The Mistake (Bad Bridesmaids #1) - Noelle Adams Page 0,17
her by herself, staring out at the mostly dark garden. There was some minimal landscape lighting but not enough to break most of the shadows.
Amanda wasn’t near tears the way she’d been when he’d found her outside at the previous wedding. She looked subdued but calm. And a little chilly. She had her arms crossed over her chest.
“You should have worn a jacket,” he said, stepping forward so he was beside her. “It’s kind of cool out here this evening.”
He’d surprised her. She jerked and her eyes widened. But she recovered quickly and gave him a mild eye roll. “If I’d wanted a jacket, I’d have worn one.”
Her dress was sleeveless with only wide straps of satin covering her shoulders. The wind blew just then, ruffling the loose strands of hair around her face and neck. She shivered visibly despite her clear attempt to keep from doing so.
Robert took off his suit jacket and draped it around her shoulders.
She sneered at him. “I didn’t ask for this.”
“I know that. I offered it anyway. Are you really so stubborn as to throw it back in my face?”
“Maybe. But not tonight. I’m too tired tonight to be stubborn.” She pulled the jacket closer. “It smells like you.”
He arched his eyebrows. “Is that a good thing or a bad thing?”
“Sadly, it’s a good thing,” she admitted in a mournful tone.
He chuckled. He couldn’t help it. “Why is it sad?”
“Because it would be easier to be annoyed with your presumption and arrogance if you didn’t smell so scrumptious.”
“Ah.” The wave of gratified pleasure that washed over him at her words was impossible to ignore. “I’m sure you can manage a suitable degree of annoyance with me no matter how I smell.”
“Yes. But I can’t take all the credit. You make it easy.”
He laughed again, which was strange because he didn’t usually laugh.
Before he could think of a clever response, Amanda said, “I’m not getting drunk this time.”
“Did I suggest you should?”
“No. I’m just saying. If you’re looking for a repeat performance, you’re going to be disappointed.”
“I’m not looking for a repeat performance.”
“Then what are you looking for? Why are you out here?”
“I don’t really know. I just saw you leave, so I followed.” He told her the truth because he couldn’t think of anything else to say.
She nodded as if she understood his impulse. Maybe she’d felt something similar. “I’m not really a pitiful emotional mess, you know. No matter what impression I might have given you last time.”
“I don’t think you’re a pitiful emotional mess.”
“And I don’t have a thing for my sister’s husband.”
“I wouldn’t think so. Like I said last time, it was just a daydream. And it’s gone now.”
She nodded. “I think it is.”
There was absolutely no reason for his chest to loosen at her words. No reason for the wash of deep relief and something akin to excitement. Her feelings for Dave were none of his business and of absolutely no interest to him. “That’s good.”
She sighed and turned to face him fully. “But it feels like all my daydreams are gone now. If that makes any sense.”
“What do you mean?”
“I don’t know. I’ve just been... kind of down. Restless. And I try to feel in normal ways and I can’t. And now I’m wondering if I’m ever going to feel for anyone the way I used to feel for him.” She shook her head and dropped her eyes. “I don’t think I will.”
“You’ve got to give it more than a few weeks.”
“I’ve had more than a few weeks. And I still don’t feel... like I used to.” She smoothed back a few of her stray hairs as if she could feel them messing up her hairdo. “I’m sure it doesn’t make sense, but it feels like everything has changed. Like I’ve changed. And I just want...”
“What do you want?” He was almost holding his breath now, and he had no idea why.
“I don’t really know. I just want to do something different. Be someone different.” She was gazing up at him fully now, her eyes dark blue in the shadows. “Act out the way I’ve been feeling somehow. In some way.”
“In what way?” He was having trouble not touching her. He’d clenched his hands to hold himself back.
“Maybe doing something crazy. Something I wouldn’t normally do.” A little smile flickered briefly on her face. “You don’t want to have sex with me, do you?”
He blinked. Froze. Reviewed what she’d just said to assure himself he’d heard her right. “Did