The Paid Bridesmaid(75)

“Do you know that I haven’t been able to think about anything else besides you today? I was out there digging through sand and spent my time imagining being with you. Talking to you. Hearing about your day. Touching you, holding you, kissing you. I don’t remember ever feeling this way before.”

His words made me catch my breath. My heart flittered with excitement and happiness, but guilt swirled in my gut, too. There were secrets we had to share first and, more importantly, wedding crashers we had to stop. “Which one is Lilith?”

If he was put off by me not responding to his words, he didn’t show it. He quickly kissed my neck, released me, and scanned the area. “Over there. Talking on her phone. Speak of the devil, and she appears.”

“Do you think she’s calling Dan?” I asked as we walked in her direction. I took out my phone, texting Samuel, the concierge, and asking him to meet us with some security.

“He blocked her a long time ago, so I doubt it.”

Lilith was a tiny woman, and I had honestly expected her to look like Sadie, but she was dark-haired and dark-eyed and sporting a serious scowl. She hung up her phone when she saw us approaching.

“Camden! Are you surprised to see me?” There was so much venom in her supposedly nice words that if he wasn’t feeling surprise, I certainly was.

“I didn’t say Bloody Mary three times, so yes.”

She narrowed her eyes at him. “I want to speak to Dan and I’m not leaving until the two of us talk.”

“That’s not going to happen,” I said and she transferred her reptilian stare to me.

“And who is this? Your flavor of the month?”

I knew her words were designed to hurt and intimidate, and I had to admit that it worked. Because I was immediately wondering how many women Camden had dated. He said he never got serious. The sweet stuff he’d just said to me—was that the kind of thing he said to everyone he went out with?

“I’m the maid of honor,” I said, determined not to let her get under my skin. “And you’re not welcome here.”

“Sadie’s friend,” she muttered, and then immediately dismissed me, turning her whole body toward Camden. “Go get Dan.”

It was a good thing that everybody had been concerned with Sadie’s overexuberant fans trying to sneak into her wedding and that there was security in place, because only Irene had correctly anticipated that Lilith might try to do something like this.

“No,” Camden replied. “You need to leave.”

Lilith crossed her arms. “Things have changed and Dan needs to know that. I do want to have a family with him. Once he finds out, he’s going to dump that . . . thirsty, ridiculous excuse for a woman and come running back to me.”

I was about to protest on Sadie’s behalf, but Camden was too busy laughing. “Do you really think that? He’s in love with Sadie. He’s totally devoted to her.”

This was not what she wanted to hear. “He’ll leave her when he finds out I’m pregnant.” She put her hands against her stomach.

A jittery surge of adrenaline slammed into me and I actually panicked. Pregnant? Sadie was going to die.

Thankfully, Camden was there to save the day. “Dan hasn’t seen you in two years. So unless you’re a whale or an elephant, there’s no way you’re pregnant with his baby.”

Now that my fear was subsiding, it was easy to see that this had been her final card to play, her last-ditch attempt at forcing an audience with Dan. I was so glad that Camden was there with me.

“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” she hissed. “I’m not leaving. I’m a guest at this hotel and I have every right to be here. Dan and I are meant to be.”

“The only thing you and Dan are meant to be is over,” Camden retorted.

The concierge finally arrived, and he’d brought one of the security guards. “Is there a problem here?”

I pointed over at Lilith. “This is the groom’s ex-girlfriend and she’s trying to crash the wedding. We’d like her to leave.”

“You can’t make me,” she insisted. “I’m a guest.”

I turned to Samuel. “Your hotel is depending on positive publicity from this event. I think the last thing you want is some rogue guest ruining the festivities.”

He nodded. “You’re right.” He turned to Lilith and addressed her. “Kai here will escort you back to your room while you pack up your belongings. We will help you find another hotel to stay at.”

Lilith crossed her arms again, making it clear the security guard was probably going to have to pick her up to get her to move. “I don’t think so.”

“Given that she’s trespassing, you could call the proper authorities,” I offered.

That seemed to sink in and she glared at me. “Fine.” She spat out the word. “But you can’t hide him from me for forever.”

I didn’t need to hide Dan for forever. Just for the next few hours. Then Lilith would be free to try casting a spell or sacrificing a goat or whatever it was that she did for fun.

She gave us one final glare and marched away with Kai following close behind. I let out a sigh of relief and thanked Samuel for his assistance.

I hugged Camden. “I’m so glad you were here. I mean, I would have handled it on my own, but having you here with me made it so much easier.”