Page 31 of The First Best Man

My inexperience, coupled with Penny’s warnings, have driven my decision-making thus far, but does any of that really matter?

IlikeTucker. A lot.

He’s proven to be kind, respectful, and protective in all his dealings with me this week, so why would he be any different in the bedroom? All other things aside, he’d be a damn near-perfect choice for a woman’s first time.

But I’m not blind. I know the emotional fallout of going there with him, then his leaving, would be rough. I may have never gone there before, but I do know myself well enough to know I’d never be a casual-sex kind of girl. Feelings would have to be involved.

Like the kind of feelings I’ve been developing all week for the man beside me.

So it comes down to this…if I were to sleep with him, would the pain I feel when he goes home be better orworse than the regret I’d feel if I didn’t shoot my shot?

“What are you thinking about over there?” he asks, startling me out of my internal debate.

Pressing a palm over my heart, I take a deep breath. “Nothing, really. Just zoned out for a minute.”

“Mm, hmm,” he hums, but doesn’t push.

I take another bite, the tension in my chest eases, and our conversation moves on to other things. That strong sense of comfort I’ve felt with him from the beginning solidifies, and before we know it, the plate is empty, and we’re both groaning over having eaten too much.

When we decide to leave, Tucker walks me to my golf cart, which is still parked in front of the bridal shop. The sky is darkening, and the air has cooled, and it’s a beautiful evening.

“Penny and Logan are probably headed off to their date by now,” I murmur as we walk.

“That was a good thing you did, making sure they won,” he replies just as quietly, like loud voices would somehow shatter the peaceful perfection surrounding us.

“It was nothing,” I say, stopping beside my cart. “Well, this is me. Do you want a ride to the B&B?”

He shakes his head, then smirks. “Nah. I think I should walk off some of those fries.”

“Or,” I say, my heart pounding against my ribs as I throw caution to the wind, “we could go back to my house for a drink.”

Shit. Shit. Shit. Why did I say that? What if he says no? Holy shit, what if he says yes?

I can’t breathe.

Tucker’s chest expands as he takes a deep breath. I see his hands clench into fists in my peripheral vision, and I’m going to die from a lack of oxygen if he doesn’t say something.Anything.

“I’d love to,” he says finally.

I breathe in harshly through my mouth, finally filling my starved lungs.

“But I really shouldn’t.”

The air whooshes back out of me as he adds that last bit. My skin crawls with mortification, and my feet take an involuntary step back.

“Kate, I––”

“No,” I cut in before he can finish, then plaster a fake, watery smile on my face. “It’s fine. I understand.”

“Kate.”

“I’ll see you tomorrow,” I say, the words coming out a little too quickly as I jump into the cart and shove the key into the ignition. “Goodnight, Tucker.”

His mouth moves, and I assume he’s telling me goodbye, but I can’t hear him over the pounding of my pulse roaring in my ears. Stomping on the accelerator, I drive away before he can make more excuses.

I’m such an idiot. Just because he’s been nice to me all week doesn’t mean he’s attracted to me. We’re just members of the same wedding party that were teamed up together. He got stuck with me, and he’s making the best of it.

He doesn’t want me.

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