Magical Weddings (131 page)

Her heart started hammering again. What on earth was wrong with her today? Normally, she was the calm and collected one. Being able to stay calm under stress was one of the reasons she had her current job. That was the only way to survive in a big kitchen.

She swallowed a giggle. It was a damn good thing she wasn’t cooking today—everything would have been a mess.

Flabbergasted, Brett stole another glance at the bridesmaid with the bride’s bouquet. It was really her, the woman he had nearly run over with his car earlier!

They were all bare foot and he had been rolling up his pants when the bridesmaids came down the aisle so he hadn’t been paying any attention to them. He was here as a favour to Stuart, and as soon as was decently possible he was flying back to Johannesburg. He had a ton of work to finish before Monday and, besides, he’d stopped checking out bridesmaids a long time ago.

His mother called him a confirmed bachelor and fortunately, since the birth of her first grandson, was no longer bugging him about a wife. He’d be forever grateful to his sister for keeping their mother happily occupied with grandchildren.

He didn’t have a problem with women. On the contrary. He enjoyed spending time with beautiful, intelligent, interesting ones, enjoyed having sex with them. But that was it. The minute they’d start cooing over babies and talking about long-term relationships, he stopped calling.

And it wasn’t as if he didn’t want to get married and have kids; he had just never met anyone he’d wanted to spend the rest of his life with, anyone he wouldn’t mind waking up next to every single morning. So far none of the women he’d met had managed to evoke anything but a mild interest from him.

He glanced in the bridesmaid’s direction again. Until today. He was definitely more than mildly interested. The very strange thing was that his body had known she was around even before he’d seen her—to his embarrassment and surprise, blood had pooled way below his middle. That was when he’d caught the movement from the corner of his eye. He’d turned his head and there she was, taking the bride’s bouquet.

Her face lit up suddenly and she laughed. The bridal couple were kissing. Kissing. Earlier, when he realised he was on the verge of kissing a complete stranger, he had stepped away quickly. Now he couldn’t remember why. He couldn’t think of anything else he’d rather be doing than kissing the woman standing down the line from him.

People were getting up behind them, the ceremony had finished, but Brett kept his eyes on the bridesmaid.

And then it happened. She turned her head and caught him staring at her. He winked at her. Her eyes widened, her mouth opened and she smiled shyly. Suddenly he had a hard time breathing.

Stuart and Susan started moving down the aisle and the bridesmaids formed a line to one side. The grooms moved forward to line up with them.

She was last in the line and before he could question his actions, he’d traded places with the groomsman behind him.

The guy grumbled but moved forward and the third bridesmaid took his arm. Brett held out his arm and without looking at him, the woman who had him just about salivating for the past two hours placed her hand on him. He folded his other hand over hers and together they moved forward.

****

Carley was walking on air. She had to be. This couldn’t possibly be real. The strange man from earlier today was holding her hand tightly in his. As if it was something he did regularly.

They reached the end of the aisle and people were beginning to mill around, congratulating the just-married couple. Carley blinked. She wasn’t dreaming, her hand really was being held by a stranger. She tried to pull it out of his arm but he held on tightly.

“Don’t,” he said.

“But we’re done here …” she began.

“I don’t think so.” He unhooked his arm and took her hand in his.

“You nearly ran me over in the street,” she said the first thing that popped into her head. She again tried to pull away.

Still he wouldn’t let go of her hand.

“You were right, I was speeding. I was late, you see. For this. But you really should use pedestrian crossings. It’s much safer. I could have run you over. As it was,” he said with a devastating smile, “you very nearly did get into trouble—a strange man nearly kissed you.”

She inhaled sharply. “You didn’t kiss me,” she whispered.

“But I wanted to.”

A blush crept up her neck and fearing she might burst into flames, Carley frantically looked around. Surely someone needed her attention? The bride? Her mother? Aunt Rae? But no, everyone she was hoping might be looking for her seemed to be happily talking to someone else.

“I’m Brett, by the way,” he said and shook her hand.

“I-I’m Carley,” she stuttered.

“May I have all the dances tonight, Carley?” he asked solemnly.

“I…there are three other bridesmaids,” she said, again trying to extract her hand.

He held on tightly. “I know. But I don’t want to dance with them,” he said as if his words were a logical conclusion to a question.

Dazed, Carley stared at him. Around them the voices were fading. Everyone was probably on their way to the restaurant where the reception was to be held.

“I’m flying back to Johannesburg later tonight, if that would help you decide.” He gave her a lopsided grin.

He had a killer smile. Her knees wobbled and she held on tight. Deep inside her something warm opened up. In a few hours he’d be gone and she’d go back to her kitchen. This had to be what Cinderella felt like when dancing with the prince!

But like Cinderella, she knew this wasn’t real, knew that the magic would disappear when he left for the airport.

This was a once in a lifetime thing, she got that. So, just for tonight, she was going to forget she was the rational, calm and collected one, the one who kept the safe job, did the predictable thing and the one who never had a date at a wedding. This was, after all, a night for magical make-believe.

Coming to a decision, she glanced up at him. “Okay, on one condition.”

He lifted an eyebrow.

“You have to meet my Aunt Rae and …” She couldn’t get the words out. The man would think her crazy if she were to tell him about Aunt Rae’s prediction. “Never mind.” She looked around them. “Come on, let’s go, everyone else has left already!”

“Well then.” He pulled her closer. “Now I can do what I’ve been wanting to do ever since you were standing in the middle of the street with a chocolate cake in your hands and a pair of the sexiest shoes I’ve ever seen on your feet.” Taking his time, he lifted her chin and bent his head until their lips were centimetres apart.

Carley stopped breathing. His lips touched hers briefly before he lifted his head again, a question in his eyes. Mesmerised, she stared at his mouth.

“Have I told you I love …”

Carley’s heart skidded to a stop.

His eyes crinkled and he kissed her again. “… chocolate,” he said before he pulled her closer and devoured her lips.

A turbulent current picked her up, shook her to the very core and took her along on a crazy ride. Her body went into sensory overdrive—she felt the cool sand beneath her feet, heard the faraway sound of people and traffic, smelled the sea, the man, felt the silkiness of his hair under her fingers and tasted desire on his lips.

Nothing else mattered, only that he should never ever stop doing what he was doing so extremely well.

****

Astonished, Brett lifted his head a fraction. He wasn’t quite sure what had gotten into him, but around this woman he had a hard time keeping his hands to himself—pun intended.

In the span of a few hours, she’d managed to surprise him, anger him, surprise him and turn him into a hormone-raging teenager who had only one thing on his mind—getting her naked!

She exhaled audibly and licked her lips. Groaning he pulled her even closer so that she could feel exactly what she was doing to him. He swallowed her gasp, his tongue finding hers and he forgot where he was, what he was supposed to be doing. All that mattered was kissing the gorgeous woman in his arms.

A voice was trying to intrude in this tiny world they’d created but he didn’t want to listen, didn’t want this to end. Not yet, anyway.

She pushed against him and, gasping, stepped back.

“They’re calling us,” she whispered.

“Brett!” He also heard the voice.

He looked down at her. Her mouth was swollen from his kisses, her eyes darkened by desire.

“Damn, woman!” he growled, then barked out a laugh. “You do know how to kiss a man into oblivion,” he said, trying to lighten the intense moment. He grabbed her hand. His heart was beating so loudly, he was sure she could hear it. “Let’s go and party!” He began to jog, pulling her along.

He heard his name again and, looking up, saw the other three groomsmen waiting on the sidewalk. “Come on, they’ve finished with the photos—we have to go in,” one of them called.

“On my way!” he called.

“You go on,” Carley said. “I-I want to get my shoes,” she said.

“Can’t wait to see those on you again—they nearly brought me to my knees.”

“You called them ridiculous,” she said, clearly peeved by his words.

“I had to say something otherwise I would have kissed you there and then!” he teased.

Her eyes widened, a blush creeping up her neck, but before he could say anything else, she’d slipped past the other groomsmen and disappeared into the crowd still waiting around on the sidewalk.

“Wow, man—way to go!” one of the groomsmen sniggered. “You don’t waste time, hey? I wanted to ask you—are you flying back tonight? Could I get a ride to the airport?” he asked.

Brett nodded. He’d give the guy a lift, but what an idiot. What had just happened between him and the bridesmaid was not something he could joke about. There was nothing funny about the way he was feeling.

Carley stared at herself in the mirror while trying to get her racing heart under control. How fast was a heart supposed to beat? Surely this frantic galloping wasn’t normal?

A hysterical giggle bubbled up and she put a hand over her mouth. Just look at her! Her eyes were sparkling, her cheeks were a bright red and she’d completely forgotten what normal breathing was.

And all of this because of a kiss. From a stranger. Someone she would probably never see again after tonight. Still staring at herself, she smiled.

She was beginning to like the notion. There was something liberating about the thought of spending a few hours with a stranger she’d never see again.

Think of the things she could tell him, could ask him, could discuss with him—and didn’t have to worry whether he liked her, when he’d call again, whether he’d call again. None of that mattered.

Sighing, she looked down at her bare feet. She couldn’t find one of her shoes and would be bare feet for the rest of the night. She’d looked everywhere. Under the seats, she’d even crouched down to look under the car. It probably fell out when she’d closed the car door. She remembered that she’d turned her head when her mother had called her. That was most likely when it fell out.

She was Cinderella all right. Only, she’d already lost her glass slipper and she hadn’t yet danced with the prince! Giggling, she winked at herself in the mirror. Tomorrow, she’d be back in her kitchen, the fairy tale forgotten.

But for tonight there were all sorts of possibilities still in store for her. The reception would be starting soon and she wanted to make sure she didn’t miss one dance.

On her way to her table she saw her mother and Aunt Rae talking. Her mother waved and called her over. Casting a quick look around, Carley saw that the bridal couple had not yet arrived and she hurried towards her mother and aunt. There was time to say a quick hello.

“Aunt Rae!” She bent down to kiss her aunt. “You look stunning as usual,” she said sincerely. No beige or grey for her aunt Rae, who always wore brilliant colours. The bright red dress she was wearing tonight suited her exuberant nature.

Her mother sighed. “I can’t believe you don’t know one single man to bring to your cousin’s wedding.”

“She’s been waiting for the right one,” Aunt Rae said.

Startled, Carley stared down at her. Surely, Aunt Rae couldn’t know that Carley had met someone who had turned her inside out this afternoon, could she?

“So, which one is Aunt Rae?” a voice asked behind her and Brett placed an arm around her shoulders.

Aunt Rae beamed, her mother smiled uncertainly.

“And you are?” Aunt Rae asked, her eyes on Brett’s arm around Carley’s shoulders.

Brett stepped forward and took Aunt Rae’s hand. “Brett St Claire.” He bent down to Carley’s astonishment, kissed her aunt’s hand before turning to Carley’s mum and doing the same thing.

Aunt Rae beckoned him closer. He moved closer and her aunt placed her hands around his face. Praying that it was too dark for her aunt to see the colour of his eyes, Carley pulled at Brett’s arm.

“We have to find our seats, the party is about to start,” she said.

But Brett bent down further and Aunt Rae whispered something in his ear. Her aunt looked in her direction and gave Brett a brilliant smile.

She mouthed something to Carley, which she couldn’t quite make out. When Brett stepped back, Aunt Rae winked at her. “I like him,” she said.

“What did my aunt tell you?” Carley demanded the minute they were alone.

He gazed lazily down at her and took her hand in his again. “That I can only reveal during the last dance,” he said.

The next minute the band started playing and everyone took their seats.

“We’re sitting over here,” Brett said and steered her towards a table where her cousins, their dates, the other grooms and presumably their dates were already sitting.

All three of her cousins’ eyes zoomed in on her hand still clasped in Brett’s but Carley ignored them. She wouldn’t be able to explain how it happened, anyway. Tonight she was part of a fairy tale. She was Cinderella; she even had her own Prince Charming for the next few hours.