Coming Undone. Stephanie Tyler

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      THE WEDDING QUESTION HAD stopped him cold. Nice to know the thought of commitment could bring even a tough-guy, Navy SEAL to his knees.

      Carly should’ve let him choke, but she needed him. This had gone too far, and she didn’t want to look like a bigger fool than she already was. “You remember, I told you my sister’s getting married, right?” She gave him a look with a raise of her eyebrows as she slid the plate in front of him. “The wedding’s in two weeks.”

      “Right. I must’ve forgotten,” he said, and took a bite of the cake.

      “I’m sure you had many other things on your mind while you were away.” Her mother took a demure sip of coffee and pushed her cake away after only a cursory bite.

      This was a way for Carly to get her parents off her back. She could show up at the wedding alone, claim a last minute breakup. By then, it would be too late to pair her with Evan, and hopefully, he’d have his own date.

      “There’s a party we’re throwing next week, and then there’s the rehearsal dinner, too. I need to tell the chef if we’re expecting another person, you understand,” her mother explained.

      This wasn’t happening. There wasn’t enough coconut therapy in the world to help Carly now.

      “Yes, I do.” Hunt finished his piece of cake and slung an arm around her shoulders. His closeness was comforting, like a protective shield. “I’m actually on partial duty for the next month, so my schedule’s pretty light.”

      And it was getting worse by the second, like a complete train wreck she couldn’t do a thing to stop. Like it was happening in somebody else’s life, not hers, and she’d wake up to find out this was all a strange dream. A strange dream that included a dark blond, green-eyed, handsome man, who made her toes curl every time she looked at him.

      She crossed her arms in front of her and he looked at her as if he could read her mind.

      Then again, he didn’t need to. She’d written it all out on paper.

      “So you’re coming to the wedding, then?” her mother repeated.

      “Wouldn’t miss it. I don’t like disappointing Carly,” Hunt said, giving her shoulder a squeeze.

      She could imagine what was going through her mother’s mind right now. Organizing a charity event for the military was one thing, but having her eldest daughter bring a Navy SEAL to a family wedding was quite another, especially when said daughter was supposed to have her hand spoken for.

      It almost made up for the fact that later on, Carly would have to explain this whole thing to Hunt. She was going to owe him big-time, and she had a sneaking suspicion about what he’d want for payment.

      “Sheila, we should go and leave these kids alone. I’m sure they don’t want us hanging around.” Her father stood to leave and Hunt stood as well.

      “Please don’t leave on my account.”

      “We’ve got a drive ahead of us back to Vero,” her mother said. “We’ll see you both on the sixteenth for the party.”

      They’d see her there, but she and Hunt would be long broken up by then, because this was a big mistake. Or maybe they’d be visiting her in a military prison reserved for erotic-fantasy writers. Either way, she was screwed.

      She walked her parents to the door.

      “Dinner was lovely, Carolyn. And Hunt seems like a very nice young man.” Her mother gave her a quick peck on the cheek and Carly wondered if Hunt had ever been called a very nice young man. “You will have to let Evan know about your change of plans. Perhaps СКАЧАТЬ