by Boone Brux
A wedding. An ex. And a secret.
Maid-of-Honor Dani Brown can handle anything that comes her way when it comes to her best friend’s wedding. That is, until the bride asks for a huge favor—Dani needs to distract the best man, who happens to be Dani’s ex. The ex she has fantasized dismembering for a year now. The ex she’ll have to suck it up and play nice with if this wedding is to go off without a hitch.
Businessman Jamie Kingsland is back in Seattle for a wedding. There’s just one problem – the maid of honor wants him dead. Except she doesn’t. Even though he knows he broke her heart last year when things got too serious and he panicked and left, she’s being way too nice about it now. And it scares him.
Something is up with his favorite bridesmaid, and he’s determined to find out what…
Table of Contents
Dedication
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Acknowledgments
About the Author
Also by Boone Brux… Suddenly Beautiful
Shield of Fire
Kiss of the Betrayer
Chain of Illusions
Tweet
Spellbound in Sleepy Hollow
Find love in unexpected places with these satisfying Lovestruck reads… Kissing Mr. Wrong
The Wedding Hoax
The Perfect Bargain
The Rules According to Gracie
One Night in Vegas
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.
Copyright © 2015 by Boone Brux. All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce, distribute, or transmit in any form or by any means. For information regarding subsidiary rights, please contact the Publisher.
Entangled Publishing, LLC
2614 South Timberline Road
Suite 109
Fort Collins, CO 80525
Visit our website at www.entangledpublishing.com.
Lovestruck is an imprint of Entangled Publishing, LLC.
Edited by Liz Pelletier and Vanessa Mitchell
Cover design by Heather Howland
Cover art by Shutterstock
ISBN 978-1-63375-287-0
Manufactured in the United States of America
First Edition June 2015
For Clyde.
Thank you for being the love of mom’s life.
You’re greatly missed and forever loved.
Chapter One
Dani glanced around the crowded Seattle restaurant and sighed.
Bored. Bored. Bored.
She didn’t know half the people there, which wasn’t all that surprising. The Bennetts, parents of the groom, threw this particular soiree, and the attendees seemed to be work acquaintances with a few friends sprinkled in.
In the last four months, the happy couple’s respective parents had hosted three separate engagement parties. Though Dani didn’t want to accuse them of being in competition with each other, all night Mrs. Honeycutt, mother of the bride, had looked like she’d been sucking on lemons. More than likely peeved over the excellent turnout.
Soon, Dani would be free of her bridesmaid duties, of which there had been dozens, everything from trying on eco-friendly gowns made from recycled garbage bags, to sampling gourmet food that should have bypassed the plate and gone directly into said garbage bags.
Roxy was her best friend, and she’d do anything to make her big day the best ever, even if that meant not complaining—no matter now much she wanted to.
It wasn’t that she hated weddings. She was just tired of them. Over the last few years, she’d been in five and invited to more than she remembered. Registries, ugly dresses she’d never wear again, parties, smiling, and small talk. It was getting to be too much. Being a bridesmaid was a single girl’s worst nightmare. Even the women at the bridal shop knew her by name. Everyone was settling down—except her.
A year ago she’d also been dreaming about walking down the aisle. Obviously, nobody else got the memo that she was next in line to get married.
She gave herself a mental shake. No pity party tonight. Her cheeks needed ten minutes free of forced smiling. Yes, the bride is beautiful. Yes, they are the cutest couple ever. No, I don’t have someone special in my life.
How many times had she answered the boyfriend question tonight? Ten? Twenty? Enough to prefer a red-hot poker in the eye over having to suffer the looks of pity from the women in committed relationships.
Then there was the infamous bridesmaid reputation. After all the regurgitated raunchy bridesmaid jokes she’d been subjected to tonight, Roxy and Kyle, the bride and groom, were lucky she hadn’t gone all Bridesmaidzilla and throat-punched every tipsy, groping male there.
For everyone’s sake, I need a time-out.
Ten quiet minutes and booze. As a waiter passed, she snagged a small plate from his tray. Ten minutes, booze, and cake—that was all she needed. Then she’d return as the best maid of honor in bridal history.
With slow steps and a fixed smile, Dani backed out of the room. A short trip through the lobby, and the warm summer evening enveloped her. Perfect; she was alone.
She strolled down the walkway with her glass of champagne and plate of cake, looking for a place to sit. Maybe the big rock at the corner of the walk.
As she rounded the path and stepped into the shadows, her gaze fell across the shiny black motorcycle. It was parked on the sidewalk near a rocky section of the landscaping. The machine was beautiful, and Dani completely understood why somebody wouldn’t want to risk having the bike knocked over, or with the few rambunctious friends that were here, run over.
The ground spotlights glimmered off the fuel tank, highlighting a scrolling silver design. To get a better view, Dani inched forward, stepping into the crushed rock. She tottered precariously on her spiked heels, almost slipping and spilling her champagne. When close enough, she bent and squinted. Her ex-boyfriend Jamie had a motorcycle, but he was in Florida and hadn’t even bothered to come back for his friend’s wedding. He acted as if weddings were a plague that could be caught. Jerk.
As she leaned forward, the point of her heel skidded and wedged between two rocks. Her body pitched sideways. The sharp snap of her heel cracked and any hope for a graceful save vanished.
Champagne catapulted from her glass, arcing high in the air before sloshing across the seat of the motorcycle. The glass flew from her hand and shattered into a thousand shards when it hit the rocks. In a valiant effort to halt her sideways propulsion, she flailed for the bike and missed the handlebar, smashing the coveted piece of cake against the clutch.
“Shiiiiiiit!” As she tumbled she smeared the fluffy white dessert along the textured black grip, effectively filling every crack and crevice with buttercream frosting like a cake decorating ninja.
Self-preservation kicked in. Dani tossed the cake plate and stumbled sideways, snaking her arms around the decorative black lamppost. Thankfully, that stopped her speedy descent. With wobbly steps, due to her uneven shoe height, she regained her balance and righted herself.
She stared at the beautiful bike—now decked out in cake and champagne. Her heartbeat raced, thumping against her chest. She was a menace in heels.
“Well, crap.”
She glanced around, making sure nob
ody had witnessed her Dani moment. Thankfully, only the crickets had been privy to her clumsy ballet. Champagne dripped from the black leather seat, leaving rivulets of liquid down the side of the bike. In a feeble attempt, she cupped her hand and scooped off the excess, leaving a glossy sheen. Even though it would be sticky, at least the champagne would dry quickly. The cake was another matter.
She swiped her finger along the handlebar, scooping up chunks of the frosting and cake, and then shook her hand vigorously. Her intent had been to sling the dessert into the bushes, but it splattered across the front of her black dress and landed in a lump on her foot. She kicked, sending frosting flying into the darkness.
“Oh for the love of…” With a tiny flick, she sent one of the speckles of frosting sailing from her dress. “Never again.” She launched more of the offending frosting into the air. “No more being a bridesmaid.” Her eyes narrowed, and she glared at the tiny white marks streaking her dress. “Never—ever.”
She stopped and surveyed the damage. What a mess. She had to run home and peel off the very expensive and incredibly tight dress Roxy insisted she buy.
Guilt poked at her. First she’d have to wipe down the motorcycle.
After a quick glance around to make sure she was still alone, Dani hoisted the bottom of her dress up to handlebar height, which raised the dress to an inch above her hips. Though it was a warm night, the air felt cool on her nearly exposed rear end. The only thing that stood between her butt and the night air was a thin pair of black lace panties.
Not wasting any time, she buffed the black grip with the underside of her dress until only a trace of white frosting remained. She smiled. By the time somebody noticed, she’d be gone.
“You know, you could have just asked for a ride,” a smooth and familiar voice said behind her.
No. No. No.
Dani jumped and shoved the dress back in place, heat infusing her cheeks.
This isn’t happening. This was exactly the kind of situation she found herself in on a regular basis. Skirt hiked up over her ass—of course her ex would show up. The universe hated her.
Cautiously, as not to perform another move engineered to massacre any semblance of remaining pride, she pivoted to face Jamie Kingsland, the man who broke her heart.
“Jamie.” His name was the only word she seemed capable of forming.
“Hi, Dani.” His deep voice wrapped around her. Damn him for his sensual wizardry and good looks. His brown hair had been lightened by the sun. That crooked smile that gave him a dimple in his right cheek tugged at her.
No. Your heart can’t take it. Jamie bad.
His gaze cut from the motorcycle back to her. “I’m almost afraid to ask, but what were you doing to my bike?”
It was too much. She lifted her hands and shook her head. “Of course it’s your bike.” With a deep exhale, she lowered her hands. “I was trying to get a better look, slipped, and—” She shrugged. “I might have spilled champagne and cake all over it.”
He arched a dark brown eyebrow. “And that required you to take off your dress?”
“I wasn’t taking it off.” She crossed her arms over her chest and stared at the sky. It was so much easier than meeting his stare and enduring his mocking smile. “I was wiping down the seat and grip.” She lowered her gaze back on him. “Sorry.”
His expression relaxed as he slowly nodded, his mouth turning down as if considering her explanation.
She shifted under his assessing gaze. “I assume you’re here for the wedding?”
“Yeah.” His lips tilted up into a knowing smile. “Didn’t Roxy tell you?”
Murdering her best friend had been added to her to-do list. “No. She didn’t.”
“Oh, awkward.” He shoved his hands in his front pockets and gave her a lop-sided grin. “I’m the best man.”
“Excuse me?” She could not have heard him right. Her best friend would not have kept this ginormous freakin’ fact about her ex from her. “I thought Kyle’s brother was best man.”
“He agreed to step in if I couldn’t make it, but they’re not really close, and—” Jamie held his arms out to the side. “I was able to make it.”
“Greeeeeat.” Her mind reeled with the WTHs about the next two weeks. She’d have to be around him—see his stupid cute smile—smell that great cologne she loved so much—repress the wrath of a thousand suns that had been burning inside her since the day he bolted to Florida. It was a miracle that she managed a smile—fake or otherwise. “No, yeah, that’s really—really—great. I mean—” Her head bobbed up and down, as if somebody had flipped the on switch. “You’re Kyle’s best friend. Why wouldn’t you be best man?” Then she started shrugging, her head nods morphing to a steady head shake, as if unable to comprehend the situation. “Yeah, it makes perfect sense and I bet Kyle is really, really happy.” Maybe if she added another “really” the fact that she’d be subjected to her ex for the next two weeks would sink in. “Well…” She clasped her hands together. “It seems everything worked out for the best.”
“Dani, are you sure you’re okay with this?” He took a step forward. “I was hoping Roxy had prewarned you I was coming.”
“Of course I’m fine.” NOT! She was going to kill Roxy. A slow, torturous death. She waved a hand in the air. “This is about Roxy and Kyle. It’s all good.” She rambled, but couldn’t seem to stop herself. “As a matter of fact, I’m going to go have a chat with Roxy right now.” She crept her way across the crushed rock, veering wide of Jamie. “Sorry about your bike.”
“It’s okay.” He took a step toward her. “Are you all right? You’re limping.”
“I’m fine. Just had a little shoe mishap.” She hobbled past him and finally made it to the sidewalk.
Trying to save the tiny thread of pride she had left, she kicked off her shoes and carried them down the sidewalk. The night had quickly spiraled from bad to what-the-hell. Why hadn’t Roxy told her Jamie would be in the wedding?
To stop me from backing out as maid of honor. It was a dirty trick.
Damn her.
She sighed. Her friend was blond sunshine and happiness, and impossible to stay angry at.
“Okay, then—” She gave an absent wave. “I guess I’ll be seeing you around.”
“I guess so.”
Continuing along the sidewalk, she didn’t turn around, not even when Jamie’s footsteps sounded behind her. Yeah, she was definitely going to murder the bride.
It’s not like she’d professed her love on New Year’s Eve and he’d caught a plane to Florida a few days later, or anything. It didn’t matter that he’d come up with some lame excuse about his father demanding he take over the Florida division of the family construction company. He’d promised to call, but he didn’t.
As she approached the entrance, the restaurant doors swung open and Roxy strolled out. “There you are, Dani.” The bride-to-be took a few steps and stopped. “Jamie.” Her big blue eyes widened and bounced from him to Dani, and then back. “You’re here.”
“In the flesh.” He strode toward her and wrapped her in a hug. “You look beautiful, Roxy.”
Over his shoulder, her friend stared wide-eyed at Dani while vigorously patting Jamie’s back. She narrowed her gaze, letting Roxy know death was imminent. Then her friend attempted one of her puppy-eye expressions, which normally rendered anyone within a ten-foot radius helpless. Not this time. Dani slid a finger across her throat and mouthed, “You are so dead.”
The two women stared at each other for a few seconds before Roxy disengaged. “Kyle and the guys are at the bar. You should go in. I know he’ll be thrilled to see you.”
Jamie nodded, his gaze cutting to Dani. “It was good seeing you.”
“Yeah.” She gave him a tight smile. “Ditto.”
The instant the door closed behind him, Roxy spun to face her. “I didn’t know.” She held her hands up in front of her like a shield. “I mean, Kyle just said something to me a few minutes ago so I booked out her
e to find you. But I did not know he was coming. You have to believe me.”
The panic on her friend’s face would have made Dani laugh if she hadn’t still been reeling. “I believe you,” she squeaked.
Neither spoke for a few seconds.
“So, how are you?” Roxy asked.
“I’m fine.” Like hell. She was not fine, but the last thing she wanted was to cause her friend more stress with the wedding so close. “It’s all good. So what if Jamie is going to be the best man? So what if I’ll probably run into him a kagillion times over the next few weeks?” She wrapped her arms protectively around her torso. “So what if he looks better than ever? It’s no big deal.”
Roxy laid a hand on her shoulder and gently rubbed. “You’re so strong. Way stronger than I am.”
An unladylike snort hiccuped from Dani. “Right.”
“You are.” Her voice climbed an octave. “And you’re the best friend in the whole world. You’ve always got my back—no matter what.”
She tipped her chin downward and leveled her gaze on Roxy. “What’s going on? You’re using your cartoon princess voice again.”
It looked as if Roxy was going to argue, so Dani intensified her stare.
“Fine, I do have a favor to ask you.” Her top teeth worried her lower lip, and she rounded her eyes, a move that would instantly land her a job at Disney. “But promise to hear me out before you say no.”
“Why would I say no? You know I’d do anything for you.” She smiled despite the unease creeping through her. “What is it?”
“Okay, but please know I wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t important.”
Her patience slipped. “What is it?”
Roxy inhaled and then dropped the bomb. “I need you to keep Jamie away from Kyle until the wedding.”
At first the request didn’t register. Surely she hadn’t heard correctly. “Excuse me?”
Roxy grabbed her hand and pressed it to her ample bosom. “I know it’s a lot to ask, especially after everything you’ve been through with him.”
“No, asking me to take a bullet for you is a lot to ask. Which, I might add, I would happily do. Wanting me to spend time with the man who broke my heart is on the same level as Chinese water torture or shoving hot needles under my fingernails—again, both I’d rather experience than what you’re asking.” She pulled her hand free. “And why in the world do you need to keep Jamie away from Kyle?”