Seducing the Bridesmaid

by Katee Robert

  The answer was a resounding no.

  “Regan.”

  She jumped when Christine nudged her, looking up to realize Julie and Logan were already most of the way down the aisle, and Reed was watching her with an unreadable expression on his face.

  Shit. She forced a smile. “My bad. I was gathering wood.”

  “Wool.”

  “What?”

  Reed shook his head. “The expression is ‘gathering wool.’” He offered his arm. “Shall we?”

  God, she was destined to embarrass herself time and time again at this wedding. “Sure.” She slipped her hand into his arm and walked down the aisle, and she could swear she felt Brock’s gaze on her the entire way.

  They gathered outside the door, a great group of milling people. Regan turned to find Brock to say… She didn’t know what she was going to say, but it didn’t matter because he found her first. His dark eyes held none of the humor she’d come to associate with him as he leaned in. “Laugh.”

  She frowned. “Excuse me?”

  “We wouldn’t want you to miss another opportunity to catch Logan’s eye, darlin’. You aren’t going to get a better one than right now.”

  She stared at him, completely at a loss for words. He still thought she was chasing down Logan. And why wouldn’t he? It wasn’t like she’d told him that things inside her had been shifting in his direction over the last few days, or that the last thing on her mind right now was talking to Logan. It was Brock she wanted to sit down and have a discussion with.

  But he wasn’t waiting around for her to tell him exactly that. Brock grabbed her arm in a grasp that was just shy of painful, and towed her through the group to Logan. “Hey, man.”

  “Hey.” Logan didn’t look like he’d had much sleep since the dance lesson. There were circles under his eyes, and he had a distracted air about him that Regan could understand only too well. He nodded at them, but it was painfully obvious his attention was elsewhere.

  “So, has Regan told you how much she loathes the outdoors?”

  It was like watching a train wreck in slow motion. She opened her mouth, but once again, no sound came out. It wasn’t like she cared if Logan knew she hated the woods with a fiery passion usually reserved for New York drivers and things that went bump in the night, but having Brock trot it out left her feeling sick to her stomach.

  Logan finally focused on them, a small smile pulling at the edges of his lips. “I believe she hasn’t had the opportunity.”

  She finally found her voice, cutting in before Brock could say anything else. “Not much to tell.”

  “She can barely take two steps into the woods without having a panic attack. It’s a real shame.”

  She elbowed Brock, but it was like driving her elbow into a brick wall. “He’s exaggerating.” She couldn’t care less if Logan thought she was a scared city girl, but she couldn’t stay silent while her fears were being paraded in front of him.

  Logan’s gaze jumped from her to Brock and back again. “They can be frightening when you’re not familiar with them.”

  “You ever read The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon? That’s where my head’s at when I’m surrounded by trees.” She laughed, though the first shivers of fear worked their way through her at the memory of the book.

  “Gotta love Stephen King, but no, I haven’t had the pleasure.” He frowned and added, “Seems like contracts, marketing plans, and financial reports are all I ever read these days.”

  Well, this couldn’t get much more awkward. “That’s a shame.” She elbowed Brock one more time for good measure and beamed at Logan. It wasn’t his fault he’d gotten dragged into this awkward conversation. “You should definitely check it out at some point. I have to go. I think I hear Julie looking for me.” And with that less-than-graceful exit, she stepped on Brock’s foot and walked away from them as quickly as she could without actually running.

  …

  As he watched her walk away, Brock felt like a complete asshole. He shouldn’t have manhandled her like that, but he was still so off-center after she’d run from him. Again. All he’d wanted to do was shove the truth in her face and force her to acknowledge it—she and Logan were never going to work. Hell, the man had barely taken his eyes off Sophie the entire time they’d been talking. But all that was an excuse, and standing here in front of Logan, he couldn’t ignore that.

  “The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon, huh?”

  Brock shrugged. “It’s not one of his best ones, but it’s pretty good.” And Regan comparing her experience to that made him feel even more like a dick. He knew she’d been afraid, but that was a truly nightmarish experience.

  “I’ll have to check it out at some point. I have a book suggestion for you, too. It’s called, If You Want to Get the Girl, Try Not Being a Complete Asshole.”

  They stood there for a second longer, sizing each other up. Brock could barely look at him without seeing Caine’s face imposed over his. They didn’t look much alike—beyond the superficial dark coloring he and Caine shared—but the way he carried himself was identical. Caine would have been just at home in this gathering as Logan seemed to be.

  “I’ll consider that.” He couldn’t even bring himself to hate the man, no matter how much he wanted to. This was what Regan wanted. A man at home with whatever the world threw at him. A man who had everything going for him. A man who didn’t have a boatload of issues riding him.

  “Do that.”

  “Good talking to you.” He turned on his heel and walked away, not caring if he looked like an ass while doing it.

  Though he wanted to talk to Regan, he moved away from her, too. What the hell could he say, anyway? Everything had already been said. She wanted Logan. She might have fun with Brock, but that’s all it was.

  Disgusted with himself for chasing a woman who so blatantly didn’t want to be caught, he brushed past Reed and Colton and left the room. They’d do just fine without him, and he wasn’t good company right now anyway.

  What he needed was some peace and quiet to get his head on straight.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Brock knew camping out in his room tonight of all nights meant he failed as a best friend. But he couldn’t deal with seeing Regan cozy up to Logan, no matter the cause. It was just another reminder of the ways he didn’t measure up, and he wasn’t in the mood to have it rubbed in his face.

  What was he saying? Christ, he sounded like a spoiled little brat, throwing a fit because some kid had taken his toys. Hadn’t he learned a long time ago that anything worth having was worth fighting for? And what was Regan, if not something worth having?

  What had started out as a challenge had turned into something else altogether. She challenged him, and made him want to live up to being a better man. He loved bantering with her and seeing glimpses of the woman beneath the fearless mask she wore. She was beautiful and engaging and he refused to roll over and play dead so she could keep chasing a man who wouldn’t make her happy.

  Not like Brock would.

  He picked up his phone, thumbing through the contacts until he found Colton. He’d have Regan’s number—or would be with Kady, who would. It was time to put a stop to all the circling and games and man up. As his finger hovered over the send button, someone banged on his door.

  Shit. It was probably Reed or Julie or someone from the wedding party sent to bring him back downstairs. He pulled a shirt on, working on what excuse he’d make to avoid leaving the room. Saying he had a headache was weak, but it was the best he’d come up with by the time he opened the door…to the last person he expected to find. This time she didn’t barrel into his room. In fact, Regan looked downright uncomfortable. “Hi.”

  “Hi.”

  She held up the six-pack with a sheepish smile. “I brought a peace offering.”

  The surprises just kept on coming. If he’d been a betting man, he would have laid money on her still chatting up Logan downstairs without so much as a thought for him. Brock had never been so happy to
be wrong.

  He stepped back and let her walk into the room, using the opportunity to drink her in. She wore the same blue dress from the rehearsal, and it wound around her in a way that made him think it would be a whole hell of a lot of fun to unwrap, along with the same pink shoes she’d had on the first night they were together. Regan took a deep breath that made her breasts strain against her dress. “I’m sorry.”

  Surprise number three. He crossed his arms over his chest, buying himself a moment to recover from the shock of hearing those two little words coming out of her mouth. “Sorry for what?”

  “I haven’t exactly given you an easy time of it. I saw the surface and decided that was all there was to you, and that mistake is on me. Also, for using you to get Logan’s attention.” She shifted from side to side. “And I’m only a little sorry for doing some digging on you.”

  She never did anything halfway. That was for damn sure. He fought down the smile threatening as the truth hit him. She was here, with him. Not Logan. Not some other CEO type. Brock. “You’re only a little sorry?”

  “I wouldn’t do anything different, but…I might have been kind of an ass about it.” She lifted the beer again. “So, like I said, peace offering if you’re willing to accept it. Colton said you like this shit.”

  There was the Regan he knew and had come to depend on seeing. He was so goddamn glad she was here. Brock finally let his smile break through. “Can’t call a classic ‘shit.’ It’s not done.”

  “I can and I will. But it’s totally up to you if you enjoy drinking beer out of a can.” She shuddered.

  He moved to his bed and patted the spot next to him. “So I take this to mean you’re not going to run away again.” Into Logan’s arms. It was almost too good to believe it was true. He kept expecting her to tense up, throw herself at him, and flee again.

  “I prefer the term tactical retreat.”

  “I reckon you do.” He grinned as she sank down next to him. “Now that we’ve got that out of the way… Want a beer? This gorgeous woman just brought me some in one of the best apology gifts I’ve ever gotten.” One of the only apology gifts he’d ever gotten.

  “Sure.” She gave him a surprisingly tentative smile. “I could go for a beer.”

  He opened two cans and handed her one, and then they just sat there, staring at each other. In the short time he’d known her, there hadn’t been anything about their interactions that was awkward, but now that they both seemed to recognize this peace between them, he didn’t know what the hell to say that wouldn’t damage it. All he had to do was remind himself that she was sitting next to him, so obviously she must prefer him. Right?

  He wanted to ask her about Logan, but that was a surefire way to shoot this thing in the foot. So he went with a less dangerous topic. “Tell me about your family.”

  “Not much to tell. Only child, and pretty okay with it. My parents both worked their way up from nothing, and they’ve busted their asses to create the life they have now. I guess I learned my work ethic from them—if you want something, get your ass in gear and get it. If you wait for miracles to happen, you’ll still be in the same spot ten years after you start.”

  He could see that reflected in how she carried herself now. Regan wasn’t the type of woman to sit back and wait for opportunity to come knocking. It was one of the many things he liked about her. “Attending college must have been a strain on the budget.”

  “It was.” She shrugged, though she wouldn’t meet his gaze. “Even saving for eighteen years, they barely had enough to pay for a year’s worth of tuition. I got scholarships, but those only go so far, too.” Another shrug. “So I worked.”

  He couldn’t begin to imagine the dedication it took to pull off what she did. “You’re amazing.”

  “Hardly. I just make a plan and follow it. It’s a system that’s gotten me through workloads that have sent other people into full-on breakdowns. And I avoid distractions.”

  It all made sense now. Her insistence on Logan being the kind of man for her. She had taken one look at Brock and seen him as nothing more than a distraction. The kind that would have been crippling to her handling the workload she must have.

  But she was here, with him, instead of off chasing Logan around the property. That spoke volumes. “Enough about me. What about your family?”

  He really didn’t want to go into his family, but it was only fair. Brock took a long pull of his beer. “I have an older brother.”

  Regan’s eyes widened. “There’re some serious undertones going on right now.”

  “Caine was always perfect growing up, and age didn’t do a damn thing to alter that.” He couldn’t figure out why he was telling her this when he didn’t talk to anyone about his family shit, but it felt good to get it off his chest. “That’s something else you got wrong, you know. I’m not the favored son.”

  She was quiet for a long moment, but he could practically see her mind racing as she connected the dots and drew new conclusions. “You know, Julie had a sister who died a few years ago. To this day, her parents constantly compare her in an unfair way.”

  It was something he reckoned he understood all too well. Even if Caine were gone—God forbid—he would never be the son his father wanted. “I know the feeling.”

  “I know it doesn’t mean a whole lot, but I’m sorry.”

  Strangely enough, it did mean something. “It’s no big deal. Caine walks on water in my dad’s eyes. Hard to compare to that.”

  “What’s so great about your brother?”

  “He’s ambitious and smart and his dream has always been to take over the family business.” He made a face. “He’s a lot like your Logan.”

  “Logan is hardly my anything.” She settled back on the bed and took a sip of her beer. “Good God, this is horrible.”

  “Everyone’s a critic.” He laughed at the look on her face. “I can call up for some wine if you want?”

  “No, that’s okay. I probably shouldn’t be getting drunk the night before Kady’s wedding. Besides, that’s not why I’m here.”

  Finally. The answer to the question that had been plaguing him since she showed up at his door. Brock drank the rest of his beer and set it aside. “So why are you here?”

  She put the beer on the nightstand and tucked her feet under her, looking for all the world like she was bracing herself to deliver some bad news. Maybe that was why it took him a full ten seconds to process the next words out of her mouth. “Okay, so here’s the deal—I like you. A lot. Probably more than I should.”

  It shouldn’t have been surprising considering all the evidence to support just that, but Brock couldn’t help the shock ricocheting through him. He’d been prepared to fight tooth and nail to get her to admit what she’d just spit out. And she sat there, her shoulders slightly hunched, as if she expected him to slap her down. He couldn’t have done that, even if he wanted to, so he told her the truth. “I like you, too.”

  “I don’t think this you-and-me thing will work past this week. Even if we didn’t live a couple thousand miles from each other, we come from different worlds. And how cliché is that?” When he opened his mouth to protest, she held up a hand. “But, like I said, I like you too much to walk away. So I’m willing to stop fighting it and see what happens.”

  If Regan put half the effort into building something with him that she had pursuing Logan, he didn’t see how anything could go wrong. He wasn’t about to say that, though. Because the truth was, not fighting something and working for it were two different things. Which meant he had a little over twenty-four hours to convince her to give this a real shot. “I’d like that.”

  “Good.” She still looked a little wide around the eyes, and she hadn’t let go of the death grip on her arms. All signs pointed toward her being half a second away from bolting again.

  He wouldn’t give her the excuse. Moving slowly, he hooked her around the waist and pulled her into his lap. She went tense for a breath and then relaxed into him. Brock pr
opped his chin on the top of her head. “Want to know something, peaches?”

  She laughed. “Like why a Tennessee boy is calling me peaches? Shouldn’t that be reserved for Georgians?”

  “I reckon you fit the description.” He shifted her so that she was straddling him. It created a little distance between them, but he couldn’t fault it when it gave him the opportunity to look his fill. He didn’t think he’d ever get enough of just looking at her.

  She licked her lips. “How’s that?”

  A thousand corny answers flew threw his mind, but he didn’t give voice to a single one. “You ever hear the saying ‘sweet as a Georgia peach’?”

  “That’s not a thing.”

  “Sure it is.” He dropped a kiss on her lips, and then each corner of her mouth. “And you, Regan, are fucking sweet.”

  She sighed as he kissed her again, taking his time in tasting her. He delved into her mouth, sliding his tongue along hers before he withdrew and nipped her bottom lip. “Want to know something else?”

  Her laugh was a little breathy. “Why not?”

  “I finally have you in my bed.” He untied the front of her dress, letting the fabric slide over his fingers as he pulled the knot free. “I fully plan on taking advantage of it.”

  “Oh yeah?”

  “Most definitely.” He parted the fabric and slipped his hands inside, against her skin. He forgot, sometimes, that she was so small. The force of her personality seemed to fill up a room, and yet his hands felt huge against her hips. He nudged the straps off her shoulders and down her arms, loving the goose bumps that rose in the wake of his touch.

  When she leaned in, he stopped her. “Ah ah, not yet. You’ve had your way with me twice now. Turnabout is fair play.”

  She huffed, but the blush that stole along her chest gave her away. She liked this. He finished taking off the dress and dropped it on the side of the bed. The bra she wore seemed designed to offer her breasts up to him, the pink lace cups shading her nipples more than covering them. The black panties didn’t match, but he liked the contrast.