Never The Bride(8)

I followed him in, giving him a quick smile as he shut the door. I couldn't believe what I'd just heard, or that I was here, in his room, and he seemed genuinely interested in me. Even if he was only after a fling, which was likely seeing how he was only here for the wedding, I was seriously flattered. It had been a long time since I'd been flung. But I knew what he was saying, as my attraction to him wasn't all about his face or potentially hot body either. I hardly knew him, but it was like I'd known him for years.

'I think you'd better go for a shower first, or all of that dye is going to leech into the carpet,' he advised. 'I promise to wait out here, and when they deliver the extra towels, I'll knock, close my eyes, and hand them to you.'

I just nodded, speechless for once, and trotted after him like an eager puppy as he headed to the bathroom and showed me inside, then went and opened the glass shower door and adjusted some dials.

'I like a cold shower in the morning, it wakes me up. I don't want you to be hit by that when you're already freezing. There, that should be nice and warm.' He stepped out and flashed me one of those amazing smiles that nearly made me swoon. 'I have a spare black dress shirt, it should fit you and come down low enough to look like a dress. I can lend you a belt as well if you want?'

'Thanks, that would be great.' I smiled at him shyly and he lifted a hand, gently palming my cheek. My chest started heaving as we stared at each other, my heart soaring. My God, was he going to kiss me? I barely knew him, but all I could think about was how his lips would feel on mine. It took a concerted effort not to speak my thoughts aloud right now, especially with the little devil on my shoulder telling me to ask him to scrub my back. He slowly moved forwards, his lips pursing, and I could feel mine doing the same. Just as I could feel the heat of his breath on them, he veered upwards and lay a kiss on my forehead, causing my heart to plummet. 

'Take your time, I'll be outside if you need me. Help yourself to my shampoo and body wash, it's in the shower.' He spun on his heels and headed out, pulling the door shut without a backwards glance.

Ok, what was that all about?

I scrubbed myself like I never had before, but when I stepped out of the shower, I sighed to see that I still had blotchy patches of multi-coloured dye on my arms, torso, and legs. That damn dress was never seeing my attic. In fact, I could "accidentally" leave it here and never have to see it again.

'Are you ready for towels?' came Miller's deep and seductive voice. I had a feeling I could be ready for anything he offered. I hurried across to stand behind the door, opening it and using it to shield my naked body. He was true to his word. His eyes were tightly closed and he stretched out his arms with a bundle of black towels balanced on them, along with the shirt he'd promised. I quickly snatched them off him and shut the door, letting out a tense sigh. Why was I letting myself like him so much? He lived in America. I couldn't make a relationship with a guy in my village work, so what chance did I have with a pretty ginormous ocean separating us? Plus, he wasn't the settling-down kind from what I'd heard earlier. 'I put one of my spare pairs of boxers there for you as well, as I figured your panties would be wet,' he called.

'Seriously soaked,' I yelled back, then cringed, wondering what he'd have made of that stupid comment.

I dried myself off, then wrapped my pretty underwear set in a towel and tried to squeeze as much moisture out as I could before stuffing them into my clutch. Giggling, I pulled on his pair of tight black jersey boxers and said a silent prayer of thanks that my boobs were still pert enough to go braless under this shirt. I picked up the wet dress from where I'd abandoned it on the tiled floor and draped it over the heated towel rail, glad to be seeing the last of it. I emerged from the bathroom in a plume of steam, a towel turban around my damp hair and face scrubbed free of make-up and wondered if he'd run screaming for the hills to see me like this.

'Jesus,' I gasped. 'Biteable.'

I should have knocked on the door first, as he was stripping off with his back to me. He'd discarded his wet jacket, waistcoat, and shirt, and was just bending over to remove his trousers. However good his pert bottom had looked in the church, encased in a suit, was nothing compared to seeing it now, waving in my face in just a pair of tight white boxers.

'What did you say?' he asked as he straightened up and turned around.

'Bot  …  damn  …  gorge  …  holy hell  …  Jesus .... body  …  firm  …  blahhh. Can't speak!' I stuttered, squeezing my eyes tightly shut as I nearly hyperventilated. His chest and abs were a work of art. My God! With the exception of some of the half-naked men I'd ogled during the Olympics on TV, pausing and moving forward frame by frame, I'd never seen such a toned body in my life. 'You're beautiful.'

'Exactly my thoughts when I saw you in the church, Abbie Carter,' he chuckled as I felt him waft past, the scent of cinnamon assaulting my nostrils as I heard the bathroom door close behind me. I made it over to his large bed and plonked my backside on it, then flopped back in a daze. I was in lust at first sight. That was all it was on my part. Pure lust. But then why did I feel so at ease in his company? I took some long, slow, deep breaths as I heard the shower turn on, then the sound of him singing along to one of Nevada 6's latest hits, and tried to drag my mind out of the gutter as I imagined him naked in there.



       
         
       
        

'Thank God,' I stated when there was a knock on the suite door. Something other than Miller for me to focus on. I padded over to open it and found Georgie outside.

'Interrupting?' she asked, angling her head to try and see in the room.

'He's in the shower, alone.'

'Naked?' she gasped, putting a hand to her chest. 'Oh my!'

'Tell me about it,' I groaned.

'Why aren't you in there with him?'

'Hello, stranger, Abbie Carter, nice to meet you.' I held out my hand in greeting and she swatted it away, laughing. 'How long have you known me? I'm not a one-night-stand kind of girl.'

'Me neither, but I might be persuaded to change my mind for him,' she grinned. 'Anyway, here's some mascara and grey eye shadow, and they've dried out your shoes, they're both here in the hall. Come down when you're ready. They're setting up the dance floor and I'm already on my way to being pleasantly drunk. I see a bit of a shimmy coming on, a little shake of the old boot-tey. Hmmm, loving this sexy shirt-dress look on you, sweetie. See you in a while, and if I don't, have fun!'

'Georgie,' I called after her retreating back, needing some advice right now. She just waved and disappeared up the corridor. I carried the shoes inside and headed over to the dressing table to rummage out the hairdryer, using Miller's comb to detangle my hair as I set to work. Ten minutes later, I was looking a bit more respectable, and he was still in the bathroom. I felt kind of awkward standing here, so I put on my shoes and stuffed the borrowed make-up in my clutch, then went to knock on the bathroom door. 'Miller? Are you ok in there?'

'Sorry, just shaving. I'll be out in a minute.'

'Ermmm, I think I'll head down and let you get dressed in private. Plus, I need a drink. What's your tipple?'

'My what?'

'Your favourite drink.'

'Oh right. Jack Daniels and Coke on the rocks. I won't be long though, why don't you wait?'

'No, I'll see you down there,' I replied, and hurried to the door before I changed my mind. I'd had more than enough excitement for one day. Seeing him shower fresh in his boxers again would probably finish me off.



'I scared him off, he's not coming back,' I sighed as I sat at the bar, the ice in his drink having melted already.

'He's coming back. How were you supposed to know there were two bars open for the reception tonight? He's also the best man, remember? He's probably schmoozing with the other guests as he tries to find you,' Georgie said in a reassuring tone. 'His actions aren't that of a guy who's not interested, Abbie.' 

'Even if that was true, look at me now. I look like an entrant to a body-painting exhibition with all this damn dye staining my skin. In fact, I look like Joseph in his technicolour dream coat, without the damn coat. And I'm wearing men's boxers!'

'Got to say I'm finding it all very amusing. Thank God you brought me along.'

'I'm so happy I've provided the entertainment for you today.'

'Excuse me, are you Miss Abbie Carter?' the barman interrupted.

'Yes,' I drew out, giving him a puzzled look.

'I have this for you,' he replied, handing over a letter on luxury Severn Manor stationery. He smiled and headed off to serve someone else.

'Intriguing,' Georgie stated, as I saw my name written on the front in small, neat script. I ripped it open and pulled out a short letter, inhaling sharply as I started to read, and disappointment slammed into me. I suddenly felt really down. 'What, what is it?' she asked. I shook my head, and she snatched the letter off me and started to read it.

'Dear Abbie, I'm so sorry to do this to you, but I've had to leave unexpectedly  …  Oh no, he's gone?' she gasped.

'Told you it was too good to be true,' I replied, feeling dejected and rejected. Apparently some business crisis had demanded his attention and he'd had to rush to the airport to head back to New York. He'd written how much he'd enjoyed my company, and had included his phone number, asking me to call him as he'd like to keep in touch, and that we could swap clothes when we next saw each other, as he still had my dress. 'I mean, he's the best man. Who runs out on a best friend's wedding?'