Page 27 of Something New

She slipped on a pair of shorts and a top and headed out the door, only to be confronted by Delaney and Ethan. Not knowing exactly what kind of moment it was and already being out there, she stood there, arms folded. Ethan stepped back from Delaney, nodded to her, and headed downstairs, leaving Delaney staring after him. Seemed like Caroline and Cupid were working overtime that week.

Anna stopped in front of Delaney. "So, you and Ethan? Again?"

Delaney turned and the familiar haughty society princess reared her head, fixing a socialite sneer onto Anna. "What about you and Wyatt?"

Anna stiffened. She thought they had been pretty circumspect, but maybe not. "That's between us."

Delaney just shook her head and laughed. "College all over again."

"God, I hope not," Anna replied fervently. She sniffed the air. "There’s a rumor that there are bear claws downstairs. And something even I can eat. Is it true?"

Delaney sighed. "And they're as amazing as always."

"Race you down there." She grinned, determined to make the day better than the one before.

They reached the kitchen and everything seemed to be great until they walked in and saw everyone clustered around the television. Caroline was on the verge of tears and the guys looked grim.

Anna frowned. "What's wrong?"

Anna grabbed the cinnamon roll in the special box marked nut free and squeezed next to Wyatt to see the television.

"Tropical storm. Headed straight for us. Better pray it doesn’t turn into a hurricane," Wyatt said.

Delaney looked puzzled. "I thought that was headed north of us."

Ethan stood and pushed through the small group, running his hands through his hair. "It shifted. Should be here tomorrow night."

"Well, that's good, right? The wedding should be fine." Anna said, thinking they had a few days. “Whitby Island has weathered worse storms. We’ve stayed in worse ones over the summer.”

Caroline faced her, tears sparkling. "It's an outdoor wedding at Oak Bluff Hotel. On the Gulf side of the island. It's going to be destroyed. The gazebo. The tents. The gardens. All destroyed."

Grady walked over and put his hands on her shoulder. "Look, the guys and I will head over and see what we can do to shore up anything they have. And anything that gets damaged, well, I can fix it. Don't worry. The wedding will be fabulous. I promise."

The guys all nodded and headed for the door. Wyatt drew Anna to the small pantry alcove. “Caroline is really freaked out by this. Do you think you could maybe stick around and help her with whatever she needs until later?”

“Of course. What do you think I would do? Go sunbathing?” Anna walked past him, but he grabbed her arm and turned her so her back was against the wall. He caged her neatly there, pressing his body against her, and she almost moaned at the contact. It really had been a while if just his body could set off this kind of reaction. He used two fingers to tilt her chin up and he settled his lips on hers in a quick, hard kiss, not stopping until she was breathless.

Then he took a step back. “You promised Karen you’d help at the theater this afternoon, with the kids, remember? I thought I’d go down with you, maybe help with the sets, if they need it.”

Anna blinked to clear the haze from his kiss. Then his words registered, and she burst out laughing. “The last time you offered to help, they banned you from the theater.”

He leaned down until his breath whispered across her cheek. “That’s because you were distracting me, prancing around the stage in cutoff shorts and a tank top. All the men were in a frenzy. And you liked it.”

She grinned and tilted her head. “Why should I wait for you? I mean, what’s it worth to me?”

He rested his hands on her hips and pulled her into his lean frame. She rested her palms against his chest, feeling his heartbeat pounding against his warm skin. His eyes mesmerized hers, trapping her under his spell. His lips curved in a smile filled with promise.

“I can make it very worth your while.”

She rose on tiptoes to meet his lips but only touched air. Where his body had been, was a rapidly cooling part of the pantry, his mocking laughter echoing in the space. She scowled at him, but he was long gone, with the guys, to work on the hotel and the outdoor wedding venue. But one thing was for certain. In one area, Wyatt had not lost his touch.

"Damn, that guy can kiss." Anna leaned against the doorjamb and smiled.

Delaney leaned against the dining room wall, her face slack and dazed, looking like Anna felt. "Which one?"

Anna looked at her. "Both of them. Dibs on the last roll."

They pushed and shoved into the kitchen, lunging for the pastry boxes at the same time.Not that it mattered, really. No one would eat Anna’s special roll and she knew it. Her friends were too considerate about her allergy.

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