“Hiya darlin’,” he drawled, and she could smell spearmint on his breath as it fanned over her face. She hadn’t seen or spoken to him since the day he’d come to her shop, and dammit if he didn’t still make her weak at the knees. She made to pull away, but he tightened his grip, muttering, “Don’t move. Your body is the only thing keeping my towel on right now, doll.”
Gasping, she jumped back reflexively, and the next second she felt the towel drop from around his waist to land at their feet. Her heart hammered in her chest knowing he was completely naked in front of her. She swallowed hard, keeping her eyes focused on his Adam’s apple.
“I saiddon’tmove,” he chuckled, though it was strained, then squeezed her arms once more before releasing them as he took a step back. Shaun slammed her eyes shut as he bent at the waist to retrieve the fallen towel, and she could hear the rustle of the fabric and the whoosh of air as he wrapped it around his waist again. “You can open your eyes, Shaun. I swear you won’t go blind if you look.”
“I don’t need to see anything of yours,” Shaun snapped, though she did open her eyes, only to raise them to his and glare up into those gray-blue eyes that were crinkled at the corner with laughter.
“Did you get a good feel, then?” he asked quietly, ducking his head close to her ear.
Shaun rolled her eyes and snapped, “Feel what? That twig between your legs?”
Dropping his voice, he whispered, “You and I both know that’s not what I’m working with, darlin’.”
“You’re such an ass,” she sneered, pulling away from him. “Why are you walking around naked anyway?”
Kasey shrugged, readjusting the towel so it was more securely fastened around his waist. “Is it a crime to take a shower?”
“No, but what if it was Fallon that had run into you instead of me? She’s only seventeen, you perv.”
Kasey grimaced, then nodded. “True. I’ll keep that in mind. I’ll be out of here tomorrow anyway.”
“What? Why?” she asked, surprise drawing her brows together.
Shaun was sure her heart was going to pound its way out of her chest when he stared down at her with those intense storm-cloud blue eyes, as if he was trying to see all the way through her. His lips thinned then, and he said quietly, “You know why, Shaun.”
She swallowed hard, and he nodded, then excused himself as he stepped around her, shutting himself into one of the rooms without looking at her again.
FOURTEEN
Shutting the door, Kasey leaned with his forearm braced above his head, his forehead pressed into the wood of the door and took deep, steadying breaths until he heard her footsteps fade down the hallway.
He’d agreed to stay in the bridal party house for the night at Free’s request, but it was turning out to be pure torture.
She was going to be in the same house, just a room away. And sometime today or tomorrow that douche bag was going to show up, put his hands all over her, kiss her, probably make love to her in that big bed with that amazing view of the mountain… he couldn’t stay and be a witness to it, when he wanted nothing more than to be the one doing those things to her. Fucking Christ, if purgatory were a place, this was it.
He hadn’t had the balls to ask Free when Tommy would be showing up, but he knew it had to be before the ceremony tomorrow. The idiot had missed the engagement party, but only a fool would choose to miss a wedding of the family he was marrying into.
And then Kasey would have to endure the entire wedding watching her being fondled and kissed by that useless tool.
From inside the door, he heard the women of the house convening in the great room to head over to the main lodge for a spa excursion. He was grateful that Shaun was going to be gone most of the day. He wouldn’t have to see her again until the rehearsal.
Fuck, he thought mulishly as he padded over to his suitcase, pulling out a fresh pair of clothes. He pulled on a pair of boxer briefs, then shoved his legs into a pair of jeans. Tugging a white Henley over his head, he ruffled the towel over his still damphair as a knock sounded on the door, then a second later it opened and Free entered.
“The girls all left for their spa afternoon,” he said and shook his head. “You’d think they’d won the lottery with how excited they all are.”
“Something about a sauna, hot tub, massages, and champagne just makes women batty,” Kasey chuckled, running his fingers through his hair to push it away from his forehead. He sat down on the foot of one of the beds, pulling a clean pair of socks on his feet before sliding them into a pair of black work boots. He tied the laces and then stood, stretching his arms high over his head. “What’s the plan for us manly men while the women get pampered?”
Free laughed and said, “Levi said for us to meet at the bar at the resort in a couple hours. We’re eating lunch and then I guess there is a lounge with billiard tables and darts. After that we’ll come back and get ready for the rehearsal dinner and then meet everyone at the main lodge around six o’clock.” Freeman glanced over at him and eyed him knowingly. “Please don’t be an ass to Shaun until after Jodi and I leave for our honeymoon.”
Kasey crossed his finger over his chest, drawing a large X. “I swear, I’ll behave.” Free gave him a dubious look, and Kasey laughed as he turned toward the closet, where he had hung up his tux for the following day and a pair of dress slacks and two button-down shirts. Changing the subject, he asked, “Dress code for tonight?”
Free shrugged, walking toward a garment bag that had been draped over the foot of the other bed. He picked it up and carried it to the closet, too, where he unzipped it, rifling through the clothes on the hangers. “I’ve got black slacks and a white button-down for tonight. I’m not wearing a tie for rehearsal.”
Kasey held up the two dress shirts he’d brought with him, holding first one up to his chest and then the other. The firstwas a grayish blue, the second was a simple white. Free pointed to the grayish blue one, and Kasey nodded in agreement. The slacks he had chosen for the evening were a deep navy, his shoes a cognac brown leather. A matching belt was inside his suitcase.
Stepping back over to his suitcase, he unrolled a t-shirt, revealing a bottle of twenty-five-year bourbon, handing it over to Free, who took it with a long, low whistle of appreciation before passing it back. “Jesus, Kasey. That’s some good stuff.”
“My cousin and best friend only get married once,” he said, opening it and taking a deep inhale. Crossing to the dresser where he had placed a couple highball glasses from the kitchen downstairs, he poured a finger into each glass, then held one out to Freeman. “To the same woman every night for the rest of your life.”
