A Thrill To Remember

“And on a more personal note…” Kay stared deeply into her husband’s eyes “…I want to thank you for making me the happiest woman in the world, Quinn. I’m honored to be your wife.”

“Aww!” The crowd sighed in unison when Kay stood on tiptoes to kiss her husband, who was dressed, appropriately enough for his size, as Paul Bunyan.

“This party is also to celebrate the impending marriage of Sadie Stanhope and Jake Gerard.” Kay scanned the audience. “Sadie and Jake, please take a bow.”

Liam, the disc jockey, shone the spotlight on Jake and Sadie, who were swaying together in the middle of the dance floor. Jake waved his hand and Sadie blew kisses to the crowd.

Caleb shook his head and grinned to himself. Those two were a pair. He’d never thought fun-loving Jake would settle down, but Jake had met his match in Sadie.

“Wedding is December 16 at our B and B,” Jake said. “Remember, you’re all invited.”

“And Cammie Jo Lockhart and Mack McCaulley,” Kay continued, “are you out there?” She raised a hand to her forehead to scan the crowd.

Liam flashed the spotlight to the corner of the room, interrupting the two lovebirds in the throes of a deep kiss.

Someone whooped with delight. Cammie Jo blushed and ducked her head. Mack grinned like a kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar. The audience applauded.

In a very short time Bear Creek had changed considerably, and mostly for the better. Not only had Caleb’s three best friends gotten hitched or engaged, but the population had grown from fifteen hundred to almost two thousand.

Some of the ladies that had arrived in response to the ad had fallen in love with Alaska and decided to stay, even though they hadn’t found a husband. Some of the fellows from surrounding communities had moved in, hoping to catch the eye of one of those ladies. Bear Creek was growing and changing from a summer tourist resort into a real town. Part of Caleb liked the changes. Another part of him feared his hometown might one day lose its rustic appeal as an increase in population tamed the wilderness.

“The ad’s success rate stands at seventy-five percent,” Kay continued, once everyone had settled down. “That’s pretty darned impressive, but the magazine would love a hundred percent success rate. There’s only one bachelor left. Caleb, where are you?”

He took a step back, not interested in being thrust into the spotlight.

“Caleb?” Kay called out. “Come on up here.”

That’s when he realized no one knew he was dressed as Don Juan. Relief washed through him. All he had to do was keep quiet. He didn’t want Klondike Kate to know he was the millionaire bachelor, which would seriously alter her perception of him. At least for tonight he wished to remain incognito.

“Caleb, where are you?” Kay coaxed.

Meggie cocked her head to one side and peered through the crowd, hoping to spy her ex-stepbrother-in-law. She hadn’t seen much of Caleb this summer—he’d been too busy fending off love-starved ladies, while she’d been sequestered at home taking care of her mother.

But since she was catching the first plane out of Anchorage tomorrow morning, this would be the last chance she’d have to say goodbye. She was very happy that her divorce from Jesse hadn’t caused any hard feelings between them; Caleb was a good, stable, honest man. The kind of guy she should have married.

“Caleb?” Kay repeated for the third time, but he did not appear. “Anyone seen Caleb?”

Meggie wasn’t surprised, although she felt disappointed. Caleb wasn’t much of one for parties or crowds.

“Well, I guess all you single ladies are out of luck. Seems our most eligible bachelor has flown the coop,” Kay said. “But on a positive note, the buffet is now open for business. Enjoy, everyone.”

Meggie kept searching the crowd, but when her gaze landed on Don Juan, she forgot all about Caleb.

Don Juan was talking to a razor-thin woman in a black cat suit. Meggie immediately felt fat and dumpy in contrast. She shook off that feeling. She wasn’t going to think negatively. So what if she was a size twelve and not a size two? Just because her ex had preferred rail-thin women, that didn’t mean everyone did.

Don Juan turned slightly, and she could see his stunning profile made all the more intriguing by the camouflage of his mask. She stared at his full, ripe mouth.

What would he taste like?

She knew the answer deep within the most hidden parts of her. He would taste like sin. She pursed her lips and slowly released a pent-up sigh.

He angled his head, caught sight of her from his peripheral vision and smiled very, very slightly, as if he harbored a hundred sexy secrets. No one else in the building would have noticed the glance, the smile, so subtle was his execution.

But Meggie did.

Go on over and put on a show. Pretend to be Klondike Kate.

She wanted to, but she was afraid of so many things. Like making a mistake, or getting in too deep.

How deep could you sink, Meggie? You’re leaving town tomorrow morning, never to see Don Juan again.

Not knowing exactly how to deal with her unexpected sexual desires, she sought sublimation. The buffet beckoned. She hurried over to the table, picked up a plate and started down the serving line.

With a cocktail fork, she leaned over to spear a moist, pink shrimp, but before she could retrieve her succulent prize, someone on the other side of the table got to it first.

“Hey,” she protested, then raised her head and caught Don Juan’s stare head-on.

He stood before her, the fat, slick shrimp impaled on his fork. Leaning forward, he dangled the seafood mere inches from her lips. Damn if he didn’t possess a small, wicked smile tilting up one corner of his mouth.

Meggie’s stomach did the hula and her knees loosened. She had the sudden urge to sit right down on the floor so she wouldn’t topple over from his body heat.

“I will share with you, belladonna,” he murmured with his captivating Spanish accent, rolling the word belladonna around in his mouth, savoring it as if it was the finest Belgian chocolate money could buy.

Slowly, Don Juan lowered the shrimp until it lightly brushed her bottom lip. Meggie flicked out her tongue to whisk away a drop of juice. Audibly, he sucked in his breath, his eyes never leaving her face.

Her heart careened into her rib cage, and she felt oddly enchanted. Determined not to let him know exactly how much he had affected her, Meggie shrugged and stepped back.

“On second thought I think I’ll skip the shrimp,” she said, affecting Klondike Kate’s uncultured inflection.

“Why is that?” he whispered. “Are you afraid?”

“Afraid?” She avoided looking into his eyes again.

“What’s there to be afraid of?”

“Some say shrimp is an aphrodisiac.”

“Old wives’ tale,” she pronounced, really getting into the gold-rush madam’s brogue.

“So why not take a bite and see?”

He was flirting with her, no doubt about it. Meggie didn’t know what to do. It had been a very long time since someone had flirted so openly with her. She wanted the attention and yet she didn’t.

“No, thanks.”

“Ahh,” he said knowingly. “I understand.”

In spite of her best intentions not to meet his eyes again, Meggie had to slip a quick glance his way to see what he was ahhing about. She was immediately sorry she had. Sympathy for her shone on his face.