by Helen Hardt
Mrs. L had a classic style. Her hair was cropped short in a bob, and she wore a flowing peach dress with stylish gold earrings that showed off her long, slender neck. She always looked fresh, like she’d just walked out of a spa or salon.
Gail patted Devon’s knee. “Thank you, darling, for everything you’ve done for my daughter.”
“No thanks needed. Kayla would do the same for me if the tables were turned.”
“I’m not sure about that,” Kayla said. “You’re the organized one. Not me. I wouldn’t make it on time to my own wedding if not for you. You both know it’s true.”
Devon and Gail looked at each other and erupted into laughter.
“You girls should get changed for the rehearsal dinner.” Gail stood.
“Yes, Mom.” Kayla wandered into the bathroom.
“I’d better go get dressed as well.” Devon rose from the bed. “I don’t want to be late.”
“And make sure Mike arrives on time, will you?” Gail said.
Devon froze as panic cut off her breath. “Mrs. L, I can explain.”
Gail waved her off. “No need to explain, dear. Both Kayla and Mike already have. Although Mike had a little harder time coming up with an explanation. I think it’s a good thing my sister-in-law came with her wretched husband at the last minute. A marvelous thing indeed.” Gail patted Devon on the cheek. “Hurry along, dear, you don’t want to be late. Oh, and I hope you wear your blue dress, the one with the shimmers. You look so lovely in that gown.”
Kayla had insisted Devon pack the three-quarter-length gown with spaghetti straps—the skimpy dress she didn’t dare wear with underwear because the lines would show—in the same travel pack as the string bikini. The dress showed off every body feature to its fullest.
What was Mrs. L suggesting? Was she okay about Mike and her being together—like really together?
Devon pondered the idea while she made her way to Mike’s suite and was halfway down the long walkway with rooms on one side and tropical plants on the other before she realized she’d missed it. She retraced a few steps and inserted the plastic card into the electronic keyhole.
“Mike?” she called, pushing the door open, and paused to wait for a response. Apparently he wasn’t back from the guys’ bachelor lunch yet.
She dropped her backpack on the couch and went to the bathroom for a cooling shower before shimmying into the cobalt blue cocktail dress and three-inch heels. A quick application of makeup and blow dry of her hair and she was ready. She looked up as the door to the room opened.
“Bathroom’s all yours.” She ignored Mike as she went to pick up her purse and toss in breath mints and a tube of lipstick. She froze when he approached her from behind.
“You look stunning.” Mike’s voice had a sensual, husky tone.
“Thank you.” Devon continued securing her dangle earrings. She didn’t dare turn around. She wasn’t sure what she would see on Mike’s face when she did.
“We have time before the reception dinner. Why don’t you stay awhile?”
Mike’s suggestion compelled her to turn and look at him.
He cupped her jaw with a warm hand while he smoothed his thumb over her lips, his eyes conveying a dark, sensual spark. A rush of electricity surged through Devon, and her knees weakened as she fought for balance.
“I…uh…need to go help Kayla get ready.”
He lowered his mouth until it hovered just above hers. “Are you sure?”
Her heart wanted to say no, but the practical, list-keeping brain of hers refused to allow her to deviate from the scheduled plan. “Rehearsal dinner.” She backed away. “Your mom asked me to make sure you get there on time.”
“My mom?” He raised his eyebrows.
“Yes. I saw her in…” Her mind went blank.
“Kayla’s room,” he provided.
She snapped her fingers. “Yes, your sister’s room. And I’m scheduled to be with Kayla now.”
“Or”—Mike unbuttoned the top button of his shirt, and then the next, and the next, letting the folds of cotton fall open—“you might help me dress. Make sure I make it to the reception on time. Of course, you would have to undress me first, though.”
Oh, my God. Her body parts tingled, and she had to swallow the drool swirling in her mouth. He was teasing her, of course, but she didn’t care. Seeing Mike Lewis stripped down to his birthday suit was definitely on her bucket list. In fact, it was at the very top.
His six-pack winked at her, tempting her to come play, but she couldn’t. Kayla would kill her for falling for her brother.
“No. No. I must go.” She backed toward the door. “Kayla is waiting for me. She needs my…my help.” Devon reached past him and grabbed the purse she had dropped when his body heat made thinking too difficult.
“If you change your mind, you have a key.”
His naughty-boy expression warmed more than one body part. Damn those smoldering eyes. When he caught her staring, a slight, knowing smile curved his lips.
She was so screwed.
He liked playing the game. She should have expected as much. You didn’t get to the top in business without knowing how to outmaneuver your opponents. Playing for money was one thing. Playing for the heart was on a different level. She would need to play smarter.
“See you at the reception. Don’t be late.” Devon closed the door and didn’t look back.
She raced down the corridor and made it to safety in two minutes flat. Her heart raced as she opened Kayla’s door.
“I’m back.” She walked down the narrow hallway, which opened up into the larger room, and then let out a gasp. “Why isn’t everyone dressed? The rehearsal starts in forty minutes, and Kayla is supposed to arrive early!”
The other three women in the room were busy holding up mirrors and applying makeup in their underwear.
“We couldn’t decide whether to put our hair up or keep it down,” Brandon’s oldest cousin, a cute, petite blonde, said as she opened the double-door closet to retrieve Kayla’s lavender chiffon dress.
“Okay, fine. Let’s focus on getting the bride dressed. Then let’s worry about hair.” Devon accepted the dress from Jessica, while Nicole and Lauren, Kayla’s cousins, continued fussing with their hair.
It wasn’t until this afternoon, when Kayla gave Devon the final guest list, that Devon realized she was the only person at the reception who wasn’t related to either the bride or the groom. There were cousins, aunts, uncles, siblings, parents, and significant others, but no outsiders like her. She had tried devising a way to still help Kayla but let the Lewis and Myers families celebrate this important time together, but the list of ideas fell flat. Kayla would see right through every excuse.
Why was she so good at solving other people’s problems but not her own?
7
What’s up with Devon?
Mike had observed her throughout the rehearsal and dinner. With every passing minute, she’d become more distant, at this point almost reserved. Restrained wasn’t her style. Not the Devon he was acquainted with. He strolled toward the outdoor pool, now lit with a soft blue glow.
“Shouldn’t you be celebrating with Kayla?”
“Jesus! Mike.” Devon turned so fast she had to grab the bridge’s railing to keep from falling on her butt. She clapped a hand over her heaving chest. “You scared me. Don’t you know it’s rude to sneak up on people like that?”
“I didn’t mean to frighten you, but I’m curious. Why are you out here alone? You should be inside, having fun.” He handed his empty tumbler to a passing server walking in the opposite direction.
She turned and pointed. “I’m listening to the waves roll in.”
He leaned his hip against the railing, the buzz of alcohol weakening his resistance. “Not that I’m calling you a liar, but why don’t I believe you?”
“Mike, please just go back inside with your family. I’m fine.”
She wasn’t fine. She’d been crying. He could see the glisten of
a tear in the moonlight. For her to show her emotions in public was alarming and so unlike the tough woman he knew. She was fierce. Smart. And she managed his ditzy, scatterbrained sister better than anyone else could.
He leaned in to peek at her face. “Devon, talk to me. Tell me why you aren’t with the rest of the family?”
Devon rubbed her forehead and let out a long sigh. “To be honest, I’m torn. I should be happy for Kayla, but I know when she marries Brandon I’ll lose a part of her to him. It sounds selfish, and I get that, but I need to acknowledge my feelings for what they are in order to deal with them. And then there’s you.”
“What about me?” Mike leaned back against the railing so he could watch her face.
“I envy what you have. You have a sister who adores you and parents who support you. Plus a successful business, and…”
“And?” Mike prompted.
“A large, loving family.” She closed her eyes, but even the look of regret couldn’t spoil her beauty. She huffed out a sigh before looking at him again. “Pretty soon you’ll have nieces or nephews to play with, and I want you to promise me you won’t take them for granted. Babies grow up fast. Please don’t miss those precious moments.”
She was jealous of his family. Not of his social standing or wealth. That was an unexpected change from most other women he’d been with.
“I wouldn’t envy my family. They can be annoying sometimes.”
Fury sparked in her eyes. “That’s because you don’t appreciate what you have. Every one of those people inside set aside time to fly hours to be here for Kayla’s wedding. If today was my wedding day, not even my dad would show up. Your family is special, Mike. Truly special. You might overlook the benefits of a loving family because you have them, but a family like yours is everything I’ve ever wished for.”
Her sad voice tugged at Mike’s heart.
He should say something reassuring. Anything. But he never was good at expressing his feelings. He worked with robots for a reason. They were predictable, and they didn’t slap him when he said the wrong things.
“Come here. Let me give you a hug,” Mike offered.
“What? No. I’m okay. Besides, someone might see.”
“No one will mind.” He swallowed the urge to laugh. He didn’t give a damn who saw them, but to her the concern was real, and he’d respect her. “Besides, we’re supposed to be engaged.” He stood and held his arms out wide.
He half-expected her to refuse, but when she turned and walked into his arms, it was better than winning a global distribution contract. He breathed in her sweet-smelling floral perfume while her body heat soaked into him. Tightening his arms around her, he gave her an extra squeeze when she rested her head on his shoulder. They stood for a moment before she pulled away.
He let her go, for no reason other than he wanted her to trust him. He wanted her to understand that this, right now, was no longer a game. Not to him. Other than his family, she was the first person who’d ever helped him simply because she could, and she wanted to. She helped out of kindness and loyalty, never expecting a bonus, a contract, or any other type of reward.
He wanted to show her his gratitude and respect, but she made it damn hard.
Right now, though, he toyed with the idea of backing her up against the railing to show her what belonging meant.
He put his hands in his pockets as she gazed out to the horizon. “I hear what you’re saying. Family is important to me, and I should carve out more time to be with them.”
“Most people don’t understand what they have until it’s gone. I lost my brother to a roadside bomb in Afghanistan. Less than a year later, my mom was diagnosed with stage-four breast cancer, and eventually I lost her too. My dad left when I was three. As for my relatives, I have pictures, but that’s all. I wouldn’t recognize them if they walked by me on the street. If it wasn’t for your family, I wouldn’t have anywhere to go for Christmas. I would be alone.” She shivered, rubbing her bare arms as goosebumps raced across them.
He took off his jacket and tucked the coat around her shoulders. “I can’t imagine what that feels like.”
“Every time I see you and Kayla having a sibling moment, I can’t stop my mind from traveling back to high school.” She stifled a short laugh. “My brother and I fought over the littlest things. The last cookie, folding laundry, what TV show to watch. I would give anything to have him here with me. Just when I thought I’d be alone forever, I met the most extroverted, carefree soul to ever walk the earth my freshman year at Yale. Kayla’s my heart sister. She’s one of the best things to ever happen to me. She was my saving miracle. And your family has been so kind and generous to me. For that, I am forever grateful.” Tears glittered in her eyes and she swiped them away.
His gut clenched. “Kayla never told me about your brother or your mom.” He cuddled her closer.
“No, she wouldn’t. She knows I don’t like talking about the past.” Devon swiped again at the tears threatening to roll down her cheeks. “My brother’s the reason I studied bioengineering and worked hard to get an academic scholarship to Yale. I want to help wounded soldiers.”
“You wanted to turn your hurt into passion,” Mike said.
“Exactly. It turns out I’m a pretty good engineer.” There was the feisty attitude he had come to adore. “But I, unlike you, have a work-life balance.”
“You’re beginning to sound like Kayla.”
“Good. Maybe with both of us saying the same things, you’ll listen.”
Mike liked how the wind whipped tendrils of hair around her face in circles. He was glad he got to glimpse this intimate, tender layer Devon kept so well hidden, and even more pleased because she let him in. But something told him that, while Devon was a complex puzzle he’d like to solve, there were no surprises, and he could take his time, like a lifetime, to put all the pieces in place. “May I ask you a personal question?”
“Sure.”
“Why aren’t you married yet? Or at a minimum have a serious boyfriend?” He shrugged. “I’m not asking to be rude. I just want to know why.”
“I’m holding out for my ideal guy.”
Curiosity got the better of him. “What’s he like?”
“Well, I want a guy who is smart, caring, business-minded, passionate, handsome, and a splendid cook, possibly one who specializes in Indian curries.”
Wait. Had she read the last article printed about him that mentioned his love for Indian food? Her beguiling expression hinted at the answer.
“Hmmm. I didn’t hear you say drives fast cars, owns a boat, or has won the lottery.”
“You must have missed it, because in my mind a passionate, business-minded guy who knows what he wants in life has the potential to be anything he sets his mind to. I’d rather marry a guy who’s focused on solving the world’s problems than someone who’s comfortable just spending his father’s money.”
“Is that right?” He leaned in again to get a whiff of her sensual fragrance. This woman was addictive. He glanced over his shoulder. “Kayla and Brandon will be opening presents for hours. How about we take a short walk? If we go back in there, Kayla might see you’ve been crying and assume I had something to do with it.” He grinned to make sure she understood he was teasing.
“A protective Mike Lewis. Who knew?”
“Shhh.” He leaned in closer. “Don’t tell anyone. It’s a secret.”
And he hoped she wouldn’t tell anyone, because he’d never lent women his suit jacket, or soothed them when they were upset, or taken them for walks on the beach so their friends wouldn’t find out they were upset.
His lifestyle didn’t normally allow the time, but he would make the time for Devon.
Always.
8
“Get some rest, Kayla.” Devon hugged Kayla and then handed her the key to her hotel suite, the one Kayla had sworn she would lose if Devon didn’t keep it for her. “You’ve got a big day tomorrow.”
“Hey.” Kayla tugged on h
er arm before she could leave. “Where did you go tonight? I looked for you, but you disappeared.”
“You know I’m not one for big parties.”
“Jessica said she thought she saw you with Mike. Is everything okay between you two? Maybe I shouldn’t have forced you to share a room, but you’ve had a crush on Mike forever, and if you don’t take action now, you might miss your chance and always wonder ‘what if?’”
“Wait.” She swallowed air too quickly and choked. “You already knew about my crush on Mike?”
“Well, duh. I wouldn’t be a very good friend if I didn’t know. I’ve had this secret dream that you would marry Mike and then we could be real sisters, but I never wanted to put an expectation like that on you. It wouldn’t be fair. Besides, my brother can be an idiot sometimes.”
That he can, Devon thought. But, wow, she’d never seen Kayla as a matchmaker. That was a new one.
“Let me know if staying with Mike becomes a problem. I’ll figure out something else,” Kayla assured her. “If Nicole and Lauren weren’t sleeping on my pull-out and I didn’t sprawl, I’d have you stay with me. I could ask Jessica if you could stay with her.”
“Jessica, the one who has her own room because she snores? No, thanks.” Devon shuddered off the bad suggestion. “Stop your worrying. You’re getting married tomorrow.”
“I love you, Devy. Let me know about Mike, and thanks for making tonight a success,” Kayla reached for the door handle. “See you bright and early in the morning.”
“Whatever you need, Kay-K. I’ll be here for you.”
The door to Kayla’s room closed with a click as Devon made her way to Mike’s suite. It was a good thing the rooms weren’t too far apart, because she’d be running back and forth a lot the next day. Three women getting ready in one bathroom was bad enough. Four was impossible.
As she neared Mike’s room, the door opened. “I was just coming to look for you.”
“I wanted to make sure Kayla got back to her room okay.”
