Right Man/ Wrong Groom: Paradise Cove Series - Destination Wedding Book 1

by Patrice Wilton

  He remained on top of her, smoothing the hair off her face, giving her gentle kisses everywhere. Her eyelids, her cheeks and chin, the corners of her mouth.

  She giggled and caressed his strong back, letting her hands go lower and lower with every languid stroke. Then they cupped his fine ass and squeezed.

  He kissed her mouth and began to move inside of her again. She didn’t think it was possible but she found herself getting turned on again, and his cock got firmer with every stroke. Then he rolled them both over, with Anna on top.

  “Enjoy yourself,” he told her. Then he grinned, his eyes full of devilish delight. “Ride me like a cowboy.”

  She laughed too. “Never knew a cowboy, but I’ll do my best.”

  Anna was halfway to her second orgasm when she heard a knock on the door. They froze. Then the door opened and Juanita’s said, “Hello, Mr. Thomas. I’m here to clean your room.” The bedroom door was open and Anna put her hand on Kevin’s mouth. “Oh, shit! What do we do?”

  Anna slid off him and made a grab for her clothes. Juanita was singing, and opening the blinds. She glanced down the hall. “Is anybody here?”

  Kevin snorted, and in her haste, Anna knocked over one of the wine glasses next to the table. She was almost into her skirt when Juanita peeked in.

  “Oh my! Oh, my! Miss Anna. What are you doing here?” Then her big round eyes got rounder, her cheeks turned pink, and she put her hand over her mouth. She backed down the hall. “I come back later. Much later.”

  They heard the door slam behind her, looked at each other, and both of them started to laugh, and couldn’t stop.

  “She won’t tell anyone,” Anna said, when she could draw enough breath to speak. She picked up the glass and refilled both, handing him one. “She’s totally loyal. Our secret is safe.”

  “Oh, Anna. You should have seen your face. It was redder than hers.” He pulled her down, next to him on the bed. “I adore you.”

  She looked into his eyes. “I adore you too.”

  They sat making small talk, and finished the glass of wine, then Anna got dressed for real and she gave him one last kiss. Soft and sweet, almost chaste.

  “Guys should be back from their fishing trip…hope I don’t run into anyone.” She pulled a brush from her handbag and ran it through her hair. “How do I look? Will I pass inspection?”

  He gave her a lazy grin. “You have that freshly fucked look. Hopefully no one will notice.”

  “Most likely they will think I’m too old for that, and will chalk it up to a hot flash.” She wrinkled her nose. “Little do they know.”

  “I’ll see you later,” he said, getting out of bed and putting on a pair of swimming trunks. “Happy hour?”

  “I can’t get any happier,” she told him in earnest.

  He gave her a long look. “Know something? Neither can I.”

  Anna really liked Kevin and for a second was saddened because this magic couldn’t last. After the wedding he’d go home to cold, windy Baltimore, and she’d stay in Paradise.

  “I heard the girl’s conversation in the car this morning. I should warn you that your daughter is concerned about her life as a married woman to Michael. She’s afraid she’ll never see him if he’s traveling all the time, and he doesn’t want her to quit work.”

  “That’ll change in time.” He pulled on a white tee over his blue trunks. “At least I hope it does, for her sake.”

  “Her friends were suggesting she get pregnant right away. That might be a good solution, and it would give them both a strong, unbreakable bond.”

  “You don’t think their love will do that?” he asked, his eyes serious. “It damn well should.”

  “I expect it will,” she said carefully, trying to keep her feelings to herself. She didn’t like the guy, but it wasn’t her choice, now was it? “When he playfully tossed your daughter in the pool, I admired the way she handled the situation with maturity and humor.”

  “You don’t like him?” he asked, a perceptive father. “You can tell me the truth.”

  “If he becomes a world class golfer I’m afraid that he’ll turn into an even bigger prick.”

  His lips curved, but his eyes didn’t smile. “I agree, but what can I do about it? His brother might be the better man, but that ship has sailed.”

  “Not yet it hasn’t. Still a couple of day’s grace.” She should shut her mouth but when had she ever done that?

  He looked thoughtful. “Too late. She’ll marry him for better or for worse.”

  “Yes, her mind is made up,” she agreed. “She wants this magical wedding, and we will make it happen for her.”

  “Of course. And he better be good to her, or else. I still have ties in the media department as a past journalist, and might be tempted to use them.”

  “A reminder in the present wouldn’t hurt.” But Kevin was probably too much of a gentleman to speak with force.

  He walked her to the door. “How are the girls getting back?”

  “Uber.”

  “Good. It’s too long of a drive for someone to pick them up. Especially you.” He dropped a kiss on her brow. “Wait one sec while I check if the coast is clear.” He opened the door and poked his head out. “Safe for the moment.” He turned to her. “I had a really good time.”

  “Ditto that,” she glanced into his eyes as she brushed past him. “Very much so.”

  “Anna…”

  “Yes?” She halted, wondering what he wanted to say. Her heart began to beat fast. Did he feel the same things she did?

  He shook his head. “Nothing. I’ll see you later.”

  Of course he didn’t. It was much too soon for either of them to feel a thing. “I look forward to it,” she said hiding disappointment with a smile.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  Nadine and her friends jumped out of the cab, chatting happily, carrying their purchases in their hands as they headed for their separate cottages. “See you at the pool for happy hour,” Jordan called out. Melody nodded.

  “Nor for me. I need a shower and rest,” she yelled back, unlocking her door.

  “No way. Everybody will be there.” Ashley stopped to look at her. “They’re your wedding guests from out-of-town, so you have no choice. And don’t forget, Michael’s golfing buddies flew in this morning. You’ve got to come and meet them.”

  Just what they needed—more drinks! She groaned inwardly. Getting married was exhausting business—with all the planning, the showers and shopping, the list-making, refining the list. It would have been much easier if they’d just eloped. Not as romantic, but she and Michael could have more romance on an extended honeymoon than surrounded by family and friends.

  “A quick shower then,” she conceded with a wave.

  “I’ll keep Michael and his friends company until you arrive,” Melody said with a husky laugh and a flip of her long auburn hair. “Hurry up, you lucky thing.”

  “Yeah, yeah, yeah.” It grated on her nerves that people thought she was the fortunate one. Shouldn’t have but it did. After all, she knew Michael’s faults and they didn’t. The bath towel that he’d toss over the shower curtain, the way he’d never pick up after himself. The way he’d burp when he drank beer, and laugh when she made a face. Little things…but he wasn’t perfect. And neither was she. For one thing she fretted too much instead of going with the flow. She was a stickler for neatness, a bit of a perfectionist, and he was just a guy. A guy who liked to play and made great money doing it. He was the lucky one. Blessed with good looks, a lean and fit body, a natural gift to make money doing what he loved, and enough charm to make him irresistible.

  She tossed her purse and the bag with a t-shirt from Margaritaville for Michael, onto the bed. A nap sounded tempting, but her friends were right. They were her guests, and player friends of Michael’s, so she needed to clean up and put on her smiley face.

  Pronto!

  Her hair didn’t need a wash, so she showered quickly, used lotion on her skin, and dressed in a pai
r of snug white short-shorts, a yellow halter top, and wedged sandals. If she got tossed in the pool she’d be a little better prepared. Not that he would, of course. His parents and his buddies would be here by now. She left her long hair down, redid her makeup, and added big gold earrings and pink lipstick.

  Then she slipped her key in her pocket and headed for the pool where the sound of laughter and music lifted her spirits. In two days she’d be married to this really amazing guy. She really was a woman to be envied, and had every right to be happy—no time in the past or the future could measure this. Marriage was a sacred thing. Few people nowadays remembered that. But her parents had loved each other throughout the years, and she intended it to be like that with her and Michael. She would show him how wonderful everlasting true love can be.

  Her breath hitched seeing him, dressed in white shorts, a blue and white knit golf shirt, looking handsome and tanned from his day on the boat. She thought about running back and changing into a dress, but Ashley spotted her and waved her over.

  She noticed her father talking with Anna, and the casual way he leaned down to whisper something to her—and the resulting blush on her cheeks. Her footsteps faltered as alarm bells zinged right through her. They were sleeping together…at her wedding.

  It was wrong! A betrayal of the worst kind. She felt it like a knife to her heart. She’d loved her mother like all young girls do, and to get married without her was unbearable! Her dad had no right, none whatsoever, to be getting laid and looking at another woman with affection.

  She turned her back on them, simmering inside, and pounced over to the table where Michael stood with Chad and Rob, and his golf buddies that she hadn’t yet met. She hadn’t seen him all day, and the pain she was feeling inside should be shared with him and him alone. Feeling fragile, she wished they could sneak away so she’d have him all to herself.

  His parents were already seated at a table by the pool. His mom smiled and stood up when she approached. She liked his parents very much and would never drag their son away so she could unload her fears on him. What her father was or was not doing with their host Anna, was no concern of hers–at this moment, anyway.

  She tossed her hair back and put her arms around her soon-to-be husband’s neck. “Hi honey,” she kissed Michael perhaps a moment too long, then stepped away, not wanting to look as desperate as she felt. “Hello, Mary. Hi, John.” She left Michael’s side to kiss them both on the cheek. “What time did you get in? Was it a pleasant flight?”

  “An hour ago,” John said. “And no. Don’t know how you do it all the time, but flying has become downright unpleasant.”

  “Sorry to hear that,” she answered, shooting a glance at Michael. “Times have changed, that’s for sure.”

  His mother beamed. “This is a lovely place you chose. I couldn’t understand why you didn’t do a big city wedding, or at least Miami Beach, but this has charm.”

  “It is nice, isn’t it? Small, but so private and the beach is only steps away. I hate big hotels where you have to walk a mile to your room, or to find the lobby, or the pool. And I stay in big cities all the time. No thanks.” During her Internet search seeking a beach wedding, she’d come across Paradise Cove. It had grabbed her attention right from the start, and she knew it was right for her. For them.

  “I told Nadine to keep it small—wanted to keep the ceremony under the radar,” Michael said, pulling her into his arms. He dropped a big kiss on her, then introduced her to his friends. “This is Jay Winslow, and Devon James. My fiancée, Nadine Thomas.”

  “Pleased to meet you,” Jay said, punching Michael’s arm. “But what are you marrying this bastard for?” He was tall and lanky, probably three or four inches taller than Michael, and had an English accent. He had reddish brown hair, bright blue eyes and a ruddy complexion that had obviously seen too much sun today. They’d arrived mid-afternoon and gone to the beach, judging by his sunburned nose.

  Although he wore a grin and his eyes sparkled, she wasn’t sure how to take his joking, but decided to play along. Putting a hand on her hip, she cocked her head. “You didn’t ask,” she replied, which brought a howl of laughter from the guys.

  “What are you drinking?” Devon asked. “I’m ready for another beer. Anybody else?” He was cute, perhaps five foot ten, with dark hair worn on the longish side, and warm brown eyes.

  “I’ll take a rum and coke,” Michael said. “Nadine, you should try the Mudslide. It goes down easy—your friends are getting sloshed on it.”

  “Okay, but just one.” Her bridesmaids sat on the deck of the pool, their bare legs dangling in the water. They were dressed down, in jean shorts and bikini tops, looking sexy and beautiful. They were laughing and ignoring the men, but Nadine knew them too well to think the act wasn’t deliberate. All four men were good looking, successful, a touch arrogant, but worth a tumble in the sack. Even Ashley, who was not a man chaser, would hardly turn down a chance.

  She smiled at Jay. “I’ve seen you a few times on TV. You won a major recently, didn’t you?”

  He ran a hand over his chin. “No, should have, but I blew it in the end. The British Open.”

  “Crap, those bunkers are monsters. Don’t know how you can hit a ball out of them.” She rolled her eyes. “I golf a little, but mostly I’m a hacker.” She nodded in the direction of her friends. “Jordon, with the spiky blonde hair, has a single digit handicap.”

  He looked, smiled and raised a brow. “You trying to hook me up?”

  “You think I might do something like that?” She laughed. “Come on. Why don’t I introduce you.” She grabbed him by the arm and dragged him over to the girls, then made the introductions.

  She left them talking and walked over to the bar, taking the drink from Devon. “This does look yummy. Why don’t you have one instead of a boring beer?”

  “Sissy drink,” he said with a wink. “Think I’ll just go over and meet your friends. Can’t let Jay have all the fun.”

  “Enjoy yourself. I have to say hello to everyone.” Where was Michael? They should greet their friends and family together. Glancing back at her bridesmaids, she spotted him, rum and coke in hand, as he dropped down to sit next to Melody. He said something to her that made her blush and laugh, and Nadine felt fear grip her heart. Her stomach twisted in a familiar way—sensing something was wrong, aware of approaching danger. Or just plain jealousy, she wasn’t sure which.

  She had a good mind to go tap him on the shoulder and insist that he accompany her to greet their guests. To stop talking with her girlfriends. But of course she didn’t. If she couldn’t trust him, she couldn’t marry him. She sucked in a deep breath, held her chin high and joined his parents at their table.

  Just as she sat down, she felt a tap on her shoulder. “Hey, Nad, mind if I sit?”

  She glanced up at Jeremy, into the eyes that had haunted her memories for years. It felt as natural as breathing to be with him again. And if it made Michael jealous, so be it. After all, he should be next to her, not sitting with Melody and making her bridesmaids smile.

  Her backbone stiffened. “Course not. They’re your parents, and you probably haven’t seen them for a while.” She blinked, realizing that she didn’t even know if he lived in the same town. Had he lived nearby in Orlando when she’d been there with Michael?

  Mary reached out for her eldest son. “What took you so long? You went back to your room to change over an hour ago.”

  He kissed his mother’s cheek then took the chair beside Nadine. “Laid down for a minute and fell right asleep. Being out on the boat all day knocked me out.”

  Nadine’s insides hummed as she looked at him. He was as handsome as ever, no, more so than before. His rugged face had new lines in it now, the creases in his brow deeper, the furrows around his mouth more intense. It was the face of a man that had seen and endured too much—but had come to peace with it.

  “Wish I could have done the same,” she said, her eyes roaming over him, committing every detail
to memory. “We went to Key West. It was great, but we bar-hopped and shopped. Exhausting work,” she replied with a smile.

  Sitting next to him, his long bare legs spread out under the table, made her yearn for all that they had lost. She hadn’t thought of him for years. Wouldn’t allow herself to, especially after meeting Michael. When he’d returned from his third and final tour in Afghanistan, he’d come home broken and bitter. She’d waited for him, years in fact, but he hadn’t wanted her love, and had given up on himself.

  It had been gut-wrenching for her, leaving her no choice but to move on. Then a year and a half ago she’d met Michael on a flight. Things quickly sparked between them and her heart had mended.

  Michael was still chatting up her friends, and Jeremy was sitting with her. It was odd, and yet it some ways it almost seemed right. She and Jeremy had always got along so well, he’d never been a flirt like his brother. She knew it was Michael’s nature, and didn’t believe for one sec that he acted on the flirtation. He was marrying her in two days—that spoke volumes for his devotion, didn’t it?

  “Always thought it would be you two getting married,” John said, earning a kick under the table from his wife. “What?” He wiped his damp brow, the humidity in the Keys different than the heat in Orlando. “Why is Michael talking with those single friends of yours, instead of being here with us, holding your hand?” He made a face of disgust. “Damn fool, that’s why.”

  “Dad, whoa,” Jeremy said. “That’s a little harsh. He loves Nadine, and is just being friendly. You know how he is.”

  “I do, and that’s half the problem.”

  Mary put a hand over hers. “Why don’t you go get him, honey? You haven’t seen him all day. He was on the boat, and you, shopping.”

  “It’s all right,” Nadine said. “I’m happy here.” If he preferred the company of her friends then let him! She refused to chase after her man. Even if his lack of attention hurt.

  Jeremy shifted in his chair and his knee knocked against hers. She was warmed by his touch, and wouldn’t have moved her leg for all the wealth in the world. Her feelings for him had never been resolved. Their relationship had ended abruptly, then he’d gone away again and she hadn’t seen him since last night.