Kissing the Maid of Honor

by Robin Bielman

  The throw surprised him and when he swiveled to catch it, he groaned. His eyes shut and his mouth twisted. Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked at him.

  “Luke?” Paula said, concern and unease in her tone.

  “Shit.” His gaze darted to Sela and she wished she could rush to his side to hold his hand.

  “Is something wrong?” Paula asked.

  “No,” he said.

  “Luke.” Paula stretched out his name and used her tell-me-the-truth voice.

  He fidgeted. “Nothing that’s more important than these wedding favors.”

  Silence filled the room, and no one moved. Every member of the Watters family contemplated Luke, waiting for further explanation.

  Finally, he took a deep breath and told his family about Tibet. About his fall into the rapids and about his injuries. Sela kept her eyes trained on him the whole time so that whenever he glanced at her he’d find someone who wouldn’t judge or tell him to stop doing what he loved. His fearless, wild, adventurous personality was one of the things she admired most about him.

  Plus, his photographs really were amazing. He shared a piece of himself in every single one and brought the most spectacular images to life.

  “You’re really okay?” Paula asked, kneading her hands atop the table.

  “Yes. And you don’t have to worry because I’ve got my own personal nurse looking out for me.” He cast a quick glance at Sela.

  “You knew?” Vanessa and Erin said at the same time, shock and a twinge of disappointment in their voices.

  “I did. We ran into each other at the hospital, and Luke told me why he was there.” She noted the hurt in Vanessa’s and Erin’s eyes and moved her regard to Paula. “I was happy to be his sounding board, since he wasn’t yet ready to share what had happened with you guys.”

  “Thank you,” Paula said, gratitude etched in the lines around her eyes and mouth.

  “Of course.” She almost added it was her pleasure, but then caught herself. She didn’t want to even consider what everyone thought about her right now. They all stared, and she fought the urge to drop the party favor in her hand so she could duck under the table again. Could they see how enamored with Luke she was? And how guilt-ridden she was about that? “So, Ness, what did you decide to get Hayden for a wedding gift?”

  Talk about the wedding resumed and the mood lightened—at least on the surface— with a discussion of the watch Vanessa bought for Hayden and their honeymoon. Out of the corner of her eye, Sela peeked at Luke. Unshaven, his hair mussed in that sexy way of his, he made her stomach quiver.

  He gave her a mischievous look. The same one he’d worn before he kissed her at the bed and breakfast.

  With only a handful of favors still needing to be assembled, Paula and Reed excused themselves for a dinner date. They took turns hugging Luke before they left.

  “I almost forgot about the Chocolate Wars,” Erin said, dropping a pouch on the table like it was a hot potato. “Be right back.”

  Silence filled the room. Luke fiddled with a grape. Vanessa concentrated on a favor.

  Erin plopped back down and opened her laptop. “I swear to God if we didn’t make it, See, I will never be able to face Candace Candywhacker Brewer again.”

  Vanessa put her arm around Erin. “She’s got nothing on you.”

  “True, but she drives me crazy, and she’s so full of herself.” Erin pressed a few keys on her keyboard. “And she never has anything nice to say about anyone. Oh my God!” She looked up from the screen. “We did it. We’re in the top five.”

  Sela stretched across the table for a high-five. “The game is almost yours.”

  “You bet your ass it is.” Erin typed furiously. “I’m commenting and thanking everyone who voted for us.”

  “What’s that?” Vanessa asked, squinting toward the computer screen. She put down the ribbon and sand dollar she was holding.

  “What’s what?” Erin said.

  “That.” She pointed at the screen. “There’s a poll about Sela and—”

  “How about we order pizza and have a girl’s night in?” Sela stood and slammed her hands on the table. She had to make things right with Vanessa before they got worse.

  “Hold on,” Luke said, getting up and moving toward the computer. “What kind of poll?”

  “It’s nothing.” Erin, bless her heart, closed the laptop. “See, I’ve got another pair of Hello Kitty jammies I’ll hook you up with.”

  “Sold.” Sela put the final touches on the last wedding favor. She rubbed her hands together and cracked a knuckle. “I’ll call my neighbor, and he’ll bring Becks over to his place.”

  It wasn’t until Sela pulled her phone out of her purse that she noticed both Luke and Vanessa had left the room.

  Sela tiptoed down the stairs and headed to the kitchen. She couldn’t sleep. After coming clean to Vanessa—about everything with Luke—her mind wouldn’t shut off.

  Vanessa wasn’t happy. She wasn’t unhappy. She didn’t know what to be, she’d said. She was worried about the wedding—and Sela—and didn’t want anything to interfere with what was supposed to be one of the happiest days of her life. Sela agreed and promised that from now on nothing with Luke would get in the way of her maid of honor duties.

  She grabbed a box of cereal, milk out of the fridge, a bowl and spoon, and plopped down at the kitchen island. Frosted Flakes ought to stop the racket in her head. At least while she ate the sugary comfort food.

  When a hand brushed aside the hair at her neck and lips grazed the spot just under her earlobe, she shivered and almost choked.

  Luke.

  “Hello, Kitty. Mind if I join you?”

  She glanced at her pajamas before glancing at him. Low-slung sweatpants. That’s all he had on. He reached for a bowl in the cupboard and the sinewed shape of his back accelerated her heart rate. When he turned, she couldn’t help but stare at the muscles on his chest and abs.

  “See something you like?”

  Her gaze snapped to his eyes. “Just noting how well you’re healing from your baseball accident.”

  He took the seat beside her. “That’s nice. I bet the townspeople would call that in favor of the Love Bug.”

  From the neutral sound of his voice, she had no idea if he thought the situation funny or irritating.

  “You went to the blog.” She dropped her forehead into her hand.

  “Hey.” He turned her bar stool so their knees bumped. “It doesn’t bother me.” He leaned forward and touched his nose to hers. “I even voted.”

  She pulled sideways. “You did not.”

  “You telling me you haven’t?” He leaned back with a boyish simper that undid her attempt to keep a straight face.

  “How did you vote?”

  He traced a finger down her arm. “I’m all for having you as my love bug.”

  The fluttery feeling between her thighs that started the second he’d walked into the kitchen intensified.

  “You probably don’t remember this,” he started, and her pulse raced. She knew what he was going to say. “But I’ve been reminded of something I said to you and I want to apologize.”

  “Apologize?” Holy crap. Apologize?

  “Yeah. It happened my senior year on the baseball field. During the team’s—”

  “Kissing booth.” Embarrassment crawled up the back of her neck thinking about it.

  He narrowed his eyes. “You remember?”

  “It was the last thing you said to me until a couple of weeks ago, Luke. And it’s something a fifteen-year-old girl doesn’t forget.”

  “I’m sorry.” He gently took her hand.

  Since he’d started this conversation, she wanted to finish it. Once and for all. Then she wanted him to stop talking and show her what he did with love bugs.

  A part of her wanted to yank her hand back, all the hurt feelings bubbling to the surface again. But the other part, the part that knew Luke now, didn’t. “Sorry I remember, or sorry for sa
ying it?” she asked, keeping her hand put.

  “I’m sorry for saying it.”

  “I’m just curious,” she said. “Where was your apology back when I really needed it?” She shivered, remembering the repulsed look on his face. “You shoved me away and said the meanest thing anyone’s ever said to me. If it weren’t for Vanessa’s wedding, I wouldn’t be anywhere near you.”

  Luke took a deep breath. “You’re right. I should have apologized then, but I can’t change the timing, so I hope you’ll give me the benefit of the doubt now, especially given the past couple of weeks together. I’ve really liked being with you, Sela.”

  The silky tone of his voice was pretty convincing. As was the flare of heat in his eyes. “Was it the truth? Was my…?” She paused and dropped her head. “Was my kiss so bad that it sickened you?”

  He lifted her chin. “No. It wasn’t true. You were a great kisser, Sela. Still are.”

  She stumbled out of the seat. “Then why did you say those things?”

  “Because I didn’t know what else to do. You were—you are my best friend’s little sister. I wasn’t supposed to enjoy kissing you.” He gulped and his gaze slid down to her neck where she was sure he could see her rapidly beating pulse.

  Sela covered her face with her hands. She hadn’t seen this coming. Something warm and nice and unfair spread through her. He’d liked their kiss! His confession made her happy—and scared shitless. It was easy to hold a grudge against him when he’d done something horrible to her. It would be impossible to ever fall back on that now.

  With a slow and gentle motion, Luke pried her hands from her face. “I’m sorry.”

  “You already said that.”

  “This time it’s for whatever I’ve apparently done to upset you now.” One corner of his mouth lifted. Then he did something so unexpected, yet so thrilling, that she didn’t care about anything in the past. He threw her over his shoulder.

  “Luke! What are you doing? Put me down.” She squirmed. Her pajamas were thin and his body was warm, and flurries of excitement zinged around her middle.

  “I will when we get to the bedroom.”

  “How do you know I want to go there?”

  He stopped outside the bedroom door and slid her down the front of his body. As he held her tight against him, she felt how much he wanted her. “I’ll take you wherever you want to go, Sela.” His lips crashed against hers, fierce and demanding. Possessive.

  She kissed him back, seeking to relieve her own pent-up desire.

  Luke pulled back. “I’ve spent hours imagining what it would be like to be with you. I want to kiss that gorgeous mouth of yours until it hurts and then I want to kiss you in all the places no one else gets to see.” He stepped backward through the doorway, extended his hand. “So do you want to come in?”

  “I do.”

  …

  Luke dialed Simon. Since being with Sela last night, something inside him had changed. Rather than have his fun and move on, he wanted more fun. With her. They’d stayed up all night so he could worship her body the way she deserved. But they’d also talked and laughed and for all his world travels, he’d never had a better night.

  “Luke, tell me you’re shitting me,” Simon said upon answering the phone.

  So he’d gotten Luke’s e-mail. “I’m not shitting you.” Luke paced back and forth on the sidewalk outside Sela’s apartment building. He looked up, tried to pick which window was hers, then stared across the street at the beach. Fog sat on the water, the tendrils reaching toward him, beckoning.

  “How long can I expect this brain glitch of yours?”

  “I’m only passing on Australia. I know we’ve got other things lined up for July and August. Let me know what comes in before that.”

  Simon let out a loud, suffering sigh. “Dinner at The Farm when you get back from Chile?”

  “Absolutely. Just not sure when.” He planned on returning to Cascade before he headed to LA.

  “Do not let this wedding bullshit go to your head,” Simon said. “Wedded bliss is short-lived and in your case, that could be very expensive.”

  “Says the happily married man.”

  “Hey, I married up. I wasn’t stupid.”

  Luke chuckled. “Listen, I appreciate the concern, but you don’t need to worry. I’ve got no plans to honeymoon anytime soon.”

  “Speaking of my beloved, she’s yelling for me. I’ll talk to you soon.”

  “You got it.” He ended the call and pressed the buzzer for Sela’s apartment. He tightened his hold on the brown paper bag in his arm.

  “Hello?” One word and his muscles grew taut.

  “Hey, it’s Luke. I’ve got a special delivery.” She didn’t know he was coming and he hoped that enticed her to let him up even if she was busy.

  “Luke who?”

  He smiled like a damn teenager. “Luke, omigod, Luke, don’t stop, Luke. Ring a bell?”

  The door buzzed.

  Sela stood outside her apartment door when he got to her floor. One hand on her hip, the other on the doorframe, her hair in loose waves, she stole his breath.

  “No one better have heard you down there,” she said, grabbing his shirt and pulling him inside.

  He answered that brash welcome with a kiss. When they parted, all the steam had left her expression. Her features softened and she sighed. “Hi,” she said.

  “Hi.” The tiny fur ball he’d encountered the last time he was there jumped at his shins.

  “Becks, that’s enough.” Sela picked it up. “Sorry. He usually keeps his distance from strangers.”

  Luke ruffled the top of the dog’s tiny head. “We’re not strangers. He met me the other night when I brought you home.”

  “That’s right.” She twisted and stepped to the couch, but he caught the pink bloom in her cheeks. “So this special delivery you spoke of. It’s in the brown bag?” She sat with Becks at her side.

  Her laptop was open on the coffee table, a newspaper and other personal papers strewn beside it. Otherwise the living area didn’t have a thing out of place. Her bedroom flitted through his mind. He planned on seeing it again. Maybe she’d give him a fashion show with some of the lingerie he’d noticed on the floor…

  “I was hoping you might be hungry.” He took the spot beside her and opened the bag. “I brought you Mama—”

  “You brought me Mama Gumbos?” She practically hiked Becks over the coffee table in her urgency to get her hands inside the bag. “I think I love you.” She lifted out the large container of shrimp gumbo. “There’s only one. You’re not eating?”

  Luke laughed. “You can’t seriously eat that whole thing by yourself?”

  She scrunched her nose and tilted her head while she sat back. “Uh, maybe.”

  “I thought we could share, but by all means, if you’re that hungry, it’s all yours.” He pulled out one of the plastic forks and handed it to her.

  She peeled the lid off the gumbo and forked a piece of shrimp. “Come here,” she said, so he scooted closer. “You get the first bite.”

  Sela. Feeding him. So damn hot he was sure his temperature really did rise. They took turns with the utensil, sometimes taking their own bites, sometimes sharing. She took care when lifting the fork to his mouth. He might have deliberately dropped food onto her chest so he could help clean it up.

  When they’d finished, he picked up the newspaper, the women, life & love column catching his attention. This week’s had to do with being bare or something. “You read this stuff?” he called across the room.

  “What stuff?” she asked, dumping their take-out into the trashcan in the kitchen.

  “This column from some woman named Jane.”

  Her body stiffened and her eyes widened. “Umm.” She hurried back to the couch and sat. Luke had the feeling she wanted to grab the paper out of his hands. “Sometimes?”

  He tossed it back on the coffee table. “I feel sorry for the guys who date her. Think she has them sign a release? Anyth
ing you say or do could show up in my column.”

  The color drained from her face. “I have no idea.” She glanced at the paper. “But probably not. That’s why writers change the names of those involved. You know, to protect their identities.”

  “Seems like a waste of newspaper space to me, but apparently Erin thinks this Jane person knows everything about men. That why you sometimes read it?” He scooted closer to her. “Because you know, in case you haven’t noticed, I am a man and I’d be more than happy to answer any questions you might have.”

  She straddled his lap, loosely put her arms around his neck. “I’m much more a girl of action.”

  He cupped her very nice bottom. “What did you have in mind?”

  “How about a swim?”

  She didn’t mean in any swimming pool. She meant the ocean. Once again in a moment of weakness, he’d told her his fear of getting back in the water. Of being strong enough not only for himself but for others. Yes, he’d come a long way the past few weeks, but hell if his heart wasn’t racing faster than the river that put him in this position.

  He studied her gold-medal eyes and wanted to be her champion. She stared back, her familiar floral scent mixing with the pluckiness he’d come to admire, to crave. Another reason for leaving Cascade flitted through his mind—nothing in the small town challenged him. His last name meant no adventure or opposition, or, hell, excitement. But that wasn’t the case anymore. Sela offered zeal and passion and a buzz so thoroughly intoxicating he questioned why he ever wanted to stay away.

  “We’ll take it slow,” she said.

  “I don’t have my bathing suit.”

  She took a quick look at the window. The only thing Luke saw was the glow from the streetlamps.

  “I know. Guess we’ll have to skinny-dip. I’m hoping that will keep your mind on other things.” She gave him a wicked smile that wiped away the feeble part of his ego that had been pissing him off. If she was daring enough to skinny-dip, he sure as hell could get his ass back in the water.

  “I think I might be able to handle that.”

  “Good.” She leaped to her feet. “Let’s do it.”

  “You sure this is for me?” He stood and watched her disappear down the hall. “You sound pretty amped up about the idea.”