Last-Minute Bridesmaid Read online

  ‘Do you mean Saskia Elwood?’ Kate asked casually, over the rim of her champagne flute.

  ‘Saskia. That’s it.’ Then Crystal narrowed her eyes.

  ‘Wait a moment—didn’t you used to date Amber’s brother for a while when you were in the sixth form? Heath Sheridan. The groom’s son.’

  A knowing smile crossed the blonde’s lips. ‘Well, that would explain what you’re doing here. Congratulations. You did well there.’

  Well, she had got that right.

  ‘How clever of you to remember that.’ Kate smiled through gritted teeth. ‘But I am here as a family friend.’

  More is the pity.

  ‘Well you must be regretting that. Our Heath is still just as handsome as ever, isn’t he? So impressive. And quite the business guru. Perhaps you should have stuck with him, Kate? Or did he move on?’

  ‘Our business interests are so different. I was in London, he was in Boston—it would never have worked out.’

  ‘Really? And what are you up to these days?’

  Scraping a living trying to be a successful designer.

  ‘I have recently expanded my couture business to include Lovat Gloves,’ she quipped, casually flicking off an imaginary speck of dust from her evening dress with her satin-gloved hand. ‘Terribly exclusive, of course, but you would be surprised how many people adore having made-to-measure clothing and accessories. Amber DuBois is one of my favourite clients. Gloves,’ she whispered, leaning in. ‘So important to the modern concert pianist.’

  The leggy blonde with the pneumatic breasts she had not been born with towered over Kate despite her four-inch heels and looked from side to side before leaning in to whisper in her ear. ‘Is it true what they’re saying about Amber DuBois? You know. That she had to retire from playing piano because of some unfortunate illness?’

  What? Of all the...

  ‘Absolutely rubbish,’ Kate whispered, ‘but on the other hand it’s probably not a good idea to go around repeating gossip like that. You never know who might be listening. Heath adores Amber and is terribly protective. Lawyers are so expensive these days. Don’t you find?’ She smiled.

  The blonde’s lips twisted with disdain and she simpered. ‘Ah. Well, I’ll be sure to catch up with darling Heath later.’

  ‘Did someone mention my name?’

  A pair of long arms wrapped around her waist and Heath pressed his chin on Kate’s shoulder. Kate whirled gracefully around in relief and clutched onto his arm with such force that he actually winced. ‘Ah, there you are. Crystal and I were just catching up from high school. Such a small world, isn’t it?’

  ‘Absolutely. But I need to snatch Kate away from you, Crystal. We’re just about to go into dinner. But we must make time to chat later.’

  Heath took hold of Kate’s arm and linked it through his elbow so they could glide safely away and out onto the sunlit terrace where the orchestra was playing Viennese waltzes.

  ‘You. Are my total saviour,’ Kate hissed out of the corner of her mouth. ‘Another minute with the lovely Crystal and I would have emptied the ice bucket over her head.’

  ‘Heath to the rescue. Are you trying to lead me astray, Miss Lovat?’

  Kate shrugged and linked her arm around the crook of Heath’s elbow. ‘I’m your pal. That’s my job.’

  ‘And you do it so well.’

  ‘Awww. Thanks, handsome. That’s the nicest thing anyone has said to me all day.’

  ‘Seriously?’

  ‘Seriously.’

  ‘Speaking of nice things... I think we are ready for the great unveiling.’

  Heath nodded towards the dining room.

  Charles had one hand up in front of Alice’s closed eyes, then, as the family and guests looked on, he whipped them away. Alice took one look at the decorations, glanced at Charles, who nodded, then looked again in disbelief. And burst into tears.

  ‘She loves it.’ Kate nodded. ‘We do good work.’ Then she hooked her arm a little tighter against Heath, grinned and cuddled closer. ‘And I seem to recall that you promised me a dance, young man.’

  ‘Absolutely.’ Heath grinned back and extended both hands palm upwards. ‘May I have the honour of this dance, Miss Lovat?’

  Kate bathed in the heat of Heath’s gaze as he smiled down at her, clearly determined to make her dance. He looked sexier and even more handsome than ever and any resolve she might have had to stay frosty and cool seemed to melt like ice.

  In seconds they were on the patio and mingling with the other guests, who were finishing their drinks and drifting back in for dinner.

  Her senses were so alive when he was close like this. The garden suddenly seemed full of the sound of birdsong and insects. Bees from the roses and lavender were the soundtrack to the beat of her heart and the soft music playing in the house. It was magical. Tonight they sang for her. And for Heath. And only for them.

  She simply could not resist him. And it had absolutely nothing to do with the fact that he looked every inch the executive in his superb dinner jacket. No. This was the man under the suit.

  Oops. She had a vision of Heath minus his clothes. Big oops.

  Kate willed down the intense blush she could feel on her cheeks as she felt Heath clasp hold of her fingers and draw her to him.

  ‘Thank you, sir. How kind of you to think of us poor wallflowers. All alone and overlooked.’

  ‘Um. Right. You have never been a wallflower in your life. You look amazing. That dress...’ He exaggerated a shiver then hissed, ‘Amazing,’ bringing Kate’s blush even hotter. And with one swift tug on her hands she was in his arms. One hand slid strategically onto her waist, the other clasped firmly around her palm. And her body...her body pressed tightly against his chest.

  ‘Exactly what kind of dance is this?’ she dared to ask, her nose about two inches away from Heath’s shirt. He smelt of expensive cologne and man sweat combined with something musky, spicy and arousing. Something which was uniquely Heath. A flash of something horribly close to desire ran through her body, startling her with its intensity.

  Her back straightened and her head lifted away as she tried to regain her self-control, only to become suddenly aware that the string quartet had a neat collection of waltzes.

  Instantly Heath drew her even closer, so that his hips moved against hers, swaying from side to side. Taking her with him. She had no choice but to follow his actions, his broad chest and strong legs pressed so close to the thin fabric of her silk dress that she felt glued to him along the whole length of his body.

  ‘Time to channel your inner ballroom dancing lessons,’ he replied, his voice close to her ear and muffled by her hair. And rough, urgent. She was clearly not the only one who was starting to become rather warm. ‘Lots of shuffling and gliding and sliding together. Leaning backwards, skipping and dipping come later...although...’

  He stopped talking and Kate took a deep breath and asked, ‘Although?’

  His hand moved sinuously up her back as the pace increased and his legs started moving faster. ‘Perhaps not in that dress. It is—’ and he sighed, the implications only too obvious as his fingers splayed on the bare skin of her back and his grip tightened ‘—far, far too tempting.’ And without warning he leant forward from the waist, so that she moved backwards chest to chest, both of his hands taking her weight with effortless ease and agility. Except that she had been so captivated by his words that she had not seen the move coming and her arms clenched hard around his neck to stop herself from falling backwards and she cried out in alarm.

  With a gentle movement and a firm hand on her back, Heath slowly brought her back to a standing position, his hands drawing her closer and holding her against him as she dragged in ragged breaths of air in a feeble attempt to calm her heart rate.

  ‘Sorry,’ she eventually managed to s
queak out, feeling like a complete idiot. She knew that Heath would never let her fall. She had overreacted, her body once more letting her down.

  Heath paused and released her long enough so that they could look into each other’s eyes as his fingers spread wide so that they could caress her skin in delicious soft circles.

  His forehead pressed against hers so that his voice reverberated through her skull. Hot, concerned, tender and understanding.

  ‘You have to trust me and let me lead, Kate. Just this once, let someone else take control. Can you try?’

  Kate closed her eyes and tried to calm her heartbeat and failed. Her mind was spinning as his words hit home, while all the while Heath’s body was pressed close to her, filling her senses with his masculine scent and the sheer physicality of him.

  She knew that he was talking about more than placing her faith in a dance partner. And part of her shrank back from the edge. She had never truly allowed anyone to lead her. Not deep down. In fact the more she thought about it, the more she knew that she had always danced to her own beat.

  His breath was hot on her face as he patiently waited for the answer which would decide where they went from here. And not just for the evening. He was asking her to trust him with nothing less than her heart. Was he also asking her to trust him with her future and her dreams?

  ‘I...don’t know,’ she whispered, her heart thumping so hard that she was sure that he must be able to hear it, but not daring to open her eyes. It would be too much.

  ‘Then perhaps I can persuade you?’

  Gentle pressure lifted her chin and, although her eyes were still clamped tight shut, she felt every tiny movement of his body as his nose pressed against her cheek, his breath hot and fast in time with the heart beating against her dress.

  A soft mouth nuzzled against her upper lip and she sighed in pleasure as one of his hands slid back to caress the base of her skull, holding her firm against him. The fine hairs on his chin and neck rasped against her skin as he pressed gentle kisses down her temple to the hollow below her ear. Each kiss drove her wild with the delicious languorous sensation of skin on skin.

  He was totally intoxicating.

  The tenderness and exquisite delicacy of each kiss was more than she could have imagined possible from Heath. More caring. More loving... Loving. Yes. They were the kisses of a lover. Her lover. And it felt so very right.

  Which was why she did something she had believed until a few short days ago would never happen again. She brought her arms even tighter around Heath’s neck and notched her head up towards him. And with eyes still closed.

  Kate kissed him on the mouth.

  Only this was not the kiss of a teenage girl on her doorstep. This was the kiss of a woman who recognised a kindred spirit and wanted, just this once, to let him know how she felt before she lost him for ever.

  His hands stilled for a moment and she paused to suck in a terrified breath, trembling that she had made the most almighty mistake.

  This would change everything. What if she’d totally misunderstood what he had told her? And he only wanted to lead? Not share.

  She felt him shift beneath her and, daring to open her eyes, she stared into a smile as wide as it was welcome, but then his mouth pressed hotter and deeper onto hers, blowing away any hint of doubt that he wanted her just as much as she needed him with the depth of his passion and delight.

  A shuddering sigh of relief ran through her and she grinned back in return and buried her face deep into the corner of his neck. His hands ran up and down her back, thrilling her with the heat of their touch as his lips kissed her brow and her hair.

  Kisses so natural and tender it felt as though she had been waiting for them all of her life.

  Every sensation seemed heightened. The warmth of the fading sun on her arms, the touch of his fingertips on her skin, the softness of his shirt under her cheek and the fast beat of the heart below the fine fabric.

  It was Heath who broke the silence. ‘Now will you trust me?’ He was trying to keep his voice light and playful but she knew him too well now, and revelled in the fact that she was the source of his hoarse, low whisper, intense with something more fundamental and earthy.

  The fingers of one of his hands were playing with her hair, but she could feel his heartbeat slow just a little when she chuckled into his shirt. ‘Well, I just might. We are talking about dancing. Aren’t we?’

  His warm laughter filled her heart to bursting. ‘Absolutely.’ He brushed his lips against the tip of her nose. ‘Time to join the others, I think, before we’re missed.’

  ‘Missed?’ Kate repeated and looked over Heath’s shoulder just in time to see Crystal’s shocked face staring out from the other side of the patio, open-mouthed. ‘Somehow I don’t think that they have missed a thing.’

  * * *

  Two hours later, Kate had come to the conclusion that this was one of the best parties that she had been to. Ever.

  The delicious meal, wine and fantastic birthday cake were followed by more champagne, excellent speeches and thanks from Charles and Alice. Kate and Heath were required to stand up and give short bows for all their work on the decoration. In general, everybody had a fantastic time. Even the snooty cousins behaved themselves. Crystal Jardine actually grinned and meant it and no one started a food fight.

  Just as Charles announced that coffee and chocolates would be served on the terrace, Alice tugged at his sleeve and pointed to the presents, which had been stacked on the table behind a chair.

  Kate smiled warmly at Heath and nudged his arm as she nodded towards Alice.

  But then her smile faded. Because when the gifts were moved, her gift bag was now on the top of the pile and the first present which Alice was going to open.

  Kate sat back in her chair and took very tight hold of the napkin on her lap. She scarcely dared to watch as Alice stood up, presented the bag to the whole party and then carefully, slowly, drew out the box, smiling as she went, and then opened the lid and lifted out the book which Kate had first seen only a few hours earlier.

  Kate’s heart leapt into her throat.

  This was it. Triumph or disaster.

  Alice looked at the book cover with total delight and astonishment and clearly didn’t know what to expect, but then she opened the cover; her right hand went to her throat as tears streamed down her cheeks.

  Charles looked up in alarm, then Alice smiled and laughed away his concern and, smiling directly at Heath with a quivering voice, she read the inscription at the front of the book to the whole party. ‘“To the future Mrs Sheridan. Your love is a beacon in our darkness. Welcome to the family. Heath.”’

  ‘Oh, Heath,’ Alice cried out and, to Kate’s astonishment, she put down the book and ran around the table and, to Heath’s horror, she threw her arms around him and hugged him and kissed his cheek in a display of open love and affection.

  In front of all of the Sheridan and Jardine relatives and friends, who gave a rousing cheer.

  Heath was mortified. Kate could see that, and she instantly rushed around and hugged Alice to take the attention away from Heath.

  Charles strolled up behind her and man-slapped Heath hard on the back before gesturing for the rest of the party to join them on the terrace for coffee.

  It took a moment for Kate to disengage herself from Alice and her relatives, who were gathered around Heath’s gift, turning each page in obvious delight.

  With total relief, Kate skipped back up to her bedroom to collect her wrap before venturing out into the cool evening air. She couldn’t be happier.

  She was standing outside her room and was just reaching out to turn the door handle, when Heath stepped out behind her, grabbed her arm and pulled her into his bedroom.

  TEN

  ‘Why?’ he asked in a voice that was burning with fir
e to match the fierce intensity in his eyes.

  He turned away from her and started pacing, two steps back and forward, then three on the fine carpet. His right hand was pressed hard against the back of his neck as though he was holding it in place and fighting to gain control.

  ‘Tell me why you thought that you had the right to change my gift and make me look like a pathetic fool. Tell me, Kate. Because I really want to know why you decided to humiliate me and I want to know right now.’

  Kate lifted her chin and tried to control her breathing. She had never seen anyone with so much suppressed anguish in his face as the man she was looking at right now. She wasn’t frightened for herself. But she was for him.

  She waited for a second until she could speak clearly, but her words still emerged shaking and trembling in the intensity of his stare. He was glaring at her, his hands clutching onto the back of the solid chair in front of him.

  ‘You knew that Alice would treasure those paintings for ever,’ she replied. ‘But you forgot something important. Tomorrow is Alice’s wedding day—the one day in her life when she wants to be beautiful and loved and treasured and admired. But those paintings aren’t about Alice, they are all about her lovely friend, Lee Sheridan, your mum. The woman her fiancé loved. And I couldn’t let you ruin her happiness by bringing the past crashing into her future. That’s not fair, Heath.’

  Heath’s face twisted as her words hit home.

  ‘Fair? Did she tell you? Did Alice actually tell you how she betrayed her friend with my father when the woman she was supposed to care about was dying in a hospice bed?’

  He took a step closer until his nose was only inches from hers, and she could feel the heat of his breath on her cheeks. He was trembling with emotion, so that when he spoke his words exploded into her face. ‘Did she tell you that she was sleeping with my father while my mother was dying, Kate? Did she?’