Free Don't Bite the Bridesmaid by Tiffany Allee Page A

sounded. I was just surprised.” Great. That sounds so much better. Why not just call him cantankerous and be done with it?
    He snorted. “I can see that. Is this deep discussion of my happiness what you wanted to talk about?”
    “I—I thought we should talk about last night.”
    He crossed his arms and turned his attention back to the game. “That’s wholly unnecessary, Alice.”
    She opened her mouth to argue, but he refused to look at her. Instead, he took a couple of steps forward, getting just close enough to the crowd of onlookers to make a private conversation impossible.
    The urge to grab his arm and drag him back came over her, and she shoved it down. What a scene that would make. She couldn’t afford word getting back to Brent that they were having problems. He’d use the slightest inkling to try to worm his way back into her good graces. Not to mention the snake was likely hovering around nearby.
    Her stomach dropped at the thought and she scanned the crowd. Sure enough, Brent and Kristen stood on the other side of the pool. Expensive sunglasses adorned Brent’s face, and Kristen stood stiffly in a bikini that had to be illegal in at least eleven states. It made Alice’s look positively matronly by comparison. Maybe she could do this after all.
    Annoyance flashed through her and she frowned. Kristen had always favored slinky swimsuits.
    “You sure got your gold goose,” she murmured. Sure, Kristen’s family wasn’t quite as well-off as Alice’s was, but her family would keep Brent in style.
    Noah, although too far away to hear her quiet aside, turned his head to glance at her over his shoulder. He grinned and pulled his sunglasses off his head and over his eyes. She frowned at him. What was he so happy about?
    She resisted making a silly face at him, and finally decided she couldn’t leave the robe on without looking odd. She tugged it off and set it on a nearby chair, then looked back up at Noah. His grin was gone, and he looked truly expressionless with his eyes covered by the dark glasses. But he looked at her for a smidgeon longer than was comfortable. Heat crept up her neck, but she ignored it.
    Less than five minutes later, her mother and Jake proved victorious, and it was Alice and Noah’s turn. She waded into the water, which was cool enough to send a shiver up her spine. The smell of chlorine grew stronger, and she glanced at Noah, who walked beside her. He looked about as happy as she felt to be in the pool.
    She slapped water at him playfully before she could think better of it.
    His mouth dropped open for a split second before it snapped shut and he splashed her back. Water flew into her face, and a laugh bubbled out of her chest. She splashed him again and Noah burst into laughter, too. Her heart twinged. The man looked so different when he laughed. So much more open. They were soaked by the time they got to the net hanging over the middle of the pool, even though the water only came up to Noah’s waist.
    Under the quickly heating sun, they won their first two matches. Noah was good, his reflexes fast, and he seemed to genuinely enjoy himself. Alice did her best, managing to save a few balls herself and even score a few points.
    During their third match, which pitted them against Robert and Cindy, Alice dove for the game-saving point. She coughed out water from where she’d slid into the pool with her fist leading the way and her face not far behind. Wiping at her mouth, she laughed around the water.
    Cheers sounded from the sides of the pool, and a loud whistle split the air. Her mother had mastered the art of whistling with her fingers in her mouth, something Alice had never been able to manage.
    A shadow appeared over her as she tried to spit water from her mouth in as ladylike a manner as possible. “Did I get it?” she asked the shadow.
    Noah pulled her up in the water. His strong grip made her already-weak knees weaker, and once he got her up, he held her by her