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

She inched her fingers along her scalp, massaging away the stress she’d built up over this morning’s meeting. Over constant worries she would forget one vital detail and disappoint everyone. Over making tonight special. It felt so good, her eyes closed automatically, head tipping back as a tiny moan escaping past her lips.

“You call that a moan?”





Chapter Two


From his position in the shadows, Reed Lawson watched the blonde spin around on a gasp. When he finally got a good look at her face, it took every ounce of his willpower to retain his casual lean against the stone building. Fucking gorgeous. She’d walked out of the restaurant onto the deserted patio, moaning and massaging herself in a way that would put a porn star to shame. Dressed in pink silk that revealed her sun-kissed legs to perfection, he’d been more than happy to let her put on a private show just for him. Until that dress slipped a little too high on those sexy thighs and he’d felt an annoying stab of guilt. Now he wished he’d just gone inside the damn restaurant to the party he was dreading. Wished he hadn’t made her turn around.

Because now he wasn’t going anywhere. Not until he got an up-close look.

“I’m sorry,” she breathed with a Southern twang that oozed old money. “I thought I was out here all alone.”

“Don’t apologize. I enjoyed the show.” He pushed off the wall and stepped into the light, watching as she took his measure. Her chin had gone up a notch at his less-than-gentlemanly comment, making her perusal of him appear condescending, which it likely was. Reed almost laughed. That look had been directed at him so many times, it felt like an old friend. Yeah, I look more like a criminal than a SWAT team commander. Look your fill, hot legs. “Maybe I should have kept my mouth shut and seen what happened next.”

She gave him a sexy little pout that wasn’t designed to make him hard, but it sure as hell had. “You would have been sorely disappointed.” The night breeze sent the material of her thin dress swaying over her curves and he almost groaned out loud. Her gaze swept him, head to toe, just as those nipples grew stiff beneath the silk. Did she like what she saw, instead of the usual response he received from girls like her, hightailing it in the opposite direction? Against his will, his interest grew. He was transfixed by her mouth as she spoke again.

“I came out to get some air, not put on a show for some shadow lurker.”

One corner of his lips jumped. “Shadow lurker?”

With a sound of irritation, the blonde whirled on her high heels and clicked toward the wooden railing. Disregarding him. Or at least she was making an attempt to do so. Her hands made their way up to that wealth of bright hair again, piling it on top of her head with jerky movements, the delicate muscles of her exposed back shifting in the moonlight. Even from this distance, Reed could see she was tense. About what? Who cares? Go inside. Leave her be.

Instead, he found himself wondering what had sent her out here in the first place. Weren’t women who looked like her supposed to enjoy parties? Being catered to and flirted with? Served? That final thought brought to mind a vision of her serving him instead, that pouty mouth making magic between his thighs while he instructed her on what he liked.

Jesus. He didn’t get the attraction. In her expensive-looking dress and diamond earrings, she practically screamed “pampered and privileged.” He’d never gone for that type. Usually went for the exact opposite, actually. Low-maintenance women who knew the score. He didn’t have any interest in catering to the whims of some Southern debutante afraid to break a nail in bed. Women like her didn’t dirty their hands with men like him. He’d learned that at a very young age growing up on the wrong side of Manchester, Tennessee. It had never bothered him before. He never spared those women a second glance. Now?

He couldn’t look away from this one.

She’d wedged a clip between her teeth, attempting to pin her hair up. After several failed attempts, she gave up and let her hands fall to rest on the rail. Reed found himself moving toward her, deciding that once he saw her up close, he’d finally head inside. She wouldn’t affect him as much once she hit him with the full force of her snootiness. Those pretty features would transform with distaste and he’d be free to walk.

“Need some help?” The gruff question escaped him before he could stop it, but he was rewarded for asking when she shivered, goose bumps becoming visible along her neck and shoulders. He had to curl his hands into fists to keep from touching her skin. It would be soft. He didn’t need a hands-on experiment to determine that, but he goddamn wanted one. Turn around and roll your eyes at me. Let’s get this over with.

“Help with what?” The sound of wind whispering through the trees nearly swallowed her husky question. “My hair?”

Damn. It hadn’t been his imagination. If she hadn’t turned tail and traipsed her way back inside by now, this instant attraction didn’t end with him. Was it possible a hot-to-trot sex kitten existed under that silk-and-pearls ensemble? Only one way to find out. Settling his hands on either side of her, he brought his body within inches of hers. “I don’t do hair, pixie,” he rasped against her ear. “Unless you’d like it pulled.”

Her indrawn breath sent lust curling in his gut. His cock strained against the front of his dress pants and he wanted more than anything to press her into the railing with his hips. Maybe even pick her up with an arm around her waist and give her a hot little dry run through their clothes. Entice her into the real thing.