Free Kristi Gold - Hotel Marchand 04 by Damage Control

I have a few things to finish up here before I can get home. I’m not even sure what I’m going to wear yet.”
    “Do you still have that dress you wore to the governor’s ball? The one you were wearing the first time we met.”
    Renee couldn’t believe he actually remembered what she’d been wearing that particular evening—the event that had set their fateful course. “I’m not sure I remember which dress you’re referring to.” And that wasn’t at all the truth. She remembered it well.
    He pushed away from the wall and strolled toward her. “Let me refresh your memory. It comes just above your knee and has thin straps. It’s peach-colored, a shade lighter than the sweater you have on now, and it leaves very little to the imagination.”
    True. In fact, it had provided little cover at all. And it no longer hung in her closet. She’d given it away, even though she hadn’t been able to hand off the memories. “I’m sorry, but I don’t own that dress any longer. And even if I did, I wouldn’t wear it. It’s going to be in the low fifties tonight. I’ll choose something a bit more appropriate for the season.”
    He moved toward the desk with slow, stalking steps. “I wouldn’t mind keeping you warm.”
    She stood and wagged a finger at him. “Let’s not start this now.” And that sounded as if she wanted to start it later, which she didn’t. Did she?
    Ignoring her attempts to discourage him, Pete walked right up to her and pushed her hair back from her shoulder. “Fine, but we will finish it later.” He rested one hand lightly at her waist. “Tonight, I’m going to take you out for a drink. And after that, we’ll just have to play it by ear.” He feathered a kiss across her cheek. “But I tell you one thing, lady. We’re going to have a good time.”
    Renee didn’t have time to cultivate any kind of argument or comeback before he’d left the room without even a goodbye.
    In a matter of hours, she would serve as the bridesmaid for a woman who was practically a stranger. She would dress in her best and pretend that everything was rosy, when in fact she would worry the whole time about how she would handle Pete following the ceremony. Easy. She’d simply refuse to spend more time with him than necessary. She might agree to his drink, but she didn’t have to respond to his innuendo. She’d leave him with a polite good-night and refuse his kiss. She’d ignore his aura, reject his appeal—and most likely forget all those strategies the moment she saw him again.
    Lowering her head, Renee pinched the bridge of her nose and muttered a mild oath. What had she gotten herself into?
     

    W ASHED IN THE GLOW of candlelight, the small chapel carried the scents of polished wood and fragrant roses. The perfect, intimate setting for a wedding, Renee thought as she took her place beside Ella. Evan stood next to his bride, looking proud and handsome in the tuxedo that had arrived a half hour before they were scheduled to leave. And Pete, who flanked Evan’s other side, looked much too luscious for words.
    Heaven help her, she’d barely been able to keep her eyes to herself the entire way to the inn. Her only saving grace at the moment was the groom blocking her view of the best man.
    The minister happened to be a woman, a widow and the owner of the inn. She appeared to be in her sixties and radiated a kindness that was second only to the bride’s glow. Dressed in a tea-length, cream-colored lace gown, Ella seemed incredibly serene in light of the momentous event. Definitely a woman in love, and Renee wondered what that would be like. To be so sure of your feelings that you would commit to a man for life.
    She’d spent her adulthood living the cliché of “always a bridesmaid.” Not once had she been serious enough about anyone to considered taking any vows. Not once had anyone asked. She’d had the misfortune of dating men who viewed her as a fragile flower, only to be disappointed when they