Runaway Groom (I Do, I Don't 2)

“Maria’s pregnant,” she says plainly. “The baby’s her ex’s, but he’s not in the picture. She’s planning to pass the kid off as yours.”

I give an incredulous laugh. “That’s absurd. Has she never heard of paternity tests?”

“I don’t think she’s really thought past the scandal of it all. You could sort it out eventually, but she’s counting on getting you down the aisle first.”

I drag a hand over my face. “And here I thought I’d successfully dodged being part of the soap opera scene. She told you this?”

“Yeah.” Ellie crossed her arms. “She mentioned it this morning when she was warning me away from you. Told me I didn’t stand a chance against what she had planned. Didn’t take much coaxing to get her to brag about the whole tacky plan.”

I let out a short laugh. “Bet she’s freaking out that you and I are alone right now.”

“Yeah, you should have seen the death glare she gave me as we were leaving. It’s going to be very thorny if we both stick around.”

“Not if one of you goes home, though.”

“No,” she confirms, lifting a hand to slide her glasses back onto her face.

I reach out and push the glasses back up, wanting to see her eyes. “Ellie—”

“I know,” she says with a little sigh. “Maria needs to go.”

“Tonight,” I say. “Before she has a chance to carry out her seduction plan.”

Ellie shrugs. “I get it.”

“Do you?” I step closer. “Or is this only going to reaffirm every negative thought you have about Hollywood?”

“Maybe the fact that Maria’s being sent home rather than allowed to play tacky games makes me have a little more respect for…Hollywood.”

I smile, and it feels like my first real one all day. Before I can think better of it, I slip a hand behind her neck, noting the way her breath skips before she seems to force her expression into nonchalance.

“Really?” she says dryly. “I do you one tiny favor and you think I wa

nt to make out with you? And you are sending me home tomorrow, right?”

I lift my eyebrows. “Who said anything about making out?” And I deliberately dodge the question about sending her home after Maria’s gone.

“Again, I’ve seen the Killboy movies, where you seduce anything with boobs. I know your pre-kiss moves, Barrett.”

I smile wider, enjoying her. Enjoying us. “Well, here’s the thing. The producers are on my ass about the fact that I haven’t kissed any of the contestants yet.”

“Huh. Well, you’d better get on that,” she says huskily.

I step closer, my head dipping toward her. “Yeah?”

“Yeah. But Hollywood…?” Ellie says on a whisper as her eyes flick up to mine, and now it’s my breath that catches, because for all her T-shirts and straight talk, Ellie Wright can be alluring as hell when she wants to be.

“Hmm?” I ask, already fantasizing about what she’ll taste like.

She lifts herself on tiptoe until her mouth is inches from mine, her hand rising to my cheek…which she gives a sisterly pat before slipping away. “You really should save it for the camera,” she calls over her shoulder as she heads back toward the car. “And one of the other girls.”

I don’t want any of the other girls.

The thought hits me hard, but there it is…an inconvenient truth if there ever was one.

I rock back on my heels as I watch Ellie walk away. I’ll let her go. For now. Because while kissing Ellie Wright on the beach sounds like a little slice of heaven, I’ve got something even better planned.

Invitation Ceremony #2