Free Weddings Suck... by Shara Azod Page A

because he was stupid. Not that he considered himself the numbnuts he seemed to be whenever he was near the Lady China; it was just that she robbed his brain of all rational thought. Like telling her there was an African American porn star with her name was not the brightest move. He had just been completely floored by her at first sight.
            China had been sexy as hell back in college, but damn, how the years had been kind to her. No, fuck kind—she had been blessed with each passing year. He’d been half out of his mind crazy in love with her back then, but just never had the balls to say anything about it. Never one to go for the bony, no-curve type, Reese loved his woman curvy, womanly, lush. China was all that and so much more. The woman sparked intelligence and fire, and she didn’t have to say a word for that to come through. More than once she had told him in the nicest way possible to go jump in a lake. Reese didn't know if he had ever been told to fuck off so politely before in his life. And she wasn’t even Southern. Once she had cut her eyes at him, looking at him as if he was some errant little boy and said in the sweetest voice, “You know most people are taught to mind their tongue in kindergarten.” He’d had a hard-on for two straight days, as twisted as that was. Too bad she was determined not to give him the time of day.
            Not that Reese was planning on letting that stop him. There was an instant chemistry and he knew China felt it too. This time he wasn't going to run away with his tail between his legs. He was going for what he wanted. If fate didn’t want them together, then it wouldn’t have brought them back together. That was just the way he intended to look on this opportunity. She just didn’t want to. For now, he really couldn’t blame her. Not only had his opening comments been beyond idiotic, but given their collective best friends were on the fast track to making the worst mistake of their lives, China was probably preoccupied. Even though she had never openly agreed with him, when he voiced his doubts about this marriage, she hadn’t looked at him with the same disdain as she had with the unfortunate comment about the porn star. In fact, he had seen agreement in those deep brown doe eyes.
            At first, Reese thought maybe to tag team the couple, with both the best man and the maid of honor discreetly stating their objections. Since China was determined to pretend to hate him, that wasn’t going to happen. Therefore, Reese was going to have to get dirty. The thing was, he needed China’s cooperation if it was going to work. The bachelor party was tonight, when his plan would take place. He needed China’s full cooperation.
            However, he needed the woman more.
            What a cluster fuck. Reese was determined to save his friend from making a huge mistake and ruining two loves in the process, but he was even more determined to get the girl. Purity and Tanner may be a disaster as a couple, but himself and China would be pure magic. Even if she did think he was some redneck, hillbilly idiot.
     
     
     

Weddings Suck...
    Two
     
            “I’m sorry, but your tonnage is in my way.” Why, why, why did the oaf have to follow her outside? China cast furtive glances around the dark parking lot outside Purity’s favorite Chinese restaurant, but there was no one to be seen. It would be better if she was afraid of him, or if she thought he might mean her harm. The only thing China feared was that he might come on to her, and if he did, Lord help her, she wasn’t sure he wouldn’t get exactly what he was after. “There are bimbos aplenty inside.”
    In fact, China happened to witness more than one waitress pressing what looked like a napkin with her number on it in his eager oafish hands. It irked her that it bothered her, but there it was.
    “Do I look like a man who wants or needs a bimbo?”
    Why did he have to go