The Best Man (Romance on the Go Book 0) Read online

  EVERNIGHT PUBLISHING ®

  www.evernightpublishing.com

  Copyright© 2018 Scarlett J Rose

  ISBN: 978-1-77339-676-7

  Cover Artist: Jay Aheer

  Editor: CA Clauson

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

  WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be used or reproduced electronically or in print without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews.

  This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, and places are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  DEDICATION

  To my readers and to the wonderful staff at Evernight.

  My greatest thanks for your wonderful support.

  THE BEST MAN

  Romance on the Go ®

  Scarlett J Rose

  Copyright © 2018

  Chapter One

  Stephanie stood before the mirror and her reflection smiled back at her. Her imagination inserted a figure from her past beside her reflection. Strong hands, broad shoulders, and a chest so muscular it would not be out of place naked in a commercial. She peered at his face—he was even more handsome as a man than he had been as a seventeen-year-old guy from her past. Her eyes turned back to her own reflection as the man’s faded from sight, lost to the longing fantasies that her imagination had brought forth.

  The plum-colored satin gown hugged every curve, revealing her shapely figure, the swell of her breasts, and plump, rounded butt. Her best friend and co-worker, Clarissa, approached from behind and embraced her in a sisterly hug. Stephanie grinned at the reflection of the bride behind her. She couldn’t believe Clarissa was finally marrying her twin brother, Stuart.

  “Looking good, Steph. You’re a beautiful maid of honor.”

  Steph spun away from the mirror and perused Clarissa in her wedding dress. The lady was gorgeous “I pale beside you. Stuart’s one lucky boy. No one will come close to outshining you on your big day.”

  Clarissa twirled, her arms outstretched, as she showed off the beautiful floor-length wedding gown. The skirt flared around her ankles as she turned. Steph laughed at her friend before lifting the bridal veil from the bed and securing it to her carefully styled hair. The other bridesmaids readied themselves, while soft conversation mixed with the sipping of champagne filled the room.

  Stephanie reflected as she watched Clarissa, She’d always been there for both Stuart and her since they’d met. She was thrilled with the fact that she was about to have her best friend also become her sister-in-law. She was also secretly a little jealous. Stu and Clarissa were so much in love.

  “Did you guys find an emergency best man yet?” Steph sat on the bed to slip on her shoes. Stu’s best man had been in a motorbike accident and as such couldn’t stand with Stu. They’d been scrambling to find a replacement

  Clarissa sighed. “One of my cousins.” She checked the set of the veil in the mirror. “He flew in last night. You and Stu know him”

  “Who?” Steph asked, her curiosity piqued. Clarissa checked her hair and make-up in the mirror one last time before her hand darted out to pick up a glass of champagne. She brought it to her lips and sipped. A perfect red lipstick mark remained behind on the clear champagne flute when she lowered the glass from her lips. Clarissa fanned herself with her hands. “Oh, that went right to my head.” She either forgot what Steph had said or was ignoring the question.

  Steph noted Clarissa’s slightly flushed appearance. “That’s enough bubbly for you, my girl.” She extricated the glass from her friend’s hand. “You don’t want to stagger up the aisle and puke on the minister.”

  “Oh, my God, that would be so embarrassing.” She giggled and reached for the glass in Steph’s hand. “One more sip?”

  Steph held the glass high, out of Clarissa’s reach, and shook her head. “Nope, not one more drop. You’ve already downed half a bottle. You need to eat something to soak up the booze and help you sober up a little. Or, I can get coffee, and we all know how that will turn out.”

  Jen, one of the other bridesmaids moved closer, placed a hand on Clarissa’s shoulder and fixed Steph with her gaze. “Hell, no. No coffee for Clarissa. It’s bad enough she’s tipsy, we don’t want her carrying on like a hyperactive monkey, too!”

  Steph chuckled and shook her head before downing Clarissa’s prized bubbly with one almighty gulp. Very ladylike. Not.

  Clarissa pouted at the sight of the vanishing champagne. “Hey! My bubbly.”

  “My bubbly.” Steph grinned, as the tingle of the champagne washed through her. “The car and your parents can’t be too far off, we need to finish getting ready.”

  A loud knock interrupted the girls’ chattering. Jen opened the door and Clarissa’s father entered. He was indeed a handsome sight suited up in his tuxedo.

  “Baby girl.” He smiled as he leaned in and kissed his daughter’s cheek. “You look beautiful, my darling.”

  Steph watched as Clarissa hugged and kissed her father. Inside her chest, her heart hammered painfully as her thoughts drifted. This was something she would never experience—her father walking her down the aisle to be married. He had been killed in a trucking accident a few years before. Through the ordeal, Steph and Stuart had found Clarissa’s shoulder there to cry on and Clarissa and Stuart’s friendship had deepened to love, and now, they were ready to become husband and wife. Steph’s smile wavered as she watched with tear-filled eyes while her best friend and her father embraced.

  Beside her, Jen noticed and wrapped a comforting arm around her shoulder. “You okay?” She squeezed tight before relenting.

  “Yeah, I’ll be fine. Thinking about my dad. I need to stop tearing up or I’ll ruin Dani’s awesome hard work, she’s actually made me look passable. Mascara tracks and panda eyes will not be a good look.”

  Jen shoved at Steph’s shoulder. “Shut up, you look beautiful even without makeup.”

  “I wish.” Steph laughed. “You have no idea how long it takes me to even look remotely human!”

  Jen winked. “Not long at all. I wish I could look as inhuman without spending hours in front of the mirror, plucking and primping.”

  “Bitch.” Steph chuckled.

  “Lucky cow.” Jen countered with a smirk.

  Clarissa’s mother burst into the room like a tornado of organization. She clapped her hands as she scanned the room, checking everyone was ready. “Okay, girls, the cars are here.” She was stunning in her dress with a slipper orchid pinned to the front of it. Most of what made up the girls’ bouquets was from the bride’s parents’ greenhouses and gardens. Beautiful orchids and roses melded perfectly together. Steph suspected Clarissa’s father had lovingly hand-picked each and every flower and her mother had spent most of the night before arranging them.

  They were all hustled from the hotel room and downstairs to the cars. The photographer snapped pictures of the parents of the bride, the bride, and some of the bride with her maid of honor and bridesmaids. They then piled into one of the vintage Ford Model Ts in a flurry of skirts and a cloud of hairspray and perfume.

  The first car containing the bridesmaids pulled into traffic and started the journey to the church. Clarissa and her father would be following shortly in another car. The girls chatted animatedly, but Steph, deep in thought, stared out of the window as the world sped by. She wondered if she would ever find Mr. Right, instead of Mr. Do me right now in the nightclub bathroom and I’ll drunkenly promise to call you tomorrow, but you’ll never hear from me again. She was no longer interested in someone l
ike that. Too many times in the past, she’d been literally and figuratively screwed and woken up in some cheap and sleazy motel room to do the walk of shame back home the next morning. She was fed up.

  She wanted something like her brother and Clarissa had found. Although she knew a relationship like theirs wasn’t out of reach, she had no idea who in her life she could reach for in order to have it.

  The cars turned the corner and she noted the crowd outside the church waiting for the bride to arrive. The driver pulled up behind the first car and assisted the girls out. Steph hurried to Clarissa and helped settle her dress for her walk down the aisle to the man of her dreams.

  She gazed at her best friend. “Ready?”

  Clarissa smiled and nodded as she finished fluffing her dress.

  “You still haven’t told me who you guys got to replace Joey yet,” Steph said with a smirk.

  Clarissa’s father took his place at her side. He smiled back at her, lifting her hand to his lips to give her a sweet, fatherly kiss.

  Clarissa and her father started toward the door of the church. As they moved away, Clarissa turned her head and threw over her shoulder. “The best man, my cousin? It’s Kyle.”

  “Kyle? As in Stu and my childhood friend, Kyle?”

  “Yep.”

  “You’re kidding me.”

  “Nope.” Clarissa smirked.

  Steph’s belly flip flopped and her legs threatened to fail her. Kyle, her dearest, most beloved friend whom she’d become estranged from because, well, life got in the way, plus he’d all but disappeared from her life when he was seventeen. How was she going to make it through the day with him so close yet so out of reach? Her mind swept back through the years that Kyle had been gone from her life. Empty, lonely years that had left her yearning for a chance to tell him exactly how she felt about him. His departure from their town had been sudden. No goodbye, no explanation and no contact details so she could chase him up to ask that burning question—why?

  Clarissa never mentioned the fact that Steph’s childhood best friend, and secret love, was a relative. In fact, there were hardly any of Clarissa’s relatives, apart from her immediate family, that Steph knew of.

  She felt clammy, faint, and nervous as all hell. Her heart pounded as her nerves sparked like electricity. She felt a sudden need for another glass of champagne—or something stronger—as the church doors opened. The bridal party readied to walk down the aisle.

  Chapter Two

  Kyle stood proudly beside his oldest friend. He was happy his baby cousin was marrying Stu, even happier that he was able to fill in the spot of best man on such short notice. Kyle had been working overseas on a contracted worksite when Stu’s desperate call came in. Because of his contract, he’d been unable to make it to the wedding, and therefore had to turn down Su’s offer. He loved his best friend, Stuart was a good man, loving, caring and the kind of guy you’d want your daughter to marry.

  Kyle was still feeling the effects of the late-night drinking session with the boys. The drinking had combined with jet lag to make him feel queasy. He’d only landed back in the country from Thailand a few hours before. His company, Hiller Constructions, had been working alongside several villages to build new schools and medical centers. It was part of their charity program, but funded via an ironclad contract with the Thai government. He was just lucky to be given a week off to attend the wedding and catch up with family back home—something he was rarely able to do due to his hectic work schedule.

  He lifted his head as the music began to play. He heard the rustle of guests as they stood in anticipation of the bride’s walk down the aisle. He turned and watched his uncle walking proudly beside Clarissa. He nudged Stuart, who was standing nervously beside him and hadn’t yet turned. “She’s coming.”

  Beside him, his best friend, Stuart, sucked in a deep, calming breath and turned to face the bride as she glided toward him on her father’s arm. Everything around Kyle faded, as his eyes glanced over the bride, and locked onto the most beautiful woman he had ever known, who walked a couple of steps behind Clarissa—Stephanie.

  Kyle’s eyes were riveted on Steph. Hers was a face he’d last seen as a teenage boy. He’d had little chance to tell her about the scholarship he’d won to study a business degree in college, at the same time working on a building traineeship. Kyle had worked hard at both. He’d known he was destined for a life of hard work and would gain from it. The one thing he regretted from his youth was never telling her how he really felt before walking away. And now, here she was, floating toward him down the aisle of a church. The woman who haunted his dreams. His angel.

  ****

  Steph felt her eyes widen as she entered the church and they zeroed straight in on Kyle. The man was taller and had filled out. Boy, had he filled out. He was no longer the tall, gangly teenager, who helped to build houses in the summer for little to no pay, whom she had last seen and remembered. Her heart slammed against her ribs. Desire raged through her. She was in danger of drooling and making a fool of herself. She needed to gain some composure. She was so busy looking elsewhere, anywhere but at him that she stumbled and tripped up the steps of the altar. Her knee slammed into the edge before she found herself firmly ensconced in Kyle’s arms. Her head rested on his chest and his unmistakable scent invaded her senses as she melted against him as pain radiated through her kneecap and telegraphed the agony of it through her body.

  ****

  Kyle found himself with arms full of delicious, delectable curves as she slammed into his chest. Her bouquet of flowers catapulted from her hand and flew through the air. It was captured by Stu and Steph’s cousin, Rosaline, who was sitting in the third row of pews behind the wedding party.

  “Wrong bouquet, Rosie. You’re supposed to catch this one.” Stuart laughed and indicated his bride’s bouquet.

  The guests chuckled. Steph’s face flushed red with embarrassment. Kyle held her firmly and lowered his eyes to her. “Quite an entrance. Are you okay?” His eyes studied her face when she tilted her head back and peered up at him. His gaze caused her face to blush deliciously. His hands gently caressed her bare shoulders, sending jolts of sinfully seductive electricity through his body. She felt right in his arms. He helped her to get back on her feet, wishing she could stay there a little bit longer.

  She stepped back and straightened her dress. “Thanks.”

  Rose had passed Steph’s bouquet forward and another guest handed it to her.

  The minister cleared his throat to capture the congregation’s attention. “May we now get to the romantic part of the ceremony?”

  Jen chuckled at her softly, earning a glare from Steph as she stepped into position and accepted Clarissa’s bouquet for the duration of the ceremony.

  ****

  Steph’s knee throbbed, and she was damned sure it was bleeding. She could feel a trickling sensation down her leg, pooling into her shoe. She prayed the blood wouldn’t stain her dress. Although the rich plum color and the underskirts would likely hide the bloodstain, she didn’t want the gorgeous dress ruined on account of her clumsiness.

  Being caught mid-fall by Kyle had been embarrassing, but the feel of his arms around her had sent juices straight to her tingling core. She could still smell his scent—it sent her body into overdrive. She had always loved his smile and it had still made her heart flutter. Her mouth had dried as she’d gazed into his warm eyes before recovering her dignity and taking her place amongst the bridal party

  Throughout the service, Kyle kept sneaking glances at her. A smile played on his lips whenever she caught him watching her. The ceremony flashed past as Steph’s thoughts filled with Kyle.

  Steph and Kyle stepped up to sign the paperwork as primary witnesses to the marriage. Steph felt unsettled by his nearness. She wanted to reach out and touch him, to feel his skin against hers again, to tell him … stop it! There’s no way he could feel the same as you do for him. Surely it’s been too long anyway, and he’s probably got a wife and family
by now. Her body tingled with sensation as he winked at her—surely, he was playing with her like a cat toys with a mouse? The minister concluded the ceremony and the guests rose to greet the newly married couple.

  With the official part taken care of, the minister presented Mr. and Mrs. Stuart and Clarissa Regent to their family and guests. They almost floated down the aisle as husband and wife. The wedding party followed, emerging onto the steps outside and guests followed, dousing the couple in colorful confetti and bubbles.

  The wedding party were ushered back to the waiting wedding cars which were beribboned with white satin. They made their way to the local botanical gardens, where the photographer worked his magic, taking pictures of all involved in the wedding. Steph remained stoic throughout her duty as maid of honor and when the photographer declared he was finished with the bridal party, she found a quiet park bench away from the crowd. She sat down and lifted the skirts of her dress to check the damage to her knee. A bloodied trail led from her scraped knee down into her shoe.

  “Damn it.” Steph scowled at the torn skin. Her nylons were shredded.

  “I knew you’d hurt yourself.” Kyle’s deep, sensuous voice washed over her. He crouched at her feet and pulled his handkerchief from his breast pocket. He indicated for her to give him her foot.

  Steph sighed, but lifted her foot to rest in his warm hand. He gently removed the black shoe and raised his eyebrows in surprise. His hands ran smoothly over the nylons, from her ankle toward her bleeding knee. Steph trembled at the caress of his warm fingers on her leg.

  “You tripped up in these? Really, these? They have next to no heel.”

  “Yes, I tripped. It could have happened in any heels.” She snatched the shoe from his hand and crossed her arms in a show of petulance. “The step got in my way.”