You can do this, he seemed to be saying to her. And there was such belief in his unwavering gaze that Sophie had no choice but to believe, too, if only for long enough to make her speech and sit down.

“Hi.” She wasn’t used to hearing her voice echoing out of speakers like that and it took her aback, until she locked on to Jake’s dark gaze again.

You’re not really afraid of this bunch, are you?

She suddenly remembered him looking down at her from a tree fort the boys had built, so many years ago. She couldn’t have been more than six or seven and her legs had been trembling the same way they were now, but she’d seen that challenge in Jake’s eyes and she’d risen to it, climbing up that tree so fast she hadn’t been able to let fear grab hold of her and toss her to the ground. He hadn’t congratulated her for making it into the fort, had probably made some crack about banning girls in the future...but she’d known he was proud of her.

She wanted him to be proud of her now.

“I love weddings,” she finally said. “Big ones. Small ones. If it’s about love, and forever, you’ve got me. Right here.” She put her hand over her chest, then looked at her siblings. “Growing up in this family, it wasn’t always easy being an incurable romantic.” Her brothers and twin grinned along with the rest of the guests. “But if I’d ever been even close to being cured,” she paused and faced Chase and Chloe, “the two of you made me believe in love all over again.” She raised her glass to the couple. “I’d like to make a toast to my beloved big brother, Chase, and my brand new sister, Chloe, for writing one of the most beautiful love stories I’ve ever known.”

Everyone got to their feet again and she didn’t bother to stop her tears from coming as she beamed at her brother and his bride.

And then, finally, it was time to give the microphone to her mother. Mary Sullivan kissed her on the cheek and whispered, “Absolutely perfect, honey,” before she took the mic and faced the happy couple.

“I can’t count the number of times people have remarked on how hard it must have been raise eight children, but I’ve always thought I was the luckiest person in the world.” She reached up to her head. “Even if I had to start coloring my hair in my thirties to cover up the grays that seemed to come in by the second.” The laughter was mixed with sniffles already and Sophie was utterly enraptured by the love flowing around and around the room, wrapping them all up together in a soft cocoon.

“Although today I’m officially welcoming Chloe into my family, she’s been in my heart since the very first time Chase spoke of her and I heard the love he felt for her even across the telephone lines. I love you both.”

Just as Sophie had planned, the music started at the tail end of her mother’s toast. Smith pulled her up out of her seat and into his arms. Her big brother was a fantastic dancer and she’d always loved dancing with him, since the time she’d been a little girl, standing barefoot on top of his shoes as he twirled her around the living room.

She’d cried more today than she had in years, but they had all been good tears. Tears of joy, of pure love. Now she was laughing, feeling so light, so full of that love, as her brother dipped her and then drew her out for an extended twirl that left her breathless.

Especially when she landed straight in Jake’s strong arms.

Chapter Six

Jake had never seen anyone more beautiful than Sophie Sullivan. If he’d been charmed by the purity of her emotions during the wedding ceremony, her reaction to her siblings’ speeches had to be the sweetest thing he’d ever witnessed.

But it was her laughter as she danced with Smith that took him over the edge, straight to a place he knew damn well not to go.

Sophie was simply irresistible. Not just because of her curves and her gorgeous face, but because of the very thing that should have had him heading as fast as he could in the opposite direction: She couldn’t even begin to know how to hide her emotions.

No other woman had ever felt this right in his arms and when the song slowed and she put her head on his shoulder, he had to pull her closer, had to breathe in her soft scent, a hint of champagne and flowers.

Jake could feel Smith’s gaze on him, hard and threatening, but in that moment Jake simply didn’t care if he was going to pay for his transgressions with Sophie. She was too warm. Too soft.

And too damn sweet for him to figure out how to let go of her, yet.

“Oh, Jake,” she whispered in his ear as they moved to the music, “this is so perfect.”

He was so attuned to the soft press of her br**sts against his chest, to the feel of her breath over his earlobe, he didn't hear the warning bell in his head until several beats had passed. He knew what he needed to do. He needed to pull away, needed to make it clear that perfect was never going to be in the cards for the two of them.

But, Lord, all he wanted was to steal a few more short moments with the first—and only—girl who’d ever looked at him with love in her eyes. He was amazed to realize that her feelings hadn’t gone away with the years. Instead, they’d grown so big that he’d felt it in her kiss, in the way she held onto him like he really was a hero, instead of typecast for the villain.

He knew better, though, and even though his gut twisted at what he was about to do, he made himself say, “You threw a great party. Got everyone wrapped up in the fantasy of happy ever after.” He put his hands on her waist and tried not to think about how good, how right, she felt against him. “But that’s all it is. Just a fantasy.”

She stiffened in his arms. Only she didn’t bite as quickly as he wished she would. “Jake, please, you don’t have to do this. I know you’re concerned about how my family would take our relationship, but—”

“We don’t have a relationship, princess. And we’re not going to.”

She blinked at his low words, her body going even stiffer against his. Still, she didn’t walk out of his arms. “I know why you’re trying to push me away, but you’re wrong. I could have never fallen for you if you weren’t worth it.”

Too late, he realized what he’d done. He’d let Sophie tell herself one lie after another about him over the years. He should have made sure she knew the truth a long time ago.

“I’ve done things that would make you physically ill,” he told her. Not just all the back-alley fights he’d been in as a teenager, but the fact that he’d had to hold a knife up against his father during a drunk beating that couldn’t have ended any other way. And then there was the secret he’d kept from everyone but her brother Zach, who would take it with him to his grave. He could never make the mistake of allowing her close enough to uncover it.