Another Shot At Love (39 page)

“Brent told Jeremy you’re playing hard to get and it’s working.”

“Right. Hard to get?” I rolled my eyes. “If telling him to get lost is playing hard to get, then yeah. I am. I am
deeply in love with Brent.
I’ve just been holding it all in and pretending to love Matt.”

There was a crash from around the corner. Catherine stiffened. “Did you hear that?”

When no one appeared, I shrugged. “It was nothing. You guys need to stop. Seriously,” I said and tucked a lock of hair behind my ear. “Really. Suddenly I just found I’m unable to handle my closeted love for Brent? Come on.” The words sounded absurd out loud. I opened my mouth, but there was another thud from around the corner and it was definitely not nothing.

“What the hell?” Catherine said and waddled around the corner. She turned back to us. “There’s nothing there. Someone must have come in.”

“There’s a big dinner upstairs in the main dining area, probably just someone looking for another restroom,” Lexie said.

“Listen to me, both of you,” I said, pissed. “Brent’s not important. I’m going to tell Matt I love him tomorrow after the engagement party. Madly, truly, unequivocally in love with him.”

My sisters squealed and rushed at me and I laughed as they wrapped me in their arms. I’d been holding it in for weeks and finally telling someone was a relief.

“I knew it!” Lexie said, her grin as big as I knew mine to be. I hadn’t realized I was crying until she brushed a tear away with her thumb. “I am so happy for you, Gen.”

I blushed and smiled at my sisters, whom I loved so much. “I wanted tonight with him to be special so I rented a suite at The Fitzgerald. Candles, chocolate-dipped strawberries, champagne, the works. And then tomorrow, after the engagement party, I’m going to tell him how much I love him.” I shivered with anticipation. “He makes me so happy. I don’t think I’ve ever felt this way before. Ever.”

“We all like him. He’s a great man,” Catherine said. “Tony and Dad think the world of him, and you know they don’t give their approval easily.”

I laughed and wiped the tears from under my eyes. “No, they don’t.”

“He’s perfect for you,” Lexie said.

I sucked in a deep breath and let it out slow. “He really is.”

When the knock sounded on my hotel door, I rushed to it and threw it open, ready to throw myself into Matt’s arms. I froze. Brent stood on the other side of the door, not Matt. He was dressed to the nines for a night out in the city, his hair neatly-trimmed and flashing his pearly whites, but his perfect appearance fell flat. He was the last person I had expected to see at my door and the last person I wanted to see.

“Brent?”

“Hey, Gennie-bear. You look amazing.” He didn’t wait for an invitation, but stepped through the door. I left the door open and turned to see him strolling across the room to the living area of the suite I’d rented. At least the bedroom was separate so he wouldn’t see the lingerie I’d purchased—a pretty blue set to match the color of my eyes. The moment I’d seen the silky material on the hanger, I’d thought of Matt.

“Uh, thanks. What are you doing here? Is everything okay?” The only explanation for him to be in my hotel room was that a spaceship had landed on the rooftop and he’d come by to warn me I might be abducted by his alien race. Anything else might get him a kick in the shin.

“Everything’s fine. I heard Lexie and Cat say you were staying here. I just came by to see if you wanted to hit the town with me.” His eyes made a slow sweep down my body, which I didn’t take as a compliment. Had he always been such a sleaze? Probably. He said, “A bunch of our friends are going to Club Risqué. They all miss you, Gennie-bear. Say you’ll come.”

They were all his friends, not mine. Most of them were overgrown privileged boys who probably weren’t dating any of the same women they’d dated months ago when I had still been with Brent. In the two years I’d dated him, his friends had gone through women like they’d gone through underwear, holding out for the perfect body and trust fund—spoiled brats, all of them.

I shook my head. “Yeah, I don’t think so. I’ve got a boyfriend. Matt, remember? He’s meeting me here.”

“Oh Gennie, you don’t have to pretend anymore,” he said and walked toward me. My instinct was to retreat. I took a step backward, and he took two forward.

“Pretend?” I asked, and bumped into the sofa table against the wall. I braced myself against the table. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

I hadn’t the slightest. This guy really was from another planet.

“I know things, Gennie-bear.
Important things.
” He grinned and his bright teeth made me shudder.

I wasn’t sure why I was so repulsed; plenty of people bleached their teeth. Plenty of people looked great with bleached teeth. Hell, if I didn’t spend so much money on art supplies, I’d probably bleach my teeth. Maybe was the contrast between the very white of his teeth to his spray tan and his ugly, cheating personality that ruined the effect. I had no clue. Honestly, I wasn’t about to spend too much time analyzing it. I was making my way to the door, though slowly, because I didn’t want to turn my back on him—he was a sneaky one. I had no idea what he was up to, but something felt wrong. Really, really wrong.

“Brent, I really have no idea what you’re talking about, but you need to leave.” I started moving sideways to the door. Thank God I’d left it open. Time slowed, making my escape feel like one of those sports replays. I made it to the entry way and turned to back toward the hallway on the other side of the door. My foot tripped on the carpet divider in the doorway and I exclaimed, “Yes!” because I was so excited to have made it.

His grin told me he’d misread my enthusiasm and he moved to close the distance between us. I turned and put my back against the door, giving him a clear shot out. I definitely wouldn’t be standing in his way when he left.

“I’m going to spend the rest of my life making you happy.” And then he was standing in front of me.

“Brent, I—”

He placed his fingers against my lips. “Shush, now. There’s no need to deny it any longer. God, Gennie, I’m so
hot
right now. I’m going to stalk you like a cheetah.” And then he made a
rawr
sound and my jaw fell open. He considered it for a moment, and then added, “Just not in these pants; if I bend down they’ll split.”

And then he pinned me against the door and kissed me.

I was so stunned, I stood there, holding on to his shirt like I might fall down if I let go. Really, I would have collapsed because my knees were weak with disbelief. When his tongue snaked out to lick my lip, the shock wore off and I opened my mouth to gag, but he stuck his tongue inside quickly in a wet, slobbery kiss. Instinct had me stomp down hard on the toe of his shoe and I shoved him away.

“Brent, what the hell!” I said and wiped the back of my hand over my mouth. “Have you lost your mind? You have a
girlfriend.
I have a
boyfriend.
You need to leave.” I shoved him one more time and he stumbled over the doorstep and into the hall. I shut the door in his face before he could protest.

“Gennie, I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have surprised you like that,” he whined against the door. “But we don’t have to play this game anymore. I heard you earlier; I know you’re still in love with me.”

So he’d been the one eavesdropping on me and my sisters. And, because he’d only intruded on part of the conversation, he’d gotten it all wrong. “Brent, forget anything you heard. It’s not what you think. Now go away.”

“I’m going to make it right with you, Gennie. You and I are going to have everything we planned. I promise,”

“Don’t bother,” I said and rested my head against the door. “I don’t love you anymore Brent. I don’t want anything to do with you.”

“You don’t mean that. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

After a few moments of silence, I peeked through the door peephole. He was gone.
What the hell is wrong with the men in my life?

Maybe I’d been cursed. Maybe when I said “no” what they really heard was “yes.”

“Aliens,” I muttered.

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Matt traced circles with his thumb on the bare skin of my back right beside the spaghetti strap of my dress. He leaned close and whispered, “It’s hard to concentrate on anything with you wearing that dress.”

I shivered and bit my lip. He’d said something similar to me earlier which had resulted in us showing up late for the engagement party. My cheeks flushed with the memory and I concentrated on paying attention to the engaged couple standing to greet their guests.

“Thank you all for coming tonight,” Jeremy said.

Lexie’s original seating chart had been scrapped and the new one created by Gerald Buchanan’s assistant had placed me at the same table as Brent. The assistant wasn’t sadistic, she hadn’t placed us this way on purpose. She hadn’t known about Brent’s and my history. I guessed it was more about the maid of honor and best man sitting at the head table with the engaged couple. It made sense, and yet it also meant I had Brent staring at me. I could feel him looking now. I didn’t know what he was thinking, but his girlfriend seethed beside him, fully aware of Brent’s attention on me.

Matt had arrived at the hotel not long after Brent left. When I’d told him about Brent’s visit, he’d fisted his hands at his sides, his jaw clenched. It was agony waiting for him to speak. Then he’d taken a deep breath, shaken his head, and said he’d have a talk with Brent after the engagement party. He hadn’t wanted to ruin the event for Lexie.

“Are you okay?” Matt whispered, and the concern in his voice calmed me. I gave him a reassuring smile before refocusing on Jeremy thanking his parents for their love and support and their blessing for the upcoming nuptials.

I glanced over at the parents’ table set up next to the head table I sat at. Mom’s smile was tight, as if she were holding back a few words about the groom-to-be’s parents. Earlier, I’d walked in on a disagreement between Mom and Deborah Buchanan, something about the location of the wedding. The wedding planner had jumped in to side with Deborah, disregarding all of Mom’s and Lexie’s suggestions. A wrinkle of irritation still creased Mom’s forehead and I knew it was only a matter of time before she blew her top.

“Jeremy and I are so happy you’ve all joined us for the announcement of our engagement. We’re just so, so thrilled to be here with you tonight,” Lexie said, but her smile wavered when she caught Brent trying to catch my attention with a quick head nod toward the door. As if I would leave in the middle of Lexie’s speech—had he lost his mind? With her attention moving between her guests and Brent, Lexie continued. “We’d like to introduce the best man and my maid of honor. Jeremy, introduce Brent.”

Jeremy’s eyes widened at the harsh tone to Lexie’s voice. She whispered something in his ear and his lips turned up into a tight smile. Then he smiled and announced, “Everyone, I’d like you to meet Brent Reynolds, my best friend since grade school and soon-to-be best man.”

Jeremy placed his hand on Brent’s shoulder and gave him a little shove to his feet.

Brent gave me one more long, smiling gaze before looking around the room at the guests. Did he look as ridiculous to them as he did to me? His girlfriend looked positively homicidal and he didn’t even notice.

“As best man, I’d just like to say that Jeremy and Lexie couldn’t have picked a better woman,” Brent said and Matt’s hold on my hand tightened. I stiffened in my seat and finally gave Brent the attention he’d been begging for since I sat down—I was trying to strangle him with my gaze.

“What the…” Catherine muttered from beside Matt.

“As you all know, Lexie’s beautiful sister Gen is the maid of honor. Gen, can you stand up?” Brent asked and I looked to Lexie, unsure what to do. But she was too busy holding her breath to be of much help.

I looked to Catherine, but she was too busy glaring daggers at Brent. My hesitation was on the verge of awkward, so I stood. It wasn’t like I had a choice. He’d called me out in front of everyone. I’d never been good in a room. Public speaking had never been my thing. Immediately, I was lightheaded.

Lexie will be pissed if you faint. Do. Not. Faint.