“At least she’s trying now. She’s been clean since that night, and she’s engaged to a nice man, a former cop like you and Cam—”
“Engaged?” Eva spared her mother and the silver-haired man a disgusted glance. “Oh my God. Shel, we’ve been down this road before. Over and over and over. She’s never going to change.”
“I don’t believe that. People can change.”
“Not her!”
“Eva,” Katrina said softly, tears streaming down her cheeks. “Honey, I know I’ve not been a good mother to you, but I am so, so sorry for what I put you girls through. I was selfish and…sick.”
“See?” Shelby said and wrapped an arm around her mother. “Give her another chance.”
“No.” Radiating disbelief, Eva shook her head. “No! I’ve given her more chances than she deserves.” She turned that accusing finger on her sister, poking Shelby’s chest. “I’ve given you more chances than you deserve, and all I ever get in return is disappointment. I can’t—” Her voice caught and she shouldered between her sister and mother, leaving a heavy silence in her wake.
Katrina tried to hug Shelby, but she shrugged off the embrace and ran for the exit, too. Nobody moved for a solid three seconds after the chapel door banged shut behind her.
“Shit,” Cam said under his breath and chased after his wife.
Reece hesitated for only a heartbeat before he followed. He found Cam pacing the floor in the hallway outside the women’s restroom. “Are they in there?”
“Eva is.” Cam dragged his hands over his head. “Goddamn Shelby.”
“Hey, she was only trying to help.”
“Yeah, well, Eva can do without her brand of help. You have no idea what a mindfuck it was for Eva growing up as the daughter of that woman.”
“Shelby’s her daughter, too,” Reece pointed out.
“But that’s the biggest difference between them. Shelby bounces back from everything. Eva doesn’t. She carries the hurt forever.” He stopped moving in front of the bathroom door and stared at the female stick figure like he wanted to set fire to it. Finally, he muttered, “Fuck this,” and pushed inside.
Reece stood in the empty hallway and debated his next step. In a conference room several doors down, the reception revelry was already in full swing. A room full of cops with an open bar in Vegas? Yeah, he should probably go in there and keep things under control until the bride and groom returned.
He took a step in that direction, but a flash of blue at the other end of the hall caught his attention and he glanced toward it in time to see Shelby step into the elevator. He didn’t think, just moved, striding down the hall and catching the door before it slid shut.
Shelby sighed and wiped at her eyes with both hands. “What are you doing here?”
“Making sure you don’t do anything stupid.”
She jabbed the button for the thirty-second floor. “Yeah, ’cause I’m full of stupid ideas.”
“I didn’t say that.”
“You were thinking it. Reckless, wild, immature. Selfish.” Her sigh was heavy with resignation. She tucked a strand of turquoise-and-purple-streaked hair behind her ear. “I know what you think I am.”
“Shelby.” She wouldn’t meet his gaze, so he grabbed her by the shoulders and made her face him. The air sizzled when he touched her, the spark that had been between them since day one flaring red-hot. “You have no idea what I’m thinking.”
Some of the shadows left her eyes. “Oh, I bet I can guess.” She traced a fingernail down his chest, stopping when she reached his belt. “You’re kinda transparent when you get like this, ya know?”
Reece tried to keep his face impassive even as his body internally combusted. “You’re trying to distract me.”
“Doesn’t take much.” Her hand dropped lower, cupping him through his pants. “And maybe I need a distraction right now.”
“Cut it out, Shelby.”
“You don’t really want that, do you?” She squeezed him and his brain short-circuited, all of his good intentions evaporating in an explosion of heat and lust.
In a burst of movement, Reece grabbed her wrist and shoved her against the wall, trapping her there with his body. His gaze was fire as it dropped to her mouth and his body practically vibrated with all those dirty fantasies of his he tried so hard to keep a tight lid on. “Don’t push me, little girl.”
Little…?
Oh. Did he really just call her that?
Hell, no.
It was time to show him who was actually in control of this situation. She had him. Hook, line, and sinker. He just didn’t know it yet.
Shelby shoved up on her toes, stopping only when her lips hovered inches below his. With her free hand, she reached down between their bodies again and found him hard, his erection straining the front of his perfectly pleated trousers. She wrapped her fingers around him and stroked him through his pants.