Page 52 of The Wedding Wrecker

The beautiful woman’s nose wrinkled like she’d smelled something unpleasant. “Well, congratulations. I suppose.”

She stalked off.

James met my eyes. “You alright?”

“Why wouldn’t I be?” I asked, voice embarrassingly breathless.

“Because you feel like your knees are about to give out. I’m going to assume it’s from rage at that woman and not at how hard you’re swooning for me.”

I punched his chest, which was basically like a brick wall beneath his jacket. “Let’s just hurry up before they leave without us.”

James, as usual, was quick to put his arm around me and lead me outside. Even if it was all just for show, I had to admit there was something about a big, tall man who jumped at every excuse to put his hands on me. Combined with the cold and cozyatmosphere, it was like having my own giant, sexy blanket to carry around everywhere I went.

The sleighs waited out front, glistening in the sunlight and looking impossibly comfortable on the inside of their open cabins. The benches were plush leather and thick, fuzzy blankets were folded neatly in every seat. White horses with flowing hair and misting breath waited in front, occasionally stomping their feet and whinnying.

A driver sat in the front of each chariot with the reins in hand and a ridiculously formal little driver’s outfit on.

James extended his hand to help me into the sleigh.

I took it, but every innocent contact was like a spark that ignited a memory. The wine cellar in Ireland. The kiss at the tasting. How it felt to feel his erection between my legs when I’d woken up on top of him…

My heel promptly slipped on the metal step. James caught me before I could face-plant into the sleigh, his hands firm on my waist.

"I got you," he murmured close to my ear.

"You two are so cute," Lily gushed again as she cozied up next to Marcus in the seat behind ours.

The resort had arranged three sleighs for our group. Ours was me, James, Lily, and Marcus. Behind us, Richard, Dick, and one of the three brothers sat with a pair of older women I assumed were some of the aunts. In the back, the other two handsome brothers sat with Charity and another older pair of Wellington men.

Now we were all tucked into the red sleigh with its plush blankets and gleaming brass bells. The horses shifted impatiently in their harnesses, their breath forming twisting clouds in the crisp afternoon air.

"Everyone settled?" the driver asked.

I nodded as James situated one of the blankets over our laps. To my pleasant surprise, the blanket had been heated and felt amazing. His thigh pressed against mine as he situated himself closer than strictly necessary.

"Gotta keep my girl warm," he said innocently.

I glared at him. He knew exactly what he was doing.

The sleigh jerked into motion, bells jingling as we glided over the snow.

It was beautiful. The forest around us looked like something from a Christmas card, all snow-laden pines and sparkling ice crystals with mountains rising around us in every direction.

Within minutes, we had left behind the well-traveled roads that were full of packed snow from vehicles. We cut across a perfectly untouched field of white snow and headed for a forest trail that wound between the trees.

It was like another world, with no sound but the trotting horses and the thick silence of the blanketed forest.

"This is so romantic," Lily sighed, snuggling into Marcus' side.

"Sure is." James' hand found mine under the blanket. I tried to pull away, but he just threaded our fingers together. "Cold hands," he explained, loud enough for the others to hear.

"So," Lily said, "how did spilling your drink on my sister lead to you two dating, exactly?”

I tensed. We hadn't thought to work more on our cover story, which wasn’t like me at all. I was usually so careful with all the details. I was usually so concerned with preventing disaster that I thought ofeverything.When it came to our fake relationship, it felt like I wasn’t using my brain at all.

No. I was too busy thinking with another part of my body when it came to James.

But he had made up several stories about our dating life that first night over drinks. I guess I just assumed nobody would want to know more than that, but it was a stupid assumption.

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