Don't Bite the Bridesmaid (6 page)

“She slept with your boyfriend and you’re worried about helping her?” Was she, really? Or was this just an attempt to get Kristen and Brent to break up? That would certainly give her another chance at the jackass.
Fuck
. No way could he let her do that.

“Fiancé.”

“Yeah, I got it.” he said through gritted teeth. “Are you sure this is about helping Kristen? Maybe you want another chance at Brent.”

“Excuse me? How stupid do I look to you?”

“That’s not what I—”

Her hand waved, cutting him off. “I get why you might think that, but the last thing I want is another chance with Brent. I’m just not sure Kristen deserves to be stuck with him for the rest of her life because of one mistake.” She frowned. “Although, they do deserve each other.”

“I still can’t believe you were going to marry that buffoon.”

She took a step toward him. “Stop judging me, Mr. High and Mighty. And anyway, who says
buffoon
anymore?” When she looked up and met his gaze with her warm eyes, so full of annoyance and caring, the force of the whole night rushed over him in a flood of emotion. Rage and anger and lust assaulted him. And a fierce protectiveness he couldn’t remember feeling since he’d left his humanity behind came with it.

Her eyes widened at whatever expression crossed his face, but she didn’t look afraid. Her tongue flitted out, wetting her lips.

Before his good sense could kick in, he crossed the short space between them and closed his mouth over hers. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he knew he’d moved too fast. Inhumanly fast. But he didn’t care. Her sweet scent filled his nose and swirled around them both. And her soft lips greeted his eagerly.

She melted into him and he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close. A soft noise escaped her throat and he growled against her lips. She was soft, so soft. Warm, comforting, and passionate. Her hands slid up his chest, leaving fire in their wake, before settling around his neck. She opened her mouth to him, and he slid his tongue against hers.

He hardened painfully in his jeans and kissed her a bit more forcefully. She moaned and pressed her body closer, writhing against his hardness. A small part of his mind screamed that this was a terrible idea.

But the rest of him didn’t care.

Then her mouth was gone from his, and he stared dumbly. Still in his arms, her face was flushed and her mouth slightly open. Her eyes were bright with wonder and she looked so sexy it was all he could do to keep himself from kissing her again. She took a step back, forcing him to loosen his arms around her and release her. His body cried out at the loss, and he fisted his hands at his sides to keep from reaching for her again.

“I’m going to go take a shower,” she said, finally, breaking the silence and whatever bond that had kept his eyes affixed to her.

He turned and opened the heavy curtain leading to the balcony. Moonlight lit the outside of the ship, as did the lights from the ship itself. And the ocean was clear and dark. Alone. “Okay.”

Shuffling noises sounded behind him as she no doubt fished out more of those sweet-smelling toiletries to tantalize him with. Less than a minute later, the bathroom door clicked shut behind her.

He let out a long breath and opened the door to the balcony. What the hell just happened? Air heavy with humidity and laden with the salt of the ocean surrounded him, and he gazed out over the endless sea, as if it could offer him answers. But its only reply was the sound of waves lapping against the ship.

Chapter Four

A
l
ice blinked at the dark room and suppressed the urge to hide under the covers for the rest of the day. What a night. She pushed up onto her elbow and looked at the digital clock sitting on the desk across from Noah’s sleeping form. Ten o’clock. They’d be late for brunch.

Noah’s too-tall body looked awkward on the loveseat’s pullout. The bed couldn’t have been designed for anyone over five and a half feet tall, and Noah stood over six feet. He lay from corner to corner.

Why hadn’t he taken the bed, for crying out loud? She was only five-three, the pullout would have been perfectly serviceable for her. But no, the man had to be stubborn about it. Just like he was with everything. The idea of ever being agreeable without argument had probably never even occurred to him.

But sleeping, he looked so peaceful. Quiet. Awake, he carried an energy with him at all times, not violent exactly, but…powerful. Like he expected and was ready for action everywhere he went.

She touched her lips with her fingertips. She could still feel him there, his mouth pressed against hers, his clever tongue teasing her into oblivion. She could taste his drink in her mouth and smell his scent. Feel his arms wrapped around her. Holding her close. Burning her up. Pushing her to the brink with the slightest caress.

Like it had been carved from stone, his jawline was smooth and perfect, and she ached to slide her fingers down its surface, feel the roughness of his dark five o’clock shadow.

She half wanted to kick herself for pulling away from his kiss, but the other half remained convinced it had been the right thing to do. Noah was gorgeous and sexy and seemed to be a genuinely good man, but she wasn’t ready to jump into a new relationship. Trusting someone that much again…no. Last night had proven she wasn’t ready yet. The second she felt herself losing control with Noah, panic set in. And she couldn’t run away fast enough.

But oh, what a kiss.

It wasn’t as if she hadn’t noticed him before. Heck, he was the reason she organized neighborhood parties and went out of her way to drop in at least every few weeks to borrow something or just say hello. He hadn’t exactly said he enjoyed seeing her outright, but she always felt his gaze linger on her body.

As if sensing her eyes on him, Noah’s fluttered open. Their gazes met for a brief moment, and she could almost imagine no time had passed since she’d been in his arms. Catching herself, she broke the moment by looking away as though she hadn’t been watching him sleep. Which she most certainly had been. If he felt uncomfortable, Noah didn’t show it. He glanced at the clock and grimaced.

“Are we late?”

“Kind of.”

“Better get going, then,” he said, voice rough with sleep. His hair was tousled and sexy. The man looked good right out of bed. That should have been a crime.

He avoided meeting her eyes as they got ready, and an awkwardness settled over them. Every instinct in her body told her to break it before the gap grew too far between them, but she couldn’t think of the right thing to say. Should she apologize for breaking up the kiss? No, that was a stupid idea. Make light of it? That didn’t seem right either.

So she let the discomfort settle over both of them, so thick she thought it bordered on being visible. By the time they walked to brunch, they’d been reduced to one-word questions and answers and a whole lot of pointing.

Brent and Kristen were nowhere to be seen at the morning brunch, at least not in the nook her family had reserved for breakfast on each day of the trip. Her mother and sister sat with their heads together at the table, and her mom said something to make Cindy laugh and appear mortified at the same time. Cindy looked radiant and so happy—every bit the glowing bride—that Alice found her mood lifting despite her worries about Noah.

“Good morning, ladies,” Noah said, and the tension he’d carried in his shoulders all morning seemed to dissipate. Now that they were no longer alone.

“Anything planned for this morning?” Alice asked.

“Oh yes, a Shepard family volleyball tournament.”

Alice groaned. She was no slouch, but the tournaments always ended with Brent and Robert battling for supremacy.

“Don’t worry, they aren’t teaming up this time,” her sister said, knowing exactly what Alice was thinking. “In fact, it’s a couples’ tournament. So you’ll be competing with Noah on your team.”

Noah raised an eyebrow.

“He’s got a bit of a sun allergy, so I guess we’ll have to sit this one out,” Alice said.
Thank goodness
. Maybe there’d be a way out of the tournament. She didn’t relish playing volleyball with Brent and Kristen on the other side of the net.

Cindy’s eyebrows shot up at that, but she didn’t argue. “Darn. Guess it’ll be our responsibility to make sure Brent doesn’t win.” She smiled at her soon-to-be husband and he took her hand in his.

“Guess so,” Alice replied.

“You know how competitive Brent is. He’ll have a big head about it the entire week if he wins.” Cindy waved her fork around as she spoke, and Alice caught sight of her pancakes. Her mouth watered. While they were playing volleyball, she could enjoy the cruise ship’s excellent breakfast menu. She wiggled in her shorts. Yes, she still had room. The gym would be waiting when she got home.

“Nonsense,” Noah cut in. “Of course we’ll play.”

“But your allergy—”

“I’ll be fine, Alice.”

“Great!” Cindy said. “We need to head over there soon. I only have the courts booked for a couple of hours.” She glanced at Alice. “You guys should eat something. Maybe grab a banana to go.”

Alice glared at her sister and Cindy got up from the table, an innocent look plastered on her face. Cindy knew exactly how she felt about healthy breakfasts on vacation.

“Oh, and don’t forget to stop by your room and change,” her sister added.

“Change?” Alice tugged at her shorts. “Is this some sort of weird, dressy volleyball?”

Cindy laughed. “Don’t be silly. It’s pool volleyball.”

If looks could have killed, Cindy would have been rolling around the floor in agony. But they couldn’t, so Alice simply glared. Noah was quiet on the way back to the room and seemed resigned to his fate. Alice changed quickly in the bathroom, wishing she’d spent a few more hours a week at the gym.

The sexy bikini had seemed like such a good idea in the store—a way to show Brent exactly what he was missing. But now she’d kill for a one-piece. She wrapped a poolside-robe around herself in the bathroom. Maybe she could toss it at a chair as she flung herself into the pool.

The volleyball courts were outside in one of the pools, but the temperature was still quite nice, and the water made diving for the ball a real possibility, if one didn’t mind a face full of water. Cindy had booked two courts, and created brackets for all of the couples who played.

Alice watched the first sets of couples play and clutched at her robe self-consciously. One set was Robert’s cousin, Tom, and his wife versus two of Alice’s cousins. Unlike Cindy’s soon-to-be husband, Tom was slight, and it became obvious very quickly the match wouldn’t be going their way. On the other court, her mother and Jake played a couple Alice didn’t recognize.

Jake was actually pretty good, and what her mother lacked in volleyball skill, she made up for in enthusiasm.

Alice cheered her family on, but wasn’t feeling as into the game as she should have. Noah enveloped her thoughts. His touch, his spicy scent, the obvious desire on his face when she’d broken their kiss.

Not to mention how he looked in his swimming trunks.

The well-defined muscles that were only hinted at under his clothing flexed as he moved. And it took every bit of her self-control not to stare. It helped that his eyes were firmly averted from her. She sniffed. She wasn’t unpleasant to look at in a bathing suit; she was self-aware enough to know that, even if she didn’t feel totally comfortable in the two-piece. If he didn’t care for a peek, it was his loss. Besides, she was still wearing the short robe.

The crowd had pulled away from them, getting closer to the games to call out of play balls and cheer on the competitors. She and Noah were alone, or at least as alone as they were likely to be until they retired for the night.

“Hey,” she said, and he turned to face her. God, his eyes were so blue. So striking. And for a brief second before his expression closed to her, they were expressive. “You’re enjoying yourself,” she said, shocked.

“Why shouldn’t I?” he asked, and the last bit of enjoyment was squashed from his face by his normal, guarded expression.

“Sorry, that’s not what I was going to say.”

“What were you going to say?”

“You’re allowed to enjoy yourself. I didn’t mean that how it sounded. I was just surprised.”
Great. That sounds so much better. Why not just call him cantankerous and be done with it?

He snorted. “I can see that. Is this deep discussion of my happiness what you wanted to talk about?”

“I—I thought we should talk about last night.”

He crossed his arms and turned his attention back to the game. “That’s wholly unnecessary, Alice.”

She opened her mouth to argue, but he refused to look at her. Instead, he took a couple of steps forward, getting just close enough to the crowd of onlookers to make a private conversation impossible.

The urge to grab his arm and drag him back came over her, and she shoved it down. What a scene that would make. She couldn’t afford word getting back to Brent that they were having problems. He’d use the slightest inkling to try to worm his way back into her good graces. Not to mention the snake was likely hovering around nearby.

Her stomach dropped at the thought and she scanned the crowd. Sure enough, Brent and Kristen stood on the other side of the pool. Expensive sunglasses adorned Brent’s face, and Kristen stood stiffly in a bikini that had to be illegal in at least eleven states. It made Alice’s look positively matronly by comparison. Maybe she could do this after all.

Annoyance flashed through her and she frowned. Kristen had always favored slinky swimsuits.

“You sure got your gold goose,” she murmured. Sure, Kristen’s family wasn’t quite as well-off as Alice’s was, but her family would keep Brent in style.

Noah, although too far away to hear her quiet aside, turned his head to glance at her over his shoulder. He grinned and pulled his sunglasses off his head and over his eyes. She frowned at him. What was he so happy about?

She resisted making a silly face at him, and finally decided she couldn’t leave the robe on without looking odd. She tugged it off and set it on a nearby chair, then looked back up at Noah. His grin was gone, and he looked truly expressionless with his eyes covered by the dark glasses. But he looked at her for a smidgeon longer than was comfortable. Heat crept up her neck, but she ignored it.

Less than five minutes later, her mother and Jake proved victorious, and it was Alice and Noah’s turn. She waded into the water, which was cool enough to send a shiver up her spine. The smell of chlorine grew stronger, and she glanced at Noah, who walked beside her. He looked about as happy as she felt to be in the pool.

She slapped water at him playfully before she could think better of it.

His mouth dropped open for a split second before it snapped shut and he splashed her back. Water flew into her face, and a laugh bubbled out of her chest. She splashed him again and Noah burst into laughter, too. Her heart twinged. The man looked so different when he laughed. So much more open. They were soaked by the time they got to the net hanging over the middle of the pool, even though the water only came up to Noah’s waist.

Under the quickly heating sun, they won their first two matches. Noah was good, his reflexes fast, and he seemed to genuinely enjoy himself. Alice did her best, managing to save a few balls herself and even score a few points.

During their third match, which pitted them against Robert and Cindy, Alice dove for the game-saving point. She coughed out water from where she’d slid into the pool with her fist leading the way and her face not far behind. Wiping at her mouth, she laughed around the water.

Cheers sounded from the sides of the pool, and a loud whistle split the air. Her mother had mastered the art of whistling with her fingers in her mouth, something Alice had never been able to manage.

A shadow appeared over her as she tried to spit water from her mouth in as ladylike a manner as possible. “Did I get it?” she asked the shadow.

Noah pulled her up in the water. His strong grip made her already-weak knees weaker, and once he got her up, he held her by her elbows.

“You did. Nice save,” he said. But his voice was low and quiet, and when she looked up, the amusement was gone from his eyes. Intensity flared, and she flashed back to the night before. He’d looked at her like that just before kissing her. She licked her lips, unable to look away. And managed not to make a face when she tasted chlorine.

“Nice job, dear,” her mother said, voice coming from only a couple of feet away.

Then she could feel hands at her back, leading her out of the pool. Noah’s eyes were still fixed on her, but she looked down at her suit. Thank goodness it still covered everything.

“Thanks, Mom. Yikes. Did I leave any water in the pool?” She straightened her swimsuit and ignored the way Noah’s gaze followed her movement. A few seconds later, his attention shifted away.

“Congratulations,” Cindy said, handing her a towel. “You two have made it to the championship.”

Alice smiled at her sister. The dramatic way she said championship made it sound like they were in the Olympics.

“Good job, partner.” She held up her hand for a high-five from Noah and some of the tension left his face. His hand slapped against hers, sending a tingle down her arm.

“All right, who’re we taking down next?” she asked Cindy.

Cindy smiled, but the expression didn’t touch her eyes. “Brent and Kristen.”

Kristen had been, among other things, a champion high school volleyball player. And while she hadn’t pursued it as hard in college, she’d remained on the team for all four years. And Brent might have been a lot of bad things, but sucking at sports was not one of his faults.