The Bridesmaid's Best Man

“I can do that.” He wouldn’t even have to pretend. He had felt that way since she had accepted his invitation for a first date. He had no idea what he did to convince her and often felt he was living on borrowed time. He knew someday she would wake up and see she could do much better than him.

“But I’m not really into him,” Angie warned Cole. “Everyone would get suspicious if I was all clingy and affectionate.”

Especially since she didn’t act that way in public, Cole thought. But when they had been alone, she was very demonstrative and explicit in her requests. “So it’s only physical attraction?” he teased.

She grinned. “Yeah, something like that.”

“Then that will be our cover. By the end of today, everyone will think we’re having a red-hot but brief reunion,” he promised. It had to be short-term for his sanity. One touch from her and he’d want another. One kiss and he wouldn’t stop. Unless this had a predetermined end date, he’d start to believe he had another chance. He’d forget that she never loved him—couldn’t love him—in the first place.

“A wild fling?” Her smile disappeared. “No one will believe that.”

“They will.” Because he was going to make the most of this temporary affair. “I guarantee it.”

5

“THIS WAS A bad idea.” Angie felt her ponytail swing against her shoulders as she strode down the hospital corridor. She was nervous and it showed. She took a deep breath and gripped the flower arrangement tighter.

“Don’t back out on me now.” Cole draped his arm around her shoulder.

A sense of longing crashed through her unexpectedly and she tried not to react. It had been common for Cole to touch or hold her whenever they were together. She shouldn’t be so surprised.

“Oh, are we pretending to be a couple already?” she asked lightly as she struggled with the opposing needs to shake off his touch and to curl into his body. “Heidi can’t see us from here.”

“You don’t start pretending the minute you walk into the room,” he explained. “You assume the role as soon as possible. And you never know whom you’re going to bump into on the way. What if we see someone from the bridal party?”

Angie pressed her lips together. Cole always had an answer for everything, but she didn’t think this was going to work. “No one will believe this.”

“That we’re together?” He stopped and looked down at her, his arm cradling her closer. “No one questioned it when we were dating.”

Was he kidding? His friends probably didn’t ask or care. She wished she had been so lucky. Her relatives teased her about how opposites attract. Her female clients asked if she used any sexual expertise in grabbing Cole’s attention. One acquaintance had asked why Cole was dating her when he could have any woman.

She guessed no one dared to ask Cole those questions. Lucky him. “I mean that no one would think I would hook up with a stripper.”

It didn’t help that she had done nothing different with her appearance. Angie knew she should have worn something suggestive or pretty. She winced at the thought. Instead she wore her favorite standbys. The white long-sleeve T-shirt and black track pants were comfortable and her running shoes were top-of-the-line.

She should have given her appearance more thought. After all, she was going to stand next to Cole Foster, whose masculine beauty was emphasized in a blue henley shirt and jeans. Most guys in Seattle wore that combination, but for some reason, Cole stood out in the crowd. It wasn’t just her opinion. She had seen more than one person in the hall give him a flirtatious glance.

“But it’s not unreasonable that you would backslide,” he argued. “Ex sex happens more than you think. Why do you think they give it a name?”

Ex sex. She didn’t like that label. It made something that was so emotional into something very casual. She imagined most people had sex with their ex because it would offer some familiarity and comfort. She never had that with Cole. When they were together it had been an exciting roller-coaster ride.

Sometimes the intimacy they had shared felt risky. There were moments that had changed her and made her see Cole differently. Those were the times when she felt they had formed a stronger bond. Backsliding wouldn’t let her recapture those life-transforming experiences.

She stumbled to a stop and pretended that she was reading the room numbers. Why was she thinking about that? They weren’t backsliding. Cole had no interest in having sex with her. If she responded to any of his gestures or touches, then she would be in trouble. She felt jittery and alive next to him. She was very aware of his clean, masculine scent, how warm and large his hand felt against her shoulder.

“Okay, Heidi’s room is over there.” She pointed at the door across the hall. “Ready?”

“Yes.” He squeezed her arm and drew her closer. “Just follow my lead.”

“Wait a second. Let me do the talking,” she suggested. “It would look weird if you started asking questions.”

Cole showed no expression but she felt the tension in his body. Did he think she would mess up? Or was it hard for him to give up any control in his case? He obviously didn’t like it if she took charge in or out of bed.

He nodded. “Fine.”

“Really?” She wasn’t expecting him to yield. But then, he had surrendered quickly in bed and then she paid for it weeks later. “Are you sure?”

“Yes, absolutely. She’ll talk to you because she knows you.”

“Okay, let’s do this.” Angie thrust out her chin and walked out of Cole’s embrace. She knew he wanted to enter as a loving couple, but that would distract her. It was bad enough that she already felt the loss of his touch. That bothered her. A year without Cole and she was craving for him more than ever.

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