Chapter 1
Rylie Templeton sat at her desk, staring at the box of death by chocolate muffins she’d made that morning, and wondered if throwing one at Dustin Kent’s head could be considered assault.
God, he was an arrogant son of a bitch. He leaned a broad shoulder against the doorjamb of her office, and watched her with one raised brow and a sardonic smirk across his full lips. He’d been working at Something Borrowed Wedding Solutions for two months, which boggled Rylie’s mind. Not only did he come from one of the richest families in Sweetheart, California, but he was a self-made millionaire. There was no reason he should need to work, yet here he was every day, walking around as though he was God’s gift.
And he’d managed to get under her skin in the worst way. Constantly mocking her with his fake compliments and flattery, as if she didn’t know he was full of shit.
Even worse, just a few weeks ago, Marley Stevenson, Kelly Barrow, Dustin Kent, and Rylie had all gone in on restoring the old ghost town, Buzzard Gulch. They were all technically partners, although Rylie’s involvement had been more Marley being generous. Rylie couldn’t afford to buy a house, let alone a town, but Marley had made her a working partner. They were turning the ghost town into a wedding venue and they needed a baker. The whole set up was pretty sweet, if not for the man with sparkling blue eyes currently watching her.
“You look very pretty today, Rylie. I love you in black. It really brings out the green flecks in your eyes.”
Rylie narrowed her very dark eyes at him. “My eyes are brown, asshat.”
He pushed off and started walking toward her, a long stride that ate up the length of her tiny office in no time. His gray suit was dapper and his blue shirt and loosened silver and blue striped tie made his eyes seem more like midnight than robin’s egg. His short black hair was tousled with gel that was messy yet stylish. He was the ultimate pretty boy, the kind of guy who used to make Rylie’s life hell, and she steeled herself as he approached.
He placed his hands on the desk and leaned over until he was almost nose to nose with her.
“Not true. Right in the center—”
She caught the finger he’d started waving in front of her face, tempted to bite it.
Not in a sexy way, of course.
She released him abruptly and stood. Why the hell would she go there, even in her head? Dustin wasn’t sexy, and she had a boyfriend anyway.
“I know you are used to getting what you want from women, but your flattery will not work on me.”
He stared down at his cuticles casually, a move that reminded her of James Spader in Pretty in Pink. “Too bad. I was just coming to tell you that Kelly wants to see us in her office. Something about the Rolland/Marconi wedding?”
Rylie’s heart almost exploded from her chest. This was it. With her friend Marley gone, Rylie was the top bridesmaid at Something Borrowed. Although she loved Marley, she had been praying for this chance since she’d watched Tonya Rolland, the governor of California’s daughter, walk down the hallway into Kelly’s office last week. The governor was a favorite for the next presidential election. The Rollands were originally from Alabama, and had moved to California when Tonya was six. Since then, the governor had risen through the political ranks and had become beloved by the people, as was his altruistic daughter.
Blake Marconi, Tonya’s fiancé, had played basketball for UCLA and gotten his degree in political science before being picked up by the NBA. The Los Angeles Lakers had snagged him, and the big Italian was a fan favorite not just for his jump shot, but his extensive charity work. It was how he’d met Tonya; they’d been seated together at an animal rights dinner, and hit it off. It was a storybook romance and Rylie wanted to be a part of it.
Then, the entirety of his words sank in. “Wait, why does she want you there?”
Before she could blink, Dustin snagged one of her muffins and bit into it, chewing slowly. She watched his full lips as he chewed, waiting for him to elaborate with a pounding heart and her mind racing with dread. The agony was killing her, until finally he swallowed.
“I have a feeling the two of us are going to make this wedding very special.”
The two of us? THE TWO OF US?
After years of being patient, her big account was a shared one with Don Juan Le Douchebag?
“Are you kidding me?” Stepping around the desk, Rylie mumbled, “There has to be some kind of mistake.”
Dustin followed behind her, talking in a low, suggestive tone. “Oh, no mistake, baby. Just destiny.”
“Shut up.” Rylie knocked on Kelly’s office door, ignoring Dustin as he came up to stand beside her, bristling when his shoulder brushed hers. She had no idea why he irritated her so much, beyond the fact that he was an obvious womanizer and liked to manipulate women to get his way.
That was probably reason enough.
But she hated to admit, even to herself, that when Dustin had first started working there, she’d naively thought that all his charm and snark was just a cover for the good guy beneath.
Then she’d learned that he had slept with one of Marley’s engaged clients, and realized she was an idiot when it came to men’s characters. While she’d been charmed by him, he’d been helping someone else break a promise.
She could tolerate a lot of things, but a cheater wasn’t one of them.
Which was probably why she’d stayed with her boyfriend, Asher, for so long. Their relationship was far from perfect, but Asher wasn’t the cheating type.
“Come in,” Kelly called.
Dustin beat her to the doorknob. As he twisted it open, she looked up in time to catch his grin.
“After you.”
Rylie passed him with a sniff and sat in one of the chairs opposite Kelly, trying to read her boss’s pleasant expression. Did she even realize what she was doing? Did she not trust Rylie to handle an A-list client?
“You wanted to see me?”
“And me,” Dustin said, taking the seat next to her.
Rylie gritted her teeth even as she caught his amusement out of the corner of her eye. He was really enjoying this, and it made her want to take her four-inch red heels and find an uncomfortable place to put them.
A striking woman with long black hair and green eyes, Kelly was the kind of woman Rylie used to dream about looking like in high school. It had taken years, but Rylie didn’t look at her boss with envy anymore. She liked the way she was.
Kelly smiled and leaned forward, oblivious to the tension between them. “I’m sure you have an idea why I’ve called you both in here.”
“The Rolland/Marconi wedding,” Dustin said.
“Yes. They want to keep a very tight lid on everything, including the location. Close friends and family only and no press. You two are to get everything ready, so when they arrive, all they have to do is get dressed and walk down the aisle.”
Rylie wasn’t the type to rock the boat, but she couldn’t help being irritated. She’d worked hard to get this account; she didn’t need a partner, especially some playboy millionaire who couldn’t keep his penis to himself.
Taking a deep breath, she blurted, “Kelly, I know this is a huge account, but I can handle it on my own.”
The office went dead silent, and Kelly sat back, her brow furrowed. “Dustin, would you please step out and close the door?”
“Sure.”
Rylie’s whole face felt like her skin was burning off. God, she hadn’t meant for it to come out quite like that.
“Kelly, I’m so sorry—”
Her boss held up her hand and Rylie shut her mouth, waiting for Kelly to tell her she blew it. The click of the door behind her was her only sign that Dustin had left; she was too terrified to look away from Kelly, waiting for her to tell her she was fired.
Instead, Kelly’s expression was kind and concerned. “I didn’t assign Dustin to this account because I thought you couldn’t handle it alone. I know you can take on all of this and it would be spectacular.”
Rylie waited for the but that was sure to follow that glowing speech.
“But as both the bride and groom have no siblings, they have made their closest friends bridesmaids and groomsmen. Their friends are not as well off, and so Tonya and Blake are paying for everything, but still, they can’t take a lot of time off work to plan. This is why they asked for professionals to handle the position of Best Man and Maid of Honor. Do you understand?”
And she did. Everyone at Something Borrowed had wondered why Kelly had hired a man after all these years of only employing women. Now it was clear she’d been anticipating a request like this.
It still didn’t explain why she’d chosen Dustin Kent. Even if he hadn’t sold an app he’d designed in college and made millions on his own, his parents owned one of the biggest vineyards in the area, and half the town of Sweetheart. The guy should be sleeping his way across the U.S. and Europe, not playing at being a professional groomsman.
“Yes. I’m sorry if I was rude,” Rylie said.
Kelly shot her an amused look. “Please. That is the first time you’ve ever questioned a decision I’ve made in what, four years? I think you’ve earned one or two.”
The tension Rylie hadn’t known was there leaked out of her chest as she released a heavy breath. Kelly passed her a red folder, and held on to it until Rylie met her gaze. “I also want you to keep an eye on Dustin.”
Rylie blinked at her a few times. “You mean spy on him?”
“No, not spy. I just want you to make sure that he’s doing his fair share of the work. I know how he likes to get one over on the other women here, but thankfully, you seem to be immune to him.”
Rylie wasn’t sure immune was the right word. When Dustin had first been hired, of course, she’d noticed he was good looking, maybe even enjoyed his flirtation a little bit… Until she realized he was a dog who flirted with every woman he met.
And she would never cross that line.
“I have a boyfriend,” Rylie said.
Kelly’s lips thinned for a half a second until she forced a smile. Rylie wasn’t surprised. She knew no one liked her boyfriend, Asher Reid. Some were just politer about letting their feelings be known.
“Yes, I know.” Kelly said. “Will you send Dustin back in when you leave? I’d like to finish telling him what I expect and then I’ll send him back to you.”
Rylie took the folder and left the room, making her way down the hallway to Dustin’s office. He was sitting behind his desk, glasses slipped over that perfect nose, making him look like Clark Kent. For a second, she watched him, thinking she was due for a Smallville marathon.
Rylie shook her head. Dustin was nothing like Tom Welling, except for being insanely good looking, but beauty was only skin deep. Vipers were gorgeous too until they bit you.
She knocked on the doorframe and he looked up at her from his laptop.
“Kelly wants to finish talking to you,” she said.
Dustin shut the laptop and stood up, stretching his arms over his head. Which, of course, lifted his button-up shirt and suit jacket. She had to fight not to look down and see if any skin was exposed.
God, I’m a terrible person.
“So, you didn’t manage to get me kicked off the account then?” he asked.
Rylie glared at him. “It wasn’t about you. It was about me wanting to handle this on my own.” Plus, the commission alone would have changed everything for me.
Dustin walked around the desk and chucked her under the chin. “Don’t worry, sweetheart. I promise that you’re going to love working with me.”
Rylie ignored the little flutter in her stomach and scoffed. “Just don’t screw this up for me.”
She left his office, her cheeks burning as his deep chuckle followed her down the hall.
She sat down at her desk in time to hear her phone beep. She checked the text message and winced.
Did u get BBQ sauce at the store?
Crap, she’d forgotten. Her heart sped up just thinking about how such a small thing could set Asher off. Taking a deep, shaky breath she tapped out a response.
I’ll pick some up on my way home.
There was no response five minutes later, and she knew things were going to be bad.
A knock on her open door made her jump and Dustin threw his hands up. “Whoa, it’s just me. Was going to see if you wanted to scout a few sites that the bride and groom have picked out?”
Rylie looked at the clock and calculated how long it would take to check out some places. With any luck, Asher would be asleep when she got home.
“Sure, sounds good.”