One Week with the Best Man: Reclaimed by the Rancher

by Andrea Laurence

  “Well,” he said, “I think you need to make the time. If you’ve got the money, do it. There’s never going to be a perfect time, and before you know it, life will dwindle away your savings and you’ll miss your chance.”

  “I don’t think I—”

  “I dare you to go next spring,” Julian said with a conspiratorial smile. “Maybe late April or early May. It will be perfect. Good weather and not too crowded yet.”

  Gretchen nearly choked. “You dare me?”

  “I do,” he said, his blue eyes focused intently on her in a way that made her spine soften and her chest tighten. “You don’t seem like the kind of woman that would back down from a dare.”

  She eyed him with a twist of her lips. She hadn’t played many games of truth or dare in her time, but she was certain that two could play at this game. “Very well, I accept. But I have a dare for you as well.”

  “Oh, you do now?” He sat back in his seat and crossed his arms over his chest as though he couldn’t be intimidated by her challenge. “I can’t wait to hear what it is. Back in college, I always opted for the dare over the truth. I haven’t turned one down, ever.”

  That might be true, but he hadn’t gone up against Gretchen before. “Okay, Mr. Confident. I dare you to go back to the counter, buy that berry tart you want so badly and eat every bite of it. Live on the wild side for just today, Julian. Who knows, one day it’s berry tarts, the next day it’s a film premiering at Sundance.”

  Julian watched her face for a moment. She knew that he was fighting with himself, but a dare was a dare, right?

  She decided maybe she should throw him a bone. She of all people knew what it was like to try to diet and have family and friends unintentionally sabotage her plans. “I’ll share it with you, if you want.”

  At that, his expression brightened. “Done.” He got up and left her alone at the table for a few minutes to secure their pastry prize.

  Alone, she sat back in her chair and took the first deep breath for nearly half an hour. Julian was so intense, she sometimes found it hard to breathe when he was around. But she liked it. She liked being with him. She’d never expected that to be the case. They were so different, or so she thought.

  Beneath it all, she realized they had more in common than she expected. The more time they spent together, the more easily she was able to see the man behind the actor.

  As nice as that was, they were dangerous, pointless thoughts. They’d just discussed what she was going to do with the money he was paying her to be around him. Once the wedding was over, so was their time together. It might feel as if they had a connection, but he was an actor. Gretchen couldn’t let herself forget that. In a few days, he would return to LA and forget she ever existed.

  It was just her luck that the first guy she’d really felt comfortable with in years turned out to be a Hollywood actor who would disappear and want nothing more to do with her.

  At this rate, she was never going to get laid.

  * * *

  Julian nearly groaned as he took the last bite of the berry tart. It was the best thing he’d tasted in...a year, maybe? Most days of his life, he didn’t control what he ate. His trainers and personal chefs took care of that for him and kept the temptations far away. Bridgette was even more strict with her eating, so it was easier to get through the day knowing he wouldn’t be exposed to the things he really wanted. Out of sight, out of mind.

  Gretchen wasn’t hung up on all that. She indulged when she wanted to indulge, and the satisfied smile on her face was evidence of that. So what if it cost her a few extra pounds? Her soft, womanly figure with a sincere smile was far better than rail-thin Bridgette and her pinched, anxious look. She never smiled with contentment. She was always looking for something more in life.

  This berry tart may have been that very thing.

  “So naughty,” Gretchen said, putting her fork down on the empty plate. “I bet you gain three whole pounds eating that.”

  Julian sat up sharply. “That’s not possible. Is it?”

  She laughed at him and shook her head. “No. You’re fine. Half a berry tart isn’t the end of the world. You did get a serving of fiber-rich fruit out of it, after all.”

  That’s when Julian noticed a small dab of strawberry glaze at the corner of her lips. He reached for his napkin to dab it away, but hesitated. He had a better idea.

  “Hold still,” he said, leaning across the table toward her. With one hand gently caressing her neck, he pressed his lips to the corner of her mouth, removing the last of their dessert before moving over and kissing her.

  Just like every time he touched her, Julian immediately responded to Gretchen. With her soft lips pressed against his and the scent of her skin filling his lungs, he couldn’t pull away. Every muscle in his body tightened with a building need for her. Each time they kissed, his desire for her grew. He knew that this was a business arrangement, but he couldn’t help his reaction to her. He wanted her more than he’d wanted any other woman before.

  But unlike the other times when they were practicing making it look good for the cameras, this time Gretchen pulled away from him.

  He wasn’t expecting it, and her sudden withdrawal left him hovering, vulnerable, over the table. “What’s the matter?”

  She watched him with wary dark eyes. “What was that about?”

  His brows went up. “What was the kiss about?”

  “Yes.” She glanced around the café, her gaze dropping into her lap. “I thought you said we were done practicing that. There’s no one watching us right now.”

  Gretchen couldn’t fathom that he would kiss her just because he could. Because he wanted to. “That kiss,” he said, “wasn’t for the cameras. That one was for me.”

  Her eyes met his with a narrowed gaze and a frown wrinkling her nose. “I don’t understand.”

  Julian reached across the table and took her hand. “What is there to understand, Gretchen? I like you. I wanted to kiss you, so I did. That’s pretty simple boy-meets-girl kind of stuff.”

  She nodded, although he wasn’t entirely sure she felt better about the whole thing. “I told you before I’m not that good with the boy-meets-girl thing.”

  She had told him, but he didn’t realize until that moment how serious she was about it. How was it possible that she couldn’t understand why he’d want to kiss her? Was her self-esteem so low that she didn’t think she was worthy of his attention? If so, he’d see to correcting that assumption right away.

  “You said you like me. What did you mean by that?”

  “I mean that I like you. And yes, that I’m attracted to you. I know this arrangement is mostly about business, and I don’t want to make you feel uncomfortable, but I’m into you, Gretchen. Truly.”

  She responded with silence, reaching out to take a sip of her iced tea. It was almost as though she didn’t know how to respond, as if he’d said “I love you” too soon in a relationship. Had he read the signals wrong? He didn’t want her to think that he presumed their contract extended to extracurricular activities in the bedroom. He was about to say something to soften the statement when she looked up at him with an intensity in her chocolate-brown eyes.

  “I’m attracted to you, as well,” she said boldly.

  Julian shelved the instinctual smile. He didn’t want her to think he was laughing at her. It was anything but. He had suspected that she was turned on by him, but he couldn’t know for sure. Knowing made him feel lighter somehow. “I’m glad we got that out there.”

  She nodded, and her gaze returned to her lap. Any fantasies he had about taking her back to his hotel room and making love to her that instant fizzled away. One step at a time, he reminded himself. Besides, they had work they were avoiding. Even if she wanted him as desperately as he wanted her, there was a wedding coming up, and the ballroom needed to
be decorated sooner rather than later.

  “I guess we’d better get back to the chapel,” he said. “I promised I’d help you set up all those decorations, remember?”

  “You don’t really have to,” she said dismissively. “You bought my food, and more importantly, this necklace. I’ll happily stay up all night decorating on my own to make up for the lost time.”

  He shook his head. “You’re not getting rid of me so easily. I may not have an artistic eye, but I’m helping you and that’s final.”

  Gretchen nodded and placed her napkin on the table. “It’s been over an hour. Do you think the photographers have given up or are they still sitting outside the jewelry store?”

  Julian shrugged and got up from the table. “It doesn’t matter. I’m happy we had the hour alone that we had.” He took her hand and led her out of the café. The cameramen had given up, and their vehicle was waiting patiently for them down the block.

  The return to the chapel was uneventful, yet awkwardly silent. Not since their first night together had there been this weird energy between them. It continued until they were back in the ballroom and the work began. They lost themselves in tying a black organza bow around the back of each chair. Julian was quickly removed from that task—apparently he didn’t tie bows, just knots—and he was given the job of folding all the linen napkins. Thank goodness there wasn’t some fancy fabric origami going on, just a simple fold that created a rectangle with a pocket.

  When the bows were finished, Gretchen laid a glass charger with silver beaded accents at each place setting. Julian followed behind her, draping the napkin across the charger and slipping the menu into the pocket. He helped her carry in about forty of the decorated hurricane vases, placing them on the stage along with some large silver vases and candelabras.

  “What next?” he asked. “Do these need to go on the tables?”

  Gretchen sat down on the edge of the stage and shook her head. “Not tonight.” She glanced at her cell phone. “It’s getting late. I’ll do that tomorrow.”

  Julian sat beside her and eyed the room. They had gotten a lot done, but if he knew Gretchen, there was a lot more in store for the decor. “Are you sure? I can stay as late as you need me to.”

  “Aren’t you here for Murray? Shouldn’t you guys be hanging out and playing poker or something? Guy bonding?”

  He shrugged. “Not really. We golfed and ate barbecue today before I came over. Tomorrow, there’s just the rehearsal, the dinner and the bachelor party.”

  Gretchen gave him a knowing smile. “Whatcha got planned? Strippers and beer?”

  “No,” he said with an offended tone to his voice. “It’s going to be classy! I’ve rented out an old piano bar downtown. I’ve also got a Cuban guy coming in to roll authentic cigars and a local microbrewery doing flights of all their best beers. A few ladies from the burlesque show will be performing.” He tried to say it all with a straight face, but it didn’t last long. She had him pegged the first time. “Okay, yeah,” he laughed. “Strippers and beer. But they’re expensive strippers and beer.”

  “I’m sure that makes it a much classier affair,” she said with a smile.

  “I thought so.”

  “We’d better get you home, then. You’ll need your rest for a long night of debauchery.” Gretchen stood up and dusted her hands off on her jeans.

  Julian followed her out of the ballroom, waiting as she switched off lights and locked doors behind her. When they stepped outside into the parking lot, he noticed the temperature had really dropped since they went inside. In just a few short hours, it had gone from a California November day to a November day anywhere else. He snuggled into his leather jacket, but all it really did was keep the wind from cutting through him.

  Gretchen seemed more prepared. She stepped outside in a dark burgundy peacoat and a scarf. He walked her over to her tiny sedan, hesitant to say good-night and hesitant to say what he needed to say to make the night last. He moved close to tell her goodbye, her back pressed to the car as she looked up at him with the overhead lights twinkling in her eyes.

  “Do you have a real coat?” she asked when she noticed him start to shiver.

  “Not with me. I have one I wear when I go skiing in Aspen, but I didn’t think I’d need it here.” Looking at the space between them, he realized he could see his breath. It was darn cold. He should’ve looked more closely at the forecast before he packed.

  “Well, maybe tomorrow you should take a trip to the store and pick up a nice wool coat. We can’t let the best man catch cold the day before the wedding.”

  “That’s a good idea. Perhaps you can just help me stay warm in the meantime.”

  With a smile, Gretchen wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him close. Her lips mere centimeters from his, she asked, “How’s this?”

  Julian pressed the full length of his body against her and wrapped his arms around her waist. “Definitely getting warmer. Still a little cold, though.”

  Holding his face in her hands, she guided his lips to hers. A surge of heat shot through his veins as they touched. When her tongue grazed along his own, he was nearly warm enough to take off his jacket. That simple, innocent touch was enough to set his blood to boiling with need for her.

  He traveled the line of her jaw, leaving a trail of kisses until he reached the sensitive curve of her neck. Gretchen gasped and clung to him as he nibbled at her flesh. The sound was like music to his ears, sending a chill through his whole body. Desperate to touch more of her, he moved one hand from her waist, sliding it up her side until it cupped her breast.

  He was rewarded with another gasp, but it was quickly followed by insistent palms pressing against his chest. He moved back, dropping his hands to his sides. “What’s the matter?” he asked between panting breaths.

  “I...” she started, then shook her head. “It’s just a little too fast for me, Julian.”

  Fast? “It’s Thursday, Gretchen. By Monday, I’ll be back in California. I don’t want to make you uncomfortable, but we don’t have forever.”

  Gretchen sighed and shifted her gaze to look over his shoulder. “I know.”

  “What’s really bothering you?” It didn’t seem as though her body and her words were lining up. “Tell me.”

  Swallowing hard, she nodded. “I told you I hadn’t dated much, but it’s more than that, Julian. It’s not that I don’t want you. I do. Very badly. And I would gladly take this as far as you’re willing to go. But I think if you knew the truth, you’d...”

  “I’d what?” He couldn’t think of anything she could say to smother his desire for her.

  “I’m a virgin,” she said, almost spitting out the words as if to get them out before she could change her mind.

  Julian’s eyes widened and he stumbled back, as though her words had physically hit him. Was she serious? “A virgin?” he asked.

  “Yes. Like I said, it isn’t a problem for me. Frankly, you’d be doing me a huge favor by ridding me of this burden I’ve carried around for all these years. But I find that people don’t react well to the news.”

  He could understand that. He wasn’t reacting that well himself. It wasn’t as though she’d just announced she was a hermaphrodite or something, but still, it had caught him off guard. In an instant, the idea of a fun, casual romance while he was in Nashville had just gotten instantly more complicated.

  “Damn,” Gretchen whispered.

  Her curse snapped him out of his own head. He looked at her with a frown. “What?”

  “It’s happened again,” she said. “I’ve scared you off. You can’t get away from me fast enough. I can see it in your eyes.”

  “No, no,” he said, shaking his head adamantly. “It’s just not what I was expecting. But I should’ve...” His voice trailed away. All the signs had pointed there; he just hadn’t t
hought it was possible.

  “Well, it’s getting late and you’re probably freezing,” he said, the words sounding lame even to his own ears. “We’ve got a long night tomorrow, so I’ll let you get home. I’ll see you here at the rehearsal at six?”

  “Yeah.” Gretchen didn’t even try to hide the disappointment on her face and in her voice. His quick backpedaling had hurt her feelings, but he didn’t know what else to do. “Good night, Julian.”

  Without so much as a goodbye peck on the cheek, she opened her car door and got inside. He’d barely closed the door when the engine roared to life and she backed out of the parking space.

  As her taillights disappeared into the distance, Julian realized he was a schmuck. Apparently he was much better with women when he had a script to follow.

  Six

  Gretchen should’ve kept her damn mouth shut. That was it—she wasn’t telling a guy the truth again. The next time she got someone interested in sleeping with her, she’d let him find out the hard way. It might be rough going, but by the time he realized it, it would be done and she wouldn’t have to go through this embarrassment again and again.

  At the moment, it would be easy to believe that nothing had happened last night. She and Julian were seated together at a table with a few other members of the wedding party. The rehearsal dinner was wrapping up, and waiters were coming around with trays of desserts. His arm was draped over her shoulder, a devoted smile on his face whenever he looked at her. Ever the actor, this was easy for him. It wasn’t so easy for her, especially with Bree hovering around the edge of the room taking pictures and smiling knowingly at her.

  Just when she thought she’d overcome all the potential problems with this fake dating scenario, she’d screwed it up. She should’ve just kept it fake. By admitting in the coffee shop that she was attracted to him, it had opened up the charade to more. He liked her, she liked him...what was stopping this public relationship from becoming a private one?