Stephanie Julian - No Reservations

Did she not want him to stay? Was this her way of getting rid of him without having to tell him to go?

And there he was. Back in high school.

“Would you like me to stay, Kate?”

Now she looked him in the eyes and he saw fatigue.

“Why don’t you let me take you home so you can get some rest?”

She raised an eyebrow at him. “No way am I leaving while she’s still in that dress.”

His mouth quirked at the force behind her statement. “Okay.” But where did that leave him?

Her teeth worried her top lip for a second. “Would you mind staying with me?”

He answered without having to think. “Not at all.”

Was he mistaken or did she look relieved? “Okay. That’s great. Thank you.” Then she looked down at her clothes. “I realize neither of us is really dressed for this but I figure if we stay in the background, no one will pay much attention to us.”

The only person he’d have his eyes on would be Kate and he honestly didn’t much care what other people thought of him. There was the possibility that he’d know a few people at the wedding besides the bride’s family. The Shanahans moved in the same circles as his parents, and he’d met Maggie several times. She and Mia had gone to the same college and shared a circle of friends.

Who hadn’t liked him much.

But Kate wanted him with her so he was staying.

Maggie would probably be too busy to even notice he was there.

And Kate’s smile was all the reason he needed to justify his presence.

By the time Kate slipped into the very last church pew in the back right corner next to Tyler, she felt like she’d run a marathon.

Tyler watched as she took a deep breath and tried to relax, but he knew that wasn’t going to happen.

As long as Maggie wore that dress, Kate had to be prepared to jump at a moment’s notice. She wasn’t too worried about the wedding but the reception . . . Photos, eating. Dancing.

She shuddered. God, what if the stitches didn’t hold? She’d never sewn so fast in her life but she had to admit, even close up, it was difficult to tell where she’d made the repair.

But she knew it was there. And she couldn’t stop obsessing.

“So what happened to the dress?”

Tyler leaned down and spoke directly into her ear because the organist had amped up her efforts in preparation for the bridesmaids’ entrance, causing her to shiver.

His voice sank deep into her body, heating her from the inside out. Even with all the stress, she realized she wanted him. If he asked her to leave right now and follow him back to a bed, any bed, she’d have a hard time saying no.

And that was wrong. Of course it was wrong. He shouldn’t have that kind of control over her.

Not now.

Not ever.

She suppressed a shiver and fought the desire to glance up at him because she knew if she looked into those beautiful eyes, she’d ask him to leave.

“She had an unfortunate encounter with her dog. Who lets a dog anywhere near her wedding dress? Especially on her wedding day. It ranks right up there with getting too close to the unity candle and having your veil go up in flames.”

The organist was really getting into it now, the volume increasing as the tempo picked up as well. Since she couldn’t see the musician from where she was sitting, her brain supplied images of a woman in a pale pink suit with a pillbox hat rocking out as she banged out “Trumpet Voluntary.”

Kate had the totally inappropriate urge to laugh and had to literally bite her tongue so the sound wouldn’t escape.

“Kate, are you sure you’re okay?”

Since she was afraid if she opened her mouth, her laughter would escape, she nodded but couldn’t look at Tyler. She knew he continued to watch her and then she couldn’t stop thinking about what they’d done last night.

The organ music overlaid those erotic images and the laughter tried to surge.

Oh my God, she was about to lose it.

She caught a flash of white and knew she couldn’t watch. If anything happened to the dress, she figured the gasp from the audience would alert her.

Still, she couldn’t overcome the urge to laugh. Her chest rose and fell at an ever-increasing rate.

Crap. She was totally going to lose it.

Tyler wrapped his hand around hers and laced their fingers together. The warmth of his skin threw her back into the memories of last night. How he’d used those hands on her body. How she’d lost her inhibitions. How he’d made her feel.

“Kate, look here.”

She took a few shallow breaths before she obeyed.

And when she did, she fell into that dark gaze. He anchored her. Calmed her.

“Breathe in and hold it a few seconds. Everything’s okay.”

It certainly seemed that way now, didn’t it?

And that’s what she was afraid of. That she’d let him take her over.

But, God, he was so beautiful. In a totally masculine way.

Those blue eyes. That perfect mouth. That strong nose. She wanted to lift her hand and run it along his jaw, dark with scruff.

He hadn’t had time to shave this morning and, as much as she liked seeing him decked out in a tux or a suit or tailored slacks and a shirt, there was something about a guy in well-worn jeans and a tight T-shirt that made her heart speed up.

Or maybe it was just this guy. Arnie had lived in jeans and T-shirts, and she’d never looked at him the way she looked at Tyler.

He leaned in and spoke into her ear. “Good. You’re okay.”

She shivered. “Yes. I’m fine.” Now. “Thank you.”

The music stopped and Tyler pulled away, gave her a nod, then turned his attention to the front of the church. Hers lingered for a few seconds more before she forced it front.

Another deep breath and she finally managed to relax. At least enough that she didn’t feel like she was going to puke.

Since they weren’t exactly dressed for a wedding that had to have cost upwards of fifty thousand dollars, Kate and Tyler slipped away from the crowd as they lined up to greet the bride and groom.

As they headed back to the room where she’d fixed Maggie’s dress, Tyler watched her for another breakdown.

He knew the signs. He’d had enough practice growing up with his mother. Not that he thought Kate was bipolar, like his mom. Then again, he didn’t know her well enough to know if she was prone to breakdowns at the slightest provocation. Like Mia.

And how the hell many times was he going to compare this woman to his dead fiancée before he got it through his head that Kate was not Mia.

She wouldn’t have the same faults. Wouldn’t have the same likes and dislikes.

As soon as the door closed behind them, Kate let out a huge sigh of relief and slumped into a padded chair, eyes closing as her head leaned back.

“I need a drink.”

Tyler smiled at the dramatic tone but saw stress lingering in the lines of her beautiful face.

“Isn’t it a little early to start drinking?”

She cracked open one eye and glared at him for a second, which just made his smile widen. “Considering I feel like I’ve been running a marathon for the past ten hours, no, I don’t think it’s too early to start drinking.”

“Would you like me to run you home so you can change before we head to the reception?”

“No time. They’re taking pictures in a few minutes then heading straight for the reception. I’m not leaving that dress. We’ll sit in a dark corner and hope no one notices us.”

Of course people would notice them. And he figured Kate would hate being at a fancy affair like this wedding not looking her best. “I’ll call Jed. He and Annabelle can get a dress for you and pick up a pair of pants and a shirt for me.”