Page 6 of The Best Man Problem
Oh shit!
Lincoln No-last-name. Her one and only one-night stand.
Why couldn’t it have been a momzilla?
…
Lincoln Reid stopped short two feet into the office of his best friends’ wedding planner. Well I’ll be damned. If it wasn’t the woman who’d blown his mind—along with other parts of his anatomy—and then blown out of his life before he could grab her number. Lilly No-last-name. What were the odds? He had a math minor; he should know. Whatever the odds were, he didn’t care. He was just happy to see her again. When he’d woken up satisfied but alone in his hotel room a week ago, a keen sense of loss had poured through him.
Sure, they hadn’t made any promises or even exchanged personal details, but he’d been hoping Lilly would want to repeat their amazing night together. He knew he sure did.
“Lilly Walsh, this is our friend and best man, Lincoln Reid.” Marie stood, cuddling up to Kenneth’s side as she made the introduction.
Lincoln opened his mouth to inform his friends he was already acquainted with their wedding planner—intimately, but they didn’t need to know that much—when he noticed the infinitesimal shake of Lilly’s head and the pure panic in her bright green eyes. So she recognized him as well but didn’t want Marie or Kenneth to know.
Ouch.
Couldn’t say that didn’t sting, but he wasn’t the type to ignore a lady’s wishes. Even if they weren’t spoken—more like screamed at him with her eyes.
He quickly changed course, smiling as if he’d never met the woman before in his life. Hadn’t seen every beautiful, perfect inch of her naked body. Didn’t know the sweet moans she made when reaching completion.
“Hi, Lilly. Nice to meet you.”
“Lovely to meet you too, Mr. Reid.”
Ooooh, Mr. Reid. He liked the sound of that. Maybe he could convince her to say it again when they were naked and— Whoa! He needed to put thoughts like that on the back burner or he was going to test the strength of the zipper on these jeans. Besides, it seemed Ms. Walsh didn’t want anyone to know of their liaison. Why would he assume she’d be open to another round?
“We just wanted you two to meet in case—” Marie was interrupted by the loud peal of “Cake by the Ocean.” His friend sighed, pulling her phone from her purse and grimacing at Kenneth. “It’s Max. Sorry,” she addressed Lilly. “We have to take this, but it won’t be more than a few minutes.”
His friends hurried out of the office, leaving him and Lilly alone.
Perfect.
He smiled at the woman who had taken her seat and was suddenly extremely absorbed in whatever paperwork was contained in the file on her desk. He took a seat in the plush high-back chair in front of her.
“So, Lilly,” he began, not deterred in the slightest when she refused to look up. “Was I that bad?”
Now she glanced up, a confused expression filling her green eyes. “Huh?”
He shrugged. “I must have been a pretty shitty lover for you to run out on me before the sun rose, no goodbye kiss, no note, not even a complimentary coffee.”
Her eyes narrowed behind black, thick-rimmed cat-eye glasses. She hadn’t been wearing glasses the night they met. Though she had been wearing a fancy dress, the kind one might wear for a wedding. Perhaps she’d worn contacts for the festive occasion. She looked great either way, but he liked the glasses. It brought attention to her amazing gem-like eyes. And paired with the bright white button-up blouse and dark pencil skirt she wore, it gave her the look of a woman in power. A sexy woman in power.
He always did enjoy strong women.
“The sun was up when I left, I assure you. I can’t help it if you laze about all day. And the hotel gives every guest complimentary coffee.”
“What about the note?”
Some of her pique dissipated, pearly white teeth biting down on her plump, siren-red bottom lip in a seriously sexy move he knew was in no way intended to be one. A small amount of guilt filled her gaze.
“I am sorry for not saying goodbye, but honestly”—she took a deep breath, letting it out before continuing—“that was my first one-night stand, and I wasn’t sure of the rules.”
He leaned forward, placing an arm on her desk. “Can I confess a secret? It was mine, too.”
She raised one dark brow as if she didn’t believe him. Let her think what she wanted. He hadn’t had sex with a woman in over two years before Lilly. Probably one of the reasons why her disappearing act hit him so hard that morning.
“Hmm, well, I am sorry if I hurt your feelings in any way.”
