Baiting the Maid of Honor (Wedding Dare #2)(16)

When Julie realized she hadn’t spoken once since Reed’s entrance, she shook herself from her fevered thoughts, ignoring the look of amusement on Reed’s face. “What are you carrying?”

“Your dinner.”

“Pardon?” She slipped her heels back on. “I already ate dinner.” Hadn’t she?

“No. You didn’t. Believe me.” He kicked out a chair with his foot, indicating that she should sit. “How can you eat when you never stop talking?”

Julie shoved the chair back under the table. “As opposed to you, who wouldn’t say two words if somebody was on fire.”

“I’m talking to you right now.”

“It must be my lucky day.”

“All right, fine. You leave me no choice but to play hardball.” He kicked the chair out once more. “Back home, when someone goes to the trouble of making you a meal, what is the polite thing to do?”

She gasped.

Reed shook his head. “Where are your manners, pixie?”

Julie sat with a scowl. “Probably poisoned it,” she grumbled.

He set the tray down on the table in front of her and lifted lids off three dishes, aromatic steam curling from braised short ribs, honey-glazed salmon, and a side of julienned carrots. Julie’s head spun as hunger assailed her, her stomach growling as if it suddenly realized she hadn’t eaten since breakfast. She watched as Reed grabbed the fork and took one bite from each plate, raising an eyebrow at her as he chewed. “If it’s poisoned, we’re both doomed.”

“You can’t kill the devil.”

He smirked. “Eat.”

When she took the first bite of perfectly cooked meat, her eyes closed and she stopped caring that Reed sat across from her, watching her every move. The food simply tasted too good on her tongue. Before she could get too full, she set the fork down and leaned back in her chair. “No more. If eat too much, I fall asleep, and I still have to clean this place up.

His face transformed with disbelief. “You’ve got to be joking.”

Sneaking one last carrot off the plate, she shook her head. “No, I really do fall asleep. Right where I stand. Ever since I was a kid.”

“I mean, you’ve got to be joking about cleaning this damn place.” He crossed his arms over his chest. “It’s after midnight and you’re ready to fall on your ass.”

“Anyone ever tell you that you’ve got a way with words?”

He sighed loudly. Julie watched in curiosity as a battle took place on his face. As if he wanted to wash his hands of the whole situation, but couldn’t bring himself to do it. How odd. “No.”

She straightened. “No?”

“Someone else is going to clean this shit up. And it ain’t you.” Reed took her hand and pulled Julie to her feet. “Come on. We’re going for a walk. I’m tired of being cooped up indoors.”

“Why do you have to drag me along with you?”

“If I leave you here, you’ll clean,” he explained, then came to a stop, glancing down at her feet. “You bring some decent sneakers along, or just those medieval torture devices disguised as shoes?”





Chapter Eight


Julie followed Reed on the dark path leading up the side of the mountain. He’d brought a flashlight with him, but so far it had proved unnecessary? the full moon providing more than enough illumination to see where they walked through the trees. He’d run this path that very morning and had memorized it easily. He knew exactly where he wanted to take her. Did she know what his intentions were? He’d made no secret about wanting her. The possibility that she’d come with him in the middle of the night, hoping for the same outcome, heated his blood.

He cast a look over his shoulder, sighing inwardly when he glimpsed her expression. Too bad she looked scared half to death. She might want him, but the situation clearly made her more than a little nervous. Hell, he obviously made her a little nervous. Not a good thing. And entirely his fault. He’d never been one to hold back in the bedroom, physically or verbally, but he’d laid it on extra thick with Julie, playing a game of “shock the snooty rich girl.” To show her that he was nothing like the old-money, loafer-wearing pretty boys he suspected she usually dated.

Now it had backfired. After all the ways he’d provoked and taunted her, she’d placed her trust in him and gone out with him into the woods, the expectation being that they would finally slake this insane attraction between them. Only now it didn’t feel right. He didn’t want her nervous or questioning her judgment. He wanted her to feel…confident in him. Instead, she appeared seconds from turning tail and booking it back to the resort. It bothered him. A lot more than it should.

Hell. It wasn’t going to happen between them tonight.

Reed practically growled into the darkness. When the hell had he ever cared about being noble? She was a big girl, capable of making her own decisions. Yet he suspected if they slept together tonight, she would regret it in the morning. They barely knew each other. Their only association so far had been him making passes at her at every opportunity and arguing. She’d wake up tomorrow, a little sore and a lot sorry. For some reason, he couldn’t stand the thought of it. Gratification tonight wouldn’t be worth having her look back on him with regret. As the stranger she’d had a hot, sweaty one-night stand with, the one who had nothing in common with her. She would feel cheap and she would associate that feeling with him. No. He couldn’t do it.