Here Comes the Bride Read Online Free

at the moment to do battle. Her eyes were wide and green and flashing fury in defense of her father.
    He loved that stance, her beautiful chin raised a fractious notch, her pink-manicured hands on the rounded curve of her hips, one gold-sandaled toe tapping in front of him. It was enough to unnerve a lesser man.
    Hell, it was enough to unnerve him.
    She should wear white all the time, he thought. It made her skin look flawless, aspearly as a ten-dollar poker chip. He’d been trying to keep his gaze off that delectable neckline that showed the tiniest hint of cleavage, but it was a losing battle.
    “You’re right,
offended
is too mild a word,” he said. “However, look at this from my point of view. What do I really know about Walter Ames?” Besides the fact that he has one tempting daughter, he thought quietly. “Nothing. He could be a gigolo, a con man, a …” He was making this worse, had her fur really flying now. He eased off. “Look, your father could very well be a nice man, good, decent. But the truth is, this wedding popped up too damn fast.”
    “Exactly,” she chimed in. “And what do I know about your aunt Winnie? Zippo.”
    She was turning the tables. Neatly. Nick hid a grin. He liked that. “Hold that thought,” he said, not wanting to end the conversation, not wanting to miss the fire in those beautiful eyes. “I think the kabobs need turning.”
    He shagged across the patio. They did, he realized, and he deftly flipped them over.
    “Where were we?” he asked, when he turned around to find her behind him. “Need a refill on your drink?”
    Fiona shook her head. She was certain she’d had enough scotch for one evening. In fact, she’d had enough of the evening.
    If only she could grab her father by the shirt collar and drag him away. Away from this family who believed he was some kind of gold digger.
    “You were saying something about Aunt Winnie, I believe.” He took a swallow of his drink, eyeing her over the rim.
    Fiona dragged in a breath. She didn’t want to say anything derogatory about the woman. She’d just been trying to make a point. “Not about your aunt, but about the wedding plans. You’re right. This has all happened too quickly. I think they need to wait, perhaps until they know each other better. They might find they’re not at all suited to one another.” Men could be very susceptible to whirlwind romances. Easily led down a primrose path before they knew what had hit them.
    She glanced up at Nick. She could not in her wildest imagination see
him
being led down any primrose path. No matter how enticing the woman.
    He was a man who knew his way around in this world. And it hadn’t taken any suitcase of lady-killer briefs to tell her that. Everything about him bespoke maleness. Powerful maleness. She just wished that fact didn’t send little shivers racing over her skin.
    She glanced up as Nick let out a low chuckle. “Just what are we arguing about here?” he asked. “You don’t approve of thiswedding any more than I do.” He studied her long and hard as if enjoying the idea of their being on the same side. “If we’re smart we’d put our heads together and work out some way to foil tomorrow’s little ceremony.”
    Fiona just wanted the pair to think about what they were doing. Marriage was a major step, not one to be taken lightly. “Foil it? Short of kidnapping the two of them, how do you expect to do that?”
    She doubted very much that Nick could come up with an effective plan on such short notice. Besides, pooling brain power with this man was a little more togetherness than she thought wise. It made her nervous. She didn’t like having to spend more time in his company than was absolutely necessary.
    “Unless we want to watch them march down that aisle tomorrow, we’re going to have to come up with something,” he continued.
    Fiona sighed. She knew it wasn’t their place to interfere, but she
was
afraid her father was making a terrible