Baiting the Maid of Honor (12 page)

to be hunted so she herself could compete. And
win
, if she had her way. More than happy to sip a latte

and await the winner in Starbucks, Kady had readily agreed.

Christine stood beside Kady, fussing with her hair. Putting it up in a ponytail, then cursing and

letting it back down. She looked hot under the collar about something, but Julie knew better than to

ask. They’d often joked that the term “fiery redhead” had been coined on Christine’s behalf. Once she

got started, they had a hard time calming her back down. Best to let that sleeping dog lie a spell, she

decided.

All three of them raised a questioning eyebrow when Regan strolled up and joined them. Wearing a

short dress that left little to the imagination and six-inch heels.

“You steal those shoes off a stripper?” Julie asked. ”Or are you planning on taking the drastic step

of breaking your neck to avoid this scavenger hunt?”

“Actually I’m hoping to distract the competition.” Regan posed. “Jealous?”

“Concerned,” Kady corrected. “About your ankles. And your mental health.”

Regan shrugged, already looking bored.

“Does everyone really want to avoid the scavenger hunt? I thought it would be fun.” She felt the

familiar stab of disappointment in herself when everyone stayed silent.
Don’t let it show
. “Well,

that’s just dandy.”

Reed sauntered up then, standing off to the side of the growing group, arms crossed over his chest.

Against her will, every inch of Julie’s skin went hypersensitive. Lord, he looked ready for sin. An

observation she resented. She didn’t want to observe him. Yet she couldn’t stop herself from

cataloging every part of him. Cut biceps, adorned with tattoos, stretched the sleeves of his white T-

shirt in a way that didn’t belong among the khaki and polo-shirt-wearing wedding guests. His dark

hair was still damp from a shower. She knew from experience now that he would smell fresh,

masculine, raw. That underneath that T-shirt and jeans, his body was poised, ready to be exerted.

Craving
exertion. Such a contrast to his deceptively casual pose. When their gazes met, rebellious

heat curled below her waist.

No. She didn’t want this. Perhaps he’d partially redeemed himself by cleaning up after the party.

Easing her burden. Leaving her that unintentionally sweet, uniquely Reed note. That didn’t mean she

should excuse last night’s lewd comment so easily. Did it? Why did she want to?

Watching Reed, she held out a hand to Kady. “Hand me one of those lists, darlin’.”

Regan did a little dance move. “Aw, shit. Julie P on the prowl.”

Christine looked amused. Not to mention grateful for a distraction from whatever was obviously

giving her fits. “Go easy on him. No one outmatches you when you’re holding a list of meaningless

items.”

“Y’all are seeing things. I just need to clear something up, is all.” Julie ignored the round of snorts

delivered by her friends and swayed toward Reed, trying for all the world to hide her nerves. At her

unexpected approach, he narrowed his eyes, but otherwise didn’t move an inch. She lowered her

voice so her friends wouldn’t overhear their conversation. “If you’re expecting a thank-you for acting

as my cleanup crew, keep waiting. It won’t come. But in the spirit of goodwill I’ve decided to call us

even.”

“Is that right, pixie?” He swept her head-to-toe with a blistering look. “I feel obliged to tell you

goodwill is the furthest thing from my mind right now.”

Julie struggled for composure. She should turn up her nose and walk away. It’s what she’d been

taught to do when a man overstepped his bounds. They’d gone way past that point, however. She

couldn’t walk away just then for the life of her. “I’ve got a scavenger hunt to win. What’s on your

mind is none of my concern.”

“Maybe. But you’re hoping I tell you anyway.” His attention dropped to her breasts. Julie’s face

heated, somehow positive he was remembering what they’d done last night at the spring. It made her

remember, too. His hands, his mouth. Things he’d said. “I’m thinking about how none of your friends

over there know what I found out last night. That you’re a kinky little bad girl who likes to be

creative. No one here knows. And I fucking love that I do.”

Awareness flooded Julie. As if her senses remembered what he could do for her body. The feelings

he could elicit with a simple touch or a whispered dare in her ear. She forced herself to remember the

crowd of people witnessing their exchange, including her friends, who didn’t often see her lose her

cool. Friends who would notice immediately if she did. “Enjoy having your secret. Can I trust you to

keep it?”

Reed’s eyebrows drew together, his voice dropped even lower. “Do you honestly think I would tell

one single person? That the blond beauty queen goes off like a firecracker when you stroke her just

right? Not a fucking chance, baby. I wouldn’t risk someone else trying to take what’s—”

“Stop it.” Julie’s face flamed hot. Her attempts to calm her pounding pulse failed. She couldn’t

believe the words coming out of his mouth, even though she knew if they were in the dark, she

wouldn’t be able to get enough. They weren’t in the dark, however. And if she listened to him a

minute longer, she would combust in front of everyone. Everyone who thought of her as the

respectable do-gooder. The planner. The maker-of-pretty. It certainly wouldn’t be pretty when she

burst into flames. “You’ve made your point.”

“Haven’t even begun.”

“I say you have.”

“Your legs look goddamn incredible in that skirt.”

Her rejoinder died in her throat and came out sounding like, “Guhhhh wham.”

An uncharacteristic smile shaped his mouth. “Ah, you gotta love a bilingual girl.”

“Oh, no. You don’t get to be funny, too.”

“Too?”

“Here you go.” She shoved the scavenger hunt list into his waiting hand and tried to hide her

embarrassment with a saucy look. “Think you can keep up?”

“We both know I can keep it up.”

Julie spun on a heel and rejoined her friends, sure her face had turned the color of the devil. Sophie

had joined the group since Julie left and now observed the building group of wedding guests with

apprehension. Absentmindedly, Julie put a calming hand on her shoulder. “Wh-what did I miss?”

They all exchanged a look. “Uh, nothing, Twitchy-Eye. We were watching you have visual

intercourse with Mr. Dark and Dangerous,” Regan responded drily.

“Hush up. You saw no such thing.”

“No, she’s right.” They all turned to Sophie. “I’ve only been here a couple minutes, but it was long

enough to recognize first class eye-fuckery.”

Julie started, her friends breaking into unladylike laughter around her. “Sophie, I don’t want to

speak too soon, but I think you’re starting to come out of your shell.”

Sophie shrugged. “So…you and Reed?”

Christine tucked a stray red hair into her ponytail. “I thought you were gunning for the best man.”

“Logan,” Sophie clarified. “Yeah, what about that?”

“I’d love to indulge all your curiosities, but I believe we’re running late—”

“So you’re
not
going for Logan?” Regan asked. “Nice. Best man’s back on the market.” She flexed

her fingers and winked. “Game on.”

Kady sighed dramatically. “If you ladies are finished proving what a pack of shameless hussies you

are, I’d like to pass these lists out and go sit in the air-conditioned coffee shop.” She winked at the

group. “Colton’s been keeping me up late.”

“Oh, who’s the shameless hussy now?”

Kady laughed, so obviously in love everyone seemed compelled to join in. “Christine, would you

mind pairing up with Tyler? I know you’ve had your differences, but I’m hoping you can take this

opportunity to mend fences, so to speak? I just want everyone getting along at my wedding.”

Christine clearly wanted to object, but wisely didn’t question the bride. She nodded once. “Of

course. No problem. Besides, we’re
fine
.”

Kady shot her a skeptical look, but kept silent.

“Ooh, Kady. Do me a solid and pair me up with Logan.” Regan waggled her eyebrows at Julie,

who shook her head in response. “If you hear the forest rocking, don’t come a-knocking.”

“Sorry, he’s running late. I’m sending you out with Brock.” Kady eyed Regan’s shoes. “Anyway,

Logan manufactures hiking gear for a living. If he saw you attempting to traverse the woods in

stilettos, he’d probably have a coronary.” She smiled at Sophie and held out two lists. “Would you

wait for Logan, Soph? I don’t want him to get here and have no idea what’s going on.”

“I…uh—” Sophie blushed beet red and started to reply, but Kady simply handed her the lists and

moved on to her next target.

“Julie—”

“Oh no,” Julie cut her off. “I don’t need any deadweight holding me up. No partner for me.”

She plucked a list from Kady’s hands and sailed off before anyone could protest. No way was she

giving her meddling friends the chance to pair her up with Reed. And they would. No question.

But as she entered the forest to retrieve the first item, she could feel brooding hazel eyes following

her every step.

…

A fucking feather. The second-to-last item on Reed’s list. He hadn’t even planned on participating in

this ridiculous scavenger hunt, the prize for which happened to be some souped-up, bells-and-

whistles coffee machine he wouldn’t be caught dead using. An hour later, he was ready to climb a

tree and pluck a feather out of a damn woodpecker just to bring him one step closer to finishing. If

Julie hadn’t handed him the list with a blatant challenge in her eyes, he would have tossed it in the

nearest trash can and gone for a beer. Instead, he’d chosen to see the subtle tilt of her head and

pursing of her pink lips as a thrown-down gauntlet. He’d had no choice but to take it.

Reed nudged aside a pile of pine needles with his boot, finding nothing but more pine needles.

Edging around the tree, he found a feather stuck in the bark, but came up short when he saw a flash of

pink enter his line of vision. Julie. Shoving the feather in his pocket absentmindedly, he watched with

rapt attention as she bent over, revealing those long legs to perfection in her lightweight skirt. When

she straightened again, she held a pinecone in her hand as if it were a winning lottery ticket, before

shoving it into her tote bag.

“What exactly does a scavenger hunt have to do with two people getting married?”

She jerked around at the sound of his voice.

“Unless, of course, we’re searching for their lost minds.”

Blue eyes narrowed on him. “You know what you are? A sourpuss.” She started to bypass him on

the trail, grumbling to herself. “Out here ruining everyone’s good time. Wouldn’t know fun if it bit

him on his keister.”

In a replay of the night before, he strode after her. “Maybe our idea of fun is just different. That

doesn’t mean I don’t know how to have it.”

“Oh, I know your idea of fun.”

“Hell, we hadn’t even gotten to the good part yet.”

She pulled her tote bag higher on her shoulder and increased her pace, tennis shoes kicking up dust

in her effort to leave him behind. “I don’t expect we will, either.”

“That so?”

“Mmm-hmm. If I were a Magic 8 Ball, my answer would read ‘outlook not so good.’”

“Why don’t you let me shake you up a little? See if we can’t get a different answer.”

“My sources say no.”

Reed swallowed a laugh. Damn it, she was a feisty little thing. An image flashed through his mind

of Julie astride him, hips undulating, head thrown back in ecstasy, and he groaned out loud. She sent

him a wary look over her shoulder but didn’t stop. If he didn’t find a way to appeal to her, the vision

would never become a reality. “I guess you don’t want to hear the challenge, then.”

Julie came to a halt and he nearly crashed into her back. “What now?”

He hid his smile. Underneath all that charm, he knew he’d sensed a competitor. Based on the

contents of her bag, she’d nearly finished the damn hunt. Sure, his list was almost completed, too, but

then he was a trained law officer. “How many items do you have left on your list?”

“One.”

“Same here.”

Her confidence slipped a little. “So?”

Reed shrugged. “Just thought you might care to make it interesting.”

“Next you’re going to taunt me. Say something like, ‘But if you’re not confident in your abilities, I

understand.’”

“You said it, not me.”

She whispered something under her breath that sounded like
hellfire
, but he couldn’t be sure.

Shifting on her feet, she considered him. “What are your terms, sourpuss?”

“Ladies first.”

Her arms crossed over her chest, enjoyment finally entering her eyes, and Reed barely resisted the

urge to breathe a sigh of relief. “If I find my item first, you show up to dance rehearsals tomorrow