Speeding Ch. 05

She stared at her reflection in the full length mirror. Staring back at her was a bride with her chocolate hair piled on her head save for a few tendrils, a strapless satin gown hugging her curves perfectly. The small tiara in her hair sparkled with rhinestones, the diamonds in her ears were beautiful, and the necklace at her throat dripped with both diamonds and pearls. Pasting a smile on her face, she walked out of the office onto the sales floor.

She was met with a collective gasp and a few muttered words of exclamation. "You should've been a model, Kendall," Cassandra whispered as she took her place by her side.

She stood before the group of brides in the store as Cass explained about the gown and Taylor about the jewels. Kendall didn't remember agreeing to this modeling deal, but she was trying to enjoy it. As the only one of the five models who wasn't a model by trade, she was a tad self-conscious. Sure, she looked pretty damn good today, but runway ready she was not.

She smiled at the transformation of the store. Candles and tulle, flowers and food. They had convinced Ernie to bring some wedding cakes over from Delight, Carl Templeton was here with a mouthwatering array of appetizers and finger foods from Templeton's, Claire Baxter had beautiful arrangements from her florist shop, What in Carnation!, and Claire's sister Belle brought a selection of pieces from her lingerie shop, Seduction. It hadn't been difficult to convince Cass to do the show. In fact, it had been just the excuse Cass had needed to come out to Aylesford. The entire Jamieson clan had been invited to the wedding and she'd wanted to meet and personally thank Taylor before then. The added benefit of placing orders for her newly launched line was just icing on the cake.

The line, simply named Cassandra for Scott Marsden, was a hit with the Aylesford brides. Well, they weren't technically Aylesford brides. Traveling from as far as Baltimore and Washington, DC, the majority were from the neighboring cities of Tyler and Sheridan. Thirty-eight brides in total through the course of the day, the store was perpetually packed and Taylor and Cass were beside themselves. Kendall gave herself a mental pat on the back. This was her idea and she was proud if it.

After the soiree- Kendall stifled a giggle every time Taylor used the word- she changed out of the amazing dress and jewels and joined Taylor, Cass, Claire and Belle at Templeton's to celebrate a successful day. Taylor had sold so much more than wedding bands, and the earrings that Kendall had worn had ended up in a bidding war between two women who just had to have them- no, not a copy- that exact pair. It had been almost comical watching the two fight over a pair of earrings that could be so easily duplicated. Cassandra had written seven gown orders. Kendall had been disappointed, thinking seven out of thirty-eight was a small percentage, but Cass was giddy. Seven dresses at an average of six thousand dollars a piece was huge.

"Did you say six thousand dollars? For a dress you'll wear once and then put away?" Kendall didn't mean to insult Cass, but damn.

"You need to watch more television, Ken," Claire put in.

"No kidding. I just wish my gowns were at Kleinfelds," Cass agreed.

"TV? Kleinfeld's? What are you talking about?" Kendall was more than a little lost.

"'Say Yes to the Dress' on TLC," Belle offered.

"Still. Six thousand bucks..."

"The dress you wore today was over ten."

And it had been gorgeous. So much so that she almost thought about asking Cass about it, hoping she might need it someday. "Holy shit. I mean, that gown was... breathtaking, but that's an awful lot of money."

"My point exactly. Your idea was perfect. The women who wear Taylor's designs are the same women who would wear a gown that's ten thousand dollars. It was a brilliant idea." Cass was animated. "I sold seven gowns for a total just north of forty-thousand thousand dollars."

"Holy fucking shit!" Claire exclaimed quietly.

"I know!" agreed Belle.

"No, not that. I mean, that's amazing, but look," she said pointing toward the bar, "Owen's here."

"And this is a problem, why? He's hot." Belle had a puzzled look on her face.

"He comes in the shop every day," Claire argued.

"Ok...." Taylor had to jump in. "You do realize he's a piece of eye-candy, right?"

"He's buying flowers for a different woman everyday. Doesn't that say something about him? He's a player," Claire argued.

"So, play!" Kendall suggested before taking another sip of her wine. "You never know what's going on there, maybe he's just buying flowers to see you."

"Right," Claire scoffed. Then she sputtered with laughter as she said, "If I married him, I'd be Claire Sinclair!"

"I like how you jumped from saying he's a player to thinking of your married name," Belle remarked, her tone as dry as toast.

Claire drained her glass and eyed her companions. "Fine, then. I'm going over there." As she made the declaration, she stood up, adjusted her dress to show her curvy figure to its best potential, tossed her long, dark hair over shoulder, and sauntered toward the bar.

Kendall, Taylor, Cass and Belle watched as Claire presented her admittedly tipsy self to the sexy cabinet-maker, meeting absolutely no resistance when she touched and talked to him. Deciding she could take care of herself, they turned their attention to one another, relishing the girl talk. Kendall loved having girlfriends. She'd lost touch with her high school friends when she went to school, and when she'd returned to Aylesford, most were elsewhere. Taylor had readily added her to her social circle, and having friends like Claire and Belle was never dull.

Much later, the four of them called it a night, leaving Claire to her own devices. Leaving a friend with a man she'd been panting over for months was never a bad idea. Besides, as Belle had pointed out, Claire was a big girl and none of them- especially Belle- was her keeper. Taylor was quick to note Owen was her brother Walker's best friend and wasn't necessarily the man-whore Claire made him out to be.

"You have fun with the girls?" Reid asked as Kendall crawled into bed in the wee hours of the morning.

He felt her grin against his neck as she snuggled into him. "It was fun. I was the most gorgeous bride too. You should've seen me."

The image of him waiting for her as she walked down the aisle popped into his head. He made the conscious decision not to follow that train of thought with a delightfully half-drunk, naked woman in his bed. "I'm sure you looked amazing. You always look amazing," he told her as he rolled over, trapping her beneath him as he did. "You are the most beautiful woman in the world."

"Am not," she argued as she kissed him. "There were four real models there. I swear one could've been Scarlett Johansson's sister." She kissed him again, longer and more forcefully this time, sweeping her tongue into his mouth.

"You liked that pretty blonde, huh, baby?" he asked as he kissed his way down her body. "Did you think naughty thoughts when you were changing together in the back room?" He was kissing and licking between words, ending right above where she wanted him. "Are you wet?" he asked as she slid a finger into her, finding her more than ready. "Do you want my mouth?" At her approving moan, he teased her by lapping all around her clit, but never touching it. Before long she was thrashing and begging for him to take her. "You want cock, baby? Your blonde got you hot, but you want cock?'

"Oh, god, Reid. I always want you," she panted.

Getting the answer he wanted, he finally sucked her clit into his mouth, setting off an intense orgasm. He slid up her body and thrust into her as she was still shaking. "Take my cock, baby. Take it all." He slammed into her, finding himself almost as jealous as he was turned on by her noticing a model. "Look all you want, baby, but you're mine." He punctuated his words with powerful thrusts, moving her up the bed and knocking the headboard against the wall.

"Always," she breathlessly agreed as he took her over the edge again.

~*~

Kendall flicked a glance up from her computer screen to greet the newcomer to the store. "Good morning, welcome to Taylored Jewels."

"Really? That's how you're gonna greet me?"

At the brittle tone, Kendall turned to face her client, ready to fall all over herself. As she looked up, she stifled a shudder as she pasted on a smile. "Nichole. How are you doing?"

"How do you think? I am over being pregnant."

Why did everyone keep coming to the store to find her? "What can I do for you?"

"It's your brother. I need your help."

"You... Need my help?" Why would her conniving sister-in-law need her help? Nothing good could come of this.

"I'm worried about Kyle."

"Why?" Kendall asked, brows drawn together.

"He's working all the time and I never see him. Carter reassigned me when he found out about our relationship, so I almost never see him at work anymore and now I barely see him at home. I'm worried."

Um, you're having a baby, Nic. "Do you think he might be working extra because he's worried about supporting your family?"

"No," she replied with a vigorous shake of her blonde head, "I just assumed."

"Assumed, what, exactly?"

"Now that I was fat, he didn't want me."

Nichole McClaren was insecure. She almost, almost felt sorry for her. "You know I wasn't happy when you forced him into marrying you, but for some reason he loves you. Talk to him."

"I didn't force him," Nichole spat, turned-up nose high in the air.

"Fine. Trapped him. Whatever. The term is immaterial, what's done is done. You and I have to live with each other forever, and if the only time you bother speaking to me is to insult me or ask idiotic questions, I think we'll have a problem."

"Idiotic questions? Well, I never-"

"Look, Nichole, if you have a problem with your marriage to my brother, take it up with him. I barely speak to him as it is, and we have a tenuous truce with one another. He agreed to treat me as an adult and I agreed to let him live his life. Apparently, you are important to him, and he loves you. So, oh, I don't know, why don't you ask him what's up? I mean, he's your husband and all."

"You've known him your whole life, yet you have no advice for me?"

"My advice is to talk." At Nichole's uplifted eyebrows, she shook her head and added, "Talk to your damn husband. Now, unless you need a piece of jewelry, I suggest you waddle on home."

The tears were completely unexpected. Why was Nichole weeping at the counter? "Um... Nichole?"

"Waddle? See, I am horribly fat."

Her mascara was running down her face, melting the perfect mask of makeup Kendall had never seen her without. "You're due in three weeks. Waddling is expected at this time."

The weeping just kept on. Well, shit. Instead of laughing like she really wanted to, Kendall picked up her phone and called her brother. Kyle agreed to pick his mess of a bride up and take her home. He arrived barely ten minutes later, bundling his wife into what had been Kendall's car a little more than six months ago.

When the cut glass door finally closed, she let herself laugh for ten full minutes. Perhaps she should've pushed for family dinners. She wanted ringside seats to Little Miss Perfect's demise. It might be a touch evil, but considering the circumstances, she thought she deserved a pass. It wasn't that long ago she was being dressed down for her antics and kicked out of her own home. Watching Nichole turn into a hot mess was just plain funny.

~*~

Kendall was roused from a deep sleep by the "Jaws" theme. She had chosen the familiar tune for Kyle after absentmindedly answering his call the day he announced his marriage and Nichole's pregnancy. Having it wake her up at 2:27 meant only one thing- baby Jacob was making his way into the world.

Jostling Reid awake, they made it to Aylesford Memorial Hospital in twenty minutes.

"So, you woke me up in the middle of the night and made me drive to the hospital so we could sit in uncomfortable chairs and wait for hours?" Reid was stretched across three of those chairs and none too comfortable. "Why couldn't Kyle just call once Jacob was born?"

"I'm trying to be supportive, here," Kendall replied softly. "I want to know my nephew, and I want you to know him too."

"About that," Reid began just to be cut off by Kyle bounding into the waiting room.

"He's here!" Kyle looked worn out but ecstatic. "Eight pounds, four ounces, twenty-one inches long and a full head of blond hair."

"How did such a small woman carry such a big baby?" Kendall wondered aloud.

"Beats me. But he's perfect."

"Of course he is," Kendall returned with a smile. "Can we see him?"

Kyle led the way, filing into Nichole's private room at the birthing center. Inside, an exhausted Nichole was holding her new son, a look of awe etched in her attractive features. Kyle scooped him up and deposited the precious cargo into Kendall's waiting arms.

She hadn't even realized she'd been holding her arms out, but when Kyle placed the surprisingly heavy bundle of her nephew in her arms, she snuggled him close. No matter the animosity between herself and his parents, she vowed to Jacob to always be there for him. She would be his only aunt and she would always treat him with love.

Reid watched as Kendall held Jacob, and his chest tightened. He had been about to propose in the waiting room at just after dawn. Seeing her with a newborn, he knew he wanted her to be holding their child one day and he didn't want to half-ass it. She deserved the fluff of a romantic proposal, and she would get one.

~*~

"I can't believe how small he is," Kendall gushed. "I know Belle said babies look like old men, but Jacob is beautiful."

Taylor giggled at Kendall's obsession. "Um, Ken, do you want to have a baby?"

"Of course I do. I mean, not this minute or anything, but yeah. I'd like to get married first though, and not because I was preggers." She made a face with that declaration.

"What does Reid think of all this?"

"I think he had a harder time sharing space with Kyle and Nichole than the baby, actually. He looked so cute, all big and tough holding a tiny baby." She sighed dreamily. "I don't want to have a baby for a while, though."

"With Reid."

Kendall blushed. "I've thought about it more than I'd like to admit. I love him, Taylor. Till death do us part love him." She looked at the floor then. "It's scary."

"He won't get hurt in Aylesford."

"Right, and no one would try to rape me on the floor over there either." Her lips compressed in hard line. "I know Aylesford isn't New York or LA, but I still worry. I guess I'll always worry."

Taylor nodded. "I have a feeling you will." She stood, pacing the shop. "What do you think of Kevin?"

Kendall blinked. "That was abrupt."

Taylor shrugged. "Whatever. So, what do you think?"

She tilted her head for a second. "He's good-looking, rich. I'd assume he's smart since he's an attorney." At Taylor's questioning look, she asked, "what was the right answer?"

"He wants me to go away with him this weekend."

"O...kay... I'm not sure why this is a problem."

Taylor shrugged again. "Going away for the weekend seems so... Oh, I don't know, girlfriend-ish."

"Um, haven't you been dating him since Kyle's wedding?"

"Kinda. Yeah." The pretty redhead looked deflated.

"Six months?"

"Has it been that long?"

"Baby was just born, so yeah." She took her best friend's hands in hers. "What's the problem?"

"Casual. It was supposed to be casual. Light, ya know? Sex, friendship, that's all."

"And now?"

"I think he's gonna propose."

Kendall's mouth dropped open. "Wh...What?"

"His parents like me, but absolutely love who I am." She pulled her hands free of Kendall's and began to pace again. "The sex is good. Not blow my socks off good, but good. And necessary- it had been so long. But, if anyone should be getting engaged it's you. You are in love with Reid and he would die for you. Me, well, I don't love Kevin."

"Shit. Does he love you?"

"No. He might love who I am, or the idea of me, but nah, he doesn't love me."

"Are you sure?"

"Dammit. How did I get myself into this?"

"You're just too gorgeous for your own good. He can't help it," Kendall said with a giggle. Sobering, she asked, "what are you going to do?"

"Make him break up with me."

Kendall made a face. "No. I see the wheels turning in that red head of yours. You are not going to cheat on him to make him break up with you. You are going to call him right now and tell him you want to see other people."

"You know me a little too well."

"Call him. Tell him you want to see other people and he should too. Then go out and find someone else to sleep with if you need to, but do not cheat. Just....Don't."

"All righty then, Miss Vehement-pants."

"You know me."

"I do. And I love you."

"I love you too. Now, go break up."