Barking Up the Wrong Tree

by Jenn McKinlay

  James returned her grin, then he leaned close so that they were nose to nose. Carly felt her insides flutter as the woodsy citrus scent that was unique to James filled her senses and her mind flashed back to the last time she had been this close to him except without all the pesky clothes in the way.

  “I’m afraid I’m going to have to kiss you now,” he whispered.

  Carly shivered. “I think that’s just wise as we want to solidify your status as unavailable, you know, for everyone in attendance. I mean, if we’re doing this, we should do it right.”

  As if she’d flipped a red light to green, James barely waited for the words to escape her lips before he was on her. His mouth molded to hers as he cupped the back of her head and held her still for the onslaught. Using lips, teeth, and tongue, he kissed her with a thoroughness that left Carly clinging to his shoulders for fear that she might melt into a puddle at his feet if she didn’t anchor herself somehow.

  It took Carly a second to register the sound of shattering glass and even then she didn’t care enough to see what had broken as she was too busy trying to catch her breath while admiring the hot blue of James’s gaze, which was locked in on her mouth as if just waiting for her to catch her breath before going back for more.

  She did that to him. Carly DeCusati made a man’s eyes switch colors with desire for her. Hot damn, that felt good! She would have paused to do a fist pump but she didn’t want to let go of James.

  “Um, you two may want to cool it before Heather smashes something else,” Lola said.

  “What? Huh?” Carly asked.

  “Yeah, James’s ex just smashed her wine glass against the table,” Lola said. “And I’m pretty sure it was because of the grope you two have going on.” She glanced at her brother. “Dial it back, big guy.”

  James glanced over Carly’s shoulder toward Heather and Carly followed his line of sight. Heather was staring at them with a hostility that made Carly’s skin prickle.

  “Should I be worried that she might boil my pet bunny?” Carly asked.

  “No,” James said at the same time that Lola said, “I would.”

  “Okay, then,” Carly said.

  She turned back to look at James and saw his mouth turned down in the corners. It was the first time Carly could recall seeing him frown. She didn’t like it.

  “Hey.” She cupped his face and drew his attention back to her. “You all right?”

  He clutched her hips as if he was afraid someone was going to take her away from him. His eyes met hers and then he leaned forward and kissed her once on the lips, swiftly and sweetly.

  “As long as I have you, I’m fine,” he said.

  It was the perfect boyfriend thing to say, and Carly heard one of the cousins at the table say, “Aw.”

  It was exactly what she was feeling on the inside, but Carly didn’t dare let it show, because as much fun as being someone’s girlfriend for a few days was turning out to be, the experiment might not take and she didn’t want to be crushed if it did come to an end.

  “Do you need another beer?” James asked.

  Carly glanced at her near empty glass. “Yes, please.”

  “I’ll be right back,” he said.

  He shifted out from under her so that she resumed her seat and then he asked if anyone else needed a beverage. After securing everyone’s order, James left their table to go to the bar.

  As soon as he was out of earshot, Carly turned to Lola, “So, what’s the skinny on Heather?”

  Lola opened her mouth and then closed her mouth. She looked grumpy. “I don’t know if I’m allowed to say.”

  “Oh, come on,” Carly said. “I have to know what I’m dealing with. It’s only fair.”

  “She has a point.” The good-looking cousin who James had given his seat to joined their conversation.

  Carly turned to look at him. He was very handsome, with precisely cut dark hair and bright white teeth. He was also very polished, his clothes impeccably cut, and he had the same lopsided smile that James had. She liked him right away and not just because he was taking her side.

  “Mind your business, Tom,” Lola said. “Where’s John anyway? I thought you never went anywhere without your hubby.”

  “He’s not coming until tomorrow,” Tom said. “So I can do family gossip recon before he gets here.”

  “Excellent,” Carly said. “What have you got so far?”

  “You mean other than that display?” he asked as he tipped his head in Heather’s direction. “Oh, no, I am not giving it up for nothing.”

  “Fine, I’ll go first,” Carly said. “See the redhead over there?”

  “Aunt Monica?” Tom asked.

  “Caught her tossing back a fifth of scotch in the pantry,” Carly said. “Your turn.”

  Tom looked at her with round eyes. Then he barked out a laugh. “She’s never had a drink in her life!”

  “If you say so,” Carly said. “And see the wrinkled up fella over there?”

  Tom and Lola looked to where she indicated.

  “Uncle Frank?” Lola asked.

  “Saw him goosing the backside of one of the caterers,” Carly said. “He almost got a whole tray of sweet potato puffs dumped in his lap.”

  “Now that one, I believe,” Tom said.

  They both hooted and Lola gave Carly a half hug. “I like you.”

  “Then dish!” Carly said. She glanced at where James stood at the bar and knew that time was running out. She gestured to Heather. “And you can start with that one.”

  Tom and Lola exchanged a glance and Lola nodded.

  “Okay, so Heather the Horrible—” Tom began but Carly interrupted.

  “Seriously?”

  “Quite,” Lola chimed in.

  “As I was saying,” Tom said, giving them both a chastising look. “Horrible was engaged to James—”

  “What?” Carly cried.

  Tom looked at her. “You didn’t know he was engaged?”

  “No.” She shook her head. She felt stunned. Granted she hadn’t really thought about James’s previous relationships, but she hadn’t envisioned him about to be married, a picture she did not like in the least.

  “Remember you did not hear it from me,” Tom said. “Anyway, since James decided not to follow in the family footsteps of making more money than a small diamond-encrusted nation, Horrible spent their whole relationship two-timing him with the A Factor, whom she did marry.”

  “Oh, you call him that, too?” Carly asked.

  “We all do,” another cousin chimed in from across the table. “He might as well just make it his legal name, he’s such an ass.”

  “Wow, she dumped him for his cousin. James must have been wrecked,” Carly said.

  “He was,” Lola said. “At least, it seemed like he was, but he’s over it. Either way I’m so glad he found you.”

  “Me, too,” Carly said. She was surprised at how strongly she meant it. James was a great guy. He deserved so much better than being dumped by a horse-faced gold digger. Even if their situation proved temporary, she’d be a much better girlfriend than Horrible ever was.

  Given her own misery at the hands of Preston, the A Factor, she found she was delighted to discover he was married to someone that everyone called Horrible. It served him right. Lola had said he was coming in for just the party. She had shoved aside her dread at seeing him again and now that it was looming, she found she was less nervous than she thought she’d be. She glanced at her empty pint glass; of course, it could be the beer giving her false courage.

  “Uh-oh,” Lola said. “Don’t look now but Horrible is making her move on your man.”

  “What?” Carly asked.

  She glanced up. James was standing at the bar tipping his head down to hear whatever it was Heather had to say to him. While she whispered in his ear, she ma
naged to drape herself across his chest and run her hand up and down his forearm while she spoke. James looked like he was falling back under her spell.

  As Carly and the cousins watched, Heather tugged James away from the bar, pulling him around the corner and out of sight. Oh, hell no!

  Back during the peak of her own heartbreak, Carly would have given anything to have someone be her wingman and help pull her pride out of the toilet. There were days when she remembered how much she had debased herself for the jerk she’d thought she was in love with and her toes curled with the shame. She was not about to let that happen to James.

  Carly was up and out of her seat before she really thought about what she was doing. She stalked across the courtyard, her gaze locked on the spot where James and his clinging vine had disappeared.

  She supposed it might be awkward if she walked in on them in a clinch, but she was quite certain that James would thank her later. As she rounded the corner into the narrow service alley, she saw them tucked into an alcove. Heather was leaning forward and James was leaning back, as if trying to get away from her, but the brick wall at his back had him trapped.

  Carly was more than happy to help with that. She marched forward. James must have sensed her laser-like stare, because he glanced up from Heather and the look in his eyes went from dead bored to fully engaged in the flicker of an eyelash.

  “Carly,” he said. He shook himself loose from Heather’s hold and opened his mouth to explain but Carly never gave him the chance.

  “I missed you,” she said with a small pout, using the sultriest voice in her arsenal.

  She saw his eyes go wide and he swallowed as if he was nervous, but in the best possible way.

  In a move that she knew would insure Heather’s enmity forever, not that she cared one little whit, Carly none too gently hip checked the other woman away from James and stood up on tiptoe to press herself against him as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and pulled him down for a kiss that lost its PG rating in three, two, one. Wow!

  Chapter 26

  Time and space ceased to have meaning for Carly. She got lost in the scent and taste of James, the feel of his hands on her back as he pulled her in close and held her still while he kissed her. She vaguely heard Heather storm off back in the direction of the party, but she was too wrapped up in James to really register the other woman’s departure.

  She supposed she should pull away. She’d run her interference. James was safe from Horrible. Still, she dug her fingers into his hair and kissed him until she was breathless and he pulled his mouth away from hers to run his lips down the side of her neck, making her tip her head back and moan.

  “Best barbeque ever,” he said.

  Carly laughed. She pulled away, feeling dizzy and dazed.

  “We should go back before we offend everyone with our bad manners,” she said.

  “Who cares?” he asked. He lowered his head to kiss her again when his attention was diverted by something over Carly’s shoulder.

  “What is it?”

  “Nothing.”

  His voice sounded tight and Carly turned around to glance over the decorative hay bales and pile of pumpkins back at the party. The first person she saw was Heather. She was standing in the center of the party, holding her cheek out to be kissed by . . . holy shit!

  Carly gasped. No, it couldn’t be. He wasn’t supposed to be here yet. It had to be someone who just resembled him, but no. She would know that perfectly coiffed head of thick black hair anywhere. Preston Bradley, the bane of her existence and the destroyer of her life, was here kissing Horrible’s cheek.

  In a flash, the memory of the last time she’d seen him filled her mind. It had been the middle of a frat party; he’d seen her lurking on the fringes of the crowd and then he’d called the cops and had her hauled out of there in handcuffs for violating an order of protection. It had been the single most humiliating moment of her life and it came rushing up on her like the floor in the middle of a faint.

  “Oh, my god!” Carly dropped to the ground. “I thought he was only coming in for the party tomorrow.”

  James followed her down, so that they were both hidden behind the bales of hay.

  “So did I. Hey, are you okay?” he asked.

  “Nope, not okay, opposite of okay,” she said. “I thought I could do this, but I don’t think I can.”

  She was sucking wind as if she’d just sprinted the forty-yard dash, her hands were sweating, her heart was racing in her chest and she was pretty sure she was going to pass out.

  “I’m really sorry, but I have to hand in my notice as your temporary girlfriend. I have to get out of here right now,” she said.

  With that, she hiked up her skirt and started to crawl behind the bales of hay along the edge of the courtyard.

  “Carly, wait,” James said. He crawled up beside her. “Where are you going?”

  “Leaving,” she said.

  “Really?”

  “Yes, I have to,” she said. She turned to face him and gave him an apologetic look. “I thought I could handle it, but nope. Can’t.”

  “It’s Preston, isn’t it? There was something between you two, wasn’t there?” James looked uncomfortable as he watched her with a decidedly worried gaze.

  She stared at him. Did he really have to ask? What sort of history do a man and woman usually have?

  “Oh, duh, sorry. Maybe if you face him with me by your side, you’ll find it’s all in the past.” He sounded oddly hopeful about this outcome, but Carly couldn’t risk it.

  “I can’t,” she said.

  “Are you still in love with him?” James’s voice was so low she had to strain to hear it.

  She frowned at him. “God, no! Yuck! I’m sorry, I know he’s your cousin, but he’s an awful person.” James looked delighted at this news, until she added, “Honestly, I have to go because I’m not sure if the order of protection is still active.” She started crawling again.

  “What?! What exactly did he do to you? I’ll kill him.” James grabbed her about the waist, turning her to face him. His look was fierce and it was seriously hot.

  “Yeah, no, the order of protection was for me,” she said. “Apparently, I have stalking issues. I thought I could bluff my way through this, but it seems I can’t. I think I’m having a panic attack.”

  James’s mouth dropped open. He looked stunned.

  She broke free from his hold and continued crawling across the edge of the courtyard, hiding behind hay bales and empty chairs until she reached an awning with heavy drapes. It was folded up now, but the thick fabric made for lovely cover. She tucked herself in behind it, hoping to scuttle out the door when no one was looking.

  When the drapes were yanked aside, she ignored James as he scooted in beside her. She felt bad that she was backing out of her role as temporary girlfriend, but the reality of Preston showing up here was a total game changer. She could not put distance between them fast enough.

  She peered out behind the curtain, wondering if she could make a mad dash for the door without Preston noticing her.

  “Carly, wait,” James said. He yanked the curtain back over them. “Give me a second to process this.”

  “No can do. Jail could be imminent. Do you see now? This is why I don’t date,” she said. “I’m bad at it, really bad.”

  “I am surprised for a lot of reasons.” He blew out a breath. “But mostly by your choice of stalking material. There are so many worthier candidates out there; well, anyone really would be a step up from the A Factor.”

  “Ha! You think? Here’s some TMI for you, he was my first, so I had an unhealthy attachment going, and I might have, you know, called him, emailed him, left notes on his car a few thousand times too many,” she said. She moved back to the drapes and looked for Preston. “I have to go before he sees me. This is too embarrassing even for me, and I
once peed myself during a coughing fit in a job interview so I know what I’m talking about.”

  James blinked at her and then he started laughing. Not a quiet chuckle but rather a great big guffaw. Carly put her hand over his mouth trying to keep him quiet but James just shook her off, wrapped his arms around her, and lifted her up off of her feet as he pulled her in for a big smooching kiss.

  Carly clung to him for fear that he might drop her, but he didn’t. Instead he continued to hold her even after he broke the kiss and pressed his forehead to hers.

  “You are an original, Carly DeCusati,” he said. His voice was warm with affection and Carly savored it. “For what it’s worth, an order of protection usually only lasts a year. Eleven years have gone by, so I think you’re good.”

  “How do you know this?”

  “I’ve had some patients that have come out of some tough relationships,” he said. “Kind of like yours, because honestly, of the two of you, it seems to me that you needed an order of protection from the A Factor and not the other way around. And now, I’m sorry but I don’t want to let you go.”

  “I can’t believe you still like me after I’ve admitted all of my crazy,” she said. “Clearly, you’re defective.”

  She glanced over his shoulder out at the party. Preston wasn’t where she’d seen him last and she scouted the guests, looking for him.

  “Damn it,” she said. “I’ve lost visual. I need to know where he is so I can sneak out.”

  “Don’t care,” James said. He let her slide down his front and once her feet touched the ground, he kissed her again.

  Carly tried to focus on the crisis at hand, really, she did, but James could work some serious mind altering voodoo with his lips and she forgot everything except the need to kiss him back.

  He was pressed flush up against her with one hand burrowed in her hair while the other was splayed across her back, anchoring her against him. When she tried to take the lead, he let her kiss him but within seconds, he wrestled control of the kiss away from her and plundered her mouth as if he’d been thinking of nothing else all day.