And he’d tell her.
He felt fucking lousy.
A part of him had to wonder if this had all been planned on her part. If she’d deliberately set out to seduce him, get him all hot and horny, and then walk away. But he couldn’t believe she could be so cruel and calculated. Not his Christine. He didn’t think she could fake the panic he’d seen in her eyes as she clung to the doorknob.
She’d looked as if she was about to cry, scream, or both.
He kicked off the covers and then padded barefoot into the bathroom to turn the shower on. He was still hard as a rock. His body wasn’t satisfied with the half-assed replacement of his hand—and neither was he. But he was ready to face the day again, and he had a lot to figure out.
He’d hurt Christine, and he owed her a hell of a lot of ass-kissing to make up for it. But he wasn’t walking away. Not this time. Hearing what he already knew, how much he affected her, had hurt him more than he expected. But she wanted him anyway. There was no denying that. Nothing would stop him from winning her over now.
They weren’t over.
After showering and dressing in a pair of shorts and a T-shirt, he picked up his wedding itinerary. When he got married, if he ever got married, it would be simple and low-key. No waltzes or scheduled meals or…what was today, anyway?
Ah, the scavenger hunt. Yeah, that wouldn’t work either.
He grabbed his gear and filled it with the few essentials he could scavenge from his hotel room. Maybe he would pack a sleeping bag and camp out under the stars tonight if the mood struck. Take a break from the incessant chattering and socializing and schmoozing. Just him and the stars. Hell, maybe he could even find a way to get Christine to camp out with him.
They could start over again.
Yeah, he had a better chance of seeing a pig fly wearing a purple fucking tutu than he did of convincing her that she should spend some quality one-on-one time with him. She’d made it pretty clear she wanted nothing to do with him after that come-and-run stunt she’d pulled last night.
Good thing he didn’t give up easily.
He threw in a bottle of vodka he’d bought at the store, collected his sleeping bag, and headed into the hallway. At this rate, he’d be lucky if he had enough time to grab a quick breakfast along the way. He would get to the meeting point, make certain he didn’t pair up with anyone besides Christine, and if that failed? Then he’d split on his own.
Drink. Think. Plan.
And by the time he was done, he’d know what to do with her. He walked in smooth, even strides and squared his shoulders, looking straight ahead for the first time in he didn’t even know how long. No more looking back for him.
The past was dead.
…
Once he grabbed a blueberry muffin and a black coffee from the coffee shop, he walked out into the bright sunlight and headed for the scavenger hunt. As Tyler bit into his meal, he studied the person walking in front of him. She looked familiar but he couldn’t quite…
Aw, hell no. She wasn’t that grown up, was she?
“Sophie?”
Sophie turned around and eyed him before smiling, walking backward. “If it isn’t my future brother-in-law himself, in the flesh. You’re late.”
“So are you,” he pointed out, taking another bite. “And you’re going to run into something if you don’t turn around.”
“Yes, father.” She rolled her eyes and spun around, walking beside him. “I lost track of time. You?”
He grinned. “I kind of slept in.”
She lit up her phone. “I’d say so. Rough night?”
“You could say that,” he muttered. “You enjoying yourself so far? Fitting in with the girls, causing trouble, and breaking hearts along the way?”
Sophie lifted a shoulder and gave him a small smile. “A girl never tells. How about you? Fitting in with the girls?”
He snorted. “Oh yeah. You know it.”
“Is that why you slept in? Were you fitting in with one a little bit too late?”
Tyler pointed his muffin at her. “That’s enough of that talk, little sister.”
“I’m not your little sister.”
He swallowed a bite. “Might as well be after this wedding.”
She laughed. “I think I’ll pass. I heard how protective of the girls you are.”
“Who told you that? Let me guess. Kady.”
She smiled, her eyes on the crowd in front of them. When she caught sight of Kady standing with the other bridesmaids, she waved good-bye to Tyler and headed toward the bride-to-be.
Alone, he scanned the crowd. He spotted Christine’s red hair instantly. She had her back to him, but he could tell by the way she stiffened that she knew he’d arrived, even if he hadn’t caught her watching. She laughed at something the tall, dark-haired Brock said, and he stiffened.
Oh, is that how she wanted to play? Did she think he would get jealous because she was flirting with another man—a man could take what she offered and thank her with the flawless Southern charm that only a man like Brock could pull off?
Well, shit. It was fucking working.
She belonged to him.
Maybe he should cut out even earlier than he’d been planning. Escape before Kady realized he’d shown up. He’d find a nice quiet spot, camp out, and relax. Christine stood across the group, talking to Kady, and he stood alone, standing on the edge of the crowd. He finished off his muffin and double-checked his bag for supplies. Being an Eagle Scout had ingrained some lifelong habits in him.
One of those? Never go on a hike unprepared for anything and everything to go wrong. He found his lighter, water bottles, vodka, a few protein bars, flashlights, and a sleeping bag. He dug deeper and snorted. So, he still had bunch of condoms from the last time he used this bag, but his compass was nowhere to be seen.
Eagle Scouts hadn’t taught him that one.
He heard a loud sigh and glanced up, squinting into the sun. Christine stood in front of him, tapping her foot impatiently. She looked as if she were ready to skin someone alive, and from the looks of it? That someone was him. “Yes?”
“According to your sister, we’re partners,” she said, hands on her hips. “I wouldn’t suppose you had anything to do with that, would you?”
“No. I’d been planning on sneaking off alone.” He looked down at his itinerary, determined to ignore her attitude. Looked like he was getting his wish without even having to try. Him and Christine off in the woods alone. “But I’m not exactly complaining about the change of events, either. I can’t wait to spend some more time reconnecting. Learning more about you. Last night was eye-opening for me. How about you?”
She opened her mouth and closed it; her cheeks flushing, she snatched the paper out of his hand. “There’s nothing more you need to know about me besides the fact that I’m not a big outdoors person. I hate bugs, especially spiders, and am terrified of being eaten by a bear.”
“I thought investigative journalists weren’t scared of anything,” he said, eyeing her. “Isn’t that a job requirement?”
“I’m not…except that stuff.” She shrugged and squinted down at the list. “Anything else? I’ll face it with nothing more than my fists.”
“Why did you decide to become a journalist anyway?” He seized the slip of paper back out of her hands and headed for the woods. “Last time we talked, you wanted to be a doctor.”
She pressed her lips together. “After my parents were killed by a drunk driver who was never caught, I decided I couldn’t live with other people going through that uncertainty. That pain. So I decided to do something about it.”
His chest tightened at how helpless she must have felt. “I’m sorry. I can’t even imagine how shitty that must have been for you.”
“It was very shitty.” Her lips twitched into a small smile, but she quickly dipped her head to hide it. But why? He loved her smile. She should stop hiding it from him all the damn time. “So I decided to become a journalist to help solve mysteries. I
briefly toyed with being a cop, but it wasn’t for me.”
Fuck no. He didn’t like the idea of her being shot at. “That’s quite the life change from a sorority girl.”
“I never wanted to be one in the first place.” She looked at him out of the corner of her eye. “I only joined because my mom wanted me to. After she died…well, there was no getting out of it without feeling as if I’d let her down. Plus, I had the girls.”
That was probably why she didn’t talk about it much. All the other girls had brought up their sisterhood numerous times, but he hadn’t heard Christine mention it even once. “So you’re not proud of your sorority sister status?”
“I’m not ashamed of it or anything. Nothing so drastic as that.” She bit her lip. “It was a piece of that part of my life, and that’s it.”
“I get that,” he said, thinking about the time he’d let her down by running away from his feelings for her. He wished he could go back to that night. React differently. Not leave her. He reached out and squeezed her hand before forcing himself to let go. “We all have those moments in life.”
She didn’t pull away from him at contact. It was ridiculous how fucking happy that made him. She fell into step beside him, and he stole a glance at her. Her cheeks were flushed, and she studied the ground as she walked. Her toned legs took small yet steady steps, and he remembered all too well what it felt like when he’d been in between them. Now, he just needed to figure out how to get back there…and if he was lucky?
A way to get to her heart, too.
…
Christine tucked her hair behind her ear, her heart racing. Last night had been a surprise, to say the least. It had also changed her plans a teeny-tiny bit. She no longer wanted to keep her hands or tongue to herself. No, she wanted him.
Rekindle an old flame might not have been on her list, but it was time to face the facts. She wasn’t over Tyler, and wouldn’t be over him until she got her fill of him. That had to be what this whole obsession thing was all about. In order to get over him, she needed to be under him several times. She might have thought it was too risky before, but not anymore. She could keep her heart safe and her body naked…or whatever.
She swallowed the hysterical laugh threatening to escape. This morning, she’d even written it on her list: Rekindle an old flame. It was official. Make out in an elevator had been crossed off her list, and so had Get payback on Tyler. She conveniently ignored how much her list revolved around him ever since they’d kissed in the elevator. As if that hadn’t been enough, he’d blown her mind in his room, too. Funny how a life-shattering orgasm could change a girl’s perspective.
She peeked at him. He stared straight ahead, looking all hot and broody. He wore a pair of shorts that fell below the knee, and a formfitting shirt that hugged all his hard planes. She couldn’t wait to rip it off of him. “So, what’s in the bag?”
“Water, flashlights, a knife, sleeping bag, some—”
She snorted. “Let me guess. You were an Eagle Scout.”
“Why guess?” His hands tightened on the shoulder straps. “I’m sure Kady told you all about it.”
“Maybe,” she admitted. “I just didn’t believe her until now.”
“I was the leader, too.” He watched her out of the corner of his eye. “Go ahead and laugh. You know you want to.”
Actually, she found it endearing, damn it. “No, I don’t,” she said. “I think it’s…cute.”
He looked at her, surprise clear in his eyes, and shook his head. “I didn’t realize you had a thing for nerds. I wore glasses, too. Oh, and I had braces for three years. Does that gain me points with you? I seem to be sorely lacking in that area lately.”
She tsked. “Nope. It’s not like you’re that boy anymore.”
“I grew up.” He lifted a shoulder. “People do that.”
She studied him for way too long before she bent over and studied the forest floor. She could feel his eyes on her ass. If she were lucky, soon it would be his hands. “Oh, look. Here’s a green leaf.”
“In a forest,” he said wryly. “Imagine that.”
She chuckled and straightened. “Hey, she couldn’t make it too hard. I think she knew half of us would be hungover.”
He skimmed his gaze over her length, setting her on fire without even trying. God, she wanted…no, needed him. “You’re not.”
“No.” She looked at him, her cheeks heating up way too much. “I’m not.”
“Red…” They locked gazes. Images of exactly what they’d been doing last night came to mind with vivid clarity. The images hadn’t left her alone at all, actually. “You might be looking at this differently than me, but after last night I’m—”
She held her hand up, needing to shut him up before he said something to ruin her plan. She didn’t want him being sweet or anything even remotely likable. This was all about the list, having fun, and moving on. Plain and simple. No feelings or attachments or mushy-gushy stuff.
Just like in Seducing the Hot Enemy. Only she wouldn’t fall in love with him, like the heroine had the hero. There was no happily ever after written in the pages for them.
“Don’t. Last night was mean of me, and Mexico was mean of you. I didn’t do it on purpose, but I know it was low of me to get you all…all…” She gestured toward his groin. “…ready, and leave like that. Sorry.”
He studied her. “I believe you. But that doesn’t mean I’m done with you, just because I let you run away last night. We’re even now.”
“Oh really?” She walked forward, not looking at him. He fell into step beside her. “I’m not sure you want to go down that road, Doc. Maybe we should go back to ignoring each other. We’re good at it.”
He shook his head. “I don’t want to.”
“Well, I might. I’m still deciding.” No, she wasn’t. She knew what she wanted: him. But she couldn’t admit that yet. He needed the thrill of the chase, just like in all the books. As soon as he caught her, he’d be bored. So she shoved the leaf at him. “Put this in your bag.”
When he took the leaf from her, her fingers brushed against his palm and her stomach locked down tight. He captured her hand for a second, not letting go even when she tugged. “This isn’t over,” he repeated.
The instant attraction and need that hit her were about as subtle as a bitch slap to the face. He released his hold on her hand, if not her mind, and put the leaf away. He was too intense. His hold on her too strong. She moved even deeper into the trees. He followed her but glanced over his shoulder.
For a while they walked in companionable silence. She didn’t know how far they walked, but the next time she stopped to dig around in the dirt, the sky looked a heck of a lot less bright. As far as she could tell, no one else was near them. Had they walked far enough away from the resort to cross off another item on her list?
Have sex in public.
“Uh, Red?” He stopped walking, shooting her a weird look. “Maybe we should head back toward the resort. No one else is this far up. If we keep going like this, we’ll be camping tonight. I’m fine with that, but something tells me you aren’t, if you’re scared of bears and spiders.”
“You’re right about that. I don’t camp. But you’re worrying for nothing. We’re almost done.” She bent over and picked up a feather, her knees feeling all weak and shaky. “See? I already found another one.” She looked up at him from her bent over position. “And a pinecone, too.”
His brows slammed down. “All these rare, one-of-a-kind things in the forest, of all places? It’s unheard of.”
She stood up, juggling both items, and laughed. She dropped the objects into their bag, and he crossed them off the list. The irony of him scratching stuff off a list, too, wasn’t lost on her. Hers was more exciting, though.
He looked up at her, his stare steady and sure. “Do you have any idea how far we’ve traveled?”
“A few miles.”
“We need to head back,” he said, his tone hard.
She s
hrugged, deciding they’d gone far enough away. It was about time. While she’d been planning her attack with such careful precision, she should have been watching where she was going. She tripped over a jagged rock, landing on the dirt on all fours.
“Well, crap,” she muttered. This wasn’t exactly how she’d planned on being on her knees, thank you very much. “That rock came out of nowhere. It should really watch where it’s going.”
“Yeah. It was obviously speeding,” Tyler said, his tone way too sarcastic for her liking. He bent down and hauled her up to her feet as if she were weightless. “Christine.”
All that yummy strength in those arms…
He frowned at her, his gaze skimming over her bloodied knees with the precision of a doctor. Of course, he was one, so that made sense. This was so not the seduction she’d had in mind when they’d started out this way. She brushed her hands over her butt. “Yeah?”
“We need to head back before it gets dark and we—”
She put her hands on her hips and flipped her hair behind her shoulder. She was not leaving this forest until she’d gotten laid, damn it. “You don’t have the right to boss me around.”
“I’m not bossing you around,” he said, his voice irritated. “I’m employing common sense. Something you refuse to listen to. As a matter of fact, you’re always the one wandering off, aren’t you? Just like in Mexico.”
She flushed. “I had my reasons.”
“You were crying,” he said softly.
Her mind went back to that night. The way he’d held on to her while she sobbed, his hands so sure and comforting. The way he’d tasted…so sweet and tender and yet sexy all in one hot package. “Yeah. So I had to leave.”
He caught her chin, lifting her face up to his. “You didn’t have to walk away from me.”
“Yes, I did.” She pressed her lips together. “I don’t like showing my weaknesses to people. I hate crying with a passion. It’s ugly, drooly, and snotty. That’s one of the last times I cried, thank God.”
Falling for the Groomsman Page 7