“Well, I did.”
Those words revealed a lot, whether she had wanted them to or not. Could there be more to this situation between Richard and his granddaughter? But then, he might be reading more into it. Hadn’t she spent the last three years in Paris? According to Richard, she had taken off less than a week after graduating from college. Since she had no living relatives there -her mother’s sister had died a few years ago in a car accident -Richard had assumed she had spent the past three years hanging out with friends.
“In a way, I’m glad that I’m back.”
“Tired of partying in Paris, are you?”
He could tell his words had struck a nerve. Whatever blistering retort she was about to make was drowned out by thecheers and claps when Colton and Kelly reappeared dressed for travel, and looking like a couple madly in love and filled with extreme happiness. The music stopped, and everyone began moving toward them to see them off.
He turned to Desiree to suggest they follow the crowd, only to see her strolling off in the opposite direction without a backward glance.
***
Cobra seldom gave women a reason to walk away from him, and as far as he was concerned, he hadn’t given Desiree one. Still, maybe it was a good idea to accept her actions as an omen. The last thing he needed was to spend time with a woman who’d make it impossible for him to think of anyone else. A woman who could test his ability to be in control…especially, of a locked zipper.
But then, maybe that was what he needed —a challenge. If he could resist the most beautiful creature he had ever seen, he’d know for sure that he’d win the bet with his brothers. And after all, there were still five months to go. And unless he cooled his friendship with Richard, temptation would undoubtedly eat him alive. Destroy the very essence of his being.
He didn’t intend for that to happen, nor did he intend to cool his friendship with Richard. It was better to nip this in the bud. There was no way any woman, regardless of how beautiful, would get the best of him. After all, hadn’t he and his brothers been called the Masters of the Game in high school for a reason?
Making a decision, he began walking in the direction Desiree had taken. Since most people were headed the opposite way, it wasn’t long before he saw her. He quickly caught up with her. “Hey, where do you think you’re running off to?” he asked, hooking his arm in hers.
When he turned her to him, he saw that she’d been crying. He frowned in concern. “Desiree? What’s wrong?” Had what he’d said earlier offended her? The comment about her partying?
“Nothing is wrong,” she said rather quickly. “Weddings make me weepy.”
He thought there was more to it than that, but he’d take her at her word…or let her assume he did. “You’re not alone,” he said, steering her in the direction the other wedding guests were headed. “No doubt my mother, Inez Masters, is somewhere crying a river of happy tears right now. She’s probably thinking, two sons down and one more to go.”
He appreciated the sound of Desiree’s chuckle. “She wants all her sons married?”
“Yes. That’s her most ardent desire. Thank goodness she’s never been desperate enough to play matchmaker. She believes true love will eventually find each of us, without her help. So far, it has for Tez and Colt.”
“But not for you?”
“Mom knows it’s just wishful thinking when it comes to me. Marriage isn’t in my plans.”
“It’s not in mine, either.”
Her words surprised him. “Really? I thought all girls dreamed of a day like this,” he said, guiding her around several groups of people.
“I’m not one of them. And where are you taking me?”
“Closer to where the bride and groom are.”
“Why?”
“I’m expected to be there.”
“You, maybe, but not me,” she said, pulling away slightly.
He loosened his hold on her arm, but didn’t let go completely. “But at the moment you happen to be with me.”
They walked over to where Kelly’s mother and her husband stood. His parents, Cortez and Victoria, along with the rest of the Masters family, were close by. Cobra and Desiree arrived just in time to hear the last of his father’s speech. His brothers looked at him, saw the way he’d hooked his arm in Desiree’s, and smiled. Cobra frowned, knowing what they were thinking -that he wouldn’t be able to resist temptation. He would let them think whatever they wanted. He knew better.
Desiree leaned in to ask, “Where are they going on their honeymoon?”
He moved closer to answer, realizing too late that it wasn’t a good idea. The beauty of her hazel eyes was even more profound up close. “Maybe it would be better to ask where they aren’t going. Colt has a four-week honeymoon planned, covering six countries—London. Ireland, Scotland, the Netherlands, Amsterdam, and Belgium.
“Sounds nice.”
