He needed to get out of here for a few minutes.
He excused himself and went outside. Pressing his back to the wall, he stared up into the now star-filled night. The heat had broken and the humidity had decreased, and it was one of those rare summer nights when it felt better outside than in the air-conditioning.
The door opened and he turned his head, prepared to go back inside, but the woman walking outside made him change his mind.
Holly let the doors close behind her as she stood on the sidewalk. She closed her eyes with a loud sigh and leaned her head back, exposing her neck to the moonlight.
God, he wanted her.
Of course, that had never been in question. He’d wanted her since their first encounter, even in all her awkwardness. It was the intensity that stunned him. The grief he felt when faced with the idea that she might never be his. He had to find a way to make this work. He had to find a way to make her his.
“Hey,” he said softly, so as not to startle her.
She opened her eyes and turned to him, wariness quickly replacing her surprise. “What are you doing out here?” She looked like she was ready to bolt.
A wry grin lifted his mouth. “I needed a moment alone.”
“You needed a break from your friends?”
He hesitated then said, “I’ve got a lot on my mind.”
“Oh.” She tilted her head toward the door. “Do you want me to go back inside and leave you alone?”
“No. As cheesy as it sounds, you being here makes me feel better.” He hoped she didn’t think he was feeding her a line.
Her shoulders relaxed, and she looked more at ease. “Me, too.”
Those two words filled him with more hope than their hot makeout session in his kitchen.
They were silent for several seconds before she nudged his arm with her shoulder. “So, where’s this mysterious envelope?” she teased. “I figured you’d whip it out so you could gloat.”
He grinned. “I don’t just carry it around in my pocket, and I had no idea you’d be here.” He turned to face her. “We can open it later. After you finish here. How much longer will you be?”
She sighed, her exhaustion evident. “The party’s in full swing and I don’t see any chance of it ending for at least another few hours. Then I need to pack up all the centerpieces for the bride’s mother to take home and take down the decorations.”
“Don’t you have an assistant who can do it for you?”
She released a soft chuckle. “Everyone thinks I’m the assistant, remember?” Still, there was no bitterness in her comment, only sad acceptance.
“I’ll help you.”
She glanced up at him, her expression wary. “You don’t have to do that, Kevin.”
“I know, but I want to anyway.” He gave her a grin. “Just think of me as your assistant.”
She shook her head, looking at him like he was a naughty schoolboy. “You working as an assistant to a wedding planner?”
“Why not? Are you worried I’ll be a difficult employee?” he teased. “I promise to obey your every word.”
She laughed softly, and he decided there was no better sound than her laugh.
Her smile faded, but her eyes remained soft. “You don’t have to help me, Kevin. It’s part of my job.”
“I know, but I want to open the envelope and I can’t do it until you go home, so it’s a selfish motive.”
She playfully cocked an eyebrow. “So either way, it’s all about you.”
“Of course. But Matt drove me and I have a feeling that packing up centerpieces isn’t his thing, so will you take me home?” He flashed her a mischievous grin. “It’s not that far out of the way.”
She laughed again, and it warmed his heart more than a laugh should. It only confirmed that he was falling for her. Hard.
“I can’t let you help me, then make you walk home, can I?” She was silent for several seconds, then looked back at the door. “I suppose I should go back in.” But she didn’t budge from her spot.
As much as Kevin wanted to believe he was the only thing keeping her here, her exit from the building led him to believe there was something else going on. “What are you doing out here?”
She hesitated. “I needed a breather, too.”
Anyone else might have bought it, but Kevin knew there was more to it. “What aren’t you telling me?”
Guilt filled her eyes.
“What happened, Holly?”
“It was nothing I couldn’t handle.” Her gaze held his and he believed her, but he still wanted to know what had happened. Thankfully, his silence worked her tongue loose. She looked away. “The groom’s brother has shown a great deal of interest in me throughout the day, and he’s had too much to drink tonight.”
His chest seized and he forced out through gritted teeth, “Did he do something inappropriate?”
She turned back and studied him, her wariness returning. “I made sure it didn’t get out of hand, but it’s a tricky balance, trying to make sure I don’t offend the clients while also making sure the guy is convinced nothing is ever going to happen between us.”
“Did he touch you?” His mind was shuffling through his high school memories, trying to remember how many brothers Ken Douglas had.
She grinned up at him and shook her head. “He tried to kiss me, but I avoided it. I lied and said I have a boyfriend. But he’s drunk enough it could have turned into…a situation.”
“If he bothers you again, I want to know.”
Her eyes narrowed. “Why?”
“So I can back up your story.”
She sighed and her gaze dropped. “While I appreciate you corroborating my lie, that’s really not necessary.” It was obvious that the lie—told to smooth out a potentially disastrous encounter—bothered her.
He started to tell her he could ease her guilt—that it didn’t have to be a lie—but wisely choked back the words. “Hey, we’re friends,” he said. “Friends have each others’ backs.”
She smiled up at him, but he saw the sadness, too. “You know we can’t be friends. We tried that and it doesn’t work. In fact, you should just go home with Matt. I never should have agreed to let you help me.”
“I miss you, Holly,” he whispered.
“I miss you, too.” She stared straight ahead, blinking. But then her back straightened and she was back “on,” ready to face her clients. “We need to go in separately,” she said, taking a step away. “Otherwise, people might talk.”
He had no problem with that, but then his reputation had never been the issue. “Okay.”
“And if you change your mind about helping me clean up later, I understand.”
Even if he hadn’t seen the exhaustion on her face now, his answer still would have been the same. “I won’t.”
He watched her walk back in, unable to stop his gaze from wandering over the sexy body she tried to hide in her utilitarian gray dress. But as soon as she left his sight, he sent a group text to Matt and Tyler.
Is Ken’s only brother Pete?
Yeah, Tyler responded.
Why? Matt asked.
He didn’t answer. Instead he made his way back into the reception, and it didn’t take him long to find the drunken bastard. Pete was leaning against a wall, and it looked like he’d trapped a woman into a conversation she didn’t want to be in. The observation appeased any guilt he might have felt when he approached and caught the woman’s eye. “If you’ll excuse us for a moment, Pete and I need to have a word.”
“Sure.” Then she shot him a look of gratitude before she ran off.
“Hey,” Pete said, taking a step toward him and nearly falling on his ass. “I was about to score with her.”
“Like you were about to score with Holly?”
“Who?”
Rage washed through Kevin. Jesus Christ, he didn’t even know her name. He grabbed a handful of Pete’s shirt and moved his face closer, nearly gagging from the man’s breath. “Stay away from her, do you h
ear me?”
“Which one?” He sounded confused.
His grip tightened. “The wedding planner.”
“Oh!” His eyes widened but remained unfocused. “She told me she’s got a boyfriend, but between you and me, I think she’s playing hard to get. I just need to wear her down.”
Kevin pushed Pete hard against the wall, part of him thankful the music drowned out the thump and the rest of him not giving a shit. “She does have a boyfriend and you’re looking at him, you sorry piece of shit. If you go near her again, it won’t be a warning, you got it?”
The man’s eyes were wide with fright, but he nodded.
“He got the message,” Tyler said, prying Pete’s shirt out of Kevin’s fist. “I think you can let go now.”
Pete scurried off like the rat he was while Kevin turned slowly to look into the stunned faces of his two friends.
“I told you he had it bad,” Matt said with a sidelong glance at Tyler.
“Talk about the understatement of the year,” Tyler said. “I think we just lost one of the Bachelor Brotherhood charter members.”
Not yet, but Kevin was determined to make Tyler’s statement true.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Holly wasn’t sure what was going on, but Kevin’s two friends were huddled around him by the back wall. But then a glimpse of Pete Douglas running out the back door clued her in.
What had Kevin done?
She’d told him she had handled it on her own, but obviously he’d intervened. She knew she should be pissed, but she couldn’t stop the giddy feeling rising in her chest.
What was that about?
For nearly thirty years, she’d taken care of herself. She sure didn’t need someone to take care of her now. But she had to admit that Kevin’s gesture filled her with a sense of gratitude that took her breath away. It was nice to have a friend who cared.
A friend. She wanted him to be more than a friend. Kevin Vandemeer made her happy. And that terrified her.
“Holly, the DJ hasn’t played ‘The Chicken Dance’ yet,” the bride’s mother said, interrupting Holly’s thoughts. She hadn’t even realized Mrs. Murphy had walked up to her. “And the party is almost over.”
Holly forced the smile she reserved for troublesome clients and bosses—the one that looked warm and inviting even when she didn’t actually feel that way. “I’ll go talk to him now.”
The party lasted another two hours, going forty-five minutes longer than scheduled, but the father of the bride made some under-the-table arrangement with the DJ to keep it going. And although Holly worried that the hotel staff would get upset, since they knew her they let it slide. A successful reception was only a good endorsement for her. In fact, a wedding guest scheduled an appointment to discuss using Holly for her wedding next spring.
But Holly kept sneaking glances at Kevin, sure he would renege on his offer to help, not that she could blame him. His friends were still there, close by and acting like his bodyguards, or perhaps as protection for the groom’s brother. But it was obvious they were bored.
Time to be a big girl.
After she reminded the DJ to play the requested song, she walked over to Kevin and his friends and took a seat next to Tyler. She turned to Kevin, who held a bottle of water in his hand. Come to think of it, she hadn’t seen him with anything but water since they came back inside. “This party will be going for a while longer, so why don’t you boys go ahead and go.” She held Kevin’s gaze. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
His two friends turned their attention to him, but he shook his head. “I told you I would stay and help you, and that’s what I’m doing.”
Why did he seem so determined to stay? The worried glance Matt shot toward the groom’s brother confirmed her earlier suspicions. “While I very much appreciate the offer, your friends are ready to go and it’s obvious they aren’t leaving you alone.” She lifted her eyebrows. “I can handle myself.” She cast a quick glance at Pete Douglas, then back to Kevin. “I promise.”
“That much is obvious,” he said, his face giving nothing away. “But sometimes you need to accept help, even when you don’t think you need it.”
Both of his friends grunted.
She stood and moved behind Kevin. Resting her hand on his shoulder, she squatted next to him and whispered into his ear, “Give your friends a break and go home, Kevin.” Then she kissed him on the cheek and walked away.
Five minutes later, all three men got up and left. Holly stood in place at the cake table, where she’d been packing up the wedding cake. She took a breath and placed the top tier into a box, trying to ignore the ache in her chest as Kevin walked to the door without a word good-bye.
Why was she upset? He’d done exactly what she’d told him to do.
Shortly after midnight, the crowd had finally dwindled and the DJ called it. The bride and groom had already left. The presents and cake had been packed into the mother of the bride’s car. All that was left were the centerpieces, most of which the bride’s mother had handed out to friends, and the lights around the room.
“It was absolutely beautiful,” Mrs. Murphy said, pulling Holly into a hug. “Thank you for everything.”
“You are so welcome. I loved every minute of it.” Which was mostly true.
“Michelle’s father and I would like to give you a big bonus for all your hard work. Twenty percent.”
A twenty percent bonus? “Mrs. Murphy, I don’t know what to say. Thank you.”
She patted Holly’s arm. “We’ll mail the check to your office.”
Holly kept the smile plastered on her face, even though the surge of disappointment brought tears to her eyes. Nicole would confiscate the check and deposit it in the business account, giving her only a small portion. She’d done it before. “It’s been a long day, so why don’t you take off and I’ll take care of everything else. I’ll drop the remaining centerpieces at your house tomorrow.”
The woman gave her a weary smile. “I already took what I wanted. You keep the rest or throw them away.”
The last couple left, leaving Holly and a few of the hotel staff to clean up the mess. The bride’s father had bribed the bartender and the waitstaff to stay longer, too, but they had been keeping up with the cleanup and were soon gone, leaving Holly alone. She picked up the last centerpiece and tears stung her eyes as she looked at the arrangement of pale pink roses in a small round vase. She had a job she loved and she’d just made a bride’s dreams come true. Why was she so melancholy?
“I see you got started without me,” Kevin said as he stood in the open doorway.
The vase still in her hand, she spun around, gasping at the sight of him. He’d changed into jeans and a T-shirt with the U.S. Marines logo. She swiped an errant tear from the corner of her left eye. “What are you doing here?”
His warm eyes held hers as he walked toward her. “I told you that I was going to help you.”
“But you went home.”
“And I came back. Just like I said I would.” He moved closer, standing in front of her. “I won’t let you down again, Holly. If I tell you I’m going to do something, I’m going to do it.”
She broke his gaze, her face burning when she realized what he was talking about. “Kevin…”
“Dance with me.”
Her eyes snapped back to his. “What?”
“You said you couldn’t dance with me earlier because it would be unprofessional. Well, there’s no one here now. Dance with me now.”
She gave him a grin, but the flowers shook in her trembling hands. She wasn’t sure she had the strength to refuse him. She might be naive, but she knew he wanted more than a dance. “I’m not sure that’s a good idea,” she whispered.
“I think it’s the best idea I’ve had since the envelope.” His voice was steady as he pulled his phone from his front jeans pocket and opened his music app. The sounds of a Sara Bareilles song filled the space around them.
Holly released a soft laugh. “I find it hard
to believe a big tough guy like you listens to Sara Bareilles.”
“I don’t,” he said, setting the phone on the table, not taking his eyes from her as he took the arrangement from her hands and set it next to the phone. “I downloaded it for you.” He reached for her, putting his hands gently on her hips, letting her know exactly what he wanted, yet giving her every opportunity to bolt.
She was mesmerized by his eyes. They were dark and burned with unspoken promises. Promises she very much wanted to accept.
“Dance with me, Holly,” he whispered into her ear, his voice husky with desire.
She should tell him no. The smart thing to do was to tell him no. But instead, she found herself whispering back, “Okay.”
The muscles in his arms and shoulders were so tense she expected him to take charge and pull her to his chest and kiss her, and she was ready for it. Ached for it. But his hand was gentle as it slid up her back, pulling her ever so slowly to his chest.
He began to sway, and she was aware of every part of him. His firm muscles against her breast, the strong arm that held her pressed tightly against him, so tightly she could feel the beating of his heart. His scent—oh, his scent—she’d come to know so well. Too well. How had she let this man get under her skin? She’d only known him for a little over a week.
She closed her eyes and rested her cheek on his chest, her heart aching even more as she realized he’d picked a song about lost love. She should take a step away from him, end this now.
But her body refused to listen to her head. She slid her fingers up his arms, resting them on his tense shoulders, kneading gently before moving on to trace the outline of his jaw.
Reaching up on tiptoes, she lightly pressed her lips to his.
He stopped moving, his body still as she ran her tongue along his bottom lip. When he began to sway again, his lips brushed hers tenderly as he pulled her in tighter.
The kiss deepened but remained unhurried, slow and leisurely, as though he had all the time in the world. But his tongue worked magic, finding hers and coaxing it to join his dance of slow seduction.
Only You Page 23
