The Bride's Curse by Glenys O'Connell Read Free Book Online Page B

smile on his face. The smile she itched to smack—or kiss away.
    Get a grip, Kelly girl.
    “Let’s get this straight. Why do you want to have dinner with me? What do you think I am? A masochist? Do I look like a woman who wants to spend the evening getting indigestion from serious irritation by a stray guy who wants a wedding gown of his own and accuses her of stealing things?”
    Brett had the good grace to look embarrassed. “That’s one of the reasons I’m asking you to have dinner with me. I need to explain that. I wasn’t trying to insult you.”
    “Only one of the reasons?” She raised an eyebrow and gave him the Death Glare.
    “Well, there are other reasons … ” Seeing her about to implode, he raised both hands in surrender. “You can’t blame a guy for trying, can you?
    “Just know this: I’m ex-military and I learned a few things from the Marines.”
    “I’ll bet there was no shortage of volunteer teachers … Ouch!” He grabbed her wrist in strong fingers before her hand connected with his face.
    “That was play. If I’d really meant to hurt you, you wouldn’t be in any condition to even say ‘ouch,’” she warned.
    He hung his head in a playful caricature of shame. Kelly didn’t believe it for an instant. “I am so sorry; it’s just that, when I’m nervous, I turn into a clown. Actually, I’m quite a serious guy.” He even managed a serious guy expression. “Like, I’m seriously asking the most gorgeous woman I have met for years, maybe ever, to have dinner with me while I explain to her why I may have appeared to be a jerk.”
    “You’re telling me that the jerk part was only an appearance? Not for real?”
    “Cross my heart and hope … ”
    “No, that’s okay. The cross-your-heart part will do. We don’t need the hope-to-die part.” Kelly shuddered. Too many great guys she knew had died and she couldn’t bear to hear the words said even lightly. She studied the face of the man before her. He was attractive, with that blond coloring and the dark brown eyes a girl could melt into … and she hadn’t gone on a date in so very long. Maybe she deserved to have a little fun. “So, where are we going to dinner? If it’s really posh, I might need to go home and change.”
    The smile he gave her was dazzling and she felt more lighthearted than she could remember feeling in years. In spite of this guy’s foot-in-mouth syndrome, she really did like him.
    Funny thing, attraction.
    “How about the Midnight Garden? I’ve heard their food and atmosphere are both great and there’s a Swedish cook.”
    Yeah,
Kelly thought
, and there’s supposed to be a resident ghost there, too.
Haunted places were definitely off her fine dining list. About all she needed was to have a counseling session with a restless spirit over some of their wonderful hot chocolate. “To be honest, I’m in the mood for something simpler, like maybe a fish burger and fries at the Marina Café?”
    Brett smiled and Kelly’s pulse raced. “Ah, a lady after my own heart. I do so like a woman who eats real food.”
    • • •
    It turned out the Marina Café was the perfect spot for a first dinner date that wasn’t really a date. Or at least Kelly told herself it wasn’t a date. Brett seemed to have other ideas, judging from the way his eyes lingered on hers and his fingers seemed to creep across the table of their own volition to gently touch hers.
    And she didn’t mind at all.
    It had been a long time since she’d had such fun with a guy who made no bones about the fact that he enjoyed being with her, too. Her ex-fiancé Wayne’s abandonment had soured her on the idea of love, which was why she channeled her romantic nature into Wedding Bliss—creating the perfect wedding for other brides while hiding the hurt of her own broken engagement and latterly non-existent love life.
    She decided to enjoy the feeling while it lasted and focus on the sexy guy sitting across the table from her. Wearing a dark