Page 4 of Bedding The Best Man (Bedding the Bachelors)

She walked further into the water, until the water was up to her knees, and dared him to come in with her.

He laughed, shaking his head.

“Oh, come on, chicken!” Hands on hips, she pretended to pout just as a big wave rolled in and knocked her off balance.

Gabe rushed forward, catching her before she hit the water. She screamed, landing in his arms with a laugh. But Gabe didn’t laugh. He was too busy feeling like he’d been hit with a thousand volts of electricity. She was so warm in his hands, so soft and yielding. She hummed with energy, her tanned skin tingling.

For one crazy moment, he thought about kissing her. As if she’d read his mind, she tilted her head back to look into his eyes. She was so close. All he had to do was lean down…

“That’s what I get for being a smartass,” she murmured, disentangling herself from his grasp.

He stepped away, disappointed but not surprised. Of course she wouldn’t want him to kiss her. She might have just had her heart broken, but there had to be a hundred guys waiting in line for a chance with her. Guys with money, connections, a bright future.

Once again, they walked for a while, up and down the beach. They talked about soccer, recent games they’d played. Gabe told her about boxing, and how he’d gotten into it. He didn’t tell the whole story, of course—only that a man named Sam had mentored him. She asked all the right questions, and seemed genuinely interested. Most girls he knew were airheads, cute but dull. She was far more than cute, and smart as a whip.

“Aren’t you worried about hurting your face?”

He looked at her, surprised. “What do you mean?”

Was it just his imagination or was she blushing?

“Well, it’s just you’re so… I mean…I’m sorry. I don’t want to make you feel weird.”

“No, it’s okay.”

She shrugged, blushing more deeply. “You’re a nice looking person. Aren’t you worried boxing will mess up your face?”

She’d complimented him without a trace of guile or motive, and he suddenly wanted to puff his chest out at the knowledge she found him attractive. “Eh, it adds to the street cred. Gives a man something to brag about.”

She laughed and rolled her eyes. “I guess we should get back,” she said. “Mom’s gonna want to feed you guys eventually.”

Did she sound regretful? Or did he just want to believe she was into him?

He supposed their time together was over, but it had been sweet while is lasted. He tried to soak in as much as he could as they walked back to the house.

“Where’d you two go?” Jamie said when they reached the pool after climbing the stairs.

Bri smiled at Gabe, then at her brother. Just as she opened her mouth to answer, Jamie’s mom stepped out onto the patio with a man who was obviously Jamie and Brianne’s father. He’d given Brianne her wavy dark hair and eyes.

Jamie’s mom called out. “Brianne, did you say hello to Eric? You’ve met his parents before, you remember, at the Charity Ball this past spring? The Davenports.”

“Yes, and of course I remember Eric’s parents,” Brianne said.

“Eric, are you planning on attending the charity polo match next month?” Jamie’s mom continued.

Eric smiled hugely. “I’m planning on being in it.”

“Are you? How exciting!” Brianne’s hands came together in a small spatter of applause. Her eyes came back to Gabe. “How about you, Gabe? Are you going or playing?”

Gabe didn’t ride horses. Plus, he was pretty sure anything that mixed charity work and rich people would be something he couldn’t afford to go to. He managed a tight smile. “No, sorry.”

“Oh.” She looked down at her hands.

It stung Gabe more than he could believe, that one gesture. A door might as well have slammed shut between the two of them.

“Brianne was just saying how she didn’t have a date for the event yet,” Mrs. Whitcomb said. “Eric, you should escort her. That is, if you don’t mind.”

There was no missing the way Brianne’s eyes bored holes into her mother. Gabe guessed she wasn’t the kind of girl who liked being set up—especially when the set-up was so obvious, and when it put her on the spot. He wondered how long it had been since her breakup, then wondered if it was wrong to hope she wasn’t ready for a relationship yet. At least, not with Eric. He felt a pang of disloyalty at the thought.

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