by Paige Tyler
Mr. Right-Now
Paige Tyler
Kate Gentry is always the bridesmaid, never the bride. When her best friend asks her to be maid of honor, it just reminds her of how crappy her luck is when it comes to finding her own Mr. Right. Her friends point out she’s trying too hard to find Mr. Right instead of having fun with Mr. Right-Now. They convince her to put her search for the perfect man on hold and have some meaningless sex with a hot guy.
Kate takes their advice and propositions the gorgeous best man, Dawson McKenna. When he eagerly agrees, she finds herself doing things she never dreamed of doing—spanking, bondage and some amazing anal sex!
Despite knowing Dawson isn’t supposed to be Mr. Right, Kate finds herself falling for him big-time anyway. But since she was the one who made the rules, how can she now tell him she wants more than just a weekend fling?
An Ellora’s Cave Romantica Publication
www.ellorascave.com
Mr. Right-Now
ISBN 9781419927225
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Mr. Right-Now Copyright © 2010 Paige Tyler
Edited by Raelene Gorlinsky
Cover art by Syneca
Electronic book publication March 2010
The terms Romantica® and Quickies® are registered trademarks of Ellora’s Cave Publishing.
With the exception of quotes used in reviews, this book may not be reproduced or used in whole or in part by any means existing without written permission from the publisher, Ellora’s Cave Publishing, Inc.® 1056 Home Avenue, Akron OH 44310-3502.
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This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locales is purely coincidental. The characters are productions of the author’s imagination and used fictitiously.
Mr. Right-Now
Paige Tyler
Dedication
With special thanks to my extremely patient and understanding husband, without whose help and support I couldn’t have pursued my dream job of becoming a writer. You’re my sounding board, my idea man, my critique partner, and the absolute best research assistant any girl could ask for! Thank you for talking me into finally taking the plunge and submitting to Ellora’s Cave.
Trademarks Acknowledgement
The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of the following wordmarks mentioned in this work of fiction:
Abercrombie & Fitch: Abercrombie & Fitch Company
Cosmo: Hearst Communications, Inc.
Seattle Mariners: Baseball Club of Seattle, L.P.
Victoria’s Secret: V Secret Catalogue, Inc.
Chapter One
Always the bridesmaid, never the bride. Wasn’t that how the saying went? Well, it sure the heck fit her, Kate Gentry thought. Since graduating from college eight years ago, she’d been a bridesmaid eight times and had the dresses in her closet to prove it. After the last time, she told herself if one more friend asked her to be in their wedding party, she was turning them down. Of course, she couldn’t very well keep that promise when it was her best friend in the whole world doing the asking. Which was why she was on a ferry heading from Seattle to San Juan Island to be maid of honor at the upcoming nuptials.
For all her grumbling, though, Kate would never have dreamed of turning Rachel down when the other girl asked her to be in the wedding party. While she might have rotten luck when it came to men, Kate was thrilled Rachel was marrying the man of her dreams. Not only was Rachel’s fiancé good-looking and successful, but he treated her like a princess. Seeing the couple together gave Kate hope there was a guy just as wonderful somewhere out there for her. All she had to do was find him.
Kate leaned on the railing and propped her chin on her hand as she looked out over the water at the Cascade Mountains. Why the heck did all of her friends find Mr. Right while she got stuck with one loser after another? Okay, maybe “loser” was the wrong word. The men she’d gone out with were all very nice. Unfortunately, none of them were interested in marriage. Or maybe they just weren’t interested in marrying her.
Sighing, she let her gaze wander over the deck below. It was deserted except for a tall, dark-haired man standing by the railing. He had his back to her, so she couldn’t see his face, but from his broad shoulders, sculpted biceps, and great butt, she was willing to bet he was handsome. With a body like that, he had to be. It’d be a crime if he wasn’t. She wished he would turn around so she could see if she was right.
As if he’d somehow read her mind, the man turned to face her direction. He leaned back, casually resting his elbows on the railing behind him. Kate blinked as she took in his straight nose, chiseled jaw, and wide, sensual mouth. It was just as she thought. He was gorgeous. In fact, he was so good-looking it made her wonder if he was a model and there was a photo shoot going on for a magazine or something down on the lower deck. She could definitely picture him in an ad for Abercrombie & Fitch. She scanned the deck for a camera crew, but she didn’t see one. If anything, Mr. Tall, Dark, and Perfect seemed to be all alone down there.
Kate chewed on her lower lip thoughtfully, wondering if she should go down and casually run into him. It wouldn’t be the first time she did it to meet a guy. Who knew? Maybe he lived in Seattle, too. They could go on a couple dates, develop a deep meaningful connection, and be coming back to San Juan Island to get married themselves by this time next year.
Her gaze lingered on the man for another moment before she turned away from the railing and went back inside. Quickly making her way over to the stairs, she hurried down to the lower deck and out the double doors to the front of the ferry. When she got there, however, the handsome hunk was nowhere in sight.
Frowning, she turned around to look through the windows to see if she could spot him inside, but to her dismay, she didn’t see him anywhere.
“Damn,” she muttered.
Wasn’t that just her luck? She finds a gorgeous guy and loses him before she can even talk to him. Oh, well. He was probably married anyway. Or gay. The good ones were always one or the other.
Tucking her long, ash-blonde hair behind her ear, Kate walked over to the railing and looked out at the mountains again. Though not nearly as interesting as the hot guy she was eyeing earlier, the view was still breathtaking. She didn’t think she’d ever get tired of seeing the lush, green trees and snow-topped mountains. The ferry was certainly a great way to see it all. After the wedding, maybe she should come up here on her own for a vacation.
The cool breeze coming off the sound whipped at Kate’s hair and she reached up to tuck it behind her ear again. Although she would have preferred to stay on deck and enjoy the view, she knew if she didn’t get out of the wind soon she’d be a mess by the time she got to San Juan Island. Since the rest of the wedding party would probably already be there, she didn’t want to show up looking like she’d spent the afternoon in a wind tunnel. Besides, she thought as she made her way across the deck and back inside, maybe she’d run into that gorgeous guy. God, he’d look so damn good in a tux.
Much to Kate’s disappointment, however, he was nowhere to be found. She kept an eye out for him anyway, hoping he might make an appearance at some
point before the ferry arrived at San Juan Island, but he didn’t. When the boat neared the dock a little while later, Kate finally gave up on the notion of running into him and went down to the lower deck where the vehicles were parked. She made her way along the row of cars until she came to hers, then got in and waited along with everyone else while the passengers without vehicles disembarked.
Once Kate got off the ferry, it was a short drive through the small town of Friday Harbor to the inn where her friend’s wedding was being held. Though Kate had never been to the hotel before, she’d read about it in several magazines and according to them, it was one of the premier wedding venues in the Pacific Northwest. As she drove up the winding driveway, she could see why. With its panoramic windows, sleek-looking architecture, and well-manicured grounds, it was absolutely beautiful. She could just imagine the pictures of her own wedding party on the front lawn. She and her husband would pose right by that cute, little fir tree near the deck. It would be so romantic.
Kate glanced at her watch as she crossed the hotel lobby to the main desk a few minutes later. According to the detailed schedule of events Kate had helped Rachel plan for the weekend, the bridal party was supposed to be getting together for drinks at the poolside bar in twenty minutes. Although she knew she’d be cutting it close if she went up to her room and changed after checking in, she really didn’t want to show up in jeans and a funky graphic-print T-shirt.
Once in her room, Kate unpacked as fast as she could, but after one look in the mirror, she decided she needed to redo her makeup. Between hurrying to catch the ferry and braving the wind to find that guy, she was a mess. By the time she was dressed and ready, she was already fifteen minutes late for the start of the get-together. Catching sight of her reflection in the mirror on the wall as she made her way to the pool area, however, she decided being a little late was worth it. The flirty little slipdress and high-heeled sandals she’d changed into accentuated her slender curves and made her legs look a mile long. She didn’t like making her friends wait, but she never knew when she might meet her future husband, so she always liked to look her best.
Rachel and the rest of the bridal party were sitting at a table on the far side of the patio and Kate quickly made her way over to them. Spotting Kate, her slender, dark-haired friend squealed excitedly and immediately jumped up to greet her with a hug. The other girls did the same, each one taking turns putting their arms around her and giving her a big squeeze. Kate couldn’t help but laugh. It was wonderful to have all of her friends together in one place like this. Though they all lived within a couple hours of Seattle, they didn’t get together nearly as much as she would like. They had met during their freshman year in high school and been close friends ever since. Along with Rachel, the other girls—Kristen, Heather, Briana and Melanie—were like the sisters she never had.
“Come on and sit down,” Rachel said, patting the chair beside hers. “Did you just get in?”
“About thirty minutes ago. I wanted to unpack and change before I met up with everyone.” Kate looked around for Rachel’s fiancé as she sat down. “Where are Bob and the rest of the guys?”
The other girl waved her hand. “At the bar. They went to get us drinks, but I think they got sidetracked by the baseball game on the television.”
Kate laughed. “Typical.”
“Speaking of guys,” Heather said, looking around. “Where’s Jason?”
Kate made a face at the mention of her ex-boyfriend. “I broke it off with him a couple of weeks ago.”
Heather’s pretty brown eyes went wide. “You did? Why didn’t you tell us? What happened? He seemed so perfect for you.”
Around the table, Kate noticed the rest of the girls looked just as surprised to hear she’d called it quits with her most recent boyfriend. All except Rachel. Kate had told her the day after it had happened, but hadn’t got around to mentioning it to the others. It was kind of embarrassing, really. She’d been going on and on for months that Jason was The One. Then again, she thought every guy she went out with was The One. Until she figured out he wasn’t.
She shrugged. “I thought he was perfect, too, at first. But after a while, it was obvious there was something missing. I don’t think he was really marriage material. Which is why I’m really not all that upset about breaking up with him.”
Across from her, Kristen sat back with a frown. “He wasn’t marriage material? What the heck does that mean? He was good-looking, funny, had a great job, and according to you, dynamite in the sack. You’d only been going out with him for four months. I don’t see the problem.”
Kate should have known Kristen wouldn’t see the problem. She and her husband John had gone out off and on for years before they suddenly decided to get married. That concept didn’t make sense to Kate. Either a guy was The One or he wasn’t. And if he wasn’t, then why waste her time with him? To Kate, it always seemed like Kristen had just settled for John. Her husband was nice and all, but how magical could their relationship be if they’d been able to date other people in between? Of course, Kate would never say anything like that to her friend.
“The problem was that I could never see our relationship transitioning to marriage, no matter how long we went out,” Kate said, then added, “Actually, I’m not sure if the word marriage was even in his vocabulary. I didn’t want to waste my time with him anymore.”
“Kate, you’re crazy,” Briana said. Petite and slightly plump, she had curly red hair and a smattering of freckles across her nose. “Going out with a guy is never a waste of time if you’re having fun with him.” Her brow furrowed. “You did have fun with Jason, didn’t you?”
Kate almost laughed. “Sure I did. I wouldn’t go out with a guy if I didn’t. He just really wasn’t what I was looking for in a husband.”
“Ah, the infamous checklist,” Melanie said, her blue eyes teasing.
Around the table, the other girls nodded as if in agreement and Kate felt her face color. “What checklist? I don’t have a checklist.”
“Don’t even try to deny it,” Melanie said. “We’ve all known about it forever. It may not be in writing, but it’s the one you came up with senior year in high school. You know, the one you used to figure out which guy you wanted to take you to the prom? As I remember, you started at the beginning of the school year and mentally crossed off a guy’s name whenever he got a bad grade on a math test or showed up late to class too many times in a row. By the time prom rolled around, you came up with one guy in the whole senior class who fit your criteria and because you were afraid he might take someone else, you asked him to the dance.”
Kate blushed even more at that. She’d always been very organized and methodical when it came to doing something, so coming up with the checklist of criteria to help her figure out which guy she wanted to take her to the prom seemed like the most efficient way to go about it. She hadn’t realized her friends knew about it, though. “That was prom. I don’t use a checklist now.”
“Sure you do,” Melanie insisted. “You used it all through college. You never dated a single guy you didn’t think was worthy of marriage. You never had one drunken hookup or ever banged a guy just because he was on the football team. You evaluated every guy against your checklist back then and you still do now. You might have changed some of the things on it since then, but you still use one.”
“Okay, so maybe I do,” Kate admitted. “But everyone has one.”
Melanie let out a snort. “Not like yours.”
Kate shrugged. “I just have high standards, that’s all.”
Melanie laughed. “The problem isn’t your high standards. It’s your single-minded focus on finding the perfect husband.” She leaned forward to rest her arms on the table. “Let me ask you something. When was the last time you went out with a guy simply because he was hot and you thought he’d be good in bed?”
Kate opened her mouth to answer, but then closed it again when she couldn’t come up with an example.
“See? Eit
her it was so long ago you can’t even remember or you’ve never done it at all,” Melanie said. “Which proves my point.”
Kate eyed her warily, feeling like this was some kind of intervention. “What point is that?”
“That you have to forget about your stupid checklist,” the other girl said. “It’s okay to stop looking for Mr. Right and just have fun with Mr. Right-Now every once in a while.”
Kate was silent as she mulled over her friend’s words. Considering Melanie was married to a great guy, that approach had obviously worked for the other girl, but it wasn’t Kate’s style. She didn’t go out with men unless she thought they had long-term potential. What was the point of hooking up with a hot guy for a night of amazing sex if it didn’t eventually lead to marriage?
“Melanie’s right,” Briana said. “You can’t expect every guy you go out with the be The One. I sure as heck didn’t think I was going to marry Tom when we first started dating. I just knew I liked spending time with him because we had fun together. I wasn’t even thinking about marriage, but when he proposed, I realized I’d actually fallen in love with him.” She grinned. “It helped that he’s great at oral sex, of course. It’s possible that was actually the deciding factor.”
Kate laughed at that last part along with everyone else, then shook her head. “Okay, I admit being great at oral sex is high up on my checklist, but I don’t see the casual approach working for me.”
“That’s the point,” Kristen said. “You’re not supposed to go into that kind of relationship expecting anything. That’s why they’re so much fun. For once, give yourself permission to have a no-strings-attached fling with a hot guy just for the fun of it.”
Beside Kate, Rachel grinned. “That’s a great idea! In fact, you can start this weekend.”