By Invitation Only by Lori Wilde, Wendy Etherington, Jillian Burns Read Free Book Online Page A

out a seductive rhythm.
    Another swallow of her drink and Olivia was feeling the island beat. She swished her hips in time to the music. She’d made up her mind she was going to enjoy herself and forget all about Nick Greer and his stupid kiss that had rocked her universe.
    But no matter how hard she tried to involve herself in the ongoing conversation about the wedding, her thoughts kept drifting back to that kiss. As far as kisses went, well, she just might have to add it to her list of favorite things. It had been like the ultimate chocolate chip cookie—rich, sweet, decadent and totally bad for you.
    Knock it off. Yes, he’s hot. Big deal. Unless you’re in the mar ket for a carefree fling.
    Was she in the market for a carefree fling? She’d never had one before, but if she’d been contemplating it, Nick was the way to go. Fun, easy, breezy, absolutely no strings attached. Hmm.
    She had to stop thinking like this. She knew better. Knew precisely what she was letting herself in for with a man like Nick, and yet, she could not stop tasting him on her tongue, could not stop feeling the brush of his beard stubble on her chin, could not get the intoxicating smell of him out of her nose. He was all around her.
    Argh!
    “Honey?”
    Olivia blinked and yanked her hand away from her lips, which she hadn’t even realized she’d been caressing. “Uh-huh?”
    “You were daydreaming about Nick, weren’t you?” Holly teased.
    “Yes,” Olivia admitted guiltily.
    Holly reached across the table strewn with empty plates and glasses and touched Olivia’s hand and gave her a secretive smile. “I know exactly what you’re feeling. You’d rather be with Nick. I’d rather be with J.D. Remind me again why we’re here and they’re at the gentleman’s club across the pavilion?”
    Nick was across the pavilion? Olivia’s heart gave a strange thump.
    “One last night of freedom, woohoo!” one of the other bridesmaids hollered and raised a triumphant fist. “And to watch the male strippers.”
    Holly rolled her eyes. “Please don’t tell me you hired strippers.”
    “We did.” Her girlfriends giggled.
    At that moment, the bongo music stopped and the sound of “You Sexy Thing” came over the speakers mounted on the palm trees above their heads. For the next several minutes they were regaled with Chippendales-quality dancers as “You Sexy Thing” morphed into “You Can Leave Your Hat On.” But after you’d seen one buff, near-naked man, you’d seen them all.
    You haven’t seen Nick naked.
    A vision of Nick bumping and grinding and stripping off his clothes in time to the seductive music popped into her head, erotic and X-rated.
    That’s when Olivia realized she’d had one mai tai too many.
     
     
    T HE MEN LEFT THE STRIP CLUB long before midnight because J.D. was missing Holly. Nick made whip-cracking noises even as relief spread through him. He was ready to get back to the resort, find Olivia and kiss her again just to see if it would be as potent the second time around.
    What the hell was that all about?
    Their rowdy group started across the pavilion, but a crowd that had gathered around a street performance distracted them.
    “Let’s see what’s going on,” one of the guys said. “It’s too early to call it a night just yet. This is your last chance to go balls-to-the-wall crazy, J.D.”
    “My balls are retiring from the wall.” J.D. grinned, not the least bit ashamed when the whole group made whip-cracking noises. “They now belong exclusively to Holly. You’ll all see one day. There’s more to life than wine, women and song.”
    Nick joined the group in razzing J.D., but part of him understood what he was saying. Lately the single life was beginning to feel too routine, and sometimes late in the dark of night, he’d found himself wondering if there was something more. Of course, when the sun came up, he pushed the thoughts away. He made his living writing about being young, single and footloose