Not a cakewalk.
Not duck soup.
Not even close.
Ridge studied Kaia across the table.
She smiled, easy and uncomplicated, her mouth promising lots of fun. Of course, she was the proverbial girl-next-door-sweet, guileless, honest. Contagious. Yep. She was infecting him with her cuteness.
And sass.
Nice as she might be, she also had a bright spark of wildness, sleek golden skin, and a fetching scent. Not to mention those mysterious eyes, dark and deep enough to drown a man and make him happy for his demise.
In that quick pulse of the moment, a powerful urge passed through him. An urge so strong it yanked the breath from his lungs and spun his head. The urge to stare into her eyes so long they ceased being two people and merged as one.
He couldn't deny it. Something was chaining them together, something more than history and familiarity. Something he never expected.
Sizzle. Sparks. Chemistry.
Freakadilly circus, it was overwhelming. And he had to sit here at the table, surrounded by their families, and pretend that absolutely nothing was going on.
"Oops," Casey said. "I forgot to put the honey butter spread that Granny Blue made for the biscuits on the table."
"I'll get it." Kaia hopped up from her seat before the bride-to-be had a chance to move, and darted for the kitchen.
Escaping?
Ridge waited a beat, and then pushed back his chair, picked up the bag of frozen corn he'd been using as an ice pack. He was encouraged to see everyone was caught up in conversation about the wedding and not paying him much attention.
"Think I'll refresh this," he murmured.
In the kitchen, he found Kaia with her head in the fridge, her lush little rump in the air as she bent over, opening containers, searching for the homemade honey butter. She was petite, small but sturdy. There was nothing fragile about her. Her jeans molded to her curves and . . .
She straightened, butter dish in hand, and turned to catch him ogling her. She arched a jaunty, you-are-so-busted eyebrow.
He chuckled.
"What?" she said.
"My corn has gone warm." He held up the limp bag of corn still wrapped in the cup towel.
"Sounds like a personal problem to me."
"Smart aleck."
They stood there a moment staring into each other's eyes again.
"I better get back out there," she whispered. "The Alzates do love their honey butter." She ducked her head, clutched the butter dish closer to her chest, and stepped to the right.
He moved at the same time she did, unintentionally blocking her way.
Simultaneously, they both corrected and scooted to the left. Blocking each other a second time.
"Um . . ." She grunted, dodged right.
But so did he, drawn as if by an invisible source to match her move for move.
She snorted. "You're doing it on purpose."
"Hand to God, I'm not."
Her upper lip twitched.
He placed his hands on her shoulders, felt an instant zap of electricity. It was all he could do not to jerk away in response to the heat. "You stay put," he said. "I'll go left."
"Having trouble finding the butter?" Casey called from the dining room.
"Got it!" Kaia said. "On my way."
But she didn't move.
Ridge shook his head, listening to his heart gallop, holding a package of warm, soggy corn. Good thing he was only in town for three days. If he was around this sexy nymph for any longer than that . . . well, there was only so much temptation a man could resist.
He leaned over Kaia, reached for the freezer door above her head. Caught a whiff of her fragrance that smelled so sweet and good that he almost buried his face in her hair, but instead wrenched open the freezer door and let the cold air blast him in the face.
Wake up!
Blindly, he grabbed at a bag of frozen peas, exchanging it for the corn, and stepped back, realizing belatedly he was keeping Kaia from going back to the dining room.
Her gaze was on his and she looked a little uncertain. "You okay?"
"Why do you ask?"
"You've got an odd expression on your face. Are you sure you didn't pass out when Majestic kicked you?"
Not the kick to the head that stunned him. It was she. "Don't worry about me. Better get back to the dining room. They're a tough crowd when they're honey butter deprived."
"Right. Thanks." She stepped forward, but crunched down on the toe of his boot. She jumped back and, in the process, her hip made contact with his crotch.
They sucked in tandem breaths, and every ounce of blood in his body drained straight to his dick.
"Sorry, sorry," she mumbled.
"Ridge," Archer called. "What in the hell are you doing in there with my little sister?"
"Nothing!" Kaia hollered, eyes widening with awareness and alarm.