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Zac let out an incredulous laugh. ‘Oh, you mean after she’d committed bigamy? That’s the right word, isn’t it?’ He turned to Beth. ‘You’re the lawyer, you tell me.’
Beth nodded. ‘Technically, yes.’
‘Well, just fucking great.’ He pushed past Matt and moved to the other side of the room. ‘Thanks, guys, way to go ruining my life.’
Matt followed him. ‘Before you make any decisions about calling off the wedding, at least let Megan explain.’
‘What’s the point? She’s not getting a divorce in the next hour, is she?’ He rubbed his forehead. ‘Shit! Is she still with this other guy?’
Megan lifted her head from the bed. ‘Of course not.’
‘But you’re still married to him!’
Matt touched Zac’s arm. ‘Please, Zac. Let her explain.’
Zac pulled away. ‘Fine. Explain. Tell me how come you’re already married to someone else and conveniently forgot to mention it.’
Megan looked up at Beth. ‘Can you give us a moment?’
‘Of course, we’ll wait outside.’
It was a struggle to get off the huge bed in her slippery dress and strappy heels. Matt had to help her, almost lifting her off it. The scent of his subtle aftershave, and the feeling of his warm body beneath his suit, would normally have been a welcome treat, but at that precise moment it was a distraction she could do without.
Beth opened the bedroom door, only to discover Zac’s entire extended family congregated in the hallway.
Matt’s brother marched towards her. ‘What’s going on in there?’
His wife, Gemma, was right behind him. ‘Let me in, I want to see my son.’
Behind her, Matt’s arm reached up and blocked the doorway. ‘Not now, guys. Give them some space.’
‘Move out of the way, Matt.’ Chris pointed a finger at his brother. ‘We need to sort this out.’
‘No, you don’t.’ Matt pinned his brother with a steely glare. ‘Let them sort it out themselves. Go to the bar, have a drink, take a walk. But you’re not coming in.’
Chris looked enraged. ‘Who do you think you are?’
‘I’m Zac’s best man. And until he tells me otherwise, you’re not coming in. Now move away from the door, Chris.’
Matt’s brother must have sensed he was serious, because he reluctantly backed away, allowing Matt to shut the bridal suite door and lock it.
He turned to Zac and Megan. ‘Sorry guys, change of plan.’ Taking hold of Beth’s hand, he led her across the room and into the bathroom. ‘Don’t mind us. Talk all you need to, we won’t disturb you.’
Beth allowed herself to be dragged into the small bathroom, which suddenly seemed a lot smaller with Matt inside. ‘So, what happens now?’
Matt closed the door. ‘We sit and wait.’
Beth glanced around. ‘There’s nowhere to sit.’ Other than on the loo seat, but she wasn’t that desperate to sit down. Which meant she was left standing in a cramped space, trying to focus on the marbled tiling and brushed chrome fixings, rather than on the man who was inches away from her, making her legs feel weak. Talk about torture.
Silence descended.
The effort not to look at Matt was enormous. It wasn’t just his size, it was more his presence. His quiet strength, his imposing sense of calm and the way he looked surprisingly suave in his James Bond suit.
For some inexplicable reason, theCasino Royaleshower scene came to mind, and she had to fight off the image of them getting wet and cosy, while he licked dead assailant’s blood from her fingers.
If only she could create more space between them, but she had nowhere to go. She was stuck studying the way his wide chest slowly expanded with each breath, feeling the weight of his eyes that were watching her intently, while ignoring the heat between them that was making the bathroom mirror steam up.
She definitely needed a cold shower.
