Million Dollar Christmas Bride - Holly Rayner Page 0,35

out wedding venues.

“We’re early, buddy,” Jackson said, reaching over to Rufus’s head and giving the fur between his ears a ruffle.

Rufus refused to let his eyes leave the place where cars turned into the lot. An SUV entered, and Rufus perked up. He whined again when a poodle jumped out of the SUV, rather than Peaches.

“You’ll see your friend in a few minutes, I promise,” Jackson said. “You’re pretty fond of Peaches, aren’t you?”

When Rufus refused to give Jackson the time of day, Jackson turned his attention to his phone. He opened his email, which was a habit of his when he found himself with a few minutes to spare.

While he browsed various work-related messages, he thought about Bianca. They’d been spending hours each week preparing for the wedding that was now only ten days away. Jackson was impressed at how much they’d managed to accomplish as a team: they’d nailed down a florist, caterer, and band. They’d sent out fancy save-the-date cards, designed seating charts, and booked an officiant.

Together, the week before, they’d sampled various wedding cakes. Jackson could still picture the expression of bliss on Bianca’s face when she tasted the coconut-cream layer cake that they’d decided on. He grinned and looked up from his phone, toward the street that passed by the park.

He felt his whole body become energized at the sight of a car slowing down to turn. In a split second, he realized that it wasn’t Bianca’s, but the sense of anticipation lingered.

I’m just as bad as Rufus, Jackson thought, as he realized how much he was looking forward to seeing Bianca. He’d never have imagined that planning a wedding—and a fake wedding, at that—would actually be enjoyable. But with Bianca, it was.

He returned his focus to his emails, but he looked up again when a motion through the windshield caught his eye. It was Bianca’s car, slowing down and turning. She parked next to him.

Oh, wow, he thought, as she stepped out of the vehicle. She’s gorgeous.

He’d noticed that Bianca’s beauty was becoming more and more apparent to him the more he got to know her. Just two nights before, they’d been walking back to their respective cars after meeting with a photographer, and he’d caught sight of her profile, bathed in the soft glow of a streetlight. He knew every curve of her brow, nose, chin, and cheeks. But somehow, in certain instances, she took on a new degree of gorgeousness that he could not deny. This was one of those cases.

A long, pale green dress hugged her curves. A soft brown cardigan protected her arms and shoulders without detracting from the beauty of her figure. Her auburn hair was pinned back, and she wore ankle boots that gave her an extra inch of height. A simple gold bracelet on her wrist shimmered in the afternoon sunlight. She looked stunning, and he couldn’t take his eyes off of her as she opened the back seat to let Peaches out.

Her golden leapt out into the lot, wagging her tail with excitement. Bianca petted Peaches and then looked over at Jackson with curiosity, as if wondering why he hadn’t gotten out to greet her yet. She lifted her hand and gave him a tentative wave.

He forced himself to move but was still speechless once he was out of his car.

“Hey!” she said. “Are you feeling okay? You’re acting funny.”

“Uh… I…” Jackson couldn’t remember ever feeling so tongue-tied. Usually, he had a quick response ready on the tip of his tongue. But now, as he recognized just how deep his attraction for the woman before him ran, he could barely form a sentence.

I want to hold her, he thought, as a sudden vision of sweeping Bianca up in his arms flooded his inner landscape. I want to kiss her. Right here, right now.

“Jackson?” Bianca said, peering at him with concern.

The sound of Rufus barking from the car pulled him from his reverie. “I’m fine,” he said, as he turned to open the passenger side door.

Rufus jumped out and tackled Peaches with excitement. When the two dogs took off toward the grass, Jackson and Bianca followed.

For the next half hour, they threw a tennis ball for the two dogs and chatted amiably about the wedding venues they were about to visit.

“We’ve heard back from eighty people,” Bianca said. “I think that the Rosewood Gardens seating area is going to be too small. The woman on the phone mentioned outdoor seating, but it could be too cold for