With the ceremony over, the wedding party and guests poured out of the church and followed the bride and groom to a nearby country club for the reception. The ballroom was huge, filled with white streamers, iridescent balloons and lush, fragrant floral bouquets on every table. Cole and Melodie sat up on a higher platform, just the two of them, while the bridesmaids and groomsmen were able to sit at a reserved table up front with their significant others.

Finally, after all his best-man obligations were fulfilled, Noah settled into the chair beside hers, looking breathtakingly handsome in his formal black tuxedo and lavender bow tie that matched the bridesmaids' gowns. His striking blue eyes glimmered with enjoyment, and he wore a bad-boy grin just for her that jump-started her pulse.

He dipped his head close to hers, and his warm male scent added to the desire settling low and deep within her. "Have I told you how incredibly sexy you look in that dress?" He trailed a finger along the line of her shoulder, bared by the design of the outfit.

She shivered at his seductive touch and welcomed his playful charm, immensely pleased that he liked the sleek, wine-colored dress she'd chosen with him in mind. "You've told me, oh, only about a dozen times."

Beneath the table, he flattened his hand on her knee and skimmed his hot palm under the hem of her dress and up her thigh. "But what I haven't told you is that I can't wait to find out what you're wearing beneath it."

His boldness caught her off guard, considering they were seated with four other couples and his baby niece was nearby. She clamped her legs together before he could discover that the only things separating his searching fingers from her flesh were thigh-high stockings and bikini panties.

She caught his wrist, and a playful, arousing game of tug-of-war ensued beneath the linen table cloth. "Behave yourself," she murmured, her cheeks heating with a blush.

A sinful grin canted the corners of his mouth. "Now, what's the fun in that?" Withdrawing his hand, he winked at her, then turned his attention to his sister and brother-in-law. "Hey, Dean, how's the consultation work going?"

While other guests seated themselves and black-jacketed waiters circled the room to take drink orders from the tables, Natalie listened with interest as Dean and Noah discussed the free-lance business Dean had recently started. Since he'd been the CEO of a traffic-control business in Seattle before selling his company, he now offered his expertise to construction firms with bids and estimates on high-dollar projects. Natalie was amused to discover that Dean also accompanied his wife on the occasional bail-recovery assignment she took on through the investigative agency.

As the conversation continued between couples and the band struck up some light dinner music, Jennifer was passed around the table to familiar faces to keep her amused and occupied. When it came to Noah's turn to take her, he did so without hesitating, his big hands easily fitting around her little waist.

He held her up in the air and wiggled her until she gave him a big, toothless smile. "How's my favorite niece?" he said, his tone deep, but infinitely gentle.

"She's your only niece, Noah," Jo said wryly, pointing out the obvious.

"Which makes her my favorite," he said, never taking his gaze from the little girl in his arms. "Isn't that right, princess?" He blew a raspberry on her neck, making her squeal with delight and clasp his cheeks in her hands.

Natalie laughed as Jennifer tugged at his bow tie and grabbed at the flower on his lapel, and Noah fended off each of her attempts with a tickle or something equally distracting. And when she drooled on his crisp white dress shirt he didn't so much as blink twice.

Natalie didn't know, or perhaps didn't remember, that he had a such a soft spot for kids, but there was no denying how full her heart felt at the sight of Noah with the baby girl, and just how comfortable he was playing with her. The man would make a great father one day, and the thought made her own stomach flutter at the notion of being the one to carry his child.

The salads arrived, followed by dinner, then pure celebration took precedence for the rest of the evening, along with traditional wedding customs. The bride and groom shared the first dance, then cut the big, elaborate four-tiered cake, which was then served to the guests.

Melodie tossed her bridal bouquet to the small group of unmarried women, and while Natalie had joined in on the festivity with Joelle urging her on, she'd never expected to be the one to catch the bundle of flowers. She stood off to the side, and no one was more surprised than her when the bouquet hit her in the chest and dropped right into the hands she automatic shot out in front of her to protect herself from the floral slingshot.

She was rewarded with cheers and congratulations, and her gaze sought out Noah, who was watching her with a smile. Their connection was intimate and soulful, but she detected a deeper reserve about him, as if the fact that she held the flowers in her hand was a trick of some kind. Yet they were engaged, which meant there was just as much reality attached to the tradition as wishful thinking.

As the single men gathered out on the dance floor,

Cole removed the garter from his wife's leg and shot it out to the crowd of bachelors. Aggressive and competitive, Noah jumped high to snatch the garter out of the air and claim it for his own. The men around him clapped him on the back, seemingly grateful that they weren't next in line to slip on the old ball and chain. When Noah started toward her with his prize in hand and a predatory, determined light in his eyes, excitement took hold.

Without warning or hesitation, he wrapped a strong arm around her waist, hauled her close and kissed her, staking a claim on her in front of family and friends in a way no one could misinterpret.

She was his.

By the time he lifted his head and grinned down at her, she was completely breathless, aroused and flushed from his very public display. As she met Noah's tender, affectionate gaze, her heart swelled with love for him, so full it felt near to bursting with emotion.

And for the moment, for the night, the feelings between them were all that mattered to her.


By eleven that night, the wedding revelry had died down considerably, leaving the last of the die-hard party guests to bring the evening's celebration to a close. A couple of dozen people remained, milling around and conversing with friends, and taking advantage of the music the band was still playing.

Since Cole and Melodie had slipped out of the reception an hour earlier to get a head start on their wedding night, Noah had taken it upon himself to issue goodbyes and thank-yous to the guests as they left the dwindling party.

After bidding Melodie's father and his date a goodnight, Noah headed back inside the ballroom to see how Natalie was holding up and if she was ready to go, too. It had been a busy day and evening for both of them. From across the room he spotted her sitting at their table with no other adult company. His breath caught, and his heart seemed to lodge in his throat at the sight that greeted him.

Wearing that sexy dress with her hair in a fancy knot atop her head, Natalie was beautiful enough to stop him in his tracks. But it was the picture of her holding a sleeping Jennifer snuggled in the crook of her arm that gave him a jolt he felt all the way to the depths of his soul. Natalie's expression was serene as she gazed at the baby girl, her features reflecting awe and contentment.

And that sense of security and peace would soon be shattered, he knew. Maybe not tonight, but there was a man out there determined to wreak havoc on Natalie's life, who would also put in jeopardy the tenuous relationship they'd forged. Sooner or later, the truth would be revealed.

Pushing the disturbing thought aside, he strolled across the room to Natalie. He sat down in the chair next to her, and she looked up at him with a soft smile.

"I see you got roped into baby-sitting," he commented, amazed that the baby could sleep through the loud music blaring out of the speakers.

"I offered my services." She glanced down and drifted her fingers over the soft tufts of blond hair on the little girl's head in a loving gesture. "Jennifer was getting fussy and I thought I'd give Jo and Dean a break so they could enjoy a few dances without worrying about the baby."

"That was nice of you." Then again, he wasn't surprised. The woman had a generous, giving heart.

She shrugged. "Considering the very busy day she had, all it took was a few sips of milk from her bottle and she was out like a light."

Noah highly suspected that Natalie's maternal instincts had a lot to do with why his niece was cuddled so trustingly in her arms, as well. He experienced a twinge of envy as he took in the way Jennifer's cheek was pressed to Natalie's soft breast. He knew from personal experience just how comfortable those twin pillows could be.

He looked out toward the dance floor, finding his sister and brother-in-law enjoying the tunes being played. Jo was obviously teasing Dean over something that made the other man unexpectedly grab her around the waist and twirl her around in a series of fancy dance moves, which made Jo laugh out loud. Her blue eyes sparkled, and Noah loved seeing his sister so happy, and no longer allowing past mistakes to dictate her future. Both Noah and Cole had Dean to thank for Jo's transformation, and considered him as much a part of the family as another sibling.

"Jo and Dean seem to be having a good time," he said, speaking what was on his mind.