A Tricky Proposition(54)

All he needed to do was let her in.

He broke off the kiss and dragged his lips across her cheek. What existed in his heart was hers alone. He could tell her and change everything.

The silence between them lengthened. Finally, Ming slid her palm down his heaving chest and stepped back.

“We’re just good friends who happen to be sleeping together until one of us got pregnant,” she said, her wry tone at odds with her somber eyes.

“And we promised nothing would get in the way of our friendship.”

She sagged against him. “And it won’t.”

“Not ever.”

*

Our baby.

Jason’s words the previous night had given her goose bumps. Almost ten hours later, Ming rubbed her arms as the sensation lingered.

My baby.

She tried to infuse the declaration with conviction, but couldn’t summon the strength. Not surprising, when his claim filled her with unbridled joy. It was impossible to be practical when her heart was singing and she felt lighter than air.

Pulling into the parking lot of the salon Susan Case had selected based on their excellent reputation, Ming spent a few minutes channeling her jubilation over her baby news into happiness for Rachel and Max. It was easy to do.

The bride was glowing as she chatted with her sister, Hailey, Missy and Susan. As Ming joined the group, two stylists took charge of Rachel, escorting her to a chair near the back. Rachel had let her hair grow out from the boyish cut she’d had when Ming had first met her. For her wedding look, the stylists pinned big loops of curls all over her head and attached tiny white flowers throughout.

Unaccustomed to being the center of attention, Rachel endured being fussed over with good grace. Watching the stylists in action, Ming was certain the bride would be delighted with the results.

Because all the bridesmaids had long hair, they were styled with the front pulled away from their face and soft waves cascading down their back. When the four girls lined up so Susan could take a photo, the resulting picture was feminine and romantic.

Although the wedding wasn’t until four, the photographer was expecting them to be at the church, dressed in their wedding finery by one. With a hundred or more photos to smile for and because she’d skipped breakfast after oversleeping, Ming decided she’d better grab lunch before heading to the church. She ended up being the last to arrive.

Naturally her gaze went straight to Jason. Standing halfway up the aisle, model-gorgeous in his tuxedo, he looked far more stressed than the groom. Ming flashed back to their senior prom, the evening that marked the beginning of the end for her in terms of experiencing true love.

“Don’t you look handsome,” she exclaimed as he drew near. Over the years, she’d had a lot of practice pretending she wasn’t infatuated with him. That stood her in good stead as Jason pulled her into his arms for a friendly hug.

“You smell as edible as you look,” he murmured. “Whose insane idea was it to dress you in a color that made me want to devour you?”

For her fall wedding, Rachel had chosen strapless empire waist bridesmaid dresses in muted apple green. They would all be carrying bouquets of orange, yellow and fuchsia.

Ming quivered as his sexy voice rumbled through her. If he kept staring at her with hungry eyes, she might not be able to wait until after the wedding to get him alone. A deep breath helped Ming master her wayward desires. Today was about Max and Rachel.

“Susan proposed apple green, I believe.” She’d never know how she kept her tone even given the chaos of her emotions.

“Remind me to thank her later.”

Ming restrained a foolish giggle and pushed him to arm’s length so she could check him out in turn. “I like you in a tux. You should wear one more often.”

“If I’d known how much fun it would be to have you undress me with your eyes, I would have done so sooner.”

“I’m not undressing—” She stopped the flow of words as Emma waddled within earshot.

“I don’t know what you’re planning on taking off,” the very pregnant woman said as she stepped into the pew beside them, “but I’d start with what he’s wearing.”

Jason smirked at Ming, but there was no time for her to respond because the photographer’s assistant called for the wedding party to come to the front of the church.

With everyone in a festive mood, it was easy for Ming to laugh and joke with the rest of Rachel’s attendants as they posed for one photo after another. The photographer’s strict schedule allowed little time for her to dwell on how close she’d been to her own wedding six months earlier, or whether she might be in this same position months from now if things continued to progress with Lily and Evan.