Baiting the Maid of Honor

“Oh, look! There’s my hot chunk of man love now.” Kady grimaced. “Sorry, Sophie.”

Sophie waved off the apology. “This champagne is definitely softening the blow of hearing you objectify my brother.”

“Aw, you’re a good sport,” Kady said, edging around the table and taking off toward her future husband with open arms, slightly unsteady in her high heels. “Come to mama!”

Her friend’s obvious joy easing her unsettled mood, Julie reached for the bottle of champagne, but her hand froze before she could make contact.

No, it couldn’t be. The tall, broody shadow lurker from the patio had just joined the group of groomsmen. He was the last-minute addition to the wedding party? Quickly, she called to mind the frantic research she’d done on Colton’s childhood friend. Reed Lawson, thirty-one. Also known as the gigantic pain in her backside who’d sent her scrambling when he’d agreed to attend the festivities in the eleventh hour. An Atlanta-based SWAT team commander.

Atlanta. The same city she lived in. What were the odds of a chance encounter in the darkness so far from their mutual hometown?

As Colton, the groom, pulled him into a manly, back-slapping embrace, Reed looked over at her and winked.

Chapter Three

With Kady out of earshot, Regan leaned forward in her seat. “All right, tell me about these groomsmen so I can decide on the lucky one who gets to see me naked.”

Julie was still recovering from her shock over Reed Lawson and the shadow lurker being one and the same, yet somehow her immediate, anxious internal answer to Regan’s question was not him. For the second time in one evening, she frowned. That reaction simply wouldn’t do. Somehow, after exchanging only a handful of words, he’d found a way to get under her skin, and she wanted him gone. Julie didn’t date too often—she simply didn’t have the time between work and being a veritable errand girl for her parents—but on the rare occasion she enjoyed the company of a man, manners were minded. Compliments were paid. Frowns never entered the equation.

At once, she could feel a familiar warm tingle at the back of her neck. The same tingle she’d felt on the patio when he approached her from behind. Was he watching her again? It bothered her that she should have such mindfulness for someone she didn’t like. She needed to do something about it before it went any further.

“I’m in.” She blurted the words, ignoring Christine’s surprised and slightly panicked look. “We’re on vacation, right? I want to be seen naked, too.”

Regan rubbed her hands together. “Things just got interesting.”

Julie carefully set her champagne flute down on the glass tabletop. Attempting a casual pose, she draped her arm over the back of her chair and turned slightly to view the men.

Her eyes locked with his. And held.

“Looks like Julie’s made her pick.” Regan laughed while topping off her drink. “You sure about that one? He is tall, troubled, and dangerously sexy. Not your usual type.” She tilted her head. “Although maybe he’s exactly what you need.”

Christine cleared her throat, casting a quick glance over her shoulder. “I agree. He’s definitely the one you should pick, Julie. So that’s settled, right? I vote for a topic change.”

Regan and Julie exchanged concerned glances over Christine’s odd behavior. It wasn’t like level-headed, career-focused Christine to become flustered. “No. It’s not settled.” Julie quickly scanned the group of men, her gaze landing on a smiling black-haired gentleman with a strapping, athletic build. Based on her painstaking research into the bridal party prior to the wedding, she pegged him as Colton’s best man, Logan. He possessed an easy charm, unlike the unapproachable vibe brooding Reed gave off. Stop thinking about him. “That one. Logan. Best man, so he’s obviously trustworthy. I’ll take him.” To her right, Sophie choked on her sip of champagne. Julie reached over and patted her on the back. “All right, darlin’?”

“Never better.”

Julie started to press, but Regan diverted her attention with an observation of Logan. “Driven, successful, total package. I can see why you’d want to go there. Wish I’d called dibs first, actually.”

“You guys aren’t really picking out conquests, right?” Christine asked, her cheeks flushed. “Can’t we just have a fun, relaxing girls’ weekend?”

“If you had the equipment, I’d consider it.” Regan sipped her drink, eyes narrowing on the remaining choices. “All right, I’m staying away from Mister Danger. Julie’s got her sights set on the best man.” She hummed in her throat. “That leaves me with Kady’s big bro. I’ve always found him to be the sweet, strong, silent type.”

“I don’t think he’s sweet at all,” Christine snapped, then flushed.

“In that case, I’m definitely going with Tyler,” Regan said. “I think he’s got a certain je ne sais quoi. Sophie? You getting in on this?”

Sophie shook her head furiously, short brown bob brushing her chin. “As much as I love a good dare, count me out. The last thing my brother needs at his wedding is his little sister bagging the best man…or, I mean, any of his other best friends. Logan is only one option…”

Julie and Regan exchanged a glance. Alrighty then. Julie tipped her chin toward the remaining tan, broad-shouldered man currently laughing loud enough to draw the attention of the entire restaurant. She did a quick mental tally of the groomsmen. “Brock McNeill. Vice president of his family business. Based in Nashville.”

Sophie smiled, seeming to relax into her seat. “I haven’t seen Brock in years. Along with Reed, aka Mister Danger, he grew up in Manchester, where Colton and I spent our summers in Tennessee. The three of them have been friends since I can remember.”

Reed. The name really did fit him perfectly. Why that bothered her so much, she couldn’t fathom. When she’d begun gathering information on the bridal party, he’d been the sole question mark; his name hadn’t even been provided on Kady and Colton’s guest list. Possible groomsman. She hadn’t bothered checking into him. Who decides to join a bridal party at the last minute? “So you must know an awful lot about them. What are they like?” She fluttered her hands. “Just a little something to help Regan choose between Tyler and Brock.” Not because I want to know more about Reed.

Sophie crossed her arms over her middle and spoke hesitantly. “One summer I caught them out by the lake reading a Hustler magazine. Brock likes women with breasts the size of flotation devices. Reed…harder to tell with him, but he tended toward brunettes.”

Julie set down her glass a little harder than intended. “Fine.”

“Fine, what?” Regan asked.

“Fine…make your choice. Bachelor one or two?”

Avoiding Reed’s steady gaze, Julie took a good look at Brock, already knowing Tyler well enough from her years of friendship with Kady. She tipped her chin toward Brock. “That there, Regan, is a Southern boy. I don’t even need to hear him say two words. And as my Aunt Sylvie would say, Southern boys are slicker than pig snot on a radiator.”

Sophie grimaced. “My God. How would pig snot get on a radiator in the first place?”

“I don’t know, but the expression had to originate somewhere.”

Regan nodded. “I think you’re right about Brock. He’s got ‘arrogant playboy’ written all…oh my God. He’s staring at my boobs!”

Julie saluted with her glass. “Southern boys.”

Christine abruptly pushed her chair back, looking paler than before. “I-I need some air. I can’t breathe in here.”

Regan tried to st Christine with a hand on her arm. “How much did you drink?”

“Apparently not enough,” Christine responded. She and Regan had a hushed, heated conversation before Regan let her go. Christine made a beeline for the exit.

Concerned over her friend’s abrupt departure, Julie stood to go after, but was stayed by Kady’s sudden reappearance. “Girls, come on over and meet the groomsmen. Hands off the groom himself, but otherwise it’s open season.”

Chapter

Four

Reed watched his little blond pixie shake hands with Logan, the best man he’d met a little over an hour ago. He’d seemed a decent sort, but Reed suddenly couldn’t stand the sight of him. Not with the way she looked up at him, a flirtatious smile playing at the edges of her lips. She, being the one who’d been putting him through an excruciating round of torture ever since she let him pull her hair out on the patio, forcing a sexy-as-hell sob from her delicious-looking mouth. Now her smooth, mile-long legs were on display for every male in the vicinity to ogle and fantasize about. It wasn’t working for him.

He’d been dreading the idea of this loud party. Making small talk with people he’d likely never see again once this week ended. He’d even considered heading back to his room and waiting for a less formal event to make his entrance. The last thing he’d expected was a blond bombshell to moan her way into his head, making him hard as a rock in the process.

She’d run away from him too soon, disappearing before he could ask her…what exactly? If she’d be willing to hike that dress a little higher and let him see how long those legs went on for? He’d love to ask her that question. Just to see if she’d give him that same sexy pout she’d intended as a set-down outside. The one that turned him on like hell instead.