Wrong Wedding Read online

  “What?” she finally demanded.

  “Are you okay?”

  With a weird pressure in her throat, she admitted, “I... don’t know.”

  “It’s hard when an idol falls, isn’t it?”

  “Carter wasn’t an idol to me.”

  “Wasn’t he?”

  “No. I mean, yes, I had some silly daydreams about him. In the past. Not now. But I’m not upset right now because he’s not a flawless hero.”

  “Then what are you upset about?” It sounded like he really wanted to know.

  “I don’t know. I’m worried about Carter. I don’t like to see him in pain. And... and...”

  “And what?”

  “And I guess I’m kind of sad.” She licked her lips and tried to think through the tumble of emotion inside her. “It feels like I’m... I’m leaving something behind. And it makes me sad.”

  Lincoln took a step closer to the bed. “What are you leaving behind?”

  “I don’t know.” It was a lie. She knew exactly what she was moving beyond. All her old hopes and dreams and feelings for Carter. They’d been important to her. Special. They’d given her something to hope for when she’d had nothing else.

  But they’d died completely now, leaving her with a strange sort of grief.

  “Yes, you do. Tell me. What are you leaving behind, Summer?” Lincoln was urgent. Inappropriately urgent for the nature of their conversation.

  She shrugged. She knew Lincoln now. She understood him. She even liked him most of the time. But Carter had been right. It would be dangerous to trust him.

  So she had to keep her most intimate thoughts to herself, no matter how tempted she was to share.

  “Summer—”

  “Stop pushing, Lincoln. It’s not your business what I’m feeling right now.”

  “But I want to know.”

  “Have you found in life that you always get what you want?”

  “No.” He gave a soft huff of dry amusement. “Almost never.”

  “So why would you assume you’d get what you want right now?”

  His tense expression softened into a smile. “Why is it that you’re this stubborn and determined only with me?”

  “I’m not like this only with you.”

  “Aren’t you? From my observation, you’re sweet and accommodating with everyone else. We could ask any of our mutual acquaintances, and they’d all testify to that fact. So why don’t I get any of your sweetness?”

  To her dismay, she felt herself blushing and flutters awakened in her heart. Hopefully he wouldn’t be able to see her reaction because of the darkness of the room. “Because you don’t deserve it. You be sweet to me, and I’ll be sweet to you.”

  As soon as she heard the words in the air, she wished she hadn’t said them.

  He took the final step toward the bed. He was close enough to touch now. He murmured thickly, “I can be as sweet as you want. Just say the word.”

  Her whole body went hot. A throb of arousal pulsed between her legs. It took all the willpower she possessed to keep her voice even as she said, “Get out of here, Lincoln.”

  With an almost wicked smile, he turned toward the connecting door between their rooms. “You can’t run forever, Summer.”

  “I’m not running. I’m going to sleep. Now get out of here.”

  “Your wish is my...” He was laughing as he walked out of the room.

  SUMMER DIDN’T SEE CARTER all day on Saturday. Or Sunday. Or Monday.

  She was really starting to worry.

  On Sunday afternoon, she sent him a casual text message. Just checking in. There was no answer, so she tried again on Monday morning. Then again on Monday afternoon. She tried calling after dinner on Monday, but the call just went to voice mail.

  Lincoln had said Carter would bounce back in a day or two, but it had been three days now and nothing. Carter had just disappeared.

  She tried once more before she got into bed on Monday night, but there was no answer again. She wanted to talk to Lincoln—since he was the only thing that had made her feel better all weekend—but he’d gone out with friends that evening.

  So instead she turned on the television and pulled up Netflix, searching for a few minutes until she found a show she liked and hadn’t watched for a while.

  She’d gotten through about thirty minutes of an episode when there was a knock on the connecting door. “It’s open!” she called with a surge of relief and excitement. She hadn’t locked the door since Lincoln had come in to tell her about Carter on Friday evening.

  Lincoln opened the door and came in. He wore dark jeans, a black T-shirt, and a black leather jacket. He smelled like whiskey and night air. “You in bed already?”

  “It’s eleven. It’s not that early. I have to go to work tomorrow morning. Not all of us are on a week’s vacation.”

  Lincoln gave her a quirk of a smile as he walked over to the opposite side of the bed. He toed off his shoes, dropped his jacket on the floor, and flopped down on top of the covers beside her.

  She frowned at him. “Just go ahead and make yourself comfortable.”

  “I am. What are we watching?”

  “We aren’t watching anything. I was watching in the privacy of my room until you came barging in uninvited.”

  “You said it was open.” He grinned at her—ridiculously appealing—before he turned toward the television. “Zombies? Really?”

  “Why are you surprised? The early seasons were really good.”

  “I don’t know. I just expected you to be absorbed in some schmaltzy animated Disney movie.”

  She made a choked sound. “Why would you think that?”

  “Don’t you like that kind of thing?” He turned toward her again, his eyes laughing, fond, uncharacteristically soft.

  She scowled at him, trying to stifle the swell of pleasure and affection. “Occasionally. But not all the time. Sometimes I like to watch regular people trying to survive a zombie apocalypse.”

  He chuckled and turned toward the television. They watched in silence until the episode was over.

  She turned on her side so she was facing Lincoln. “Have you talked to Carter?”

  He shifted to face her too. “Not since Friday.”

  “Me either. Have you heard from him at all? Seen him?”

  “No.” Lincoln frowned. “You mean you haven’t heard anything from him for three days?”

  “Nothing. I’m getting worried. He hasn’t been sleeping here. He won’t answer his phone. He didn’t go into the office today.”

  “Maybe he’s staying with a friend.”

  “I’ve called all his friends. No one has heard from him. No one has seen him. He’s just vanished off the face of the earth.” She reached over and touched his forearm, which was resting on the bed between them. “Lincoln, I’m getting scared.”

  “I’m sure it’s nothing to worry about.” He brushed a loose strand of hair off her face. “Don’t be scared. He does this. He always snaps back. Maybe he’s...” He trailed off with a thoughtful frown.

  “He disappears completely? For more than three days? Has he done this before, Lincoln?”

  “Not for so long. And he usually just hides away at home. But I’m sure he’s okay. Please don’t be scared.” He acted like he was brushing her hair back again, but there wasn’t any hair on her face. He was just brushing his fingers lightly against her cheek, and it felt so good it made her shudder.

  But she was too worried about Carter to indulge that kind of feeling right now. “I’m trying not to be.”

  “I’ll see what I can find out.” Lincoln rolled off the bed and stood up, reaching down to grab his jacket and shoes from the floor.

  Her chest relaxed. She smiled up at him in relieved gratitude. “Thank you.”

  He stared at her for a moment. She couldn’t read the expression in his eyes. Then he gave his head a quick shake and he smiled. “Don’t worry. I’m sure your prince is off grooming his white steed somewhere. But I�
��ll see if I can track him down.”

  “Thanks, Lincoln. Let me know if you find anything.”

  “I will.” He went into his bedroom and closed the door, leaving her with nothing but the light of the television.

  SUMMER WAS STILL WIDE-awake an hour later when there was another knock on the door.

  “Come in!” Her voice cracked slightly on the second word.

  Lincoln swung the door open and stood in the doorway. “I found him.”

  She sat up in bed, the covers falling down to her waist. She was wearing a cute knit gown in a dusty pink. “You found him?”

  “Yeah. He’s not being very stealthy. He’s putting everything on his credit card. He’s in Atlantic City.”

  “Atlantic City! What is he doing there?”

  “Well, from the credit card purchases, he’s spending a ridiculous amount of money at bars and casinos.”

  “Oh no.” She covered her mouth with one hand. “Lincoln—”

  “I know. I know.”

  “This is not normal. He might really be in trouble, Lincoln.”

  “I know.” His voice was slightly rough. He combed his fingers through his messy hair.

  “What are we going to do? We have to do something. We have to help him.”

  “Yeah.” Lincoln met her eyes across the distance and the bluish light of the television. “You want to go get him? Bring him home?”

  “Yes. Yes, please!”

  “There’s a flight from Charlotte at seven in the morning. You want me to get us tickets?”

  “Yes. Thank you.” She got out of bed and hurried over to where he was standing. She reached out and grabbed for one of his arms. “Thank you, Lincoln.”

  He gave a half shrug, looking slightly uncomfortable. “He’s my brother. And he’s obviously taken a tumble off his noble white steed. We’ll find him. We’ll haul him back up into the saddle where he belongs.”

  Summer was so relieved and gratified and filled with fond feelings that she wrapped her arms around him, squeezing his lean, hard body in a hug.

  Lincoln didn’t react immediately. He stood stiffly for so long she was about to draw back. But then his arms went around her too. He tightened them for a few seconds before he released her.

  She pulled back, flushed and smiling. “I’ll be ready first thing tomorrow. I’ll take a couple of days off work. Thank you for finding him.”

  “You’re welcome.” He was smiling too, but there was something else smoldering in his eyes. “But just a word of advice. That nightgown does nothing to hide your body. So unless you want to take me up on my offer of a good time, then you might put a robe on before you hug me again.”

  She gasped and glanced down at herself. Crossed her arms on her chest.

  Lincoln chuckled. “That’s what I thought. Be ready by the crack of dawn tomorrow. We’ll need to get an early start.”

  She didn’t have time to say anything else before he was leaving and closing the door behind him.

  Summer stared at the closed door for a long time. She didn’t lock it before she finally crawled back into bed.

  Five

  THE FOLLOWING MORNING, Summer woke from a light sleep and couldn’t seem to open her eyes.

  She was awake. She knew she was. She could think conscious thoughts and assess her physical condition. But her head and body and eyelids were all heavy. Too heavy to sit up straight or open her eyes.

  She wasn’t uncomfortable. She was leaning over, resting on something warm and firm. There was soft fabric beneath her cheek. A pleasant weight wrapped around the back of her shoulders. And she was surrounded by the most delicious smell. Warm and familiar. Both natural and expensive. Slightly spicy but only on the surface. There was an underlying note that was... human.

  Lincoln.

  She was surrounded by the smell of Lincoln.

  Shifting slightly, she rubbed her cheek against the fabric. It felt so nice. So did the firmness of the substance beneath it. It was hard. Heat was coming from it. But it wasn’t unyielding. It moved occasionally. And when she was very still, she could feel a pulsing from inside it.

  A heartbeat.

  Lincoln’s heart.

  She gasped and raised her head, tilting it up to see Lincoln’s face a couple of inches from hers. For a moment she had no idea where she was. The only thing she was conscious of was those unnaturally vivid green eyes. The expression in them. Filled with a softness that mesmerized her.

  Without thinking, she stretched toward him, desperately needing to meet the feeling in his gaze, to bury herself in it.

  The sound of coughing from somewhere behind her finally brought her to her senses. She pulled back. Straightened up. Stretched her back and rubbed her face.

  They were in the first-class cabin of an airplane heading to Atlantic City. She’d obviously fallen asleep and leaned over on top of him without realizing it. He must have raised the armrest between them and wrapped an arm around her to hold her in place.

  And she’d almost kissed him as she woke up.

  She risked a glance over to him and saw he was watching her with familiar laughter on his face. A teasing kind of laughter.

  She scowled at him. “I was asleep.”

  “I know that. For almost half an hour.”

  “I didn’t mean to lay all over you.”

  “Obviously. But I didn’t mind.”

  “If you hadn’t raised the armrest, I wouldn’t have been so much on top of you.”

  He twitched his eyebrows. “That’s why I raised it.”

  She was blushing. She couldn’t help it. Plus one of her cheeks was hotter than the other from the way it had been pressed against his shirt. She probably looked ridiculous.

  Smoothing down her hair, she gave Lincoln another mild glare.

  He laughed out loud, stretching his legs and lowering the armrest. “Anytime you need a pillow, I’ll gladly oblige.”

  “Uh-huh.”

  “And anytime you need a blanket to keep you warm, I can be that too.”

  She rolled her eyes. He was obviously teasing, but she couldn’t help but like the sound of it.

  “And if you ever need a sex toy to give you some physical release, I can provide that too.”

  She gasped and jerked away. “Lincoln!”

  “What? Too much?”

  “Yes, it’s too much. I wish you wouldn’t do that.”

  “Do what?”

  “Tease like that. In that way.”

  He leaned forward and murmured thickly, “In the sexy way?”

  “Yes, in the sexy way.” Her whole body was hot, but she managed to meet his eyes evenly. “It makes me uncomfortable.”

  “If it really makes you uncomfortable, then I’ll stop. But tell me the truth. Are you uncomfortable because you don’t want to hear those things from me? Or is it because you do want to hear them but don’t want to admit that to yourself?”

  She was shaking, and she didn’t know why. Maybe because his expression was both hot and strangely sincere. Or maybe because she was suddenly so scared her hands had gone cold. She cleared her throat. “I’m uncomfortable because it doesn’t seem appropriate. We don’t have that kind of relationship. And you shouldn’t say things you know embarrass me when you don’t mean them.”

  He blinked a couple of times and stiffened his shoulders. “What?”

  “What, what?”

  “You think I don’t mean them?”

  “Well, yes. I mean no. Whatever the right answer is. I don’t think you really mean them. You’re teasing the way you always do. You’re trying to get a rise out of me. It’s what you’ve always done ever since I was seventeen and you sent me those flowers the day after prom to embarrass Carter and me.”

  “You think I don’t want to take you to bed?” His voice was soft and slightly rough.

  She licked her lips since they were suddenly dry. “No. I mean, I guess you wouldn’t say no to sex if it was offered, especially since otherwise you’re out of luck until we get
divorced. But I don’t think you’re really into me. I’m not stupid, you know.”

  “Yes, you are.” He’d taken off his seat belt and turned in his seat to face her.

  “No, I’m not! I know teasing when I see it, and all you do—all you’ve ever done—is tease.”

  The laughter in his eyes had died. He reached over and cupped her cheek. “You’re wrong.”

  She pulled her face away from his hand since the touch was sending tingles of pleasure all through her body. “You don’t really think I’m silly enough to believe you’re into me.”

  “If by into you mean I spend most of the time we’re together imagining you in bed with me, fantasizing about kissing every inch of your body and making you come harder than you’ve ever come before, then yes. I’m definitely into you.”

  She gulped. Crossed her arms over her belly since it felt like she needed to hold herself together.

  He raised a hand like he would touch her again but then dropped it onto the armrest. “Listen to me, Summer. This is the truth. I sound teasing because I’m trying not to be pushy or pressure you. You’re stuck in a bad situation. You should never be married to me like this. But I mean what I say to you.” He held her gaze. Deep and intense. Soul-shaking. “I mean everything.”

  “O...kay.” She had to look away since otherwise she’d melt into a puddle right there in the airline seat. “I... I...”

  “Yes?”

  She caught herself just when she was on the verge of admitting she was dying to have sex with him too. “I don’t think it’s a good idea.”

  “What isn’t a good idea?”

  “Us. Having sex. It’s... It would make things too complicated.”

  “It wouldn’t have to. I know how to avoid strings. I’ve done it all my life.”

  “I know you have, but I haven’t.” She finally dared to look at him again and was relieved to see his typical relaxed amusement. “I’m sure sex would be... be...”

  “Earth-shattering.”

  She couldn’t help but snicker at his dry tone. “Fun. But I take sex seriously. I never do it unless there’s more than fun between us. And our situation is weird enough without adding casual sex into the mix. So I think we better not.”