The Bridesmaid's Wedding

“Gee, thanks, Ally, that’s cool!” The boy, who had to be all of fourteen, whistled behind his braces.

“Does he know you?” Grant looked after the departing fan.

“No. He just thinks he does.” Ally smiled. “I’ve had complete strangers come up and start talking as though they’d known me all my life.”

“I don’t think I could get used to it,” Grant said with a slight frown. “Anyway, to get back to Lainie. Rafe isn’t flirting with her, he’s only being nice.”

“Well he’s got her up in the sky somewhere. Floating on cloud nine,” Ally offered wryly. “Mind you, Lainie is sweet. She’s entitled to her dreams.”

Grant wrinkled his broad forehead. “Just between you and me. Rafe needs a great deal more than Lainie can offer.” He laughed shortly, the tiniest spark of anger in his hazel eyes. “Do you honestly think she’s woman enough for him?” He held Ally’s gaze in his direct manner.

“Don’t ask me—it’s too close to home.”

Francesca stared from one to the other, looking thoroughly intrigued. “Are you suggesting someone should tell poor Lainie to back off, Grant, dear?”

“It might save her a lot of heartache.” Grant looked serious. “No one wants Lainie to get hurt.”

Lainie, smiling brilliantly, was starting towards them and Ally began to brace herself for what was to come.

“I’m trying to talk Rafe into joining us at the nightclub,” Lainie announced. “You have to help me.” She appealed to Ally and Fran.

“Rafe’s really not one for nightclubs, Lainie,” Grant tried to warn her.

“But on such a night.” Lainie clutched at Francesca’s arm in her enthusiastic fashion. “Quite a few of us are going on. There’s absolutely no need for him to rush off.”

“Well, I have to,” Ally told her lightly. “We start shooting very early Monday morning.”

“I’d love to get a bit part in one of your shows,” Lainie confessed. “But I suppose I’m too short.”

That struck Grant as utterly irrelevant and he said so.

“It was just a thought.” A little warily Lainie eyed Rafe’s younger brother, knowing Grant Cameron wasn’t as sweetly tolerant as Rafe was. Grant was one of those men who didn’t suffer fools gladly.

Into the group came the rangy, elegant Rafe, looking super relaxed. The overhead lighting gilded his fine features and played around the smile on his sexy curving mouth. “So is everyone off?”

“You’re coming, then?” Lainie rejoiced, all but rubbing her cheek against his slate blue jacket. “It’s wonderful to know I could persuade you.”

“Well…” Rafe looked down a moment at her fair head. “Lainie, I find it hard to disappoint you, but I’m flying off home in the morning. Grant is staying on to line up some more business, but I have to get back to the station. As well, I promised Brod I’d keep an eye on Kimbara. You’ve got a dozen people to keep you company,” he consoled her. “Fran and Grant are going on. So is Mark Farrell. I thought you two got on rather well.” He referred to the groomsman. “And Ally must do this sort of thing all the time.”

“You obviously haven’t heard about my killing schedule,” Ally said in a wry voice. “I have to get lots of beauty sleep so I can get up the next morning without telltale bags under my eyes.”

“Bags? Not you,” Lainie retorted.

“So can I drop you off at your hotel?” Rafe looked on sardonically. “You’re staying with Fee and Francesca?”

“Not this time.” Ally shook her head. “Fee has commandeered the best suite. Davey has another.”

“I have to settle for deluxe,” Francesca smiled.

“And a friend has lent me her place while she’s away,” Ally added.

“Rafe are you sure you won’t come?” Lainie persisted, desperately wanting it to happen.

“Sorry, pet.” He gave her his maddening nonchalant smile.

“Well, that takes care of that then,” Grant said with satisfaction. “We were going to drop Ally off, Rafe, but I’m sure she’s happy for you to take over.”

“I don’t have to go,” Lainie looked about vaguely, wishing secretly Rafe would simply take her off to bed.

“Sure you do!” Grant took hold of her arm purposefully, with Francesca, blue eyes twinkling, taking the other. “Let the good times roll.”

Grant looked back at his brother and Ally and tilted a tawny eyebrow.

CHAPTER THREE

THEY were quiet in the taxi, each sitting as far away from each other as possible, but feeling the effects of their enforced intimacy coming at them in electric waves.

“Are you coming in for a moment?” Ally asked when they arrived. “You can have a nightcap. You don’t need to drive.”

He wanted to tell her no. He had already begun to shake his head, but Ally threw open the door, peering up at the apartment block. She didn’t want him to see her nervousness. She didn’t want him to know the cause of it. She moved towards the well-lit entrance, assuming Rafe was paying off the driver.

“Nice place,” the driver said to Rafe. “Beautiful woman. I’m sure I know her from someplace. Your wife?”

“She shied away from accepting me,” Rafe found himself admitting.

“Fancy that!” The driver, of Italian descent, looked amazed. This guy looked like he had it all. “I haven’t seen such a glamorous couple in a long time.”

The lift was empty, the hallway a blaze of illumination. They were quiet again until they reached the door of the unit.

“You know, Ally, you’re nervous,” Rafe observed calmly, taking the key off her and fitting it in the lock. “Not of me, surely?”

The fact was she was excited but edgy, as well. These last months had taken their toll on her. She was starting to act like someone with a real problem, which, in fact, she had. But who could hurt her with Rafe around. He was very much the man in control.

“I could do with a cup of coffee,” she admitted, giving a husky laugh.

He unlocked the door and held it open so she could precede him into the apartment. She’d left a few lamps burning as she always seemed to do these days. Now in the low rosy light she glanced automatically towards the sliding doors that led out onto the terrace with its spectacular views of the cityscape.

Something moved. She stood perfectly still, muscles tensing, adrenalin pumping into her blood.

“What is it? What’s the matter?” Rafe registered her alarm instantly, grasping her arm and staring into her stricken face. “Ally?” She looked primed for panic as though her emerald eyes saw some great wrath. “What the hell’s going on here?”

At the sound of his voice relief flooded into Ally’s face. She could diagnose her own delusion born of months of harassment. She turned to him, her heart still racing, grateful beyond words for how he filled the room with his commanding presence.

“Rafe!” It was little more than a gasp as she waited for the adrenalin in her blood to dissipate.

“For God’s sake! What did you think you saw?” he burst out, letting go of her, moving with a lithe, purposeful tread to the sliding-glass doors. Obviously she thought someone or something was out here. He saw only the night-time dazzle of the city lights and glittering towers, the graceful sweep of the Expressway spanning the broad deep river that meandered through the centre of the city in grand curves.

He turned back to her, shaking his head. “There’s nothing here. Nothing to be afraid of.”