Page 16 of My Best Friend's Mardi Gras Wedding

The guy mixed the drink, not looking even half as hot as Josh had doing it, and handed it over.She paid, took a sip, feeling memories of that night crashing over her—the smell of the hurricane Josh had given her first, the flip in her stomach when he’d grinned at her, the sensation that she’d just swallowed a mouthful of hot cocoa when he’d first said her name, the feel of his lips on hers, the warm and tight feeling in her chest when he’d asked her to come back.

She really wanted to see him.Okay, so he wasn’t here tonight.Maybe she could still find him.She was here for nearly two whole weeks.How far was Autre?And how horrible would it be to show up and have him not remember her?

She took a sip of the drink and was again accosted by memories from a year ago.The sound of Josh’s laugh, the way he’d drawledI’m way more fun, and dangerous, than a N’Awlins boy,the way he’d looked at her like he couldn’t believe he’d met her…and wasn’t going back to her hotel with her.

That could have definitely felt like a rejection, but it hadn’t.At all.It had felt like he was doing it because he feltmorethan just attraction and lust.

Of course, she spent most of her time with cows, so what did she really know?

She turned away from the bar, trying to decide if she should try to wait for Andrew outside, or if her chances of finding him were just as good, i.e.horrible, out there as they were in here.

Tori surveyed the room as she took another drink.And suddenly froze.

He was here.

Josh.Josh Landry was here.

Her throat attempted to swallow her gin fizz at the same time she tried to take a deep breath and she sucked gin, half-and-half, and lemon juice partway down her windpipe.She started hacking and coughing.No one seemed to notice.Except him.

The guy with the wide shoulders and dark hair, wearing ass-hugging jeans and a black mask with gold trim turned to her.He started for her.

She was still coughing as her heart started racing.That was him.The mask covered his whole face except for his mouth and the sexy short beard, but everything about him was familiar.She’d definitely seen that mouth before.And he’d obviously recognized her.

“Tori?Is that you?”

Over the din of conversation around them, it was hard to hear him, but she knew he’d called her by name.He’d definitely recognized her.Oh my God, he’s here.

She was wearing a mask too, she suddenly remembered, so she nodded quickly.“It’s me,” she croaked.

“Are you okay?”

She wasn’t.She was feeling jittery and so damned happy to see him and more than a little relieved.She felt like she wanted to cry, actually.She also felt like laughing hysterically.Adrenaline.She knew that.On top of the stress of Andrew’s wedding plans and Paisley and being on Bourbon Street during Mardi Gras for the past two hours when she was used to wide open spaces, dark and quiet, with no humans for miles.Everything about this night had her off-kilter.

She had no idea what to say.So instead of saying anything, she grabbed the front of his shirt, pulled him in, and kissed him.

It took her about three seconds to realize that this wasnotJosh Landry.

Tori started to pull back, but the guy wrapped his arm around her waist, his big hand splayed over her lower back, and brought her up against him.He opened his mouth and deepened the kiss, moving his lips over hers.She gripped his shoulders to keep from tipping over, though with the hold he had on her, that was a low risk.

It was…weird.

The kiss wasn’t bad.It was actually an okay kiss.And therewassomething familiar about it.

But this was not Josh.

Yet, this guy had called her Tori.And he seemed fully comfortable being in her personal space.And he hadn’t seemed overly shocked by her kissing him.In fact, he wasvery muchgoing along with it.

She felt him groan slightly as he slid his tongue against hers and registered the fact that he was enjoying this.The feeling of familiarity continued as she breathed in, taking his scent in.

And that was when it hit her.

Andrew.

3

Tori shoved Andrew back.

He didn’t go far, since he still had a pretty firm hold on her, but she was definitely staring up into the eyes of her best friend.No wonder he’d seemed familiar walking toward her.She should have known him right away.That just went to show how obsessed her mind had been with Josh.She’dwantedto see him and so the first male who seemed familiar automatically became him?Wow, that was crazy.

---