One Night with the Best Man by Amanda Berry
SYNOPSIS
Running into his first love at his brother’s wedding isn’t the homecoming Dr. Luke Ward imagined. Maid of honor Penny Montgomery should have been his bride. And now, despite how things ended between them, the former Tawnee Valley bad girl just made him an offer the still-smitten best man would be a fool to refuse.
Eight years ago, Penny lost the only man she ever loved. Spending the weekend together is a huge risk—and the only way to see if she’s really over Luke. But when a family emergency forces the handsome surgeon to extend his visit, their passionate reunion fling flames into a deeper attachment. Does Penny have the courage to try for a second chance with Luke—and say “I do” to her best man?
EXCERPT
A glass of wine appeared over her shoulder and Luke’s breath teased the hairs on the back of her neck. “I had to turn down a lot of eligible ladies to get back here.”
Glancing over at the bar, she took the wineglass and felt him sit in the chair behind hers. All of her cells were attuned to whatever frequency Luke gave off. At the bar stood a gathering of white-haired women all giving Luke come-hither looks and finger waves.
Penny choked back a laugh. She tried her hardest to look serious when she turned to Luke. “I hope you let them down easy. It’s just as hard to find a man at their age as mine.”
Leaning in so he could speak in her ear and be heard over the music, Luke’s cheek rubbed against hers, sending a wave of heat through her. “I always try to be gentle.”
“I’m sure you do.” She could feel his cheek lift in a grin. A shiver rippled down her back.
He moved back until they were eye to eye. “They were actually encouraging me to hit on the wedding coordinator.”
Penny glanced over at Rebecca in her peach suit. She was a few years younger than Penny and looked as if the pressure of this wedding was about to make her explode.
“I suppose you could go for Rebecca….” Penny put on a pretend thoughtful look.
The music changed to a slow song again. “Come on. You can tell me all about what that look means on the dance floor.”
Luke pulled her out of the chair and guided her into his arms. She’d given up on love songs when Luke left, preferring the rawness of modern rock. Slow songs messed with her brain and made her think about things she couldn’t have.
“So, are we for or against chatting up the wedding coordinator?” Luke raised his eyebrow as he looked down at Penny.
“I think she’d have an aneurism if ‘we’ approached her.” Penny mocked Luke’s look.
Luke laughed. “Fair enough. Besides I’m only here until tomorrow. Wouldn’t be fair to get anyone’s hopes up.”
“No, you wouldn’t want to do that.”
He pressed his hand into the small of her back and she allowed herself to move closer to him. To breathe in his scent. To feel the heat of his body against hers. The song didn’t matter as long as it didn’t stop.
“Besides,” he leaned down like he had a secret to whisper in her ear, “I always heard that the best man was supposed to hook up with the maid of honor.”
Penny’s breathing hitched as she met his eyes. “I think it’s actually a written law somewhere that if both parties are single, it’s required.”
“So we’d be in a lot of trouble if we didn’t at least attempt to…” He wiggled his eyebrows.
“Heaps of trouble.” Her heart beat hard against her chest as she tried to keep a teasing tone.
“We wouldn’t want that.” Luke gave her a cocky smile. “But then you were never the type to follow rules.”
“I’ll have you know I’m one of the upstanding citizens in Tawnee Valley now.”
“Really?” His sarcastic tone made her laugh.
“I’m a valued member of the Chamber of Commerce. My shop brings in tons of tourists.”
“I guess that nails it then.” He made a serious face even though his eyes were twinkling. Still dancing, he led her to the side of the dance floor. “Rules are rules after all.”
She swallowed as liquid heat flooded her system. Her fingers locked around the back of his neck. “I suppose after the reception…”
The heat in his blue eyes made her breath catch. He didn’t have to say he wanted her. It was there and it scorched her through to her soul. She didn’t want to wait. It had been too long since she’d held him, since her skin had brushed against his.
His smile grew cocky. “Why wait?”
AUTHOR BIO
Between walking her Jack Russell-Beagle mix, petting her two cats and driving her two kids all over creation, Amanda Berry writes contemporary romance novels (thanks to a supportive husband). A Midwest girl stuck in the wetlands of South Carolina, she finds inspiration in her small-town upbringing. A list of her current releases and backlist can be found at amanda-berry.com
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