Jaimie: Fire and Ice (The Wilde Sisters 2)

“Come on,” she said, her voice so bright it glittered like glass, “let’s dance.”

Lissa downed her champagne, too, and followed her sister onto the dance floor.

* * * *

“She’s dancing,” Jacob said.

Caleb looked at him. “A brilliant observation.”

“Maybe we were wrong. Maybe she isn’t carrying a torch for Castelianos.”

“Nobody’s used that expression in a hundred years,” Travis said, “and where the hell is he? You said this would work. That he’d be curious enough about a solstice party to fly down.”

“What I said was that it might work. Anyway, Jake’s right. Jaimie’s dancing. She’s having fun. So maybe we were all wrong. Maybe she doesn’t give a crap for Castelianos, and he doesn’t give a crap for her.”

“Yeah,” his brothers said, but none of them looked as if they believed it.

* * * *

A little later, Emily went upstairs to change. The drummer of the six-piece band began a drum roll.

“Here it comes,” somebody shouted, as Emily stood at the loft railing and sent her bridal bouquet flying.

What seemed like every woman in the room rushed to catch it.

Every woman except Jaimie. And, with unerring accuracy the bouquet sailed straight at her.

“Catch it,” someone yelled, and she did, reflexively. Lissa saw her stare at the flowers. Then she shuddered, turned, and shoved them into the hands of the woman standing beside her.

Somebody laughed.

Not Lissa.

She saw not scorn in Jaimie’s eyes but something darker.

“James,” she said softly, when she reached her..

Jaimie shook her head, hurried past her. Lissa would have gone after her but laughing guests surrounded her and by the time she broke free, Jaimie was gone.

“Go after her,” Caleb said, as he came up beside her.

“I called him,” she said softly. “I asked him to come here tonight.”

“Castelianos?”

“Yes. And he didn’t come.”

“Hell, Liss. I did the same thing.”

Brother and sister looked at each other.

“Dammit,” Lissa whispered.

Caleb put his arm around her shoulders.

The good thing was that Jaimie would never know about those calls. She’d never know that Zacharias Castelianos had sent out a clear message.