Val yanked open the curtain. She was in her street clothes again, and her mouth dropped open in horror. “Are you serious?”
I nodded. “I’m grateful to her in a way, though. It was a wake-up call. I wasn’t happy, and it wasn’t just because of my marriage. I was making good money as an accountant, but that wasn’t enough. I realized that I’d gone about my career the wrong way and took a step back to think about what I really wanted from life. My college dream was to be a wedding planner, and since my life was in tatters anyway, I decided there was no better time to give it a shot. I added the Always the Bridesmaid twist to offer clients something I never had—a maid of honor they could count on, one who was devoted to making their wedding the best day of their lives.”
Val sank down next to me on the couch. “Talk about turning lemons into lemonade.” She rested her hand on mine. “Yet another reason I like you more than most of the people I don’t pay to hang out with me.”
I laughed and patted her hand. “Only most? I must not be doing a good enough job.”
“You’re doing a good enough of a job that you helped me find the perfect dress.” Val glanced up at the gown hanging just inside the changing room, and a wistful smile crossed her lips. “I can’t wait to walk down the aisle. It’s killing me that the wedding is still so far away.”
I patted her on the shoulder. “At least that gives us lots of time to plan. Better to have time to take it easy and celebrate our successes as we go than having to rush and be stressed out.”
“That’s true. Speaking of celebrating our successes...” She trailed off and wiggled her eyebrows at me.
I read her mind. “Oh, I most certainly think we’ve earned a drink.”
“Do you mind if I invite Garrick and Levi along?”
“Not at all. I haven’t seen your groom’s troublemaking brother since that first night we met. Maybe tonight will be the night I crack him.”
Valerie laughed. “I doubt it. I love you for trying though.”
She pulled out her phone and called Garrick while I talked to the bridal consultant. I knew that it worried Val that Levi still hadn’t warmed to her, and if I could help ease that relationship forward even a little, I would be happy.
I could do this. I’d charmed my way through tons of wedding parties before and Levi was no great challenge. He was your standard everyday grump, and once I figured out what made him tick he would be putty in my hands.
Or so I thought.
We met the guys at a snug Irish pub near the Pearl District. Garrick greeted us with a smile as usual, and Levi wore the same expression of indifference I’d grown to loathe the last time we met. I didn’t let it deter me.
I was fearless. I was determined. I was going to make Levi my friend and there was nothing he could do about it.
“Long time no see,” I said, striding up to him with a beatific smile.
The dim lighting made Levi’s eyes disconcertingly dark. I could barely tell where the iris ended and the pupil began. He flicked his gaze over me, gave a short nod, and grunted in acknowledgment.
Okay, so he wanted to play hardball. Fine with me.
“We didn’t get to talk much last time we met, but Val told me that you’re the CFO at your family’s company,” I said. “I used to be an accountant. Maybe if it doesn’t work out at Black Mountain, you could have a future in wedding planning.”
Something that could have been amusement or could have been indigestion flickered over his face. “Maybe.”
I’d worked up from a grunt to one word. Progress was progress, no matter how small.
Before I could try again, Levi turned to Garrick and Val, who were excitedly catching up about their days. “Should we grab a table?”
He led the way and I tagged along behind, determined to get a seat next to him. He wasn’t escaping me that easy.
We sat down in a curved booth with Val and me in the middle and the guys on either side. We ordered drinks, and Val and Garrick resumed their conversation. I looked Levi straight in the eye. The third time was going to be the charm.
“I’m a big fan of your family’s beer,” I told him. “I look forward to your Christmas brew every year.”
“A big fan, huh?” He stared out at the bar, avoiding my gaze. “Strange that you ordered a Miller.”
Was he serious? This guy was ridiculous! All I wanted was to make this whole wedding experience go down a little smoother, but he was determined to make an ass out of me.
I’d never had a nemesis before, but at twenty-six I finally knew what it felt like. Levi didn’t even know me but he was determined to dismiss me. I couldn’t stand it.
I decided to ice him out for the rest of the night. Maybe a taste of his own medicine wouldn’t be quite so sweet. I turned to Val and asked her if she’d told her fiancé about our dress shopping experience yet. Her face lit up with rainbows.
Chapter 5
Levi
I sucked back another mouthful of beer. I was nearly through my third pint, but the others had barely touched theirs. I debated asking the waitress to bring a shot of whiskey along with the next round.
I couldn’t believe I was out for drinks with Val and her wedding planner again. Twice in as many months was too many times, but I’d promised myself and my brother that I would be amenable and I was determined to see that promise through. Sitting through a couple hours of inane questions and the conversational equivalent of marshmallow fluff was the least I could do for my best friend.
“I still can’t believe the Mount Hood Manor had a Valentine’s Day cancellation and they were able to sneak us in,” Val said, squeezing Garrick’s hand.
Ugh. A wedding on Valentine’s Day. The place would be crawling with lonely single girls, dewy-eyed from the ceremony and searching the halls for their own prince charming. I wondered if Val’s friend-for-hire would be among their ranks, or if she was a seasoned pro at hiding her own tormented heart.
Garrick had told me she was single as if that might entice me to take more of an interest in her, but all it did was make me more suspicious. Frankie loved weddings. She loved marriage. Her damn eyes sparkled just talking about cakes and dresses and happily ever after, so wouldn’t it make sense for her to be bitter that her clients got the fairytale ending she might never have? Every time I looked at her I tried to find the contempt. So far I was coming up empty-handed.
“I spent at least an hour looking at pictures of the hotel yesterday,” Frankie said, holding onto her pint like it was the only thing keeping her from floating away. She had a husky voice for a girl, and it made even the topic of wedding venues kind of sexy. “It’s unbelievably gorgeous. We couldn’t have snagged a more stunning venue, and I can’t wait to get up there and see it.” She turned to Val. “Hey...what do you think about doing photos with silver glitter and falling snow?”
Val liked this idea very much and responded with something between a scream and a giggle. The two of them started a rapid-fire discussion that I checked out of immediately. I looked past them to my brother, who was staring at his fiancé dreamily and didn’t appear to notice that I existed. With nothing better to do, I watched the girls talk.
Frankie looked exhilarated. I could only see her face in profile, but her green eyes were wide with animated delight, and she seemed to stumble over the words in her haste to get them out.
How did she do it? How could she fake this kind of enthusiasm so well? I’d never seen anything like it. To an outsider, she and Val looked like they were just best friends discussing a wedding and you’d never know that Frankie was paid to be there.
I downed the rest of my beer and leaned back into the seat, directing my gaze elsewhere. Val and Frankie continued to gab alongside me about centerpieces and photo walls. Garrick stared at Val. I stared at the TV on the far wall. Finding nothing there but an endless string of commercials, I let my gaze fall back on the girls.
Frankie was quite pretty, I had to admit. I’d thought so last time too. Even if she was the b
ane of my existence. Her long silky hair fell in waves halfway down her back, and the color complemented her beautiful skin tone perfectly. Her plump lips curved around each syllable as she spoke and I found myself watching her mouth.
She’d come inside wearing a long black raincoat, but underneath it, her tight black pencil skirt and red satin shirt clung sinfully to her curves. If she were a stranger in a bar, I’d take her home for a hot, anonymous fuck in an instant. I wondered how those cherry red lips would look wrapped around my cock.
Fuck. I couldn’t think like this. She wasn’t some stranger in a bar—she was Val’s annoyingly cheerful maid of honor who, like it or not, I’d have to see from time to time for almost a whole year. Worse, she was Val’s professional maid of honor. Weren’t any of Val’s friends good enough for the position? The fact that she hired a stranger to perform such an intimate role in her wedding wasn’t helping her case any.
“What are you thinking about?” Garrick asked.
I hadn’t realized that the conversation had turned away from the wedding and his question startled me. I cleared my throat.
“I’m thinking about all the work I have to do tomorrow,” I lied. “I should head home.”
“Yeah, it’s getting late,” agreed Valerie.
Frankie nodded and finished the last half of her drink in two gulps. “Let’s get out of here.”
We spilled onto the street, and my feet had already turned themselves toward home before I realized I needed to say goodbye. I turned to find Garrick and Val face deep in each other and grimaced.
“Oh, relax,” said Frankie, coming to stand beside me. “Surely you don’t find the sight of true love that disgusting.”
I gave her a dubious look but chose not to reply. She frowned and the expression was worryingly cute.
Garrick and Valerie parted and the little blonde addressed Frankie. “Are you getting a cab?”
Frankie shook her head. “I live just by Voodoo.” She gestured down the street. “It’s only a five-minute walk.”
“Voodoo Doughnut?” Garrick asked. “That’s close to Levi. He can walk you home.”
I could have shot him. Thankfully, I wasn’t the only one who found issue with the arrangement.
Frankie shook her head emphatically. “Oh, no. I’ll be fine. No need to trouble Levi. He’s very busy.”
“It’s not any trouble at all, is it Levi?” Garrick asked with a devious smirk.
I wanted to smack the scheming ass but I forced a tight smile all the same. I could only get away with a certain level of rudeness, and today I was already maxed out.
“It’s not a problem.”
“Then it’s settled.” Garrick scanned the street over my head and waved to an oncoming taxi. He smiled at Frankie. “It was great to see you, Frankie. I’m sure I’ll see you again soon.”
“I hope so!”
He and Valerie got into the taxi, and then it was just the curvy wedding planner and me.
“I normally walk this way,” she said, starting forward.
I kept pace easily, even though she was walking just about as fast as her high heels could take her. After a couple minutes of silence, I thought we might be able to make it the whole way without talking, but I should’ve known better.
“Garrick’s really nice,” she said. “He and Valerie make a great match, don’t you think?”
I shrugged. “Yeah, sure.”
“And what about you? Do you see wedding bells in your future anytime soon?”
I snorted. “No.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw consternation iron Frankie’s lips into a flat line.
“Are you always this hard to talk to, or do I get special treatment?”
I was amused to find the eternal optimist had a feisty side. I couldn’t help but wonder if that carried over into the bedroom.
“Trust me, you’re nothing special,” I replied.
Frankie stepped into my path, arms folded haughtily across her ample chest, and her eyes narrowed into angry slits.
“Oh, go on then,” I said, cocking a brow. “It’s been awhile since I’ve had a good haranguing.”
“What is your problem? I’ve done nothing but try to be nice to you, and you’re acting like I’m the most insufferable person you’ve ever met.”
“You don’t know me that well. Maybe this is just how I act around generally insufferable people.”
“No,” she said, stepping closer. “You don’t know me. There’s no reason for you to be this rude and I won’t stand for it.”
She wore heels and still only reached my chin, but Frankie was determined to intimidate me. Her eyes were hard, jaw clenched tight in grim resolve. Unfortunately, the display didn’t achieve the desired effect. All I could think about was how close those sensual lips were, the ferocity in her eyes, and the heat of her body mingling with mine in the darkness.
“You won’t stand for it?” I leaned in a little closer, dropping my voice to a deep lull. “Does that mean you’re going to take it lying down?”
The hatred in Frankie’s eyes flickered into something darker. She swallowed. I would have paid good money to see what visions I’d conjured up in that sassy little head of hers.
“You’re the insufferable one,” she said finally, though her voice had lost some of its edge. “If you ruin this wedding for Valerie, you’re going to have me to answer to.”
“Can’t wait.” I stepped around her and continued down the street. “Are you coming?”
She let out a frustrated sigh and followed. I made sure to erase the grin from my face when she caught up so she wouldn’t know how much I enjoyed our little argument.
Frankie didn’t break the silence again until we reached her apartment building.
“This is it. Thanks for the walk,” she said dully. “We should definitely do it again sometime.”
Without waiting to hear my response, she turned on her heel and sashayed up to the building’s entrance. I watched her for a second before I realized I was lingering. I never lingered. Then I turned toward home and tried to clear all thoughts of Frankie from my head.
I thought about the way the light from the street lamps reflected on the wet pavement and lit up the whole sidewalk. I thought about the moisture in the air, how the forecast called for rain tomorrow, and about the poor performance of the Oregon Ducks this season.
But then I caught my thoughts trailing back to that moment in the street when Frankie’s body was so close that my hands could have found the perfect spot on her ass to pull her the rest of the way. My lips could have trailed across her eyelids, her cheeks, before they claimed hers in a kiss unlike any she’d had before. I hated myself for wanting this girl. She was fake. She made her living tricking brides into thinking she gave a shit about them so that they’d shell out the extra cash to hire her instead of a regular wedding planner. Worst of all, she was good at it. A woman like that was the last thing I needed in my life, but I didn’t get a choice. How regular a fixture in my life she would be, I didn’t know, but any amount was too much. I’d spent only a few hours with the girl since we first met but she was already starting to tattoo herself behind my eyelids. That was a problem.
I tried to shake myself out of it the whole way to my apartment, but it was no use. By the time I got through my front door I was hard as a rock.
Frankie was good at pretending, but she wouldn’t have to pretend with me. I would make her cum over and over again until her legs turned to jelly and she didn’t have the energy to say even one word.
I undressed in my room and got on the bed, wrapping my hand around my aching cock and squeezing at the base. Pleasure flooded my bones, and I groaned.
I imagined Frankie bent over, pulling down a pair of lacy panties to reveal her juicy ass. I bet it was incredible, and the only thing that would make it better was a handprint or two. She played tough, but I bet in the bedroom she was submissive and sweet, which was my favorite way for a woman to be. She’d take my dick in her mouth a
nd look up at me with innocent eyes, begging me wordlessly to guide her, to take her mouth as I saw fit. And I would. Submission from a girl like Frankie was the most delicious morsel a man could get. I wanted to own her body, have her call my name over and over again as I plunged deep inside of her.
My hand slid up and down my pole, picking up speed as my visions got naughtier and naughtier.
Frankie’s silky mane spread across the pillow, her legs tossed over my shoulders as I plowed her into the mattress. She would have a rasping moan. Girls with voices as sultry as hers always did, and I could practically hear it.
Frankie taking my cock from behind, breasts swinging beneath her and her ass pink from how hard my groin slapped against it. She’d have hips soft enough for me to squeeze my hands right into them, flesh spilling between my fingers.
My cock was so swollen now that I could barely get my whole hand around it. Heat pooled in my balls, and I gritted my teeth, one final image driving me over the edge.
Frankie on her knees, mouth open, waiting for my cum.
“Fuck!”
I seized up as a shot of cum squirted from my cock, followed by another and another. Stars blinded me. All my hair stood on end. It was the most intense orgasm I’d had in a long time, and it took me a couple of seconds before I remembered to breathe. I sucked in a big gulp of air and let my head fall back against the headboard, sweat prickling my forehead.
I’d naively thought that jacking off to the thought of Frankie would ease some of my lust for her. Now I just wanted her more.
That meant it was more important than ever for me to stay away from her.
Chapter 6
Frankie
Who the hell did he think he was? Sure, Levi Wheeler was wealthy. And sure, he was also incredibly sexy. But did that make him king of the world? Not in my book, but apparently in his.
I stormed all the way up to my apartment and slammed the door when I got inside. I’d played it cool as we parted ways outside, but I was fuming mad. Admittedly, it wasn’t all Levi’s fault.
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