Just Say Yes!

“What’s that?” she asked, glancing over her shoulder.

“Cans,” Grant answered, looking calm and collected. “The groomsmen tied them onto the bumper.”

“Oh.” She slumped back into her seat, exhaustion from the long, traumatic day settling into her bones. “They really went all out, what with shoe polish and balloons.”

He cleared his throat. “Uh-huh,” he said, smirking.

Annie glanced at him. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” He seemed to stop fighting it and broke into a grin.

She felt her insides dissolve like ice cream in July. But it couldn’t be his dazzling smile, she reasoned. It had to be the summer sun beating down on them. “Tell me.”

He shot her a glance. “Are you that innocent?”

“What?” Confused, she tried to figure out what piece of the conversation she’d missed. “What do you mean?”

He rubbed his jaw. “You and Griffin didn’t…”

“Didn’t what?” Drained of patience, she heard the defensiveness in her own voice. “What are you talking about?”

“Never mind. It’s none of my business.” He cast a glance toward the balloons flapping and turning in the wind. “Those aren’t balloons, Annie.”

She leaned toward him, squinting to look out his window. The balloons weren’t a normal shape for the helium-filled variety. The color was a neutral shade not a vibrant color, as you’d expect to see at a circus. Realization dawned. She felt her hairline burn with embarrassment. “Oh my.”

That’s why he’d thought she was an innocent! She hadn’t recognized—hadn’t even thought about—the balloons being condoms. Worse than that, he knew she and Griffin hadn’t had sex. Why that should be so awful she wasn’t sure. But it was.

Did he think she was a virgin? That she couldn’t satisfy her man? That Griff had gotten cold feet because she’d given him a cold shoulder in bed? She jerked her chin. It didn’t matter what Grant thought.

Still, her skin blazed. She tried to remember back to what else she’d said to him when they’d first met, when she’d believed he was Griff, when she’d practically thrown herself at him. Her head pounded. She didn’t want to think about that.

“Don’t worry,” he said, his tone a mixture of reassurance and good humor. “I’m sure they’ll pop or something before we get to the airport.”

“Right. The airport.” Where they’d say goodbye.

Why did that thought disconcert her? Probably because she’d depended on Grant all day. And he’d actually come through for her, shown her he was dependable, whereas other men—especially her fiancés—had proven the opposite. When they reached the airport, she’d be on her own. For good.

But that was fine with her, she assured herself. She wanted freedom, not some man.

Grant reached toward the rearview mirror and adjusted it. She noticed his strong, tanned hands and remembered the feel of them touching her waist, grasping her hand, caressing her face just before he’d kissed her at the altar. Something stirred inside her. Irritated, she worked on straightening out her veil, smoothing out the wrinkles.

How she wished she’d changed into something else before heading to the airport. But a few days ago Griff had told her he wanted to show off his bride to all the world. Also, he’d said they wouldn’t have time before their flight. Maybe he’d simply wanted to humiliate her even more.

Feeling her body tense with questions that she’d probably never know the answers to, she needed something to take her mind off Griff. “So—” she focused on Grant “—I didn’t get much of a chance to talk to you before the wedding. You live in New York. Is that right?”