Scandal

Chapter 1 “Your ass looks fantastic in that dress.” With eyebrows raised I turned to see who made such a daring comment. Standing behind me was a man dressed in a suit with my mother's signature color—lavender—on his vest. Perfect. That jerk was somehow part of the wedding party. Wasn’t that just my luck? They were always handsome, too, weren't they? It had occurred to me on more than one occasion while navigating the choppy waters of the dating world that most really hot guys were jerks. All of the cheating, arrogant imbeciles in my life were super-hot guys. The times I’d dated average-looking guys, I’d never had to deal with the same kinds of problems. This guy in the lavender vest was one of those dreamy guys it was best to avoid at all costs. Not that he would ever be interested in me for anything other than a good lay. Tall with brown hair, broad shoulders, and a lean, muscular frame, he was clearly athletic and took very good care of himself. With his tailored tuxedo and surrounded by the white garden plinths, he’d easily fit in as a model for one of those wedding magazines. He had hazel eyes that sort of swallowed you up and his easy smile seemed to welcome the opportunity to charm my tired heart. Nope, that wasn’t going to happen, I told myself. “Excuse me.” I didn't expect an apology—guys like him never apologized. I knew it was best to ignore him, otherwise I’d be stuck socializing with him and the rest of the wedding party all evening. But I figured I could deal with it for one night—I’d never have to see him again. “I just felt obligated to let you know you have a remarkable ass. Who made that dress? Is it silk? Because it hugs that round tush of yours like it's doing you a favor.” I scoffed, and that quickly turned into smothered laughter. Was this guy for real? His comments were so blatantly s****l that I was sure I had to be on some hidden camera show. Did he actually think it was acceptable behavior to speak to a woman like that? And even if it was, were there actually women out there who fell for that crap? I couldn't imagine it, but he didn't exactly look like the kind of guy who had trouble getting a date. He was an absolute fox, which made it that much more disappointing that he was behaving the way he was. “Does this sort of thing normally work on the ladies?” He smiled in such a way that it made me think I was the butt of some joke. I hated that feeling. He moved in closer to me, and I was surprised to find my heart beating furiously. He was totally invading my personal space, but instead of it irritating me like it should, I found myself strangely intrigued. “Well, that depends on the lady, of course. There are some women who love the challenge of taming a guy like me.” I burst out laughing. “You have to be kidding me! That sounds like a terrible idea.” “Oh come on, you're not even a little bit interested in why I am the way I am? Maybe I could reform . . . for the right woman.” I shook my head. This guy was a real prize to be sure. “I bet you say that to all the ladies.” “Only the ones with an ass I’d love to kiss.” My breath caught, and I felt heat fill my cheeks. “Nice try.” “I guarantee if you want to play a little, you won't have any regrets.” He whispered it in my ear, and chills ran up my spine. I put my hands on his chest and pushed him away from me. It was only then that I was able to breathe once again. “Look, I know for some guys it's a game to come to a wedding and try to score with a bridesmaid, but let me assure you that it's just not going to happen with me.” “And why is that?” “I'm severely allergic to guys like you.” He chuckled. I couldn't deny that the guy had a certain charm—and his smile was truly infectious—but seriously, there was no way that this little act of his would bring in all the ladies. He took a step towards me, and I instinctively took one back. That just made him smile wider. “You're telling me you aren't the least bit curious about what it would be like to be consumed by someone like me.” Consumed? Now that was an interesting way to describe s*x. Or—were we even talking about s*x yet? He had caught me so off guard that I wasn't entirely sure where this conversation was heading. “I don't need to be curious. I know exactly what it would be like. A nice little ‘slam, bam, thank you, ma’am’ in the reception bathroom? Am I getting warm?” He burst out laughing, “You're quite the little firecracker, aren't you? You threw in the bathroom idea, not me. And just so you know, I like to take my time on a woman's body. Especially a neglected one.” It was my turn to laugh. “Are you implying I'm neglected?” He looked around, spreading his arms wide. “Well, we’re standing outside amid a ton of people having midday cocktails—and you’re standing here all alone.” “I'm getting ready to walk down the aisle for a wedding. I don’t have time to be out mingling or—in your case—pre-drinking.” We both looked down at the drink he held in his hand. He looked momentarily sheepish, but it didn't last long. We were standing outside of a rather large house in the Hamptons where my mother was getting married. She’d been a New Yorker for years, but I had moved away after graduating from Columbia University and had only recently returned to the area to look for work. I was standing up in my mother's wedding with a few other girls, but as this guy pointed out, I had not brought a date with me. “Weddings are all about celebrating, aren't they?” he asked. “That's all I'm doing.” “Sure you are. At the rate you're going, you should be completely sloshed by dinnertime.” “Easy there, hon. Don’t start suggesting I'm a lightweight. I'll have you know, this body can consume a great deal of alcohol.” I smirked and rolled my eyes. “How charming.” He moved in close to me again, and I wondered what his deal with disrespecting personal space was. His hand came up and grazed my cheek. When he removed it, my skin tingled as if it was still there. My throat had gone dry, and I found myself speechless. “You really are beautiful you know?” I couldn't make myself speak. I wasn't sure what had come over me or why he’d had such an effect on me, but I refused to be sucked into his fire.Beautiful? Was he high as well as drunk? I’d had my fair share of dates, but no one was going out of their way to be with me at the moment. I couldn't figure out this guy’s game plan. There were a ton of eligible females at the wedding who would be more than happy to have a guy like him hit on them, so why was he wasting his time with me? The whole thing was senseless. And now this . . . this chemistry between us. It was sheer madness. I felt his hand move to the small of my back, and a trail of warmth followed it as it drifted. “I would really like to show you how hot we could be together,” he whispered in my ear as his hand trailed down to my ass, rubbing it and giving it a subtle squeeze. I gasped and pushed him away abruptly, feeling angry for the first time that day. I bumped his arm as he stepped back from me and watched in horror as his drink tipped and spilled down the front of me. “Oh! My! God!” the guy exclaimed in horror. I followed his gaze and almost cried when I looked down at my dress. *