I nodded. I didn’t say it was nice to meet them, because it wasn’t.
Loren and I both watched them walk away. When they were out of earshot I wrapped my arm around her shoulders. “Why the hell did you say she was a nice person?”
Loren sputtered, covering her mouth with one hand. “Uh. She does a lot of charity work?”
“God. I thought you were going to punch her instead of talk to her a few times.” I wiped my hand on my pants. Something was off about the groom, but I couldn't put my finger on it yet.
Once again, Loren threw her arms around my neck. I was always a little surprised when she did it, but I loved the way her lithe body felt in my arms.
“Thank you,” she murmured.
Even her breath against my neck was going to get my libido going. I stepped back and stared into her green eyes instead. “What for?”
“The look on her face. When you said you were my boyfriend. You saw it. It was priceless.”
“She did look pretty shocked. It was the best present. Like Christmas morning.”
Gravel crunched and we both turned to look as another Escalade bumped over the path to the hotel. “That’s my parents,” Loren said.
“How can you tell?” The windows were tinted, and the Escalades were all rented I assumed.
She held up her arm, indicating her smart watch. “They keep us all updated on the schedule.” She dropped her arm and smiled up at me. “I had unsubscribed until just this morning.”
“I didn't even know you had a watch with you,” I said.
“I had it in my purse. It’s handy when I’m taking photos. But it was not necessary while hiking and fishing with you.” She edged over to stand even closer to me.
“Are you sure you need to be this close to me? My dad was not very nice to my sister’s first boyfriend.” Of course, that boyfriend had been a hoodlum, and immature. But overall he’d been a nice guy, nothing like the guy she’d ended up with. The guy who’d murdered my little sister. Her killer had been polite, an upstanding citizen. We’d all fallen for his act, until it was too late. We’d all learned the hard way how deceiving appearances could be. But I wasn’t going to think about that now. I was here to focus on Loren.
“Nah,” Loren said as the vehicle came to a stop. “My dad will like you just fine.”
At that moment, Loren’s mother stepped out of the SUV, assisted by a man who I assumed was a bodyguard. Loren’s mother looked exactly like she did on television, from the rare times I’d seen her on the local news, or at nationwide press conferences. Loren’s mom wasn’t one of those politicians no one had ever heard of. She was always front and center on any issue, especially the explosive ones.
Loren’s features looked like her mother’s, but that was where the similarities ended. Her mother had on a black business suit, as if she’d just come from a meeting. Her hair and makeup looked like a bit much for the Alaskan seaside, but what did I know?
A man came around from the other side of the car, also trailed by a bodyguard. Loren’s father, the head of the multi-billion dollar Stevens Manufacturing, looked bigger in person than he did on television. I’d only seen him in passing, giving interviews about how to best invest money. I had the money I needed, but I wasn’t ever going to have enough to worry about investing it, and that was fine with me.
He also had on a full business suit, but his was gray. They both seemed completely unaware of Loren standing right in front of them until she said, “Hey! Mom. Dad.”
They both turned toward her, with identical blank expressions. Until they saw me standing next to her. Then her mother came forward, still flanked by the bodyguard.
“Loren. Hello.” Her eyes assessed me quickly. “Are you going to introduce me to this gentleman?”
Loren’s fingers wrapped around my bicep. “This is Jackson.”
“Hello, Jackson.” Her handshake was firm, of course. Her laser-like gaze went back to her daughter. “I don’t remember seeing a Jackson on the guest list for your cousin’s wedding.”
Her father stuck his hand out too, also with a very firm grip. “It’s very nice to meet you Jackson, but your mother’s right, Loren. We have a guest list for a reason.”
“Well, that’s because he’s not on it yet. But he will be.” Loren gave me an exaggerated grin. “He’s my boyfriend.”
Both of her parents stood with their arms by their sides, staring at us. I must have passed their silent inspection, because a radiant smile passed over her mother’s face. “Loren! You didn’t tell us you were dating.”
Her father’s look of mild disinterest faded. “You look like you’re in great shape, Jackson. What do you do?”
That was a really direct comment, and it was kind of odd, but it wasn’t terribly offensive. “I’m a member of the Armed Forces, sir.”
“He’s a Sergeant First Class with the Rangers,” Loren said.
Then her parents were all over me, asking all sorts of intrusive questions until Loren finally jumped in between us. “Okay guys. We’re going to go scout out a few more spots for photos.”
Loren was howling with laughter before her parents even walked inside the hotel. “That was even better than I imagined.” She fanned her face with her hand. “Oh god. They’re insane.”
I had started to understand why she thought so. “That was intense.”
She wagged her eyebrows a few times. “And that’s coming from someone who’s been through boot camp.”
I shook my head as she beckoned me toward the edge of the water so she could find yet another perfect spot for pictures. Throughout my whole life, no one had kept me laughing like Loren.
Loren swatted my hand as I tugged my tie for the tenth time. “Stop messing with it. You’re going to be the hottest guy there already.”
“I’m not trying to make it look better.” The full-length mirror showed off my scowl. “I’m trying to make it feel better while I’m in this damn monkey suit.” It wasn’t even that hot outside and I was already sweating.
“Sorry. Comes with the fake boyfriend territory.” She pranced by in her dress and slapped me on the ass. “How is someone who regularly carts around heavy supplies and wears all kinds of protective gear in boiling hot weather so whiny about a suit?”
“It’s tight.”
“It is not tight. It fits you perfectly.”
Another side effect of being extraordinarily rich -- after we’d arrived yesterday, Loren had called the wedding planner with my measurements, who in turn found a tailor in Anchorage that had delivered several suits to the hotel, hoping one would fit me. It had fit alright. It fit so tight I felt like the seam was about to split open. Which Loren seemed to like.
She had her hand on my ass again. “I can’t get over how good you look in these.”
I turned around and grabbed her waist. “If you keep touching my ass, I’m going to strip you naked and fuck you, and we won’t make it to this rehearsal dinner at all. And these pants suck. I can’t get over how much I want to get them off.” I bent my head to kiss her neck. “And I know exactly what I want to do with you when that does happen.”