His Band Of Gold. Melissa Mcclone

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СКАЧАТЬ tongue-tied, and she didn’t like it. She was twenty-six years old, not thirteen. Time to get control. “I’m Kelsey Armstrong Waters.”

      “So you’re the one I’ve been looking for.”

      Her breath caught in her throat. Breathe, she ordered herself. Just breathe. “How can I help you?”

      “I need help planning a wedding.”

      Reality hit Kelsey, low and hard. The handsome stranger was a potential client—someone else’s groom.

      Disappointment shot through her. Not that she personally wanted a groom. Maybe she could borrow him for a date or two. What was she thinking? Oh, boy, she needed a vacation more than she realized. Time away from nervous brides and jittery grooms and treasury-breaking weddings…Only a few more hours until her flight.

      She forced a smile. “And you are…?”

      “Will.” As he walked toward her, he grinned. The smile crinkled the corners of his green eyes and made him even more appealing. “Will Addison.”

      Addison. The name sounded familiar, but she hadn’t met him before. She knew that for certain.

      “Nice to meet you.” She forced the words from her drier-than-dry mouth and extended her right arm. As his hand touched hers, tingles shot up her arm and straight down to the tips of her leather pumps.

      Ignore the tingles, Kelsey told herself. Concentrate on something else, anything else. Like his handshake. His handshake was solid, firm, as was the man in front of her. She was nearly five-nine, but she felt almost petite standing in front of his six-foot-plus frame. Realizing she’d allowed the handshake to last longer than was appropriate, she pulled her hand away.

      “Nice veil,” Will said in that deep, warm voice of his. “You’ll make a lovely bride.”

      A bride? Kelsey touched the top of her head. Great, she still had the headpiece on. She could only imagine how ridiculous she looked in the getup. The least he could have done was mention it earlier so she didn’t look like such a fool. Kelsey removed the wreath and veil and set them on a nearby table. “I’m not getting married. Just trying them on. I like to keep certain one-of-a-kind items in stock for my clients.”

      “Whatever bride wears that veil will be one lucky lady.”

      The compliment warmed her cheeks. What was happening to her? She wasn’t the blushing type.

      “What can I do for you?” The words came out sounding husky, a way she hadn’t meant them to sound.

      “My sister’s getting married and wants you to coordinate her wedding.”

      His sister. Kelsey’s pulse picked up speed, racing faster than a car chase on the 101. The knowledge that Will Addison wasn’t the groom-to-be made her feel as though one of her weddings had been featured on “Weddings of a Lifetime.” She really did need a vacation if this was what a handsome stranger could do to her. Kelsey motioned him to the area where she consulted with clients. “Why don’t you have a seat?”

      “Thanks.” Will sat in one of the overstuffed chintz-covered down chairs. “Nice place.”

      “Thanks.” He should have looked out of place among all the feminine decor and bridal accessories, but he didn’t. Not one bit. And it annoyed Kelsey. This was her turf, her home field advantage, so to speak. Yet he didn’t seem uncomfortable among all the ruffles, ribbons and frills. “So when…”

      As he picked up one of the bride magazines from the table and set it back down, Kelsey caught a flash of gold. She glanced at his left hand. At the ring finger of his left hand. At the gold wedding band on his ring finger.

      Married. The man of her dreams was somebody else’s husband. No doubt another woman had realized he was a keeper. Yet he had flirted—well, maybe not flirted, but he’d—

      Stop it.

      This wasn’t like her. Not one bit. Will Addison was not the man of her dreams. Such a man didn’t exist. Kelsey of all people knew better than to engage in any sort of romantic fantasy. Not even for the briefest of moments. And definitely not with a married man. She straightened. “When is your sister’s big day, Mr. Addison?”

      “Friends call me Will.”

      “I’m sure they do.” Business demeanor back in place, Kelsey pulled out the five-year calendar planner from a nearby shelf and flipped it open. “So when does your sister want to get married?”

      “February fourteenth.”

      “I’m already booked for next year.”

      “Not next year.” As he leaned toward her, she caught a whiff of him. Soap and water and something woodsy. Whatever cologne he wore, he smelled good, too good. Kelsey inched back in her chair until she could go no farther. She didn’t need a Ph.D. to know Will Addison was trouble. Big trouble. “This year.”

      “But today’s the thirty-first of January. That’s only…”

      “Two weeks away. It’s short notice, but—”

      “Sorry, not possible.” With little regret, she closed the planner. It would be much better this way. Much better for her, that was.

      “You have another wedding scheduled?”

      Kelsey hesitated. This wasn’t her problem, her fault. Yet the intense look on his face… “I did, but it was canceled after the bride met someone else.”

      The edges of his mouth turned up slightly. “So you can coordinate my sister’s wedding.”

      She noticed he wasn’t asking her a question. “I can’t. Several clients offered to move their weddings up to Valentine’s Day, but I decided to take advantage of the cancellation and give my staff a well-deserved vacation. Everyone’s gone.”

      Hope brightened his eyes, making them sparkle like emeralds. Not jewels, Kelsey told herself, but broccoli or AstroTurf or anything else that would be green and unromantic. Remember he’s married. And even if he wasn’t… “You’re here,” he said.

      “Not for long. My flight leaves in three hours.” Kelsey reached for a nearby pad of paper and a pen. “I can give you some names of other wedding designers, but at this late date—”

      “You don’t understand.” He brushed his hand through his hair, giving it an even more careless look than before. “It has to be you.”

      “May I ask why?”

      “Both my mother and my sister want it to be you.”

      The desperation in Will’s voice almost made her believe it was true. He was a good actor, real good. “If it’s so important to them, why didn’t they come?”

      His lips tightened, and he glanced at the pile of magazines. “It’s…complicated.”

      It always was. “Mr. Addison, I’m about to leave the country for a much-needed vacation. I don’t have time for complications.”

      He stared directly into her eyes, and Kelsey felt СКАЧАТЬ