Heart of Gold - B.J. Daniels Page 0,97
marrying Amanda. I think he’s looking for a way out and he thinks it’s you.”
She hoped Shep was wrong. “I don’t see this turning out well,” she said, hoping he would disagree. He didn’t.
“Unless he goes back to just being your boss, which I don’t think he’ll do, and add to that Amanda’s insane jealousy of you...” He shook his head. “I’m sorry, it doesn’t look good.”
She groaned, knowing he was right.
“Hopefully Greg won’t get another chance to talk to you alone before the wedding. I’ll have to keep you busy.” He grinned and she felt her blood heat as he kissed her.
When he broke off the kiss, Charlie looked into all his eyes and wanted to take him up on every promise she saw there. She wanted to feel that heat, that passion, that pleasure and give it back in spades. She wanted him and knew she always would.
“If you had any idea what I want to do to you right now...” He slowly began to undress her as she grinned at him, daring him to show her.
AFTER THEY made love, they showered and reluctantly got ready for the rehearsal dinner. Shep would have much preferred staying cuddled in bed with her.
“Did I tell you that I confronted Amanda earlier today about the dead mouse?” Charlie asked. She slid a dark green velvet dress over her head and let it slither over her body. “She admitted it—and admitted putting the eye drops in my dessert and Greg’s. She said she got them out of his suit jacket pocket.”
“Did she say why?” He couldn’t help being worried.
“She blamed it on the drinks she had.”
“Are you sure we shouldn’t just get out of here?” he asked.
She smiled. “I wish we could, but Tara is coming tomorrow. She’s going to be in the wedding. I can’t do that to her. And in truth, I can’t do it to Amanda, as awful as she is. I feel sorry for her. I don’t think her other maid of honor broke her leg and is in traction. I think everyone turned her down.”
“With good reason,” he said and kissed her. “I’m glad that you feel you can’t leave. You’re a nice person, Charlie.”
She worried at her lower lip with her teeth for a moment. “I hope I don’t regret it.”
He felt the same way. “Well, after tomorrow, they will be married,” he said. “With luck.”
They found everyone waiting for them at the bar and were quickly shown into a private dining room.
Shep kept Charlie close, right where he wanted her. Fortunately Greg stayed in his own lane, behaving like a man who was marrying the love of his life the next day. Even Amanda did her best not to pay any attention to Royce and Ruby Jo.
Still Shep was glad when the meal was over.
“Night skiing!” Greg announced. “Get whatever you need from the shop and I’ll see you all up on the mountain.”
“Are you going snowboarding tonight?” Charlie asked when they returned to their room.
“Not without you.”
“Then you leave me no choice.” She tilted her head to one side, grinning at him. “Guess we’re going night snowboarding.”
He eyed her suspiciously. “You’re going to kick my butt up on that hill, aren’t you?”
She grinned. “I guess we’ll see but I’m going to try.”
He laughed. “It’s one of the reasons I love you so much.”
His heart fluttered and he felt warm clear to his toes as she kissed him. “Glad to hear it,” she said. “Let’s do this.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
THEY RODE UP the ski lift together with stars and a sliver of moon hanging in a midnight blue sky. Charlie breathed in the cold night air, feeling more alive than she had in years. Shep put his arm around her, pulling her closer. Below them in the glow of the lights, skiers and snowboards looked small and dark against the snow as they made their way down the mountainside.
As the chairlift slowed, they both slid off and down the hill partway to finish buckling up their snowboards. “Ready?” she asked, grinning at Shep from under her helmet.
And then she took off down the slope. The hill had been groomed, but there was a good foot of snow along the edge and even more in the trees. She headed for it, boarding into the shadowy semidarkness. She looked back once and saw that Shep was right behind her.
They cruised down the mountain, in and out of the trees and the deep featherlike snow. Charlie had forgotten how much