His Heart's Desire Page 28

  “Well, that's all of them.” Becca shrugged. “Maybe I should give the ones I tried on another chance.”

  Alex glanced at her watch. “I don't know, Becca. If those were your favorites, and they didn't do it for you, I think maybe we should save time and go for the boutique. After all, the gown is the most important part of the wedding for the bride, so you should be completely happy with your choice.”

  “Maybe you're right. I'll go get dressed.”

  Becca turned to leave the room. When she reached the entryway, she glanced up to see a garment bag draped over the Queen Anne chair next to the hall table. She walked over and picked it up. “What's this?”

  The bridal coordinator, who was chatting with Alex, looked up. “Oh dear, did we forget one?”

  She hurried over to take the bag from Becca and hang it on one of the racks. When the woman unzipped the bag and slid it off the gown, Becca gasped. It was almost identical to the one in the wedding dream she'd had the night before leaving for Vegas. It had the same sweetheart neckline, decorated with delicate lace and seed pearls, the same matching embellishment on the short train, the same fitted bust and gathered waist. In short, it was absolutely exquisite.

  “Oh my God, this is it!” Becca exclaimed.

  Alex's eyes lit up too. “Looks like we have a winner.”

  Becca tried on the dress. The seamstress measured and pinned to take in a tuck here and there, but it was nearly a perfect fit without any adjustments.

  “All we have left are the accessories,” Alex said.

  Becca slipped back into the living room, where she perused all the little extras. She chose a gossamer veil held in place by a headband encrusted with faux jewels and a pair of low white satin pumps.

  “Now for the underthings.”Alex gently elbowed Becca and gave her a knowing smile.

  Becca felt her face heating. She halfheartedly picked up a couple of items only to lay them back down again. She sighed. “Alex, what do guys like?”

  “You mean lingerie?”

  “Yeah. I don't have much experience with this sort of thing, but I know I want to look sexy for Ethan. Since you were married before, I thought you would know what I should wear to...you know...turn him on.” Becca was sure her cheeks were beet red by now.

  Alex smiled sympathetically. “Sweetie, judging by the way I've seen Ethan look at you, you could be wearing a burlap sack, and he'd be turned on.”

  Becca giggled at the thought of showing up at her wedding in a potato sack. “Not quite what I had in mind.”

  “OK, no burlap.” Alex laughed as she made a slash on the imaginary list in her hand. “All right, let's get serious. I think you should keep it simple. First, this.” Alex plucked a white satin and lace push-up bra from the pile of undergarments and held it up in front of Becca. “It'll give you some cleavage.”

  Becca grinned as she took the garment from Alex. “Cleavage is good, and it's pretty too.”

  “Unless you're going commando, you'll need some panties to match.” Alex rummaged around and came up with a cheeky pair in white satin trimmed with wide stretch lace and a tiny bow in front. “How about these?”

  Becca took them from Alex and turned them over in her hands. She nodded enthusiastically. “I like them.”

  “Next, you'll need these.” Alex shook out a pair of silky white thigh-high stockings with elastic lace at the top.

  Becca fingered the delicate, sheer fabric of the hose. “They're so soft and silky. I've only worn regular pantyhose. Never anything this nice before.”

  “And last but not least...” Alex twirled a garter, made of white lace with a blue ribbon woven through it, on her index finger before handing it to Becca.

  “That's it?” Becca asked.

  “That's it,” Alex replied with a smile.

  Becca hugged her soon-to-be sister-in-law. “Thank you so much, Alex. You've made this so easy. I never could have pulled together a wedding this nice in only a few hours.”

  “You're welcome.” Alex checked her watch again. “Now go get dressed. We have lots more to do before the ceremony tonight.”

  Becca scurried off to do just that.

  Edna stayed behind at the penthouse to handle some last-minute details while Alex whisked her off to the courthouse in Ethan's limo to sign the marriage license. They followed up with lunch at an upscale restaurant. Then Alex took her to a luxurious spa where, once again, Becca felt like a pampered princess. For the next two hours, she enjoyed a relaxing full-body massage, a facial, and a mani-pedi. After that, they visited the salon where she had her hair washed, dried and styled into a pretty French knot, and her makeup professionally applied.

  “I feel like a movie star,” Becca told Alex as the limo pulled away from the spa.

  “Sounds like I can report back to Ethan that I've succeeded in my mission.”

  “Ethan? I thought this was all your doing.”

  “Oh, it was...mostly. He had a few suggestions, but being a guy, he didn't think of everything. I added to what he thought of to make a day of it. And he gets to foot the bill,” Alex added with a saucy smile.

  “Well, it's been an amazing day so far, and we haven't even gotten to the ceremony yet. It's only a couple of hours away.” Becca took a deep breath and pressed a hand to her stomach. “I think I'm already starting to get butterflies.”

  Alex laid a hand on Becca's arm. “Don't be nervous, sweetie. Everything is going perfectly. When I saw Ethan this morning, he was over the moon. I don't think I've ever seen a man so happy and madly in love.”

  “I know he loves me, but it doesn't stop the jitters.”

  “That's completely understandable. I think every bride feels that way. But I have something that should distract you for a little while.”

  “What?”

  “You'll see,” Alex replied.

  The limo pulled up in front of a theater. Becca followed Alex inside a dimly lit auditorium. Rather than the rows of seats she was expecting, the large room looked more like a nightclub. Becca spotted Edna and Ethan's mom at a cozy booth near the stage. Both ladies greeted Becca warmly as she approached their seats. Becca's eyes followed Alex, who hurried off to a dark corner where she appeared to be talking with someone in the shadows. Trying unsuccessfully to tamp down her curiosity, Becca took a seat next to the other ladies.

  By the time Alex returned, Becca didn't think she could take the suspense any longer. “You're really not going to tell me what's going on?”

  “Nope, you'll have to wait and see for yourself.”

  A moment later, a shirtless, bronze Adonis brought each of the ladies a glass of wine. Becca's jaw went slack as she took in the sight of him, all smooth, tanned skin and chiseled muscles. He gave Becca an extra big smile and teasing look before striding back to the bar.

  “Better close your mouth, or you're going to catch flies,” Alex quipped.

  “Alex, is this what I think it is?”

  Before Alex had a chance to answer, the lights darkened completely. Energetic music filled the room. Fog streamed onto the stage, which was now illuminated with colored lights. Seconds later, a parade of stunningly handsome men entered the stage, dancing to the brisk beat. All the men were dressed in different costumes. There was a cowboy, a fireman, a military guy. It was almost like the heroes of her romance novels had suddenly come to life right before her very eyes. It didn't take long before hats, shirts and other accessories began dropping to the floor as the lights glistened off their muscled chests.

  Becca covered her mouth with one hand and felt herself blushing furiously. She'd never been to a male revue before. Her eyes feasted on the display of sexy male bodies in rapt fascination. In spite of her previous comments to Ethan about male strippers, she couldn't deny that they were quite attractive.

  Oh, who was she kidding? They were all drop-dead gorgeous, and they were putting on a show just for her. How could she not feel like the most special woman in the world right now?

  The hunky and now-shirtles
s cowboy descended the stage steps and stopped right in front of the ladies. He pulled his hat low over his eyes as his hips gyrated to the song “Save a Horse (Ride a Cowboy).” Next to Becca, Edna whooped and cat-called. When the stripper turned his back, giving them a nice view of a toned ass in his tight jeans, Edna reached out to give him a little swat.

  Becca's eyes went wide, and her jaw dropped at the older woman's behavior. She knew Edna was a spitfire, but she'd never seen her like this before. Edna turned to give Becca a smug smile and a wink before returning her attention to the dancer.

  All three of the other women were now chanting, “Take it off!” Watching them having so much fun, Becca soon forgot her embarrassment and joined them. As though he had been waiting for her to give him the order, the hunk obliged by tearing off his breakaway pants. He deftly flipped his cowboy hat onto Becca's head, so that he was now wearing nothing but a G-string and a smile. He gave her a wink before heading backstage.

  For the next forty-five minutes, the stunningly handsome men performed in various states of undress for their audience of four. The ladies made up for their lack of numbers with sheer enthusiasm. By the time the performance was nearly over, Becca had completely forgotten all of her misgivings and was thoroughly entranced by the show.

  Several of the men had come down to the floor to give the ladies some up-close and personal attention. At one point, Alex had leaned over to ask Becca who her favorite was. It was hard for her to choose amongst so much male perfection. She finally settled on a guy with dark hair, beautiful green eyes and a cute smile because he looked like her favorite vampire romance hero.

  Not long after that, Alex got up and went to the bar. She spoke with the shirtless bartender for a minute but, strangely, returned without a drink. As another dancer moved into her line of vision, Becca all but forgot the oddity...until the finale.

  As the show wound to a close, the dancer Becca had chosen as her favorite emerged from a curtain to the right of the stage, dressed in black leather pants and a black muscle shirt. He walked straight to Becca and held out his hand. Not knowing what he was going to do, Becca hesitated a moment before shyly placing her hand in his. He drew her up from her seat and toward the stage. Becca looked over her shoulder at Alex and mouthed, “Did you arrange this?”

  Alex's only reply was a slow, mischievous grin spreading across her face.

  The gorgeous man escorted Becca onto the stage and seated her in a chair in the middle. He carefully removed his comrade's cowboy hat from her head and replaced it with a little bridal veil and tiara. When the music began again, he danced in front of her in much the same way the other dancers had earlier on the floor, except that he began inching seductively toward her. He ripped his shirt down the front to reveal hard pectorals and washboard abs, then allowed it to slide off biceps that were nearly as big as her thighs.

  Becca's mind turned to thoughts of Ethan. He wasn't quite as ripped the hunk in front of her, but he definitely filled out his t-shirts nicely.

  The dancer leaned in close, giving her a huge smile that revealed...vampire fangs? Becca's hand flew to her mouth as she giggled in delight. Now she knew that Alex had set this up. He bent toward her neck, pretending to bite her. She closed her eyes and imagined that Ethan was nibbling her neck.

  When she opened her eyes again, he had a tiny trickle of fake blood at the corner of his mouth and his legs straddled hers as his hips thrust forward. Becca's vision clouded as she fantasized that Ethan was doing this for her. Her mouth suddenly went dry, and the intimate place between her legs tingled with desire. Becca was so caught up in her daydream, she didn't even notice when the music ended.

  The dancer offered his hand again, and this time when he took it, he placed a quick kiss on the back before helping her up. As he escorted her back to her seat on the floor, Becca's knees felt like Jell-O. If Ethan were here right now, she'd probably drag him off to a dark corner and jump his bones.

  The hunky guy gave her one last grin, showing those fake fangs again before heading off to rejoin his fellow performers for the big finale. Becca fanned herself with her hand. The other women took one look at her flushed face and smiled knowingly, which only made her blush more.

  Following the final number, all the guys came out to greet the ladies personally, and Becca thanked them for a memorable bachelorette party. It was something she definitely would never forget.

  At the sight of the “vampire” who'd given her the sexy lap dance, Becca felt her cheeks flaming all over again, but she tamped down her embarrassment to go talk to him anyway.

  “Hi, I'm Becca.” She introduced herself and offered him her hand.

  For a second, he seemed almost surprised before composing himself and taking her hand. “Ryan.”

  “Alex arranged for you to do the whole vampire act, didn't she?”

  He gave her one his adorable smiles. Up close, without the harsh stage lights and the fangs, he looked almost boyish–definitely not any older than her. “Yeah, she did.” He glanced over at her soon-to-be sister-in-law before turning his attention back to her. “Although we didn't know which one of us was going to get the honor until halfway through the show.”

  Strangely enough, he appeared almost shy about having been chosen, which seemed completely at odds with his on-stage persona.

  “So that's why she went over to the bar and came back empty-handed,” Becca mused. “Pret–ty sneaky.”

  Ryan laughed at her comment. “Actually, I think it was really nice of your friend to set this up for you.” He gazed longingly at Alex again. Becca watched in fascination as he almost forcibly met her own eyes again. He cleared his throat. “I've never played a vampire before either. It was fun.”

  “Did she explain that to you?”

  “Yeah, she said something about me looking like your favorite romance novel hero?” That modest smile of his was back, and darned if his eyes weren't straying toward Alex again.

  Becca leaned in to whisper in his ear. “She's single.”

  His head whipped around. “What?”

  “Alex. The woman you can't keep your eyes off of. She's single.”

  “God, I am so sorry. I should be–”

  “Hey, it's fine, really. I enjoyed the show and all, but I don't need any special attention. I have a hunky groom waiting for me at the altar.” Becca giggled briefly before resuming a more serious air. “I totally understand you admiring her. She's a beautiful woman.”

  “She certainly is,” he replied wistfully, looking at Alex with those beautiful puppy-dog eyes.

  “So what are you waiting for?” she prodded, tilting her head in Alex's direction. “Go ask her out.”

  “OK. Maybe I will,” he said with a smile.

  From her vantage point a few yards away, Becca watched as Ryan approached Alex. The couple talked for a few minutes. Although she couldn't hear what was being said, she gathered that Ryan had taken her advice, but apparently it was not well-received. Alex shook her head ruefully, and although he tried to hide it, the disappointment in Ryan's green eyes was obvious, at least to her.

  Becca couldn't help feeling a little bummed out herself. She was so happy with Ethan, she had wanted to spread her joy by setting up a romantic rendezvous for Alex when she realized how much Ryan liked her. Maybe matchmaking wasn't her thing.

  As they rode back to the hotel, Becca decided to broach the subject. “So...what were you and Ryan talking about?”

  Alex glanced sideways at her. “You're on a first-name basis with the guy who gave you a lap dance? I might have to tell Ethan on you.”

  Becca swatted Alex's thigh with her handbag. “This from the woman who set the whole thing up? And for your information, while Ryan was giving me the lap dance, I was fantasizing that he was Ethan.”

  “Ugh, did you have to mention my brother and a stripper in the same sentence?” Alex shuddered. “Not that Ethan isn't attractive and all, but...ewww.”

  “You're being evasive.”

  When Alex
still didn't answer, Becca repeated the question. “So what did he say to you?”

  Alex sighed and all but rolled her eyes. “Something like he couldn't help noticing how beautiful I am, and would I like to go out for a drink.”

  “I'm guessing by the look on his face after you finished talking that you turned him down.”

  “Of course I did, Becca,” Alex replied as though Becca should know better.

  Becca tried again. “He seemed really nice.”

  “It's their job to act nice.” Alex turned her head to look out the window.

  “I know, but there was something about him that seemed different. Something in his eyes that seemed genuine.”

  “I know you haven't had much experience with guys like him–performers, I mean–but I have.” Alex turned back to Becca. Her tone was softer, but there was fire in her eyes. “Let me give you a word of advice. They all seem nice at first. They draw you into their world. They make you think that you're the most beautiful girl who ever lived until they find someone else who's even more gorgeous. And then they can't keep their pants zipped.” Alex's voice cracked and she blinked furiously. “Next thing you know you're being kicked to the curb and taken to the cleaners in a divorce settlement.” Alex shook her head vigorously. “No, the last thing I need is a boyfriend who's a stripper.”

  Becca laid her hand soothingly on Alex's arm. ““I'm so sorry. It sounds like your ex was pretty awful to you. If I'd known about your issues with performers, I never would have encouraged Ryan to ask you out.”

  “You did that?”

  Becca nodded sheepishly. “I was only trying to return the favor. It was really sweet of you to set up a private party for us. I never could have gone to a show like that with a crowd. I was already embarrassed enough as it was, but the way you did it ended up being fun. Ryan seemed so sweet, and he couldn't take his eyes off you the whole time we were talking. I thought if you got to walk away from it with a cute guy and maybe find a little romance too, it would be my way of saying thank you for everything you did today.” She shrugged. “I guess I kind of botched things up, didn't I? Can you forgive me?”