Why was Megan so surprised by the roles her friends had fallen into—Libby as matchmaker and Blair as prison guard? This was typical of their dynamic. “Where are the scissors, Libby?”
“Scissors?” she asked and winked at Josh. Then she lifted a tea towel on the counter and slid a pair across the granite counter. “I thought you might want a little more quality time.”
“Well, I’m sure Josh was happy with the quality time we just had with Kevin. For some reason, he’s decided to go all ‘concerned big brother.’ He announced that he’s going to stop the wedding.”
“Huh.” Libby looked amused. Then she waved her hand, dismissing the subject. “I’ll take care of it.”
Megan shook her head. “Look, we’ll sort this out tomorrow, but right now I need you to cut us loose.”
Libby gave them a mock pout. “I didn’t think the binding ties made in a Knickers ceremony should be so easily cut asunder.”
“Libby.”
Libby pursed her lips, mischief in her eyes. “This has to be consensual.” She turned to Josh with mock seriousness. “Josh, do you agree to cut these ties that bind?” Both of them started to laugh.
“Yes, cut us loose,” Josh managed to say.
It took Libby several minutes to cut them free. Megan rubbed the deep indentations on her arm.
Wearing a grin, Libby nodded toward Megan’s arm. “Looks like Knickers needs some lessons on bondage. I know a dominatrix who would be happy to teach her. Imagine how thrilled your dad would be.”
Megan cringed. “Eww. Stop.”
Josh’s eyes widened. “You know a dominatrix?”
“Yeah,” Libby shrugged. “I can set you up with a private session if you’d like.”
Jealousy rushed through Megan in a hot wave, taking her by surprise. And it wasn’t the first time she’d felt this way tonight. She wasn’t typically a jealous person, so what was that about? She grabbed Josh’s wrist. “He’ll be tied up.”
“He already was tied up.”
Josh chuckled.
Megan groaned and headed for the stairs, pulling Josh with her. “Bye, Libby.”
“Josh, if you change your mind, let me know,” Libby called after them, the merest hint of a laugh in her voice.
Megan didn’t stop until she got him into her room and shut the door. He stood with his back to it, waiting for her to make a move. His smile was gone; his eyes were serious.
He was probably the most handsome man she’d ever known, but this was crazy. She hadn’t even known him twenty-four hours. Yet . . . she wanted this.
“I hardly know you,” she finally said.
The corners of his mouth tipped up slightly. “I know.”
“You don’t know me either.”
“True.”
She’d had two drinks in quick succession, and while she wasn’t drunk, it had certainly shaved the edge off her nerves. “I like you.”
His grin faded and his voice turned husky. “I like you, too.”
She took a step toward him. “Did you fake that kiss a few minutes ago? Was it a performance, like Kevin suggested?”
He released a breath of disbelief and gave a small shake of his head. “God, no.”
She took a deep breath. “Do you want to schedule a session with Libby’s dominatrix?”
Josh’s eyes lit up and he released a chuckle. “No.”
She took another step toward him, leaving two feet between them.
He closed the distance, slowly reaching for her face with both hands and cupping her cheeks as he looked deep into her eyes. Still he hesitated.
“What are we doing?” she whispered, resting her hands on his chest.
“I’m not sure.”
“This is crazy.”
A hint of a smile returned. “I know.” A silent war waged in his eyes before he kissed her. It was gentle at first, as if he were as shocked as she was that they were doing this.
This was so out of character for Megan. She wasn’t a prude, and while she had no hard and fast rule about how many dates needed to precede sex, it didn’t usually happen until after the third. She wasn’t sure if she could count the engagement party tonight as their first date, but she had no doubt that she wanted this. She’d never believed in chemistry before, but one touch, one kiss from this man had made her a convert.
She grabbed the back of his head and opened her mouth to him, teasing the tip of his tongue with hers.
It was as if she’d released a flood gate. He moved a hand behind her back, pressing her chest tighter to his, and his mouth became more demanding. Her body answered. A surge of desire washed through her, and the urge to be closer to him, to feel his bare skin under her fingertips, was impossible to resist.
She loosened the knot in his tie, then set to work on the buttons on his shirt. He reached behind her for the zipper of her dress and pulled it down.
They broke apart, both of them breathless as Josh pushed her sleeves down her arms, his fingertips trailing softly in the fabric’s wake. Her dress puddled at her feet, and she stepped over it, sliding off her sandals in the process.
She stood in front of him wearing only a white lace bra and panties, thankful she’d had the foresight to not only pack matching undergarments but ones that were worthy of being seen.
Josh gasped slightly at the sight of her and then reached for her again, crushing her mouth with his.
She placed her hands on his bare chest and slid them around to his back, her hands gripping his shoulder blades. She pulled him backward to the edge of the bed, then reached for his belt, quickly unfastening it before working on the button and zipper of his jeans. A groan released from her as she felt the bulge of his erection against her hand.
She stared up at him, flushing at the desire in his eyes as he admired her body. And she expected him to kiss her again, but he took a step backward instead, conflict in his eyes.
He took a deep breath and heaved it out. “I don’t think we should do this.”
Horror rushed through her. “What?”
He closed his eyes and swallowed. “I can sleep on the sofa . . .”
“No. You can’t.” She shook her head, trying to regain her senses. “My mom . . .”
His mouth opened as though he wanted to say something, then closed abruptly.
She turned her back to him, mortified at his rejection. “It’s a queen-sized bed. We can both sleep here.”
“Megan, it’s not you . . .”
“No,” she said, tears stinging her eyes. “You’re right. This was a bad idea. We’ll break up first thing tomorrow, and then you can get back to saving your business.” She spun around to face him. “That’s ultimately why you’re here, right? I’m just a good karma detour.”
“Uh . . .” He looked toward the wall and rubbed the back of his neck. “Yeah.” He shifted his gaze toward the bathroom door. “I’m going to take a shower. Do you need to use . . . ?”
She shook her head. “No. Go.”
He grabbed his bag and disappeared into the bathroom, closing the door behind him. She picked her dress up off the floor and opened her suitcase, pulling out a nightgown, thanking the stars above that it was utilitarian and not sexy—a complete about-face from a few moments ago.