Page 15 of Damaged Billionaire Daddy (The Lanes Series #1)

Chapter fifteen

Kandis

Caleb proved his worth as a driver. Before we got to the event, he pulled in at a truck stop that had showers.

While we didn’t use those, I bought a package of personal wipes and took advantage of the spacious, clean bathroom to do a better cleanup than we’d managed with the napkins, to shake out the folds of that magnificent dress, and to repair my updo and makeup.

As promised, I made myself look model-presentable, charmingly disheveled by putting my hair into a messy knot instead of my crown of curls and putting on a brighter shade of lipstick. I felt amazingly good, as if a lightbulb had gone off inside of me.

When I stepped out into the hall, Richard and Caleb were waiting for me. “You look magnificent,” Richard said.

“You do,” Caleb echoed, “but we’d better get on down the road, or you two are going to be late to the party.

We weren’t quite late. The groom was waiting at the altar, but we managed to nip in ahead of the bridal party.

He gave us a nervous look, and there was a rustle of whispers in the small wedding gallery. It was crowded with the fifty or so guests who were gathered there.

Richard murmured in my ear, his hot breath giving me shivery aftershocks in my lower regions, “It would serve him right if she didn’t show. She left me waiting with everyone staring at me for the better part of an hour before she called her parents.”

“And you came to their wedding?” I murmured back.

“Oh, darlin’ baby girl,” he whispered, his hot breath on my ear again rousing molten lava in my pelvic area, “Showing up with you is the best vengeance I could possibly have. This is a truly exclusive gathering. There will be reporters outside.”

“Reporters?” I squeaked.

The bride paced down the short aisle to the traditional wedding march, but in that small room, she had to have seen us. I was pretty sure she gave us the side-eye as she passed, but I had to give her credit. She maintained her composure.

“She’s expecting,” Richie stage whispered into my ear, just after she passed.

Color rose in the bride’s cheeks, but she kept walking. She was a true steel magnolia, that one.

He added, a little more softly but still loud enough that the people immediately around her could hear, “Not sure if its mine or Ken’s but it doesn’t matter. That baby will be loved to pieces, he’s that kind of guy.”

That was about enough. “Richard!” I hissed, elbowing him in the ribs. “Be nice!”

He chuckled. “I am being nice.”

I could see where that thought was heading. There was only one diplomatic way to shut him up. “Richie, sweetheart, it’s her wedding day. You can afford to be gracious.”

I stood on tiptoe. Those comfy ballet flats didn’t give me much height.

I kissed the underside of his chin since it was the only part I could reach with my lips.

The scent of his aftershave—something minty with overtones of rosemary—washed over me.

The contact increased the molten heat his whispers in my ear had started.

He dipped his head and kissed me back. His lips were warm, but they started out pressed in a thin line and I could feel the tension in him. I was right. He was loaded for bear.

But as we kissed, his lips softened, and he shared a little tongue with me. I could feel myself melting even more.

He might only be mine for the day, selected to needle the bridal couple, but I would enjoy it while it lasted. He might be an asshole, but he was a damned sexy asshole.

“Since you asked me so nice, I’ll be good,” he stage whispered, drawing more attention to us as he kissed me again, this time deeply and thoroughly.

I never believed those lines in the romance books about “lips swollen from kissing”, but if that was a thing, then mine were going to look like balloons.

When he came up for air and I could catch my breath, Caleb said from behind me, softly enough that I’m pretty sure no one else heard him, “Thank you for that. You kept me from having to clonk him on the head to get him to shut up.”

I giggled, which earned us some dirty looks from the bride’s side of the aisle, and the ceremony went on without mishap.

The reception was laid out in a flagged courtyard at the side of the church. The tables were covered by a pavilion that had mosquito netting on all the sides, but the sun beat down mercilessly.

Flies crawled on the outside of the netting and a few of them made it inside. Sweat trickled down my cleavage. I was glad the bodice was low cut. This wasn’t the right kind of weather for velvet.

Richard must have been uncomfortable, too, for he said in a low voice that was clearly intended just for me, “Let’s say our congratulations and get out of here.”

The bride and groom, having exchanged the obligatory bites of wedding cake, were now part of a serving line handing out cake and scoops of ice cream with their own privileged hands.

We got in line. And by “we” I mean me, Richard, and Caleb. Apparently, he was also an invited guest.

When we got to the bridal couple, Don Kenneth Seramis addressed us first. “Thank you for coming, Richard, I was afraid you wouldn’t.”

“Of course I came,” Richard said. “Don’t I show up for all your pranks? I’m just glad you didn’t ask me to be the best man.”

The bride tittered nervously at this sally. “Thank you, Richie. I’m sorry I changed my mind at the last minute. But I’m not sorry I changed it.”

“All things considered,” Richard replied, “Being left at the altar is cheaper than a divorce. Although the rental on the hall and the tux weren’t cheap. It would have been nice if you’d told me the night before.”

She gave that brittle little laugh again. “Oh, you! Always pinching pennies. As if the rent on that stuff wasn’t just peanuts to you. I am sorry for the drama, but it wasn’t until it was time to get dressed that I made up my mind.”

“All’s well that ends well,” Richard said magnanimously. “Please allow me to introduce Kandis Quinn. Kandy, these are my good friends,” and he managed to say it with sincerity, “Ken Seramis and Kayla Seramis. Ken was my roommate in college.”

“Nice to meet you,” I murmured, accepting a paper plate with a wedge of cake and a scoop of ice cream from Ken.

The three of us went over to a side table and sat down to enjoy our refreshments. A teenager in a bridesmaid gown brought a cart with drinks. “What will you have?” she asked.

“Lemonade,” Caleb replied quickly. “I’m driving.”

“Sprite for me,” Richard added, “What do you want, Kandy?”

What I wanted was a motel room where I could get out of this very expensive dress and either nap or . . . I shut down the “or” thought as quickly as possible. Richard had his revenge.

Now this trip would end, and we would all go home. I just needed to put the best face on it that I could manage. Sex with him was not having the desired result. The man was addictive.

“Sprite,” I said, keeping my tone even.

The youngster took drinks off the cart and handed them to us, then trundled on to the next table.

Caleb glanced at his watch. “We don’t have long if you’re going to get that dress back before six,” he reminded Richard.

“About that, I have an idea. Kandy, did you bring anything with you?” Richard asked.

“No, I didn’t know how long we would be gone, so all I have is my emergency kit in my handbag.”

“Do you have weekend plans?”

I shook my head. “No, I really don’t. I guess I should have brought an overnight kit.”

“Remind me never to have to bug out with you,” Richard grinned. “Caleb, take us to Walmart so Kandis can get out of that ridiculously expensive dress. Then you can drop us off at the car rental while you take all those yards of silk and velvet back to the rental place along with my tux.”

Caleb quirked an eyebrow at Richard. “You sure about this, Boss?”

“More sure than I’ve been about anything for a long time,” Richard replied.

“Kandis has been an amazingly good sport about helping me put one over on Ken and Kayla. I want to show her a part of this town she’s probably never seen, then take her sightseeing in the mountains.

” He winked at me, the bastard. “What do you say, Kandy?”

“As long as there are no axes or shovels involved,” I said.

“Only in the line of making a campfire,” he assured me. “I’ve not been to the cabin for a while, and I’m not sure what we’ll find.”

At Walmart, Richard spun the clothing department salesclerk a tale about an impromptu after-wedding celebration and surprising me with a camping trip.

“So my girlfriend needs a change of clothing so I can send the rental dress back with my friend, and we both need some warm stuff for the mountains,” he ended his taradiddle.

The clerk, an older woman, bought his fish tale, hook, line and sinker. She simpered and blushed, and trotted out the best Walmart had to offer — which admittedly wasn’t all that great. I wasn’t sure why he selected a department store, when no doubt he could have afforded a boutique.

Richard helped pick out a summer sundress, three pairs of jeans, t-shirts, sweaters, a frilly top, sandals, sensible underwear, frilly take-me-off-now underwear, sandals, tennis shoes, and walking boots. Then he insisted on thermal wear for both of us, and got a few things for himself.

He then had me guide that cart while we went back through the camping gear with a second cart. He picked up a folding saw, a small axe (he grinned at me when he got that), several of the expensive sort of dehydrated meals, and a cooler.

Then we went through the grocery department and bought fresh stuff and canned goods, as well as paper plates, toilet paper and paper towels.

At the end of this, we took the two carts to the checkout. When everything was paid for, I went to the ladies room and changed my clothes, putting on the sundress.

It seemed a shame to stuff that gorgeous dress into a shopping bag, but Richard had bought a big one for the purpose. And it was the best way to keep it clean.

By the time I came out, Caleb was waiting with Richard, impatiently tapping his toe.

“Good job on the shopping bag,” he said. “I’ll have just enough time to get you to the car rental. I went ahead and reserved a jeep for you.”

“Good call,” Richard praised him. “I’ll call the rental and tell them that you are bringing the gown and the tux.”

Caleb just nodded at that.

It was nearly 2:00 in the afternoon when Caleb pulled away from the car rental, and we got into a boxy sort of vehicle with butter soft leather seats, air conditioning, and plenty of room for all the stuff we had bought. By then my stomach was growling.

We ate lunch at a Pizza Inn, which wasn’t especially fancy, but it was nearby. We had their lunch buffet, and I pigged out on the dessert pizzas.

Richard probably had something fancy planned, but there was a mall carnival parked outside, and I wanted to ride the merry-go-round.

Next, we rode the tilt-a-whirl, then Richie talked me into getting turned upside down in the Hammer.

I really regretted all that dessert pizza. I nearly lost my lunch.

I must have looked a little green after that, because Richard said, “Maybe something a little quieter?”

“Yeah,” I replied. “I nearly redecorated your new outfit.”

He then took me to what looked like a beauty parlor. Shoot, I knew I looked rough, but really?

“Why are we here?” I asked.

The wicked man just grinned at me. “You’ll see,” he said.

Inside, Richard walked up to the counter and asked, “Can I get a mani-pedi for two?”

The woman didn’t even miss a beat. “Of course, Mr. Lane. Isobel and Tracy have openings. You want the double so you can talk?”

“Absolutely,” Richard replied. “We just came from a wedding — someone else’s,” he said, raising a hand to forestall congratulations or questions, “I think we could both use some time to decompress.”

“You are getting one, too?” I asked, trying to figure this out.

“Oh, you bet,” he said. “Have you ever had one?”

I shook my head no.

“I hate to admit it, but it was Kayla who talked me into my first. Now, I try to get one whenever I’m in town. It’s cheaper than a chiropractor and a lot more fun than physical therapy.”

By now we were being seated luxurious chairs — that vibrated! Every inch of me was grateful to sit down and have the tension massaged out of me.

I nearly fell asleep in the chair while Isobel worked on my feet. I thought I would dissolve into a puddle and just melt into the soaking water.

When we finished there, we went to dinner at a comfortable mom-and-pop restaurant that served the best home-style sit down dinner I’d ever had.

It had been a long day. By the time we got out to the jeep, I was yawning, and the outside air was chilly. I nearly crawled into the seat.

“You can lay that back,” Richard said. “There’s blankets in that bag just behind you, and I can turn on the heater if you’re cold.”

“Whatever,” I mumbled. I tipped the seat back and didn’t even hear him close the other door.