Tempting the Best Man - By J. Lynn Page 0,19

they hadn’t really talked, she existed in the back of his mind like a constant ghost, haunting him.

Closing his eyes, he rested his chin atop her head. “I…I miss you, too.”

She lifted her head and smiled sleepily, staring up at him with so much trust in her beautiful eyes, and God, he bet she’d let him do anything to her, right here and right now. His body screamed for it, demanded it, really.

With more willpower than he knew he had, he guided her over to the heart-shaped bed, pulled back the covers, and gently sat her down. In a surprising turn of fate, she didn’t argue with him but slid those curvy, sexy legs under the blanket and laid down.

“Where are you going to sleep?” she asked, lids lowering.

Chase hovered over her, drinking in the sight. He knew exactly how many freckles she had across her nose and cheeks. Twelve, to be exact. Knew that the tiny scar under her full bottom lip, a shade whiter than the rest of her skin, was from a bike accident when she was seven. Knew those lips, depending on her mood, could be so expressive.

He looked over his shoulder. The couch was long and narrow, no doubt as comfortable as sleeping on a pile of boards.

“Chase?” she whispered.

Forcing a smile, he brushed a strand of hair off her face and then, without meaning to, his hand lingered along her cheek, cupping it. She turned to the gesture and another soft sigh leaked from her parted lips. “The couch has my name on it,” he said.

“There’s more than enough room here.” She rolled onto her side, facing him. “I don’t bite.”

The problem was, he kind of hoped she did. “I’m fine.”

Remarkably, she was asleep before he could say anything else, which was a good thing, because if she offered the bed to him again, he wasn’t sure he could refuse a second time.

Chase lowered his lips to her cheek and pressed a kiss there before backing away. Turning off the light, he went to the couch and stretched out, doing his best to get comfortable. That ache was back in his chest again, and this time, he knew it wasn’t for the lack of her hugs.

It was for the lack of her in his life.

Chapter Five

With half a bottle of Tylenol trying to work its magic on the wine-induced headache, Madison winced behind her sunglasses as she shuffled alongside her mother. Touring the vineyards sounded fun, would probably have been pretty interesting, too, if she wasn’t certain a psychotic drummer had taken up residency in her head.

God, she really drank a little too much last night. Dancing on a bench? Having to be escorted back to the cabin by a surprisingly rational Chase? Shamed and more than a little frustrated with herself, she kept close to her family as they piled onto the seats in the back of the bed of a cattle truck, where they’d view the vineyard up close and personal.

Bobby? Robby? Whatever his name was, he’d ended up in the other car, thank God. She couldn’t even look at him without wanting to hide herself under the hay covering the bed of the truck.

Every bump went straight to Madison’s temples. She gripped the seat, jaw clamped tight as the vehicle swayed along the narrow road.

Under the brim of her mother’s wide straw hat, she grimaced. “You’re looking a little peckish.”

Before she could respond, Chad cut in with a grin. “She drank, like, twenty glasses of wine last night.”

“Madison,” her mother admonished, her brows slamming down.

She rolled her eyes. “I didn’t drink twenty glasses.”

Her father rubbed his trim beard. “How many did you drink?”

“I don’t know.” She glanced at a silent Chase. “Maybe four…?”

Her mother gasped, but Lissa giggled as Madison’s brother grinned and shook his head. “What a wino,” he said.

Madison made a face and then turned. As far as the eye could see, there were grape trees and rolling hills under the bright glare of the sun and blue skies. Luckily the conversation turned from her hangover to wedding plans. Friday night, there would be a rehearsal, since the bachelor and bachelorette parties had been held the week prior. There was a busload of wedding programs that needed to be folded and, wanting to be of some use to the whole shindig, Madison offered to do it before dinner.

“Thank you!” Lissa exclaimed, obviously grateful. “You’ll probably need some help. There are a lot of programs, plus the little card holders.