Veronica ran her tongue over her teeth. “Remind me…how long have you been together?”
Trent knew this. Maddie drilled it into him enough times on the drive up. He was about to answer but Maddie squeezed his hand. “Oh, it’s been about four months or so.”
“Wow. A record for you, Maddie,” Veronica said. “Maybe the curse is lifting after all.”
Curse? Trent frowned. He’d been hearing a lot about this so-called curse and wondered what it all had to do with Maddie.
Maddie seemed to ignore the barb and kept her mild smile in place. “So where is your date, cousin?”
“Jeffery got detained in court.”
“Another felon? I thought you learned your lesson after last time.”
Veronica’s lips thinned. “Jeffrey is an attorney, not a criminal. And for your information, he’ll be here tomorrow night—”
“Great,” Trent interrupted. He had decided that was enough of Veronica and her drama. “We should get moving. I promised Maddie’s mom we’d go say hello as soon as we got to the party.”
Maddie let herself be pulled along for a few moments then dropped his hand and picked up her pace, passing him.
“Hey, hold up,” he said.
Maddie turned to him, cheeks flushed and eyes blazing. “What?”
He resisted a smile when a stray curl swung over one eye. The woman was adorable when she was agitated. He stepped closer, placing his hands on her shoulders. “Relax, will you?”
She huffed. “I am relaxed.”
“No, you’re not. A Zen-like state is not you looking like you’re ready to smash more than wedding cake into your cousin’s face. You obviously let her get you all worked up and now if anyone sees us together, they’re going to think we’re fighting. Do you really want that?”
Maddie’s shoulders sagged. “Oh, you’re right. It’s just that she drives me crazy. Her and her little digs. Did you notice her coming on to you? Of course you did. You’d have to be punched in both eyes and deaf not to notice. And right in front of me, too, like I was invisible. It felt like high school all over again, so you’d think I’d be used to it and roll with it better.”
Trent cocked his head, trying to put together the Maddie from high school and the Maddie standing before him. It was still hard to believe they were the same person. “You handled yourself all right to me. But just to be safe, better take a few deep breaths.”
She closed her eyes and did as he asked. He took the opportunity to study her face, everything from the perfect arch of her brows to her fresh and pretty complexion, and was overcome with a compelling need to brush his lips across each eyelid. Then she opened her eyes, and he almost fell in and drowned in their blue depths.
He cleared his throat. “So, uh, how do you feel?”
“Like shoving my face in a bucket of ice cream.”
He chuckled. “That’s the spirit.”
She closed her eyes and breathed in and out a few more times. “No. Actually, I think I’m good now. Thanks.”
“Okay, so tell me, what’s this curse I keep hearing about?”
Her eyes widened, glancing everywhere but at him. “Oh, it’s nothing.”
“Sounds like nothing is something. And I’d like to hear it from you instead of bits and pieces from your family.”
She looked about to deny it again but then flung her hands in the air. “Oh, fine. Just know it’s silly. But there seems to be this curse in our family that affects the first-born women. That would be me, in case you haven’t guessed from Veronica’s not so subtle hint.”
Trent grinned. “Wait. Are you telling me that you hired me as your wedding date so people wouldn’t think you were cursed?”
“No.” She sighed. “Sort of. You see, if people here think I’ve been in a serious relationship, they won’t harp on about the curse thing, and it’ll put the focus back where it should be: on Louise and her wedding.”
“I see. So you’re doing this so they don’t focus on the curse. The curse that isn’t real.”
“Exactly.”
“Is this conversation for real?”
Maddie didn’t crack a smile. “This isn’t funny. If you were approaching thirty-one, had never been in a serious relationship for longer than two weeks, and never been in love before, your family might be on your case about a curse, too. Add in my cheating ex-boyfriend as the best man and you can see that I had to do what I had to do.”
“Oh. You mean you freaked out.”
She gave him a look. “Yes, I suppose you could call it that. I’m obviously not in a good place in my life right now.”
He couldn’t help it. The need to soothe and touch her was overwhelming. He lifted his hand to trace the delicate curve of her cheek. “You’re with me so you’re in the perfect place. And by the way, you’re beautiful—inside and out.”
She gave him an uncertain smile. “You could have said that in front of my cousin, you know? It would have killed her.”
“I’m saying it now.”
“But nobody’s here to hear it,” she said with a nervous catch of laughter.
“You’re here,” he said huskily.
Her eyes widened as he shifted closer. He knew he shouldn’t, but to hell with it. He slipped his arms around her body, could see the pulse racing in her neck. It matched his own racing heart.
She licked her lips but pressed a hand against his chest. “Trent, now is not the time for your games.”
“No games,” he said, removing her hand from his chest and placing it on his shoulder. “Just a man appreciating the company of his beautiful wedding date.” His wedding date he’d been dying to kiss since they’d arrived at the estate. He had wanted her the entire car ride up, fascinated by her testy vulnerability and the way she lit up whenever she talked about her sister and how she wanted the best for her. Maybe even wanted her since he’d seen her trying to fish that diet soda can out of his vending machine.
What would be the real harm in one kiss? he thought. One real kiss with no pretense or anyone watching. One shared kiss between two consenting adults who seemed to have a mutual amount of attraction toward each other. Yes, that was all it would be: one simple kiss. Then he would be completely satisfied and she’d be out of his system.
“I’m going to kiss you,” he told her with certainty.
Maddie’s eyes flickered with surprise as he leaned in. “I don’t think this is—”
He lowered his mouth to hers, and she responded without hesitation. Her hand gripped the back of his neck. Her touch, her lips, felt so good. Better than he’d imagined. He deepened the kiss, leaning in to her, one hand supporting her back and the other threading his fingers into her hair. With all the unleashed passion he was just getting a sample of, he couldn’t for the life of him figure out why this woman didn’t have a boyfriend or would ever have to pay for a date. And that, about her, only fascinated him more.
“Oh, excuse me,” said a male voice.
Maddie stiffened and was the first to pull back, but Trent refused to drop his arms around her. “Ryan?” she asked.
The man squinted as if he stood fifty yards back instead of merely three feet. “Oh, Madeline. I’m sorry. I was looking for Louise. Veronica told me she was over here.”
“Of course she did,” Maddie mumbled, shimmying out of his embrace. “H-how are you?”
“Good. It’s lovely to see you again.” Ryan’s gaze shifted to Trent with a look of dismay when Trent slung an arm around Maddie’s shoulders.
“Oh, this is my…um, friend, Trent,” Maddie offered.
Friend? Trent figured after that kiss they just shared they were definitely out of the friend zone and, for a woman wanting to pretend to everyone here that she was in a relationship, she was doing a lousy job. Did she still have feelings for this nitwit?
Ryan stepped closer and shook Trent’s hand. Fancy Boy had to have had a manicure with those kinds of hands, and he wore cuff links. Probably had his shirts custom made. Trent ordered himself
to not roll his eyes. Although he could see where some woman might find a refined man like that attractive, Trent also could see that he was not someone who ever played sports or probably exercised, so Trent automatically placed him in the category of “complete tool.”
“Your friend?” Ryan eyed Maddie with a level of interest that had Trent’s hand closing slowly into a fist. “Well, I hadn’t heard that you were bringing anyone to the wedding. That’s disappointing.”
“Why disappointing?” she asked. “I thought you’d be here with Kristin.”
“I broke up with her. I was actually hoping to see you again here… But I guess I had my chance.”
“Had it and blew it.” His outburst got a look from Maddie, but he didn’t care. Fancy-boy Ryan was not going to muscle in on his woman.
His woman? He let his arm slip from her shoulders. Where the hell had that thought come from? Probably from that kiss. Because he hadn’t entertained such a possessive thought since his engagement. Why would he? After Candace had left him, he vowed to never put his heart on the line like that again.
Ryan smiled at Maddie. “Well. I guess I should go and try to find your sister.”
Maddie nodded. “It’s good seeing you.”
Ryan turned away and headed toward the pool. After a few moments, Maddie sighed. “Why do I feel the need to be polite? It was not good seeing him. It was torturous. I hope I can avoid him the rest of the night.”
“Maybe he’ll trip and fall into the pool.”
“Ryan can’t swim.”
“Then I’ll push him into the pool.”
She let out a laugh, but when she looked up at him, her expression slowly turned serious. “Um, about that kiss… Just curious, but was that for business or for pleasure?”
“Purely pleasure on my end.”
“Oh. Um, perhaps we should just keep those things on the business side from now on.”
“Things? What things? You mean kisses?”
“Well, yeah. I don’t want this arrangement to get mucky, especially since I’m paying you. Don’t you agree?”
No. He damn well didn’t agree.
But Trent didn’t dare voice that thought because only a short week ago he would have completely agreed with her. Part of him even had to wonder if her sudden let’s-not-complicate-things talk had anything to do with seeing Ryan again. “Sure. No sense complicating things.”
She bit her lip. “Okay then, let’s go meet the rest of the family.”
He nodded and threaded his hand through hers. She gave him a look but said nothing as they walked along the stone path to the house. Good, he thought crossly. Because if she was paying him to be her wedding date, that’s what wedding dates did: held hands. And quite frankly, they probably kissed, too. Frequently. And maybe even…
Oh hell.
The shock of discovery hit him with full force. He was completely wrong about Maddie and completely wrong about that one simple kiss. Because she was not out of his system and he was not satisfied.
Not by a long shot.
Chapter Seven
Maddie had to hand it to Trent. When he wanted to turn on the charm, he really knew how to do it up right. Her aunt Lois and aunt Marie were laughing and hanging on to his every word. Practically eating right out of the palm of his hand. Not that she should be surprised. He certainly charmed enough young girls back in the day. It was only natural that a couple of sixty-year-old women wouldn’t be immune.
A cursed thirty-year-old woman wouldn’t be immune, for that matter.
Why did Trent have to look so good? Couldn’t he have stayed the full-of-himself-jock stereotype? He was nothing like he was in high school. Worse yet, he didn’t really fit into the image she had of him being a paid escort. She didn’t know what to think anymore. Then again, it was hard to think at all after he’d kissed her the way he had twenty minutes ago.
Despite the whole situation and how he treated her years ago, she liked him. She really liked him. God-help-her liked him. However, she refused to entertain the idea that Trent was interested in her. The man could have any woman he wanted—and probably did—and she was just…cursed. Even on the rarest of rare chances he was interested, so what? It’s not like he was looking for a relationship. The man bounced around women in his line of work all the time. Well, she wanted a guy who stuck. She didn’t need a fling. She’d had plenty of those. A real relationship and a job on the other hand continued to elude her, as her cousin constantly reminded her.
A hand landed on her shoulder, startling her out of her doldrums. “How could someone with such a charming and off-the-scale-hot boyfriend look as if she just heard Ben & Jerry’s was going out of business?”
Maddie shot her sister a horrified look. “It isn’t, is it?”
Louise chuckled. “Rest assured New York Super Fudge Chunk is safe and sound for the foreseeable future.”
“Whew. You had me concerned there for a second.”
“Don’t evade the question.” Her sister’s face clouded with concern. “Is everything okay between you and Trent?”
Maddie swallowed hard, becoming increasingly uneasy under her sister’s scrutiny. “Nothing could be better. Just look at him,” she said, gesturing to where Trent stood, surrounded by adoring gray-haired women. “Everybody loves him.”
“Do you love him?”
“Love?” She tried but failed to keep the surprise out of her face. “Isn’t it a little soon for love?” she choked out. “I mean, we’ve only been dating a few months.”
Louise shook her head. “I’ve seen the way Trent looks at you. Besides, Michael and I said the I-love-yous at the three month mark, but honestly, we were ready to tell each other earlier, but we were both too chicken.”
Maddie wanted to ask exactly how Trent looked at her, but then mentally smacked herself for thinking there was anything beyond their little agreed-upon charade. “Not everyone is as lucky as you and Michael. You guys are going to be the poster children for marital bliss.”
Louise squeezed Maddie’s hand with a teary smile. “Thank you for saying that.”
She frowned and wondered if Louise was holding something back from her. But before she had a chance to ask, Michael’s parents were calling her sister over to take some pictures.
“Duty calls,” Louise said with her usual cheerful tone.
Maddie watched her sister go then shrugged off the concern when Louise walked right into Michael’s arms. Mood lifted, she decided now was the time to rescue Trent from her family. Funny, but even as he carried on a conversation with her aunts, he seemed to be watching her. Waiting for her.
His hand automatically slid around her waist when she approached, and he pulled her into him. She loved the subtle spiciness of his cologne, and a delicious shudder heated her body. She tried to brush off her reaction and not think about how perfectly she molded to his body, but what could she do? She was a weak, weak woman.
“You hit the mother lode with this one, honey,” her aunt Marie said, elbowing her a little too hard in her side. Aunt Marie was a tiny woman but, boy, she could produce quite a jab with those bony arms of hers.
“Ladies, you’re going to make me blush,” he said, grin widening, stretching across his already-too-handsome face.
“Did you know he used to play football?” Aunt Lois added with a dreamy sigh.
Maddie refrained from rolling her eyes. “He might have mentioned it once or twice.”
Aunt Lois huffed out a breath. “Once or twice? Goodness, the man is modest, too. Why, he could have been playing for the pros.”
“And then we could have been seeing him in his underwear,” Aunt Marie added.
Maddie blinked. “Excuse me?”
“All good-looking professional athletes do side underwear modeling jobs these days. It’s a darn shame women won’t be seeing…” Her aunt slid a gleaming gaze down and then up Trent’s body. “All that manly physique.”
“Is that right?” Maddie raised an eyebrow at him, but he could onl
y offer an unapologetic shrug. She swallowed a giggle, although she couldn’t really fault her aunt’s disappointment. A body like Trent’s should be captured on film. Or by her hands…
Bad Maddie. She should not be thinking about touching Trent’s body. Well, maybe just thinking a little bit wouldn’t hurt.
Aunt Lois patted Marie’s shoulder. “Maddie’s seeing it, and that’s all that really matters, dear.”
“Maybe you could take a picture for us?” Marie asked with hopeful eyes.
“Marie!” Lois barked.
“What? It doesn’t hurt to ask.”
Trent’s smile grew wider, his teeth strikingly white against his tanned face. “Ladies, I’m beyond flattered. But I am for Maddie’s eyes only,” he said, cupping her chin and turning her face up toward him. She held her breath or maybe just plain forgot to breathe. Then he slowly leaned in, his lips brushing hers, soft and sweet.
Oh, he is so worth the money…
Her aunts let out a collective sigh. Or maybe that was her.
“Don’t let the WD-40 Effect win, dear. He’s too good to let slip away.”
Marie’s comment snapped her brain back to normal functioning, and she pulled away from Trent. Maddie had thought she could escape those kinds of remarks from her family, but even with a date on her arm, her family still seemed to doubt she wasn’t somehow cursed.
“I’ll do my best,” she said, forcing a smile.
“This should help.” Her aunt Lois pulled out what looked to be some kind of bright pink origami and held it out to her.
Maddie looked at it, but made no move to take it. “What’s that?”
“It’s a duct tape bracelet. We made it for you.”
She glanced at Trent who looked as confused as she felt. She hated to ask, but… “Okay. Um…why?”
Lois gave her a full-wattage dentures grin. “Duct tape is the opposite of WD-40. We thought you should wear it for good luck. Isn’t that clever? We should have done this years ago after that nice fireman you dated went back to his old girlfriend.”
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