Page 67 of My Best Friend's Mardi Gras Wedding

He shrugged.“They found him as a puppy, apparently abandoned, and took him home.There was a duck with babies that wandered around the property and the puppy started following along like one of the ducklings.He slept with them and the ducklings cuddled right up to him to keep warm.Now he’s just one of the family.”

Tori’s big brown eyes were round and full of happiness, and Josh almost laughed at how much that pleased him.

“Really?”

Josh nodded.“I’ll introduce you.The dog’s name is Duck.”

She laughed.

Andrew cleared his throat.“I’m just saying that Fiona and Travis and Bert would miss you.”

Yeah, fuck Andrew for knowing the names of Tori’s animals too.Okay, sure, Andrewknewher.He’d been involved in her life.Great.Josh got it.But that didn’t mean anything.

Mostly because Andrew was gettingmarriedin two days to another woman.

Josh gave him a “fuck you” look and said, “Fiona, Travis, and Bert?”

“The fainting goat, the pig, and the alpaca,” Andrew said smugly.

And Josh supposed Andrew had helped with naming one or all of them.Great.They were long-time friends.So what?Josh was the one taking her upstairs.Right now.

“Can’t wait to hear all about them,” Josh told Tori.And that was also true.He loved listening to her talk about animals.She lit up when she did, taking her beyond beautiful to downright gorgeous.It really got to him.That and her sweet, husky laugh, and the way she was so self-deprecating and yet passionate about the animals, and the fact that she had the biggest heart of any woman he’d been with.Plus a pair of pretty big balls.She’d take anyone on if an animal’s well-being was at stake.

What would it be like to have all of that passion and love directed athim?

The thought seemed to come out of nowhere, but once it settled, he realized that…he could handle that.

He’d had girlfriends.He’d had women who he liked a lot and who liked him a lot.But he wasn’t sure he’d ever had someonepassionateabout him.Maybe it wasn’t just about finding someone to make an ass of himself over…maybe he wanted someone who would do the same for him.

He shook that thought off as he took Tori’s hand.One thing at a fucking time.He needed to get her away from Andrew right now and get her mind off of Iowa and how crazy and out of the ordinary all of this was for her.

“We’ll talk all about Fiona once I’ve given you another taste of goin’ south.”Yep that was absolutely supposed to sound dirty and judging by the looks on everyone’s faces, he’d succeeded.

He turned Tori toward the staircase and she didn’t stop him.Even Andrew, miraculously, kept his mouth shut.

But by the time they were standing outside room 206, Josh realized that he’d lost her.Or at least the mood.Well, fuck.

“Please, tell me I need to run my hands up under your skirt to find the key,” he told her, trying to lighten things and get them back on hot, flirtatious ground.

Tori scratched at said skirt.“It’s not locked.”

He twisted the knob and pushed the door open.He wanted to throw her over his shoulder again, but somehow sensed that was the wrong move here.

Fucking Andrew.

Josh followed her into the room, noting the way she plucked the bodice of the dress away from her waist again and then reached inside the neckline to scratch.

“You okay?”he asked.He wasn’t sure what to do here.That was new.He always knew what to do with women in bedrooms.He either kissed them and went from there.Or he moved the big heavy heirloom dresser from one side to the other.That was what happened when he was in Kennedy’s bedroom.Other than her, he was never in a bedroom with a woman who he didn’t want to kiss.

That definitely included Victoria Kramer.Yet, he held back.What the hell was going on?

“This dress is super itchy.”She scratched her hip.“And I swear the underwire bra has dug down to my fifth rib.And I think I have scratches from the sequins.”

“Yikes.”She hadn’t seemed uncomfortable in the dress when she’d been out on the patio with him.“Maybe you should take it off.”

“Yeah, I probably should.”

That didn’t sound flirtatious or seductive though.“Want some help with that?”he asked, giving her one of his you-know-you-want-to-take-your-clothes-off grins.But it felt forced.And there was about six feet of distance between them.

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