Three Times A Bridesmaid... by Nicola Marsh

Author:Nicola Marsh
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2010-02-15T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER NINE

EVE braced herself for the oncoming onslaught as she spied the bridal babes weaving their way through the picnic tables, gazes determined, smiles resolute.

Not that she blamed them. She’d done a fine job of avoiding them so far, staying glued to Bryce’s side, hanging on his every word, feigning interest in the corny decorations featuring intertwining As and Ms festooning the place.

Ironic, considering Bryce was the last person she wanted to be close to after last night.

That kiss in his car after the wedding had been an un-mitigated disaster. Not the kiss itself. That had been spectacular. It was the aftermath that had her cringing and wishing she’d never devised this zany scheme in the first place.

If their first kiss at the rehearsal dinner had shocked her, their second had sent her good intentions to hold him at arm’s length up in a sizzle of lust.

She’d gone from independent career woman secure in her home and business to yearning romantic mess who craved a guy totally wrong for her with a passion. A strong, unquenchable passion that throbbed and blossomed and grew as she stood here, watching him chat with the guys like they’d been mates for ever.

She’d tried so hard to keep her burgeoning crush under control, fooling herself into believing that first kiss at the rehearsal dinner had been all show, an attempt on both their parts to authenticate their dating.

It had worked until that mind-blowing kiss in the car last night. They hadn’t been on show then, so every astonishing, scintillating second had been all about them—pure pleasurable delight. She tingled all over from the memory alone and, struggle as she might, she couldn’t wipe the grin off her face as the girls approached.

‘Well, well, will you look at that? Someone’s looking mighty pleased with herself.’

Mattie sidled up to her and handed her a glass of champagne. ‘Not that I blame you, hon. The more I see of Bryce, the more I understand why you haven’t dated much.’

Carol popped an olive in her mouth, swirling the rest of her Martini. ‘Yeah, you’ve been waiting for top notch rather than wasting time dating dregs.’

Eve laughed. ‘You girls haven’t done too badly yourselves.’

She gestured towards the barbecue where AJ, Duane, Anton and Bryce were raising beer bottles in a toast of some sort.

Carol sighed, a dreamy look on her face. ‘Looks like we’ve all hit the jackpot.’

Guilt pierced Eve, niggling like a deep spur, but now wasn’t the time or place to tell the girls the truth. Mattie was still floating, the guys were bonding and she couldn’t take the risk of them thinking badly of Bryce.

She’d got them into this; he’d been good enough to help her out. What would her friends think when they learned the truth? Worse, what if the guys felt that they’d been duped and ostracised him from the business community completely?

An awful thought insinuated its way into her brain—something she hadn’t considered when she’d first hatched this scheme. Bryce needed to make contacts in Melbourne and she’d dangled AJ, Anton and Duane in front of him for that purpose.

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