Tall, Dark & Hungry(89)

Bastien's mouth covering hers was distracting, and Terri tried to force her fears from her mind. But her brain kept running. Blood, medicine, IV stand, secrets.

"Terri?" Bastien murmured, pulling back when she didn't respond. "Are you okay?"

She opened her eyes and forced a smile. "I'm just a little tired."

He caressed her cheek with one thumb. "It's late."

"Yes," she whispered.

Bastien nodded, but there was a flicker of uncertainty on his face.

Guilt immediately ran through Terri. She wasn't really tired, just confused. And she felt bad for letting it come between them when they had so little time left to enjoy each other. There was probably a simple explanation for all of what she had seen, and the easiest way to hear that explanation was to ask. She would, she decided; but first she wanted to eliminate his uncertainty. Leaning up, she pressed her lips to his and kissed him. Bastien remained still for a moment, then kissed her back gently, his mouth moving over hers with infinite care, a warm caress that slowly became warmer.

Terri moaned, her arms sliding around his neck and holding on as her body arched and stretched against his. This was Bastien, the man she loved. Did anything else matter?

The opening of the office door made them freeze, then turn toward the door.

"Sorry for interrupting." Lissianna offered them an apologetic smile. "But the first of the cars have returned, and Kate's parents and sisters are leaving. Mother thought Terri would wish to say good-bye."

"Of course!" Bastien slipped an arm around Terri as they walked the door. "We'll come say good-bye."





Chapter Seventeen

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"Well, it's done. You're now a married man," Terri said lightly to Lucern as he whirled her around the dance floor. The ceremony and feast were over, and he and Kate had done the traditional bridal dance. Now Lucern was making his way through the females in the wedding party, while Kate danced with each of the males. Then they would move on to the other important guests. As maid of honor and best man, Terri and Bastien had been the first approached. "How does it feel?"

"Good." Lucern grinned, then added, "I'm just grateful the ceremony went off without a hitch. After all the calamities that plagued the arranging of this wedding, I thought for sure there would be some crisis. But it's all gone as smooth as silk."

Terri smiled at the man. She hadn't found him very talkative until tonight. Kate had explained one evening that he always got that way when he was working on a book, but that he could occasionally come out of his shell. It seemed tonight he had. He seemed very happy.

"Yes, it did," she agreed, then qualified herself with, "Well, except for C.K.'s sneezing."

They both grinned at the memory. The poor editor had been mortified: standing at the front of the church with the other groomsmen, sneezing every few minutes. The worst part was that he had apparently warned Kate and Lucern that he was allergic to certain flowers when they'd asked him to stand up in the wedding, and they had both assured him that they would see to it that none of those flowers made it into the wedding arrangements. They had been careful when choosing the first arrangements; but both had forgotten all about his allergy when the tragic floral crisis had occurred, and they had unintentionally chosen unfortunate arrangements the second time around. The editor had been having a miserable time of it all day.

Her gaze sought Chris out. The editor couldn't dance with his cast, but he wasn't at the head table where he, as a member of the wedding party, had been seated for the meal. That table was now empty, most of its inhabitants on the dance floor. Abandoned, Chris had chosen to join the table where his coworkers from Roundhouse Publishing were seated. Vincent was standing behind the editor's chair, one hand patting his shoulder soothingly, no doubt sympathizing over his floral misery.

Terri really hoped the editor's luck changed soon. He seemed too nice a guy to suffer so.

An elegantly clad woman approached the table to speak to Chris, and Terri tilted her head to stare. The woman looked terribly familiar, and Terri was sure that Kate had introduced her at some point, but she'd met so many people today that it was hard to put names to faces.

Terri was sure the woman worked in the publishing industry somewhere, though, and judging by the way C.K. straightened in his seat as the woman addressed him, she'd guess that the lady had some influence.

"Lucern?" Terri glanced at her dance partner curiously.

"Hmm?"

"Who is that woman?"

He followed her pointing finger. "Kathryn Falk."

"Ah." Terri nodded. "Lady Barrow."

"Yes. She's a nice woman. Smart and savvy. Kathryn was very helpful to me at the first romance conference Kate dragged me to."