Wilde for Her (Wilde Security, #2)
by Tonya Burrows
To my mentor, Victoria Thompson, whose advice has never steered me wrong.
And to my critique partners, Traci Douglass, Becky Watson, and Sheri Flemming. Thanks for putting up with my unpunctuality, ladies!
Chapter One
Camden Wilde felt like a suspect in a police line-up.
A suspect dressed as a Jimmy Buffet tribute band reject, but still.
Yeah, they must have been a sight, the five big, bad Wilde brothers in their Hawaiian print shirts, khaki shorts, and flip-flops, standing side-by-side under a lone palm tree on the breezy Key West beach. But, damn, did all of the wedding guests have to stare?
Jude would pay for this. Big time.
The happy groom-to-be stood beside a priest who looked like the frontman of that Jimmy Buffet tribute band. Always antsy, Jude bounced a little on his feet as a tropical version of the bridal march started, his impatience to see his bride tangible.
Who would’ve guessed the youngest Wilde would be the first to take the plunge? Cam certainly hadn’t seen it coming, but without a doubt, it felt right. Libby was good for Jude.
Lucky bastard.
Not that Cam wanted any of this marriage shit for himself. He’d done the whole loved and lost thing once before when his parents were murdered, and he damn well wasn’t gonna voluntarily sign up to put himself through that kind of pain again. He’d learned long ago he couldn’t stop himself from loving, but he could protect himself by keeping his distance and keeping any relationships he had short and sweet and purely physical. Hell would be icy for ten years before he went anywhere near an altar—unless, like today, he was standing up for one of his brothers.
But him, a groom? Never happening.
Jude, on the other hand, made a damn good one, Hawaiian print shirt and all. When Libby appeared at the end of the flower-strewn wood walkway, a glowing vision in a gauzy, pale-blue dress with her arm resting in the crook of her father’s, Jude went completely still and sucked in an audible breath. The look on his face could only be described as awed. He pressed his lips together, visibly fighting back emotion.
“It’s official,” Vaughn said under his breath. “Little brother is a complete sap.”
Cam elbowed his twin in the ribs. “Don’t be like that. It’s good to see him happy.”
“Happy’s one thing,” Vaughn muttered and squinted against the setting sun. “But if he starts crying, I’m gonna have to break his face on principle.”
“Twins,” Greer said out of the side of his mouth. “Shut up.”
Cam winced. He hated when Greer called them “twins” as if they didn’t each have a name. Vaughn grumbled something about “older fucking brothers” and Reece, serving as best man, sent all three of them a warning look as their conversation started drawing attention. Thankfully, not a lot. Most everyone focused on the center of the aisle, where Libby’s father handed her off to a beaming Jude.
The ceremony got underway and Cam let his gaze wander over the assembled guests, searching for his “date.” He found her in the last row of chairs, fidgeting in her tight-fitting sundress like she couldn’t wait to get out of it.
He could help her with that.
No. He immediately shut down that line of thought. Not appropriate. Not when it came to Eva Cardoso. She’d been his partner, and even though he no longer worked on the police force, it wasn’t kosher to think about her in any way but as a former co-worker and friend.
Forget that he’d been in love with her for the last five years. It still wasn’t right.
She noticed him looking at her and flipped him the bird, which made him grin. That was Eva all right. All steel and fire and no social grace.
The wedding ceremony was quick and sweet. And, yeah, maybe he choked up a little bit when the priest announced the new couple. There hadn’t been a Mr. and Mrs. Wilde since his parents died.
God, he wished they were here to see this. They’d both be so proud of Jude.
Cam followed his brother and new sister-in-law back down the aisle to a round of applause, his arm linked with a bridesmaid’s. But when he reached the end of the runner, he broke away with a murmured apology to the woman and walked over to where Eva still sat.
“Your brother and his wife look ecstatic,” she said as he approached.
“They are.”
Frowning a little, she watched Jude and Libby until they disappeared into their beachside hotel, where the reception was being held. “Is it wrong to be jealous of them?”
Cam opened his mouth, but found he had no answer.
She waved a hand. “Never mind. Forget I said that.”
Gladly, Cam thought and cast around for a topic that was a little less of a minefield. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you in a dress.”
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you in a Hawaiian shirt,” she shot back.