Page 32

Before Zann could be annoyed by Michael’s interruption, she was thrown into abject confusion when Lydia, who’d been so temptingly close and kissable, disappeared. “Wha—?”

Her question died in her throat as she watched Michael haul Eve and Lydia up into the aisle to dance with him and Jack with a jubilant, “It’s your wedding, bitch!”

“It’s not my wedding!” Lydia protested as Jack took her free hand and led her into a playful twirl.

While part of her was annoyed at having Lydia stolen away, Zann didn’t have it in her to be truly mad about it as she watched Lydia throw her head back with a laugh as she lifted her arms over her head and began dirty dancing with Jack.

She hadn’t missed the way Lydia’s mood had dampened when she’d gotten her brother’s text. And while she enjoyed watching the way Lydia’s cranberry red blazer fell open to show off the way her white V-neck, that was tucked snugly into her designer jeans, stretched against her stomach and breasts as she swayed seductively with the beat, she mostly just liked seeing her smile. Lydia obviously took her job seriously, but it was nice to see her toss her responsibilities aside and cut loose.

While she didn’t have a frame of reference beyond these last few days to know for sure, she had a feeling cutting loose was something Lydia didn’t get to do nearly enough.

Her heart swooped into her throat when Lydia’s dark, laughing eyes found hers, and when Lydia crooked a long, elegant finger at her, she was out of her seat and at her side in an instant.

She playfully shoved Jack out of the way as she grabbed Lydia’s waist to tug her close, and warmth bloomed in her chest at the smile that lit Lydia’s face as graceful arms looped around her neck and their hips rolled flawlessly together.

“You can dance!” Lydia exclaimed in delight.

Zann laughed and dragged her right hand up Lydia’s side to tuck her hair behind her ear. She arched a brow as she finished the affectionate touch by lightly caressing the length of her throat with the backs of her fingers. “Should I be offended that you sound so surprised?”

Lydia raked her lower lip between her teeth and curled a hand around the back of Zann’s neck to urge her closer. “Not surprised,” she murmured smokily.

Zann darted forward to steal a kiss because how could she not when Lydia was looking at her like that?

“Hell yeah, get it, girls!” Steven shouted.

Zann rolled her eyes when Kit backed him up by ripping off a long wolf whistle, but had to laugh when Lydia threw her a cheeky wink before spinning in her arms and pushing back against her. She laughed harder when Eve joined in, sandwiching Lydia between them, and even harder still when Aspen grabbed Eve from behind and the formation shifted into an R-rated mosh pit with Lydia and Eve at the center as the rest of the group surrounded them all.

It was silly and fun, and Zann dropped a kiss to Lydia’s hair as she surrendered to the moment, pressing more firmly against Lydia’s back as their bodies found their own distinct rhythm within the one pulsing through the group. She loosened her grip to allow Lydia to spin back around to face her as the song changed, and her breath caught at the unfettered joy she saw shining in her dark, dark eyes.

So. Fucking. Beautiful.

Lydia’s eyes crinkled as she drank in her reaction, and Zann felt a tug in her chest as long fingers curled around the back of her neck to draw her in so that Lydia’s playful “Do you see something you like?” landed perfectly against her lips.

Zann held Lydia’s gaze as she closed the distance between them to kiss her long and slow and sweet in a perfect juxtaposition to the bawdy bump and grind happening around them, and nuzzled her cheek affectionately when she eventually pulled away. “Yeah,” she admitted, though it was massively underselling exactly how she was feeling about the moment. “I do.”

It was all Lydia could do to keep from laughing as Zann huffed at Eve and jabbed a finger toward the ancient oak that towered between the edge of the flagstone patio and the vineyard beyond.

“Look over there.”

Eve shook her head. “But the lighting—”

“Is perfect if you’ll just listen to me,” Zann insisted. When Eve didn’t move right away, she added, “Seriously, Eve. Come on. You’re not the only one who knows her way around a camera.”

Eve looked poised to argue her point, but then Aspen diffused the situation by drawing Eve back into her and kissing the side of her throat.

Lydia chuckled at the way Eve immediately yielded to Aspen’s touch, and shared an amused look with Zann. “That’s handy,” she murmured, though she knew that she would yield just as quickly if Zann were to do the same to her.

“Damn, I’ll say,” Zann muttered as she lifted Eve’s camera to her face and started snapping away. “God help the poor photog they hired to take pictures at the actual wedding.”

Lydia snorted and poked her in the side. “Be nice.”

Zann paused and lowered the camera just enough to arch a wry brow at her. “Tell me I’m wrong.”

Lydia’s impulse was to defend Eve, but she couldn’t deny that Zann had a point. “Would you be any better if the situation were reversed?”

“I mean…” Zann shrugged. “Yeah. It’s not like I’d hand just anyone my camera, so if I trusted them enough to work it, why wouldn’t I trust their vision?”

“Really?”