Page 15 of Married Into Love

ChapterSix

Alec

When Alessia confirmedJosie’s suspicions about the reason behind her firing, it wasn’t just her boss’s ass I wanted to kick. It was mine, too. I should’ve paid closer attention last night when she told me what all had led up to her agreeing to a night out on the town with her sister when it was outside her comfort zone. Instead of focusing on my desire to keep her with me, I should’ve zeroed in on what she needed. Considering what her former boss had pulled, I was damn lucky she hadn’t run screaming from my room when she woke up this morning. I’d just have to make sure I didn’t waste the chance she’d given me by putting my needs above hers from hereonout.

Which meant letting her change the subject because she didn’t want to go into details about her firing in front of people she barely knew. Although everyone had been welcoming of her, Alessia still seemed a little uncomfortable. I spent the next couple of hours circulating the room with her, never stopping in one place for too long so the conversations were more casual. By the time we sat down for dinner, she was morerelaxed.

“Doesn’t the maid of honor usually sit at a special table?” Alessia whispered when we took our seats next to Andrew andJosie.

“Not when she’s married to my caveman brother, and the best man is just as bad with his wife.” I tilted my head towards the table next to us where Luka, Jason’s roommate from college and the guy who’d made it possible for him to play for the Cavaliers, and his wife, Aubrey, sat. “Jason and Cee-Cee knew they’d both want to sit with their women, so they opted for bride and groom onlytable.”

Alessia glanced over to where Jason and Cee-Cee were sitting and laughed when she caught sight of them snuggled together. “I’m guessing they were happy to make that sacrifice for theirfriends?”

“Yeah, it wasn’t exactly a hardship,” Ichuckled.

I lifted a name plate off the place setting next to me and leaned behind Josie to grab my brother’s attention. “Where did Ryan wanderoffto?”

“He headed to the airport right after the ceremony, to catch an earlierflighthome.”

Of course he had. If it’d been even twenty-four hours earlier, I probably would have called him to bust his balls over it. But now that I’d met Alessia, I understood why he’d left early. I angled my body towards Alessia. “Remember how I said my friends would understand about us getting married the waywedid?”

“Yeah.”

“Another teammate of mine, Ryan, only stuck around for two drinks last night. Then he hightailed it out of a fancy Vegas wedding reception for his line mate to catch a commercial flight back to Chicago when he was supposed to be on the private plane with the rest of us tomorrow afternoon.” Her eyes went wide with surprise at my mention of a private plane, and I made a mental note to do my best to ensure we were on one when I convinced her to come out to Chicago—something I was determined to do. “You want to know why he made those dumbassdecisions?”

Shenodded.

“Because he’s a smart guy who missed his girlfriend of two and a half months. He hasn’t mentioned any plans to pop the question, but I fully expect to see a ring on her finger the next time Iseethem.”

“That’s fast,” she conceded. “But two and a half months is still like a hundred and fifty times longer than the one night it took us to getmarried.”

“True,” I agreed. “If it makes you feel any better, the bride and groom have only been together for three and a half months and she’s alreadyknockedup.”

“Alec!” I cringed at the feminine exclamation, followed by a not-so-gentle tap to the back of my head. I turned to find Jason’s mom standing behind me, her hands on her hips as she glared at me. “It’s rude to call the bride ‘knocked up’”—she made quotation marks in the air with her fingers—“especially when it’s my future grandbaby you’rereferringto.”

“Sorry, Alison. I didn’t mean anyoffense.”

“Such a pretty apology.” Her gaze moved to Alessia. “But what I’d really like is an introduction to your lovely guest. I’ve been hearing such interestingthings.”

I shifted in my seat to wrap an arm around my wife. “Alessia, this is the mother of the groom, Alison Cameron-Campbell. Alison, this is my new wife, AlessiaRourke.”

My tone turned raspy as I used my last name instead of Alessia’s. She gasped and turned startled eyes my way. It was the first time I’d done it tonight, opting to go with just her first name when she’d met everyone else. But the formal introduction felt right when talking toJason’smom.

“Alessia, such a lovely name. At first, I thought my son was pulling a practical joke on me when he asked me to add another seat for the woman Alec married last night. But then I saw the two of you together and knew he wasn’t playing around. The connection between the two of you is too palpable to befaked.”

I flashed her a grateful smile while Alessia blushed. “No practical joke,” I confirmed. “Just quick-thinking on my part to keep Alessia atmyside.”

“I’m glad to see one of you boys isn’t afraid of commitment.” Andrew snorted, and I saw Josie jab him in the side with an elbow. “But I’m troubled by something Cee-Cee mentioned as we werewalkingin.”

“Troubled?” Iechoed.

“I’m not sure how else to describe her asking me if we have a lawyer on staff who’s licensed for the state of Nevada.” She offered Alessia a sympathetic smile. “She thought maybe we could offer you some assistance with your situation with your previousemployer.”

“Shit, you guys are worse than gossiping schoolgirls,” I growled, turning an accusing glare mybrother’sway.

“Like you’re any better,” hechuckled.

“In this instance, at least the grapevine was beneficial for the subject of conversation,” she pointed out to me before turning her attention back to Alessia. “We do, in fact, have lawyers on staff who’re licensed to operate in Nevada. It’s a necessity since we own a business here. As such, they’re well equipped to handle sexual harassment cases. I’d be more than happy to ask one of them to send a letter to your former employer, with an appropriate settlement request for their mishandling of the situation withherboss.”

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