Page 49 of My Best Friend's Mardi Gras Wedding

Then she shocked him by taking his hand, tugging him close and going up on tiptoe to kiss him.And it wasn’t a short, sweet press of her lips to his.She took the lapel of his jacket in her fist andkissedhim.In the middle of the ballroom, in front of all of Paisley’s guests, in front of Andrew.

The heels she wore put her two inches closer to his mouth and Josh appreciated the hell out of that.

After a moment, he lifted his head, not even close to being done, but not willing to makeallof his displays of affection quite this public.“You look amazing,” he told her gruffly.Sincerely.

“Thank you.I’m so glad you’re here.”She was still gripping the front of his jacket, as if she had no intention of letting go.Maybe ever.

Fine with me.

See, it was those kinds of thoughts that should worry him.Not only because he and Tori had really just met, but even more now since Paisley had pointed out that Tori probably wasn’t the type to pack up her life and move it to Louisiana.Tori was comfortable in Iowa.Even if she shouldn’t be like an old pair of slippers to Andrew, maybe Iowa, or her farm, or whatever, washerold pair of slippers.Maybe she was the old-slippers-at-night kind of girl rather than a…new-dancing-shoes-every-weekend kind of girl.

Josh didn’t know her well enough to know.Not that Tori and Paisley were especially close either, but he had to assume that hearing about Tori from Andrew, or even just knowing Andrew’s background, would lead Paisley to some accurate assumptions.

“I’m glad you’re happy to see me,” he told her.Very honestly.

She widened her eyes.“Are you kidding?Of course I am.This way I haveoneperson here who likes me.”

He laughed.“I’m the only one?”But he noticed her serious expression and dropped his smile.“Really?What are you talking about?”

She grimaced.“Apparently kissing the groom is a good way to get labeled a pariah.”

“Come on.”

“Seriously.And then the red dress…” She sighed.“I’m kind of messing everything up.”

“What about the red dress?”He leaned back to take another good look at it.Yeah, he still thought it was sexy as hell.

“You didn’t notice?”she asked.

“Notice that you look fucking amazing?Yeah, I definitely did.”

Her face relaxed into a smile.“I’m glad you think so.But I’m kind of…bright.”

“So?”

She glanced around.“You didn’t notice that everyone else is in dark colors?Except for Paisley, of course.She’s the one who’s supposed to stand out.”

Josh looked over to where the bride was talking earnestly to her fiancé.“Well, it’s hard to miss Paisley,” he said, looking back to Tori.“But you look amazing.They didn’t tell you about the dress code?”

Tori lifted a shoulder.“I was just supposed to know, I guess.I never buy cocktail dresses.So, I really just grabbed something I liked and didn’t think anything more about it.”

“Fuck ’em.”

She looked up at him.“You really didn’t think anything about me wearing bright red amidst all of this, did you?”she asked.

“Not really.”

She smiled.“Because you’re used to being around people who are…vibrant and don’t mind extra attention.”

He laughed at that.“You might have something there.”He hadn’t really thought about it, but he didn’t really blink at someone doing something that stood out from the crowd.Everyone he spent any significant time with did that in one way or another.

“And people who think nothing of making a scene?”

“That too,” he agreed.“But you weren’t doing that.You just put on a dress.”

“Well, Paisley and everyone here doesn’t know that.”Tori actually seemed embarrassed.

Embarrassed was the last thing this woman should feel about how she looked tonight.

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