by Susanna Carr
Angie was amazed at Cheryl’s blaze attitude. “You could have killed her.”
Cheryl snorted at the suggestion. “Why do you think I asked you to look for her? You and your stripper boyfriend had jumped into action at the bachelorette party. I knew you’d find her.”
“And you got me kicked out of the wedding.”
Cheryl laughed. “I’m good, but I’m not that good. That was a stroke of luck and I thought I had finally protected Brittany’s dream wedding. This was my chance to be the bridesmaid. It was my reward. I could be part of Brittany’s special day. Everything was working in my favor.” She frowned. “But Patrick talked Brittany into letting you back in the wedding.”
“And now you’re after me. Why?” Angie asked. She took a step to the side and was no longer trapped between the hedges and Cheryl. “Why don’t you take out Robin? She’s weak.”
“She’s extra cautious now. Not to mention everyone is fussing over her all the time. Also, Brittany wanted Robin in the wedding.”
“And Brittany doesn’t want me here,” Angie concluded. The bride would be happy to have her out of the wedding and thus be more willing to add her assistant in at the last minute.
“Exactly.” Cheryl’s smile sent chills down Angie’s spine. “She doesn’t want you anywhere in her life. Expect to slowly fade from Patrick’s social circle.”
“I can’t believe you did all this to be a bridesmaid.” She pressed her hand against her head and discovered that half of her updo was falling out. She blew a chunk of hair out of her eyes. “It’s a horrible job.”
“I’m doing this because I care about Brittany,” Cheryl argued. “I got rid of all of the fake friends and backstabbing bridesmaids. Brittany deserves to be surrounded by people who actually love and adore her.”
“You have a strange way of showing friendship. And, honestly, being a bridesmaid is a test of will and patience. Think about it,” Angie stressed as she took another side step. “You have to be at the bride’s beck and call. You have to put your life on hold and put up with the bride’s rages. Do you have any idea what that feels like? Oh, wait. Maybe you do.”
“But this way everyone will know that I’m more than her employee,” Cheryl said, raising her voice. “I’m her friend.”
“No, she will never think that.” Angie was reluctant to share this with Cheryl, but the woman had to know that Brittany would never see her as an equal. “Brittany said so herself. When the suggestion was made to replace you for Heidi, Brittany made it very clear that you were only the assistant.”
“She wouldn’t say that!” Cheryl shouted. “Brittany likes me. She likes me more than any of her bridesmaids.”
Angie took another step. She was almost in the clear to make a run for the stone steps. “Even if you did get rid of me, she won’t add you to the ceremony.”
“Yes, she will.” Cheryl grabbed her arm and squeezed tight. “She’ll be in a panic and she’ll want me right there.”
“Fine.” She tried to shake off Cheryl’s hold but it was no use. “You know what? You don’t need to take me out of commission. You want to take my place? Go for it.”
Cheryl looked at her as if she sensed a trick. “You’re not going to fight it?”
“I’ll be relieved. I didn’t want to do this, anyway. Tell Brittany that I twisted my ankle while I was looking for you. She won’t want me hobbling down the aisle.”
“True.” She tightened her hold on Angie’s arm. “But how do I know you won’t talk?”
Angie wasn’t sure if she could come up with a convincing reason not to. “You said it yourself. There is no proof. Everything you used is gone.” When Cheryl nodded, Angie kept going. “It’s just my word against yours. And everyone thinks I’ll say anything to ruin the wedding.”
“I’m glad we’re in agreement. Okay, I’ll take your place.” She pointed at Angie’s other arm. “Now hand over the bracelet.”
Angie curled her hand closer to her body. “Why?”
“Brittany gave it to her bridesmaids as a gift during the bridesmaids’ luncheon,” Cheryl said. “I was there. I picked out the bracelet. Why shouldn’t I get one?”
“You shouldn’t get one because you weren’t a bridesmaid,” Angie muttered as an idea formed in her head.
“But I am now.” She held out her other hand. “Give it to me.”
Angie slid the bracelet from her wrist and threw it as Cheryl reached for it.
“What are you doing?” Cheryl asked as she watched the bracelet fall into the dirt.
Angie swung her foot out and swiped Cheryl’s legs from underneath her. They both fell down. “Cheryl,” she said as they wrestled for control. “I don’t care about being a bridesmaid, but no one tries to hurt me and gets away with it.”
* * *
COLE SAT IN the back of the church and glanced at his watch. The wedding should have already started. What was taking so long?
He looked at the entrance where the procession should be. Instead, he saw only Robin hovering by the door. She seemed worried, almost frantic, as she motioned for him to meet her in the hallway.
Cole quickly followed her. “What’s going on, Robin?”
“Have you seen Angie?” she whispered.
Her words were like a kick to his system. His body was on full alert and he immediately checked his phone. “Not since you saw me with her. Why?”
“This isn’t good.” Robin began chewing on her fingernail. “I’ve checked every room and closet hoping she was with you.”
“How long has it been since you’ve seen her?”
“I don’t know. It feels like forever,” Robin admitted as tears shone in her eyes. “Brittany was freaking out and I couldn’t get a hold of Cheryl on my phone. Angie went to look for her and now they’re both missing.”
“Keep searching inside the church. I’ll go outside.” He broke into a run and looked around the front steps. He didn’t see anyone. He thought of the parking lot and then the church grounds. His instinct was to head for the grounds.
He ran to the side of the church, calling out Angie’s name. He saw a thick wall of hedges and was about to go around them when he heard the sound of a struggle. “Angie?”
“Cole?” Angie called out. “I’m in the garden— Ow!”
Cole pushed his way through the thick shrubbery. It felt like it took him ages as he slapped, kicked and clawed his way in. He had to get to Angie. He would never forgive himself if something happened to her.
He heard Angie’s scream and the sound of a body slamming against the ground. His heart twisted with fear. Cole let out a roar as he crashed through the last of the shrubbery and found Angie wrestling on the grass with Cheryl.
Angie struggled as she rolled back and forth with Cheryl. Her hair was flying out of her bun and a long grass stain streaked down her dress. Dirt and scratches covered her arms, legs and chest.
He rushed forward but Angie had staggered to her feet and was pointing at Cheryl. “Don’t you dare move,” she told the assistant, who lay limp and moaning.
“Need some help?” Cole asked as he wrapped his arm around Angie’s waist. He peered into her eyes and frowned when he saw a bruise forming under one of them.
“You can call your friend, that woman who was the first police officer at the strip club. Cheryl confessed to injuring Heidi and Robin.”
“You don’t have any proof,” Cheryl said weakly.
“You were also seen in a physical altercation with Angie,” Cole said, refusing to look at Cheryl. “And you have me as a witness.”
Cheryl made a face as if dismissing his claim. “Who’s going to listen to a stripper?”
“Hey.” Angie bumped Cheryl’s hip with her shoe. “His name is Cole Foster and he’s a private investigator and a former cop.”
“What?” Cheryl said in a squawk. “Brittany didn’t say anything about this.”
Angie shook her head. “You’ve really got to stop using Brittany as your only source of information.”
C
ole saw something gold glitter in the dirt. He bent down and picked up a thin bracelet.
“That’s mine,” Angie said, extending her hand.
Cole held her fingers gently and slid it onto her wrist. “How did you lose this in a fight?”
“Cheryl tried to take it.” She held up her wrist and let the sunshine gleam off the gold. “She thought she should have it.”
“You said I could be a bridesmaid,” Cheryl wailed.
“Cheryl, I may be just a close friend of the groom’s and I may have a bad attitude toward weddings, but I’m wearing this bracelet because I earned it.” She lowered her hand. “But don’t worry, Cheryl. You’re going to get a pair of metal, police-issued ones. You definitely earned those.”
19
“I CAN’T BELIEVE Brittany kicked you out of the wedding again,” Cole said as he carried Angie into her apartment. “After all you did for her.”
“I don’t mind,” said Angie as she lifted her arm and allowed the bracelet to sparkle under the hallway light. “I still got a bracelet out of this deal.”
“And least this time Tim and Steven argued on your behalf,” he stated, shutting the door behind them. “I thought they were going to go slide in the mud in solidarity with you.”
Angie smiled. “I think they wanted to blow off some steam. It had nothing to do with me.”
Cole wasn’t so sure. He knew Angie’s friends were impressed by her taking down Cheryl and finding out the real reason behind the accidents. They were very vocal in their displeasure when Brittany refused to have Angie continue being a bridesmaid based on her scruffy appearance.
“Cole, you can put me down now,” Angie told him as he brushed past the sofa and went straight to the bed. “My ankle is just twisted. And that wasn’t from Cheryl. That was from hurrying in these heels.”
“Obviously the only safe place for you to wear these shoes is in bed with me.” He laid her down. He took off his jacket and wrenched off his tie. Cole felt the anger and fear roll through him again as he cupped her jaw and studied her scratched-up face. “That is some black eye.”
She shrugged. “It’ll heal.”
He caressed her cheek. “I never should have left you alone in the church. I knew Cheryl was behind all this. I knew she was out to get you.”
“Don’t blame yourself, please. We had no proof. And I had everything under control. But I was glad I had you as backup.”
“I will always be there for you.” He leaned down and kissed her gently. “I, too, argued to keep you in the wedding.”
“Oh, I heard. The whole church heard. At least I got to see Patrick get married. That’s all I really wanted.” She pulled at the frayed hem of her dress. “The minute I saw these stains down the front of me, I knew there was no way Brittany would let me walk down the aisle.”
Cole couldn’t believe the bride’s ingratitude. “Like I said, after all you did for her.”
“I know, right?” Angie’s eyes twinkled. “It’s okay. I saved the day and the wedding went on. Patrick knows I did it for him. And I uncovered how crazy Cheryl really is. I wonder what will happen to her.”
“She was saying a lot when they took her away.” Cheryl’s excuses and explanations were not going to help her case.
“She felt invisible because the most important person in her life didn’t share her feelings. I thought I understood how she felt but I was wrong. You see me, even when I try to hide.”
“It’s pointless to hide from me.”
“It is,” Angie agreed as she pulled Cole down on top of her.
“Angie,” he warned as she rolled over so she was on top. “Forget it. You need to rest.”
“Later,” she promised as she placed a sweet kiss on his lips. “Right now, I need to be with you.”
And he needed to be with her. He realized that days ago but had been slow to act on it. Her pseudo-accident changed that.
“Angie, when I was trying to get to you, I had this one thought going through my mind the whole time.” He felt almost queasy as he remembered the bitter taste of fear. “I was worried that if something happened, I would never have the chance to tell you that I love you.”
He felt the tension in Angie’s body before she lifted her head and looked into his eyes. “Now’s your chance.”
He frowned. “Weren’t you listening? I just did.”
“Cole,” urged Angie, “tell me exactly how you feel.”
Cole didn’t feel nervous as he held her gaze. He wanted her to know. He wanted the world to know how he felt about this woman. “I love you, Angie. At first I thought it made me weak. Vulnerable. I didn’t want to show how much you meant to me because I would give you power over me.”
“What changed?”
“You’ve always had power over me, whether or not I told you how I feel. From the second I met you. But you didn’t use it against me.”
“Cole, I’m going to let you in on a little secret.” She leaned forward until her mouth was a kiss away from his. “I’m not powerful but you make me feel that way. Like right now. I’m excited and anxious. I feel safe but adventurous. When you look at me like that, I want to be everything to you.”
“You are,” he insisted. “And I was lost and miserable after I left you. I believed I was doing the right thing but I wished every day that I hadn’t ended things. And it was a mistake that I waited so long to see you again.”
“I won’t lie, Cole, it hurt when you took off,” she said, her eyes darkening as she recalled the pain. “I tried to get over you but I couldn’t.”
“Yeah, I remember your face when you saw me on stage.” She had been confused and angry. It gave him a little bit of hope that she still had feelings for him.
Angie sat up straight and tightened her legs around his hips. “That reminds me, no more undercover work, especially in a strip club.”
“Don’t worry. I’m never doing that again.” The only woman he wanted tearing his clothes off was Angie. “The one good thing that came out of that is that you owe me a lap dance.”
Her mouth dropped open. “Says who?”
He moved restlessly underneath her as he imagined her performance wearing nothing but those impractical heels. “Come on, Angie. Let me watch you.”
She hesitated as if she were actually considering his suggestion. “How much cash do you have?”
“That depends,” he said as his gaze traveled down her body. “What are you offering to do?”
* * *
ANGIE SUDDENLY FELT shy. Shy, but intrigued. She nervously licked her lips. “There’s no music.”
“Doesn’t matter.” His voice sounded gravelly as she saw the lust sharpen his features. “I just want to watch you.”
Angie liked the idea but it would be so revealing. She wanted to seduce Cole and make him go wild underneath her. Show him how she felt. Get pleasure from his pleasure. She wanted to be as bold as she used to be.
But she wanted him to do more than just watch. “Guide me through it.”
“You don’t need any help,” he said with a smile. Slowly, he slid his hands under his head and shifted to find a comfortable spot on the bed. “Go for it.”
Angie stared at him and her heart did a strange little flip. His rumpled white shirt was pulled tight against his broad chest. His position was almost casual, but his expression was serious. He was giving her all the power. And showing her he was open to anything, while still encouraging her. She could do whatever she wanted and he would enjoy the ride.
She tentatively rolled her hips for him and then raised her short skirt. The fabric was slick and silky against her bare legs. She ran her hands along her thighs, imagining how Cole would often touch her that way when he was overcome with desire. She splayed her fingers over her breasts before skimming them along her throat and cheeks.
“Stop teasing,” Cole said hoarsely. “Give me all you got.”
She smiled and dragged down his zipper, then pulled his belt free. “Take off your clothes,” she reques
ted.
Cole did so, his actions quick and impatient. When his underwear hit the floor, he settled back on the bed, his penis thick and proudly erect. Heavy anticipation crashed through Angie as she grasped the base of his cock. Cole hissed between clenched teeth and bucked into her hand.
Angie bit her lip as she watched Cole’s reaction. Yes, she was giving him pleasure, but he was giving her his trust. Cole was tough, he could take control again any time he wanted, but what he wanted was for her to have it.
“Take off your dress,” he said, mimicking her earlier request of him. “Keep the shoes on.” He grinned playfully.
Angie reached behind her. She couldn’t wait to lie with Cole, skin on skin. “I need your help.”
Cole rose and sat up. Angie watched him intensely, her sex clenching as her peaked nipples rasped against the tight material. She couldn’t hide her shiver as Cole lowered the zipper. His hands were large and strong against the simple, fragile dress. She wanted him to rip off the fabric. Instead he peeled it off her gradually. She stretched, exaggerating each move as the intense arousal soared through her. She arched her back and thrust her breasts.
Once he removed her dress, Angie slowly exhaled, her breath echoing in the charged silence. She laid her hands on Cole’s shoulders, her fingers digging into his muscles. She could feel his hot gaze on her breasts. Her skin tingled as Cole licked his lips. She waited for him to take her into his mouth.
“Keep dancing, Angie. Show off your body.”
Angie held back a frustrated cry. Dancing wasn’t on her mind. There was no music, except for the thrumming beat of her heart. His mouth was right at the tips of her breasts. She wanted to feel his tongue on her. She wanted him to tease her everywhere until she was begging for mercy.
She would have him begging for mercy, she decided. Angie caught his eye and fondled her breasts, moaning from the unreal pleasure. She felt Cole’s burning passion when she gasped while pinching her nipples. She pinched harder, tilting her head back and calling out his name.
Angie slid her hands down her flat stomach before cupping her sex. She held his gaze. She no longer felt shy. She felt powerful. Naughty. Demanding. She dipped one hand into her panties and stroked the slick folds of her sex.
