Elijah had much better colour in his face by the time he got out of the shower. Jamie had changed out of his SES gear while he’d waited, and had filled Adam in on what had happened.
Elijah’s smile was a little fragile. “We should go to the station.”
Jamie hugged him. “Feeling any better?” He handed Elijah a hot cup of coffee.
“I’m warmer.”
It was a start.
He drove Elijah to the station. The police car was back in the yard and he and Elijah hurried up the steps. Inside, Ryan buzzed them through to the offices.
“How are you holding up?” Ryan asked.
“I’m a little shaky,” Elijah said.
Lincoln moved over to them. “I can offer some fresh coffee.”
Elijah held up the mug. “Jamie’s got me covered.”
Lincoln gestured them into his heated office and put the recorder on the desk. After going through the necessities, he said, “Elijah, tell me what happened today.”
“Where should I start?”
“From when you left the car park.”
Elijah spoke slowly, carefully going through every detail. Jamie had never heard him so thorough. He couldn’t believe Elijah hadn’t told Morgan about his fear of heights. Jamie wasn’t going to sit through another incident like this, terrified for Elijah. He’d tell Morgan himself.
“I saw a flash of blue and then heard them arguing,” Elijah said.
Jamie listened closely. Richard had been having another paranoid episode, thinking his own daughter wanted to kill him. It must have been so hard for the Patton family. When school went back, he’d have to take Don aside and chat to him, ask whether he needed any support, to talk to anyone.
When Elijah was finished, Lincoln and Ryan took turns asking questions, getting him to clarify information and repeat what he’d said. Elijah answered each question with patience and consideration. Jamie squeezed his hand and Elijah flashed him a smile.
“All right. I think we have everything.” Lincoln glanced at Jamie. “Are you staying with him this afternoon?”
“Yes.”
“Will’s picking me up later,” Elijah said. “We’re staying in Albany tonight before the wedding.”
Jamie swore. He’d forgotten about that.
Lincoln nodded. “You shouldn’t be followed, but keep an eye out anyway.”
Another damn thing to worry about. “Who was it?”
Ryan and Lincoln exchanged a glance. “Mark Patton owns the black ute.”
Right. Mark being involved in something dodgy didn’t surprise Jamie. The man believed he was entitled to everything.
Elijah exhaled. “I never liked him, but he doesn’t deserve today’s tragedy.” He got to his feet and Ryan walked him out, telling him about the counselling available to him.
Lincoln gripped Jamie’s arm and lowered his voice. “Keep an eye on him, all right? If you get a bad feeling about anything, call me.”
Jamie’s muscles tightened. “What are you worried about?”
Lincoln sighed. “Just promise me. More people might be involved.”
Well that was vague. Jamie gritted his teeth, wanting to demand answers, but Lincoln had his police face on. Jamie would never get it out of him. Instead he simply nodded and left with Elijah.
“Where to?” he asked when they were in his car.
“I need to give Will a call. Find out when he’s picking me up.” Elijah got out his phone and chatted to Will. As they reached Elijah’s place, he hung up. “We’re leaving in an hour.”
Jamie would stay with him until then. Elijah was too silent, too still. Jamie followed him inside. “Can I help you get ready?”
Elijah let out a long shaky breath. “I don’t know.” He ran a hand through his already dishevelled hair and flopped onto the couch. “I keep seeing them fighting on the edge, the fear in Richard’s face before he fell.” He squeezed his eyes shut and then they flashed open again.
Jamie sat next to him, took Elijah’s ice-cold hand in his. He didn’t know how to make it better. “You got there as fast as you could.”
Elijah shook his head. “This stupid fear of heights. If I didn’t have it, I would have been faster, would have reached them in time to drag them both back from the edge.”
“Don’t.” Jamie turned Elijah’s head towards him. “Don’t you dare take the blame for this. Richard might have dragged you over too.” It wasn’t a thought Jamie wanted to pursue. “Richard was ill. He shouldn’t have been out there in the first place. We don’t even know how Kay found him.” Or why she hadn’t called the SES.
“I feel so helpless.” Tears welled in Elijah’s eyes. “I haven’t felt this helpless since I was a child.”
Jamie drew him in, kissed his cheek. “There’s nothing any of us could have done.” He kissed Elijah’s lips, wanting to give him comfort.
Elijah gripped the back of Jamie’s head, holding him there, deepening the kiss. Elijah’s lips were like fire. Hot, scorching desire swept through Jamie and he tried to slow things but Elijah would have none of it. “Just kiss me,” Elijah breathed and Jamie couldn’t deny him. If this would help…
He shifted on the couch and ran his tongue along Elijah’s bottom lip. Elijah hummed in appreciation and opened for him. His lips were so luscious, so kissable, so right.
Elijah’s hands swept down Jamie’s back and up under his jumper. Jamie’s nipples peaked and he growled low in his throat. Elijah’s hands were a little rough, calloused from farm work, but the slight scratch made it all the better.
Jamie slid his hand under Elijah’s wool jumper and discovered Elijah wasn’t wearing anything under it. His skin was warm and his muscles hard; Jamie’s thumb brushed against his six-pack.
Hot.
He wanted to rip the jumper off Elijah and see him, lick all those delicious muscles, but today he had to let Elijah set the pace. He was still coming to terms with what happened. And with that in mind, he softened his kisses, let his touch become more of a caress and Elijah moaned.
Jamie brushed kisses along his chin, down his neck and then up to nibble on his ear.
“I knew you’d be amazing with your mouth,” Elijah sighed.
Jamie smiled. “Have you been thinking about my mouth a lot?”
“Every day, honey.” The tease in his tone told Jamie Elijah was moving past the shock.
“Really?” He kissed back down Elijah’s cheek. “What did you picture my mouth doing?” He teased Elijah’s bottom lip, nibbling and sucking gently and brushing quick, soft kisses on his mouth.
“This,” Elijah said.
“Anything else?” Jamie circled Elijah’s nipple with his thumb. It was puckered and ripe for his tongue.
“I fantasised about you sucking my nipples.”
Jamie smiled against Elijah’s mouth, still peppering kisses on it. “Want it to become a reality?”
“Hell, yes.” The reverence of the words made Jamie grin.
Slowly he pushed up Elijah’s jumper and Elijah leaned back, stripping it off. Jamie took his time, taking in Elijah’s tanned skin, his chiselled muscles which would make a model proud and the happy trail leading below his belt to places yet to be explored. His fingers traced the path he wanted his lips to go and he pressed Elijah back so he lay along the couch and started his journey.
He nibbled his way along Elijah’s neck, finding a particularly sensitive spot which made Elijah’s hips arch and press against Jamie’s body. Oh, yeah.
Slowly he moved down Elijah’s body, licking and sucking, discovering what Elijah liked, what made him groan and thrust. He licked the contours of Elijah’s abs, loving the hardness under his tongue and fingers, grazing his teeth against Elijah’s skin.
“Geez, Jamie,” Elijah breathed.
“Does this measure up to your fantasy?” Jamie asked, glancing at Elijah’s face.
Elijah opened his eyes, gazed at him with a raised eyebrow. “It surpasses it.”
Jamie slid his thumb under Elijah’s belt. “Anywhere else you pictured my mouth?” He brushed the tip of Elijah’s warm erection and Elijah moaned.
A sudden banging on the door had them both flinching and Elijah swore violently. “What time is it?”
Jamie glanced at the clock. “Five.”
Elijah scrambled to a seated position, grabbing his jumper as a voice called, “Elijah, are you there?”
Will.
Frustration flooded Jamie. “Do you have to go?”
Elijah hesitated. “Yeah.”
“Let me answer the door while you get your things.”
Elijah pouted but nodded.
Jamie adjusted himself and yelled, “Be right there,” as Will knocked again.
He took a second to think of something other than Elijah’s rock-hard body under him, and then opened the door. “Hey, Will.”
Will blinked and smiled. “Jamie. I wasn’t expecting you.”
Should he mention the call out? Someone was likely to mention it at the wedding tomorrow, and he didn’t want the news to ruin Will’s day. “Richard Patton went missing and the SES was called to search for him.”
“Did you find him?” Will walked into the living area.
“Yeah, but he was confused and thought his daughter wanted to kill him. He fell off the cliff in the struggle and died.”
Will sat hard on the sofa. “How awful.”
“Yeah.” Jamie glanced down the empty hallway. “Elijah saw it all, so be gentle with him.”
Will tapped his leg, concern on his face. “Should I get him to meet me at the venue tomorrow?”
Before Jamie answered, Elijah walked into the room carrying an overnight bag. “Not necessary. What I need right now is to be kept busy and the wedding is the perfect distraction.” He ran a hand down Jamie’s back. “Shall we go?”
After Elijah locked up, Jamie walked him to Will’s car. “Call me if you need to chat,” Jamie said.
Elijah placed his bag on the backseat and turned to him. “I will.”
Jamie pulled Elijah close. “Maybe we can sneak off during the reception and finish what we started today.”
Elijah’s smile was wicked and it sent a shot of lust through Jamie. “I like the way you think.”
Jamie kissed him. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
He waited where he was as Will backed out and drove away. He scanned the empty street. The crappy weather was keeping everyone indoors. At least it meant no one was following Elijah.
One less thing he had to worry about.
He got in his car and hesitated. The idea of being alone didn’t thrill him. Now he’d heard exactly what Elijah had seen, had discovered how close Elijah had been to falling off the cliff himself, he couldn’t stop his mind playing a horrific what-if scenario. It didn’t matter that Elijah was safe.
Most of his friends were getting ready for the wedding. Kim would be going to Albany with Will and Elijah, the musketeers would be doing something together, so that left Jeremy. He dialled his friend’s number. “Want to grab some dinner?”
It might distract him from the horrible day.
***
As guests arrived, Elijah adjusted his lavender tie, ignoring the nerves skittering along his skin. It was ridiculous. This wasn’t his wedding. All he had to do was stand next to Will and pass him the rings at the right time.
He brushed the rings in his coat pocket for the fifth time to make sure they were still there.
In contrast, the normally anxious Will was a picture of serenity. He greeted guests and showed them to their seats.
At least Mother Nature had agreed to play nicely today. A few clouds hovered in the blue sky, but not dense enough to hold rain and there was even a touch of warmth in the air. Will had chosen to have the ceremony outside in the restaurant garden, so hopefully the weather wouldn’t suddenly change.
“What’s wrong with you today?” Kim asked.
Elijah glanced at his friend. “Nothing.”
Kim laughed. “That’s the third time you’ve adjusted your tie in as many minutes. What gives?”
Elijah shrugged. “It’s my first wedding.” It was a good excuse. But he’d barely slept last night. The strange bed combined with his mind not shutting off meant he was still gazing at the dark ceiling long after Kim had started snoring in the bed next to him.
How was he meant to sleep with everything going on? He was being followed, he’d watched a man die, he’d got hot and heavy with the very sexy Jamie Zanetti and he had to give a speech today. His brain had flittered from one event to the next, each ensuring his heart kept racing and scaring sleep off.
His speech.
He touched his jacket pockets and then his pant pockets. No paper.
Shit. What had he done with it? Had he left it back at the motel?
“What’s wrong?” Adam asked, walking over to them looking gorgeous in a charcoal black suit.
“My speech. I don’t have my speech.”
“Don’t worry about it. You know it off by heart anyway,” Adam said.
“What if my mind goes blank?”
“I’ve heard it so many times, I can probably prompt you.”
“Or we can go by the motel after the ceremony to pick it up,” Kim said.
“They might have cleaned the room by then. They might have thrown it out.” Though the accommodation wasn’t far away, he was required to greet the guests and help Will. He was so screwed.
“Hi, handsome.” Jamie’s voice was enough to calm him a little.
Elijah turned and momentarily forgot all of his problems. The dark grey suit fitted Jamie to perfection. The jacket caressed his shoulders and hugged his waist and the pants clung to his thighs. The burgundy shirt he wore brought out the richness of his brown eyes and he was every bit as delectable as always. “Jamie.” He sighed.
Jamie frowned. “Is everything all right?”
“He’s stressing about the best man speech,” Kim said. “He left his notes at the motel.”
“You don’t need your notes. You’ve got this.”
Elijah shook his head. “My mind will blank. I know it will. I’ll be standing in front of all those people, gaping like a fish.” It would be a nightmare.
Jamie checked the time. “Do you want me to fetch them? I can probably be back before the ceremony starts.”
“Oh my God, you’re my hero.” Hopefully housekeeping hadn’t been yet. “It’s room five-oh-one. I was reading it this morning, so it might be on the dressing table.”
“Have you got your phone on you in case I have any issues?”
Elijah nodded.
Jamie stepped closer, brushed a kiss on his lips. “I’ll find it. I’ll be back soon.”
As he walked off, Elijah sighed and his shoulders relaxed. Everything would be fine.
Jamie hadn’t returned by the time Fleur and her bridesmaids arrived. Elijah met their limousine as Kit climbed out and he did a double-take. He wasn’t used to seeing his boss in a dress, let alone a demure pale lavender outfit that fell all the way to her ankles. Her hair was a mass of curls, half tied up and the rest hanging loose like Mai and Hannah’s. Fleur’s father helped his daughter out of the car and Elijah knew Will would swallow his tongue.
Her hair was also curled and piled up on top of her head to leave her neck bare. The wide lace straps of her gown plunged to form a V-neck which was both modest and seductive and the A-line skirt had a slit allowing her leg to peek out. It was simple and sexy.
“Honey, you look stunning.”
Fleur beamed at him. “Thanks, Elijah. Is everything ready for us? How’s Will? I thought he’d call me more than he did.”
“He’s totally calm,” Elijah assured her. “I’ve never seen him so together. He’s so confident about this.”
Fleur placed a hand over her heart briefly and took the lush red roses Mai handed her. “Let’s get this show on the road.”
Elijah glanced towards the main road. He didn’t want Jamie to miss Fleur’s wedding because of him.
“Is something wrong?” Kit asked.
“No. Not really. I forgot my speech and Jamie went to get it. He’s not back yet.” Elijah dug his mobile out of his pocket. “He can’t be far away.” He dialled and as the phone rang, Jamie pulled into the car park. Elijah grinned and hung up.
Jamie hurried over, kissed Fleur on the cheek and said, “You look beautiful, Flower.” He handed Elijah his speech.
“Thanks.”
Jamie kissed him hard and murmured, “You can thank me later.” With a grin, he hurried towards the ceremony.
Elijah’s heart raced and he waved his hand to cool himself. That man…
Someone cleared their throat and he turned to find the musketeers all grinning at him. Fleur raised her eyebrows. “Can you tell the harpist we’re ready?”
“Right. Of course. Sorry.” His face heated and he strode down the path to Will. A quick word to the musician and the beautiful strains of the notes lifted into the air. Mai, Hannah and Kit walked down the aisle and after a tiny pause, Fleur walked into view arm-in-arm with her father.
Will’s eyes were wide as if not wanting to miss a thing and his smile covered his face, happiness radiating from him.
Tears pricked Elijah’s eyes as he saw the same joy reflected on Fleur’s face. That’s what he wanted. Love, happiness, acceptance.
He scanned the audience and found Jamie sitting next to his family and Lewis. Jamie smiled and Elijah’s heart expanded even further.
In the front row, Will’s mother was already dabbing her eyes with a tissue.
Fleur reached Will and Elijah paid attention to the ceremony, handing over the rings at the right moment and after the celebrant pronounced them married, he cheered along with the others. While Will and Fleur signed the marriage certificate and greeted the guests, he helped to pack up the chairs. The guests would go inside to the function room for drinks while the bridal party photos were being taken. He glanced at the gathering clouds. Hopefully they’d have time before it rained.
“Need a hand?” Jamie asked.
“You can stand there and look pretty for me,” Elijah joked. Thanks to the bridal party, the chairs were almost packed away.
“You’re looking handsome enough for the both of us.” Jamie brushed Elijah’s back.
A thrill shot through him. It was hard to keep his emotions in check when Jamie was looking so damned hot and saying nice things. To keep things light, he blew Jamie a kiss. The sunlight dimmed and Elijah glanced up. Darker clouds were blowing in. He moved over to the photographer. “Do you want me to hurry the receiving line along?”
She pursed her lips. “Can you round up the bridal party?” she asked. “I can get a few photos of the bridesmaids and groomsmen first and by then Fleur and Will should be finished.”
Elijah nodded and a few minutes later he was posing for photos. The photographer was friendly, encouraging them to smile and making jokes. Will and Fleur joined them and they laughed together as they took photos around the garden with the wild ocean as a backdrop.
“We should get a photo with all the guys,” Will said. “Since we all look pretty good.”
“I’ll find them,” Elijah said and ran off to round them up. The clouds were definitely gathering and lowering.
A few minutes later he was posing next to his friends with the bridesmaids and Olivia watching.
“Come on, Adam, smile,” Olivia called.
Elijah glanced at the scowl on Adam’s face. Oh. Having her there had to be difficult for him, had to remind him of a day he never talked about. “I know it’s hard,” Elijah whispered in his ear. “But try to smile for Fleur and Will’s sake.”
Adam let out a shaky breath.
“Imagine Olivia naked,” Elijah suggested. “Pretend she’s the one you want to hook up with.”
“Not helping,” Adam growled.
Kim laughed. “I’d smile before Kit makes you.”
Elijah grinned. Kit’s bark was worse than her bite but Adam was always wary around her. Probably because she was also married to his boss.
Jamie tugged him closer and murmured, “When photos are done, think I can get a few minutes with you?”
“I think we can work something out.” He brushed a kiss against Jamie’s lips, keeping it light. The clouds opened and rain fell in thick waves.
They all ran inside, laughing and shrieking. Now maybe he could have a minute with Jamie, thank him properly for fetching the speech. He grabbed Jamie’s hand as Fleur said, “I guess that means the photos are done. Let’s get everyone seated for lunch.”
Damn. Jamie was MC which meant he needed to make the announcement.
“Later,” Jamie whispered and strode up to the lectern to do his thing.