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Ben looked at me curiously before introducing himself. “I’m Ben, Michael’s best man.”
“Oh wow, this is perfect,” Sage said, excitement infusing her voice. “I was just coming over to tell Tatum that the women in the wedding party are going on a wine tour tomorrow in the late afternoon. I guess the island has a couple of great wineries. But we haven’t found a designated driver yet. I know Michael doesn’t have anything planned for the men until the next day, so would you be willing to help us out?”
“I’m sure that Ben would rather explore the island a bit—” I started, but he cut me off.
“Actually, I have no other plans and I’d be happy to do it.”
“Great! I’ll go tell Faith.” Sage scampered away, and I frowned.
I wasn’t thrilled about having Ben tag along. It wasn’t just that I was embarrassed by what happened on the plane or even getting caught having food on my face. I was an adult, I’d get over those faux pas.
Truth be told, the real reason that I was reluctant to spend a lot of time around this Adonis of a man was because I found myself so attracted to him—and the feeling seemed to be mutual. Just having him near brought my body completely to life in ways I hadn’t felt in what seemed like forever.
The awareness was both exhilarating and nerve-wracking, and considering how things with Aiden had crashed and burned so spectacularly, I wasn’t sure I was ready to open myself up to another potential heartache.
“Don’t worry,” Ben said once we were standing alone again, a sexy grin back in place. “You’ll be safe. I’m a great driver.”
Did he really think that was the reason I was unhappy? “I’m sure you are,” I said, deciding that it was time to head to the bar.
I took a step in that direction as Michael approached Ben, and I was relieved he wouldn’t be following me. If I could keep my distance for the rest of the night, I wouldn’t have to figure out how to deal with my attraction to him until tomorrow.
CHAPTER4
Ben
The welcome party ran late, so by the time I woke up the next morning, I only had a half hour left to get breakfast in the hotel restaurant before the cut-off time for guests to eat.
Yanking on the first pair of jeans and a T-shirt that I found in my suitcase, I brushed my teeth then ran my hand through my disheveled blonde hair to get it off my face before rushing downstairs.
The restaurant was in a room at the back of the hotel, the walls made up of nothing but windows that allowed for a hell of a view of the beach on all sides. There were round wooden tables all around the room, and I recognized some familiar faces seated there, including Michael and my sister Poppy, who were sitting together. He was working on a plate full of bacon and eggs, but there was no food in front of her.
As I approached, I caught a bit of their conversation.
“You’ve got to think about rearranging the seating chart and moving me,” Poppy was saying, seemingly upset. “Come on, it can’t be that hard to swap me out with someone else.”
“Is it really that big of a deal?” Michael asked with a frown.
“Yes!” she insisted. “I don’t want to sit next tohimfor the whole reception.”
“I’ll look into it and see what I can do.” Michael sighed as I pulled out a chair at the table and took a seat. “But no promises considering everything is already planned.”
“Fine,” Poppy said, getting up and walking away.
“Good morning to you too, sis!” I called out after her, and she turned back only long enough to roll her eyes at me.
I chuckled, used to her theatrics. “She’s always been a bit of a drama queen, hasn’t she?” I said, picking up the menu on the table and scanning it.
“I’m finding out that it’s just a part of planning a wedding,” Michael said with a shrug. “Sometimes it’s dealing with coordinating photographers and caterers, and sometimes it’s dealing with guest’s demands when they accidentally get a look at the seating chart for the reception and aren’t happy about the arrangements.”
I thought about last night. When the party was winding down, Faith and Michael went up to their rooms while Poppy and I swept through the area to make sure that nothing was left behind. She’d found Faith’s purse and took it up to her. She must have seen the seating chart then.
“Sounds like a pain in the ass,” I said honestly. I couldn’t imagine trying to make everyone happy. “But are you at least getting excited about getting married?”
Michael’s face lit up. “I really am. This feels like a new chapter in my life, the best one yet. Faith’sthe one, and I can’t wait until I can call her my wife.”
The waiter came over then, and I ordered a stack of pancakes and some black coffee, but my mind lingered on Michael’s words. I wished I could relate to that feeling of love and devotion. I’d never felt like that about a woman, not even Amy, and we’d been in a pretty serious relationship for a while.
Feeling a prickling awareness rush over my skin, I glanced toward the entrance of the restaurant to see Tatum walking in. Her eyes were on me, but as soon as I turned my head in her direction, she quickly looked away. I watched as she took a seat with the woman that had asked me to be the designated driver to the wineries later today. I didn’t catch her name, but I knew that she was a bridesmaid.
