The Best Man (5 page)

Beth frowned and shook her head. “I guess not. I date some, but I usually have a wedding Saturday morning and sometimes Friday nights, too.  The job doesn’t really leave a lot of time for a social life.”

“Still, you must get a lot of … attention.”

Beth remembered his earlier words and felt flushed. “I get asked out enough.”

“And sometimes you say yes.”

“Right.”

“When that happens, when you say yes, what are those men like?”

She couldn’t even look at him. He was asking her — in a completely unsubtle way — what she looked for in a man, trying to figure out why she'd said no to him.

He laughed. “Fair enough.” He turned pointedly towards the television.

Beth watched him out of the corner of her eye. He reached up to pinch the bridge of his nose. “Is your head bothering you?”

“It’s not bad.  Tylenol helped plenty.”

“Oh. You looked …” she shrugged.

“Think it’s about time I take the contacts out. That’s all.”

“You wear glasses?”

He sighed. “Yes.”

He looked so disheartened she was tempted to comfort him. Silly.  “I can pause the movie while you go change into them. I should probably get the leftovers put away anyway.”

She collected their plates and headed to the kitchen. “Hey.” She called out to the other room. “You could take another dose. It’s been nearly six hours.”

Colin paused before nodding and walking out of the room.

She was too bossy. Vowing to reign herself in at least a little, she poured them each a glass of water.

The glasses suited him. The dark, thick frames drew attention to his startling green eyes. Boys shouldn’t have such pretty eyes. “Ready for the end of the movie? We’ve only got like twenty minutes left.”

“I believe I’ll survive it.”

Beth giggled. “Not a fan of musicals about mystical, time traveling villages?”

“When you say it like that, I don’t see how I’m not”

Beth tried to get lost in the film for its final scenes, but couldn’t. Colin was getting closer. Somehow, without her ever seeing him move, his side was nearly touching hers. His aftershave surrounded her. He drummed his fingers on the edge on the couch sending shivers of vibration through her body.

“Beth?”

Realizing that she’d been staring at his thigh, she jumped slightly. “Huh?” The movie was over, now displaying the credits.

He looked at her intently for a moment before letting out a breath. “Do I stand any sort of chance?”

“What are you —”

“I was the king of fools on Saturday. Today hasn’t gone much better, but that’s not me. Normally, I’m rather dull.” He laughed. “I don’t suppose that helped my case, but it’s true. I teach Classic British Literature part time at a small college in London, and I occasionally manage to get a short story published in a magazine. I tried opening a bookstore a couple years ago, but it turns out that people would prefer to save money and purchase their books online. And also, I have no talent for business. That’s not to say I have no means. There is family money and I have a good accountant.” He took a deep breath. “I don’t date much, not before Andrea and certainly not since. On Friday evenings I order curry from the shop down the street even though it gives me indigestion. I can cook one thing: spaghetti bolognese. I like to read and I make it a point to catch
Doctor Who
on the telly.  I’m a bit of a slob.” Colin stood up and began pacing. “I play poker a couple times a month with some of the other professors. I like canoeing and swimming. I avoid team sports and they avoid me. I’ve never been unfaithful to a woman and never will be. No one should ever have to know that feeling. ”

Beth opened her mouth to talk but he held up his hand and continued, “Hear me out, please. I’m almost certainly not the type of man you usually date, but I’m a good man. I am, despite the unbelievable quantity of evidence you’ve seen to the contrary. I am a good man and I think I could fall in love with you. The question is whether there is any chance that falling for you would end happily for me.”

Beth’s heart pounded like a drum in her ears. She said the first thing that came to mind. “You barely know me.”

“I know plenty.” He smiled. “You’re kind and beautiful. You smell like lavender.”

“I do?”

“I think there’s something here.” He gestured back and forth between them. “Do you feel it, too?”

“I don’t know.” She stood up. “I’m sorry if I led you to … I barely know you. I can’t …” She shook her head. “I think we should both just try to get a good night’s sleep. You’ve had a rough day and maybe that’s ...” she trailed off awkwardly.

“I understand.”

The disappointment on his face hurt her stomach. “Please.” She stepped towards him and placed her hand on his shoulder. “Let’s get some sleep. We can talk in the morning.”

His eyes met hers and held for a moment before he nodded.

BETH FLED. SHE DIDN’T
  wait to turn off lights and check the lock on the front door. She didn’t turn on the dishwasher or water her plants. She just fled. She closed the door to her bedroom and rested her back against it. She wanted him. Every inch of her skin tingled with the want of him.

Colin was tempting, charming really, but more like a restoration project than a potential boyfriend, and Beth wasn’t in the market for a project, not even one whose kisses made her knees tremble. She glared at her traitorous, still shaky limbs, drew in a deep breath, and stepped away from the door because independent, professional women ignore their sexy houseguests and get ready for bed. She was not slave to her hormones.

Beth changed before going back to the kitchen to clean up and lock the front door.

The guest room door was open; she poked her head in and nearly fell over. He’d showered. His skin still glistened, droplets of water clung to the curls at the nape of his neck. She barely had time to register the most gorgeous back she’d ever seen when he turned to look at her with startled eyes. Her gaze dropped to the black drawstring pants riding low on his hips. The swimming and canoeing was working out for him. Right? Wrong? It was getting harder to care. His walking closer didn’t help. Beth sucked in a breath. “I – I  just wanted to see if you needed anything.”

He smirked. Quiet, responsible men are not supposed to look like that.

Heat rose to her cheeks.

Colin stopped just inches from her.  Unable to meet his eyes, she dropped her gaze to floor. His feet were bare. She stared at them. His feet were bare because he’d just been in the shower, with water and soap suds sliding down the long length of his back and over the lean ridges on his stomach. Beth trembled. Was it really so wrong? They were both adults, both unattached. If they kept things honest no one would get hurt.

“Beth?” His voice was rough.

“What if it’s just physical? This thing we feel … it might just be hormones… a fling.”

He cupped her cheek and used his thumb to lift her chin. “That’s a start, isn’t it? Couldn’t that be a start?”

“I don’t know.”

Colin placed his mouth near hers. “I’m trying to follow your lead here. But you’re not making it easy.”

She nodded. “Here’s the thing, I like you, Colin. I like the look of you, and the way you talk in a completely different accent when you’ve been drinking. I like that you write dirty rhymes in your head but have perfectly nice manners. And I really like the way you kiss me. I want you, right now.” She shrugged. “You good with that?”

He grinned. “Does it mean I can kiss you again?”

Beth’s restraint broke. She launched herself at him, kissing him hungrily, clutching his shoulders and neck as he lifted her into his arms and carried her to the bed. Colin laid her down on the coverlet then joined her. 

Beth arched up to kiss him as she ran her hands down his back, loving the slippery feel of his still wet skin. He groaned.

“Colin,” she whispered.

“I love it when you say my name, even though you make me sound like an errant schoolboy half the time.”

“I do not.”

He grinned and spoke in an odd, high-pitched voice. “Colin, don’t mock the bridesmaids or I’ll tell the cake man where you’re hiding. Now, tuck in your shirt and stand up straight.”

Laughing, Beth shook her head. “I never said that.”

“Are you certain?” He pretended to think about it. “What about the part where you promised me a treat if I was a good boy?”

“I may have bribed you with a Hershey’s Kiss.”  She grinned flirtatiously. “Would you have preferred it if I went to find the caterer’s wooden spoon?”

“I don’t know, you’re a fair bit cuter than my nanny was. Might not mind takin’ a lickin’ from you.” He wiggled his eyebrows.

“So you were in trouble a lot? When you were a kid.” There was definitely a rascally side under his fine manners, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

“Not at all. The nanny bruised my knuckles once, and my mum fired her on the spot. She spent the rest of the day feeding me biscuits and promising that the bad lady would never hurt me again.” He grinned.

“What did you do to the nanny?”

“I was late for something, probably out in the yard daydreaming or lost in a book. Punctuality was never my strong suit, but I was hardly a ruffian.”

“And she hit you for that? Evil woman.” Beth reached for his hand and kissed the knuckles.

“It was the other hand, actually.”

“Should I kiss that one, too?”

Colin nodded and she brushed her lips across the knuckles of his left hand. “Better?”

“Like magic.” He rubbed his thumb over her cheek and buried his fingers in her hair, pulling her mouth to his. He took his time, sliding his tongue across her lips and over them to caress her tongue and teeth, the inside of her cheeks.

Beth looped her arms around his neck. Kissing him was like drinking champagne; she was almost giddy but her body was languid, every muscle melting into the bed, into him. She rubbed her cheek against his like a cat marking her place.

Colin lifted his head and met her eyes. “You’re beautiful. More than beautiful.” He pushed a lock of hair off her forehead, and ran his fingertips down the side of her face. “I don’t have the words for what you are.” His lips touched the hollow of her throat and sent a wave of heat down her body. It pooled in her stomach. And lower.

Beth’s head fall back and she closed her eyes as his thumb traced her collarbone and dipped down to draw a circle in the valley between her breasts. Her nipples tightened, eager, aching, and she tangled her fingers in his soft, damp hair. She wrapped a single curl around her finger and tugged.  “Sweet talker.”

She stroked the back of his neck as he unbuttoned her top and slid his hand beneath the silky fabric to cup her breast. He exhaled shakily, his breath hot on her neck. “Gorgeous,” he murmured, “so lovely.”

Arching her back, Beth pushed herself into his touch and tightened her hold on his shoulders. He had beautiful shoulders, strong and smooth. Her hands itched to explore their shape like a sculptor. He’d be her favorite subject, the one whose shape she knew better than her own. But the startling pleasure of his touch had her clinging to him, trapped by racing tingles of anticipation. Had it ever been like this before?

His fingers teased her nipple to a hardened point as he lowered his head to suckle its partner. He left her top in place, wetting the shiny fabric with his lips and tongue then blowing a whisper of cool air across her breast. Beth shuddered as her nipple puckered tightly.

“Colin.”

He peeled her shirt away and covered her breast with his mouth, hot, so hot against her chilled skin. His tongue swirled and he nipped her with his teeth. She gasped.

“Is the other feeling left out?” He tugged the fabric away and brushed his thumb across the tip. “Don’t want that, do we?”

Beth buried her fingers in his hair and pulled his mouth to her breast. “We don’t.” He gave a low laugh before treating her nipple to a single long lick. And another. 

He reached under her, splaying his hand against her back, and hugged her to him as he dragged her shirt down her arms. He tossed it to the floor and kissed her shoulder as he lowered her back to the bed.

She caught his face between her palms and studied his gaze for a moment. Something flashed there, something more than hunger. Something more than she’d expected. “You’re good at this.”

He exhaled a husky near-chuckle. “You could try to sound less surprised.”

Beth sprang up and pushed him down on his back. “Not what I meant.” She pounced, sitting astride his thighs and grinning victoriously.

“No?”

Slowly, shaking her head from side to side, she leaned in. “My turn.” Beth rubbed her lips up his neck and licked the shell of his ear. “I’m good at this, too,” she whispered before leaning back to survey her prize. Oh yes. He was far too pretty not to touch.

The muscles in his chest were hard and taut. She trailed her fingers down to his navel, flattened her palm on his stomach and, smiling at his shudder, slid her hand back up to rest over his heart. His pulse skittered. She bent and kissed his chest, his throat, his chin.