Vain (The Seven Deadly 1)

“Something’s amiss,” she said, her nails tapping at the stem of her water glass, the only sign she wasn’t completely in check of her emotions.

Imogen fidgeted in her chair, glancing down at her lap, avoiding eye contact.

Uh-oh.

Simon’s jaw clenched. “I know what you’re implying.”

“And?” Abri asked, considering an obviously nervous Imogen.

“Not that one has anything to do with the other but, yes, Imogen is expecting,” Simon said, dropping the bombshell like he was announcing it would rain on Tuesday. “The only influence that had on my decision was when we would marry, not if.”

Yowza. And aww.

This time even Henrik lost his ever-present “It’s all good” facial expression.

“Not again,” Abri said, falling into the back of her chair.

I turned toward Ian and his face was devoid of color. I placed my hand within his, reminding him I was there. He squeezed my fingers.

“She’s only six weeks right now, Mom,” Simon continued. “We can marry at an undisclosed location and soon. We were thinking somewhere tropical, give the impression we’ve been planning a secret wedding for months. No one will think differently since Imogen has been a fixture in my life for more than two years. In fact, they’ll be expecting it. And in a couple of months, we announce her pregnancy.”

“Well, you’ve thought it all out, haven’t you, son? It’s all nice and tidy, isn’t it? Except you forgot one thing.”

“What?”

“Re-elections are this month and it would need to be immediate. No one would believe we were planning a wedding this close to the end of my campaign.”

o;Sophie Price, you are the most beautiful girl I’ve ever met,” he stated before turning my direction and staring me dead in the eyes. “You are so gosh damn beautiful in here,” he said, tapping my chest, “that what’s here,” he spoke, running the side of his hand down my face, “is magnified tenfold and that is a sight to behold.”

My mouth gaped open. I was at a complete loss for words, all rational thought had left, so I did the only thing I could think to do. I leaped across the seat and pulled the collar of his shirt toward me. The next second, I felt the SUV pull over and slam to a stop before being dragged onto Ian’s lap and he was exploring me with his mouth like no one ever had.

His hands found my neck and mine threaded through his hair. “Soph,” he whispered against my lips.

“Yes?” I asked, a smile tugging the corners of my mouth.

We kissed for God knows how long before he answered.

“Say it,” he asked, plucking my earlier plea right out of thin air.

“I love you,” I told him.

“Again,” he said, moving to my neck.

“I love you, Ian.”

“Again,” he asked, pulling my face away from him.

I looked at him, winded and twitterpated. “I’m in love with you, Ian Aberdeen.”

He attacked my lips with an unparalleled ferocity, swallowed my breath and tasted my tongue with his. I wrapped the crook of my arm around his neck to bring him closer, furiously melting my mouth with his and confusing where I started and he began.

“Mercy,” I said, briefly breaking contact before marrying my lips with his once more.

Suddenly his cell began to ring and we both groaned.

“Your parents,” I spoke into his mouth.

“Man, do you know how to spur a guy on or what?”