Page 27 of Bedding The Best Man (Bedding the Bachelors)

“Will do. Take care, Brianne.”

After Brianne hung up the phone, she thunked her forehead on her desk. Then she sighed and straightened.

Until Saturday then, she thought.

For the rest of the day, she busied herself with work, determined to put the memories of her night with Gabe behind her.

Too bad her determination wasn’t worth squat.

Chapter Eleven

Four days after they’d vowed to forget about their night of passion and go back to being friends, Brianne stood gaping at the huge pile of equipment in the back of Gabe’s shiny, black truck, which had huge decals on the side, blaring out the name and website details of his company in vivid colors. “Do we really need all of this?”

“Sure, if I’m going to give you a realistic idea of what glamping is all about,” he said with a grin. How could he be so relaxed? All she had done was worry about how their trip would go. She’s lost sleep over it, yet here he was, looking as fresh and well-rested as ever.

Still, his attitude was contagious, and within minutes of examining the truck Brianne felt her shoulders relax. It appeared as if Gabe had truly put any awkwardness at having “fucked” her behind him. She had to do the same.

“It just seems like so much, especially for one night. Are you sure you want to go to all this trouble? It’s still me and the outdoors, which has never been a good combination. Maybe I should just forget the whole glamping idea,” she said, chewing on her lip.

“You can do this, Bri. You can create an incredible experience for your guests while enjoying nature and it won’t be a big deal. That’s the whole point of me taking you out. So you can see that.”

“Well, if you’re sure…”

“I am. So…” He walked to the passenger side door, opened it, and waved his hand in a flourish, indicating she should hop in. “Madame?”

With a smile, she got inside. “Thank you, Gabe. For believing I can do this.”

“Don’t you know by now, Brianne? I believe you can doanything.” With one final intense gaze, he softly shut the door, hopped in behind the wheel, and they were off.

The drive to the site set Brianne’s nerves on edge. She had no idea what to expect. While she trusted Gabe implicitly, her poor track record with nature gave her pause. What would she be expected to do? Put up a tent? Start a campfire? No, that was silly—none of her guests would be expected to do any such thing, so why would she be? On the other hand, Gabe was all about the outdoors and she hated the idea of confirming how ill suited they were for one another, or having him secretly pity or feel embarrassed for her.

Every so often, she stole a glimpse of Gabe when he wasn’t looking. He was so gorgeous, and so completely in control of himself and his world. A massive difference from the young man she’d met, who’d somehow always seemed unaware of just how amazing he was. He’d developed confidence, and now he really was the master of all he surveyed. She couldn’t be more proud of him.

His company was easily the most popular in the LA area when it came to everything outdoors, which was a highly lucrative field given how so much of the population was obsessed with health, fitness and getting away from the city’s smog. People wanted to cut loose and have an adventure. Brianne couldn’t quite understand that—her idea of an adventure wasn’t bungee jumping or going on a hike in treacherous conditions. Walking down the street in heels could be treacherous enough for her, most days. But Gabe loved challenging himself physically, and his clients loved him. And now he was using his expertise to help her.

The further he drove, the more rustic the scenery became, and the more comfortable Brianne felt. Even though she was hardly an outdoor girl, just the physical distance Gabe was putting between her and her problems back home—the contest, Eric going MIA, her business’s shaky footing—gave her the chance to breathe. The fresh air didn’t hurt, either.

About two hours later, Gabe pulled down a smaller road, which eventually led to a clearing.

“So, what do you think of the setting?” He gestured around them.

He had chosen a stunning spot, a large sloping field that led down to a gently meandering river. She could see nothing but green spaces and woodland, and hear nothing but the chirping of birds and the rustle of the wind through the long grass. “It’s perfect,” she sighed, as she gazed around her with pure pleasure.

He chuckled. “You see. I’ll make a nature lover out of you yet.”

“If anyone can, it’s you,” she said softly.

Her words appeared to give him pause, but he only smiled. “You think your guests will like it?”

“Like it? They’d be insane if they didn’t. Besides, it’s up to us to make them like it. Right?"

“True. We’ll give them all the amenities. Even you’ll find it comfortable.”

“As long as there aren’t any bugs here,” she added in a teasing tone.

He laughed. “Yeah, well, I’m pretty good—but I don’t know if I’m that good.”

They grinned at each other. She was so thankful that during the drive, conversation between them had defaulted to the easy banter they’d always had with one another.

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