He wouldn’t have recognized her if it hadn’t been for her wicked wink as four girls gasped and stared at her in pure wonder.
Her throaty voice hit the room with command. “Whose birthday is it today?”
Becca moved forward. Her turquoise gown swished around her ankles, and her hair glittered in the light, due to some heavy-handed sparkles. Tristan bet they’d never wash out. His suit had been unsalvageable from the pink sparkle incident, and it had been one of his favorites. “It’s mine,” Becca squeaked.
Staying in character, Raven lifted the scepter, her face carved in the arrogant lines of a true queen. “I’ve come to bestow a special gift on the princess. Please kneel.”
Mouth open, Becca knelt on the floor and bowed her head. The audience tittered and giggled in excitement. Sydney was grinning and videotaping the whole thing.
Raven lowered her scepter and touched the top of Becca’s head lightly. “I offer you the gift of wisdom, to decipher between good and evil. I also offer the power of bravery, to face the darkness and rise above, to be the guiding light to others and yourself. Do you accept these gifts, princess?”
“Damn, she’s good,” Cal whispered.
Dalton looked dazed, as if he’d been hit over the head with a blunt object. Tristan pressed his lips together to keep from laughing.
“I accept them,” Becca said reverently.
Raven urged her to rise and kissed both of her cheeks. “Happy birthday, Rebecca Seymour.”
The girl’s smile was pure sunshine. Tristan’s heart did a weird little flip-flop. “Thank you, Raven—er, Maleficent!”
The girls flocked around, touching her gown, chattering nonstop, while his brothers took in the scene. Cal cleared his throat. “I don’t know about you, but I had no idea grown women who dress up as princesses were hot as hell.”
Dalton shook his head as if trying to clear it. “My woman is a complete sexpot,” he declared. “And if we disappear later, don’t look for us. If you do, I’ll beat your asses.”
“Same here,” Cal shot back. Morgan was dressed in a blinding-white dress, supposedly someone from the movie Frozen. With her blond hair, pink lips, and a silver tiara, she looked like some type of icy queen. “Do you know how bad I want to get her dirty?”
Tristan groaned. “We’re at a kid’s birthday party, dudes. Get your minds out of the damn gutter.”
“Sorry,” Cal said. “Course I saw the way you looked at Sydney. Seems like you want to be her beast, man. Bad.”
“You’re sick.”
Cal and Dalton hooted with laughter. Tristan shook his head but had to take the jabs. Because they were right.
He sucked at his princess knowledge; all he knew was her gorgeous yellow dress was cut low in the front, nipped in at the waist, and spilled to the ground in satin glory. The thin material hugged and emphasized every curve. Her gorgeous hair seemed lit with flame, and she’d put some gold sparkles over her skin, which made him desperate to find every single one.
With his tongue.
God, she turned him on. And since their talk last night, his arousal was mixed with a craving to go deeper, exploring every facet of her that had been hidden these past years. It was sex and need and hunger and tenderness all rolled into one. It was glorious and sucky and scary as hell.
But he was gonna own his shit this time around.
This time, he wasn’t going anywhere.
Sydney drifted over, turning off the videotape. “And that is why I still have a girl crush on Raven,” she said with a grin. “I could never pull that off. She’s such a badass.”
“You’re not supposed to. That’s what cool aunts are for.” He ran a finger down her soft cheek, catching a few sparkles with his thumb. “You’re the one who pulled this entire party together. The one in the background who makes sure your daughter gets everything she needs without any thank-yous. You, Sydney Greene-Seymour, have a whole lot of badass in you.”
She blinked, obviously startled. Cal and Dalton tittered like teenagers, clearly enjoying the show, but Tristan didn’t care. He was making a big move, and being subtle wasn’t the way to do it. He intended to claim her on all levels, and it began with his own family. No more hiding or sneaking around. He wanted their relationship in the full light of day.
“Thank you.” He ached to kiss the blush from her face. “That was one of the nicest things anyone ever said to me.”
Their gazes locked. Her jade eyes filled with emotion, but something dark still flickered there, as if an innate fear that hadn’t been spoken was still lodged between them. He figured that with patience he’d be able to get her to trust him again.
Morgan joined Cal, slipping her arms around his waist and leaning in. “Tristan, I just swooned. That was so . . . romantic.”
Cal scowled, possessively curling his arm around her waist. “He’s just trying to get her into bed.”
Morgan gasped. “Cal! There are children here!”
Dalton burst out laughing. “This is awesome. Usually I’m the one getting the crap.”
Cal growled. “They’re all huddled around the witch and can’t hear me. I give you romance.” He paused. “Right?”
She softened, reaching up to push back his mussed hair. “Every day,” she said.
The caveman seemed satisfied and shot Tristan a look as if saying beat that. His brother was certifiably nuts about his fiancée. If it weren’t so damn cute, Tristan would torture him endlessly.
The bell interrupted them, announcing the arrival of pizza. The next hours passed in a blur of princess games, endless eating, and a dance party that rivaled nothing he’d ever seen.
Though watching Sydney shimmy and shake to the beat of “Let It Go” was pretty hot.
When the three-tiered pink-frosted cake came out, and they all sang “Happy Birthday,” he had to admit he got a little emotional. He had no idea why, unless it was the joy on Becca’s face, and the way she looked at her mother, surrounded by friends and family.
It was probably all the estrogen in the room beginning to affect him.
Becca opened her presents the way she seemed to attack life: no-holds-barred. Pieces of wrapping paper scattered the floor as each new prize was revealed, and she gushed over each one, making each giver feel special. When she came to his, he shifted in his seat, wondering if he should take a break to get some air.
“This one’s from Tristan,” Becca read from the envelope. She looked up and smiled, and he sat back down, deciding to wait it out. It wasn’t big or gaily wrapped, just a simple card with a pink bow stuck on it. She probably wouldn’t even like it, but he knew she’d be polite anyway. He should’ve stuck with a doll or stuffed animal. Those always went over big with kids.
She pulled out the card and studied it. Slowly her expression changed from confusion to amazement to delight. With a whoop, she jumped up, waving her hands in the air like she’d won the lottery.
“It’s horseback-riding lessons!” she screamed. “I’m going to ride a real horse!”
Her friends shared respectful glances, and he puffed up a bit. Guess he’d scored after all.
“Thank you, Tristan!” She flew across the room and jumped into his arms for a big hug. He caught her just in time, hugging back, the scent of coconut drifting from her glittery hair. A surge of fierce protectiveness took him in its grip. He didn’t know where it came from or what it meant.
When she bounced back to her friends, his gaze met and held Sydney’s. He hoped it was okay with her, since he hadn’t vetted the present. Uh-oh, maybe he’d screwed up. Maybe riding a horse at her age was a bad idea?
“Excuse me,” Sydney whispered, getting to her feet and leaving the room. Tristan quickly followed her out to the front porch.
She gripped the handrails, staring out at the woods. He moved up behind her and rested his hands gently on her shoulders.
“Are you okay, sweetheart? It’s not like I got her an actual horse.”
His halfhearted attempt to make her laugh failed. Frowning, he noticed her whole body trembled, so he pulled her back and wrapped his arms around her for warmth.