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She made it out to the car, not sure what the hell had just happened. When she went to pick up her ancient laptop and the useless files on it on Sunday, she had to make sure she had her head in the game. With effort she managed not to look through the store’s front window to catch a last look at him.
Sunday.
Maybe she’d softened him up for more conversation, but he wasn’t overly chatty. He hadn’t really told her more than she could have learned online. Talk about being off her game.
If she were lucky, she’d get laid after the wedding on Saturday. With those needs satisfied, maybe she could keep her mind on her work at their next encounter.
Chapter 2
Fox was pacing.
“You’re doing it again.” Luke smirked.
“Shut up.” Fox stopped moving, but his body was taut, ready to snap.
The photographer was setting up for some shots of Fox and his groomsmen on the bridge that spanned the ornamental pond, and although there was still time before the wedding, Atlas could tell his brother was getting impatient.
“Cold feet?” Atlas asked, just to piss him off.
Fox didn’t even dignify the question with a grunt, let alone an answer. If any two people were sure about getting married, it was Fox and Addison. They were one of those weird couples who always hung out together—no guy time or girls’ night out for them. Fox never enjoyed being away from her.
Then again, Luke and Ophelia were just as bad—maybe worse since Luke had put twins in her belly. She was only showing a little, but Luke had gone from doting, overprotective husband to doting, overprotective daddy. He was already reading her stomach stories at bedtime.
They’d both turned into weirdos. Atlas was alone in the world, but was too happy for his brother and cousin to be jealous. However, it did mean everything was changing. With the additions to the family, their lives felt less insular and guarded. And Atlas had to find things to occupy his time when they were busy.
Luke had all but left the business already, spending most of his time helping Ophelia manage her hotel empire. Although he’d stolen cars for a while after they’d gotten together—and still helped out here and there—getting caught would stain her reputation. Lately he’d been getting his thrills in business, which he had a good head for. Fox was still in denial.
Luke distancing himself had almost been like permission. Although he hadn’t really discussed it with Fox and Addison yet, he’d been working on strengthening their computer business. It had started as a front, but he’d grown to love it and find more satisfaction in the slower pace. Maybe he was getting old.
The tech side of stealing cars had always been his favorite part, and the excitement over hacking into things such as police files had been a big deal when he was a teenager, but now it was old hat. They didn’t usually need information from systems with higher security, so the thrill of new challenges was gone. Instead, he’d been setting up networks, arranging to have them maintained, and making sure they were difficult, if not impossible, to hack into.
There were other, non-job-related ways of getting an adrenaline high. Maybe it was time he found someone to get into a longer-term D/s relationship with again—or at least someone to play with. But not the pretty girl who’d come sniffing around the other day, no matter how she’d looked at him. She was so obviously a cop. She spoke like one, moved like one, assessed him like one. He’d been in the business long enough to recognize her for what she was. But with the big brown eyes, long hair, and those delicious fucking curves . . . It had been hard to walk away from her and her reactions to him, but when he slept with a woman, he preferred to be the one using the handcuffs.
The majestic swans Addison’s mother had insisted on were hissing at everyone, but the photographer was determined to take pictures in that location anyway. Atlas took over from their mechanic friend, Carlos, holding his tuxedo jacket open to menace the swans into staying in the water.
Carlos shook his head at the swans, and his best friend and boss, Jimmy, shook his head in amusement.
“This is the craziest wedding I’ve ever been to,” Jimmy said after looking around to make sure they were out of earshot of the rest of the wedding party.
“Have you met Addison’s mother?” Carlos grinned, straightening his tuxedo and rebuttoning the jacket. “The entire thing will be posted on Pinterest later.”
“Like every bonnet your mother-in-law makes for Violet?” Luke asked. “That kid of yours is going to end up being a baby clothes model or something.”
Carlos snorted. “Over my dead body.”
One of the swans looked as if it was contemplating the shore, and Atlas moved to cut it off, holding his jacket wider. The bird honked indignantly and paddled off under the bridge.
Atlas glanced up at the bridge to see Fox leaning against the railing, looking GQ-model pensive as the photographer took a zillion pictures of him.
When Atlas caught his eye, Fox mouthed the words, “Help me.”
Atlas picked up a few small stones from the edge of the pond and started to toss them at Fox’s legs through the wrought iron bars of the bridge, making his brother wince and throw back the occasional dirty look. If a man couldn’t harass his brother on his wedding day, when could he?
An hour and several beers later, and they made their way to the ceremony area, with the ornamental trellis that had been festooned with lilac tulle. Every white wooden folding chair had been painstakingly decorated with a large lilac sash, tied into a floppy bow. The aisle Addison would walk down was covered with a lilac runner, which was several shades lighter than the darker lilac dresses the bridesmaids wore, which in turn matched the lilac cummerbunds and pocket squares of the groomsmen.
From the looks of the decorations, people would think that Addison was some sort of crazy, high-maintenance bride. The fact was, the only part of the wedding Addison cared about was the license to screw his brother. Addison would much rather be boosting cars in dark parking garages than picking out flowers. The entire wedding party was grinning at one another as if they were all thinking the same thing, although he doubted her best friend Mariella knew Addison actually stole cars for a living.
Addison, when she made her appearance at the other end of the aisle, wore a simple white gown. With her hair loose, she looked like a mischievous fairy princess. When he checked Fox’s reaction, his brother was staring at her with such intensity that Atlas was half afraid he’d stalk to her, throw her over his shoulder, and carry her off somewhere private. Lord knew it happened all the time at home.
