3 Bad Guys Get Caught

by Marie Astor

  “Here, have a sip.” Dennis placed a mug on the nightstand.

  “What is it?” Janet asked cautiously. “If it’s some kind of crazy hangover cure like a concoction of raw eggs and tomato juice, I’m not touching it.”

  “It’s hot chocolate.” Dennis sat down on the bed, his eyes glinting with mischief. “So it sounds like a night of storytelling with the girls had taken on a wilder turn of events. The truth will always come out.”

  Janet took a sip of the hot liquid, eyeing him over the cup brim. “You can tell stories and have a few drinks. Don’t tell me that you didn’t have a few with the boys last night.”

  “I’m not the one with a hangover this morning.”

  “Blame it on the mojitos.”

  “Mojitos? Now this is getting interesting. Next thing you’ll be telling me that there were strippers.”

  Janet hadn’t planned on telling Dennis about that part, but her expression must’ve given her away.

  “So there were hot naked male bodies, weren’t there?”

  “None as hot as yours and nothing below the waist,” she said quickly.

  “Well now, I’m relieved to hear that.”

  Janet took a few more swallows of the hot chocolate and was feeling revived. “Although a demonstration may be required, just to be sure,” she teased him.

  “Oh, really?”

  “Really.”

  “All right, you asked for it.”

  In what felt like a flash of a second Dennis got out of his clothes and jumped into the bed next to her.

  “Are you sure now?” he asked, his fingers showering her with tickles.

  “Stop!” she giggled, wriggling.

  “That wasn’t a clear answer.” His fingers found more ticklish spots.

  “Yes, yes!” She writhed from underneath him and swung herself on top of him. “What do you say now, mister?” she asked, grabbing his arms.

  “I say that it wasn’t a very bright idea.” With one swift move he overthrew her, pinning her beneath him.

  “Okay, yield,” she panted, laughing.

  “Hmm, I’m not so sure.” He traced the outline of her neck with his lips, the motions of his hands changing from tickling to caressing.

  “Dennis, stop!”

  He looked bemused. “Why? You don’t like what I’m doing?”

  “No!”

  “You don’t?”

  “That’s not it. I like it, but you have to stop. The walls are paper thin in here. We don’t want everyone to hear us having sex! Can’t we just wait until we get back?”

  He raised an eyebrow, his expression growing devastatingly handsome. “I don’t know, can we?” The touch of his lips grew excruciatingly tantalizing.

  She gasped. Her body aching for his, she leaned into him, pressing herself against the hard muscles of his chest and stomach.

  “Still need further convincing?” he murmured, his lips igniting her skin as he left a trail of kisses on her shoulder.

  “Oh no, you win.” She tightened her arms around his neck, wrapping her legs around his waist, and forgetting all about the paper thin walls.

  ***

  Janet closed the door of her room, carefully smoothed the folds of her maid of honor dress, and sank into an armchair. Her hair had been coiffed in an elaborate updo and her face had full makeup. She had spent the last two hours submitting to the whims of the wedding photographer. The majority of the attention had fallen on the bride and the bridesmaids, as the photographer had been intent on photographing them in every nook and cranny of the inn as well as every patch of the inn’s grounds. The groom and the groomsmen had gotten off easy and were released only after a handful of photos, happily retiring for a round of beers at the downstairs bar, which was where she’d seen Dennis on the way back up to her room. Finally, they were done for the day; well, at least the wedding party was, but Katie and Adam still had plenty more photo ops to come as husband and wife. Janet checked her watch; the wedding ceremony was scheduled to begin at five p.m., and it was four thirty now. She’d better go and make one final round to see that everything was ready for the ceremony.

  After making sure that the justice of the peace had arrived, the caterer had everything she needed, and the centerpieces were in order, Janet went to see if Katie needed anything.

  She knocked on the bride room’s door.

  “Come in!” Katie’s excited voice carried through the door.

  “Katie!” Even though she had already seen her friend in her wedding gown, Janet was left breathless again. Katie looked striking in her sweeping gown. Her hair was pulled up in an elegant bun and a delicate veil had been pinned to her hair.

  “Janet! I’m so nervous!” Katie exclaimed.

  “Where did that come from? You and Adam are perfect for each other. It’s going to be a beautiful ceremony.”

  “I know.” Katie squeezed Janet’s arm. “I love Adam, and I want everything to be perfect. Did you check on the caterer? And did the justice of the peace get here?”

  “Yes and yes. The centerpieces look flawless. It’s going to be a grand affair.”

  “It’s just so nerve-wracking!”

  “What’s nerve-wracking?” Lisa poked her head into the room.

  “Katie’s having pre-wedding jitters,” Janet explained. “I think you’re the one with the expertise here.”

  Lisa smiled. “I don’t know about expertise, but I was certainly a wreck on my wedding day. I think it’s the bride’s prerogative: if you’re not nervous, it means you don’t love the guy.”

  “That must be it,” Katie agreed. “How do I look?”

  “You look perfect,” Janet assured her. Katie really did look like the perfect bride; her cheeks were flushed with excitement and her eyes were full of anticipation for her future as Adam’s wife. “Come on, Katie. It’s just all this wedding stuff that’s getting to you: all the preparation, all the running around. Well, now it’s all come together and it’s perfect, but that’s not really what matters.”

  “Of course it matters! Adam’s family and friends are here. I want everything to be perfect for them!” Katie exclaimed.

  “Janet and I made sure that everything is perfect,” Lisa cut in. “Just like we’ll make sure that everything will be perfect for Janet and Dennis’s wedding.”

  “That’s right!” Katie chimed in. “We’ll see if you’ll be as calm then, missy! Oh, I can’t wait!” she clapped her hands.

  “Why don’t we focus on the wedding at hand,” Janet said. She knew that Katie and Lisa were only fooling around, but their words had struck a nerve. She would be a liar to deny that seeing Katie in her wedding dress didn’t make her wonder what it would be like if she were the one with the white veil adorning her hair and Dennis were the groom, waiting for her to join him by the altar. This was Katie’s day, and that was what Janet was determined to focus on. For she already had many things to be thankful for; she may not be walking down the aisle in the near future, but she had Dennis’s love. The memory of their lovemaking from this morning still tingled her skin and was the only assurance she needed to be reminded of how deep their connection was. It wasn’t just sex either; the intense events they had been through the past few months proved that Dennis was someone who would be there for her no matter what; he was her confidant and her partner. A shiny ring and a piece of paper wouldn’t change the way they felt about each other. “Katie, you and Adam are the only ones who matter,” Janet reminded her friend. “So just forget about everyone else and enjoy your day.”

  “That’s right,” Lisa chimed in. “We’ll take care of the rest.”

  The door opened and Katie’s mother entered the room. “Katie, it’s time!”

  Katie clasped her hands, her face flushing. “I know, Mom. I can’t believe it’s actually happening!”

  “I can. You and Adam are perfect for each other. Now, you wouldn’t want to keep the groom waiting, would you? I saw the poor fella on my way here, and he looked like a nervous wreck.”
>
  Katie jumped up from her chair. “That means he really loves me! Let’s do this.”

  The next few moments had a dreamlike quality to them, as Janet joined Dennis and together with the rest of the wedding party they walked down the aisle. Then they took their positions on either side of the flower-covered arch. The groom was already up there, and Janet couldn’t help smiling at the anticipation on Adam’s face.

  The bridal march chords sounded, and all the guests turned around, waiting for the bride. Katie looked like a vision as she glided down the floor (it took several training sessions for her to learn how to properly walk in her gown, but the training had more than paid off), escorted by her father who, looking distinguished in his tuxedo, was beaming with pride. When they reached the head of the aisle, her father kissed Katie on both cheeks. “She’s yours now,” he said to Adam, retreating to take his seat. The look on Adam’s face was the look every woman dreams of seeing on the face of the man she loves; he looked at Katie as though she were the most beautiful woman in the world and for him, she was.

  As the justice of the peace conducted the wedding ceremony, Janet eyed Dennis out of the corner of her eye and was stunned by the emotional expression on his face; he looked like he was the one about to get married. She knew how sensitive he was about the topic of marriage, and she wasn’t going to push him. Every relationship was unique, and so was theirs. Dennis was not the kind of man to throw around “I love you’s” at every turn. In fact, he had only said it to her once: after their passionate lovemaking the night the FBI raided Kovar’s casino and Dennis had cracked Anton Kovar’s safe. Once had been enough, for Janet only needed to look into his eyes to know what he felt in his heart.

  “I now pronounce you man and wife,” said the justice of the peace. “You may kiss the bride.”

  There was much cheering and applause as Adam drew Katie into a long, passionate kiss, tilting her back in his firm embrace.

  The wedding march sounded, and Adam reluctantly pulled himself away from Katie. The newlyweds proceeded down the aisle and the wedding party followed. Katie turned around, holding up her bouquet, “You’re next,” she mouthed to Janet. Janet lowered her eyes, pretending not to see her. She glanced up at Dennis, worried he might’ve seen Katie’s gesture; if he had it hadn’t perturbed him because she felt his fingers tightening around hers, his eyes growing soft.

  “I’m going to see if Katie needs any help,” Janet said to Dennis when they reached the hallway. “The reception is going to begin in a few minutes.”

  Dennis tugged at her arm. “Just hold on a minute.”

  “What’s going on? They’ll be announcing the newlyweds soon. I don’t want to be late.”

  Dennis opened the door of their room. “It won’t take long.”

  “Okay.” Perplexed, Janet followed him. Inside, she was greeted by the sight of Baxter dressed in a tuxedo who padded towards her. She scooped him up into her arms, forgetting about her satin dress. “Dennis! What is Baxter doing here? I thought he was staying with Mrs. Chapman.”

  “I thought he could use some fresh air, so I made the arrangements with Katie.”

  “She didn’t mind?” Janet asked, wondering why Katie hadn’t mentioned anything about this to her.

  “Of course not. She loves the chap.”

  “I love the tuxedo! How adorable!” Janet set Baxter on the ground.

  “That’s Mrs. Chapman—she’s the one who got Baxter’s tuxedo.”

  “That’s right, how could I forget? It’s the same one he wore during his performance at the community center. Too bad we missed it. Mrs. Chapman told me that it was a huge success.”

  “I can imagine.”

  Just then Baxter barked, pawing at Janet’s legs.

  “I think Baxter has something to tell you,” Dennis said quietly.

  She stooped to scratch Baxter behind his ear. “Oh, yeah? What is it?”

  “Or rather something to give you.”

  Janet felt her hand touch a small pouch on Baxter’s collar. As if in encouragement, Baxter barked. Janet opened the pouch and saw that it had a small box inside. “What is it?” she asked, her heart beating wildly.

  “There’s only one way to find out. Open it.”

  She did what he said, and her eyes flew wide open. Inside the box was a three carat sapphire ring with one carat diamond baguettes on either side.

  She was too stunned to speak, as Dennis took her hand and bent down on one knee. “Will you marry me, Janet Maple?”

  “Dennis! This ring is incredible! I had no idea!” She stared at him in disbelief.

  “I’m still waiting for the answer, you know.”

  “Yes, yes, yes! Of course I’ll marry you!”

  He took the ring from her trembling fingers and put it on the ring finger of her left hand. It fit perfectly. “I’m officially the happiest man alive,” he said, getting up.

  “You just made me the happiest woman alive.” She threw her arms around his neck. “I love you, Dennis.”

  “I love you, Janet. Very much.” His arms held her tightly, as he linked his lips with hers.

  Baxter’s barking interrupted them.

  “We’d better get back to the reception,” Janet murmured.

  “Do we have to?”

  “Dennis! I’m the maid of honor!”

  “Oh, right. I almost forgot. Well, in that case I suppose we must. We can’t afford to burn bridges, not when we’ll need a reliable maid of honor for our wedding party soon.”

  “Matron of honor.”

  “Mmm?”

  “Katie’s married now, so she’d be the matron of honor.”

  “Okay, whatever,” Dennis mumbled, his lips still lingering on hers.

  “We have to go, Dennis!” With what felt like an enormous effort of willpower, Janet pulled away from him. She straightened the collar of his shirt and his tie. “There, that’s better. Do I look all right?”

  “You look beautiful.”

  “I meant is everything in place?” She quickly checked her reflection in the mirror; her eyes were blazing and her cheeks were flushed, but not a strand of hair was out of place and the folds of her dress were still perfectly smooth. “Let’s go!” She grabbed his arm, heading out the door.

  As they exited into the hallway, they nearly bumped into Katie and Adam who were on their way to the reception hall.

  “Well, well,” said Katie, giving her a once over. “You look different.”

  Before Janet could answer, Dennis cut in. “Of course she does. She’s engaged.”

  Janet had no choice but to lift up her left hand.

  Katie’s smile grew wide. “I knew it! So happy for you!” She drew Janet into a hug. “Isn’t this wonderful, Adam?”

  “Congratulations!” Adam shook Dennis’s hand. “I think we’d better hurry up. The Master of Ceremonies is waiting to announce us.”

  “Oh no!” Janet exclaimed. “We should’ve been at our table by now.”

  Katie waved her hand in dismissal. “I think you have a pretty good excuse. You guys go ahead. We’ll follow right after.”

  Dennis grabbed Janet’s hand and together they dashed to the reception hall to take their seats at the banquet table.

  Janet’s heart was still pounding from the sprint and from all the excitement, when the Master of Ceremonies announced Katie and Adam as husband and wife. As she watched the happy couple float into the room, Janet felt Dennis squeezing her hand. He leaned in closer to her and whispered into her ear, “Janet, my future wife.”

  “Dennis, my future husband.”

  “I love you, Janet. From now on, I’ll be saying it a lot more than I used to.”

  From the look in his eyes and the tone of his voice, she could tell that he had no reservations, no hidden fears. All the waiting, all the doubts, all the anticipation had been worth it. Dennis Walker was her man; her partner, her lover, her husband to be, and she was madly in love with him.

  About Marie Astor:

  Marie
Astor is romantic suspense Kindle bestselling author of the Janet Maple Series: To Catch a Bad Guy, Catching the Bad Guy, Bad Guys Get Caught, contemporary romance novels This Tangled Thing Called Love, Lucky Charm, Smitten at First Sight, and a short story collection, A Dress in a Window. Marie is also the author of a fantasy adventure novel, Over the Mountain and Back.

  Marie is a die-hard romantic, which is why she loves writing in the contemporary romance genre. In her spare time Marie enjoys being adventurous out-of-doors. She often gets new story ideas while she is hiking up a mountain or trying to avoid bumping into a tree while skiing.

  Marie loves hearing from her readers and always answers all of her emails personally.

  Join Marie’s mailing list at www.marieastor.com to receive updates about Marie’s new book releases and events.

  Please read on for an excerpt from This Tangled Thing Called Love.

  Excerpt from This Tangled Thing Called Love

  By

  Marie Astor

  Chapter 1

  It was barely eight a.m. when Claire heard the sound of music emanating from the ceiling. For a moment, she had a scary thought that she was late for work, but then she remembered that it was Saturday. She curled her legs and pulled the comforter up to her chin; she was dreaming, and the sensual music had to be a part of the dream. She snuggled against the pillow in anticipation of what the dream would bring next, but as she attempted to drift back to sleep, the music kept growing louder. After tossing and turning, Claire finally awakened, aware that the persistent sounds were very real.

  Claire lay back on her pillow, staring into the ceiling in bewilderment as the sultry sounds of Argentine tango filled her bedroom. Who in their right mind would blast tango music at eight o’clock on a Saturday morning? Obviously, the new tenant of the upstairs apartment, Claire answered her own question. She was wide-awake now. Building rules explicitly stated that there was to be no noise until 10 a.m. on weekends, and she would make it her business to educate the new resident.