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She grinned. “I’m assuming you don’t mean on your lips.”
“I don’t mean on my lips.”
“I think we can find out—”
He jumped when his phone buzzed in his pocket. Tatum backed away with a soft giggle.
“Thought maybe you were so excited, you were gonna come just talking about it.”
He huffed and snorted a laugh as he took his phone from his pocket.
“Very possible you could make me come just describing how you’ll put that lipstick on me.” He nodded. “But no. That’s Sev telling me to zip it up and get moving. He’s waiting in the truck downstairs.”
“You know…” She sounded pensive. Charlie waited while she grabbed her little clutch purse and then followed her outside. He waited while she locked the door and then they headed to the elevator. “I can’t wait until that little shit falls for someone. I’m gonna give him so much static about it.”
Charlie punched the button for the lobby and looked at Tatum with a smile. He understood the sentiment. But he also thought it would be a while before Sev fell in love. Sounded like Tatum might be around for a while, which was more than okay with him.
They stepped onto the elevator when the doors opened. Charlie couldn’t take his eyes off her.
“What?”
“I’ve never seen too many people on this elevator.”
“Not a lot of people in the building these days since they’re renovating all the apartments,” she reminded him.
He nodded and looked around at the mirrored panels in the little car.
“I like the mirrors.”
Tatum trilled a deep, hearty laugh that made his heart so happy it hurt.
“You want me to give you a blowjob on this elevator?”
“Well, not now.” He shrugged. Tatum rolled her eyes. “Maybe later.”
“I thought we were spending tonight at your house. Your shower is so much better than mine.”
“Mmm.” He nodded. “We did decide that. But I do like these mirrors.”
36
Tatum hadn’t been to many weddings. She remembered a couple from when she was a little girl—someone on her mom’s side of the family. Her mom had dressed her in a ridiculously frilly yellow dress and white patent leather shoes. Pulled her hair back in a ponytail so tight it made her eyes water. And told her to sit down and be quiet both at the church and the reception hall. When she was older, maybe fourteen, they’d gone to a wedding—the four of them. The groom was their dad’s boss’s son. Again, she and Sutton were expected to sit quietly during the wedding and the reception.
Naturally, it had been their parents who had caused a scene, though, true to themselves, it had been relatively quiet and composed. Tatum’s dad had been drunk. And her mom had hissed at him in anger over the table time and time again. Maybe only she and Sutton were aware of how uncomfortable it was at their table.
Whatever the case, Tatum didn’t associate weddings with joy and fun. So being with Charlie at this wedding was a thrill for her. She’d had so much fun the day she and Everleigh had gone with Charlie’s family to shop for dresses. Tatum and Everleigh stuck together, but Charlie’s sisters were fun and welcoming, and when they sat down for lunch and she found herself between Sarah and Adele, she had been okay with it.
She liked dresses, though she never wore yellow. Not after her mom made her wear that frilly thing when she was a kid. The one she chose was simple—well, Adele called it elegant—and comfortable. And seeing the look on Charlie’s face when she opened the door to him had sent a thrill like fire through her body, straight to her core.
She was wearing the thong. And a sexy new bra. Everleigh had egged her into that purchase. But when Everleigh found her dress—open in a big V in the back—Breena had ordered her to buy it, even though she couldn’t possibly wear a bra with it. That had created some fun girl talk and laughter. Adele had simply laughed softly and rolled her eyes.
The church was packed; Tatum had never seen so many people inside a church. Then again, other than those two weddings, she could probably count on one hand the number of times she’d stepped inside one. Her parents weren’t religious. Tatum had nothing against religion; she just had no experience or education about it.
Charlie’s Irish family was Catholic. She’d always heard people joke about Catholics, about how much they liked to drink. She knew Charlie’s family well enough now to know that they did enjoy their liquor and their beer. But they were good, kind people who liked to have fun. Adele and Liam must have been fun parents, although Tatum could see that they had been firm handed in raising their children.
She watched the bridesmaids walk up the aisle, figuring she looked like a wide-eyed five-year-old girl. The attendants were so pretty in their teal dresses; the guys looked neat in their simple black tuxes. When the music changed and everyone stood to watch the bride come down the aisle with her parents, Charlie slipped his arm around her and rested his hand on her hip
Was it because he thought she might get emotional? Because even if she did ever get married, even if she had a big wedding, she wouldn’t have either parent attend, let alone walk her down the aisle? Or was he thinking about their future? Would she say yes? If Charlie asked her to marry him, would she say yes?
