Baiting the Maid of Honor

Watching Reed, she held out a hand to Kady. “Hand me one of those lists, darlin’.”

Regan did a little dance move. “Aw, shit. Julie P on the prowl.”

Christine looked amused. Not to mention grateful for a distraction from whatever was obviously giving her fits. “Go easy on him. No one outmatches you when you’re holding a list of meaningless items.”

“Y’all are seeing things. I just need to clear something up, is all.” Julie ignored the round of snorts delivered by her friends and swayed toward Reed, trying for all the world to hide her nerves. At her unexpected approach, he narrowed his eyes, but otherwise didn’t move an inch. She lowered her voice so her friends wouldn’t overhear their conversation. “If you’re expecting a thank-you for acting as my cleanup crew, keep waiting. It won’t come. But in the spirit of goodwill I’ve decided to call us even.”

“Is that right, pixie?” He swept her head-to-toe with a blistering look. “I feel obliged to tell you goodwill is the furthest thing from my mind right now.”

Julie struggled for composure. She should turn up her nose and walk away. It’s what she’d been taught to do when a man overstepped his bounds. They’d gone way past that point, however. She couldn’t walk away just then for the life of her. “I’ve got a scavenger hunt to win. What’s on your mind is none of my concern.”

“Maybe. But you’re hoping I tell you anyway.” His attention dropped to her breasts. Julie’s face heated, somehow positive he was remembering what they’d done last night at the spring. It made her remember, too. His hands, his mouth. Things he’d said. “I’m thinking about how none of your friends over there know what I found out last night. That you’re a kinky little bad girl who likes to be creative. No one here knows. And I fucking love that I do.”

Awareness flooded Julie. As if her senses remembered what he could do for her body. The feelings he could elicit with a simple touch or a whispered dare in her ear. She forced herself to remember the crowd of people witnessing their exchange, including her friends, who didn’t often see her lose her cool. Friends who would notice immediately if she did. “Enjoy having your secret. Can I trust you to keep it?”

Reed’s eyebrows drew together, his voice dropped even lower. “Do you honestly think I would tell one single person? That the blond beauty queen goes off like a firecracker when you stroke her just right? Not a fucking chance, baby. I wouldn’t risk someone else trying to take what’s—”

“Stop it.” Julie’s face flamed hot. Her attempts to calm her pounding pulse failed. She couldn’t believe the words coming out of his mouth, even though she knew if they were in the dark, she wouldn’t be able to get enough. They weren’t in the dark, however. And if she listened to him a minute longer, she would combust in front of everyone. Everyone who thought of her as the respectable do-gooder. The planner. The maker-of-pretty. It certainly wouldn’t be pretty when she burst into flames. “You’ve made your point.”

“Haven’t even begun.”

“I say you have.”

“Your legs look goddamn incredible in that skirt.”

Her rejoinder died in her throat and came out sounding like, “Guhhhh wham.”

An uncharacteristic smile shaped his mouth. “Ah, you gotta love a bilingual girl.”

“Oh, no. You don’t get to be funny, too.”

“Too?”

“Here you go.” She shoved the scavenger hunt list into his waiting hand and tried to hide her embarrassment with a saucy look. “Think you can keep up?”

“We both know I can keep it up.”

Julie spun on a heel and rejoined her friends, sure her face had turned the color of the devil. Sophie had joined the group since Julie left and now observed the building group of wedding guests with apprehension. Absentmindedly, Julie put a calming hand on her shoulder. “Wh-what did I miss?”

They all exchanged a look. “Uh, nothing, Twitchy-Eye. We were watching you have visual intercourse with Mr. Dark and Dangerous,” Regan responded drily.

“Hush up. You saw no such thing.”

“No, she’s right.” They all turned to Sophie. “I’ve only been here a couple minutes, but it was long enough to recognize first class eye-fuckery.”

Julie started, her friends breaking into unladylike laughter around her. “Sophie, I don’t want to speak too soon, but I think you’re starting to come out of your shell.”

Sophie shrugged. “So…you and Reed?”

Christine tucked a stray red hair into her ponytail. “I thought you were gunning for the best man.”

“Logan,” Sophie clarified. “Yeah, what about that?”

“I’d love to indulge all your curiosities, but I believe we’re running late—”

“So you’re not going for Logan?” Regan asked. “Nice. Best man’s back on the market.” She flexed her fingers and winked. “Game on.”

Kady sighed dramatically. “If you ladies are finished proving what a pack of shameless hussies you are, I’d like to pass these lists out and go sit in the air-conditioned coffee shop.” She winked at the group. “Colton’s been keeping me up late.”

“Oh, who’s the shameless hussy now?”

Kady laughed, so obviously in love everyone seemed compelled to join in. “Christine, would you mind pairing up with Tyler? I know you’ve had your differences, but I’m hoping you can take this opportunity to mend fences, so to speak? I just want everyone getting along at my wedding.”

Christine clearly wanted to object, but wisely didn’t question the bride. She nodded once. “Of course. No problem. Besides, we’re fine.”

Kady shot her a skeptical look, but kept silent.

“Ooh, Kady. Do me a solid and pair me up with Logan.” Regan waggled her eyebrows at Julie, who shook her head in response. “If you hear the forest rocking, don’t come a-knocking.”

“Sorry, he’s running late. I’m sending you out with Brock.” Kady eyed Regan’s shoes. “Anyway, Logan manufactures hiking gear for a living. If he saw you attempting to traverse the woods in stilettos, he’d probably have a coronary.” She smiled at Sophie and held out two lists. “Would you wait for Logan, Soph? I don’t want him to get here and have no idea what’s going on.”

“I…uh—” Sophie blushed beet red and started to reply, but Kady simply handed her the lists and moved on to her next target.

“Julie—”

“Oh no,” Julie cut her off. “I don’t need any deadweight holding me up. No partner for me.”

She plucked a list from Kady’s hands and sailed off before anyone could protest. No way was she giving her meddling friends the chance to pair her up with Reed. And they would. No question.

But as she entered the forest to retrieve the first item, she co

uld feel brooding hazel eyes following her every step.

…

A fucking feather. The second-to-last item on Reed’s list. He hadn’t even planned on participating in this ridiculous scavenger hunt, the prize for which happened to be some souped-up, bells-and-whistles coffee machine he wouldn’t be caught dead using. An hour later, he was ready to climb a tree and pluck a feather out of a damn woodpecker just to bring him one step closer to finishing. If Julie hadn’t handed him the list with a blatant challenge in her eyes, he would have tossed it in the nearest trash can and gone for a beer. Instead, he’d chosen to see the subtle tilt of her head and pursing of her pink lips as a thrown-down gauntlet. He’d had no choice but to take it.

Reed nudged aside a pile of pine needles with his boot, finding nothing but more pine needles. Edging around the tree, he found a feather stuck in the bark, but came up short when he saw a flash of pink enter his line of vision. Julie. Shoving the feather in his pocket absentmindedly, he watched with rapt attention as she bent over, revealing those long legs to perfection in her lightweight skirt. When she straightened again, she held a pinecone in her hand as if it were a winning lottery ticket, before shoving it into her tote bag.

“What exactly does a scavenger hunt have to do with two people getting married?”

She jerked around at the sound of his voice.

“Unless, of course, we’re searching for their lost minds.”

Blue eyes narrowed on him. “You know what you are? A sourpuss.” She started to bypass him on the trail, grumbling to herself. “Out here ruining everyone’s good time. Wouldn’t know fun if it bit him on his keister.”

In a replay of the night before, he strode after her. “Maybe our idea of fun is just different. That doesn’t mean I don’t know how to have it.”

“Oh, I know your idea of fun.”