“Nick has been a part of our family since that first weekend at the farm. Of course, we all know John should be the one making this speech since he and Nick were each other’s best men from the time they were eighteen. They stood by each other through life’s ups and downs, and when John was taken from us so suddenly, Nick stood by my wife and me through the darkest days of our lives.”

Sam leaned into Nick and tightened her grip on his hand.

“When Nick honored me by asking me to be his best man, I tried to think of what John would’ve said today. I decided he probably would’ve told a few off-color jokes and stories we’d all be better off not hearing.”

Nick looked over at his staffers, gathered at three tables, and saw Christina dabbing at her eyes even as she laughed. She’d carried a quiet torch for John for years before he was killed.

“But the most important thing John would’ve said is that he loved you like a brother, Nick. We all love you, and the O’Connors are delighted to welcome Sam into our hearts and our family. I have no doubt she’ll take very good care of our Nick. We wish you both a lifetime of the love and joy we’ve all experienced here today.” He held up his champagne flute. “To Nick and Sam.”

Nick held up his glass to the man he loved like a father and then toasted his bride. “I’ll drink to that,” he said as he kissed her.

“Hear, hear,” she said. “Now, let’s dance our asses off.”

Freddie held Elin as close as he dared in a room full of colleagues and superior officers. As they moved as one on the crowded dance floor, all he could think about was getting out of there and being alone with her. It’d been many weeks since they’d last spent a night together, and he hoped he wasn’t getting ahead of himself by planning to spend tonight with her. She’d never mentioned sleeping with him when she agreed to go to the wedding.

She had her arms around him, inside his suit coat, and her hands were warm against his back. Despite his best efforts to contain his raging libido, she had him rock-hard and ready with just the brush of her lips against the sensitive skin on his neck.

Freddie slid his hand down her back to better align her with his erection.

“No need to ask what you’re thinking about,” she said in a teasing tone.

He released a nervous laugh. “Not doing much thinking at the moment.”

“That’s not true. You’re always thinking.”

“Which has kind of been our problem, right?”

“You said it, not me.”