Whose Bride Is She Anyway (20 page)

“Oh, yeah… Judging from the video tape we saw of your little lava pit rendezvous, I’d certainly say it didn’t look like you were too terribly upset about it.” Well, now she was pouting, it was unattractive and silly and even worse, it made her look jealous, but she didn’t give a crap, because she
was.

“Listen, girlie, let me tell you a little something about the magic of television. First, I’d lay bets they edit it before you guys ever see it. It is one of the camera crew that hands you the tape isn’t it?” Tara nodded. “They encouraged us to sit together and Kelsey kept pushing to lay one on me. I kept saying no, and she kept asking anyway. ”

Tara felt smug momentarily. “You said no?”

August twirled a strand of her hair around his finger. “Well, yeah. I told her it was only our first date and I don’t do
that
on the first date.”

Tara really began to giggle now, “Good thing she doesn’t know what you
really
do on your first date with slutty girls from small towns, huh? ”

Shrugging his shoulders, he grinned at her. “Well, that was different. You talk dirty and it kind of wasn’t a date.”

“Dirty my eye, you started it.” Sliding over his body, she straddled him. His hands automatically cupped her breasts and his cock began to rise underneath her. “Oh, no, Mr. Guthrie, you have to go.” Leaning over him, she kissed his lips. “I don’t want to take a chance that you might get caught. Your roommate is probably wondering why the heck you don’t sleep in your room. ”

He slipped a nipple into his mouth, rolling his tongue over it. “Can’t I just stay here and sneak back out again in the morning? ”

Tara groaned at his request and pressed his flaxen head to her breast. “You are insatiable. No, August, please let’s not take any chances. I kinda like you being here on the island.” Swinging her legs off him, she jumped off the bed and gathered his clothes, holding them out to him.

She crooked her finger at him. “C’mon, handsome, you have to get dressed.”

His big shoulders slumped and he hung his head. “Okay, I’ll go, but I won’t like it. Somehow I think sleeping with Gordon just won’t be the same.”

Hooking her arm around his neck, she snuggled against him. “Promise me something, August?”

“Well, I’m thinkin’ you can pretty much have whatever you want right now. ”

Tugging at his cock, she smiled, “No dirty talk for Gordon, okay? It’ll make me insanely jealous.”

Hoo Rah

“S
he what?” Ms. Mary squawked.

“She fell in the pool,” Diana confirmed, nodding her head. “Can we run the tape again for Ms. Mary, Tara?”

Tara pressed play and turned away from the television. She just couldn’t watch August hold Kelsey in his arms again, because she was going to pick up the damn chair and wing it at the pretty screen. Kelsey’s body molded to August’s enticingly. Tara’s stomach rebelled against the image made larger than life by the big screen. Did the camera crew really edit these? You couldn’t edit Kelsey so close to August a toothpick wouldn’t fit between them…

Taking a deep breath, Tara closed her eyes and rubbed her aching brow. She admitted it
was
rather funny to see Kelsey soaking wet and her face covered in pus-filled hives. Andy played it over and over, stopping the tape each time Kelsey tipped backwards into the pool. Laughter filled the air, someone’s high-pitched giggle pierced the night, and then the tape went blank.

Ms. Mary shook her head, “Well, she sure was a mess, huh? But do you see the way August looks at her?” Mary’s voice turned dreamy and wistful.

Diana nodded he r head again rapidly, “Yeah, he’s pretty hot for her. He was something else in that race. I’ve never seen anyone work as hard as he did to get over that finish line. That’s chemistry for sure.”

Shut up, shut up, shut up!
Tara was hard pressed not to scream it from the top of her lungs. Damn them all, they were going to vote for August again. She could feel it. Even if it meant August would stay around, it also meant Kelsey could quite possibly win another date with him.

It was time for an anonymous vote so she could slink off and not be stoned publicly for ignoring all this
chemistry
August supposedly had with Kelsey, because it looked that way on tape and he’d better be telling the truth about the tapes being edited to look as though they were hot for each other. Although, she had to admit, it wouldn’t surprise her if they did edit them. So he might get the benefit of the doubt this time—because it beat the green-eyed monster.

“Okay, guys,” Tara interrupted. “It’s time to vote. This round is anonymous, so gr ab your pencils and head off to the voting room. ”

Andy raised his hand as he was wont to do when he was going to ask a question that made Tara wish she could wrap his mouth shut with duct tape. “Why does it have to be an anonymous vote, Tara? We all pretty much agree August is hot for Kelsey, so he’s a keeper and we already decided on the rest of the guys.”

Andy, Andy, Andy. Would you shut up?! I don’t happen to agree that the barracuda has any chemistry with August and what I say goes.

Tara tugged at her shirt uncomfortably. She was wielding her big jury foreman’s sword of power and that wasn’t okay.

Yes, yes she was, because dammit, if she had to watch one more freakin’ tape of

Kelsey Little, pawing her man, she’d rip her tonsils out with her bare hands. He’s not officially your man.

No, that’s true, she admitted mentally. But, if I have anything to say about it, he will be.

Way to get your man, tiger.
In the meantime, she’d better chill with the possession is nine tenths of the law thing, cause everyone would catch on and then she would be
screwed
. Of course, that’s all she’d done for the past few days, so maybe it wouldn’t be so bad.

Hell’s bells. She was going to be roped into voting for August again. “I’m sorry, Andy, I lost track. Okay, August it is. Do we have the next five finalists to be eliminated?”

Andy handed her the slip of eliminations. Why didn’t everyone like Vinny the way she did? He was cute in a wise guy sorta way. So he was a bit brazen, a little rough around the old edges. Big deal. Kelsey could whip him into shape in no time flat. She’d have him filing her nails and dancing until dawn without batting an eye.

Straightening her shoulders, Tara headed toward the door. “Let’s get this over with. I really hate this part of jury duty. ”

Gianni bobbed his head in sympathy. “I liked Gordon…”

Poor Gordon. On the other hand, August no longer had a roommate who could tell anyone he was gone late into the night.

Yeah, baby…

* * *

August half feared, half hoped the jury would boot his ass out. If he was eliminated it meant he couldn’t see Tara for another three weeks, until the show was over. But if he stayed he might have to keep going on dates with Kelsey. Quite frankly, he’d rather have his eye teeth ripped from his mouth with a pair of rusty pliers.

Damned if you do—damned if you don’t.

As the jury members made their way back to the pool, he watched Tara take her seat from behind his dark glasses. Her face was impassive, not tipping him off in either direction. She held the magic envelope with this round’s eliminations.

Jesus, she was beautiful. Long and lean, lightly honed and well rounded in all the right places. Last night had been amazing to say the least. She excited him like no other woman, and far more than Kelsey Little ever had or did now—since he’d spent some time with her.

He’d been foolish to think his adolescent crush was anything more than just that. If he looked back on his high school days honestly, he saw Kelsey for what she was. Funny, how a little lust could alter the perception of reality.

August wanted the freedom to explore this thing with Tara. Beyond the explosive sex, beyond the constraints of this damn show. There was no denying their physical compatibility. His cock burned with the need to simply be inside her. But, he didn’t just want to screw her brains out, he wanted to
turn
her brains inside out. Learn all of the things that made her tick. Find out why the hell they’d never run into each other, seeing as they were from the same geeky social circle.

And then, he wanted to take her out, buy her dinner, do all the normal stuff people did when they dated, and after all that, he would screw her brains out again. Trouble was, he had to keep his hands off of Tara … all of his good intentions flew out the window

when she was nearby and especially when she was nearby and naked. “Hey, man, where are you? ” Aaron interrupted his thoughts. August blinked. “I’m just tired, I guess. This is stressful. ” “Yeah it is, especially when you can’t get a date with the chick.” Was that envy he

heard in Aaron’s tone? “Your time will come.” He hoped. “I was checking that Tara chick out from the jury, man, she’s a hottie.” August’s jaw twitched.
I’m sorry, did you mean my, Tara?
He wouldn’t say it. “She’s pretty. ” August kept his comment non-committal. Aaron nudged Vinny. “Pretty? Did you hear that, Vin, August says Tara is pretty.

Are you on crack, dude? She’s got a killer ass.” Vinny raised his glasses. “And those hooters! Would I like to sample that fruit.” August twitched again, clenching his teeth together and fisting his hands at his sides. Remain calm, he told himself. He would not offer to duel Vinny at dawn over Tara’s

hooters.
Hold that thought
. Vinny called ‘em hooters too… Oh my, God. He was

officially a pig. “Fruit?” August spit through his teeth. “Yeah, ” Vinny smirked. “Ya know, like melons?” August was this close to offering Vinny a chance to see how good he was at crushing

his
melons. No, he had to play nice if he wanted to stay in the game. Tara would encourage that. “Guys,” he cut in, “it probably wouldn’t be a good idea to get caught on camera

talking about the jury foreman’s hooters, ya know?” Each man sobered instantly, glancing around surreptitiously for the cameras.

Back away from my woman slowly, you swine.

“Gentleman, are we ready to behave like adults and do what we came here to do?”

Aaron and Vinny nodded. “Sorry, August, you’re right.” Aaron was contrite.

“So let’s play hard and fast. Scale the highest mountain, swim the deepest sea … win the girl of our dreams.”
Go team, go!
Vinny and Aaron slapped each other on the back in the spirit of competition.

Hoo Rah.

* * *

“Oh, August! How did you do this?” The small table in Tara’s room held silver, domed dishes. Candles were lit and a glass of white wine waited for her. August smiled at her and pulled out the chair, motioning her to sit. “I stole it from the kitchen. I figured we’d need nourishment before we get down to business.” “Of course, you mean before we carry on an intelligent conversation, minus our body parts tangled in an embrace of passion? ” His hand reached out and caressed a nipple through her thin cotton shirt. “I like your body parts.” Waving his hands away and ignoring the wetness between her thighs she replied,

“That’s the trouble, we like each other’s body parts far too much. So indulge me, okay? ” “Oh, all right.” Tara kissed him quickly before taking her seat. “We were supposed to go to the mixer tonight. Everyone will wonder where we are.”

“Nah, I started a rumor about you. No one will wonder where you are.”

Her eyebrows rose inquiringly. “Great, wanna share what that rumor might be? Just on the off chance I need to prepare my story. Like am I a transvestite or something?”

August laughed heartily. “I told them I heard you were lovesick for your boyfriend and you wanted some ‘alone time’.” He swiped his fingers in the air, making imaginary quotation marks.

She giggled and gave him a cocky eyebrow raise. “Oh, good, that might have worked, but Ms. Mary already knows I don’t have a boyfriend.”

August smirked at her, his blue eyes with that devilish gleam in them. “Ms. Mary said she just knew you were full of crap.”

Tara tipped an imaginary hat at him. “Touché.”

He spooned rice onto her plate, followed by tender, white slices of chicken. “So was that the truth? Do you have one of those?”

“One of what?”

“A boyfriend.”

Munching on her chicken happily, Tara swallowed before answering. “Nope.”

August’s face relaxed, “Good.”

Tara’s heart beat faster. “Do
you
have one of those?”

His smile was flirty. “A boyfriend?”

Wiping her mouth with her napkin, she giggled again. “Yeah, a boyfriend.”

“Nope.”

Sighing loudly, she nibbled a cucumber from her salad. “A girlfriend, August. Was there anyone you left behind? Someone I should know about, or better still, someone
Kelsey
should know about.”

He frowned, his lower lip sticking out. “I’m hurt.”

“Why? ”

“That you would think I’m capable of such deception. ”

“So, no girlfriend?”

“Nope,” he said, winking at her.

She relaxed in her chair, letting the day’s events slip from her mind. Forgetting that August was the forbidden and good girl Tara just didn’t do this kind of stuff. Forgetting that she needed to come clean with him about why she came on this stupid show. He was the easiest man to be with. Even in silence, he brought about a comforting calm.

“Tell me why we didn’t know each other in high school? I just can’t place your name. What clubs did you belong to?”

Damn high school. Tara would bet if she told August she was part of the decorating committee for a prom she never went to because of that video, he’d remember her. Surely that rumor had spread beyond Evanston’s walls. She still couldn’t believe he didn’t know what happened between her and Kelsey. “I was captain of the trig club.”

“You really
were
a geek, huh? ”

Tara gently tapped his shin with her foot and smiled “Don’t make fun of me. So what was your gig in high school?”

“I was in band.”

“Well, there’s the problem, I traveled in far more
interesting
geek circles.”

“Hey, the tuba is interesting. ”

Stabbing her tomato, she brought it to her lips, licking the slice free of salad dressing.

“Stop doing that.”

“What?”

“Licking your lips,” he growled.

“Do you want me to just rip my clothes off now and we can dispense with the learning about each other phase of this relationship?”

“Now you’re talkin’.”

“August,” she warned, “it’s only for a little while, then, I promise to get naked, lie on the bed and let you have your wicked way with me if we can just talk.”

“Pinky swear?”

Chuckling, she held up her pinky. “Pinky swear. So after high school you graduated from college, and…”

“I started my own web-site design company. ”

“I know next to nothing about computer graphics. What kind of web sites do you design? ”

“I specialize in custom sites for commercial companies, like cars and food products.”

“It sounds much more interesting than being a chemist.”

August took a long draw from his beer. “I think chemistry is cool. ”

She bristled over that word. “That’s just what everyone keeps saying you have oodles of with Kelsey. ”

“That’s because they can’t hear me telling her to keep that tongue of hers in her own mouth. ”

Tramp, slut, whore.

“Thank God Vinny won the date tonight.” He genuinely seemed relieved by that.

And August didn’t even have to cheat for it to happen. Vinny won the poker game fair and square. Brooklyn in da house. “Yeah, it means we can talk while everyone else is off doing their own thing,” Tara reminded him. Tonight, after the mixer was a free night and most everyone opted to go back to their huts and relax.

“Are we done doing that yet? Because I remember hearing someone say they’d get naked…”

His insatiable lust shifted her heart into overdrive, and there was nothing she wanted more than to throw herself at him and shout “
do me like a sow in heat.”
But she also wanted to know about August and he was making it very difficult.

“Not just yet. Where are your parents? Do they still live in Colorado?”

“Mom raised me, with Gram. My father left when I was a kid.”

A tear stung her eyes. “Oh, August, I’m sorry. ”

Shrugging he grinned at her, the dimples on either side of his mouth deepened. “Don’t be. Nobody could whack a baseball like Gram. What about your parents?”

“They live in Colorado too, still married, still nuts about each other. One brother, two sisters. All married with too many kids to count. Do you have any siblings?”