Beast Untamed: Beasts of Bodmin Moor, Book 3 (5 page)

Thankfully, the speeches were announced, diverting Nathan’s attention to his groomsman duties.

Erin watched him as he gave an eloquent, witty and sometimes close-to-the-mark speech about the bridegroom. Their longtime friendship and obvious affection was evident in every word he uttered, and Erin felt a pang of envy and regret for the friendship she’d left behind when she’d run. Not that she and Kay would ever lose touch, but it was hard not to have her on hand for a hug and to share a glass of wine at the end of a shitty day. Erin glanced across at Naomi, and Talia, already mourning the loss of these budding friendships. She couldn’t stay in Bodmin long. She wondered if there would come a day when she would feel able to put down roots somewhere and have a normal life again.

Something Nathan said brought a huge laugh from the guests and snapped Erin’s attention back to the moment, and to Nathan. Hell, but he looked so stunningly gorgeous standing there in his dark gray suit, the collar of his white shirt juxtaposed with a thick, tanned neck, above which a solid jaw gave structure to a strong face.

But it was his eyes that gave her a jolt, every single time his dark green gaze met hers. As it did now. It heated her body, burning through every cell, every nerve ending, and made her head swim a little.

She tried to look away, but there was something so incredibly compelling about him, so elemental. He continued to talk to the room, but his attention was focused on her. The pull of his gaze shot to her breasts, making her nipples tighten and bud, before arrowing down through her center and right between her legs.

She wanted him, she realized, hardly able to believe her own stupidity. He was the very last man she should have the hots for. He didn’t want anything but a casual, between-the-sheets romp for however long he cared to play. Then he moved on without a care.

But was that so far removed from what she wanted herself? Her time with Justin had put her off the idea of anything long term or meaningful. Never again would she allow herself to be controlled by a man. Which meant she could actually indulge in that romp with Nathan, couldn’t she? There was really nothing stopping her.

But sex aside—and hell, how hot did the thought of that sound?—she couldn’t risk being with a man like him. She’d been burned, almost destroyed, by someone with many of the very same traits Nathan displayed. Demanding, arrogant, opinionated, egocentric… She would be asking for more trouble.

Her face heated under his scrutiny, and she dug for the strength to look away. But her breath jammed dangerously in her chest, her rib cage tightening. She felt decidedly light-headed now and reached for the water glass beside her champagne flute.

Only then did she realize that she’d been sipping wine happily throughout the wedding feast, buoyed by the occasion and by Nathan’s conversation. That floaty feeling might well be entirely due to alcohol consumption, and nothing to do with the man who made his way back to his seat while Caleb took his turn to embarrass Tynan.

Erin forced herself to focus on Caleb and the rest of the speeches, but she couldn’t quite switch off the edginess she’d had since admitting to herself that she actually wanted Nathan. She was intensely aware of him beside her, especially when he sat back and rested his arm along the back of her chair while the speeches continued. She hoped to heaven that he didn’t accidentally touch her, because she was certain she’d leap right out of her own skin.

She ordered herself to breathe, to calm down, to remember that Nathan was simply her escort at the wedding. Jumping her was probably the very last thing on Nathan’s mind, and he was likely at that moment scanning the room in search of his next conquest.

Erin’s gaze fell on Caroline, who was looking across at them, or rather Nathan. The expression on her face left Erin in no doubt of who Nathan’s next conquest would be if Caroline had her way. Erin wondered if she should make herself scarce for the rest of the evening so that Caroline could make her play.

Surprisingly the thought of that didn’t sit especially well with her, and Erin dismissed the idea.

Thirty minutes later, the tables had been cleared and the band struck up for Naomi and Tynan’s first dance.

Dutifully, Erin clapped while the couple sashayed around the small dance floor. Their happiness was infectious and, liking them both very much, Erin was genuinely happy for them.

From the corner of her eye, she saw Nathan topping up her flute. She shot out her hand. “Not for me. I’ve had enough.”

“You’re not driving,” Nathan said, bumping her hand from the glass. “Live a little. Let your hair down. Why do you wear it so short anyway?”

Withdrawing her hand, Erin smoothed her hair. She was still not totally used to the lost length. Probably not unnatural, seeing as it had brushed past her shoulder blades for longer than she could remember. Justin had preferred it long. Which was one of the reasons she’d cut it.

“It’s not that short.”

He swept his gaze over the top of her pixie cut and down the sides, before meeting her eyes again. “It’s pretty enough.”

Her heart started hammering.

“So are you, Erin.”

Oh God.

He turned to the side, put his hand beneath her chair and tugged it—and her—closer to him. “You smell good too.”

She was in danger of turning to mush with him this close, and saying things that were obviously meant to arouse her. He was succeeding.

“Want to dance?”

His eyes still on hers, he nodded toward the dance floor where other couples had joined the bride and groom.

“I…I’m not sure.”

“It’s a dance,” he said, already standing. “Come on, sugar. I’ll be gentle with you.”

With more than a little reluctance, Erin stood and let him lead her out to the floor. His hand on the small of her back was bad enough to set her nerves screaming with awareness. But she tried to calm herself with the realization that despite Nathan’s gentle teasing, he wasn’t interested in her that way. He was simply a blatant flirt and enjoyed keeping women on their back feet.

It became difficult to continue her deliberations when she found herself enveloped in his confident hold. The chest she stared at was broad and hard, and he was so amazingly tall. Since Justin had been a mere inch taller than her, to be held by such an imposing and sexually attractive man was daunting to say the least.

His fingers curled around her hand, his grip solid and his palm tight to hers. Since he drew her close, she had no option but to place her free hand on his shoulder. Solid there too, she thought. Wide and unyielding.

He drew her even closer, crushing her breasts against his rock-hard chest. His hand rested on her lower back, his hold felt proprietary and controlling.

Despite the initial panic that trembled through her, she didn’t feel especially anxious or intimidated. She felt…aroused.

After what had happened to her, she had never anticipated feeling this way about a man like Nathan. If she’d ever expected to feel attracted to a man with his innate power and sense of entitlement, she would have questioned her sanity.

She looked up at him and caught the slight smile on his beautiful mouth.

“You scared of me, Erin?”

“No, of course not.” Her cheeks heated and her pulse hammered. “I wouldn’t be here if I was.” She’d be running, like she had with Justin.

“Then why do you look like you expect me to strip you naked and perform lewd and depraved sexual acts right here in the middle of the dance floor?”

She froze for a second, then a laugh bubbled up and dissolved some of the pent-up tension in her chest. “For some reason, I wouldn’t put it past you.”

His smile deepened, taking its time to get where it was going. “And if I did? What would you do, I wonder?”

Right then? Swaying in his powerful arms while the sensual music wafted around them and the heady effects of too much champagne sparkled through her? “I might just surprise you.”

God. Had she actually said that?

His grin was full out sexy, and his hold on her tightened. She might have missed it had she not been quite so tuned into him.

“I’ve got no doubt of that,” he said, sliding his hand sensuously up and down her back. “You’re just full of surprises, sugar.”

Erin bit down hard on her lower lip and tilted her head. “What are you doing, Nathan?”

“Dancing with the prettiest woman in the room.”

She huffed a laugh. “You can’t help yourself, can you?”

“It’s in my DNA to flirt with women. Especially the sexy ones.”

Just as she’d suspected. And he really was good at it. Flirting. Making a woman believe what he told her. She doubted she was the prettiest woman in the room, or the sexiest. But right then, she felt like she was. It was hard not to, the way he was looking at her. It was a dangerous game to be playing.

“You’ve gone all quiet on me,” he said ducking his head to get her attention back. “Don’t you like hearing that you’re sexy?”

“Every woman likes to hear that.”

He pulled her tighter still, and she felt the distinct telltale bulge in his pants against her stomach. Reaction shot between her legs, making her core muscles clench and her pussy throb.

“There’s something about you, Erin,” he said, his gaze traveling over her face. “Damned if I know what it is, but it’s turning me the hell on.”

Erin’s stomach revolved, but she reminded herself it was a game to him. She drew in a breath. “It’s not really appropriate, is it, this not being a date and all.”

“Let’s make it one.”

“So we can have sex?”

Bloody hell. What was making her talk like this? Could it be because she was changing the habits of a lifetime? Becoming the woman she wanted to be? Turning herself into someone who wanted to fulfill her sexual needs? Maybe. And she wanted to do it with the man currently gazing down at her like he wanted to eat her all the way to Sunday.

“I’m game if you are,” Nathan said tightening his hold until Erin could barely scrape air into her lungs.

To anyone watching them, it might seem as if she and Nathan were carrying on a perfectly normal conversation about the weather or something. How could they know that she was currently in danger of pooling at his feet in a puddle of shimmering need and expectancy?

Was she game? Could she go through with it?

When Nathan nudged himself against her, and she felt the rock-hard press of his erection, she knew she could. Oh, how she could.

“Erin?”

The tempo changed with the next song, but only slightly, and Caleb and Talia swung by. “How about you and me get some of the guys together and do our thing?” Caleb said to Nathan. “Looks to me like those two will soon be saying their good-byes.”

Erin glanced over to where Caleb indicated the newlyweds, who were in a tight clinch, all moony-eyed and perhaps a little drunk.

Nathan had barely loosened his hold on Erin and seemed reluctant to do so. “They’ll be a while yet.”

“Not from where I’m standing,” Talia said, taking up her husband’s suggestion. “Don’t worry, I’ll take care of Erin while you men do your
thing
.”

She smiled, reached on tiptoe and kissed Caleb’s cheek. “Don’t be too long. And don’t go overboard. It’ll embarrass Naomi.”

Caleb only grinned and tugged his wife closer to plant a slow and very sexy kiss on her mouth. Erin glanced up at Nathan, who gave her an equally slow and very sexy wink.

It set everything inside her off like fireworks. How could a simple wink do that?

She really had to get a grip on the situation. If it hadn’t been for Caleb and Talia’s timely intervention she might have agreed to heaven knew what.

Casting Erin a meaningful look, Nathan made his way to the exit with Caleb.

“What are they going to do?” Erin asked, as they headed to the ladies’ room.

Talia huffed and slipped her arm through Erin’s. “Something infantile, knowing those two. On my wedding night, Nathan and Tynan strung cans to the back of the car and banners across it declaring us just married, which would have been okay and traditional, but then they filled Caleb’s wallet with condoms, so that when he opened it at the hotel reception desk, they flew out all over the desk and floor. They put loads of condoms in our cases too, in between each layer of clothes.
And
they had a box of adult toys delivered to our room and laid out for anyone to see. It was so embarrassing.”

Since she was laughing, Erin thought Talia had weathered the embarrassment just fine. “Do you think they’re about to do something similar?”

“If anything, it’ll be worse.”

When she hesitated, Erin felt compelled to tell her not to temper her words for her benefit. “I know that Nathan and Naomi were involved before she got together with Tynan.”

Talia nodded. “It was a casual thing.”

“So Nathan said. Was he really okay when Naomi chose Tynan?”

In the cloakroom, Talia popped her bag on the counter and pulled out lip gloss. “It wasn’t really like that. Like I said, it was casual.”

“Friends with benefits. He told me,” Erin confirmed, noticing Talia’s circumspect expression as the women faced each other’s reflection in the mirror. “I just wondered if he really was as flippant about their relationship as he makes out.”

Lip gloss headed toward her mouth, Talia’s sharp eyes narrowed. “Is that the enquiry of an interested party, or the enquiry of an
interested
party?”

Color shot into Erin’s cheeks, and she delved for her own lipstick.

“Nathan isn’t one to get too serious,” Talia said gently, lowering her hand. She turned and leaned back against the counter. “He’s sexy as hell, but he can break a woman’s heart. And something tells me yours has been bruised enough.”

“I’m not looking for serious,” Erin said, tapping her lipstick tube against the counter. “I’m not really looking for anything, apart from a quiet life.”

“You wouldn’t get that with Nathan. He’s a good guy, but not one I’d recommend to a friend.”

Erin smiled and applied her lipstick. “Point taken. I’ll keep my distance.”

“That’s the smart thing to do.”

Erin glanced at Talia as her friend touched up her makeup and their eyes met in the mirror. They exchanged smiles, but Erin had the clear impression that Talia’s warning held a whole other layer of meaning. She couldn’t begin to imagine what, but Erin renewed her vow to keep Nathan Quinn at a very safe distance.