Jake nodded. Their Sally was a delightful submissive, younger than Rainie in some ways, but with the same exuberance of spirit. Perhaps, that's why it had taken two FBI Doms to tame the girl.
As for Rainie … Jake smiled slightly. He considered himself just the subbie-tamer needed for her.
Not men to postpone an unpleasant task, Vance and Galen set their drinks down and left.
As Raoul joined Sam by the window, Cullen settled into a leather chair across from Jake.
"Hey, bro." Saxon took the other seat. "We've been so busy I didn't ask how your new pet worked out."
Jake raised an eyebrow, thinking Sax meant Rainie, then realized he referred to Violetta's dog. "Guido is fine, although the little bastard dug up three of my pepper plants." He grinned. "He's decided he's a cat now, so MacArthur and Patton drafted him into the feline army."
"That's pitiful. Ruination of a fine dog."
"Nah, they keep him busy enough he hasn't had a chance to mope."
"Was the delivery girl useful?" Saxon's light brows quirked upward.
Now, he meant Rainie. Jake scowled. "I appreciate it … but you shouldn't have sent her. I was damned rude to her."
"I bet she understood." Drink in hand, Saxon extended his legs, totally at ease. "When she's not playing prankster, she's a comforting woman. I figured she might help."
"I shouldn't need help," Jake growled. "I can deal with things myself." Jesus, did he think Jake would dump his troubles on-
"Andrea thought that, too," Cullen said quietly.
"And she is right," Jake said. "A Dom stands on his own feet. Shouldn't need-"
Cullen shook his head. "No, buddy, that's what she thought about herself. Her father played hell with her perception of independence. Took a while before she realized we're just human, and it's all right to lean on someone else."
Jake imagined Gunny's growl of outrage, but he said mildly, "How can a Dom be strong for the submissive if he needs her help?"
"No one gets through life without needing some support," Cullen answered. "A Dom has to be honest with himself and his submissive. And-"
"Time to go, gentlemen," Nolan interrupted. "We've got guests arriving."
As he followed the others out the door, Jake set aside the argument. Dammit, he respected Cullen. Fine man; fine Dom.
But he was wrong.
For half an hour, Jake escorted guests down the curving path through crimson roses, under the jasmine arbor, and then across the manicured grass to the white chairs decorated with silver and blue ribbons. In the front, blue flowers cascaded from the arch of the white gazebo, and beyond that, the sandy beach rolled down to the blue-gray waters of the Gulf.
The day was peaceful with the quiet conversations of the guests and waves sighing on the shore. The palms dotting the edge of the grass rustled in the light wind.
As the sun dropped behind the bank of clouds, the grooms and groomsmen took their places, half on each side of the gazebo. Z stood at the apex, and his black on black attire lent his justice-of-the-peace appearance a dangerous edge.
Jake turned as the bridal party appeared. The chairs had been arranged to provide twin diagonal corridors, and on the left one, Kim headed the line of Gabi's bridesmaids. Kari led Sally's posse. Upon reaching the front, Kari took a place beside her husband Dan, and Kim beside Raoul.
When Uzuri and Beth were halfway down the aisles, Rainie and Andrea followed, glancing across the center seats at each other to keep in step.
Jake smiled. Hell, most men seeing Rainie would have to smile. In contrast with Andrea, Rainie was shorter. Rounder. And so happy that the light seemed to increase when it struck her.
He'd never met a woman like her. From the way she was transforming their clinic, to her pleasure in Rhage, to the way she'd defended her friend, to the way the animals-and owners-instinctively trusted her.
She was … amazing. What they had was amazing.
He intended to hang onto her.
The music changed, and the audience rose.
Much to their fiancés' bemusement, the two brides had decided on a traditional entrance.
So Gabi's father escorted her.
Sally's father, who apparently was a total asshole, hadn't been invited. However, in Jake's opinion, Sally had found someone better. She'd asked Sam to act as her father and walk her down the aisle.
And the sadist-who terrified every submissive in the Shadowlands-had choked up with tears in his eyes.
As they came down the aisle, Gabi's father moved like a robot, far more concerned with his dignity than with his daughter. Upon arriving at the front, he handed his daughter off to Marcus and strode away.
In contrast, Sam kept his gaze on Sally, openly pleased with the girl's sparkling joy. He brought her to a halt at the gazebo and offered Galen her left hand, Vance her right. After kissing her cheek, he shot her men an easily interpretable stare-treat her right or answer to me.
When Sally made an undoubtedly impertinent comment, he barked a laugh.
He paused to give Marcus the exact same warning look. Touching Gabi's cheek gently, he said something too low to hear.
And, Gabi, having easily dismissed her own father, smiled at Sam and blinked back tears.
As Sam took his seat, Z cleared his throat and began, officiating the ceremony with the dignity and polish everyone expected from him. With an occasional revision to accommodate Sally's ménage, he blended together a psychologist's hard-won knowledge with a Master's even harder-won wisdom.
Vows were exchanged. Rings were exchanged. Most of the women in the audience were dabbing at their eyes.
Amused, Jake shook his head, then caught the look Marcus offered his woman. Openly loving and proud and possessive.
Next to him, Galen held Sally, resting his cheek on top of her hair, as if he'd acquired something so precious he feared to squeeze too hard. After exchanging a long pleased look with Vance, he passed her to his partner.
And Jake found himself blinking back tears.
Weddings, truly a treacherous battlefield. His gaze rested on Rainie. Hazardous or not, he planned to win the skirmish and take her home tonight.
Chapter Ten
Both exhausted and fizzing with happiness, Rainie stood at the floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the Gulf shore. From the dark waters of the Gulf, white frothy waves rolled up onto the beach. In the rising wind, the tall palms shook and bowed.
Behind her, dinner over, the reception was going gangbusters. Filling the center dance floor, an older crowd gyrated crazily to the old tune, The Twist.
Most of the over-fifty crowd were business associates invited by Galen's mother and Gabi's parents. In the interests of harmony, Gabi and Sally had caved in … and for a while, Rainie'd wondered if any relatives were worth the bother.
But in the past couple of days, Vance and Marcus's loving, supportive families had demonstrated what a family could be-and made her wish she had one.
A flicker caught Rainie's eye as the light of the moon gleamed off the sails of a boat gliding toward the marina. What a gorgeous location. To her delight, despite a fair amount of parental pressure early on, the brides had held out for their beachside wedding location. Gabi and Marcus had romantic memories of playing together in the waves, and Midwest-born Sally had loved the idea of a true tropical wedding.
Rainie smiled. If Sally wanted something, Galen and Vance would work their asses off to see she got it. Although "legally" people in a ménage couldn't "marry," the men had wanted their Sally to have a beautiful, traditional wedding ceremony, so despite any objections, that's what she'd gotten. Even Gabi's mother quailed when faced with Galen's implacable stare.
Rainie had practiced that expression in the mirror and added it to her personal arsenal. In her future corporate position, she'd need all the firepower she could wield.
However, the reception wasn't the ground on which to employ such weaponry.
Here, people fought their battles with beautiful attire and graciousness. Turning away from the windows, she smoothed her gown and looked around for possible dance partners. She saw Shadowlands members scattered throughout the room.
Near the head table, Kim, Andrea, and Kari chatted with their husbands.
In the center of the room, Beth was dancing with Nolan. Who knew the rough Master could actually dance? Dancing with the couple who'd chosen him as their submissive, Tanner looked blissfully happy.
Like a good pregnant woman, Jessica sat beside Linda, both their Masters nearby. By the punch bowl, Uzuri'd nabbed a sizzling hot man.
Anne was dancing with a young man who was obviously star struck and hardly a challenge to the Mistress. Rainie frowned. Anne better be careful or she'd be on the receiving end of one of Master Z's infamous talks.
In the center of the dance floor, Gabi and Sally were showing off steps from the bachelorette party, and somehow their virginal wedding dresses transformed the exotic dancing moves to breathtakingly sexy.