Page 51 of My Best Friend's Mardi Gras Wedding

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Tori had never been happier to see someone in her life as she had been to see Josh standing in the middle of the ballroom at the Buckworth Plantation.

She hadn’t been lying when she said he was probably the only person who was glad she was there.Sure, Andrew still liked her, but she was pretty sure the strain she was causing with Paisley was making it harder to be glad Tori was here.

This dress.Ugh.It was the last thing she’d ever typically wear.For some reason, though, she’d seen it in the store and thought it seemed perfect for a New Orleans cocktail party.It was bright and fun and different.Just like New Orleans.

Yeah, she’d really miscalculated that one.Elegant parties at plantations were not like the parties in the Quarter.That was for sure.

Tori let Josh lead her to the big French doors on one end of the ballroom and out onto the huge stone patio at the back of the mansion.She hoped every person in that room was watching them go.Damn right, Josh was real.And damn right, that kiss had been real.

It had been a long afternoon.Leo had dropped her back at the plantation after the bridal party luncheon was already over.Everyone had been resting and relaxing in their rooms, so Tori had done the same, more than happy to avoid any interactions with the other bridesmaids or Paisley.

But that meant she’d missed the invitation to have facials with the rest of the bridesmaids.Not that she cared about that, but it was one more way she was ending up left out of things.She was a bridesmaid because of Andrew.But she wasn’t welcome among the bridesmaids and wasn’t included with the groomsmen.It was…awkward.

Then she’d had to get dressed in what had to be the scratchiest dress she’d ever worn and twist her hair up into an updo that was similar to how she put her hair up underneath the ball caps she wore at work sometimes.This, however, required an exorbitant number of bobby pins that were making her head ache.

But now Josh was here.And he was giving her a great reason to leave the ballroom without looking like a weird introvert sneaking up to her room to be alone.

Come to think of it, sneaking up to her roomwith Joshto very much not be alone sounded like a great idea.

“You know, we could take these glasses up to my room,” she said, tugging on Josh’s hand.

He shot her a sexy grin.“Well, I want to talk for a little while.”

“We could talk up there.”

He stopped in the middle of the patio.It was quieter out here.The strains of the music and laughter and conversation were only muted background noise now.It was also dark beyond the light cast from the ballroom, but the patio itself, including the stone benches and the near side of the fountain and the many topiary trees, were all bathed in a golden light intermingled with the occasional shadow.

As Josh moved in close and gave her a hot look that made her toes curl, they stood inside the circle of light like a spotlight.Anyone inside would be able to look out and see them.

“No, I don’t think we could go up to your room to talk,” he said, his voice low.

“No?”

“Talking won’t be the first thing on my mind.And that’s probably a good thing totalkabout.”He moved in closer.“I wouldloveto spend the night here with you.But I want to be sure you’re good with it.I’m sure I can find another room if not.”

Oh, he wasn’t staying in any other room.

“You can’t ask for another room,” Tori said quickly.“Everyone has to think we’retogether.Really together.”

He nodded.“Okay.I can sleep on the floor.”

“I can’t make you sleep on the floor,” she said.“You’re here to help me out.I can’t expect you to camp out on the hard floor.”

He looked like he was fighting a smile.“Okay, thenyoucan sleep on the floor.”

She lifted both eyebrows.“I’m not sleeping on the floor.”

“You have a bad back?”He did smile now.

“I have a great back.”

“You have a really great front too.”He laughed at his own joke.

Tori snorted softly.Then leaned in closer and grinned up at him.“There’s no way I would sleep on the floor when there’s a hot, sexy, funny,dangerousbayou boy in my bed.”

He was still smiling as he bent, a hot, mischievous look in his eyes.“Ah, a risk-taker.I like that.”

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