Shoot Out (The Baltimore Banners Book 7) (20 page)

"You love me?"

"Yeah. I—"

"I wasn't sure. I was scared, thinking it was too soon, thinking that maybe I was crazy but I wasn't. I'm not. It's not."

"It's not?"

Nicole shook her head, her hair tumbling around her shoulders as a bright smile lit her face. "It's not. Too soon, I mean. Because I love you and I thought I was just crazy and—"

This time it was his turn to interrupt her, to kiss her senseless until she melted against him, until her arms wrapped around his neck and she pressed her body against his. Close, so close, like she couldn't bear to be apart from him.

Burning seared him, the sensation stealing his breath. But it was a different kind of burn, the kind that made him suck in a sharp breath and ease Nicole away from him with a small groan.

"Mat? What is it? What's wrong?" Her eyes narrowed in concern as she studied him, her hands gliding over his face, down to his shoulder, down to his chest.

He gasped again and grabbed her hands, taking a step back until he was leaning against the counter. Christ, he was a fucking idiot, to stop her like that, when he wanted nothing more than to hold her in his arms, to feel her body against his.

To lose himself inside her and tell her, over and over, that he loved her.

Mat shook his head and tried to grin, to ease her worry.

"I'm fine. My chest is just kind of on fire right now, though, and it feels like ground meat."

Nicole's eyes widened. She glanced at his chest then covered her mouth with her hands. Her shoulders started shaking, just a tiny bit as she laughed. The sound was musical, echoing around them like an angel's voice in a cathedral. He didn't want her to stop.

But she did, all too soon. Her gaze met his again, filled with amusement. She dropped her hands then placed a quick kiss against his chest, just above the fresh tattoo.

"I'm sure it does. You had a lot of work done, a lot of line work and detail." Her fingers hovered over the tattoo, tracing the air just above each line and curve. "It really is beautiful. I can't believe you had them do it all at once."

"Yeah. I, uh, didn't know that you could do it over time. I wasn't thinking. Besides, I wanted to surprise you."

Her eyes lit up again, so soft and warm. "You did. Thank you. But let's get you fixed up."

"Fixed up?"

"Yeah." She grabbed his hand and led him to the large tub, motioning for him to sit on the edge. Then she went back for the washcloth, soaking it in cold water before ringing it out.

Her hands were gentle, soothing, as she placed the cloth against his chest, holding it there until the stinging faded away. All Mat could do was watch her. The way she tilted her head, the light catching in her hair when it fell over her shoulder. The tiny movements of her hands as she moved the washcloth and uncapped the lotion. Each detail burned into his mind, forming a picture he would recall for years to come. Even her small laugh when he gasped and tried to pull away when she spread a thin layer of the lotion over the tattoo. All of it. All of her. Picture after picture of future memories, sealed away forever. In his mind. In his heart.

He reached for her, scooping her up in his arms and carrying her to the bed. His mouth closed over hers, claiming, possessing. Being possessed in return. Their clothes disappeared, the last barrier between them. Then Mat leaned back on the bed, pulling her on top of him, settling her against his body.

"I love you. God, I love you so much." He pulled her down for a kiss, his hands touching her, gliding over her skin, memorizing each inch of her body. She pulled away, pushing to a sitting position as she straddled him, a smile on her face.

"I love you, Mat Herron. Always." Then she lowered herself on him, her eyes never leaving his, and he lost himself.

No, not lost. He found himself. In her touch, her smile, her body. Her heart. Found himself over and over.

It was a dream. It had to be, because Nicole had never felt this way before. Like she was floating. No, not floating. Flying. Being carried away on the back of her very own dragon, safe and protected high above the clouds where nothing could touch her. Nothing except her exquisite, beautiful dragon.

She frowned. Right now, her exquisite beautiful dragon was standing next to the car, his brows lowered in fierce concentration as he ran his hand over his chest. Back and forth, over and over.

"Stop scratching."

"It itches."

"That's because it's healing. Now stop." She moved to stand next to him, reaching up to adjust the crisp square of blue linen peeking from the pocket of his tux. She pressed a kiss against his chest, just because she could, then stepped back. Heat filled her at the look in his eyes. Warm, loving, wrapping around her until her toes curled and she wanted to do nothing more than grab his hand and run off somewhere so they could be alone.

How had it happened? What had she done to deserve a man like him? She still couldn't believe it, was still afraid that this was nothing more than a dream. That she'd wake up to her old life and realize she had only imagined this.

But it wasn't a dream. She knew, because Mat kept reassuring her it wasn't. Or he'd laugh and smile that silly crooked smile and tell her if it was a dream, it was one they were dreaming together. As long as they were together, it didn't matter.

And he was right.

He smiled at her now, heat flaring in his deep green eyes as his gaze slowly traveled over her. "You are so beautiful."

Nicole blushed but she didn't deny it. How could she, when she saw it so clearly in his eyes? And she felt beautiful. Not just from the look in Mat's eyes, although that would be more than enough to do the job. It was the dress and heels, the entire outfit.

Bridget and Kayli had picked it out, oohing and ahhing over it when she tried it on. Nicole had seen it on the rack and fell in love with it but didn't think it would like right on her, didn't think someone like her could wear something so beautiful. But the women—her new friends—had insisted. Nicole was glad she had listened to them.

The dress hugged her to her hips then fell in a graceful flare to just above her knee, flowing as she walked. The material was a rich green, deep and vibrant, the two thin straps that held it up made of a slightly iridescent material that shimmered in the light. The dress had a matching wrap, with that same iridescent material woven through it. Wearing it made her feel…magical. Which was such a silly way to feel just because of a dress, but she couldn't help it.

It was all part of that dream, the dream she was now living.

Mat reached for her hand and brought it to his mouth, his lips brushing across her knuckles. He tucked her hand in the crook of his elbow then led them away from the car, toward the large cedar-sided house. The late afternoon sun sparkled on the water behind the house, shooting rays of gold all around them.

Both the wedding and the reception were being held here, in the back yard of the groom's house. Mat had told her the arrangement was a compromise, that the bride had wanted a simple outdoor wedding. The groom was the one who insisted on formal attire for the ceremony—which is why Mat was carrying her backpack, so they could change into different clothes later if they wanted.

Looking at Mat now, so handsome and regal in the fitted tux, Nicole wasn't sure she wanted him to change. Maybe she could convince him to put it back on later, once they got home.

"Wait. My camera—"

"It's in here, don't worry."

"Okay." She took another two steps then paused. "Did you grab the extra memory cards?"

"Yes. Stop worrying, I took care of everything."

"Are you sure you grabbed the right ones?" She had lost track of time, trying to get her hair and make-up just right, so Mat had gathered the camera and other accessories for her. She just hoped he grabbed the right things.

"Yes, I'm sure." He squeezed her hand and led her through the house then outside to a large deck. The yard stretched out before them, a blanket of thick grass that ended at a stone bulkhead. Beyond that was a small strip of sand, dipping down to the water's edge. A pier led out into the water, two jet skis tied at the end, bobbing on the gentle waves.

An arch had been placed at the end of the yard, decorated with an abundance of flowers and garland. White chairs were lined up in uniform rows on either side of a wide aisle but nobody was sitting in them, not yet. People were milling around, talking in small groups, holding glasses or plates or both in their hands.

Nicole stopped, her hand tightening around the edge of the wrap as she stared in shock. She had never seen so many gorgeous men in one place. So many large men. Ever.

"Your mouth is hanging open."

"What?" Nicole turned to face Mat, saw him grinning at her shocked expression.

"Everyone is so…so—" She didn't know what to say, couldn’t find the right words.

"It's a little overwhelming at first, isn't it?" She heard Kayli's voice behind her, felt something like relief go through her when she saw Kayli and Bridget walking toward them—until she saw the two men following behind them. Her relief floundered, just a little. She knew the one man, had already met Derek. But she didn't know who the other man was. Her hand tightened around Mat's and she thought she might have taken a step back, she wasn't sure.

Kayli stepped closer, a welcoming smile on her face. "Nicole, this is my husband, Ian."

"Nice to meet you." He reached out, his hand swallowing hers when he shook it. The corners of his eyes crinkled with his smile, his teeth white against the dark hair of his neatly-trimmed beard.

She muttered hello then glanced over at Mat, felt herself relax when he smiled and winked at her.

Kayli leaned forward, like she was ready to tell a dark secret. "Don't let their size fool you. They're all just a bunch of big teddy bears."

The three men immediately started denying it but their objections didn't sound very convincing. Nicole looked around again, taking a closer look. She would love to get her camera out right now, just start shooting. There were so many interesting faces, all sharp angles and lines.

"These are your teammates?"

"Yeah. Most of them. Come on, I'll take you around and introduce you—"

"Mat! Uncle Mat!"

A young girl, maybe eight or nine years old, came running out of the house, heading straight for them. The wreath of flowers covering her light brown hair slid forward over her face, covering her eyes when she slid to a stop in her bare feet. She scowled then pushed the wreath back with an impatient hand, muttering under her breath.

"Hey, Squirt. Are you supposed to be out here yet?"

"No but I heard you so I had to come say hi." She wrapped her arms around Mat's waist for a big hug then stepped back and gave him a high five. The girl laughed when Mat shook his hand, pretending her slap had hurt. Then she looked at Nicole, her head tilted in curiosity.

"Hi, I'm Taylor. Who are you?"

"Nicole."

The girl nodded then turned back to Mat. "She's pretty."

Mat winked at the girl then turned to Nicole, heat in his eyes. "Yes, she is."

A woman came out, dressed in a simple pale blue sheath that accented the soft waves of her short blonde hair. She frowned, frustration evident in the faint lines that feathered out from her stormy gray eyes and bracketed her mouth. Her coloring was different from the young girl's but Nicole could see the other resemblances. It was there, in the shape of their faces, the slightly tilted nose and stubborn chin.

The exasperation in her voice when she spoke left no doubt in Nicole's mind that this was the young girl's mother. "Taylor, get back in here. And where are your shoes? JP is having a big enough meltdown, he doesn't need to see you out here in your bare feet on top of everything else."

"Why is JP having a meltdown?"

"Because there's no formal photographer. He thought he had confirmed one but he didn't. So now he's inside, convinced he's a failure and everything is doomed while Emily is trying to tell him she didn't want all this fuss to begin with."

"It's funny, Uncle Mat. He's completely forgetting to speak English and Aunt Emily keeps laughing because he's saying all the bad words."

The woman who had come out placed her hands on her hips and gave Taylor a stern look. "And just how would you know he's saying the bad words?"

Taylor's mouth dropped open and she shuffled from foot to foot. "Oops." She grinned and shrugged. "I need to go get my shoes on."

She spun on one heel and flew back into the house, the wreath sliding sideways as she disappeared inside. The gathered crowd laughed, and even Nicole couldn't help but smile. Some of the tension eased out of her and she felt herself relax. She leaned against Mat, his hand warm and comforting as it settled around her waist.

Until he spoke.

"Nicole could be the photographer."

She stiffened, tension shooting through her as everyone on the deck turned and stared at her. She shook her head, ignoring everyone else as she threw a frightened look at Mat.

"No. I can't. I couldn't—"

"Yes, you can. Nicole, I've seen your stuff. Your great at it."

"Mat, no." She looked around, trying to ignore the curious glances, then leaned closer to Mat, lowering her voice so only he could hear. "I've never done anything like this. This is too important, I couldn't."

"Why not?"

"Because I can't. What if I mess something up?"

He dropped a kiss on the tip of her nose, his smile reassuring. "You won't mess up."

"You know, Mat's right." Bridget stepped closer and placed a reassuring hand on Nicole's arm. "I've seen your work, Nicole. Don't underestimate yourself."

Nicole shook her head, trying to deny it, trying to convince everyone that she couldn't do it. But Mat pressed another kiss to her cheek and stepped away, heading for the door.

"Perfect. I'll go tell JP, talk him down from the ledge."

"But I can't. What if I mess up?"

But her objections fell on deaf ears as Mat disappeared inside, as everyone else started talking again, the conversations so wide and varied, Nicole couldn't keep up.

She stared down at the camera Mat had thrust into her hands, looking at it like she had never seen it before. Why wasn't anyone else worried? A wedding was so important, a lifetime event full of promise and new beginnings. What if she messed it up? What if she missed something?

Nicole closed her eyes, an image of Mia coming to mind. Promises and new beginnings. Isn't that what she did at the hospital? No, it wasn't exactly the same, not really. It was a different kind of promise, a different kind of new beginning. And its own way, maybe more important.

Nicole took a deep breath, her hand folding around the camera, her fingers tracing the familiar lines. Okay, she could do this. It was just pictures, something she did all the time.

She could do this.

She hoped.