This Wedding is Doomed!

by Stephanie Draven

  He was right about that. She hadn’t planned on him and she definitely wouldn’t mind exploring the chemistry between them. “Some things happen on their own.”

  “Exactly.” He leaned in slowly until his lips hovered a breath away from hers. “If I kiss you now, would you tell me off again?”

  She wet her lips. Her pulse raced. “I think you like me telling you off. I think you appreciate that I don’t take what you dish out lying down.”

  “You can take what I dish out any way you want, honey.” He smiled and brushed his hand along her jaw. “Lying down. Standing up. I’m flexible.”

  When he said things like that, she didn’t know whether to swoon, laugh, or smack him. It did funny things to her insides.

  “I don’t get you.” She put her hand against his chest above his rapidly beating heart. “Is this all an elaborate scheme to flirt with me? First you tell me you’re going to mess up this wedding. Then you agree to help me track down the maid of honor—”

  “Which reminds me.” Seth reached over her shoulder for the little peephole window on the cellar door. He opened it and looked into the wine cellar before shutting it and latching it.

  “Well?”

  “No one’s in there,” Seth said.

  “Darn,” she said without inflection. She wanted to find the maid of honor, but at this moment, her whole body was attuned to this man. The solid weight of him resting against her palm. Her fingers drummed on his chest. “There aren’t a lot of other places she could be.”

  “Let’s talk more about your issues with my flirtation techniques.”

  She raised her eyebrow at him. “I don’t recall saying there was an issue.”

  “Good to know. Back to the real issue. Tell me one thing you’ve done spontaneously in the past year.” He set his other hand on the other side of her head. Caging her in with his body. “Just one thing. Have you ever just gone somewhere without planning? Like the park, or stopped into a shop where you didn’t need anything?”

  She tensed, trapped by his arms and his body. “Why would I go into a shop without needing anything? That would be a waste of time.”

  “Exactly.”

  “Exactly what?”

  “You don’t know how to waste time.”

  She opened her mouth. Then snapped it shut. She wished she had a snappy comeback. But the only thing that came to mind was “do too.”

  “When was the last time you slept in late?”

  She clamped her lips shut and dropped her hand from his chest. What was he getting at? Why were these questions so hard? So what if she didn’t sleep late or go shopping when she didn’t need to? Time was money in her business.

  “When was the last time you took a day off? Without checking out something for a client?” His face was close to hers and his gaze delved into hers as if he could see through to her soul.

  She looked away from him, but he was too close.

  “When have you done something just because it’s fun? You can’t live life without fun.” His thumb brushed against her temple.

  She sighed. “Life can’t always be fun.”

  “Granted, it can’t always be fun. I’m a lawyer. I have to be structured, but when I go home at night, I leave it there. I relax and take life as it comes. I do things to keep me happy and alive. I glitter bomb a car. I fall into a cake. I write silly limericks that make people laugh. I enjoy my life.”

  She shook her head. “I enjoy life. My life is fine the way it is.”

  “But it’s not fun.” He leaned down so she couldn’t look away. “Tell me one thing you want to do. Right now. If no one else were around. If the wedding wasn’t going on. Something you would never otherwise do in a million years, but want to do this very moment.”

  With him? She could think of about ten things she’d like to do in this moment. Her eyes dropped to his firm lips and she couldn’t help the smile that formed as she thought about how they’d felt against hers. He leaned in slowly, giving her time to stop him. But before his lips touched hers, they were interrupted by a giant boom.

  ***

  As they raced into the Conservatory, Stacey rushed over. “Everything’s fine.”

  “What happened?” Julie looked around but everything seemed to be in order.

  “The amp blew outside, but we have it under control.” Stacey blew some stray hairs out of her face and grabbed a bag of disposable cameras to put on the tables. “We’re almost through the list for setup. Everything is going as planned. I just got off the phone with the caterer and he should be here any minute.”

  A bubble of pride filled Julie. It felt good to be able to rely on her assistant. Stacey had definitely found her calm point.

  And Julie wished she could find her own as she spied Seth sneaking one of the cameras into his pocket. Julie started to tell him to put it back, but he held up his finger over his lips and gave her a wink. Who knew what he had in mind?

  What kind of prank could he pull with a disposable camera? Besides he’d promised her no more pranks. Whatever he had in mind didn’t bother her like it should. But she hadn’t had this much fun at a wedding in a very long time. “What about the maid of honor?”

  “She’s here. Someone saw her with the officiant.” Stacey moved to another table. “Everything is going according to plan. If you want to grab a snack or something, now is the time,” Stacey said, taking a step back to let Julie admire their handiwork.

  “Sounds good to me,” Seth said, grabbing Julie’s hand, tugging her back toward the kitchen before she could stop him.

  Laughing, she protested, “I don’t eat until the guests do. I really should check on the bride and the maid of honor.”

  “You heard the woman. Everything is fine.” Seth’s hand warmed hers. “You should take a break. With me . . .”

  Julie was tempted by the wicked look in his eyes, and not because she was hungry. “I don’t take breaks. I’ve wasted a lot of time already.”

  He flashed her a quick smile over his shoulder. “And you enjoyed it, so let’s waste a little more.”

  She had to admit she wanted to spend time with Seth. In the cellar, he’d almost kissed her again and she’d almost let him. And heaven help her, she wanted that kiss. As he led her through the house, he paused briefly in the kitchen to grab a couple of pieces of fruit before taking her out to the opposite side of the grounds where there was a small garden. No one was out here. The sun was shining and the air was crisp. She drew in a deep breath. It was a little freeing knowing that everything was being taken care of.

  “Well?” Seth asked, taking her other hand in his. It seemed so natural for him to hold her hands. Pleasant, but with that slow burn of desire for something more.

  “Ten minutes and not a second more,” she said with a smile, tapping her watch.

  He reached into his pockets and pulled out an apple, a pear, and an orange. “Here, hold these.”

  He pressed the fruit into her hands. She balanced them against her stomach while he pulled off his tuxedo jacket. When she realized he was going to lay it on the grass, she took a step toward him.

  “You’ll get grass stains on it.”

  “It’s black.”

  She shook her head, caught in those mischievous blue eyes. “It’ll get rumpled and you need to get back for pictures soon.”

  “No one will mind if the drunk uncle with his rumpled jacket isn’t in the picture.” He laid his coat on the grass and sat down next to it. Then he held his hand up to her.

  She raised her eyebrows. “Isn’t this consorting with the enemy or something?”

  “Are you afraid to be alone with me, Ms. Winter?”

  It wasn’t him she was afraid of, but the way he made her feel was unsettling.

  “We called a truce, remember? Let’s enjoy our ten minutes.”

  She slipped her hand into
his and lowered onto his jacket. She handed him the pear and orange but kept the apple for herself. Around them, flowers burst with colors. Vibrant blue, arresting orange, startling yellow, wispy violet, soft white. And the backdrop was the stark gray peaks of the mountains that softened into green pines.

  “Do you enjoy your job?” She bit into the apple. She hadn’t realized how hungry she actually was.

  “As an attorney? Sometimes.” Seth leaned back. His dress shirt was still rolled up above his elbows. At least he wouldn’t stain his white shirt. He pulled out the camera and fiddled with the buttons. “I can’t believe they still make these.”

  “I can’t believe a guy like you wouldn’t have a fun job.” She crinkled her nose. “You give off the fun-bartender vibe.”

  “Never was a bartender, though I am friends with a few.” He pointed the camera at her and pressed the button. The flash went off, blinding her. Or maybe it was that sexy smile of his. He unsettled her and if she didn’t take him down a peg or two, she would be thoroughly unsettled.

  She held her hand in front of the camera. “Are you sure you shouldn’t have been a clown? Big nose and flappy shoes would suit you.”

  “Hey! Watch out or I’ll start guessing what you should be doing besides wedding planner.”

  That could be dangerous. The only thing Julie wanted to do was wedding planning, but that was pretty much all she did. Maybe if she did more outside of work, she wouldn’t find this stranger so fascinating. When he winked at her and took another picture of her, she said, “You do that a lot.”

  “Do what?” He put the camera down in the grass.

  “Wink at me.”

  “Probably because I like you and think you’re beautiful.” He bit into the pear and said around the mouthful, “And you blush pretty when I wink.”

  “You aren’t at all what I expected.”

  “Fat and balding? Because if that’s what turns you on, I’d be willing to let myself go.”

  She laughed. “No you don’t have to let yourself go. I like you the way you are.”

  “You never answered my question.”

  “Which one?” She smiled. It felt good to just be here and relax, even if it was an illusion. She had work to do and it was pressing on the back of her mind, even as she fought to keep it in the background. Ten minutes for a small break wouldn’t hurt anything.

  “What’s one thing you always wanted to do, but didn’t because you were too busy being perfect?”

  “Okay, I’ll answer that.” There was something she’d been dying to know more about. She held up a finger to stop him from speaking. “If you show me your tattoo.”

  “My tattoo?” He widened his eyes for effect. “Which one?”

  “There’s more than one?” Suddenly she wanted to discover each and every one of those tattoos.

  “There’s always more than one.” He chuckled. “I’m going to assume, since the only one showing currently is the one on my arm, that’s the one you are interested in.”

  She smiled flirtatiously. “For now.”

  He straightened next to her. “You have a deal. Kiss on it?”

  There was a hint of challenge in his eyes. Never one to back down from a challenge, she cupped the back of his head and pulled his mouth down to hers. She usually let the guy make the moves, but she wanted his kiss. His lips were firm against hers. Bolts of energy short-circuited her brain and amped up her body as he pulled her in closer and deepened the kiss. She opened her lips for him and his tongue stroked against hers, leaving her wanting so much more than this. He tasted like the pear he’d eaten.

  She pulled away from the kiss and met his passion-darkened eyes.

  His knuckles caressed her cheek.

  “Tell me about the tattoo,” she said.

  “I thought it was a show my tattoo, not a tell.” He gave her that crooked smile she was growing to anticipate.

  She pressed her lips together, trying to look stern while fighting against a smile.

  “Okay. Okay, you don’t have to beat it out of me.” He rolled up his sleeve further. Exposed the thick black lines that wove together in an intricate pattern almost like a bird but not quite.

  Her heart raced as she traced her fingertip along the lines. She wanted to keep touching him, but restrained herself to the tattoo. She’d seen tribal tattoos before. They’d always fascinated her. So many had a meaning behind them. Tattooing was such a personal and permanent thing.

  “What does it mean?”

  “Cake,” he said with no inflection.

  Startled she lifted her gaze to his laughing eyes. “You’re kidding.”

  “You’re right that would be silly. It means turkey vulture.”

  “I’ve found two of those stuffed birds. You can’t honestly tell me there was a turkey vulture amongst them.” She watched his eyes.

  His smile didn’t give her much confidence.

  “It doesn’t mean turkey vulture either,” he said. “It’s a bird Celtic tribal tattoo. My family’s Irish and when I went to get a tattoo, I wanted to mix my heritage with my freedom.”

  She lifted her gaze to his. “Are all of your tattoos Celtic?”

  “No.” He brushed her cheek with the back of his fingers. “Someday I’ll tell you about the rest.”

  She leaned into his hand. Someday? That meant more than just this day. Her heart took a huge leap in her chest. Was she honestly considering the drunk uncle? At a wedding she was supposed to be working?

  “I might hold you to that,” she warned.

  “I hope you do.”

  She inhaled the fresh mountain air, filled with sweet potential. “So a divorce lawyer?”

  “Does it bother you?” He actually looked worried.

  She couldn’t imagine him in court. “It’s not that bad.”

  “It doesn’t bother you that I’m a divorce lawyer.”

  She laughed. “If that’s the worst thing you have, we’ll be just fine.”

  He gave her a half smile. “Not a deal breaker?”

  “Please, it’s not like every marriage is a match made in heaven.” She held out her hand for him to help her up. When she was standing, she brushed the back of her skirt off. “I’d like to believe that the couples I help with their wedding will stay together forever, but I’m not naïve enough to expect it.”

  “You aren’t worried that I’ll be representing your clients someday?”

  “It’s not like we’ll open a storefront, Hitch ’Em and Ditch ’Em.” She stroked her chin as if considering. “Though it might prove profitable.”

  Laughing, he stood and shook out his jacket. “Okay I’ve shown you mine, now it’s your turn to tell me about the one thing you always wanted to do.”

  “I’ll show you. Come on.”

  Chapter Seven

  Seth held Julie’s hand as she led him back through the kitchen into a storage closet, feeling decidedly content to follow where she led. Especially when Julie closed the door behind them and leaned against it. Her mischievous look melted his brain. He hadn’t anticipated anything of a naughty nature, but hell, if she wanted to take him between the mop bucket and the napkins, he was game.

  When she’d laughed earlier, it had bubbled up from inside and spilled out of her mouth in short bursts. It was delightfully girly and sexy at the same time. He’d found a new desire to make her laugh as often as possible.

  “When I was a little girl, I had this party with balloons,” she said. “All my friends were breathing the helium and talking funny, but before I could join in, my mother made everyone stop.”

  “I don’t see any balloons.” He glanced around. The storage closet was fairly small with lots of shelving, but there was an alcove around the corner.

  She strode past him into the alcove. “When I was in here earlier, I noticed the helium tank and . . . yup, here a
re the balloons.”

  She held them up like they were a prize to be won.

  Seth rubbed his hands together. “All right, how are we doing this?”

  “How else? Talk like pirates.” She checked her watch. “For two minutes.”

  He laughed. So there was a little mischievous imp under that watch and prissy suit.

  “I’m game.”

  She handed him the bag of balloons. “Do you have a color preference?”

  “Green, of course.”

  Her smile made his stomach do little flips. She pulled out a green balloon and a purple one. She fumbled with the tank trying to get it to work, so he wrapped his arms around her to reach the tank, taking the balloon from her hand. “Let me.”

  She leaned back into him as he checked the valve to make sure it was on. He slipped the balloon over the valve and pressed down to inflate it. Soon he had two balloons filled. She pinched the opening of the purple one.

  “Ready?”

  He nodded and they both sucked in some helium.

  “Avast, me hearties,” Seth said in a squeaky high voice.

  “You sound silly.” Julie slapped her hand over her mouth. “Oh my God, I sound like a chipmunk.”

  “Arrrr you forgettin’ ’bout the pirate speak?” His voice was a little deeper but still very high.

  “Aye.” She giggled.

  The door to the storage closet opened. Both of them whipped their balloons behind their backs. The server from earlier walked in and startled when she saw them.

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t know anyone was in here.”

  “No worries. We were leaving.”

  His voice still hadn’t returned to normal so he sounded like a prepubescent boy, which made Julie giggle even more as they walked quickly past the woman out into the kitchen. Where it had been quiet earlier, people were now bustling around, preparing for the wedding dinner. The caterer must have arrived.

  They rounded the corner but there were even more people. He grabbed her arm and pulled her into the freezer and shut the door.

  “Oh my God, it’s cold in here.”

  He shrugged out of his jacket, careful to keep his balloon pinched. “Here.”