Tempting the Best Man - By J. Lynn Page 0,41

Daniels straightened. “Underground bunkers large enough to hold organically grown fields. There are bunkers all over the world, bigger than five or so football field lengths. Like Noah’s Ark—”

“Chase doesn’t care about Noah’s Ark, so before you get started on that, we’re not going to start selling Build-Your-Own-Arks, either.” She smiled at Chase. “You couldn’t imagine the cost of warehousing something like that.”

“No, ma’am,” Chase said, grinning.

Mr. Daniels snapped the magazine shut. “This discussion isn’t over.”

Sighing, his wife shook her head. “Are you looking for Madison, dear?”

Taken aback, Chase wondered if it was that obvious. “Well, actually, I was.”

Mr. Daniels returned to the table, smacking the magazine down. “You lose your roommate?”

“Seems that way,” Chase said.

“We haven’t seen her, dear, but you might what to check with Lissa.” Mrs. Daniels took a sip of tea. “They’re probably getting things ready for tomorrow.”

Thanking both of them, he started up the pathway. If Maddie was with Lissa, he didn’t want to bother her, but…

Chase found himself at the front desk of the lounge. The clerk stared back at him, clearly not wanting to go for round two already. “Was the new cabin you gave me this morning the only one available?” Chase asked.

Bob inclined his head, as if confused. “No. There were two. Both were readied this morning.” He started pecking away at his computer. “Was the one we assigned this morning unsuitable?”

He took a deep breath. “No. It’s perfect. What about the other room?”

“For Miss Daniels?” he asked, smiling fondly. Obviously Maddie had left a much better impression on the clerk than he had. “She stopped by maybe twenty minutes ago and picked up the key for cabin six.”

Chase stared at the clerk, feeling as if he’d been punched in the stomach. Anger lit off a firestorm inside him. As irrational as it was, he was pissed and offended. She left him after last night?

Spinning around, he left the clerk without a second glance, tossing the roses in the trash on the way out.

…

Madison was in a weird state of mind. Caught between the remnants of absolute bliss she’d experienced last night and the coldness that had lingered deep inside since she’d left the cabin, she wasn’t sure if she should feel happy or sad.

Mostly sad, she decided as she stuffed little white bells into the boxes being used for wedding keepsakes. At least she’d had a night to experience. No more wondering what it would be like to be with Chase. Now she knew. It was amazing.

Her heart ached.

That afternoon she’d almost called Bridget again, but she figured that conversation was best to have in person. No way would she want to miss all of Bridget’s what-the-hell expressions when she described how she basically straddled Chase and he’d bailed on her the next morning.

Madison glanced up as one of the bridesmaids dumped a truckload of mints in front of them. She snatched one, starving, since she’d been too wired this morning to eat.

Lissa giggled. “Are they any good?”

Popping one in her mouth, Madison nodded. “Minty. Very yummy.”

“Speaking about yummy,” Sasha, a bridesmaid, said. “I think the Gamble brothers’ nickname should be yummy.”

Cindy, another bridesmaid, snorted as she glanced at the tall, curvy blonde. “Weren’t you all over one of the brothers last night?”

Sasha smiled secretively. “Maybe…”

Good to know Madison wasn’t the only one. She dropped a bell into a box.

“I can never tell them apart.” Cindy grinned.

“They’re really easy to tell apart,” Madison replied sharply. “They’re not triplets.”

“Yeah, but the three of them are sex on a stick—dark haired, beautiful blue eyes, and muscles I’d eat chocolate off of,” Cindy said, passing one of the other bridesmaids a wicked look. “Of course, if only I wasn’t married. Anyway, which one was it? Chase? Chad?”

Madison’s eyes narrowed.

“Chad,” Sasha answered, her cheeks flushing. “Though, I wouldn’t mind if it had been Chase, too. Hell, all of them at the same time.”

The bridesmaids laughed, but Lissa cut Madison a worried look. It probably had something to do with the expression on her face. One that said she was mentally going over how many little metal bells she could shove in Sasha’s mouth.

“Didn’t you grow up with them, Madison?” Sasha continued, oblivious of the death’s door she was knocking on. “Always at your house and stuff? God, I wouldn’t have been able to control myself, but I’m sure it’s different for you.”

Madison shoved a bell through the bottom of the box. “Why is that?”

“Well, I’m sure you’re like a little sister to them,” she