He laughed, then shifted so she was on her back and he was leaning over her. "Katie," he whispered, right before his mouth claimed hers.
They spent the night together, then woke early, showered and discovered a whole new level of fun with hot water and soap. Katie found herself leaning forward, arms braced against the tile walls, the water pounding on her back, while Jackson knelt between her thighs and used his lips and tongue to reduce her to a quivery mass. She returned the favor. By the time they stepped out of the steamy bathroom, she was hungry, achy and feeling better than she had in years. Maybe ever.
A quick glance at the bedside clock showed her that it was already past nine.
"Much as I would like to play with you all day, I have to get dressed," she told Jackson. "I have family stuff to take care of. The rehearsal is this afternoon and the dinner is tonight."
He kissed her nose. "I'll come with you."
She blinked at him. "To the family stuff?"
"Sure. I'll distract them with my wit and charm."
She touched his bare chest. "Or you could just take your shirt off. That will distract the women."
"I don't want Aunt Tully getting any ideas."
She pressed her mouth to his shoulder. "Me, either. I suspect a man is never the same after knowing Aunt Tully."
They were both still laughing when someone knocked on her door.
"Katie? Are you still in there?"
Katie winced. "My mom."
He grabbed his clothes and ducked into the bathroom. "I'll be quiet," he promised.
"Thanks."
Katie tossed her towel on the bed and slipped into her robe, then crossed the room.
"Hi, Mom," she said as she opened the door.
Her mother frowned. "You're still not dressed?"
"I, ah, didn't get a lot of sleep last night."
"Me, either. All this stress. Swear to me you won't have a huge four-day event like this when you get married."
"I promise. It's not my style."
Her mother collapsed onto the chair in the corner and rubbed her temples. "It's a nightmare. In no particular order, Aunt Tully made a pass at Bruce and no one is sure if he took her up on it or not, Alex is missing and Courtney is having second thoughts. I've never been someone who medicates her way through life, but I'm thinking this is a good day to start."
Katie stared at her mother. Bruce was Alex's dad. And married. "You think Aunt Tully slept with the groom's father?"
"Honestly, I'm trying not to think about it."
"His wife can't be happy."
"She's not. Let's just say I asked the kitchen staff to inventory the knives until this is all cleared up. There was quite the shouting match this morning over breakfast. You should have been there."
Katie thought about what she and Jackson had been doing instead. "Yes, it's a shame," she murmured, trying not to smile at the memory. Just remembering was enough to get her body tingling. The aching parts of her might be sore but they sure weren't done.
She shook off the memories and focused on the problems at hand. "Is Alex really missing?"
"No one has seen him since the party. Apparently he was drunk."
Katie remembered his visit to her room. "Um, Mom?"
"What?"
"He came by here. He said he loved Courtney but he wanted to have sex with me."
Katie expected shrieking, but her mother only closed her eyes and leaned her head back against the chair.
"Mom?"
"I'm imagining myself in another place. A quiet place with running water and the sounds of happy birds. I am one with the universe."
"Can you be one with the universe and look for the groom?"
Her mother opened her eyes. "No, but you're right. Wedding first, breakdown second." She drew in a breath. "I know those two really care about each other. I've seen it and heard it and believe it. It's just they're both so dramatic. His car is still here, so he has to be somewhere. Maybe he went into the woods to sleep it off."
"Or be eaten by a bear. Didn't you say Courtney was having second thoughts? The untimely death of the groom would give her all the attention without the wedding."
Janis's mouth twitched. "Don't be mean."
"I'm just saying."
Her mother stood. "All right. I'll deal with Aunt Tully and Bruce. We'll leave Courtney to pout in her room. She always loved a good sulk when she was little and that hasn't changed. You go looking for Alex." Her eyes narrowed. "You're not still in love with him are you? If so, I'm not throwing you two together."
Katie thought about the delicious man hovering in her bathroom. How he made her feel when he was around. Jackson listened and appreciated her. He was magic in bed. Smart, funny, charming.
"It's not possible for me to be more over Alex than I am. He is complete history. Has been for months now."
"Good. Then find him and talk some sense into him. Use force if you have to. There will be a wedding tomorrow. I swear there will be."
"You go, Mom."
"Don't mock me. I'm a woman on the edge." Her mother gave her a brief hug, then kissed her cheek. "Thank you for being normal."
"You're welcome."
When her mother had left, Jackson came out of the bathroom. He'd already dressed.