Kissing the Maid of Honor

by Robin Bielman

  “Worried I’ll be your partner and you stink.”

  “I think you’ve got us both covered.” He took note of her frown. “It is you that smells like liquid sanitizer, isn’t it?” he teased.

  She dropped her head into her hand. “Go away.”

  “Do not pick on Sela, Luke,” Erin said. “I need her, and if you scare her away, I swear to God, I’ll put a snake in your bed.”

  He laughed, but Sela heard traces of discomfort. “They don’t bother me anymore.”

  “Bullshit,” Erin said.

  Luke quirked up one side of his mouth, possibly in challenge. It was hard to tell for sure, since she’d angled her head to count the crumbs on the countertop.

  “So what are you two getting into?” Luke downed the rest of his water, then tossed the bottle over his head where it landed for three points in the recycle bin.

  “The Chocolate Games,” Erin said.

  “What is that?”

  “If you were home more often, you’d know,” Paula chimed in, entering the kitchen and grabbing two coffee carafes near the stove. “Ten minutes until groove time,” she tossed over her shoulder as she danced out of the room.

  “It’s an annual Memorial Day chocolate competition,” Erin said, wiping her hand on the counter like there was a smudge. “Best chocolate recipe wins. It’s done online on Cascade’s blog.”

  “Cascade has a blog?”

  “Yes. The city council manages it and lots of different people post. For the last week in May, Candy Brewer has the lead column for her Chocolate Games and posts all the entries with a picture of the finished product. The town votes for the top five finalists. Those chosen make their recipe for a panel of judges to taste and then they pick a winner.”

  “This is your recipe?” Luke picked up the piece of paper at the exact same time Sela put her arm down, and their hands brushed.

  Tingles raced up her arm. Her eyes met Luke’s and for a beat she’d swear time forgot to tick.

  He looked at her quizzically before dropping his gaze. Sela watched him read the recipe, wondering what the heck he was thinking. And feeling. She hadn’t imagined the electric shock, had she? Or worse, been the only one to feel it?

  “Ditch the marshmallow,” he said, handing the paper to Erin.

  “What?” Erin examined the recipe like she’d missed something very important.

  “Add bacon instead.” A wry smile took hold of his mouth and he twisted his torso, his arms up, elbows out.

  The movement pulled his shirt tight across his chest and back, and defined muscles introduced themselves. Sela’s mouth went dry. New tingles erupted, this time in places they had no business being. She couldn’t pull her gaze away.

  He cleared his throat.

  She plucked the recipe out of Erin’s hands. “Since when do you know anything about baking?” She reread the ingredients and reminded herself how much she loved Erin, not Luke.

  “I don’t. But if you substitute bacon, you’ll win.”

  “Chocolate and bacon?” Erin shook her head. “That just sounds wrong.”

  Or very right, Sela thought. If they combined the two—arguably man’s and woman’s favorite foods, respectively—they might create something orgasmic. The tastes and scents were a pretty deadly combination.

  “Chocolate-Chocolate Chip Bacon Bars” did sound much more interesting than “Chocolate-Chocolate Chip Marshmallow Bars.”

  But she said, “I don’t know.” Mostly because if they decided to try it she didn’t want Luke to have the satisfaction of knowing it had been his idea.

  “Don’t know what?” he asked. “That bacon makes everything taste better?”

  “That’s not true.” Sela tucked the hair that had fallen out of her ponytail behind her ear.

  Luke crossed his arms. “You want to bet?”

  Sela huffed and waved him off. “Don’t you need to take a shower or something?”

  He leaned forward on the counter, arms stretched in front of him, and looked right at her. “Bacon even tastes good in the shower.”

  “Unbelievable,” Erin said. “What is it with men and bacon?”

  Sela didn’t so much as blink. “It makes guys that brag about it feel more masculine.”

  Luke tossed his head back and laughed. He had a deep, sexy laugh and Sela found herself trying very hard not to smile. She turned to Erin and whispered, “Have you ever tried the two together?”

  Erin shook her head. “But what have we got to lose? It sounds interesting. We could at least try it that way first.”

  “Let me know when you’ve made them and I’ll take the picture for you.” Luke headed out of the kitchen, one hand rubbing his side, a small frown on his face.

  “That would be great. Thanks, bro.”

  Sela gripped the edge of the counter. Luke was only supposed to take photos having to do with the wedding. Just because they’d been nice to each other at the hospital didn’t mean they should spend any more time together than necessary. She couldn’t trust herself around him. And what if someone else noticed?

  He had some nerve, she decided, confiding in her of all people about his accident. The reason she hadn’t gotten to sleep until two a.m. last night? Visions of the two of them playing doctor. Only he wasn’t in any pain whatsoever.

  This physical reaction to him set her teeth on edge. Cut yourself some slack, Sela. Any woman who looked at Luke would think he was hot.

  “Come on, let’s get ready to rumba,” Erin said, thankfully oblivious to the fact that the last thing she wanted to do was dance with Luke Watters.

  Was there such a thing as a runaway maid of honor?

  Not that she’d ever do it. Vanessa meant too much to her. The entire Watters family did—minus the six-foot bacon lover. She followed Erin into the living room and mentally kicked herself for giving Luke so much thought.

  Fifteen minutes later the wedding party stood in two lines down the center of the living room, guys on one side, girls on the other. The furniture had been pushed aside, the Oriental rug rolled up, the hardwood floor their canvas.

  The dance teacher demonstrated the steps for the rumba one more time. The “one-two-three-four” kept replaying in Sela’s head even when her feet were still and she should be listening to instructions. The counting helped keep her mind off her biggest obstacle—Luke.

  He smelled shower fresh, looked All-American handsome with his clean-shaven face, and moved much more gracefully than she’d expected. Sure, they’d stumbled a few times, but he’d righted them with ease, his strong hands gentle and sure. She thought back to the Kissing Booth and his humiliating words to remind herself he wasn’t always nice. But staring at him now, his eyes warm, his hold tender, it was getting harder and harder to use that excuse to keep her distance.

  …

  Luke didn’t see the point of learning choreographed dance steps, but it made his sister happy, her smile and laugh contagious, and he found himself enjoying even his missteps.

  His partner didn’t hurt matters, either. Paired with the beautiful maid of honor, he gave silent thanks for his new role as best man. If he’d had to watch Sela dance with someone else, he might have gone insane.

  A disconcerting thought he decided not to examine too closely.

  “Remember, the basic step is one of the most beautiful of the rumba. So if nothing else, stick to it, and the dance floor will be yours,” the instructor said.

  Luke peeked at Sela out of the corner of his eye. The slight imperfections in her profile made it the most fascinating he’d seen. With his photographer’s eye he imagined shooting her face from different angles and in different lighting and had a feeling every single one would spark beauty to a thousand different beholders. She might be a girl from his hometown, but there was something about her that was worldly.

  She turned her head, catching him in the act of staring. He darted his attention away.

  “Now let’s step into the closed position once again and begin,” the teacher
said.

  He brought Sela a hairbreadth away and looked down. Under thick, long eyelashes, she met his gaze and away they went.

  At first they moved rigidly, fighting the natural rhythm of their bodies like they still needed to battle to keep things normal. But as the music continued, their moves melted into a fluid sway of hips and torsos and Luke couldn’t think of anywhere else he’d rather be. He forgot to keep count in his head, their bodies moving naturally as one. The lines creasing Sela’s forehead in concentration vanished, her features softened, and her body relaxed as she followed his lead.

  “Close your eyes and feel the movement. Let the music guide you,” the teacher said softly as she wove around the dance floor.

  Luke waited for Sela to shut her eyes. Christ, she was pretty. The woman made scrubs look sexy. But it was what she had on the inside that suddenly made his mouth drier than the Sahara Desert.

  She didn’t only care deeply for Vanessa; she cared about Erin, too. Hell, she looked out for his family more than he did. And his family loved her for it. He saw it on their faces every time one of his sisters or parents looked at her. Which was why he needed to stop thinking about her in any way other than Shane’s little sister.

  Her eyes fluttered open. “You can wipe that smug look off your face. You’re not that good of a dancer.”

  “No?” Without missing a beat, he spun them around, their steps in perfect tandem. An invisible string kept them in harmony. The flush of Sela’s cheeks kept energy humming through his veins. Her enchanting complexion spurred his stamina to new heights, and he didn’t want the music to end.

  Her eyes narrowed and her lips pursed, and Luke imagined she’d much rather have a sword in her hand so they could fence instead of move with each other.

  “You know what they say about show-offs, don’t you?” she said.

  “Tell me.” He twirled them away from the others, his fingertips increasing the pressure on her shoulder blade.

  “They’re compensating for something else. Usually something small.” Her gaze dipped below his waist as they both stepped back.

  He laughed, a little more carefully than he had in the kitchen. For the second time in the last hour she’d done what few women could—raise his hackles in the most engaging way. But this bolder Sela had no idea who she was messing with. He slowed their tempo and very deliberately rotated his hips with unhurried confidence.

  “Sweetheart, there’s nothing small about me,” he whispered when they came together. “And if you need proof, I’d be happy to show you.”

  Sela’s eyes widened and she took a wrong step, breaking their perfect cadence. He kept hold of her and quickly got them back on track. Ball in your court, he thought with a smile. Damn, the rumba was fun.

  “I’ll grab my magnifying glass.” Her grin lifted to one side.

  Her words and expression hit him right in the gut like the best joke he’d ever heard, and he realized that, for the first time since his accident, he wasn’t mentally fatigued.

  Before he could offer a witty reply, the music stopped, and Luke silently cursed the timing.

  The teacher clapped. “Well done, everyone. Ready for the open position?”

  Luke was ready all right. But for an entirely different position that didn’t include company. Everyone dropped their arms and took a step back from their partners. He welcomed the distance—the dangerous detour his thoughts had taken was unbidden. Since when did he flirt with Sela? And from her knit brows to her pursed pink lips, he could tell she was thinking the same thing.

  His pulse spiked the second his hands touched her again. At least this time they moved away from each other, arms swinging out. Sela kept her gaze on the other dancers, and he followed suit. But even without eye contact, they moved with the kind of sensual fluidity that led straight from the dance floor to the bedroom. Hell, if they moved with this kind of chemistry here, he could only imagine how hot it would be in bed. Imagining is all you’ll be doing. This was his sister’s best friend and Shane’s little sister. The girl his parents loved like a daughter. He couldn’t let his lust screw up any of those relationships.

  “Not bad,” Vanessa said when they swung away from their partners at the same time and nearly collided.

  “You, too.” Happy for the distraction, he was about to suggest a change in partners so he could dance with his sister when sharp pain stabbed him in the chest. He tried to mask the discomfort like he usually did, but his shoulders involuntarily hunched and he grimaced.

  “Luke,” Sela said, her voice soft and knowing. She took the lead, drawing him close. “You’re hurting.”

  “No,” he lied, his regret at telling her his secret barreling back to the surface.

  “Luke.”

  Not wanting to draw attention with an argument he said, “A little.”

  The fiery spark in her eyes dissolved into something no less unnerving—tenderness. “Why don’t we take a break and you can get some pictures?”

  Why hadn’t he thought of that? “Good idea.”

  They rumbaed off the makeshift dance floor. He left Sela behind and headed to the guest bedroom for his camera. He considered heading right out the front door to get some fresh air, but then he’d have to explain himself.

  Okay, so maybe his five-mile run had been two too many, but he needed to feel back to himself again. The chest X-ray had shown no signs of extra fluid, and his lung had expanded back to normal. The doctor said he could resume his normal activities, albeit with caution. Luke’s normal MO was zero to seventy, not zero to forty, and it sucked that he had to dial back. The finish line seemed so damn far away that every muscle in his back clenched.

  He had three weeks left to be good as new. His gig in Chile required no less.

  Kicking doubt out of his head, he grabbed his camera.

  The first person he searched for when he got back to the living room was Sela, but there was no sign of her. He took shots of Vanessa and Hayden, both sets of parents, Erin and her partner—a friend of Hayden’s from college—and the other two couples rounding out the wedding party. His nerves settled down, the camera’s lens a soothing balm to his emotions.

  Photography made him forget everything but his subject. He should have thought to use it as a remedy sooner. Sela did think of it. Did she know it was more than just something to do besides dance? That it distracted him from his pain?

  Keeping his camera in place, he sought her out again. He found her leaning against the room’s archway, a glass of water in one hand. He zoomed in on the smooth planes of her cheeks, the ripeness of her mouth, the affection in her eyes. She watched Vanessa and Hayden as if they danced on water.

  Between the sways of the dancers, he snapped her picture. When she looked directly at the lens, he froze. He’d only just gotten reacquainted with her, but she had a way of looking at people like they mattered.

  Even broken, he mattered.

  …

  “I’m worried,” Vanessa said right after the dance lesson.

  Sela sagged against the wall, extreme tiredness settling into her muscles. She wanted to go home and write her column and fall into bed at a decent hour, but she didn’t see that happening anytime soon. Especially since she didn’t know how she was getting home. Or to be more exact, how she was getting to her car with one of those red jugs of gasoline.

  “About?”

  “Hayden stepped on my foot six times.”

  “What? You guys looked amazing. And this was only one lesson. We’ve got two more.” Sela rubbed her hand up and down her friend’s arm. “He’ll be a pro after that. No worries.”

  “You’re sure?”

  “Positive.”

  “Okay. Be right back.” She skipped away, in search of her fiancé, Sela guessed.

  “You look exhausted,” Paula said to her, passing Vanessa and putting a tray of finger sandwiches down on the coffee table next to plates of stuffed mushrooms and pasta salad.

  “Two long shifts in a row, but I’ve got tomorro
w off.”

  “Come eat something.”

  Sela sat on the couch and picked up a cucumber sandwich. “Thanks for feeding all of us.”

  Paula smiled. “You know it’s my pleasure. I’ll be right back with the coffee.”

  “Sounds good.” She shut her eyes, thankful for a quick moment alone, but a beat later the couch dipped.

  “Can I talk to you for a second?” Luke whispered, startling her.

  Good thing she’d finished her glass of water or she would have tossed it all over him.

  “No,” she said. Talking was a bad idea. When she talked to him her body responded in ways she didn’t like. Things like tingles on the outside and flutters on the inside.

  “Seriously?” he asked.

  Did he have to sit so close? She didn’t answer, instead putting her glass down and grabbing another sandwich. Egg salad this time. Her stomach groaned in appreciation.

  “You only need to listen.” His seductive voice really should come with a warning label. And he practically bumped his side against her, grabbing a stuffed mushroom and popping it into his mouth like her personal space had plenty of room for him.

  “Can’t.” Sela had never thought about slugging someone, but she wanted to hit Luke. Push him away. Tell him to keep his distance. Only that wasn’t really true. She wanted to fist her hands in his crewneck black waffle shirt and pull him tight. Bury her nose in the crux of his neck and hope that maybe he’d hold her in his arms and let her stay there for a while.

  “Because?” he prompted.

  She turned her head. Big mistake.

  He was so effortlessly handsome. And his eyes twinkled with fun and mischief, not seriousness like the men she usually dated. Those guys didn’t tug at her foolhardy side. They didn’t tempt her beyond a night or two of good conversation and companionship. She stayed safe with them. Her heart, her insecurities, remained tucked away. Since she’d laid eyes on Luke again, he’d churned up too much emotion and far too much desire. He offered a chance to be uninhibited, to try new things. Back in high school, he’d been that guy. The one to set every girl’s heart aflutter because he was daring and fearless.