More than a Convenient Bride. Michelle Celmer

had far too much champagne, she headed to the bar for another drink and Beth followed her. “This has been so much fun,” she told Julie.

      “I think so, too.”

      “Your sister couldn’t make it?”

      Julie had texted her, called her and sent her a detailed email about the situation, but still no reply. Her husband traveled extensively for business and Jennifer often accompanied him, occasionally for weeks at a time. “I couldn’t get ahold of her. They’re probably out of the country.”

      “That’s too bad.”

      Julie shrugged. “It was awfully last-minute.”

      “It certainly was. Which brings me to my next question. What was it like making out with your best friend?”

      Julie just stood there, mouth agape. Did she mean—?

      “Drew told me. We don’t keep secrets from each other.”

      Now Drew, Beth, Luc’s mother and her sister all knew the truth?

      “Don’t worry, I won’t tell a soul,” Beth assured her. “And for what it’s worth, you gave a very convincing performance.”

      And Julie had relished every moment. Much more than she meant to, or should have. “He’s a good kisser.”

      Beth grinned. “So I gathered. I’ll bet he’s good at a lot of things.”

      Her suggestive grin left no question as to what she was implying. And Julie knew she was probably right. She was dying to know how it would feel, their bodies intertwined, his weight pushing her into the mattress...

      A ripple of heat coursed through her veins and she could feel her cheeks growing hot. Definitely not something she should be thinking about. “I’m sure he is,” she told Beth. “But I’ll never find out.”

      “The way Luc looks at you, I get the feeling you won’t have a choice.”

      No choice? “What is it you think he’ll do? Tie me down and make passionate love to me?”

      Beth’s smile widened. “One can hope.”

      Oh God, she was right. If Luc wanted Julie in his bed, restraining her wouldn’t be necessary.

      Ugh, no. She was not going to sleep with him. The combination of champagne and all that kissing was screwing with her brain, flooding it with hormones, or pheromones, or some other kind of mones. They were friends and that’s all they would ever be.

      “Where are you two going for your honeymoon?” Beth asked.

      “Nowhere. Luc has a new patient to evaluate this week. A little boy who needs spinal surgery. Besides, you know how he is about leaving the hospital for any extended amount of time. Or his mother. She’s still weak from her last hospital stay.”

      “Most new brides would expect to be put first.”

      Julie shrugged. “I guess I’m not like most new brides. I can’t expect him to rearrange his whole life just because we’re married. I wouldn’t want him to.”

      Luc’s ex-fiancée had been one of those women. Like any young resident, Luc had been required to work insane hours. It was part of the job. Amelia demanded more attention than he was able to give, which was what ultimately caused their split. The way Luc described her, she was spoiled and snotty, always wanting things her way. Even if she had married him, Julie doubted it would have lasted.

      “A lot of women go into a marriage thinking they can change their spouse,” Beth said.

      “That’s ridiculous. If you don’t love the person for who they are, why marry them in the first place?”

      Beth grinned. “Luc is a lucky man.”

      Julie wasn’t sure what she meant by that, and she didn’t ask. Drinks in hand, they rejoined the others. Luc, Colby and Whit Daltry, owner of Daltry Property Management, were discussing the hospital, and how much money it would take to rebuild the damaged portion. Stella and her husband, Aaron, were discussing baby formula options with Lark and Skye, who both had plenty of information on all things baby. Paige, who Julie noticed had been avoiding her brother-in-law like the plague all evening and pretending not to see the looks he kept shooting her way, sat silently.

      Beth took her seat at the table where they had all congregated, and for a minute Julie stood there watching everyone, soaking it all in, a feeling of peace and happiness warming her heart. The town, the people...they were so familiar to her now and so accepting. This was, without question, home.

      “Come sit down,” Luc said, holding out his hand for her to take. She twined her fingers through his, intending to sit in the empty chair beside him, but Luc had other ideas. He tugged her down onto his lap instead, and up went her heart, right into her throat. He slipped one arm around her and settled his palm against her stomach, his thumb grazing the underside of her breast as he did, and the other hand came to rest on her bare knee. What if that hand were to slide up the inside of her thigh under her dress? Would she stop him? Could she?

      She glanced over at Beth, whose smile seemed to say, I told you so.

      She realized just then, with no small amount of anticipation, that if Luc decided he wanted her, there wasn’t a damned thing she could do about it.

Five

      They didn’t get home until eleven—it was a little weird to think of Luc’s house as home—and they were both bushed. It had been a long and exhausting evening spent in a near-constant state of arousal, but now it was time to shut it down. The wedding was over and they were back to being friends.

      Luc walked her to her bedroom door, which was directly across the hall from his own. She expected a hug and a kiss, even if it was just on her cheek, but she got neither.

      “Well, good night,” he said, shutting the door to his room firmly behind him.

      She stood in the hallway alone, wondering what just happened. After having his hands on her all evening, that was the best he could do? He could just walk away without even acknowledging it?

      What if he was having second thoughts? What if he realized he didn’t want to be married? He’d been exceedingly quiet on the drive home—there was that word again...home