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“It was a wonderful ceremony.” The low, sultry sound of Missy’s voice wrapped around him, making him fantasize about long summer nights and hot sex. Heck, he’d take a cool fall night, a cold winter one or a wet spring evening. He wasn’t picky.

  This close, they were at eye-level. Missy might have been a smidge taller than he was in those killer shoes of hers. He didn’t mind at all. She’d be a perfect fit for him in the bedroom. Their bodies would align perfectly when they hit the mattress.

  He’d always felt awkward and clumsy around smaller women, afraid he’d hurt them with his passion. That wouldn’t be a problem with Missy. She’d be able to handle him. Easily.

  And it was time to change his train of thought before he really embarrassed himself.

  “They look good together.” He motioned with his head toward Lucas and Candy who were currently dancing to the soulful music seeping from the stereo speakers.

  “They really do,” she agreed. She broke off a piece of brownie and popped it into her mouth. “I knew he was something special the first time he brought Candy brownies at work. These things are incredible.”

  T.S. watched, totally enthralled as Missy chewed slowly, her eyes taking on a dreamy appearance before she finally swallowed. A low moan came from deep in her throat. “Oh yeah, these are deadly.”

  His muscles tightened and he had the urge to punch his best friend for making the damn brownies. He wanted to draw such a sound from Missy’s lips. Not that he wanted anything permanent. But he sure as hell wouldn’t mind getting Missy out of his system. She’d haunted his nights and fantasies long enough.

  He frowned, not liking where his thoughts were heading. No one had control over him. Ever. Not since he was eighteen. It had been a woman then who’d helped orchestrate his downfall.

  No, he reminded himself. He’d done it by being stupid enough to believe she wanted him. Lorna was the sister of his brother’s girlfriend and he’d lusted for her as only a teenage boy could. That was the reason he’d been in the car that fateful night. He’d been thrilled that his brother had let him drive the beat-up, shit box of a car he’d owned. Stupid.

  He shoved aside the memories. God, they were so long ago but they still haunted him. He put down the plate, his hunger suddenly gone.

  “You okay?”

  Missy’s concern was like acid in an already festering wound. “Fine.” He could want a woman and still be in complete control. Hadn’t he been proving that fact his entire life? It didn’t have to mean anything. It wouldn’t mean anything.

  “Let’s dance.” He took the plate from her hands and set it on the table. Before she could object to his highhandedness, he added, “It would make Candy happy.”

  Missy frowned but allowed him to escort her to the area of the floor that had been cleared for dancing. Candy and Lucas were swaying to another slow tune. Sure enough, Candy smiled and waved her fingers at them. “Isn’t this a great song?”

  “Wonderful,” he answered.

  “I’m glad you asked Missy to dance.” He couldn’t help but smile at Candy’s enthusiasm. She wasn’t fooling anyone. He knew she’d love to have him and Missy become a couple. Wasn’t going to happen. Not in the permanent way that she wanted. But that didn’t mean he and Missy couldn’t have another kind of relationship. A very adult and sexual one.

  “Maybe I asked him,” Missy countered, her tone tart.

  Candy laughed as Lucas spun her away. “Either way. I’m just glad you’re having fun.”

  T.S. decided he wouldn’t mind having some fun, especially if it involved him and Missy and no clothing. Maybe she’d be agreeable to the idea. A man could only hope. He took Missy into his arms and began to move. One of her hands sat on his shoulder, while the other was held in his hand. Her chest brushed against his as he twirled her in a circle before settling down to sway to the music.

  Missy didn’t know whether to stamp her foot in frustration or walk away from T.S. She did neither. No way did she want to cause a scene at her best friend’s wedding reception, not when Candy looked so darn happy.

  When she’d told Candy she should have an affair with Lucas she’d never dreamed they end up married. But they looked so right together. Lucas held Candy as if she was the most precious thing in his world. Missy ignored the twinge of envy that coursed through her.

  There was plenty of time for her to find a man when she was ready. She had a ten-step plan and she was on about step five. She’d gotten her education, left home for good, gotten a job, her own apartment and a car. Her next step was to work up the corporate ladder a bit farther, get her salary where she wanted it to be. That might take a while longer than she’d anticipated. With the economy being what it was she’d been lucky not to lose her job as so many others had. Publishing wasn’t exactly a stable business and, with the cutbacks, editing jobs were in short supply.

  She’d thought about looking for a job elsewhere, of leaving Chicago permanently, but in the end, she hadn’t been able to do it. She loved her job and Candy was the best friend she’d ever had.

  T.S. put a hand on the small of her back and clasped her fingers with his other one, pulling her back to the problem at hand. And he was a very big problem.

  As their bodies slowly moved to the low, bluesy tune she felt herself wanting to snuggle closer to him and that just wouldn’t do. He wasn’t part of her plan.

  Like everything else in her life, Missy knew exactly what she wanted in a man. He’d be in business, maybe a lawyer or a banker. He’d make a good salary, own his own home and be established in his career. He’d be cultured and like classical music, the arts and theatre. He’d drink fine wines and appreciate gourmet food. In short, he’d be the male version of her.

  T.S. MacNamara did not fit that definition by any stretch of her imagination. The man worked in construction and drank domestic beer from the bottle. Not that she was a snob. Not really. She liked him fine. After all, he was Lucas’ friend.

  He was also very easy on the eyes. One thing all that construction work had done for him was build one hell of a body. She let her hand slide down from his shoulder to rest on his biceps. It was huge. She’d seen them plenty while he was working on the downstairs addition to Lucas and Candy’s home. She’d intentionally dropped by to visit Candy several times when she’d known he’d be there.

  And there was nothing wrong with looking. Admiring the way his butt filled out a tight pair of jeans or how the well-worn material lovingly cupped his male attributes. But long-term, she wanted a man she had more in common with. Better chance of having a marriage that lasted.

  Right now she was doing her best to ignore the fact she was actually in his arms. It wasn’t working. The palm on the small of her back was practically burning a hole through her dress. The man gave off enough heat to send her temperature soaring.

  Beneath her dress, her bra and panties felt tight and confining. Her nipples were currently pebbled against the fabric just like they’d been at the chapel. Missy was very afraid they would be visible if she took a step back.

  “Everything okay?” His deep, sexy rumble set her skin to tingling. Her stomach fluttered and it wasn’t with hunger. Well, maybe it was hunger, but not the kind that could be sated with a brownie, no matter how divine it was.

  He moved his hand, rubbing it in a slow sweep up and down the long length of her spine, sliding it over the nape of her neck, which was exposed by her short hairstyle. Missy swallowed hard and bit her bottom lip to keep from moaning aloud. She nodded. “Fine. Everything is just fine.”

  She was proud of the way she held herself together. Then he tightened his fingers around hers and pulled her closer. When her stomach brushed against his, she felt a distinct bulge. A very substantial bulge.

  She creamed her panties at the very tangible sign of his arousal and had to fight to keep from throwing herself at him. He might not be her dream man but he certainly pushed all her buttons. No doubt about it. She wanted him. Bad.

  He was so close. She could smell his aft
ershave, something woodsy and earthy. She wanted to bury her nose against his neck and simply inhale him. His lips were inches from hers. His breathing was getting deeper and more ragged.

  Usually men were shorter than her when she wore high heels. She did it on purpose, a defensive mechanism. She didn’t want a man in her life right now. It wasn’t part of the plan. She was the one to pick and choose if she wanted to date a man.

  But T.S. overwhelmed her.

  His breath was warm and moist against the curve of her neck, his lips soft as they grazed the skin beneath her ear. Her fingers tightened reflexively around his. He nuzzled her hair and whispered in her ear, “Let’s get out of here. Go somewhere quiet.”

  His words were as effective as a bucket of cold water in the face. She snapped back to her senses, which wasn’t easy considering her wayward hormones desperately wanted to take him up on his offer. Oh yeah, her body was on board with the plan. But her brain was screaming for her to proceed with caution.

  “I don’t think so.” She took a step back and was slightly disappointed when he immediately released her.

  It wasn’t fair the way this man could overwhelm her senses without even trying. She was no easy one-night stand. She dated men first. They went to dinner. They went to the theatre and popular clubs. If a man lasted three months, she’d consider taking the relationship into the bedroom.

  That attitude had given her a reputation. She knew some thought she was cold. She preferred to think of it as smart. Because she dated so much, many of her colleagues at work assumed she was very sexually active. Heck, even Candy thought so. But Missy had always been reserved when it came to her sexuality. Oh, she put up a very believable front. She could talk the talk, but she walked slowly and carefully.

  “Thanks for the dance.” She turned away from him and made her way to Candy’s side. Once she’d said her goodbyes to the bride and groom, she’d gather her belongings and leave. It was time to go home.

  Chapter Two

  Well, that had gone well. Not.

  T.S. tried his best to ignore his raging hard-on as he watched Missy walk away from him. No, not walk. Saunter. The woman could move like water, flowing around a room, her hips working from side to side as she went. He swore under his breath as she leaned down to talk to Candy.

  He hadn’t misread her signals. He knew he hadn’t.

  She was as attracted to him as he was to her. Her nipples were poking out from the silky fabric of her dress like soldiers at attention. He’d felt her sway toward him, heard the catch in her breath when her stomach had brushed against his erection.

  She hadn’t pulled away then. No, she’d only done that when he’d suggested they leave. He should have kept his mouth shut. If he’d played his cards right they might have left together a little later. But like a callow youth, he’d rushed things.

  “Shit,” he muttered under his breath as he stalked to the buffet table and grabbed a soda from the ice chest. He’d already had one beer. That was his limit when he was going to be driving.

  He stood in a shadowy corner of the room and did his best to ignore the heavy throbbing of his cock, willing it back into submission. He took a long pull of the fizzy soft drink, wishing like hell it was a double scotch. All the more reason not to drink, he decided. He didn’t like to be out of control. Ever. He’d allowed hormones to control him once in his life and that had led to disaster.

  The situation was laughable. He, who did his best to avoid women when he was forced to attend a wedding, wanted to go home with one. But not just any one would do. It had to be Missy.

  T.S. raked his fingers through his hair and sighed. Damn, he was acting pathetic. So a woman didn’t want him. No, that wasn’t quite true. She sure as hell wanted him. She just wasn’t willing to act on it. That was okay. He was a big boy and could handle a no. Wasn’t the first time he’d gotten one and probably wouldn’t be the last.

  Tomorrow, he’d probably laugh his ass off at his predicament. Tonight, however, he was finding little humor in his hard-on that just wouldn’t go away.

  Missy and Candy were still talking. Whatever they were discussing, Candy was becoming more animated by the second, waving her hand in the air. She grabbed Missy’s hand and dragged her toward the master bedroom. Probably some secret wedding stuff that was so important to women.

  He watched until Missy disappeared from sight. Then he took a deep breath. Immediately, he felt more in control of his body. The muscles in his arms and legs relaxed and his erection slowly dissipated.

  Back in control, he worked his way around the room, chatting and laughing with the other guests. T.S. hated crowds, but no one in the room would ever know that. They’d see a man who was comfortable in his own skin, someone with an easy smile and a ready laugh. He’d worked hard to cultivate that image. He’d learned early on that such a persona made life easier and kept folks from asking too many questions.

  Very few people knew the real him.

  And he liked it that way.

  He glanced at his watch. It was just after ten. By his estimation, he’d put in enough time so as not to be considered rude if he split. He found Lucas chatting to Justin. T.S. nodded at Justin and spoke to Lucas. “I’m heading out now.”

  “I’m surprised you lasted this long.” Lucas didn’t sound the least bit offended by the fact he was leaving.

  “Me too.” He grinned and slapped his buddy on the back before turning to Justin. “Day after tomorrow we start work on your place.”

  “I’ll be there,” Justin promised.

  T.S. made his way to the front door with Lucas by his side. “I’ll catch you then, too.”

  Lucas just smiled. “Maybe.”

  “Be happy, my friend.” Things would be different now. T.S. wasn’t stupid enough to think otherwise. Their nights of drinking together when the memories got too bad were over. Football Sundays were probably a thing of the past. Lucas was a married man now. Candy’s presence changed their friendship. But he was glad for Lucas even as he mourned the passing of an era.

  “You too.”

  T.S.’ smile faded as he walked down the stairs. Alone. He felt more alone now than he had that first night in prison when the large metal doors had clanged shut for the first time.

  “Stop being an idiot.” He wished Missy had agreed to go home with him. She certainly would have taken his mind off other matters. Thoughts of her filled his head, driving out all other thoughts. That was good. That was exactly what he needed.

  * * *

  “What do you think?” Candy held up the slinky white nightgown she’d purchased for tonight.

  They were in the master bedroom, which had been transformed for the occasion. Silver candlesticks sat atop the nightstands with thick white pillar candles waiting to be lit. A crystal vase, filled with the pink roses from her bouquet perfumed the air. The linens on the bed were new. Missy knew that for sure because she’d helped Candy pick them out. A bucket of champagne and two glasses rested on top of a trunk beneath the window. All was ready for the happy couple.

  Missy studied the frothy lingerie Candy held in her hands. “Girl, I don’t think you’re going to be wearing it very long. Your new husband is going to have that off you before you can blink.”

  Candy laughed. “You think so?”

  “I know so.” Missy touched the silky fabric, letting it slide through her fingers. It was soft and sexy. “I’ve seen how he looks at you.” It wouldn’t matter to Lucas what Candy was wearing as long as he could get it off her, and fast.

  “It’s different now, though.” Candy sat on the end of the bed, her eyes soft and dreamy.

  Missy sat beside her friend. “How so?”

  “I know we’ve been living together for a few months now, but being married makes a difference.” She shrugged. “I’m not quite sure how to explain it. We’ve made a formal commitment in front of friends. It just feels different. More solid. Real.”

  Missy put her arms around Candy and hugged her. “You did good
.”

  A slow smile split Candy’s face. “I did, didn’t I?” She returned the hug. “I was so afraid I’d mess this up and so glad I didn’t. Thanks for everything.”

  “I didn’t do much.” She hadn’t minded helping with the preparations, had been honored to be asked.

  Candy shook her head, making the curls in her upswept style bounce wildly. “You encouraged me to go out with Lucas.”

  “I told you to get laid, not to get married,” she said wryly. “You didn’t pay attention.”

  They looked at one another and burst out laughing. They laughed so hard tears filled their eyes. Candy dabbed at her face, trying not to smudge her makeup. Missy leaned over and plucked a tissue from the box on the nightstand. “Let me.” She wiped away all the mess and blended the remaining makeup until it was flawless. “There. Good as new.”

  Candy grabbed her hand and held it. “Seriously, though, thank you for everything. You’ve been a huge help these past few months helping me get everything ready for today.”

  “It was my pleasure.” And it was. Candy was the best friend she’d ever had. Planning the wedding together had been fun even though Missy knew it signaled a change in their relationship. Candy had Lucas to spend her nights with now. Sure they’d still spend time together. After all, they were best girlfriends. But all-night sessions of movie watching and drinking wine while they gossiped about anything and everything were behind them.

  But that was how it should be and Missy didn’t begrudge her friend her newfound happiness. They still worked together, had lunch and went shopping together. They were still close. Nothing could change that.

  “I wanted to give you something.” Candy got up from the bed and walked to the dresser. She lifted a small package from the top. It was wrapped in white tissue paper and tied with red ribbon. “Something to say thank you.”

  “You didn’t have to do that.”

  “I know. I wanted to.” Candy held out the package, forcing her to take it.

  Missy was touched by the gesture and took her time peeling back the wrapping.