by Faye Avalon
It wasn’t that he didn’t like the woman. In fact, she’d proved feisty and challenging, two qualities he admired in a female. To a degree. But she wasn’t his type, and he was bloody sure he wasn’t hers.
“Erin doesn’t want to date. She’s not interested at the moment. Which is why I was going to ask you to use your considerable charm to persuade her to go with you. Will you? Please? For me?”
She batted those lashes again, and Tynan’s warning growls grew more insistent. At times like these, when his former squeeze used her feminine wiles on him to get what she wanted, Nathan was all too aware that their shared past was still a little raw for his friend. Normally, he milked that for all he was worth. Ragging on his friends was one of life’s pleasures, and Tynan was usually pretty easy to get going where Naomi was concerned.
But right then he was too busy fighting off his own concerns to worry about Tynan’s. “She doesn’t like me,” he said throwing a piece of board onto the pile. “And why doesn’t she want a date? What’s wrong with her? Apart from the fact her hair’s shorter than mine.”
“Nothing’s wrong with her. And don’t exaggerate, her hair’s not that short. I think she’s getting over a bad breakup, which is why I thought it would be good for her to spend time with you.”
Nathan stopped what he was doing and straightened up. “You want me to date her?”
“God. No.” Naomi didn’t even try to hide her stricken expression. “That’s not what I meant. No offense,” she said quickly, touching his arm. “But she’s vulnerable right now. Your love-’em-and-leave-’em strategy is most definitely not what she needs.”
“Meaning she’s not in the market for a quick fuck and dump,” Tynan taunted from the sidelines. “Some women like a bit of romance.”
“Yeah, and you’d know about that, asshole.”
“Just be her partner for the day, that’s all,” Naomi went on, ignoring the two men’s burgeoning spat. “Dance with her, make sure she’s got a drink, talk to her.”
“He can manage two out of three,” Tynan said. “The last one’s a stretch. For talk, read screw.”
“Fuck off.”
“So, I’ll call her?” Naomi pressed. “Tell her you’ll be her escort?”
Jeez. Why couldn’t he just say no to the woman?
“Yeah. Okay. Whatever.”
Naomi laughed. “You could be a bit more enthusiastic. I’m not asking you to sign away your freedom. And Erin’s good company.”
Yeah. When she wasn’t shying away from him like he was the devil incarnate, or laying into him because he happened to offend her sensibilities.
Nathan gathered up the debris and shoved it inside a rubbish bag. What the hell. It was only for a few goddamn hours. And, despite the fact Naomi had manipulated him, it wasn’t as if she was setting him up. In fact, she’d almost gone apoplectic when he’d asked her if she wanted him to date her new friend. Why was that anyway? Okay, he didn’t do the whole dating, have sex, more dates…wash, rinse and repeat, thing. But he didn’t treat women badly.
More than a little irritated by Naomi’s inference, Nathan decided that not only would he take Erin as agreed, but he’d act the perfect fucking gentleman. If for no other reason than to show his friends that his prime objective when in the company of women was not to screw them, as Tynan had so eloquently put it. Simple.
* * * * *
Erin stood outside the civic hall with Talia, her stomach fluttering with nerves. “God. I don’t know why I’m so nervous,” she said, tapping a hand to her stomach. “I wonder if Naomi is?”
Talia nodded down the short flight of steps to where the limo pulled up. “We’ll soon find out.”
Seconds later, Naomi emerged in a pretty emerald suit and holding a bunch of spring flowers. She smiled and gave them a wave with not a hint of nerves showing. She held the arm of her grandfather, Enoch, who looked dapper in a smart gray suit. Erin had met him once and liked him immensely.
Joining them at the top of the steps, Naomi reached out and gave them each a hug.
“You look amazing,” Erin said. “So pretty. I love your hair. All those gorgeous ringlets.”
“Thanks. Tynan loves it like this. You both look amazing too.”
Erin hoped so. She’d found a dress and matching jacket in one of the charity shops in town and splashed out on shoes and a bag to go with it.
“Are we ready, darling?”
Naomi smiled up at her grandfather. “Ready. Let’s go.”
While Naomi and Enoch waited in the vestibule to be called, Erin took her place inside the ceremonial room with Talia. She wanted to tell herself that her gaze was searching for the bridegroom but couldn’t deny that she really wanted to see Nathan.
Since Naomi had called two days ago and told her that Nathan would be her escort for the day, she been regularly battening down the slowly growing nerves that danced in her stomach. It was stupid of course, because it only meant she would be seated next to him at the official dinner. As always happened at these occasions, everyone mingled and socialized and you never ever stayed solely with the person you were with.
She let her focus drift to the front of the hall, where Caleb and Nathan flanked Tynan. They all looked amazing in their dark gray suits. Briefly, she considered if there had ever been such an enticing display of masculine appeal and raw sexuality in one place before.
Her attention zoomed in on Nathan. She’d only seen him dressed casually before, and he was imposing enough then. Now, he looked amazing. Smiling and joking with his friends, he seemed relaxed yet primed.
It had to be hard to lock all that masculinity and primitive energy inside a formal suit. Because beneath the traditional cloak of civility the suit afforded, Erin sensed there lurked the power and sensuality of a predator.
Predator? Where had that word come from? Almost at once, she realized, that was what sprang to mind whenever she saw him. A primal beast intent on ruling his world and everyone in it. Maybe that was why he unnerved her so much.
Awareness shimmered through her. She could deny all she liked that she wasn’t attracted to him, but she’d be kidding herself. Still, there was no way on God’s green earth she intended to act on it.
Even if, in her wildest imagination, he looked twice at her in that way, she couldn’t cope with someone like him. She didn’t have it in her to handle such a man. He would swallow her up. Eat her alive. And she already knew what that was like.
The door opened and Naomi walked in, her eyes fixed on her soon-to-be husband waiting at the end of the aisle with the rest of the wedding party.
Erin concentrated on the ceremony, trying hard to avoid looking at Nathan again. Unlike Caleb, who stole a few glances across at his wife and shared an intimate smile with her, Nathan kept his gaze focused on the happy couple.
Later, at the reception that followed the short ceremony, Nathan barely paid much attention to Erin until they were seated side by side for the formal dinner. She wondered if his focused attention to his wedding duties was as much because he didn’t want to mingle with her as it was to support Tynan. With Caleb at her other side, Erin felt more like he had been her designated “escort” rather than Nathan. Despite his size and regal stature, she found Caleb far less daunting than Nathan. He chatted easily with her, surprising her with his knowledge of the local area and giving her plenty of suggestions for places to walk Willa.
When he became engrossed with something Talia said, Erin was left alone with no other option than to converse with Nathan. Since there had obviously been something between him and Naomi at one stage, she wondered if he was feeling awkward attending his friends’ wedding. Had he loved Naomi? Had Tynan stolen her away? Erin didn’t like the thought of that any more than she liked being put in a situation where she felt like the consolation prize.
Unable to stand the awkward silence between them any longer, Erin
turned to him. “If you must know, I don’t like this any more than you do.”
Nathan tapped his fingers on the white linen tablecloth. “Like what?”
“Being lumbered with you, any more than you’re enjoying being lumbered with me.”
Those dark eyebrows rose. “Thanks.”
Erin shrugged. “We don’t have to pretend you weren’t forced into asking me. I’ve been at the end of Naomi’s persuasive skills myself.”
“She sure has them.” He eyed Erin speculatively. “She said you wouldn’t come if I didn’t ask you. Do you have something against formal social occasions?”
“No.” She’d considered her days of attending them well and truly over. “It’s just that I prefer hanging out in jeans and sweaters.”
His gaze moved down to the simple bodice of the knee-length dress and held there, making Erin wish she’d kept the matching jacket on and not placed it over the back of her chair.
“You wouldn’t know from the way you look right now.” His eyes met hers again. “Or from that number you had on the other night. At the hen do.”
She had a quick jolt that he’d actually noticed. “Another panic buy. It’ll probably end up in the charity shop.”
It hadn’t always been that way, Erin thought briefly. Once, she’d had a whole closet full of cocktail dresses and formal wear. And each and every outfit had been chosen by Justin.
“Yeah, well.” Nathan ran his finger between his throat and shirt collar. “I’m not a great lover of these things myself. This suit’s on its second airing. If I get my way, it’ll go back in the closet for all time.”
“What was its first airing?”
“Caleb and Talia,” he explained with a nod past her to where the couple was still deep in conversation. “And if they go on the way they are, this bloody suit will soon be out again for a christening.”
Erin glanced around, and sure enough, the couple was showing all the signs of wanting to beat an early escape. Caleb’s arm lay protectively and possessively around Talia’s shoulder, his fingers brushing the side of her breast. While Talia’s hand rubbed along her husband’s thigh, reaching ever closer to his groin.
Grabbing her wine, Erin took a swig. It wasn’t a good idea to have those sorts of images in her head when she was already far too aware of Nathan beside her.
“What’s wrong?” Nathan asked, leaning close. Erin could hear the wicked smile in his voice, and when she looked at him, that glint was in his eye. “Getting all hot and bothered there, sugar?”
“Absolutely not.” Erin took a sip this time, then carefully placed the glass down. “I don’t do voyeurism, thanks.”
She used her most prissy voice, but all she got from Nathan was a deepening of that grin. Damn it. How was it the man could irritate her and get her hormones racing at the same time?
“Nothing wrong with a bit of healthy voyeurism in my book. It can add to the fun, spike up the anticipation.”
“Happily, our book choices are different.”
Partly to take the emphasis off where the conversation could lead, but more because she was in fact desperate to know, Erin decided to take the plunge.
“Did you and Naomi once have a thing?”
He didn’t flinch or give any indication she’d hit a nerve of any sort, but those eyes bored into hers.
“You could say that.”
Now she wished she hadn’t asked, because something akin to disappointment rippled through her. “Did Tynan steal her away?”
“You could say that too, but Naomi and I were never serious.”
“So you don’t have any problem with her marrying Tynan?”
“If they’re crazy enough to hitch themselves to each other for the rest of their lives, it’s up to them. Their choice.”
“But not yours?”
“I’m not the hitching type, sugar.”
“I get that, from things I’ve heard around.” And she’d heard a number of stories on the hen night about Nathan’s prowess. “You have quite a reputation amongst the ladies.”
“Not in a good way, I hope.”
She returned his grin. “Don’t worry. You’re status as the man most likely not to get hitched appears safe and secure.”
“Glad to hear it. What about you? Your reputation. You’ve not been here long enough for me to hear any of those stories from the guys around town, so I need to get my information from the horse’s mouth, so to speak.”
“I’m not the hitching type either. I was in a long-term relationship and it put me off the rest-of-your-life stuff for good.”
It hadn’t been as hard as she’d expected to finally tell the truth of it. She had planned not to reveal any information about her past with Justin, but Nathan really did have a way. Which was incredibly surprising. She’d resisted the attempts made by Talia and Naomi to get details from her about her past, and here she was telling Nathan like it was the most natural thing in the world.
“Is that why you’re here? Fresh start?”
Okay. She wasn’t ready to reveal any more details that might demand further explanation. “I think most people like a fresh start after a relationship that didn’t work out. Mine just happened to coincide with wanting to do the research I mentioned before. It seemed like the perfect time to make the break.”
He eyed her for long moments in that way he had of making her feel he knew too much about her already, or that he fully intended to find out.
Thankfully, the speeches were announced, diverting Nathan’s attention to his groomsman duties.
Erin watched him as he gave an eloquent, witty and sometimes close-to-the-mark speech about the bridegroom. Their longtime friendship and obvious affection was evident in every word he uttered, and Erin felt a pang of envy and regret for the friendship she’d left behind when she’d run. Not that she and Kay would ever lose touch, but it was hard not to have her on hand for a hug and to share a glass of wine at the end of a shitty day. Erin glanced across at Naomi, and Talia, already mourning the loss of these budding friendships. She couldn’t stay in Bodmin long. She wondered if there would come a day when she would feel able to put down roots somewhere and have a normal life again.
Something Nathan said brought a huge laugh from the guests and snapped Erin’s attention back to the moment, and to Nathan. Hell, but he looked so stunningly gorgeous standing there in his dark gray suit, the collar of his white shirt juxtaposed with a thick, tanned neck, above which a solid jaw gave structure to a strong face.
But it was his eyes that gave her a jolt, every single time his dark green gaze met hers. As it did now. It heated her body, burning through every cell, every nerve ending, and made her head swim a little.
She tried to look away, but there was something so incredibly compelling about him, so elemental. He continued to talk to the room, but his attention was focused on her. The pull of his gaze shot to her breasts, making her nipples tighten and bud, before arrowing down through her center and right between her legs.
She wanted him, she realized, hardly able to believe her own stupidity. He was the very last man she should have the hots for. He didn’t want anything but a casual, between-the-sheets romp for however long he cared to play. Then he moved on without a care.
But was that so far removed from what she wanted herself? Her time with Justin had put her off the idea of anything long term or meaningful. Never again would she allow herself to be controlled by a man. Which meant she could actually indulge in that romp with Nathan, couldn’t she? There was really nothing stopping her.
But sex aside—and hell, how hot did the thought of that sound?—she couldn’t risk being with a man like him. She’d been burned, almost destroyed, by someone with many of the very same traits Nathan displayed. Demanding, arrogant, opinionated, egocentric… She would be asking for more trouble.
Her face heated under his scrutin
y, and she dug for the strength to look away. But her breath jammed dangerously in her chest, her rib cage tightening. She felt decidedly light-headed now and reached for the water glass beside her champagne flute.
Only then did she realize that she’d been sipping wine happily throughout the wedding feast, buoyed by the occasion and by Nathan’s conversation. That floaty feeling might well be entirely due to alcohol consumption, and nothing to do with the man who made his way back to his seat while Caleb took his turn to embarrass Tynan.
Erin forced herself to focus on Caleb and the rest of the speeches, but she couldn’t quite switch off the edginess she’d had since admitting to herself that she actually wanted Nathan. She was intensely aware of him beside her, especially when he sat back and rested his arm along the back of her chair while the speeches continued. She hoped to heaven that he didn’t accidentally touch her, because she was certain she’d leap right out of her own skin.
She ordered herself to breathe, to calm down, to remember that Nathan was simply her escort at the wedding. Jumping her was probably the very last thing on Nathan’s mind, and he was likely at that moment scanning the room in search of his next conquest.
Erin’s gaze fell on Caroline, who was looking across at them, or rather Nathan. The expression on her face left Erin in no doubt of who Nathan’s next conquest would be if Caroline had her way. Erin wondered if she should make herself scarce for the rest of the evening so that Caroline could make her play.
Surprisingly the thought of that didn’t sit especially well with her, and Erin dismissed the idea.
Thirty minutes later, the tables had been cleared and the band struck up for Naomi and Tynan’s first dance.
Dutifully, Erin clapped while the couple sashayed around the small dance floor. Their happiness was infectious and, liking them both very much, Erin was genuinely happy for them.
From the corner of her eye, she saw Nathan topping up her flute. She shot out her hand. “Not for me. I’ve had enough.”
“You’re not driving,” Nathan said, bumping her hand from the glass. “Live a little. Let your hair down. Why do you wear it so short anyway?”