Meryl Sawyer - Better Off Dead

Devon told herself she wanted Chad to leave her alone, but a twinge of disappointment rippled through her. She tamped down the feeling, upset with the sensations he aroused in her.

Shelby led her across a broad sweep of diachondra that gradually dropped down to the water where a group of chaise lounges had been placed along the shore. Like holiday bunting, garlands of seaweed decorated the beach, a gift of the retreating tide. At the far end of the grounds was a lagoon where a black swan was swimming, barely rippling the water.

Now they were far enough away from Chad for Devon to question Shelby. “Is this Chad’s place?”

Shelby nodded and her dark hair fluttered across her shoulders. “Totally awesome, isn’t it?”

“Totally. What does Chad do?” She perched her sunglasses on top of her head.

“He owns lots of scuba diving shops and dive boats on, like, all the islands.” Shelby stepped closer and her voice dropped to a conspiratorial whisper, “I’ve heard Eddie say Chad’s real money comes from underwater spying.”

“Spying? On whom?” Devon pretended to be consulting her notes in case Chad was watching.

“Like dead people. He goes underwater and looks for evidence. The family hired him in the Laci Peterson case.”

“Not spying. That’s underwater forensics.”

“Whatever.”

Fascinating, she thought. He would be an interesting man to get to know, but she didn’t dare.

From the chaise, Chad watched Devon, his eyes scanning each feature of her face. None was particularly remarkable but together, they were a stunning combination. She was pretty in an exotic cat-eyed way. Okay, he’d dated more beautiful women, but there was something about Devon, something elusive that called to him. He wanted her, plain and simple.

Be a hyena. Keke’s advice reverberated in his head. Be a friend first. See where that goes. Could be, if he came to know Devon, he wouldn’t like her.

Fat chance.

Her blond hair rippled across her shoulders as she studied a piece of paper. A full, pouty lower lip glistened with a hint of gloss. He’d noticed her mouth yesterday. Since then all he could think about was kissing her.

Devon consulted the printout in earnest, saying to Shelby, “Lori’s computer notes indicate about two hundred people are expected for the wedding. Where are we going to hold the service?”

“Here on the grass.”

Devon scanned the grass and silently cursed herself for taking this job. Her Internet searches had turned up valuable information, but estimating how many chairs would fit on this lawn wasn’t among them. It didn’t appear to be room for two hundred chairs plus an aisle and a place for the minister to perform the service.

“Are you sure? Were you with Lori when she spoke with the couple?”

“Well, no, but it’s an awesome spot. We’ve, like, had two other weddings on the lawn.”

Devon considered asking Chad, but being near him was too risky. She flipped open her cell phone and dialed Eddie. “I’m out at Chad Langston’s place. Do you know if the wedding is supposed to take place on the lawn? It doesn’t look big enough.”

“I have no idea. Isn’t it in Lori’s notes?”

“No.”

“All I remember her mentioning was the ten thousand red rose petals.”

“Rose petals?” She scanned the printout. Oh, my God! With two other weddings coming up, she hadn’t noticed. No flowers had been ordered at all.

“The petals will cover the lagoon. We grow roses in Hawaii, sure, but most are flown in.”

Eddie didn’t sound terribly concerned, an attitude typical of many Hawaiians Devon had met. It took a disaster to fluster them.

“Eddie, if any flowers were ordered, even the bridal bouquet, Lori didn’t make a note of it.”

“I’ll try to reach Lori in Kaui. If Chad’s around, ask him where the service is being held.”

“I will.” She said goodbye and snapped her cell phone shut. “Do you know if any flowers have been ordered for this wedding?” she asked Shelby. The last thing she wanted to do was talk to Chad.

Shelby shook her head.

Devon read the printout more closely. A caterer had been hired, thank heavens. Something weird had been written on the music line.

“Is there a band called Bite Me?”

“They are, like, the best band in the islands.”

Who would have thought? “I guess we’ll have to see if Chad knows where the service will be held. Then we need to get back to the office and jump on the flower order.”

Devon put on her sunglasses and marched across the grass toward Chad. His long, tanned legs were dusted with sun bleached hair. Obviously he spent a lot of time outdoors. It gave him the appearance of a surfer.

She’d always gone for smart men, not jocks. But Chad seemed to be an exception. Every time she was around him, the pull was stronger.

Chad kept tinkering with the gadget and didn’t look up although he heard Shelby chattering as they approached. Devon was wearing a pale yellow sundress that hugged the lines of her slim body and emphasized the swell of her breasts. He imagined her stepping out of it and into his arms.

Get a grip!

Devon noticed Chad’s still wet Hawaiian print swimming trunks. They hung low on his slim hips and molded his powerful thighs. From behind her sunglasses, Devon observed his torso and noted the hard planes of his chest and the defined contours of his arms. He was buff but not overly pumped the way some guys were. A skein of hair trailed down his chest and disappeared under the waistband of his trunks.

Her eyes dropped to his powerful thighs. At their apex, she couldn’t help observing the masculine bulge barely concealed by the fabric. Nice package, she thought before she could stop herself.

No telling what he might try in bed, she decided. He had the looks and the money and the personality to attract any woman he wanted. No doubt, he’d had plenty of experience.

Plus he had charm in spades—just like Tyler.

“Excuse me, Chad. We’re wondering if you know where the service is being held? On the lawn?”

Chad pushed his shades to the top of his head and looked up. His blue eyes flickered with amusement as if he got a kick out of life. Their gazes met and a sharp, unexpected jolt of excitement hit her.

“There isn’t enough room out here. They’re using the living room.”

“Great. Thanks.” She started to walk away, but stopped and asked, “What are you doing with the furniture?”

“Lori hired a moving company to pick up the stuff and store it. That’s why I’m hanging around. They’re supposed to be picking up the furniture this morning.”

She groaned. “Bite me.”

“Where?” Chad asked.

“She’s talking about the band,” Shelby said.

“No. I said it to avoid a four-letter word. I have this bad feeling that Lori didn’t order a lot of things, including furniture removal.”

Текст предоставлен ООО «ЛитРес».

Прочитайте эту книгу целиком, купив полную легальную версию на ЛитРес.

Безопасно оплатить книгу можно банковской картой Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, со счета мобильного телефона, с платежного терминала, в салоне МТС или Связной, через PayPal, WebMoney, Яндекс.Деньги, QIWI Кошелек, бонусными картами или другим удобным Вам способом.