Chapter 7
"I want us to be friends."
Tanner frowned at Katelyn. "What?"
She kept her back turned to the four men across the store looking at tuxedos and said in a low voice, "I want us to be friends."
He hadn't seen her since that day they'd run into each other at yoga. They were out shopping for tuxes with the other guys, and she'd managed to separate him from them and was now gazing at him imploringly. Yeah, when Katelyn looked at him like that, he'd get down on his knees and do whatever she asked. But what the fuck was this about?
"You saw Rachel the other day and you're still friends with her," she whispered urgently. "So we need to be friends. We can't have all this awkwardness when we're together with your friends. I don't want that tension between us. Okay?"
He blinked. There was tension between them all right, but he was pretty sure calling it friendship wasn't going to change that. Because no way would he ever see Katelyn as a friend. He did not want to bang the bejeesus out of friends. The tension between them was pure, heated sex. Did she really not realize that?
"Never mind," she muttered. "You hate me. I get it."
She started to turn away, but he grabbed her arm. "Wait."
"What?"
"I don't hate you."
"Yes, you do, and I don't blame you."
"Fine, we're friends," he said through gritted teeth. "We'll be friendly. For the sake of the wedding."
"Good, because Lovey's planning a dinner for the entire wedding party."
"Why?"
"She wants everyone to get to know each other before the wedding."
"And you're going to be there?"
"Yes."
"You're not in the wedding party," he pointed out.
"I know." She sighed. "I told Lovey that, but she insists I should be there." She paused. "She said I could bring a date."
Tanner's gut tightened. "Are you?"
"No." She rolled her eyes. "I don't date."
"Why not?"
"Long story. We need to get back to the others." She paused. "I know weddings aren't your thing, but could you possibly stop scowling at the tuxes?"
He'd been scowling? He made an effort to relax his face. "How's that?"
"Better. Come on."
Lovey had tasked Marc and the guys with picking out the tuxes they wanted to wear. They all agreed they preferred to buy one rather than rent. Duncan already owned one that Lovey had given her approval to, and he was tagging along to pick out accessories, but Marc and Jared both wanted new ones. Tanner had given away the one he'd gotten married in, because he never wanted to wear it again, and Hugh had never owned a tux. Marc had asked Katelyn to come help because none of them had a clue about different tuxedo styles. So here she was talking about notch versus peak lapels and single-breasted versus double-breasted. "You want a peak lapel," she said firmly, quickly narrowing options. "And single-breasted." She eyed them. "You guys are big; double-breasted isn't going to be flattering. But you don't all have to pick the same style-as long as you're all wearing black tuxes, Lovey will be happy."
She'd brought them to this custom tailor because, as she so tactfully put it, extensive alterations were going to be required, especially in the pants. "Hockey players have, uh, muscular thighs and butts," she'd said, her cheeks going pink.
She knew exactly how muscular Tanner's thighs and ass were, from extensive explorations many years ago, and he sure as hell hadn't gotten smaller. If anything, his quads and glutes were probably even bulkier. But dammit, thinking about Katelyn's hands all over his thighs and ass was making his dick stir.
They settled on a few to try on, and Tanner went into a dressing room. He pulled on the pants and knew right away they weren't going to work. He stepped out of the room. "Yeah, not these," he said. "They're cheap hotel pants."
Katelyn blinked at him. "Cheap hotel pants? What does that mean?"
"There's no ballroom." He tugged the fabric of one leg down away from his crowded junk.
The other guys burst out laughing.
"It's an Italian-cut suit," the salesman said. "So it runs a bit slim."
Katelyn shook her head, lips twitching, and he returned to the spacious fitting room to try another pair.