Page 114 of Beyond the Rules

“I like it up on the mountain,” Nina said. “With these guys. With your son, who makes beautiful furniture and who I love for the kind, brave, incredible person he is, gay or straight, poor or rich, and despite the fact that he had the misfortune of growing up in yourhousehold.”

My father’s eyes flewopen. “What?”

I’m not sure anyone had ever spoken to Father like that, not even me during my rebel years. His lip curled over his teeth in an expression of utter astonishment. “Do you realize I’m the governor ofMontana?”

Nina crossed her arms and met his glare straight on. “You could be king of the freaking world and I wouldn’t give arat’sass.”

I let out a startled cackle. I couldn’t help it. Behind me, Aiden grinned and Zar swallowed a strangled laugh.Way to go, Nina. She had just stood up to my father. For my sake. Better yet, she’d admitted that she loved me. That single admission sent a sluice of pure courage jetting through myveins.

Enraged, my father opened his mouth to say something, but I wasn’t gonna let him utter a single snarky remarkatNina.

“Stand down, dad,” I said. “I’m not putting up with your crap. My choices are mine to make. I don’t need your permission to live my life however I choose. What Nina is trying to say is that you’re a bigot and it sucks. And by the way, homophobia is no longer acceptable or politically survivable. Love is love and gay peoplevote,too.”

“So thanks for your offer,” Nina added. “But no thanks.I’mgood.”

And with that, Nina whirled on her heel and stalked away, leaving my father doddering like an idiot, making me proud, and proving what I already knew in my heart: She might not be ready to commit to us, but her love was as true, real, and fierceasours.

* * *

Aiden

The wedding reception took place at the mansion where Teresa and Tanner had been raised. Looking at Tanner manning the long reception line like a pro, standing next to his father, I smiled. Nina had put the governor in his place and Tanner stood tallertonight.

The dinner was a sumptuous affair. We sat together at the same table, which worked for me. The band was able to play pretty much anything. When the dancing began, Tanner shot Zar and me one of his warning glances, reminding us of the mission tonight. Nina was to have a good time. On cue, Teresa came and got Nina out on the dance floor. Christ, our girl could move. The three of us sat at the table and watched her, a trio of smittenfools.

She danced her way over to Tanner and dragged him out to the dance floor. Encouraged by Nina and Teresa, he wasted no time in showing off what he could do, crutches and all. He used the damn things as props as he went into his own athletic version of a break dancing show that had Nina laughing and clapping, and the crowd cheering likecrazy.

Next Nina came to fetch me. I joined her, Tanner, and the others on the dance floor. I had to admit, despite the fears that remained in the back of my mind, this was a good idea. If I couldn’t be in bed with Nina right now, then dancing was the next best thing to blow off the steam clogging my mentalpipes.

Nina kept calling out to Zar, but mission and all, he wasn’t budging. In all the years I’d known Zar, I’d never seen him dance. I’d never, ever seen panic on his face either. Alarm, yes. Determination, absolutely. But panic? No. Zar didn’t do panic. Until tonight, when Nina curled her index in his direction, danced her way over to the table and half-dragged him to the dance floor to the tune of “Shut Up and DancewithMe.”

The expression on Zar’s face was comical. You would’ve thought he was about to face an execution squad. Teresa, Tanner, and I laughed our asses off. Zar gave us the death glare, but Nina wouldn’t have any of that. She placed Zar’s hand on her hips and taught him to move with her. After a little while, he got it. Yep. That’s what she did to us. She made us shut up and dance. The song was right. This woman was our destiny. If only she’d hurry up and admit italready.

I did fine until the sun set, the guests were summoned to the sprawling gardens, and the fireworks began, a blast that catapulted my heart to my throat. The noise was followed by a show of light and a symphony of explosions that transported me to Iraq and Afghanistan. I stabbed my teeth into my lower lip and tried to concentrate on the lights bursting in the sky, but sweat dampened my palms and began to pool atmyback.

I shoved my hand in my pocket and fingered the truck’s keys, fighting my instinct to run. The bangs were loud. The ground shook as if we were under artillery fire. I shut my eyes and tried breathing—inhale, exhale. Tonight of all nights, I didn’t want to have a breakdown in front of Nina. Like she didn’t have enough doubts about us asitwas.

Nina’s small hand closed over mine. “Aiden?” Her voice broke through the din. “Youokay?”

No, I wasn’t okay. My mouth was parched and my throat had tightened into a narrow straw that hardly allowed any air into my lungs. The crowd was oohing and aahing, but I couldn’t muster an ounce of appreciation for the spectacle. The stink of burned flesh and blood filtered through the scent of expensive perfumes. I was stuck in a spin and beginning towobble.

Nina stood on the tip of her toes and leaned into my ear. “What’swrong?”

There was no way to hide the way I felt at the moment.Verbalize, Aiden. That’s part of what Nina wanted. Right? To know what was going on in my head, to share what I was going through, shittyornot.

“It’s bad,” I said, breathing through my mouth. “Realbad.”

“With me,” she said, pulling mealong. “Now.”

My feet had to move, so I followed her up the terrace and through the mansion’s ballroom. I growled as she dragged me past the massive front doors. The truck was out that way. Instead, she drew me into the paneled library, shoved me in the ornate powder room and, after flicking on the row of lights hanging over the gilded mirrors, closed and lockedthedoor.

The fireworks’ explosions filtered through, loud and violent, rattling my brain. I fought to keep the shakes out of my voice. “I…need…to…leave.”

She whirled around to face the mirror, hiked up her skirt, pushed down her thong and let it slide down her long legs. “Let’s try plan Bfirst.”

“PlanB?”

She leaned over on the counter and, bracing her feet apart, swayed her hips and stuck out her ass. The sight brought me back to the present with a mental yank. My gaze slid over her high heels, up her strong, shapely calves and over the long lines of her parted thighs. My stare landed on her ass before it registered her glossy pussy, which she flaunted in blatantprovocation.

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