“Bull,” Diana replied. “I’ve lived with you long enough to know when something’s bothering you and when you’re lying to me.”
“Forget it,” she said. “It’s stupid. Besides this is your big day. Not the time to talk about my ridiculous issues.”
“Come on, Catherine. I’m not a Bridezilla demanding the spotlight. You’re my friend, and something’s bothering you. I’ve only seen you tear up when it’s been something big.”
“That’s the thing. It’s not something big, it’s stupid.” She swallowed the lump in her throat. “And the way I’m letting it get to me bothers me even more.”
Diana handed her a tissue and turned to face the mirror. “Don’t worry, I’m not going to pity-stare at you the way you hate. I’ll refresh my makeup while you talk. Now spill.”
She took a deep breath before she gave Diana the condensed version of what had happened with Angelo.
“Ah, that sucks. But playing devil’s advocate, you do look different from college.” She moved loose strands of hair back into place. “Better, in fact. You’ve bloomed over the years.”
“Thanks, but—when you know someone, you think you’d recognize other things about them.”
Diana made a noncommittal sound. “So, what are you going to do?”
“I have two options. One, avoid him for the rest of the night. Two, screw with him a little. Maybe act in some way to make him uncomfortable.”
“Why would you want to do that?” Diana applied a coat of lip gloss.
“You don’t know how stupid I feel. You know the awkwardness when you recognize someone, but they’ve forgotten you?”
“Yes.”
“Well, imagine that a hundred times worse. Because you’ve dated the guy and thought it meant something. But clearly, you were wrong. And you are forgettable.”
Diana’s brows furrowed. “Don’t see how it’s going to make you feel any better.”
Catherine sighed. “Maybe you’re right.” Why was she getting so emotional over this? He didn’t recognize her. Big deal. It was a long time ago. They were teenagers. No matter how analytically she tried to assess the situation and dismiss her irrational reaction, she couldn’t shake how it hit her like a raw slap.
“How about a third option?” Diana tapped her chin before replying. “Sleep with him.”
“What!”
“Why not?” Diana powdered her nose casually. “I mean you’ve had a thing for him. Sometimes you need to act on those urges to get them out of your system.”
“You know I’m not into quick hookups.”
“The best part is,” Diana continued, “He doesn’t know who you are. You get to be whatever woman you want to be and act out any fantasy. Harmless fun. Nobody gets hurt.”
An image of bringing Angelo to her room formed in her mind, quickly shaping into rich, decadent fantasies. Maybe Diana was right, she could do things with him she’d never dreamed possible.
Pushing aside her sordid thoughts, she returned to her reality. She was an analytical scientist, not some vixen who specialized in seduction. “I don’t know if I can do that.”
Diana faced her and grinned. “But I can tell you’re thinking about it.”
Catherine blushed. Was she so transparent?
“Hey, it’s your life, your decision,” Diana added. “Forget about him right now. Let’s dance and have a damn good time.”
“I’ll be out in a couple of minutes.”
Diana left and Catherine touched up her makeup. Applying a fresh coat of a deep rose lipstick, something she rarely wore. Stepping back, she took an objective look at herself. She did look pretty good. The dress flattered her body shape, accentuating her breasts, which she usually hid under conservative clothing at the university. Combined with the hair and makeup, she was almost on the sexy scale. Maybe she could play the part of the seductress for this one night.
Holding her head high, she exited into the hall area, wondering if she could pull off Diana’s plan and seduce Angelo. As soon as she returned to the reception area, he stepped in her path and she sucked in a breath.
“We need to talk.”
The grave tone of his voice instantly set off flare warnings and put her on the defensive. All inklings of seduction vanished like vapor from the melting ice sculpture.
“Shh,” she said, pressing a finger to her lips.
What was she doing? Her half-assed plan of making him sweat took over.
She darted her eyes around the room with suspicion. “You don’t want them to hear us.”
He stood ramrod straight and scanned every angle with scrutiny. “Who?”
Good question. Where she was going with this? Uneasiness about Trent contacting had to have crept under her skin and hovered near the forefront of her mind. She leaned closer and whispered. “The government.”
He blinked rapidly before squinting at her. “Excuse me?”
“They’re trying to control us.” She tapped her temple for emphasis. “To control our minds.”
She had to be losing her mind to put on this act. It was ridiculous. Childish. A horrible idea. But a part of her relished his obvious uneasiness after how insignificant she’d felt when they’d danced.
“You.” She pointed at his chest. “You must be one of them.”
“What the—?”
His shocked expression almost made her break character. Forget what Diana had dismissed about this idea, witnessing his discomfort for a few moments was worth it. Before she burst into laughter, she turned away and hurried outside.
“Wait,” he called.
She didn’t stop to turn back but ran outside the venue and found a private spot near an air conditioning vent. Laughter spilled out. God that felt good to see him squirm.
After the moment passed, a twinge of regret followed. Reacting this strongly wasn’t like her. She took a clinical approach to her work and avoided drama in her life, yet the way she acted tonight was far from rational. She shook her head. Her only explanation was that it was Angelo, and her feelings for him had never been neutral.
Things could have gone better if she’d listened to Diana. She could have played a different role with a more satisfying physical outcome. A vision of them tangled in the luxurious sheets upstairs flashed before her.
Too late. Besides, she couldn’t pull off the role of a seduction, anyway. She was too analytical and too structured to follow a lustful itch.
And one night with him could set her up in a trap where she fell for him all over again. If she’d learned anything from her experiences, which was solidified earlier tonight, it was that Angelo DeMarchis could bring her nothing but pain.
Angelo
Angelo kept his distance while he followed to the side of the building where the woman had fled. He couldn’t let a disturbed woman run off from a wedding. That’s all the bride wanted on her wedding day—putting together a search party for one of the bridesmaids.
Still, he had no clue as to what precipitated the change. She was nothing like the woman who had danced with him earlier, who’d felt so good in his arms, who’d smelled so damn delicious. Was she on a medication that wore off? Was that why she’d lied to him?
As he approached, her laughter reached him.
That laugh, he knew it. Knew it all so well. In a rush, it all came together. The familiarity, the odd sense of a connection. She might look different tonight in a bridesmaid’s dress with her hair up and without glasses, but he’d never forget her laugh. He had strived many times to break through her serious nature to hear that musical sound.
Her first name was Catherine, just as Ryan had said. In high school, she went by Cate.
Cate Boudreaux. Oh yes, he remembered her. How could he forget? They’d met during a National Honor Society event during the spring of senior year. Although they lived towns apart, they grew close during the last couple of months before he went into the Navy. She was smart and serious, so different from the popular cheerleaders he’d typically dated, and that’s
what drew him to her.
He stepped around the side of the building. “Cate Boudreaux. It’s been a long time.”
She gasped and turned to face him. Her eyes widened. At least she finally looked him in the eye. She opened and closed her mouth like a fish.
If she didn’t want to dance or have anything to do with him, she could’ve given him a more adult response. A simple no thank you would have been better than coming up with that bullshit. He hated liars. It had no place in his life and was a freaking waste of time. Worse, she’d also made him look like a fool in front of his family. He didn’t come to this wedding to be laughed at like some joke. Why the hell did she pull some act like that? Her reaction was over the top. Not fuckin’ cool.
He took deep breaths to stay calm. She continued to gape at him, still without a reply. Frozen, like a trapped animal. If he wasn’t so pissed, he would have felt sorry for her.
He stepped closer to her. “Why have you been lying to me all night?”
Chapter Four
Catherine
She was caught. Angelo stared at her, awaiting her answer. Her skin flushed.
“You finally figured it out.” Catherine raised her chin and ignored her trembling fingers. “Took you long enough.”
He reached her in three strides, probing her with an intense gaze. “Why?”
“Hmm, let’s see.” She tapped her chin. “You hit on me with the insult of not even recognizing me.”
He grunted. “I wasn’t hitting on you.”
“Fine,” she conceded with a short wave. “You asked me to dance. It definitely seemed to be heading in that direction.”
“And you think that gives you the right to screw with me?”
“I wasn’t—” she began but knew that what he was saying was entirely true. Nothing she could say would undo that. “You deserved it.” God, now she sounded defensive. Which made sense because she’d had to erect a shield since she saw him tonight.
“I deserved it?” His brows tightened and he pointed at his chest. “Because I didn’t recognize you at first?”
“At first.” She hmphed with disbelief. “More like at all.”
He cocked his head. “You look different.”
“Oh, come on, I’m not wearing glasses.” She planted her hands on her hips. “Big deal.”
“And the hair. I’ve never seen you wear it like that.” He motioned at her tendrils framing her face. “Pinned up with all those curly things, whatever they’re called.”
She shrugged. “So, my hair’s a little different.”
“The makeup too.” He squinted as he examined her. “You didn’t wear makeup when I knew you. Or if you did, it wasn’t noticeable.”
“You’re coming up with excuses now.” She raised her index finger and then pointed at him. “I recognized you the second I saw you. Even with the beard covering half your face.”
“You win a medal. Happy?” He shook his head. “What do you want from me? It’s been ten years.”
“Ugh.” She spun on the heel of her strappy sandal, which was far from graceful and lacked any dramatic effect on the grass and rushed away.
“How can you be mad?” He reached her within two seconds. “I’m the one who should be pissed at you.”
Catherine stopped and faced Angelo. “And why is that?”
“You lied to me. One, about your name. Two, about where you roomed with Diana.” He tapped his index finger on his palm, emphasizing the count.
She sought to find a steady hold in her jumbled feelings. “What would you do if you were in my shoes?”
His face turned stony. “I’d probably be mad. But instead of some weird prank, I’d tell you straight out who I was. Not play games.”
“I wasn’t playing games!” she protested, taking a step toward him. Bad idea. They stood close. Too close. Almost as if they were back in the dance. Her breath came out quicker, pounding in her ears over the music inside.
“Then what were you doing?”
Good question. She didn’t have a good answer to go with it. The only thing she could think of was self-preservation, which sounded like an over the top reaction. She wasn’t so hurt that she wasn’t recognized, it was that she wasn’t recognized by him. No way in hell was she going to admit that to him.
“It was a natural reaction,” she said with a casual wave. She had to tone down her heated response so he couldn’t see how much he’d hurt her. “I don’t know why I said it.” She shrugged in an attempt at nonchalance that would hardly offset her strong reaction to him all night. “What can I say? It happened in the moment.”
Angelo snorted. “Yeah, my ass it did.”
She squirmed at being called out. He wasn’t buying her excuse. How much he saw through her she wasn’t sure—and she’d be damned before she’d let him pry any deeper. “Now it’s my turn to ask the questions, starting with the one I already asked, but you never answered.”
“And what was that?”
“How did you finally figure out it was me?”
He studied her for a moment. The ice in his glare melted, softening his intense gaze. Centuries pounded by as she held her breath and waited.
“Your laugh.”
Her heart thudded with a loud thump and she closed her eyes. He’d always said how he loved her laugh, and that only he knew the magic tricks to make her smile.
Those two words he’d uttered didn’t just clink the shield she’d erected to defend herself, they melted it into liquid metal. She opened her eyes, braving herself to look at him once more.
“I always loved to be the one to break through your seriousness to get you to smile.” He cocked his head and gave her a boyish grin. “And when I made you laugh—no greater victory.”
Why was he doing this to her? Making her feel so—so—so much.
If she didn’t do something to protect herself quickly, she was setting herself up for more pain. She’d learned the hard way long ago how charming he could be.
She had to get away from him before all those feelings she’d buried years before came bubbling forth like a test tube with a combustible mix.
“I’m not some prize to celebrate your victory.” She raised her chin and turned to head inside. “I need to go.”
“What is going on with you, Cate?” He grabbed her wrist with roughness at first, but then he softened it as he rubbed the fleshy part of her thumb in a circular motion.
Heat coursed through her once more. She was slipping. Melting under his touch.
“Don’t go like this.” Even his voice came out gentler, a low rich tone as smooth as the chocolate fountain in the reception area. He caressed her palm and stepped closer. “Don’t go at all.”
Damn, she was melting. The frigid exterior that protected her heart splintered with cracks created by his voice alone. What he was doing to her with those words… How could she not be affected?
She scanned their surroundings, seeking purchase before she lost footing, as sure as if the beach was covered with quicksand. They were alone in the dark out here. The sound of the waves came in from one side while a slow song carried in from the band on the other. The crescent moon’s reflection danced in the waves. The romantic ambiance of a seaside wedding was too difficult to ignore. And they were steps from the hotel. Rooms and rooms with empty beds. They could be alone in one in a couple of minutes.
“Why?” She heard the tremble in her tone and hoped he didn’t catch it.
When she faced him again, his gaze traveled from her eyes to her mouth. She took in a sharp breath, and her lips parted. Was he going to kiss her right there? Would she let him? Did she want him to?
Her heart pounded out each excruciating second.
“Look, I know I screwed up, and I’d be pissed too,” he said. “Can we start over?”
His words broke her trance and she blinked.
She sought steady ground amid the heated tension. “All right.”
“I didn’t mean to hurt you.”
Was there any
way this conversation could go without amplifying her discomfort? She searched for an escape. “I need to head back inside.”
“Why?”
“Bridesmaid duties.” The truth was, they’d done all their tasks earlier. Decorated the honeymoon suite with rose petals and all that. Did all their duties during the ceremony and reception. They were probably all in the bag already. A part of her wished she was too. That she’d taken advantage of the open bar and drank enough not to remember this evening. At all.
“Fine,” he let go of her hand. “You’re staying here at the hotel?”
Was he asking to come up to her room? Catherine rubbed the seam on the side of her dress. She had a room with another bridesmaid, who was probably still inside dancing. She could text her roommate to not return yet, take him upstairs, and live out one of the many fantasies she’d never had a chance to act on. That one night where she almost lost her virginity to him came tumbling back, a moment she’d replayed in her mind hundreds of times. What if she hadn’t stopped him?
Flushed from her heated thoughts, she simply nodded her head. She wasn’t one for one-night-stands, but maybe one night with him would be what she needed.
Could she pull it off?
“Perfect,” he said. “Let’s start over again tomorrow. No games.”
Tomorrow? Wait, what? What about tonight?
“Have breakfast with me.” Angelo trailed his fingers from her hand up her arm.
Despite his touch, her fantasy erupted into hundreds of floating bubbles, like the ones the guests had blown when the bride and groom returned down the aisle. Angelo wasn’t proposing spending the night together. Bummer. She sank in a pool of disappointment and relief.
Breakfast. Ah, right. That was probably a better idea than getting naked and sweaty in the sheets with him. More practical than throwing herself into a role of seduction she wasn’t quite sure she could play.
But she had to help Diana and Ryan before they headed on their honeymoon and help any wedding guests with travel plans.
“I’m busy until checkout.”
“That works.”
Angelo: A Second Chance Navy SEAL Romance Page 4