The Best Man's Bride

by Jamie Dallas

  “Look at me.”

  She glanced at the wall, staring at the bland black-and-white photos in their dark wood frames.

  His hand touched her shoulder, and she finally looked at him.

  The air jolted out of her body.

  His immaculate hair was messy and standing on end. The look in his eyes was primal and hot, burning with lust. For her.

  She did that to him.

  “I’m s-sorry.” She backed away.

  Her legs hit the coffee table, and she reeled back. The dishes hit the table. Jace held out his hand to catch her. She managed to right herself somehow without him.

  She needed to regroup and assess how the heck she got herself in this mess.

  “We should talk,” Jace said.

  “Another time.” She dodged around him, careful not to make any contact, and bolted out of the living room. She didn’t stop moving until she was safely inside her room, back pressed against the door, and the lock in the doorknob turned.

  The knock at the door startled her. She leapt three feet into the air.

  “Hailey, let me in.” His voice was firm.

  Her heart hammered in her chest. There was no way she was letting him in. If she did, she would jump his bones. She obviously had no self-control around him.

  “This isn’t over,” Jace said when she didn’t answer.

  She closed her eyes, willing herself to come up with something. To deny their attraction or call it a mistake.

  Nothing came out, and a minute later, she could hear Jace’s audible sigh followed by his footsteps heading down the hall.

  Drained, she lowered onto the futon and dropped her head into her hands.

  Chapter Seven

  Hailey peered around the corner into the kitchen.

  Jace was at the counter, eating breakfast and leafing through the paper. A flowery mug sat at his elbow. The pages hid his face, so she couldn’t tell his current mood.

  Feeling like a thief avoiding discovery, she eased down the hall.

  She couldn’t hide from Jace forever. She had a job to do, and there was no way she could spend the next two weeks sneaking around Jace’s home. There was only one thing left to do: walk in with her head held high and pretend nothing happened.

  Hopefully Jace would take the hint.

  The man that had her twisted in her sheets all night didn’t even look up as she entered.

  She narrowed her eyes. He didn’t need to take the hint that soon.

  “Morning.” The word squeaked out. So much for nonchalant.

  “Morning.” He put the paper down, but before he made eye contact, she hurried past the island to the toaster. She dropped in two slices, then busied herself preparing tea.

  She snuck a glance over her shoulder. His focus was entirely on his phone as he typed. His hair was rumpled from sleeping.

  It was always his morning hair that undid her. It was a side of him no one saw. She wanted that hair messy from a long night with her.

  “Your toast is burning,” Jace said without pausing from his typing.

  Hailey let out an expletive and leapt for the toaster. The two slices were charred, and a little drift of smoke floated from one corner. She dropped them on a plate and sat down at the island with her burned toast and a jar of strawberry jam.

  Normal. She could be normal. This was normal. At least Jace was wearing a shirt this morning.

  The marble counter was cold against her forearms as she smeared a large dollop of jam onto her toast. She studiously avoided looking into his direction as she bit into her breakfast.

  Ugh. She tossed the toast back on the plate. Even the sweet taste of jam couldn’t hide the dry, bitter flavor.

  “Did you seriously eat that?”

  The phone clicked against the counter, and she looked up.

  His firm, sexy lips were quirked up at the corners, and his eyes, zeroed in on her, had a pair of dark glasses framing his face.

  She didn’t think it was possible for the toast to get drier in her mouth. She was wrong. This man looked absolutely sexy in glasses. They emphasized his high cheek bones and sharp jaw. It was entirely not fair.

  She wanted to go settle herself in his lap, take off those glasses, and kiss the daylights out of him.

  She forced herself to swallow the toast.

  “Do you mind?” Her voice croaked out of her throat.

  “Hmm?” He lifted a dark eyebrow, and that was when she noticed the dark circles under his eyes.

  So Jace hadn’t slept well either.

  “When you look at me like that. It’s…disconcerting.”

  “I don’t mind at all.” Jace sipped at his coffee, his mask settled firmly into place. “So, put me out of my misery. Are you leaving after last night?”

  “I can’t afford to leave.”

  Jace set his cup down with a thunk. “Are you implying you’re trapped? If you don’t want to stay here, I’ll pay—”

  She held up a hand. “Calm down. I’m staying here.”

  His broad shoulders relaxed, dipping low, and he lowered his eyes. His dark lashes were gorgeous against his olive skin, and she wished she’d stop noticing how sexy Jace was. It wasn’t helping the situation.

  “We need to talk.” Her heart banged against the bars of her ribs, drowning out the sound of her own words.

  Jace straightened. “Agreed.”

  Her banging heart jolted to a stop. He was going to let her down. Tell her last night was a mistake. Jace couldn’t say it, she needed to be the one.

  “This has to do with last night,” she started.

  “I figured.” His eyes stayed on her as he waited for her to spit out what she needed to say.

  She twisted her fingers together. “Last night was…great.” More than great. “But I’m trying to do what’s best for me. Last night can’t go any further. You’re my client and sleeping with you would be a terrible idea.”

  Jace flinched.

  “I’m going to pretend I’m not offended by that,” he said stiffly.

  “Let’s be adults,” she said quickly before she could lose her nerve. “Last night got a little out of hand, why don’t we forget—”

  “You’re running again,” Jace deadpanned.

  She stiffened.

  “I’m not running,” she snapped. The memory of her bolting out of the living room shot to the forefront of her mind.

  Whatever.

  Jace pushed his coffee away. “You know what I think?”

  She was nervous to ask. Because her body was responding to every movement Jace made as though he was an extension of herself. That kiss from last night had woken up something deep inside her, and now that she knew the taste of his lips against hers, and the feel of his body between her thighs, she was even more aware of the man she was living with.

  And it made her desire ten times worse.

  “What?” She bit into her toast defiantly before dropping the rest on the plate.

  “There’s no denying the attraction between us.”

  Her core warmed at the mere mention of it. Trying to hide her reaction, she pushed her toast away and busied herself with putting the lid back on the jar. “I don’t know what you are talking about.”

  Jace laughed, low and sexy. “Based on how quickly you climbed into my lap last night, I think you know exactly what I’m talking about.” He leaned forward. “And I also thought the best plan would be to ignore it and focus on business. But after last night, I think the best thing would be to do something about it.”

  Her treacherous body warmed. “What did you have in mind?”

  Jace only smiled.

  And there it was. That thrill, that edge of excitement. That boundary she wanted to push.

  “No way.” She pushed away from the island.

  “Are you denying that you’re attracted to me?”

  “No, but I also don’t think jumping in the sack is the best idea.”

  Jace stood and stretched, exposing a narrow strip of skin between h
is sweats and his tee.

  She spun on her heel to the sink.

  “Think about it. Our curiosity is what is driving this attraction. We have one night, no strings, get it out of our system, and then everything will go back to normal.”

  Her jaw dropped and she halted in her tracks. “You think having s—” She couldn’t quite get the word out. “Sleeping together will kill this attraction?”

  “Doesn’t it always?” Jace asked.

  She shook her head and dumped her dishes in the sink. “You’re a regular charmer.”

  “It’s the truth,” Jace insisted. “And honestly, it would make this working relationship a little less…tense.”

  Hailey grabbed a sponge. Normally she did the dishes closer to the end of the day.

  Today, she needed the distraction. She scrubbed vigorously at the plate.

  He moved behind her and braced his arms on either side of her body. His breath stirred the curls at the back of her neck, tickling her nap. His scent surrounded her, and though he didn’t touch her, she felt the heat coming off his body. It would be so easy to turn around and give in.

  “You’ve been driving me up the wall.” His low voice reverberated through her. “I haven’t stopped thinking about you since I picked you up in the pouring rain.”

  “That’s not going to work on me.” She dropped the scrubbed plate in the drain rack.

  A long pause followed, and Jace pushed away from the sink.

  She tried to ignore the ping of disappointment. It felt like walking away from that last bite of dessert. Unnecessary torture.

  “I’m not going to talk you into this. You are a woman with your own mind. If you want me, tell me.”

  She faced him.

  He was still right behind her, so close that her chest was only a couple inches from his. A scant distance away from temptation. All she had to do was shift up on her toes, and tilt her head back, offering her lips to him.

  Heat flooded her face, her whole body. A mix of embarrassment and want. She lifted her chin. “And if I don’t want you?”

  He smirked, that one corner of his lip going up. But she didn’t miss the emotion in his eyes. For the first time, she saw that smirk for what it was.

  Not laughter. Not cockiness.

  It was a cover. Another mask.

  Jace was nervous as well.

  He stepped back, putting distance between them. Her body moved with him in an attempt to keep the connection.

  “If you don’t want me, then tell me, and I’ll never bring it up again.”

  One word, and he would back off. He would never talk about it again. And she knew he would.

  She chewed her lip and said nothing. Because, truth be told, she was curious.

  “If you want my opinion,” he said after a few minutes.

  “Because you hold your opinion back so often,” she said dryly.

  Jace laughed. “I think you are attracted to me and afraid to face it.”

  Hailey opened her mouth to protest but Jace stepped away before she could.

  Cold air rush over her in place of the body heat. Her body protested, demanding that she go after him.

  But Jace was right, she was afraid. She had just gotten out of this mess with Evan. What woman in her right mind would jump into another relationship, even one with no strings?

  “I’ll give you time to think,” Jace murmured. “But let me make one thing clear. I can’t stop thinking about you. You’re under my skin, and I know this tension won’t ease until I know every inch of you. How you taste, how you sound, how you feel under me. And I would make sure it was a night you’ll never forgot.”

  Suddenly too weak to even hold herself up, she leaned against the sink. If it wasn’t the sink, she’d be leaning on him.

  “And Hailey?”

  She drank in the sight of Jace with his tight white shirt, his erection impossible to miss in his sweatpants, and his expression hot and lusty. If she was a smart woman, she’d pack up and leave.

  But she didn’t want to leave. That in and of itself told her exactly what was going to happen. It was just a matter of when.

  “Hmm?”

  Jace smiled. That confident grin sexy and beckoning. “If you are ever interested again, I’m always good for a guitar lesson. Any time.” He sauntered into the next room.

  Hailey flushed and turned backed to the sink.

  She had no doubt Jace meant far more than guitar lessons.

  *

  Today had been one long day.

  By the time Jace got home, the moon, dimmed by the city lights, was well overhead, and the apartment was dark.

  Part of him hoped to see Evan today, but his partner hadn’t turned up at the office. Something about it didn’t sit well.

  Hailey’s door down the hall was shut, and the light off. The clock on his nightstand read twenty minutes past one.

  How Hailey could fall asleep with their cocktail party tomorrow was beyond him. The launch itself was less than two weeks away. His mind still buzzed from all the work left to do in very little time.

  He changed into his sweats and headed into the living room. There was only one thing that helped when he couldn’t slow his thinking.

  Turning off the lights, he moved quietly in the darkness.

  Jace grabbed his guitar and settled onto the couch. The worn wood against his hands was comforting, and he picked softly at the steel strings, trying to not wake Hailey as the notes wove into the night air.

  He needed this cocktail party to go well and the launch to be successful. Then Hailey would head home, and he and Evan could go back to their partnership without her standing between them. Everything would be right again, and this niggling feeling about Evan would go away.

  Muscle memory guided each movement as he played an old favorite. The individual notes sang out into the night, keeping him company, even when he felt alone.

  “That’s beautiful.” Hailey’s soft voice jerked him out of his reverie.

  He could barely make out her form in the soft moonlight filtering through the windows. She moved to the couch and settled in next to him.

  “I’m sorry if I startled you.” Her long hair was pulled into a loose braid over one shoulder and her curves were hidden under her slouchy pajamas.

  His fingers itched to run under her shirt and find her warm, soft body underneath.

  He tapped his hand against the steel strings instead. “I’m sorry if I woke you. How long have you been listening?”

  She shrugged. “A while. Couldn’t sleep?”

  The knots that had loosened while he played clenched again.

  “I didn’t even try.” He plucked out a tune, one note at a time.

  Hailey tucked her feet up under her and dropped her head in her hand.

  “What’s on your mind?” she whispered.

  The shadows within the dark room partially hid her face. She could have been anyone. A ghost, a memory, a woman he didn’t know.

  No, that’s not true. He’d always know Hailey. Even if his vision failed him, there was something about her presence that soothed him. Like balm for an old wound.

  “Nothing’s on my mind,” he said, his own words soft to match the quietness of the room. “What makes you think that?”

  She cleared her throat. “You’re playing the guitar at one in the morning. Even I know this isn’t a normal hour for you.”

  He stopped playing to look at her. “Figured me out, have you?”

  “It’s not rocket science.” She gestured toward the guitar. “Don’t stop.”

  “You want to play?” Lessons would help to distract him.

  Her lips curved, and he knew her mind went to the same place. “No, I want to listen to you play.”

  He didn’t take his eyes off her. “Cocktail party is tomorrow.”

  “Mmm hmm.” She dropped her head against the back of the couch, inches away from his shoulder.

  “Nervous?”

  “Nope,” she said. “I’ve got this
down.”

  “As long as it goes perfectly, that’s all I care about.”

  “It’ll go well, Jace. Perfection isn’t necessary. We are only there to meet new people and get your name out.”

  He never realized how much he relished the sound of his name on her lips until he heard it tonight. Her velvet-rich voice made it sound like a caress.

  “I just want it to go well.” He hesitated, debating whether he should tell her about Evan and his absence. He picked at the strings again.

  Hailey sighed. “I love this song. My parents used to play it in the car when I was young.” She nestled closer into the couch. “Do you remember any songs your parents would play or the type of music they liked?”

  He almost said folk, his aunt’s favorite. It was right on his lips. But Hailey’s expression was so open and honest, he found himself saying something else entirely.

  “Country. My dad would play old classic country.” He started to pick out the tune “Country Roads.”

  “And your mom?” The softness of her tone sounded like she knew she was treading on dangerous territory.

  Whatever was popular. His mom always felt young to him. Energetic. Carefree. Moving from one trend to the next.

  “I don’t remember,” he said.

  Hailey didn’t say anything. She didn’t even move.

  “I’m sorry you don’t remember,” she said. Her hand moved to his shoulder and squeezed.

  He reached for her hand, but Hailey was already pulling away and stood.

  “Why did you come out here?” He blurted out the question before she could walk away.

  Even in the dim light, he could see the sad smile on her lips. “To make sure you’re okay.”

  She leaned forward and kissed his cheek. For a brief minute, her sweet smell surrounded him, and he wanted to pull her close.

  Hailey straightened and turned back toward the hall. He watched as she walked away, her hips swaying in her baggy pants.

  She came to check on him.

  She cared.

  Chapter Eight

  Jace paced back and forth in his living room.

  They were running late—fifteen minutes late to be exact—and Hailey was showing no signs of emerging from her bedroom.