“No problem,” I growled, irritated at having been seen. And still pissed about that scrap of fabric on Audrey, giving every motherfucker here more than a peek at what was mine.
Jonah was hurrying to Grace’s side, but he was focused on her, allowing me to slip into the doorway of an empty room.
They headed back toward the chapel, and with all the people in the wedding party and little kids running around, it was a great time to kick it up a notch so that I could make a grab for Audrey without anyone being the wiser.
I strolled toward them as though I belonged there—not drawing a single eye—and made a beeline for the little red contraption on the wall.
I yanked the handle, and the fire alarm blared, sending everyone into a panic. People were running in every direction, corralling guests and children toward the front door. Audrey was behind Grace, holding up her train.
Adjusting my presence so I fit in with the frenzied atmosphere, I came up behind my woman and slipped an arm around her waist. Startled, she dropped the fabric in her hand, and I didn’t even have to pause my stride as I carried her to the back entrance of the church. With all the noise, no one heard her protest, and as soon as we were out of sight, I clapped a hand over her mouth.
Damn, she felt good pressed against me.
Yeah, I was definitely keeping her.
3
Audrey
It took me a moment to realize I was being kidnapped. With so many people in the church, it shouldn’t have been possible. Especially since the men in Grace’s family weren’t the kind that most people wanted to cross. Her dad and his friends were all billionaires who were fiercely protective of their families. They had the resources to take down anyone who even tried to hurt someone they cared about, and I was squarely within that umbrella of protection since Grace and I were practically sisters.
But pandemonium had struck when the fire alarm went off, and nobody noticed that I was being carried toward the back of the building instead of heading out front with everyone else. No one could hear me over the blare of the alarm, and once we were out of sight, a hand was pressed over my mouth.
I struggled against the person holding me, but it didn’t do any good. I was no match against the strength of whoever had snatched me. With their tall, muscular build, I could tell that my kidnapper was a man and tried to kick toward his crotch to nail him in the balls. I missed, and all my muscles locked up when he grunted, “Careful, kitten. You might regret it someday if you damage the family jewels.”
HIs low, growly voice sent tingles zipping to my core and dampened my panties. Holy crap! Was I lusting after the man who’d just stolen me? Seriously? Irritated at my physical response, I struggled again. But it didn’t do me any good. His biceps bunched, and his knuckles turned white, but that was the extent of what it took for him to control my movements.
He weaved his way through the back hallways of the church as though he had memorized the route and could’ve done it blindfolded. Clearly, this hadn’t been a spur-of-the-moment decision. He’d planned this.
He shifted his hold on me to open the door to the rear exit, then scanned the alley to ensure nobody was around. When he set me on my feet, keeping a tight grip on my upper arms, I was finally able to see my kidnapper's face.
“You.” I instantly recognized the mystery man from earlier in the week. I’d spent more time daydreaming about him than I was willing to admit.
My gasp was muffled by his palm, but he still seemed to understand what I’d said. He removed his hand and stared down at me with an unreadable expression. “Yeah, I figured you’d remember my face.”
“That’s why you’re snatching me?” He didn’t let me go far when I tugged my arms and tried to take a step back. “You don’t have to do this,” I pleaded. “I can pretend I have no idea who you are if that’s what it takes for you to let me go. If anyone asks, I never saw anyone coming out of Stacey’s dorm room. I swear.”
He sighed, shaking his head. “It’s not that simple, kitten.”
“I’m not your kitten,” I snapped, narrowing my eyes at him.
A glimmer of humor shone from his dark eyes. “Yet you hiss and scratch like one when you’re pissed off.”
“Sorry for not going meekly along with my own kidnapping,” I scoffed as I tried to pull free again.
His lips curved into a smirk, and he shrugged. “It’s sexy.”
My jaw dropped, and I tried really hard to hide how much I liked hearing him call me sexy. I jammed my hands onto my hips and glared at him. “Don’t get any ideas, buster.”