The Groom's Stand-In. GINA WILKINS

away from him. Pointedly.

      Wincing, Donovan carried his coffee out of the room. It wasn’t easy walking with both his feet in his mouth, he decided wryly.

      Chapter Four

      Though Chloe wasn’t watching him, she knew Donovan had left the room by the time she spoke into the receiver. “Hello, Bryan.”

      “I’m glad you’re still speaking to me.”

      “I’m sure you couldn’t help being detained there.”

      “No. Believe me, I’ve done everything I can to resolve this mess in a hurry so I can join you there, but it’s taking longer than I expected. I can’t tell you how sorry I am.”

      “Does this mean you won’t be here tonight, after all?”

      “No. I still believe I can get away in time to be there this evening. It could be very late, but we can start our vacation first thing tomorrow morning.”

      It seemed oddly apropos that a cloud crossed in front of the sun at that moment, darkening the room for a moment. What might have been a frisson of premonition coursed through her. Maybe because the week had started so badly, she had a sudden feeling that she really should suggest to Bryan that he stay in New York.

      She’d always believed that when something kept going wrong, perhaps it wasn’t meant to be. Grace had said repeatedly that Chloe was making a mistake coming here this week. And then Bryan had been detained. Now Chloe’s reactions to Donovan were getting all jumbled and confused—and he thought of her as a gold digger.

      Things were definitely going wrong.

      It was only her hesitation to ask Donovan to take her home, her reluctance to look wishy-washy or petulant to him, that kept her from canceling everything with Bryan.

      “Chloe—about Donovan,” Bryan said, as if he’d sensed the direction her thoughts had taken.

      “What about him?”

      “Don’t take him too personally. He doesn’t mean to come across the way he sometimes does.”

      “You’re not going to try to convince me his bark is worse than his bite, are you?”

      Bryan laughed softly. “No, I’m not going to try to tell you that. But he doesn’t bite very often—and never without provocation.”

      His words weren’t particularly reassuring.

      Still, she didn’t want to seem ungracious, especially since Donovan had been going out of his way to entertain her. His comment about babysitting Bryan’s “girlfriend du jour” still stung, though. She hated the idea that he thought of her that way.

      She and Bryan chatted for another few minutes, and then Bryan said he had to go. “The sooner I get back to work, the sooner I can get away,” he added.

      Chloe hung up the phone, then glanced toward the open doorway. She wasn’t looking forward to rejoining Donovan after the crack he’d made to Bryan. She was sure he’d try to apologize, and then they’d get all awkward and embarrassed. It was a scene she would rather avoid, if possible.

      She found Donovan in the kitchen, rinsing out his empty coffee mug. “The coffee was good,” he said. “Thanks.”

      “I was making some for myself, anyway.”

      He set his mug in the dishwasher, then turned to face her. Braced for the awkward apology she expected, she was surprised when he said, instead, “I’m going into town for a few supplies. Want to come along?”

      She would like to get out of the house, actually, but there was still that irritating comment hanging between them. “I’m sure you’d like to spend some time by yourself. I have some more paperwork to keep me busy here while you’re gone.”

      “Actually, I’d like you to come along, if you don’t mind. I need to buy some groceries, and it will be easier if you’re there to help with the selections.”

      If this was his idea of an apology—or an olive branch, perhaps—it was a strange one. But then, Donovan was definitely a different sort of man from anyone she’d met before.

      She still resented being called Bryan’s “girlfriend du jour.” And she still suspected that Donovan questioned her motives for getting involved with Bryan—and she didn’t like him seeing non-existent dollar signs in her eyes. But he had given up two days of his busy life to spend time with her in Bryan’s absence. He had cooked for her and had done his best to entertain her, she supposed, even though there were things he would admittedly rather be doing. The least she could do was try to be gracious in return, especially since he’d placed her in the position of doing him a favor by going with him.

      She kept her reply just a bit cool, because she wasn’t going to forget that babysitting crack too easily. “Then of course I’ll come with you. Just let me get my purse.”

      She felt him watching her as she left the room, so she kept her chin raised to a regal angle, her back very straight. She intended to make it quite clear to him that she was perfectly capable of taking care of herself. She didn’t need a “babysitter”—and that certainly wasn’t the way she wanted Donovan to think of her.

      Donovan was relieved when Chloe agreed to his plan. He’d concluded that it might be easier to control his thoughts about her if they got out of the house. Out in public with other people.

      He probably should have apologized about that babysitting remark. He was fully aware that it still rankled with her. But, damn it, he did feel as if he were babysitting—or bodyguarding, which was even worse.

      He didn’t know what was wrong with him today—since yesterday, actually. Specifically, since he and Chloe had left her apartment. First there was that itchy sense of impending disaster that had been bugging him for no reason. And then there was his growing physical awareness of Chloe.

      It wasn’t so strange that he would notice her attributes, of course. She was attractive, if not as stunningly beautiful as most of Bryan’s women. Donovan was a normal, healthy male. They’d spent several hours close together. He could still almost feel her slender body brushing lightly against his when he’d stupidly attempted to teach her how to skip a rock. It had seemed like a good idea at the time—something she might consider fun—but he’d quickly realized his mistake.