’re doing this out in the open. There are flower stands with ribbons fluttering in the breeze set on the side of the synagogue, on the grass, lit up with spotlights. As the evening light is fading, the flowers seem to float on the air and their scent drifts over us, ghostly.

Roses and lilies. I breathe in their scent, mingled with grass and the freshness of water from the lake. Familiar faces and a blue Mohawk draw my attention. Clustered around a table decked in white cloth are Ev, Micah, and Kayla, and the guys I met at our party.

The party where I met Jesse—who had just been sucked off by a blonde in the bathroom.

Stop thinking about that. He says he wants to try with you. He didn’t know you then, so why hold it against him?

Because… Come on, Amber. Do you really think you’ve miraculously changed him? You? The wallflower at parties? The boring jewelry maker? Where every other girl has failed?

Shit.

A table with the wedding presents stands by the synagogue entrance, and I drift toward it.

“Wait up.” A second later, Jesse is by my side, his arm back around my waist.

I admit I’d not expected this. Not in front of everyone. It’s as if he’s telling them we’re together, and it has to be a first, if the shocked looks on their faces are any indication.

“So showing me a good time means holding on to me?”

“Busted.” He winks at me and grins. “I like holding on to you. Don’t you think we’d have a good time fused together?”

God, yes. But I shake my head, unable to keep from smiling. This boy…

I place my wrapped up package with the rest, and glance up at him. “Your gift?”

“I haven’t bought it yet.” He rubs the back of his neck and winces. “I didn’t want to ask for your help with that, too. Gotta man up and do it, right?”

Laughter bubbles up my throat. “Man up and buy some baby clothes?”

He shoots me a crooked smile and shrugs.

And here I am, making fun of him for something he can’t help. This from a person who needs help to get through a party without getting into a panic.

Nice job, Amber.

Before I get a chance to apologize—and how didn’t I think he’d need help to buy a present if he had trouble going out to buy clothes for himself?—a murmur goes through the small crowd. A white limo is arriving, and going out on a limb, I’d say the bride and groom have arrived.

The door of the car opens, and a tall, broad-shouldered guy in a dark suit steps out. His hair is short and spiky, and even from the distance I can tell his eyes are very pale. He’s very handsome.

“That’s Asher Devlin,” Jesse whispers in my ear, sending goosebumps all over my skin. His arm is solid around me. He points at the tall, blonde girl who steps out of the other side. “And that’s—”

“Audrey.” I nudge him in the ribs. “Duh.”

He laughs. “Actually, that’s Tessa, Audrey’s best friend and bridesmaid.”

Oh. Tessa is tall and willowy, like a supermodel, and her short red dress shows off her endless legs. Whoa. A bridesmaid straight out of Bridal Guide.

Not that I feel short and ungainly.

Okay, I do. I mean, who wouldn’t, in my shoes?

“That’s Audrey,” Jesse says as Asher helps out of the limo a small redhead with a tiara on her head, clad in a long white dress, and holding a baby. “And that’s Scott, the little brat.”

A funny note in his voice makes me look up. He’s grinning affectionately, and he looks almost… wistful.

Whoa, back up a sec… “You like kids?”

“Love kids. They’re so damn funny. And so small and defenseless. I feel a need to protect them, you know?” He draws me closer to his side without looking away from Audrey and the baby, an unconscious move.