Page 63 of Hardcore Vanilla
Aunt Meg didn't.
Sharon snorted she was giggling so hard.
Jake still had no idea what was going on.
Sniffing, Aunt Meg turned away from Mr. and Mrs. Bianchi, focusing on Jake. "Thank you for your service."
"Oh um, you're welcome," Jake said, stumbling over his words, but he needn't have bothered. She had turned and started walking away as soon as she'd finished speaking.
"Loathsome woman," Mr. Bianchi muttered. "Still can't believe Richard married her."
"There, there, dear, they'll divorce soon enough and then we can steer him towards someone more suitable," Mrs. Bianchi said, patting his arm. They didn't even glance at Sharon and Jake as they moved away, still talking in low tones.
Completely flummoxed, Jake turned to Sharon. "What. The hell. Was that?"
Mirth danced in her dark eyes. "That was my Aunt Meg. She's my Uncle Richard's fourth wife. Her son, my uncle’s step-son, called an electrician to come change out his lightbulbs last year. Apparently half his house had finally gone dark because he didn’t know how to change any of the bulbs and he hadn’t known what else to do."
That was both sad and hilarious, but not what Jake was most interested in.
"No but... your parents... Why did they come to defend me like that?"
She smiled at him, but there was a little bit of sadness in her eyes too. "They can pick at me all they want, but it's something else entirely if someone else finds me lacking. Then they're the best defenders a daughter could ask for."
He shook his head. "I don't understand your family at all."
"Keep drinking," she advised.
"That will help me understand them?"
"No, it just means it won't bother you anymore."
He laughed.
Yeah, he didn't get her family. He didn't entirely get her. But in moments like this, he couldn't deny... he really liked her.
Chapter 16
Somehow, they managed to get through the cocktail hour and then into the reception, which was a huge relief. The first dance went off without a hitch and then everyone found their seats.
Melinda had put her and Jake at the same table as Courtney and Joseph along with several of Mark's cousins. Other than Joseph everyone was pretty awesome, and Joseph seemed a lot more subdued than he had yesterday while Courtney seemed more confident. Sharon doubted they'd last long after this wedding, but she was glad to see Courtney looking less unhappy.
Even more entertaining was the way Mark's cousin Riley was eyeing Courtney throughout dinner.
Courtney was too polite to eye him back with her boyfriend sitting next to her, but there was definitely an attraction there.
Yeah. When she happened to catch Courtney's eye, Sharon pointed at Riley and gave her younger cousin a thumbs up. Courtney's eyes widened, and she blushed and looked away, making Sharon snicker.
Hot breath washed over her ear as Jake leaned in to whisper. "What trouble are you getting into now?"
"No trouble," she murmured, turning her head to face him. Their lips were mere centimeters apart and she was sure everyone else thought they were exchanging either sexy or intimate words. "Just hoping my cousin doesn't end up miserably unhappy."
Jake's gaze searched hers. "You've got a little bit of a white knight complex, don't you? Is that because no one ever came and rescued you?"
Immediately she scowled. "I don't need rescuing."
"Doesn't mean you don't want it. Or deserve it." He winked, leaning forward to drop a kiss on her mouth. Part of her bristled, another part of her melted.
Sure, Sharon had imagined more than once that some amazing man would come along and, like the Harlequin heroes she loved, force her family to value her for who she was. When she'd gotten older, she'd gotten over that; the idea that her family would only value her if some man did pissed her right off. She’d rather they never learned to value her than to only do so because of a dude.
