The Bridesmaid's Best Man (11 page)

Robin drew back as if she weren't prepared for a pointed question. “Well...no,” she said, “but did you get a good look at him? He could have anyone.”

“Mmm-hmm,” Angie agreed, faking the confidence she wished she had. She leaned back comfortably in her chair. “And if he plays his cards right, he can have me.”

“Seriously, Angie—” Brittany took a sip of champagne and gestured to the empty glass “—how did you catch him?”

Angie looked at Brittany and then at Robin. They didn't know anything about Cole. He said little and tried not to show what he was thinking, but the man felt things deeply. Intensely. He tried to keep it in because he felt vulnerable. Unworthy. Cole had been devoted to her but broke up with her because he didn't think he was good enough. What had he said? He was afraid she would have seen his unlovable side.

She knew that feeling. All this time she thought she wasn't good enough for him. That he would eventually dump her for someone glamorous and beautiful. Yet every time he had looked at her, she had felt sexy and brazen. She had seen the desire and adoration in his eyes. She'd seen how his features tightened with lust when she made the first move. She had felt his wonder and awe when they lay exhausted after making love.

But once he was gone, she had questioned everything—the smoldering looks, the secret touches and the anticipation that throbbed between them. They faded from her mind to the point where she thought she'd imagined it all. She'd allowed other people to question and revise what she had shared with Cole. They couldn't understand why he was attracted to her.

“Are you freakishly flexible or something?” Robin asked.

“He's attracted to me because I'm strong, beautiful and smoking hot.” At least, that was how he felt when they were dating. She didn't really know if what he felt now was pretend or not.

The women exchanged looks. “Is that what he told you?” Brittany asked with apparent disbelief.

“Yes.” Angie smiled and closed her eyes. “Every time he's with me.” And during the weekend, she would make sure he found her irresistible.

11

A
NGIE
TRIPPED
WHEN
she reached the front door of Foster Investigations. She slapped her hand on the door frame and fought for her balance. Damn shoes. She checked and was grateful no one was around to see how clumsy she was.

How do women walk in these things? She looked down and glared at the black platform heels. Whoever designed them was just evil. Angie stood straight and paused until she stopped wobbling. She smoothed the black bandage dress down her hips and then flipped her long hair over her shoulders.

She was ready. This time she was going to be dressed like the other women at the strip club. Instead of boyish and out-of-place, she would look fun and flirty. Sexy.

She reached for the door and then dropped her hand. What was she trying to do? When Cole saw her, he was going to see this dress as a suggestion. An invitation. Would he see her choice of outfit as the first move?

Angie bit down on her lip and looked back in the direction of the parking lot. It wasn't too late to go home and change. She could always cancel. But deep down, she didn't want to. She wore this dress with Cole in mind. She wanted him to see her as a woman. A sensual and confident woman who didn't let a breakup sideline her.

Angie opened the door and stepped inside the office. “Okay, Cole,” she called out from the waiting room. “Let's get this over with.”

Cole stepped out of his office. He was rolling down his sleeves and stopped abruptly when he caught a glimpse of her. His eyes widened. “Angie?” he said hoarsely.

She saw the lust in his face. He wasn't even trying to hide it as his gaze traveled leisurely from her eyes to her heels. Her skin tingled with awareness. She felt powerful and exposed at the same time. She wanted to please Cole but she felt like this dress was making a promise she couldn't meet.

Angie suddenly longed for the comfort of her jeans and T-shirts. She wanted to cross her arms and hide the thrust of her breasts. Instead she kept her hands at her sides. “Are you ready?”

Cole slowly walked toward her. His jaw was clenched as his skin flushed. “I don't remember that dress.”

“My mom bought it for me last Christmas.” It was tradition for her mother to buy a dress and a makeup kit every year. Angie considered it a waste and always felt guilty for not using the gifts but her mother wouldn't let her return them. “I may have to take a picture but I'm worried it would encourage her.”

His gaze snagged hers. Her breath caught as she stared into his dark, glittering blue eyes. “You look...wow.”

Angie swallowed hard. “Thank you.” She felt the tension whipping through him. He wanted her. He wanted to drag her against his body. She could tell he was restraining himself from touching her. Keeping a safe distance, as if he didn't trust himself. “So, what are we looking for? At the strip club?”

“I want to see where Heidi got hurt and decide if it was an accident or a crime. Maybe even come up with a possible weapon,” he murmured, distracted by her high hem and bare, toned legs. “Put together a timeline.”

“Okay.” Angie resisted the urge to tug her dress down. “I still think Robin did it.”

He nodded absently and then jerked to a stop as if he remembered something. “I also got Heidi's blood results.”

“How did you do that?”

“My clients told me,” he said as his gaze lingered on her scooped neckline. “They're taking her back home.”

Her breasts felt full and heavy under his gaze. Angie couldn't decide if she wanted to preen or turn away. “That's good, right?”

“It is.”

He didn't say anything else. “So what's the problem?” Angie prompted.

He shook his head, as if trying to clear his mind. “She hadn't been drinking,” he said, not looking at her. “Apparently she's been sober and clean for years.”

“I wonder if Robin or Brittany knew that. I don't think they'd seen her for a while.”

“I bet they still view Heidi as a troubled sorority sister,” Cole said as he opened the door and gestured for her to go first. “One of them could have tried to make it look like a drunken fall.”

“Let's go test our theory.” She turned and her heel snagged on the carpet. Angie reached out and grabbed Cole's arm. His muscle went rigid under her touch. “Sorry.”

“Are you going to be okay in those heels?”

“Probably not,” she admitted. She held on to his arm. Cole was solid and strong. She felt safe next to him. “I'll just hold on to you, okay?”

“Sure.” He reached for her hand and held it against his arm. “I don't mind. Hold on as long as you want.”

* * *

C
OLE
DIDN
'
T
THINK
he would last much longer. The music pulsed a primitive beat. Colorful lights streamed through the dark club. Well-endowed men wearing sequined thongs pranced on the stage and the crowd of women kept screaming for more.

But none of that mattered. All he noticed was Angie. She sat at the bar on a high stool. Her dress had inched up and revealed more of her thighs.

This was a test. He was sure of it.

“What were we thinking?” Cole asked Angie as he stood protectively behind her. He had given every stripper a warning look when they tried to approach. They backed off but he knew it wouldn't last much longer. “This is crazier than the bachelorette party.”

Angie swiveled in the chair and her foot bumped against him. “Don't worry, Cole. I'll protect you.”

“Very funny,” he said as he watched her cross her legs. He was mesmerized by the sensual and fluid motion. His body hardened and his heart pumped harder. Cole gritted his teeth when her skirt drew higher on her thighs.

Angie tilted her head back and smiled. “We'll see how funny it is when these women take one look at you and expect a lap dance.”

“They will be disappointed. I dance exclusively for you,” he teased. Cole saw her smile dim. “What's wrong?”

“Nothing. Let's consider the timeline. I remember Heidi coming up to us because she wanted a lap dance. She must have gone to the bar after that.”

“Why do you say that?”

“She had come over when you were giving me a lap dance.” She blushed and looked away. “Heidi had money in her hand but no drink.”

“But when we found her there was a drink on the ground next to her.”

“It was a Britini. I'm told it's the drink of the wedding. Would Heidi have ordered one to please Brittany?”

“If so, she would want Brittany to see it.” He looked around the room. “Brittany wasn't on stage the whole time. The attention was on the dancers. It would have been easy for Brittany to lose herself in the crowd.”

“She wore a tiara and a bright red dress. Brittany would have been noticed,” Angie said. “And why do you think it was Brittany? It doesn't make sense.”

“They could have had a fight,” Cole said. “Or Brittany could have seen an opportunity and jumped on it.”

“Robin was the one who really hated Heidi. She didn't try to hide it.”

“But it sounds like the wedding preparations brought forward a lot of hurtful memories. Remember, Heidi and Robin had been her tormentors when she first rushed the sorority.” He looked around the club. “There was nothing here that could be used as a weapon. Unless Brittany brought it and left with it.”

“No,” Angie said as she reached for her drink. “Security checks the purses.”

“Wait a second...” He looked at the tables near the stage. There was nothing on the tabletops except for purses and drink glasses. “The flowers.”

“There are no flowers,” she said against the rim of her glass.

“Exactly. There were flowers at the bachelorette party.”

“Oh, yeah.” Angie rolled her eyes. “Brittany wanted the same flowers that would be at the wedding. You would not believe how expensive that turned out to be. It took forever to find the vases that she wanted.”

“Were they heavy?”

“They were metallic.” She paused and then raised her eyebrows. “Oh, I see what you're saying. Yes, they were heavy enough to cause injury.”

“Where are they now?”

Angie shrugged. “Cheryl will know. She has a checklist for everything.”

“Whoever did this had nerves of steel. Somehow she hit Heidi and then had the presence of mind to put the flowers back, leaving the scene undisturbed.”

“You still have to find the vase.” Angie saluted him with her drink. “Good luck with that.”

Cole saw a glimmer of sequins from the corner of his eye. He turned and saw Tiger, the most popular stripper in the club, walking toward them. Cole saw the appreciative look Tiger had for Angie. Cole grabbed her hand. “Let's get out of here.”

“Wait.” Angie clumsily set down her glass. “I wasn't finished.”

“Hey, lady.” Tiger stood in front of Angie and flexed his chest muscles. “How about a lap dance?”

Angie stared at him. “Who, me?”

“That's not going to happen.” Cole had to fight back the raw, ugly emotions that poured through him. He felt possessive. Territorial. He helped Angie out of her chair and dragged her away. “No one gives this woman a lap dance but me.”

“Cole? What is your problem?” Angie asked as she hurried behind him as fast as her heels would allow. “I could have taken care of that myself.”

“I declined for you. You're welcome.” And yet he wondered if Angie would have accepted the dance out of curiosity or attraction. His gut twisted at the thought.

She tugged hard at his hand as they exited the building. The cold rain pelted them and they huddled together. “Cole, listen to me.”

“Once we're in the car.” He tried to shelter her as he guided her to the parking lot. Their shoes splashed in the puddles and Angie slipped. He put his arms around her, holding her securely against him until he got her safely in the car.

“You don't speak for me,” she said the moment he slid into the driver's seat. “And you don't have any claim on me.”

“Yes, I do.” He wouldn't let her deny that.

“Because of last night?” she asked as she brushed her damp hair from her face. “That doesn't mean we're back on.”

Cole rested his hands on the steering wheel. What would it take to get her back in his life? How many tests would he have to pass to make up for what he'd done? There were some things he knew he wouldn't accept.

“Did you want the guy to dance for you?” he asked accusingly. The idea sickened him. “Did you want me to watch? Give you dollar bills so you could have every stripper in there?”

Her mouth dropped open. “No! I don't want any of those guys. I—”

“Good.” He reached for Angie and kissed her. Threading his fingers in her hair, he held the base of her head as he deepened the kiss. He needed to claim her. Brand her with his kiss. It was only fair—he was hers and always has been.

Cole felt the soar of triumph when she softened against him. But then she went stiff and pulled away. Angie drew back in her seat. Her chest rose and fell as she glared at him. “What was that for?”

“Come on, Angie.” He didn't mean for his voice to sound harsh, but he was fighting a desperation he didn't understand. He wanted Angie, but he wanted Angie to accept him, as well. “You want this as much as I do. It's been a long time for both of us.”

“And you think I would be an easy tumble in bed?” she asked, her voice rising with anger. “Because the guys told you I don't date? That I haven't looked at another guy since you left?”

“I wasn't thinking that at all.” But it had given him hope. He wanted it to be a sign that he could fix the mess he'd made. That they shared a bond that couldn't be broken.

“What are you thinking?”

He shoved his hand in his hair. “That I want to drag you into the backseat, rip off that insanely sexy dress and—”

“So you want me.”

“Yes.”

Angie didn't look away. “Right now.”

“Yeah.” Immediately, if not sooner. He was rock-hard and had been the moment he saw her in that dress. There would be no foreplay and no lingering touches. It would be a hard and fast ride the moment he sank into her.

“And then what?” she asked. “What about tomorrow or the next day? How long do you plan to hang around until you walk away again?”

Cole stared at her. Didn't she see that he was still crazy for her? That he wanted to try again. He wasn't planning to walk away again. It nearly broke him the last time. He didn't have the strength to do it again. “I'm here to stay.”

Angie crossed her arms. “Why?”

“It's very simple.” He pointed at her. “I want you.” He pointed at himself. “You want me.”

Her mouth formed in a disbelieving smile. “That wasn't enough before.”

He scoffed at that statement. “I've always wanted you. From the moment I met you.” He had seen her in the gym and had been immediately thunderstruck. He had tried to impress her with his strength and speed only to discover she was just as strong and fast as he was. If she thought that would scare him off, it had the opposite effect. He had been more intrigued than ever.

“But you went away and you stayed away,” she pointed out. “You didn't contact me until you needed help on this case. Then you had to pretend to be hot for me. How do you think that makes me feel?”

“I have no idea what's going through your mind. You are driving me crazy. What do you want from me?”

“I want the truth,” she said. “The whole truth.”

He looked into her eyes. “You are everything I want in a woman.”

She blinked, obviously not expecting to hear those words. “What do you want from me now?” she asked. “Forgiveness? Sex? Do you want to be friends with benefits?”

He held her gaze as the fear pulsed through him. It was too soon to say anything but he had to take the risk. “I want another chance.”